030123 - Southern California Midweek Edition

A DOCTOR found cysts in Lilia Becerril’s right breast five years ago, but the 51-yearold lacks health insurance. She said she can’t afford the imaging to find out if they’re cancerous.

Becerril earns about $52,000 a year at a nonprofit in California’s Central Valley, putting her and her husband, Armando, at more than double the limit to qualify for Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program for people with low incomes and disabilities.

Private insurance would cost $1,230 a month in premiums, money needed for their mortgage.

“We’ve been resorting to home remedies to get through the pain,” Becerril said through a Spanish translator. Her husband has needed hernia surgery for 20 years.

Marcos to Armed Forces: Defend our territory

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Monday, February 27 called on the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to defend the country’s territory amid a new security landscape and the South China Sea row.

Speaking to troops of the Visayas Command in Cebu, Marcos described the current geopolitical situation in the world today as “most complicated.”

He said there was a time when the Philippines did not

have to worry about threats and the intensification of competition between the superpowers.

“For many, many years, we were able to maintain that peace and maintain that understanding with all of our neighbors. Now things have begun to change and we must adjust accordingly,” he said. “We know that the Philippines is just a small country but we still need to defend our territory.”

He said the Philippines used to have clear boundaries, but now these are being questioned – a situation that further highlights the military’s important mission of safeguarding the country.

“We are facing a more complex foreign situation in the Philippines. Like what I said, that in this part of the world, here in the Philippines, South China Sea, among all issues, it is said to be the most complicated geopolitical situation,” the President said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“Even if there is war in Ukraine, the South China Sea is said to be the most difficult and most complicated problem. That is why I said the mission of the AFP has changed. We need to safeguard those that we did not need to think much about previously,” u PAGE 2

WHEN United States Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) announced her bid to take over Dianne Feinstein’s seat in the U.S. Senate, many wondered if her age would be an asset or hindrance.

Lee is 76 years old and boasts a 12term legislative career in the U.S. House of Representatives. But given longstanding concerns over the 89-year-old Feinstein’s age — and the threat of the young GOP uprising against the aging Democratic Establishment — many Democratic voters have raised concerns over who should take over Feinstein’s seat.

But regarding the vigorous and progressive Lee, any age concern almost becomes a nonissue.

“For those who say my time has passed,

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sent his "warmest greetings" to all Filipinos here and abroad who solemnly recall the 37th EDSA People Power Anniversary, a popular uprising which ousted his father from power in 1986. Late Thursday, February 23, Marcos moved the February 25 regular holiday to Friday, February 24 as a special non-working holiday, with the Department of Labor and Employment calling Saturday, February 25 just an "ordinary working day."

"As we look back at this moment in our country's history, we remind ourselves that despite the polarizing and divisive nature of our politics, it is our capacity for peace, unity and reconciliation that made us great and worthy of global acclaim as a people," Marcos said in a statement released by the state-run Philippine News Agency.

"To obtain our aspirations moving forward, we must compose ourselves and appropriate our actions towards settling our differences and identifying collaborative ways to nurture our society."

Marcos said that by accepting diversity,

CEBU CITY — Calling the tensions in the South China Sea “the most complex geopolitical situation in the world,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on the Armed Forces of the Philippines to “guard carefully” the country’s territory, amid the unabated Chinese incursions into the West Philippine Sea, the area within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

Meanwhile, former Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the President was “taking proper steps in defending the rights of the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea.”

Addressing government troops in one of several activities during his visit here on Monday, Mr. Marcos said the country now “fac[es] a more complex foreign situation.”

“There was a time [when] we did not have to worry about these threats and the intensification of the competition

TAKING in the investment arms of multilateral lenders such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank as strategic partners will likely boost the attractiveness of the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF), according to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Felipe Medalla. Medalla said in an interview with “The Chiefs” on One News

TV that senators were amenable to taking in the International Finance Corp. (IFC) of the World Bank and the investment arm of ADB as strategic partners instead of doing an initial public offering (IPO).

“In particular, let’s say if the fund gets to attract strategic partners like the IFC of the World Bank and the investment arm of the ADB, then the fund may actually be superior,” Medalla said.

THE resumption of flights from the Clark International Airport will boost the country’s tourism industry and decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).

The DOT made this statement following the move of Cebu Pacific to boost the Clark hub with a combined 13 domestic and international routes.

The airline company has said three of its aircraft would be based in Clark.

Flag-carrier Philippine Airlines has also announced that it would

commence flights from Clark to Caticlan on April 1 and Clark to Busuanga on April 2.

The newly reopened routes will surely boost the country’s domestic and international tourism as they will provide added connectivity to the country’s indemand destinations, according to Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco.

“After months of our continuous discussions with relevant aviation agencies and stakeholders such as the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines, we welcome these additional

Marcos to Armed Forces: Defend...

he added.

The Philippines and China are embroiled in a longstanding dispute over some parts of the South China Sea, where more than $5 trillion in goods passes through every year. Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims in the area.

In 2016, an arbitral court based in The Hague invalidated China’s historic claims in the South China Sea but the Chinese government refused to recognize the ruling.

“We still need to fight for the rights of every Filipino because the Philippines is a sovereign nation, the Philippines has a functioning government and that functioning government includes the members of the military and that is why it remains to be our duty to protect the country, to protect our citizens,” Marcos said.

Marcos expressed confidence that soldiers would “always stand up to the challenges that the Philippines faces in the best tradition of the military, in the

best tradition of our heroes that have gone past.”

“Once again, we continue to see heroes being made in our military. Keep up the good work.

The country thanks you. The country is counting on you,” he said.

“The Armed Forces has never failed the country and a grateful Philippines knows that... The entire Philippines knows how

difficult your job is and the entire Philippines is very much thankful for your service.”

The President also reiterated that the country’s foreign policy is “guided by a commitment to peace and guided by the national interest.”

He also thanked the military for helping ensure the conduct of a safe, peaceful and honest elections in 2022. n

Marcos calls for ‘unity, reconciliation’ on...

Filipinos deepen interpersonal relationships and discover how to make things work "better for all."

While touting diversity in Marcos' message, his father was infamous in persecuting political dissidents which lead to the arrests of 70,000, torture of 34,000 and deaths of 3,200 others during the Martial Lawera of 1972 to 1981, according to Amnesty International.

Marcos earlier questioned this data when asked about the abuses

of his father's military rule.

The president said that at the heart of democracy is the need to resign from individualism for the sake of the common good and "embrace our infinite love for humanity."

"Let us keep in mind that the world matures and ages in fortitude when people are free to speak their minds and challenge the realities that shake their convictions and beliefs," Marcos said.

"If we truly stand for democracy,

Del Rosario: Marcos ‘taking proper steps...

between the superpowers,” he said, adding that “we were able to maintain that peace and maintain that understanding with all of our neighbors.”

“Now things have begun to change and we must adjust accordingly,” the president said.

let us face the future by making our sense of community and patriotism the defining cornerstones of our society and the overarching goals of all our efforts in nation-building. I wish everyone a meaningful commemoration," he added.

The Social Weather Stations on Thursday reported that 62% of Filipino adults feel that the spirit of EDSA People Power is still alive, even after Marcos' 2022 win and the widespead misinformation that supported his candidacy. n

Reopened flights from Clark to boost tourism...

flights as they serve the Marcos administration’s efforts to vastly improve tourism connectivity and spread economic opportunity nationwide,” Frasco said.

“These flights will further invigorate the growing interest in our destinations among both domestic and international tourists, and further add to livelihood and employment

opportunities for our tourism stakeholders and frontliners,” she added.

The tourism chief also highlighted that the reopening of the flights are “very timely” for the coming Holy Week.

“The DOT has been working with the DOTr in pushing for the maximization of the Clark International Airport with the goal of establishing it as a viable

alternate airport, so it will be utilized to its full potential,” Frasco said.

“With the additional flights, we meet a number of objectives: the decongestion of the NAIA and minimizing crowding in other airports, as well as the further development of the region and attraction of more tourism activities and businesses in the area,” she added. n

“That’s why I say the mission of the AFP… has changed. And we need to guard carefully on the things we didn’t think too much about before,” he said further.

Marcos emphasized that the AFP “will always stand up to the challenges that the Philippines faces in the best tradition of the military, in the best tradition of our heroes that have gone past.”

Protests, summons

The president made these remarks more than three weeks after a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, just 195 kilometers off Palawan province, pointed a military-grade laser at a vessel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), temporarily blinding its crew.

Last week, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea reported that at least 30 Chinese militia vessels and a CCG ship were found anchored off Ayungin as well as Sabina (Escoda) Shoal, about 135 km from Palawan, when the PCG conducted a maritime domain awareness flight last Tuesday.

Joint patrols

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) had filed 77 protests against China, including 10 this year, on top of 195 diplomatic notes sent to China last year.

On Feb. 14, Marcos summoned Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian “to express his serious concern over the increasing frequency and intensity of actions by China against the Philippine Coast Guard and our Filipino fishermen in their bancas.”

Del Rosario issued a statement on Monday, February 27 supporting this and other moves

by the president. Del Rosario, chair of think tank

Stratbase ADR Institute, said “we welcome that President Marcos Jr.’s administration is allowing joint patrols with like-minded nations in the West Philippine Sea and establishing additional locations under the USPhilippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.”

“If successfully done, these are steps that have the effect of deterring Chinese aggressions against the Philippines,” said the retired diplomat, a former ambassador to the United States.

‘Policies of aggression’

Del Rosario said further that “all nations of the world, including the US and the Philippines, have an important stake in preserving the rules-based international order against the unlawful policies of aggression being pursued by the leaders of China and Russia.”

“Dismantling the rules-based international order would be catastrophic for humanity as the world would revert to a pre-World War II order where disputes were settled by force and where countless lives were meaninglessly lost through wars and invasions,” he added.

“We should not forget the lesson of the past world wars that a policy of appeasement toward

aggressors resulted in disasters,”

Del Rosario also said.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, in a statement, said the country should look beyond its 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States and forge similar security arrangements with other countries.

“China will not stop until we surrender the West Philippine Sea so we must also show her that we will never stand down,” she said, adding that “China stands alone on this issue while we enjoy the support of many countries.”

Modernization

The PCG, meanwhile, said it aims to acquire “more than 20 offshore patrol vessels (OPVs)” to sustain its presence in the country’s waters, its spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela told ANC on Monday.

Currently, the PCG only has three OPVs capable of two-week deployment—two 97-meter ships acquired from Japan and a 93-meter boat from France.

The PCG has 10 smaller vessels that can only conduct short patrols.

Earlier, it called for more aircraft, port facilities, radars, and lighthouses for its modernization.

(With reports from Tina Santos, Frances Mangosing and Marlon Ramos)

World Bank, ADB as investment partners...

Furthermore, he pointed out that inviting multilateral lenders as partners and stakeholders of the fund would address the governance concerns of the proposed MIF.

“If you bring in partners like the IFC, it will be built in. So it really matters who your partners are,” Medalla added.

According to the BSP chief, the proposed MIF would be better than the National Development Co., which is the investment arm of the Philippine government.

Medalla said key concerns of the central bank such as tapping into the country’s foreign exchange buffer or gross international reserves (GIR) as possible source of funds for the MIF have been addressed.

He said the term “wealth” in the original name of the fund has been dropped.

“That was the basic objection to the term W (wealth) because the government is a net borrower, the country is a net borrower. So in other words, to invest, we must borrow,” Medalla said.

He added that the proposed fund should be made to make strategic investments such as buying back the National Transmission Corp. (TransCo) as well as greenhouse gases to attract foreign investors.

“For instance, I think the privatization of transmission might have been a bad move. It’s too strategic and then of course selling it to the Chinese, from a security standpoint. Maybe it’s a good use for this fund to buy it back,” Medalla said.

Another concern of the BSP that has been addressed is the use of the funds of pension fund managers Social Security System (SSS) and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

“I think those issues are gone.

So really the issues now are how we can improve the ability of this fund to increase investments in strategic areas and possibly, as in the case of Indonesia, attract foreign money,” Medalla added.

Based on legislative measures, the MIF will secure seed fund from state-run government financial institutions including Land Bank of the Philippines with P50 billion and Development Bank of the Philippines with P25 billion.

The BSP is expected to chip in P17 billion in the form of dividends, while the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., royalties and special assessments on natural resources and privatization are also seen to contribute an undetermined amount.

Medalla also said the Marcos administration is seriously looking for a highly competent individual to lead the management of the proposed fund.

Privatization

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said privatization would be a “more logical” way of raising capital for the MIF, as it would be “less controversial” than drawing funds from key financial

instituions.

“Privatization seems to be less controversial and more logical because the assets being sold now can be enjoyed by future generations by investing in infrastructure and other things. We must put that on the table for the body to study,” Gatchalian said at hearing of the Senate committee on banks and financial institutions on the MIF Bill on Monday, February 27.

The senator made the statement after Bankers Association of the Philippines president Antonio Moncupa Jr. explained that generating MIF capital from sources that contribute to government coffers could become problematic.

Gatchalian noted that the top three assets that the government was looking to privatize could yield up to P130 billion in capital for the MIF. These assets are the government’s mining rights estimated at P100 billion, a land parcel at the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) in Taguig worth around P22 billion and the government’s Mile Long property in Makati estimated at P8 billion. (With reports from Paolo Romero)

BILATERAL COOPERATION. Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte and Zhang Wenxian (3rd and 4th from left), senior adviser of the Jinjiang Municipal People’s Government of China, pose for photos after their meeting at the Arcadia Events Center on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Zhang led a 38man delegation composed of government officials and business representatives for the signing of agreements for the Jinjiang-Davao Economic Trade Development, Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc., and Xiamen Airlines, as well as Avidsports Phils, Inc. and Shopping Center Management Corp. PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

Philstar.com file photo

Former Foreign Affairs Secretary. Albert del Rosario Inquirer.net file photo by Lynn Rillon

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Felipe Medalla Philstar.com file photo

Dementia care programs help, if caregivers can find them

by Judith Graham Kaiser Health News

THERE’S no cure, yet, for Alzheimer’s disease. But dozens of programs developed in the past 20 years can improve the lives of both people living with dementia and their caregivers.

Unlike support groups, these programs teach caregivers concrete skills such as how to cope with stress, make home environments safe, communicate effectively with someone who’s confused, or solve problems that arise as this devastating illness progresses.

Some of these programs, known as “comprehensive dementia care,” also employ coaches or navigators who help assess patients’ and caregivers’ needs, develop individualized care plans, connect families to community resources, coordinate medical and social services, and offer ongoing practical and emotional support.

Unfortunately, despite a significant body of research documenting their effectiveness, these programs aren’t broadly available or widely known. Only a small fraction of families coping with dementia participate, even in the face of pervasive unmet care needs. And funding is scant, compared with the amount of money that has flooded into the decadeslong, headline-grabbing quest for pharmaceutical therapies.

“It’s distressing that the public conversation about dementia is dominated by drug development, as if all that’s needed were a magic pill,” said Laura Gitlin, a prominent dementia researcher and dean of the College of Nursing and Health Professions at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

“We need a much more comprehensive approach that recognizes the prolonged, degenerative nature of this illness and the fact that dementia is a family affair,” she said.

In the U.S., more than 11 million unpaid and largely untrained family members and friends provide more than 80% of care to people with dementia, supplying assistance worth $272 billion in 2021, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. (This excludes patients

living in nursing homes and other institutions.) Research shows these “informal” caretakers devote longer hours to tending to those with dementia and have a higher burden of psychological and physical distress than other caregivers.

Despite those contributions, Medicare expected to spend $146 billion on people with Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia in 2022, while Medicaid, which pays for nursing home care for people with low incomes or disabilities, expected to spend about $61 billion.

One might think such enormous spending ensures high-quality medical care and adequate support services. But quite the opposite is true.

Medical care for people with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia in the U.S. — an estimated 7.2 million individuals, most of them seniors — is widely acknowledged to be fragmented, incomplete, poorly coordinated, and insensitive to the essential role that family caregivers play. And support services are few and far between.

“What we offer people, for the most part, is entirely inadequate,” said Carolyn Clevenger, associate dean for transformative clinical practice at Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing.

Clevenger helped create the Integrated Memory Care program at Emory, a primary care practice run by nurse practitioners with expertise in dementia. Like other comprehensive care programs, they pay considerable attention to caregivers’ as well as patients’ needs. “We spent a great deal of time answering all kinds of questions and coaching,” she told me. This year, Clevenger said, she hopes three additional sites will open across the country.

Expansion is a goal shared by other comprehensive care programs at UCLA (the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program, now available at 18 sites), Eskenazi Health in Indianapolis, the University of California-San Francisco (Care Ecosystem, 26 sites), Johns

Hopkins University (Maximizing Independence at Home), and the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging in Cleveland (BRI Care Consultation, 35 sites).

Over the past decade, a growing body of research has shown these programs improve the quality of life for people with dementia; alleviate troublesome symptoms; help avoid unnecessary emergency room visits or hospitalizations; and delay nursing home placement, while also reducing depression symptoms, physical and emotional strain, and overall stress for caregivers.

In an important development in 2021, an expert panel organized by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine said there was sufficient evidence of benefit to recommend that comprehensive dementia care programs be broadly implemented.

Now, leaders of these programs and dementia advocates are lobbying Medicare to launch a pilot project to test a new model to pay for comprehensive dementia care. They have been meeting with staff at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and “CMMI has expressed a considerable amount of interest in this,” according to Dr. David Reuben, chief of geriatric medicine at UCLA and a leader of its dementia care program.

“I’m very optimistic that something will happen” later this year, said Dr. Malaz Boustani, a professor at Indiana University who helped develop Eskenazi Health’s Aging Brain Care program and who has been part of the discussions with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The Alzheimer’s Association also advocates for a pilot project of this kind, which could be adopted “Medicare-wide” if it’s shown to beneficial and cost-effective, said Matthew Baumgart, the association’s vice president of health policy. Under a model proposed by the association, comprehensive dementia care programs would receive between $175 and $225 per month for each patient in addition to what Medicare pays for other types of care.

California explores private insurance for...

“It’s frustrating because we pay our taxes, but we can’t reap any of the benefits of where our taxes are going,” she added. While many Californians who earn too much to be eligible for Medi-Cal can get subsidized coverage through Covered California, an estimated 460,000 residents aren’t allowed to buy insurance through staterun insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act because they lack legal status. One Democratic lawmaker says it’s a small but glaring gap and is crafting a bill that could test Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s commitment to reach universal health care.

“We’re going to need to figure out how to provide universal coverage for all who call this state home,” said the bill’s author, Assembly member Joaquin Arambula. “It’s an area our state has not leaned into enough, to provide coverage for those who are undocumented.”

Arambula’s bill would direct the state to ask the federal government to allow immigrants living in the state without authorization to get insurance through Covered California. Arambula sees the move as the critical first step to expand coverage. If approved, the Fresno lawmaker intends to

push for state subsidies to help pay for insurance.

Both elements are essential for immigrants lacking legal status, said Jose Torres Casillas, a policy and legislative advocate with Health Access California, a consumer health group working with Arambula’s office on the measure.

“Access is one thing, but affordability is another,” Torres

Casillas said.

Since taking office in 2019, Newsom has approved expanding Medi-Cal to all qualified residents regardless of immigration status. In doing so, the politician continuously rumored to be preparing for a presidential bid described the state as moving “one step closer” toward universal PAGE 4

LOCAL FAVORITES. Flordelis Nebrao arranges caimito (star apples) on her sidewalk stall along Katipunan Avenue in Balara, Quezon City on Tuesday, Feb. 28. She sources the fruits rich in anti-oxidants from the City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan and sells them for PHP100 per kg. PNA photo by Ben Briones

health care. But in January, Newsom announced a $22.5 billion state deficit and made no mention of new proposals for the state’s estimated 3 million uninsured residents.

Newsom’s health secretary, Dr. Mark Ghaly, acknowledged the pressure to go further but he would not commit to a timeline.

“Up until now we’ve had so many other things to focus on,” Ghaly said. “This will become, frankly speaking, one of the most important next issues that we take on.”

California needs permission from the federal government to open Covered California to immigrants without legal residency because it is currently closed to them, and Arambula said he is in talks with Newsom administration officials about how to structure the bill.

Once the federal government opens Covered California up to all migrants, the state could set aside funding for subsidies.

About 90% of enrollees in Covered California qualify for financial assistance, which is paid for with both state and federal funds. Since 2020, the state has spent $20 million a year on those subsidies, a fraction of the cost, because Congress has given states an infusion of money during the pandemic.

Previously, lawmakers had allocated roughly $300 million to lower insurance premiums for Covered California enrollees. Any financial assistance to people living in the state without authorization would likely have

private insurance for... Rep. Barbara Lee discusses US senate race...

to come from state funds, and the costs could vary widely.

For instance, Colorado enrolled 10,000 such immigrants into a new insurance program designed solely for them at a cost of $57.8 million in state funds, said Adam Fox, deputy director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative. The program covered the full cost of insurance for enrollees.

In Washington state, immigrants who lack legal status can take advantage of a state fund next year to help all income-eligible state residents pay for insurance, said Michael Marchand, chief marketing officer for the Washington Health Benefit Exchange. State lawmakers have added $5 million to the fund for immigrants without legal authorization.

“It would serve as an incentive for additional undocumented immigration into our country,” said Sally Pipes, president and CEO of the Pacific Research Institute, a think tank that advocated against Medi-Cal expansion to immigrants without legal standing. “And put taxpayers on the hook for additional government health care costs and the inevitable higher tax bills to pay for them.”

California officials have previously considered allowing all immigrants to buy insurance from its state-run program before, submitting a request to the federal government in 2016. But the state rescinded its application after President Donald Trump took office, given

his anti-immigration rhetoric and policies. The Biden administration in December approved an exception to federal law for Washington state — a game changer in the eyes of immigration advocates, said Rachel Linn Gish, a spokesperson for Health Access.

“Seeing what other states have done and the waivers that are happening under Biden, it makes a huge difference in our approach,” she said.

But even if lawmakers pass a plan to open California’s insurance marketplace to all immigrants regardless of status, advocates said the state will have to wait until Jan. 1, 2024, to ask the federal government for permission, and it could take half a year or longer to get a response.

That means it could be years before Becerril can get coverage. Instead, she’s preparing for the worst.

“I’m paying for funeral coverage,” she said. “It’s more economical than paying the health coverage premium.”

(Rachel Bluth/Kaiser Health News)

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.

PAGE 1 well, when does making change go out of style?” Lee asks in the campaign announcement video released on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

Among the first of many community meetings, Lee met with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community (AAPI) in Los Angeles on Thursday, Feb. 23 to discuss her legislative history, mobilizing young voters, the issues most pressing to Californians, and the heart of her progressive credo.

“A progressive, like Barbara Lee, is not just going to put BandAids on solutions,” Lee told the Asian Journal at the community gathering hosted at The Noypitz in Little Tokyo. “You gotta deal with systemic change. You gotta shake things up and change the rules of the game because the rules, oftentimes, were barriers for marginalized people.”

As a member of Congress, Lee said that the issues top of mind for her include housing the unsheltered, equitable education, affordable childcare, affordable health care, global peace and security, eliminating poverty, and holding corporate polluters accountable.

But as someone with more progressive values, she said she wants to take it further and challenge the conventions and systems that historically shut people out. As a Washington mainstay, Lee said her career was always about reconfiguring power structures.

“I know that people aren’t that concerned with labels, but it’s the context of what I’ve been working

on. I’ve challenged the systems: corporate systems and systems of funding that are inadequate and discriminatory — systems and structures that have to be dismantled and disrupted so that you can let people in,” Lee shared.

Born in El Paso, Texas but raised in California, Lee’s mission to systemic change began when she was a cheerleader at San Fernando High School in Pacoima. After facing barriers that hindered Black girls to join the school’s cheerleading squad, Lee successfully worked with the local NAACP group to integrate the team, making recruitment equitable for people of color.

By the time Lee was 20 years old, she was a single mother living on public assistance and earned a Master of Social Work from UC Berkeley — all while founding a community organization that provides mental health resources for the East Bay. She then went on to become and intern and then chief of staff to Congressman Ron Dellums, and in 1990, she was elected to California’s State Assembly.

Since 1998, Lee has served California in the House of Representatives, overseeing the now-12th district that covers Oakland and most of the northern part of Alameda County.

In the early 2000s, the congresswoman made waves by being the only member of Congress to vote against thenPresident George W. Bush’s authorization to use military force following 9/11, calling it “a blank check” to exercise “overly broad powers” that disregard the “nation’s long-term foreign policy, economic, and national security interests, and without a time limit.”

As a congresswoman, Lee has always voted to cut the skyrocketing national defense budget, a “way excessive $840 billion,” she told the Asian Journal.

“Every year I vote against that, so I’ve offered amendments to cut it by 10%,” Lee explained. “And I’ve been doing that because I think it’s obscene. We need the resources for schools.”

Amid Republicans currently eyeing a $25 billion cut to the U.S. Department of Education, Lee called on Democrats to mobilize and work to divert defense funds

back into public schools, but she knows it’s an uphill battle.

“We couldn’t even get Democrats to vote for that. Defense contractors are smart because they cite their businesses in members’ districts where they’ve created jobs,” she said.

“But it’s the military-industrial complex, so people have to start calling on Democrats to say cut that budget. It’s excessive and we’re never going to be able to make education equal for Black, brown, and poor children until we deal with where the real resources are — and that’s defense.”

In addition to her staunchly anti-war views, Lee was known across Washington as a trailblazer on several progressive concerns before they became mainstream among Democrats, including LGBTQ+ equality, women’s rights, reproductive rights, and eliminating poverty.

Lee’s announcement comes after other notable Democrats — Reps Adam Schiff (D-Los Angeles) and Katie Porter (D-Orange County) — announced their campaigns to take over Feinstein’s seat. If elected, Lee would be the third Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate, after Carolyn Mosely Brown and Kamala Harris.

Each candidate is politically formidable in their own right; but, it’s Lee’s background, progressive ideals, and track record that give her a specific edge.

In her conversation with the Asian Journal, Lee said that her campaign represents the California she’s seen, not just her long political career, but since she was a child: a state that celebrates its diversity and can overcome seemingly immovable bigotry and tragedy.

“It’s about hope and optimism, and I’m continuing to talk to people about being empowered and engaged, because so many people, after COVID and all the MAGA stuff, feel despondent. They feel down but they can make a difference,” Lee said.

She continued, “I want to encourage people not to give up because as a Black woman, can you imagine what would have happened? If you can get people to really believe and know that they have a voice, they, too, can work to make this country better.”

(Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

Dementia care programs help...

PAGE 3

A study commissioned by the association estimates that implementing a comprehensive care dementia model could save Medicare and Medicaid $21 billion over 10 years, largely by reducing patients’ use of intensive health care services.

Several challenges await, even if Medicare experiments with ways to support comprehensive dementia care. There aren’t enough health care professionals trained in dementia care, especially in rural areas and lowincome urban areas. Moving programs into clinical settings, including primary care practices and medical clinics, may be challenging given the extent of dementia patients’ needs. And training needs for program staff members are significant.

Even if families receive some assistance, they may not be able to afford necessary help in the home or other services such as adult day care. And many families coping with dementia may remain at a loss to find help.

To address that, the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging later this year plans to publish an online consumer directory of evidencebased programs for dementia caregivers. For the first time, people will be able to search, by ZIP code, for assistance available near them. “We want to get the word out to caregivers that help is available,” said David Bass, a senior vice president at the Benjamin Rose Institute who’s leading that effort.

Generally, programs for dementia caregivers are financed by grants or government funding and free to families. Often, they’re available through Area Agencies on Aging — organizations that families should consult if they’re looking for help. Some examples: Savvy Caregiver, delivered over six weeks to small groups

in person or over Zoom. Each week, a group leader (often a social worker) gives a minilecture, discusses useful strategies, and guides group members through exercises designed to help them manage issues associated with dementia.

Now offered in 20 states, Savvy Caregiver recently introduced an online, seven-session version of the program that caregivers can follow on their schedule.

REACH Community, a streamlined version of a program recommended in the 2021 National Academy of Sciences report. In four hourlong sessions in person or over the phone, a coach teaches caregivers about dementia, problem-solving strategies, and managing symptoms, moods, stress, and safety. A similar program, REACH VA, is available across the country through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

In up to eight in-home sessions over four months, an occupational therapist assesses the interests, functional abilities, and home environment of a person living with dementia. Activities that can keep the individual meaningfully engaged are suggested, along with advice on how to carry them out and tips for simplifying the activities as dementia progresses. The program is being rolled out across health care settings in Australia and is being reviewed as a possible component of geriatric home-based care by the VA, Gitlin said.

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.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) meets with the Los Angeles Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community following her bid to run for U.S. Senate, joining the race for Senator Dianne Feinstein’s seat. AJPress photo by Klarize Medenilla

House approves hybrid Con-con on 2nd reading Dateline PhiliPPines

by Delon Porcalla Philstar.com

MANILA — The House of Representatives approved on second reading a resolution allowing Charter amendments through the creation of a hybrid constitutional convention.

Through voice vote, most of the members of the supermajority coalition approved the measure when presiding officer Rep. Raymond Mendoza of TUCP party-list asked for their votes.

The approval on third and final reading of Resolution of Both Houses 6 will only be a formality.

A separate bill was filed and is now pending in the House appropriations committee for tax purposes since Con-con delegates will receive remuneration for their skills.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, who sits as president of the opposition Liberal Party, initially called for the suspension of the plenary proceedings. But he was opposed by his collagues, mostly from the administration bloc.

Rep. Lorenz Defensor of Iloilo also introduced amendments to the measure, removing the name of lawyer Alex Lacson from a group following his nonmembership and moved for the insertion of an important provision. Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, who chairs the House committee on constitutional amendments and sponsor of the measure, accepted Defensor’s insertion of economic amendments to the Constitution.

“That is our purpose: to amend the restrictive economic provisions of the Charter,”

Rodriguez said. Meanwhile, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said attempts to amend the Constitution would only distract the country from addressing urgent problems such as poverty and corruption.

“We should do away with this long-standing tale of make-believe that Charter change will solve all our problems. That is not needed now,” Hontiveros said partly in Filipino.

She said the government and the people must face the reality that inflation, poverty and corruption are the pressing issues that need to be addressed with aggressive political will and focus.

The senator asked why there appears to be “a sense of urgency on Charter change when it is not among the issues felt by the people.”

“Filipinos are experiencing hardship, but Cha-cha is being prioritized when it cannot be eaten,” Hontiveros said.

“Putting Cha-cha front and center is just another major distraction and will only sideline urgent issues. The economy is worsening and the agricultural sector is laden with so much scandal. Redirecting large amounts of our limited resources to Charter change at this time will just do more damage,” she added.

She said she was glad that President Marcos has explicitly stated that amending the Constitution was not his priority. The President’s allies in Congress should take heed, Hontiveros said.

Sen. Nancy Binay said she respects the prerogative of Sen. Robinhood Padilla, who chairs the Senate committee on constitutional amendments, to

push for Cha-cha.

Binay said if Padilla favors the easing of the restrictive economic provisions of the Constitution, the landmark amendments to the Public Service Act, Foreign Investment Act and the Retail Trade Liberalization Act are sufficient to attract investments.

She said more effort should be put into improving and releasing the implementing rules and regulations of these laws instead “in the face of the many crises confronting us.”

Senate Minority Leader

Aquilino Pimentel III said Filipinos are “too preoccupied with daily living struggles” to give a thought to Cha-cha.

“Although we need constitutional changes to improve our system of government, this can wait as we should address first the basic daily living problems: where to get food to feed the family, the continued increase in prices, where to get a job, corruption, the high cost of living and even of dying, and many more basic problems,” Pimentel said.

Sen. Sonny Angara said he was open to amending the Constitution, but he was concerned over the proposal of the House of Representatives to do it through constitutional convention (con-con), whose members are to be elected. He said the con-con is the most expensive and the most tedious mode of Charter change, adding the proposed P10,000 per day pay of each delegate was excessive.

Padilla said while he is heartened over the efforts in the House to amend the Constitution, he appealed anew to them to prioritize amending the economic provisions.

Several groups in the House of Representatives, led by the Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc., have rejected Padilla’s call to abolish the party-list system.

Rep. France Castro of ACT Teachers acknowledged flaws in the Party-List System Law, but said the marginalized sector still needs representation.

“The party-list system should not be abolished. The law should be amended to ensure that only party-list groups from the marginalized sector are the ones who get registered and elected,” Castro said. (With reports from Paolo Romero)

PH has only 300 oncologists for cancer patients – expert

MANILA — The number of oncologists that can attend to the needs of cancer patients nationwide is only 300, according to a cancer expert.

“We are about 100-plus million Filipinos and the number of oncologists around the Philippines is only 300 and, admittedly, majority are here in Metro Manila,” University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital Medical Oncology fellow Dr. Kenneth Samala said at the Kapihan ng Samahang Plaridel media forum held last Monday, February 27.

Samala stressed the need to develop more cancer experts and “get trainees who, after being trained, can go back to their communities and serve.”

“Actually, there are local government units and municipalities that are OK with this and send their scholars (to our institution). We train them and they go back to their communities after that,” he said, as he noted that treating cancer is multi-factorial.

“You need manpower. You need oncologists, nurses, surgeons. You need equipment to be used for diagnosis. Of course, you need medicines, so it is somehow challenging,” he added.

Meanwhile, for Philippine Foundation for Breast Care Inc. vice president Aileen Antolin, there is a need to train more experts, like oncologists and pathologists, to attend to the needs of cancer patients.

“What I have observed is that the funding is usually being used to build infrastructure, although what should be highlighted also is the need for manpower or experts,” Antolin said.

“There is a cancer center, but there are no oncologists, surgeons, pathologists, radiologic technologists and mammography technologists. What happens is we just build structures, we acquire machines, but we lack experts to use the facility and

equipment,” she added.

If the country has medical and technical experts in these facilities, then the care that can be given to patients becomes complete, according to Antolin.

At the same time, she expressed hope that the country’s young students or scholars will have interest in the field of cancer, so that “we can have more experts who will take care of the needs of our cancer patients.” (Philstar. com)

GOOD NEWS. Motorists take advantage of the oil price rollback at a gas station in Camarin, Caloocan City on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Gasoline prices decreased by PHP0.70 per liter and diesel prices by PHP1.30 per liter after the improving crude oil supply in the United States pushed global prices down this week. PNA photo by Ben Briones

Developing the maritime industry

With 7,641 islands and one of the world’s most extensive coastlines, the Philippines should have a robust maritime industry. Instead the country has an abundance of deadly maritime accidents even in fine weather and a domestic shipbuilding industry that is so underdeveloped it cannot even produce enough vessels for the coast guard and navy.

The Philippines is the world’s largest source of commercial seafarers, but their jobs are currently threatened by the failure of local maritime schools to meet international standards on training and accreditation.

Editorial

On Tuesday, February 28 President Marcos vowed to make the maritime industry “once again a top priority.” But the industry has never really enjoyed top priority in any administration. And the ills plaguing the industry are symptomatic of the problems hobbling national development.

Philippine education in general is in crisis. Developing a robust domestic shipbuilding, repair and maintenance industry requires strong competencies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM, which are the weakest areas for the average Filipino student. The country also lacks the innovation ecosystem that is indispensable in designing ships for both commercial and defense purposes.

A strong maritime patrol capability could have enabled the country to uphold its sovereignty

THE recent incident at sea between the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Chinese Coast Guard, when the latter used military grade lasers against the PCG and its crew amid reports of continued harassment of Filipino fishermen within our territorial waters, once again highlights the threat posed by China to Philippine interest, sovereignty, and territory in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

While the incident involving lasers may be a first, the harassment and shadowing of Filipino fishermen and the PCG are a constant reality. While our country pursues constructive

FIRST, the context. The Marcos family has a long history of friendship with China. Hate her or love her, former first lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos made history when she traveled to China in 1978 and met with the late Mao Zedong that led to the declaration of our country's support for the One China policy by the late President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos in 1979.

The Marcoses and the Chinese

The Marcoses have fond memories of the Chinese. All these years, they have maintained friendly relations and are respectful of Chinese leaders, past and present. After the defeat of Bongbong Marcos in the vice presidential race to Leni Robredo in 2019, it was his FilipinoChinese friends who stood by him during his hour of agony when everybody else shunned him.

The Marcoses and the Americans Marcos Jr. is no stranger to realpolitik and the dangers small and weak countries face against the designs of the more powerful country like the United States. He and his family had a taste of it during the EDSA revolution in 1986, when the Americans helped the coup plotters topple his father. And instead of bringing them to Paoay as originally agreed, hijacked them instead to Hawaii.

But that's only the tip of the "ice cream" as former president Erap Estrada would hilariously put it.

The Americans, to gain favor from the Cory administration, ramped

– as affirmed by an international arbitration court – over disputed areas in the South China Sea. Instead the country continues to rely on allies for protecting its maritime entitlements and has yet to fully achieve credible defense capability.

Addressing the Philippine Maritime Industry Summit 2023 on Tuesday, February 28, President Marcos committed to support aspirations for developing a domestic maritime industry “that will be looked upon with admiration by the region and the rest of the world.”

This includes full support for the Maritime Industry Development Plan 2028, which covers priority programs to expand and promote an environmentally sustainable industry, adopt an efficient system of maritime governance, enhance maritime transport security, innovate and digitalize the industry, promote a competitive workforce and develop shipbuilding and repair.

Those are ambitious goals, but with political will and full government support, they should not prove impossible to achieve within six years. (Philstar.com)

Protecting PH sovereignty and territory

engagement with China in other areas of bilateral relations such as in trade and investment, the dispute in the WPS will be a constant thorn and a major issue in Philippine national security interest.

Meanwhile, the decision of the Marcos administration to provide the United States expanded access to our military bases under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca), and explore a possible Visiting Forces Agreement with Japan to include some form of trilateral defense arrangement with the US, is being criticized and characterized as a mendicant foreign policy. The critics note that the mindset behind this idea is outdated, and that focus should be on independently building our defense posture. Others claim it

will drag the Philippines into a war with China over Taiwan if the Americans get involved.

I acknowledge the risk posed by a possible war over Taiwan that involves the Americans, but as I noted in my previous article in this publication on Feb. 9 titled “Expanded Edca: Benefit or Liability?” the pros outweigh the cons. Essentially, the ultimate objective of the overarching strategy, in which Edca is just a part of a broader network of alliances being established, is not to facilitate a military victory, but rather to deter China from using armed force, not to mention prevent a war from breaking out at all. It is, of course, no guarantee that China would be deterred from its aim to reintegrate Taiwan through military means, but the lack of a credible deterrent is also

EDCA: Bane or boon?

up its demonization of the Marcos family who were vilified, ridiculed and shamed in the American press. Case after case were filed against them for compensation to the martial law victims whose list of names were suspect, and for the recovery of alleged ill-gotten wealth, to mention just two.

So, why would Marcos Jr. cocoon the Americans despite what they did to him and his family? Why would he weasel out of the Chinese embrace after long years of friendship?

Personal interest vs national interest

The experience of the Marcoses with the Americans, I would imagine, would have been traumatic for the young Marcos. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how he must have felt toward the Americans and now that he is President, I didn't expect Marcos Jr. to behave as if nothing had happened between his family and the Americans. And yet, he has recently granted the use of four additional military bases on top of the existing five or a total of nine, to the Americans under the EDCA agreement. This was no easy decision, knowing fully well that the EDCA will put the Philippines in harm's way in the event a conflict flared between China and the United States over Taiwan or the West Philippine Sea.

The reality is that there are only three options for Marcos Jr., all of which could be portentous. Let me explain.

The American and the China cards are both perilous for the Philippines. Either way, it will not spare us in the event of a clash between two hemogenic giants — militarily or economically. Whichever way the wind blows,

we are crushed. The third option is neutrality. The only way to stay neutral is to do the bidding of China and short of a formal declaration, we allow ourselves to become a "province of China."

China forced BBM'S hand Marcos Jr. has no options left but to acquiesce to the request of the United States for nine military bases under EDCA. To do otherwise would be a sign of weakness in the face of bullying by China. He could even be accused of treason if he did not show resolve in protecting our patrimony and the lives and livelihood of our fisherfolk.

What do you do when China, who professes undying friendship, continues to violate our sovereign rights (not sovereignty), and harass our fishermen, which has become a daily occurrence, depriving them of their livelihood?

There was even an incident when the Chinese rammed a boat of our fishermen and left them for dead in the high seas.

In another recent incident, the Chinese beamed a militarygrade laser at our coast guard on a routine supply run to our military outpost in Ayungin Shoal, temporarily blinding them.

China has built a constellation of military outposts, including reclaiming over 3,400 hectares, and turning it into a naval base capable of launching a bombing run on the Philippines, and threatening the flow of trade in the West Pacific.

And you expect Marcos Jr. to stay neutral?

In the long and short of it, China has only itself to blame for the decision of Marcos Jr. to enlist the United States in defense of the Philippines. China's ambitions need to be checked

likely to encourage China to use armed force, as the cost of an invasion would not be so high.

The bottom line is, no matter our position, a war breaking out in Taiwan is not in our country’s interest, and that preventing one from happening by being part of an alliance to deter China from starting one would be. Taking this a step further, has there been any consideration about our security position if Taiwan were to fall under the complete control of China? Such scenario would mean China’s land border would only be around 400 kilometers from Batanes instead of 3,000 km away as it is now. So aside from the WPS, we now have to closely monitor and patrol our northeast and eastern maritime domain, which includes the Benham Rise. Recall that a

few years back, Chinese ships were surveying the area, which could be another flashpoint in Philippine-China relations. Therefore, if we are to talk about protecting our country’s sovereignty and territory, both on land and at sea, we need to take all possible scenarios and factors into account, and act according to our country and people’s best interest.

Speaking of our country’s and people’s best interest, would the status quo of regular harassment of our fishermen and the Coast Guard, and the normalization of these violations of the 2016 arbitral ruling in our favor, be acceptable?

Independently building our defense posture is ideal, but how many generations will it take for us to achieve military parity with

China, if that is even possible?

In the meantime, we have to use all means necessary to protect our sovereignty and territory. Of course, doing so comes with risks, but sticking our head in the sand and hoping we’d be left alone would be worse. By the time we stick our head out of the ground, we’d realize we have already lost control of part of our territory.

* * *

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.

* * * Moira G. Gallaga served three Philippine presidents as presidential protocol officer, and was posted as a diplomat at the Philippine consulate general in Los Angeles, and the Philippine Embassy in Washington.

somehow, and the best way would be to go for what is called the "Cornerstone Balancer" principle, where a weak state enters into a joint agreement with a more powerful country like the United States. It could also be an agreement with other states like Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan, Australia and India, whose combined military strength could overshadow the aggressor.

Independent foreign policy?

Breaking his avowed foreign policy of "Being a friend to all, enemy to none," and displeasing the Chinese was a forced move. Let's be clear about this: both China and the United States are hegemonic, both are fighting for world dominance, both have their own interests to protect and promote, and both need the Philippines to advance their country's agenda. It is our

misfortune that the Philippines is simply on the wrong side of geography. It is a small country coveted by two superpowers.

But what choice does the President have? Either he allows China to continue to occupy parts of our territory, harass our fishermen, militarize the WPS, and let the Philippines be a wimp, or run to the Americans for succor.

How did we end up where we are?

Blame the Chinese. It is time to close ranks and support our policy of alignment with the United States and pray that war or even a limited or regional war is averted. China should wake up to the reality that if it wants the world to trust it, it should forego its hegemonic ambition by demonstrating respect for its neighboring countries'

territorial claims, stop being a neighborhood bully, and start behaving like a responsible member of nations. Doing so would mean leaving behind its military outposts and naval bases in the WPS and turning it instead into a sea of peace. The question is: Will the Chinese leave behind their constellation of military outposts and forgo their claim to the almost entire WPS? I don't think so. What happens now to the avowed foreign policy of President Marcos Jr.: "Enemy to none, friends to all?" You can forget it and brace for more harassments and hostile acts by the Chinese.

* * * 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.

This year’s joint activities are expected to be bigger, considering the expansion of coverage of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) to include four more Philippine military bases where US forces can operate on a temporary basis. Philstar.com file photo

Expanded discount for senior citizens approved

THE House Special Committee on Senior Citizens has approved bills that will expand the provision of a 20 percent discount and exemption from value-added tax to senior citizens to include medicines, dietary supplements, vitamins, herbal products and formulated milk that have been properly prescribed or recommended by physicians.

House Bills 362 and 5425, authored by OFW party-list Rep. Marissa Magsino and Manila First District Rep. Ernesto Dionisio Jr., respectively, were approved by the House committee and will be consolidated.

Magsino welcomed the committee's decision and said that her bill will benefit many senior citizens who are forced to fend for themselves with their little life savings and pensions, which are largely used for personal expenses and medical needs, and the most disadvantaged have become street dwellers, begging for a living.

She said that the Constitution requires both the family and the government to care for

elderly members through social programs. In response to this constitutional directive, Congress passed Republic Act 7432, or the "Senior Citizens Act," which was later revised by RA 9257 and RA 9994, or the "Expanded Senior Citizens Acts of 2003 and 2010," respectively.

Senior citizens are offered a 20 percent discount on certain products and services, such as medicines, as well as a 12 percent value-added tax exemption under this succession of laws.

Yet, these laws failed to provide for a definition of the term "medicines, which would identify specifics of their coverage, thus allowing many business establishments the leeway to determine which types of medicines are subject to the discount, and in many instances deny the grant of the privilege," Magsino said during her sponsorship speech.

"Moreover, the present laws do not include supplements and vitamins, formulated milk and other similar products that have proven important,

especially during the pandemic, in maintaining the well-being of senior citizens," she added. House Bill 362 proposes defining "medicines" as drugs, both prescription and nonprescription, generic and branded, duly prescribed by physicians and approved by the Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, to be used in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of illness.

The bill intends to include dietary supplements, herbal products and formulated milk that have been officially prescribed by physicians, approved by the DoH and utilized in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease.

"The amount of care that a society extends to its elderly members is a measure of the humaneness that particular society possesses. We Filipinos are known for our culture of cherishing and personally taking care of our elderly. Let us keep that distinction and pride alive," Magsino said. (ManilaTimes.net)

Maharlika to have 6 to 11% yield in 10 years

by Louise Maureen siMeon, PaoLo roMero Philstar.com

MANILA — The Senate committee on banks and financial institutions wrapped up on Monday, February 27 its hearings on the proposal to put up a Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) that economic managers said can have an average yield of anywhere between six percent and 11 percent in 10 years.

Committee chairman Sen. Mark Villar said the panel will convene its technical working group to consolidate all inputs received in the three hearings even as senators indicated the Senate version of the MIF bill will have marked differences from the counterpart measure passed by the House of Representatives last December.

Upon questioning by senators, National Treasurer Rosalia de Leon gave initial estimates on the possible returns from the MIF, which is proposed to secure its seed fund from the Land Bank of the Philippines at P50 billion, P25 billion from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), P17 billion from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and still undetermined contributions from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., royalties and special assessments on natural resources and privatization.

She said the MIF may be placed in private equity infrastructure or in the capital markets or both. If the fund – estimated to be initially at P150 billion to P200 billion – were invested in the capital market, it would have a 10-year average return of 6.51 percent.

“So that is of course higher than the important target inflation of two to four percent and even higher than our 10-year average GS (government securities) yield of 4.7 percent, indicating that it is a better return than the traditional conservative investment option,” De Leon said. If placed in other sectors like power, real estate, infrastructure and logistics, the 10-year average return would be a 10.78 percent, she said.

“Of course, we’d like to diversify the portfolio… this would be a more realistic allocation strategy and on a 50-50 allocation between the major sub funds, 8.64 percent per year on average, which is also double the four percent upper bound of the long-term inflation target and more than two percent above the most recent yield,” she said.

Comelec needs P3.8B more for con-con

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) will need an additional P3.827 billion to hold an election for constitutional convention (con-con) delegates, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said on Tuesday.

The election of delegates is planned to be held simultaneously with the barangay and youth council polls on October 30.

Garcia told the House Committee on Appropriations the additional budget will fund the bigger honoraria being proposed for teachers who will be doing poll duty. He also said that 67 million ballots have to be printed for the election of con-con delegates.

to have as delegates at least three retired members of the judiciary, two economists, two from the labor sector, two from the farmers and fisherfolk, two from indigenous cultural communities, and two from the senior citizens and persons with disabilities, among others.

During the constitutional amendments committee's meeting on Monday, Cagayan de Oro Second District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, the committee chairman, said "what is envisioned here is that there will be nominations from different sectors and then the nominations will be submitted to the speaker and submitted also to the Senate president, so that then each

Not unique Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor Ejercito said investments allowed under MIF are the same as those allowed for government financial institutions. Such investments are in cash, foreign currencies, metals and other favorable commodities, fixed income instruments issued by a sovereign, quasi-sovereign and super-national and in joint venture or co-investments.

“What makes it (MIF) unique, because these are also being done by the GFIs?” Ejercito said.

Undersecretary Zeno Ronald Abenoja, chief economic counselor of the Department of Finance, said the purpose of the MIF is to focus government investments on strategic destinations, but with commercial rate or even higher than market returns.

Villar sought the opinion of the National Development Co. on how the creation of the MIF would affect their operations. Some senators earlier said the NDC could be the one handling the MIF instead of the MIC.

“I just want to get a comment from the NDC and clarify what is your stand on the Maharlika Fund and the creation of Maharlika Investment Corporation,” Villar asked.

NDC general manager Antonilo Mauricio said the NDC does not have a position on the creation of the MIF since the agency has not been involved from the start in the conceptualization of the proposed sovereign wealth fund.

Mauricio, however, suggested to senators “to give emphasis on NDC as an investment arm.”

Asked by Sen. Nancy Binay whether the MIC would be a competitor to the NDC, Mauricio replied the corporation is focused on smaller deals and investment gaps that national government agencies might have overlooked.

Rogelio Quevedo, of the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel, explained that while the NDC would be focusing its investments on local development projects, the MIC would invest in treasury bonds, equities and government securities.

Cap on foreign funds

National Treasurer De Leon also said there should be a limit to the resources foreign entities may pour into MIF to ensure their participation in decision-making is restricted.

She said both the Senate and

House versions of the MIF bill don’t provide for such restriction.

“We are thinking of putting a cap in terms of the limit on how much offshore investments can participate in the corporation,” De Leon said.

“There should be a cap on how much you can invest. We can put it in the IRR (implementing rules and regulations) or put it in the law already, if needed,” she said.

The rationale behind such a proposal, according to De Leon, is to keep foreign investors from becoming part of the board of directors of the MIC. This means they will have no seat or voting rights in the MIC.

In the proposed measure’s current form, the corporation is represented by the founding members including the secretary of the Department of Finance, heads of the Landbank and DBP, as well as an advisory board.

There will also be independent directors whose seats are reserved for nominees of the Landbank and DBP, given the size of their capital contribution.

“Since the sizable amount will be from Landbank and DBP, it would be pro rata to their contribution,” De Leon said.

Even as the private sector will be encouraged to invest in the fund, she stressed the MIC would have no private sector representatives –at least in the board of directors.

But Binay and Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian questioned such restriction, saying it would make the MIF less appealing.

“Foreign investors are very particular on representation, primarily to protect their investment,” Gatchalian said.

De Leon explained that putting a cap on foreign investments would ensure the government remains the majority holder of the institution.

“For you to be on the board, then you would have to have more than 25 percent shares of the corporation,” she said. “But then the limits will prevent them from getting that much. Majority will still be the government.”

De Leon clarified that the only time that a foreign entity can sit in the board is when the MIC enters into a deal with another company and forms a joint venture.

Binay suggested that the law should make it clear that no foreign entity can be part of the board regardless of the size of its investments. n

Last week, the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments approved a Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) calling for a con-con to amend or revise the 1987 Constitution.

If the House adopts the RBH, it must also be approved by the Senate.

Under a bill approved by the House constitutional amendments committee during a meeting on Monday, one delegate per legislative district shall be elected to the con-con.

Sectoral representatives, who will make up 20 percent of the convention delegates, would be jointly appointed by the Senate president and the House speaker.

A con-con delegate must be a natural-born Filipino citizen, at least 25 years old on election day, a college degree holder, a registered voter in the concerned district, and a resident there for at least a year immediately preceding elction day.

A sectoral delegate must be a natural-born Filipino citizen and at least 25 years old on the day of his appointment.

The bill requires the con-con

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITY IFB NO. EP220R-23 SAND SILO AIR FILTER REPLACEMENT

The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) is seeking Bids for the replacement of sand silo air filters. Bid documents may be downloaded at SCRRA’s website at http://www.metrolinktrains. com/contracts. Bids are due on 03/30/23.

The contract to be awarded will be funded in part by grants under the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration.

For further information contact: Brian Jacob, Senior Contract and Compliance Administrator, at JacobB@scrra. net.

3/1/23

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one of them will consider the nominations and then they will have to meet and be able to have" a joint approval "on whom both of them will appoint."

The delegates will serve from Nov. 21, 2023, to June 30, 2024. The convention will be held in the House session hall. It must submit its report to Congress and the Comelec within 30 days from completion of the consolidated amendments, or July 30, 2024. The amendments to the Constitution proposed by the convention must be ratified by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite to be held within 90 days after the submission of the convention report. (ManilaTimes.net)

ABISO NG SAN DIEGO COUNTY CONSORTIUM TUNGKOL SA PAMPUBLIKONG PAGDINIG AT ABISO TUNGKOL SA AVAILABILITY

CONSORTIUM NG COUNTY NG SAN DIEGO TAUNANG PLANO PARA SA 2023-24

PONDO PARA SA PROGRAMANG COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG), HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS (HOME), EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT (ESG), AT HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH AIDS (HOPWA) Ibinibigay ang Abisong ito para sabihin na magsasagawa ang Board of Supervisors ng pampublikong pagdinig sa Abril 4, 2023, nang 9:00 a.m. sa Room 310 sa County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA, para isaalangalang ang Taunang Plano para sa Taon ng Pananalapi na 202324. Isasaalang-alang ng Board ang iminungkahing paggamit ng tinatantyang: $4,210,628 sa pondo ng Community Development Block Grant (CDBG); $3,575,146 sa pondo ng HOME Investment Partnership (HOME); $369,509 sa pondo ng Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG); at $5,619,991 sa pondo ng Housing Opportunities for Persons with HIV/AIDS (HOPWA) na matatanggap ng County mula sa Kagawaran ng Pabahay at Pagpapaunlad ng Lungsod ng Estados Unidos (Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD). Isasaalang-alang din ng Board ang iminungkahing paggamit ng $4,045,000 sa mga kita ng CDBG, HOME, at HOPWA para sa Taon ng Pananalapi na 2022-23 at ang muling paglalaan ng tinatantyang $12,400,000 sa mga entitlement ng HOME, ESG, CDBG at HOPWA sa mga nakaraang taon. Ang mga bilang na ito ay batay sa mga antas ng pagpopondo sa nakaraang taon. Inilalarawan ng Taunang Plano ang mga iminungkahing aktibidad na popondohan mula sa Taon ng Pananalapi na 202324 at mga entitlement noong nakaraang taon, na nakakatugon sa mga layuning itinatag sa Pinag-isang Plano para sa 2020-24. Ang programang CDBG ay nagbibigay ng pondo sa unincorporated area ng County at mga lungsod ng Coronado, Del Mar, Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove, Poway, at Solana Beach. Ang mga pondo ng CDBG ay dapat: (1) mapakinabangan ng mga taong may mas mababang kita; (2) pigilan/alisin ang mga abandonadong lugar; o (3) tugunan ang mga pangangailangan sa pagpapaunlad ng komunidad na nangangailangan ng agarang pansin. Pinopondohan ng programang HOME ang mga aktibidad ng abot-kayang pabahay sa loob ng HOME Consortium ng County. Kasama sa HOME Consortium ang mga area ng CDBG, at mga lungsod ng Carlsbad, Encinitas, La Mesa, San Marcos, Santee, at Vista. Pinopondohan ng programang ESG ang tulong sa walang tirahan sa mga area ng CDBG, at pinopondohan ng programang HOPWA ang pabahay/mga serbisyo para sa mga taong may HIV/ AIDS at ang kanilang mga pamilya sa buong San Diego County. Masusuri at makokomentuhan ng publiko ang mga kopya ng mga draft na Plano, sa 30 araw na panahon ng pagbibigay ng komento mula Marso 3, 2023 hanggang Abril 4, 2023, sa website ng County sa www.sdhcd.com. Ang mga taong nangangailangan ng tulong para lumahok sa mga pulong (halimbawa: hindi nagsasalita ng Ingles, may kapansanan sa pandinig, atbp.) ay dapat abisuhan ang HCDS limang araw bago ang pulong. Para sa karagdagang impormasyon, mangyaring tumawag sa (858) 6948724. Para sa tulong sa may kapansanan sa pandinig, mangyaring tumawag sa (866) 945-2207.

3/1/23

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Tony Award winner Lea Salonga joins Broadway cast and producing team of ‘Here Lies Love’

For limited guest engagement July 11 – August 13, 2023

THE producers of Here Lies Love, the groundbreaking musical from the minds of Grammy®, Oscar®, and Tony Award® winner David Byrne (concept, music and lyrics) and Grammy Award® winner Fatboy Slim (music), announced that Tony and Olivier Award winner Lea Salonga, a global Filipina legend, will join the show’s Broadway cast for a special guest engagement this summer.

Salonga, who is also joining the producing team of Here Lies Love, will appear in the show for five weeks from Tuesday, July 11 through Sunday, August 13. She will perform “Just Ask The Flowers,” sung by the character of Aurora Aquino – mother of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, whose assassination ignited the People Power Revolution that ousted Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos from power. After her five-week run, guest stars from the Philippines will take over the role, showcasing the abundance of talent from her native country. This production marks the first time Salonga will serve as a producer on a Broadway show; Here Lies Love also marks the first time Salonga will play a Filipino role on the Broadway stage.

Salonga returns to the Broadway Theatre with Here Lies

Love after making her Broadway debut there in 1991, winning the Tony Award for her portrayal of Kim in Miss Saigon at age 20.

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

Lea Salonga said, “I’m so excited to be joining Here

Lies Love as both a performer and producer! As an audience member that stood on the dance floor at the National Theatre in London where Here

Lies Love ran in 2014, I knew I wanted to be part of it if and when it ever came to Broadway. Now here we are, and at the theater in which I made my Broadway debut! I’m thrilled to be part of this show, as well as part of a company comprised of an abundance of Filipino talent, a first in Broadway history! We’re showing the world what we’re capable of!”

Director Alex Timbers said, “Having Lea join the Here Lies Love family is a pinch-me moment for all of us. I can’t wait to get in the rehearsal room with her and the other talented artists working on this show.”

Producer and costume designer Clint Ramos said, “Lea Salonga has singularly secured a place for Filipinos on the Broadway stage. That she joins us as both performer and producer, where she creates a pipeline for Filipina actresses, is profoundly historic. Lea continues to be a beacon of light and source of pride for the Philippines. We are thrilled to welcome her to Here Lies Love.”

As previously announced, the cast of Here Lies Love will also include Jose Llana (The

‘Love you, ‘day!’: Richard Gomez proud of Juliana’s first UAAP gold medal

By Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

“I am so proud of you @ gomezjuliana! You are now uaap champion!!! Hard work and understanding of the game has set in. I love you ‘day!” Richard captioned the post.

Juliana commented to Richard’s post with “Thank you for everything dad! Love you.”

The daughter of Lucy

and Richard said that

King and I, The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee) and Conrad Ricamora (“How to Get Away with Murder,” The King and I, Soft Power – Grammy nominations). An international casting search is underway for the remaining company of 20+ actors.

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

Ticketing information

As the official card sponsor of Here Lies Love, American Express® Card Members have Early Access to exclusive presale tickets before the general public from Friday, March 10 at 10am EST through Monday, March 20 at 9:59am EST at Telecharge.com.

Presale tickets for Here Lies Love are available exclusively to Audience Rewards® members from Monday, March 20 at 10:00am ET through Wednesday, March 22 at 9:59am ET. It’s free and fast to join at www.AudienceRewards.com.

Audience Rewards is the Official Rewards Program of Broadway, providing membership benefits and rewards for more than 2.7 million members and representing more than a quarter of all Broadway tickets purchased through Ticketmaster and Telecharge.

Free and easy to join, Audience Rewards allows buyers to earn Show Points on every ticket purchase, to be redeemed for free tickets, theater collectibles, unique experiences, and more.

Founded in 2008 by a unique coalition of prominent theater owners, including Nederlander, Shubert, and Jujamcyn, major national presenters, and key performing arts centers from across the country, Audience Rewards has offered members first access presales to more than 100 Broadway shows and

200 VIP experiences and events, which have included a meet and greet with Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Sturridge, a walk-on role in Rock of Ages, a cooking class with Gavin Creel & Celia Keenan-Bolger, celebrity Q&As, backstage tours and much more.

Tickets are on sale to the general public beginning Monday, March 27 at 10:00am EST online at Telecharge.com or by phone at 212-239-6200.

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

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

From its world premiere at The Public Theater in 2013, Here Lies Love has enjoyed popular and critical acclaim. The show returned to The Public in 20142015, debuted at London’s Royal National Theatre in 2014, and most recently opened at Seattle Repertory Theatre in 2017.

The creative team for Here Lies Love on Broadway includes three-time Tony Award® nominee David Korins (scenic design), Tony Award® winner Clint Ramos (costume design), Tony Award® winner Justin Townsend (lighting design), M.L. Dogg & Cody Spencer (sound design), and three-time Tony Award® nominee Peter Nigrini (projection design), with casting by Tara Rubin CSA, Xavier Rubiano CSA, Gail Quintos and general management by Foresight Theatrical. Additional creative team members include ATW Jonathan Larson Grant recipient J. Oconer Navarro (music director), Billy Bustamante (assistant director), Renée Albulario (assistant choreographer), Bobby Garcia (casting consultant/ Philippines), Gregory T. Livoti (production stage manager), and Ryan Gohsman and Sheryl Polancos (assistant stage managers). Giselle “G” Töngi is the show’s Cultural and Community Liaison.

Here Lies Love is produced by Hal Luftig, Patrick Catullo, Diana DiMenna and Plate Spinner Productions, Clint Ramos, and Jose Antonio Vargas, with Aaron Lustbader serving as Executive Producer.

They are joined by Lea Salonga, Bobby Garcia, Giselle “G” Töngi, Celia Kaleialoha Kenney, Girlie Rodis, Miranda Gohh, Rob Laqui, Georgina Pazcoguin, Don Michael H. Mendoza, Adam Hyndman, Yasuhiro Kawana, Triptyk Studios, Shira Friedman, Kevin Connor, and Hunter Arnold/TBD Theatricals.

she’s just getting started to win medals.

“2 years in the making..

i’m just getting started. It’s a privilege to fight for UP,” she

wrote

didn’t even choose the name Liza’: Liza Soberano shares story of ‘growth, gratitude, taking control’ in new vlog

By Kathleen a lleMit Philstar.com

MANILA — After her social media accounts were “wiped out,” Liza Soberano uploaded a new YouTube vlog today where she poured her heart out on her decades-long career, leaving her previous management and treading new ground that she is excited to explore.

The 14-minute vlog is divided into two. The first half was a recap of what she has been doing for the past year since deciding to leave the care of Star Magic and manager Ogie Diaz. The second half features her talking to the camera and giving updates on her upcoming projects. It also reveals her innermost feelings about her showbiz career.

“The pandemic was the first time in my life where I was allowed to stop and be still. This forced me think: I didn’t have a childhood nor did I have the chance to grow and become an adult on my own terms,” Liza began.  She said that she has been working for 13 years starting when she was only 12 years old.

“I had always been told what to do, what to wear, what to say and what not to say. I know this was for my own good. It was to protect me and my career, but it was a career that I had no say in. A career that in many ways wasn’t mine. I didn’t even choose the name Liza. It was chosen for me,” the actress said.  Liza started out as a pretty up-and-coming teen actress who played the third wheel to stars, such as Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo’s movies. She eventually found her own footing by starring in her own shows with Enrique Gil, thus, forming the famous LizQuen love team. They went on to star in several movies and shows, such as the teleseryes “Forevermore” and “Dolce Amore” and the movies “Everyday I Love You” and “Alone Together.”  No bitterness

The actress stressed that she is not telling a story of bitterness or regret. She had her realizations during the pandemic, where she found herself at the crossroads of her life.

It was then that she was approached by James Reid, a fellow actor who was also once managed by Star Magic after appearing in one of the editions of “Pinoy Big Brother.” He currently heads his own music and talent label, Careless.

“This not a story of bitterness or regret. In fact, it’s the opposite. It’s a story about growth and gratitude. At 24 years old, I was finally given the choice to decide my own path,” Liza said.

She said her curiosity made her meet James and his team of young people. It was life-

changing for the actress as she was impressed with their passion and ambition.

They helped her open her spa, Hope Wellness, but they had to close it down. Their collaboration, however, did not end with her brief business venture.

“I love the way they respected my vision and intelligence as I did theirs,” she said, adding that they were supportive and didn’t ask for anything in return.

She took a break in El Nido, Palawan with family and friends where she figured in a motorcycle accident that left her with “gnarly” scars. She took a month to recuperate and train herself through yoga, meditation and journaling.

When she felt that she was ready to be active again, she sat with them and her talk with the team sealed the deal for Liza.

“I asked them what the plan was for me and they said I don’t know. You tell us. We’re here to support whatever your dreams are. That’s when I knew I had found my team.

“I had been approached by so many different management companies before, and it was the first time any of them had asked me what I wanted, what made me happy,” Liza revealed.

She acknowledged the surprise of people when she signed up with a startup company but Liza said she chose a team that supports her vision, rather than “lay one out for me.”

Grown so much

The actress said she’s the type who is hesitant to share her most personal experiences and thoughts on social media.

After the “wipe out,” she’s now back on Instagram with a reel and series of photos from a self-produced shoot with popular photographer Shaira Luna.

“I’ve always been scared to talk about very personal things and after the pandemic, even became scared of talking about my career and explaining myself,” she said.

The shoot played around the concept of her being jealous of flowers and dives deeper into the meaning of her poems.

“It was me expressing my hopes and dreams and frustrations. I’m 25 years old now and I think people forget that I’ve been working for 13 years now since I was 12 years old.

“I’ve been in six feature films, over 500 episodes of teleseryes and have only really dabbled into three main genres: romance, comedy and drama. And since I was 16, I had only really worked side by side with one main co-star, with the same production company, rotating around the same three directors and during all those years, I was never really asked

Continued on Page 10

Richard Gomez with daughter Juliana

Photo from Richard Gomez via Instagram

MANILA — Actor Richard Gomez is one proud father to his daughter Juliana after she clinched the gold medal for the University of the Philippines (UP) during the recent University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 fencing tournament. In his Instagram account, Richard posted the video of Juliana’s winning moment.

Torres

on Instagram.  Juliana also recently won gold at the West Java Fencing Challenge 2022 in Bogor, Indonesia.

‘I

via Instagram

Tony and Oliver Award winner Lea Salonga will join “Here Lies Love” for a special guest engagement this summer 2023.

Cotabato limestone artifacts exhibit & lecture

Rare pre-colonial artifacts from the Sally von dem Hagen collection

FOR the first time ever, pre-colonial limestone artifacts from Cotabato will be presented to the Los Angeles public. The exhibit will be launched on March 7, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. at the FASGI Bayanihan Center, located at 135 North Park View Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026. The display of rare limestone urns, covers and figures are from the Sally von dem Hagen Collection. The exhibit launch will feature an introduction by Philippine Consul General Edgar Badajos and a short lecture by Dr. Stephen Acabado, Director of the UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies and Chair of the UCLA Archaeology Interdepartmental Program.

The purpose of the exhibit is to engage the more than half a million Filipinos in Los Angeles to be active participants in reclaiming our collective material culture. We hope to: (1) elevate Filipino American identity by increasing knowledge on shared Filipino history and culture; (2) dispel propagated myths and provide accurate information, especially those in reference to pre-Colonial indigenous people; and (3) honor the legacy of Sally von dem Hagen. According to Dr. Acabado, “Access to heritage information facilitates a strong sense of ethnic identity. Studies have shown that immigrant youths exposed to their parents’ culture and history are more likely to succeed later in life. We hope that this event is the first of many engagements with the LA Filipino community.”

The artifacts to be exhibited were likely constructed approximately 2800-1000 years ago and most were used as secondary burial urns. A Monobo tribe sold the pieces to Sally von dem Hagen over a period of two years in the late 1970s. The artifacts were removed from caves, located in Manobo land in Cotabato, and sold over a series of blessings and rituals. All sales were well-intentioned with the understanding that the tribe needed financial help and the buyer would treat the items with respect, borne out of her love for ethnic Filipino culture, and would eventually be shared with the Filipino community. In Mrs. von dem Hagen’s own words, “When one views the collection in its entirety, one gets an uncanny view into the culture, artistic expression, and view-of-the-world of the ‘primitive’ society that once existed so long ago in the mountainous jungles of Mindanao. The jars seem to call out, telling us that the concerns of the human heart are ageless and changeless. I would hope that the collection could be kept together for that reason.”

The Filipino American Service Group (FASGI) is humbled to be the caretaker of these artifacts while logistics are being negotiated for repatriation to the National Museum of the Philippines. Consistent with Filipino tradition,

Kylie Padilla says annulment with Aljur Abrenica ongoing, AJ Raval not ‘kabit’

By JAn Milo severo Philstar.com

MANILA — Kapuso actress Kylie Padilla defended exhusband Aljur Abrenica’s current girlfriend AJ Raval.  In a recent live video on social media, Kylie said she’s happy with Aljur and AJ’s relationship.  Tapos na po e. I mean, siyempre ‘di pa tapos ‘yung pag-aayos ng papeles but everything else tapos na po talaga siya. So kung meron mang magtanong ngayon, I will answer but that’s the last time I’m going to talk about this kasi happy na po ako,” Kylie said.

the artifacts were blessed after arrival at the FASGI Bayanihan Center by Fr. Rodel Balagtas, Pastor of Incarnation Catholic Church in Glendale. While the artifacts are at FASGI, ongoing studies and programming will continue to be conducted in partnership with the UCLA School of Archaeology. These studies will be released to the public as they are finalized. Dr. Acabado’s students have been working with full commitment and excitement in studying the artifacts. His two lead students - Earl John Cedo Hernandez, PhD student at the UCLA Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, and Madeleine Yakal, PhD candidate at UCLA Anthropology Department – both state, “The UCLA Southeast Asian Archaeology Lab is committed to growing Filipino cultural heritage both in the Philippines and in the diaspora. We encourage the Los Angeles FilAm community to participate in the exhibit, learn more about archaeology, and engage in cultural stories in meaningful ways.”

We are confident that our collective activities would help the Filipino community in Los Angeles to gain a deeper understanding of the tribal, indigenous, pre-colonial, and multifaceted Filipino culture

The launch of the Cotabato Limestone Exhibit on March 7 will include a display of Mindanao cultural items curated by Celia DeFato (Kultura Philippine Folk Arts) and Jose Chin, Jr. (Fiesta Fastfood). According to Ms. DeFato, “A Mindanaon myself from Davao City, I look forward to experiencing and sharing with Californians the rich and colorful culture of the various ethnolinguistic tribes that inhabit neighboring areas of Cotabato, such as the Manobo, Tiboli, Bilaan and Muslims.” Food will also be served, which will include an indigenous Manobo dish created by Jose & Minda Chin from Fiesta Fastfood, as well as other Filipino food from Auntie Dee’s and other Filipino food establishments.

FASGI is proud to partner with the von dem Hagen family, the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, Sentro Rizal Los Angeles, UCLA Program for Early Modern Southeast Asia, UCLA Southeast Asian Archaeology Lab, Ethel G. Rubio Associates, Kultura Philippine Folk Arts, Asian Journal, Fiesta Fastfood, Auntie Dee’s, and the Filipino American Community of Los Angeles.

Come and see this rare collection in its entirety at the launch on March 7. Prior to repatriation to the Philippine National Museum, the artifacts will be available for private viewing on an ongoing basis. Interested parties may schedule an appointment by sending a text message to 818-271-0901 after March 7. This exhibit is part of FASGI’s Cultural Program. For more information, please visit fasgi.org.

Cherry Pie on ‘Oras de Peligro’s’ campaign vs fake news, disinformation

By MArinel Cruz Inquirer.net

I’M not saying I don’t feel hurt, I just know that it’s part of the job,” declared actress Cherry Pie Picache of online/ verbal bashing that she said inevitably comes with playing lead in controversial movies, like Joel Lamangan’s “Oras de Peligro.”

The historical drama, which begins its commercial screenings nationwide today, is in a head-on battle at the box office with another locally produced film related to the same subject matter, Darryl Yap’s “Martyr or Murderer.” Supporters of both projects are actively engaged in an online tussle as to which film deserves to be seen by local moviegoers and whether producers intentionally set their film’s screening date to March 1 to ensure a face-off between the two productions.

“They’ve always been there,” said Picache as a way to describe her bashers. “I won’t say I don’t feel hurt, especially when they get really personal and talk about my late mother because they don’t know a thing about what happened to her. It’s just that I’ve come to accept that bashers will never go away.

Those who know me are aware that I always stand for what I believe in and I don’t mince words. It’s just that if it’s a

matter that doesn’t help me improve my life, I choose to ignore it. It’s that simple— block, delete and move on.”

Film within a film

Oras de Peligro ” attempts to present the events that happened on the four days leading to the Edsa Revolution in 1986 that eventually overthrew the government of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Picache is Beatriz, whose husband Dario (Allen Dizon) is murdered by a corrupt and abusive policeman. Because of the incident, her family turns from passive victims of social injustice into active participants in the final hours of the uprising.

“It’s a film within a film. You will see real footage of

“I am really happy po. Basta… kasi kapag mahal n’yo po ‘yung isang tao, ayaw n’yo pong makitang malungkot ‘yung taong ‘yun. And after po nu’ng nangyari sa amin, after ng pandemic, ayoko na po ever maramdaman namin ‘yun and siya rin “So kung saan po siya masaya at kung sino po ang magpapasaya sa kanila, I want them to take care of it and be happy. Kasi siya po ang kahati ko sa mga anak ko e. So dapat masaya rin ‘yung tatay nila para buo ‘yung mga anak ko. Kasi masaya na rin naman

ako and ang ganda po ng mga nangyayari sa akin. So ‘di ba, wala pong halong kaechosan?” she added.

Kylie clarified that AJ is not the reason of her breakup with Aljur, so she’s not the third party in their relationship.  Hindi po talaga si AJ ‘yung reason. And that’s the truth. Hindi po talaga siya. Kung meron man, hindi po siya. So please... Naawa na rin po ako sa kaniya,” she said.

“As someone with struggles with mental health, ang hirap po na gigising ka sa umaga ta’s puro hate ‘yung

makikita mo. Please guys, woman to woman na, hindi ako okay, it makes me emotional too, tigilan na po natin, please.  Kasi it’s not fair to her –naiiyak ako… Hindi po talaga. Tama na, tama na. Hindi po talaga siya. I mean, si AJ Raval, she’s not lying. We’re really okay. Kaya tigilan n’yo po please. Tama na guys, kasi hindi talaga siya. Hindi siya and hindi ko ever sasabihin kung sino kasi ayoko na ng ganyan –nu’ng nag-a-ano tayo ng hate, ano na lang guys – kindness, love. We need more energy na ganu’n,” she added.

Dimples Romana marvels at son Alonzo’s love for younger brother Elio

By Alex BrosAs Inquirer.net

ACTRESS-ENTREPRENEUR Dimples

Romana initially thought that there would be conflict between his sons Alonzo Romeo Jose and newborn Elio Juan Manolo, but she was wrong. Romana discovered how loving Alonzo was to his younger brother Elio as can be seen on her Instagram where she shared photos of the two while bonding together.

“Morning sibling love goodness from my home to yours!” she said in her post.

She marveled at how Alonzo showed his love to Elio.

“Oh my Kuya Alonzo has been the absolute best when it comes to Elio. I really thought @ papaboyetonline and I would have to make huge adjustments but Alonzo has been nothing but lovely to E. Thank God for that. Nothing makes me happier than our boys getting along just well. I am excited to know more about these two,” she said.

Romana said she felt “absolute joy” to have children at home to love and hold.

“To teach and play with. To clean up

Continued on Page 10

incidents during the Edsa revolt. Beatriz’s family is only one of the many who experienced hard times. According to Direk Joel, they are composite characters of different people we know,” Picache told Inquirer Entertainment in a recent Zoom interview. Even Picache has personal experiences to share of how involved she was as a teenager at the time. “I was just 16 then. My family went to Edsa. We were all situated along Annapolis in Greenhills. We answered the call of the late Jaime Cardinal Sin for everyone to go out and march to Edsa. I witnessed the time when people were giving rosaries and bread to soldiers,” she recalled.

Composite image of Kylie Padilla and Aljur Abrenica with AJ Raval The

Cherry Pie Picache

Cherry Pie on ‘Oras de Peligro’s’...

From Page 9

When asked why she felt this particular film is important and worth all the trouble she’s getting from bashers, Picache explained: “It’s very timely. It reflects the things I really believe in. It’s a campaign against disinformation and

fake news. I said, nagtugma ang lahat. Although, to be honest, I still had to think if it was really OK before saying ‘yes,’ especially since I was very active during the 2022 presidential campaign.”

Also, Picache said Beatriz is very different from the

mother roles she did for TV. “What’s good about her is that, while she is also a mother, this is not the highlight of the movie. I also got to read the script by Boni Ilagan and Eric Ramos and found it to be very beautiful. That’s actually my first consideration. I also missed working with Direk Joel. I haven’t done a film in a long time since most projects offered to me lately were mother roles, something that I’m already doing for TV.”

“

Oras de Peligro ” is by Bagong Siklab Productions.

Role in ‘Batang Quiapo’

Speaking of TV work, Picache plays Marites, the mother of Tanggol, the character Coco Martin plays in the new action-drama series, “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo.”“She is a loving mom, but at the same time, she would do everything for her husband Rigor (John Estrada). There are so many things that the audience will have to look forward to about Marites in terms of her relationship with the people around her,” Picache said.

“There’s her relationship with her own mother, Tindeng (Charo Santos-Concio), as well as with Rigor, and more importantly, with Tanggol. It’s already revealed in the series that she got pregnant with Tanggol after Ramon (Christopher de Leon) raped her. People should watch out for that connection, too,” she declared. Her character is closely connected to the protagonist of the series. Is she prepared to work on the show for many years if ever the program would air as long as its predecessor, “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano ”?

“I’m prepared to stay for 10 years,” Picache said, laughing. “It would be nice if our show indeed runs that long. I just hope that the people who showed love and support to ‘ Ang Probinsyano ’ will also do the same for our program. ‘ Batang Quiapo’ is rich with stories that reflect not only the lives of those who live in Quiapo or in Manila, but also of the Filipino culture.”

How courts determine child custody in California

custody is ordered by the court, either parent alone can make decisions concerning the health, education, and welfare of the child unless otherwise specified in the order.

ONE of the most emotional aspect of a marital dissolution case is dealing with Child custody issues. Sadly enough, this is an area where most parents play games with each other trying their best to deprive the other parents of their right to maintain relationship with their child. Child custody comes in two parts, 1) physical custody and 2) legal custody. Physical custody may be awarded solely to one parent or jointly. Sole physical custody means that the child will reside primarily and under the supervision of one parent subject to visitation from the other parent upon order of the court. Family Code §3007. Joint physical custody on the other hand means that the child gets to spend frequent and continuing contact with both parents. Family Code §3004. The court would state specifically the periods of time the child will be under the supervision of each parent.

Legal custody on the other hand deals with the right and responsibility of a parent to make decisions regarding the health, education, and welfare of the child. Family Code §3006. Examples would be decisions such as where the child shall attend school, whether the child can travel to another jurisdiction or state, legal decisions involving the child. In cases where joint legal

In making its determination on child custody issues, the court considers various factors depending on the specific facts of the case. The court usually follows the public policy of ensuring and encouraging the child’s frequent and continuing contact with both parents after the divorce unless it would not be in the best interest of the child. Fam. Code §3011. If the court is inclined to order sole custody to one parent, the consideration boils down to which parent is more likely to allow the child frequent and continuing contact with the noncustodial parent. Family Code §3040(a)(1). A major factor that would tilt the courts decision are incidents or history of child abuse and domestic violence. This can be from the part of a parent, a parent’s co-habitant, or other person to whom a parent has a relationship with. The childs amount and nature of contact with the parents is also another factor considered. Fam. Code §3011(c). Other factors that can be considered are the parent’s use of controlled substance, prior criminal convictions and registration as a sex offender, and existence of restraining order against a parent.

The family code requires that the parties go to mediation and attempt to agree on the custody issue prior to the court hearing the contested case. Family Code §3170(a). If the case is not settled in mediation, it

gets decided in court through a contested hearing. At times, the court will order a child custody evaluation if it determines that it would be in the best interest of the child. The court may also appoint a minor’s counsel if it feels it would be in the best interest of the child. Family Code §3150(a). The court retains continuous jurisdiction over issues of child custody and support until the child reaches 18. This means the order may be modified all throughout this period if there has been a change in circumstances.

* * * 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 Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail Kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com Visit us at www. kenreyeslaw.com. (Advertising Supplement)

Dimples Romana marvels at son...

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their messes with. And take lots and lots of adventures with!” she said. She then asked her followers on Instagram about activities which her sons can both enjoy.

“Do you also have boys at home? Any recos for activities I can do with a baby boy and a

grade school boy? Apart from pillow fights, wrestling and drawing on walls and floors,” she said. Last June, Romana welcomed her third child with her husband Boyet Ahmee, baby Elio. They have a daughter, Callie, who is taking up Aviation course in Australia.

Liza Soberano uploads a...

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for my input, my thoughts, my ideas,” she said.

Liza said that these days she is seeing herself exploring more than what she has known in the last decade by trying out writing and producing. Her current stay in the country is related to an upcoming project which will be revealed tomorrow, February 27.

The actress said she has also started to cut down on all her endorsements, adding that now that she is older, she wants to be “more intentional” with the brands she associates herself with.

Liza said she is grateful for all the opportunities that came with her past work that enabled her to take care of her family and live a comfortable life.  She is aware of the backlash she has been receiving but appealed for understanding from the fans and viewers alike.

“I obviously know it would be much easier to just stick to what has been working for

me, to stay forever the same. And I know and I understand that it’s unfair to all the Liza Soberano, LizQuen fans, but I hope you understand that by doing so, by giving in to the pressure of doing what everybody else wants for me, I’m being unfair to myself, Hope Soberano.  “I’ve sacrificed my childhood. I’ve sacrificed my freedom and I’ve sacrificed my happiness to present Liza Soberano to the world and I think I’ve earned the right to finally be me, to finally be able to do things for me as Hope Soberano,” Liza said.

In the end she thanked the fans who finished watching her vlog and hoped for the best to come.

“I’ve embarked on a fresh new chapter and I’m finally taking control of my life, pursuing dreams that I’ve always had to hold off on and it’s exciting, it’s terrifying. It’s anxiety-filled and confusing, but what I know for sure is that, for the first time, I’m finally living my life for me,” Liza ended.

Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes

Barrister’s Corner

FACCTC Strategic Planning Workshop. As a forward-looking and pro-active Chamber of Commerce in metro Los Angeles, the Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce Tri-County (San Bernardino, Riverside and Los Angeles counties), recently conducted a strategic planning workshop among its officers and board members in the City of Riverside. Led by facilitator Dennis Heruela, subject matters included management and leadership development, inter-personal relationships, multi-disciplines and protocols on non-profit organizations. Pictured seated from left: Eliza Leigh Serna (secretary), Carmela Giliberto (immediate past president and board member), Christen Montero (president), Dennis Heruela (facilitator and resource speaker), Jeannette Burton (board member), Lydia V. Solis (board member), and Lani Kim (treasurer). Standing from left: resource speaker Dan E. Nino (compliance officer), Chirho Garcia, Gerry Palon (Coalition of Filipino-American Chambers of Commerce), JV Libunao (1st vice president), Merwynn Montenegro (president emeritus), John Flemings (2nd vice president), and Anthony Lopez (board member). Not in photo are: Atty Abraham Lim (legal counsel), and board members Nick Munoz and Art Abellada.

Dimples Romana and her third child, baby Elio.

Photo from Instagram/@dimplesromana