030124 - Northern California Edition

AS the U.S. electorate grows more diverse, mobilizing historically marginalized voters is more politically decisive than ever this election year.

At a Friday, February 23 Ethnic Media Services briefing, voter engagement experts discussed how organizing community voters can make political change.

What community votes can win

“If we’re going to affect social change, it has to be through the people that are most affected by it to begin with,” said Ernie Serrano, Integrated Voter Engagement Organizer with Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE).

SCOPE first formed to mobilize South Los Angeles communities after the Rodney King riots in 1992, Serrano explained, “because the powers in our communities weren’t in-

California Gov. Newsom wants voters to approve billions more to help the homeless. Will it help?

SACRAMENTO

MANILA - The Fortune 500 cavalry is coming.

At least 30 top American CEOs from major corporations are joining U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in a landmark presidential trade and investment mission to the Philippines from March 11 to March 12 this year. Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said on Monday, February 26 the country was

Many authorities on mental

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday, February 28 advised preacher Apollo Quiboloy to face congressional hearings into accusations of abuse against him and his church members.

Marcos said that the founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) should use inquiries at the House of Representatives and the Senate to “say his side of the story”, as both chambers issued subpoenas after he failed to attend hearings.

The Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality is holding a probe into allegations of human trafficking, sexual abuse and violence against the self-proclaimed “appointed son of God” and his group.

The House committee on legislative

MANILA — The presence of the Chinese warships and increased cyberattacks on Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) were “worrisome,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday, February 28.

He, however, stressed that these developments would not deter the government from “[defending] our territory and [continuing] to support all our fishermen who make their living from these fishing grounds.”

Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesperson for WPS matters, said on Tuesday, February 27 that there has been an increase in cyberattacks on the country’s military ships in the past three to four years.

But he noted that there is no concrete proof yet

to conclude that China is behind those attacks.

Last Sunday, February 25, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) accused the China Coast Guard and three other ships of attempting to block BRP Datu Sanday, a vessel supplying supplies to fishermen near Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea despite an international tribunal ruling in 2016 that found no legal basis for its extensive claims.

Tense standoffs between Manila and Beijing in the resource-rich waters have seen collisions, shadowing, and Chinese vessels firing water cannons at Philippine boats. (Gaea Katreena Cabico and Alexis Romero/Philstar.com, with reports from Agence France-Presse)

March

witnessing an uptick in investment interest under the Marcos administration, which has embraced closer economic and defense ties with the United States. This was a marked shift from former President Rodrigo Duterte’s pivot toward U.S. global competitor China.

US-PH relations

“I cannot overemphasize the fact that our relationship with the United States is at its best right now. This is the time we have to take advantage of this relationship because the interest is so high,” Romualdez  PAGE 2

Comelec dares critics: Sue us

by WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL ManilaTimes.net

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is standing by its decision to award the P18-billion automated counting machine (ACM) lease contract to the lone bidder and challenged its critics to file a case in court.

“Anybody can question our decision before the Supreme Court,” said Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia. “In the meantime, we will focus now on the drafting of the contract with the joint venture company and ensure that the best interest of the nation is upheld on each and every provision thereof.”

The contract was awarded to the joint venture of Miru Systems.

Garcia said the Comelec is on a tight schedule and needs at least six months to

prepare the 110 ACMs it will use in the 2025 elections.

“Our timelines are so tight, hence, focus and determination are important. We cannot be disrupted in our preparations for the 2025 electoral exercises no matter how wellmeaning the intentions of certain groups or individuals are,” he said.

The election watchdog Democracy Watch Philippines questioned the awarding of the contract to Miru Systems, citing unaddressed concerns about the firm’s technology and questionable record.

Democracy Watch warned the Comelec that the South Korean vendor’s proposed system is illegal and could threaten the future of Philippine elections.

“The legitimacy of Miru’s proposed

Duterte backs Marcos on economic Cha-cha

by KRISTINA MARALIT AND MA. REINA LEANNE TOLENTINO ManilaTimes.net

FORMER President Rodrigo Duterte said he was “comfortable supporting” his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in easing economic restrictions in the Constitution.

Addressing a rally in Cebu City on Sunday, February 25, Duterte said he was open to introducing amendments to the Constitution as long as they do not propose term extensions for incumbent officials. He also said Marcos had not committed any “big mistake” as president so far.

“Maybe those below him, but him, I haven’t heard anything.

So, I continue to support him,” Duterte said.

He said he would continue to back Marcos so long as he steps down at the end of his six-year term.

He advised Marcos not to “follow the path” of his late father and namesake, who stayed in power for over two decades until he was overthrown during the EDSA Revolution in 1986.

“Just end your trip and then let go and let the Constitution work,” Duterte said.

The president has repeatedly said that he is only pushing  PAGE 4

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Malacañang photo

Former President Rodrigo Dutrerte Malacañang file photo

Marcos tells Quiboloy to face...

franchises is also investigating the Quiboloy-led Sonshine Media Network International’s (SMNI) alleged violations of the terms of its franchise.

Marcos also laughed at Quiboloy’s claim that he and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos are colluding with the United States to assassinate him.

“Walang gustong umassassinate sa kanya (No one wants to assassinate him)… Why would anyone want to do that?” the president said.

“Maybe he’s just afraid… The best way to diffuse that situation for him is to testify before the committees in the House and the Senate,” he added.

In November 2021, Quiboloy,

an ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte, was indicted by a federal grand jury in California on charges including sex trafficking, child sex trafficking and bulk cash smuggling.

He is also one of the most wanted individuals by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. (Gaea Katreena Cabico/Philstar. com)

Top American CEOs to join PH...

said during a media briefing on Monday that was organized by the nonprofit U.S.-Philippines Society.

Romualdez, who said the final list of CEOs and corporations had yet to be finalized, claimed interest was so high from American businessmen that they had to pare down the list of delegates.

“Secretary Raimondo told us she wanted this to be very focused, she wanted to make

sure something will come out of this delegation,” he recounted. “This is a big deal for the United States. The White House has never organized something like this,” he added.

The U.S.-Philippines Society meeting was also called to welcome the organization’s new co-chair, tycoon Jamie Augusto Zobel de Ayala. Romualdez was also joined in the discussion by Ambassadors John Negroponte, a co-chair at the U.S.-Philippines Society and Thomas Hubbard. g

Comelec dares critics: Sue...

technology is a critical cause for concern, as everything indicates that their automated counting machines have never been used in any election before,” Democracy Watch convenor Lloyd Zaragoza said. Zaragoza said his group has repeatedly asked the same questions before the postqualification evaluations began, but Comelec did not answer them satisfactorily.

What was presented during the post-qualification evaluation and demonstration to the Comelec en banc and stakeholders was a prototype of the machine that has never been used in an official election, he said. Zaragoza said the Comelec’s own admission that the machine evaluated was a prototype runs against the Automated Elections Law of 2007, which requires that “the system procured must have demonstrated capability and been successfully used in a prior electoral exercise here or abroad.”

“Alarming reports about the company’s involvement in the 2023 elections in Iraq and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have painted a picture of voting delays, chaos, and a severe erosion of public trust. Observers had anticipated a statement from Miru, clarifying and justifying the supposed ‘success’ of their technology, but

convincing explanations have yet to materialize,” Zaragoza said.

Democracy Watch cited a preliminary report by the National Episcopal Conference of Congo and the Church of Christ in Congo (ECC) that in the DRC, a staggering 45.1 percent of polling stations experienced difficulties with electronic voting machines.

The findings, it added, were corroborated by Carter Center’s international election observers, who allegedly witnessed technical issues in 22 percent of the polling stations they visited. But Garcia said the issues raised by Democracy Watch had been taken up by the Comelec before it adopted the recommendation of the Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) and its Technical Working Group (TWG). Certifications were also issued in support of Miru’s counting machines, he said. Democracy Watch said it does not know why Miru Systems misrepresented the position of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (Unami) in the elections in Iraq.

“While Miru conveyed that Unami had endorsed the elections as fair and successful, Unami had previously made it clear through a press release that it would not take part in observing or monitoring the elections, thus not being equipped to evaluate

the election process,” Zaragoza said.

The group called on the Comelec to maintain transparency to ensure that next year’s elections will be fair.

The Comelec en banc unanimously approved the recommendation of the SBAC and TWG last week recognizing Miru Systems as the winning bidder.

Garcia said the notice of award has already been received by the winning bidder, and that by next week Comelec and Miru Systems will start preparing the specifics of the contract, including customizing the ACMs, the construction of provincial repair hubs in all 82 provinces, including international certification, and the review of the source code.

“Hopefully, we would be able to finish the contract within two weeks if the contract negotiations would go smoothly,” Garcia said.

The Comelec, he said, welcomes criticisms and questions about the ACMs.

He said the machines were just a part of the system. Other components must also be scrutinized to make sure that the entire process works without a hitch.

Garcia said the Comelec will ask Miru Systems to demonstrate the ACMs before members of the House of Representatives so that the comments and suggestions from the lawmakers could be included in the contract. g

COPING. Humid weather forces a student of Pinyahan Elementary School in Quezon City to take off her outer garment on Monday, Feb. 26. Peak temperature in the city reached 32.4 degrees Celsius (90.3 degrees Farenheit) at 2 p.m. PNA photo by Joan Bondoc

California Gov. Newsom wants voters to approve...

homelessness agree California desperately needs thousands more housing units and treatment beds to successfully attack the growing public health crisis. Health and law enforcement groups have lined up behind the initiative, as have the mayors of the state’s major cities.

Homelessness statistics in California have risen a staggering 20% since Newsom took office in 2019, to more than 180,000 people — 68% of them on the streets and not in shelters. The numbers are growing despite Newsom’s unprecedented investment of more than $20 billion in homelessness programs, plus billions more for health and social services.

Yet many of the frontline workers implementing Newsom’s initiatives fear that Proposition 1 would simply pour more money into a broken homelessness response system that is largely failing to house those in need.

Rather than focus on getting homeless people into mental health and addiction programs — and ultimately into housing — many caseworkers say they waste precious time and taxpayer dollars searching for their homeless clients after encampments have been cleared by state and local officials, a policy Newsom has encouraged, not only for the safety of homeless people but for those in surrounding neighborhoods.

Once they locate their clients, advocates must help them — often repeatedly — obtain food, clothing, and medication refills, and replace official government documents like birth certificates and IDs. “You can’t get housing without that stuff,” said Afton Francik, an outreach worker with the Sacramento-based nonprofit Hope Cooperative, which is implementing several of Newsom’s homelessness and mental health initiatives.

Perhaps the biggest challenge they face, outreach workers and case managers say, is rebuilding the trust that took time to establish — and which they say is essential to getting people into treatment and housing.

“It makes it so much harder to even find people or help them get into housing because you have to go back and repeat that work you already did,” Francik said.

Newsom says California has placed at least 71,000 people

indoors — either in permanent or temporary housing — since he took office in 2019. State money flows to cities and counties, which have opened at least 15,000 housing units and 2,485 residential treatment beds, plus additional outpatient capacity, during his tenure.

Newsom has also revamped health programs to get people off the streets, including a massive $12 billion transformation of the state Medicaid health insurance program that provides some patients with housing and one-on-one case management services.

As he promotes Proposition 1, Newsom is calling for stricter enforcement, saying he feels a deep responsibility to keep California’s streets clean and safe, and to respond to growing neighborhood concerns about trash, mental illness, crime, and drugs. He has acknowledged that sweeps can traumatize homeless people but argues that local officials who receive state money to clear encampments are supposed to find shelter or treatment for those displaced. Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper, who supports Proposition 1, said sweeps are sometimes necessary for public health and safety.

“This is a huge drain on public resources and emergency services,” Cooper said. “Drugs are everywhere. There is so much mental illness. We’ve got to get these folks the help and treatment they need.”

But critics of the sweeps argue that it’s inhumane to forcibly move people without providing shelter or housing. “We’re seeing a ton of enforcement, but there’s literally nowhere to put people,” said Crystal Sanchez, president of the Sacramento Homeless Union.

Newsom acknowledged the state doesn’t have enough housing for everyone who needs it, and that Proposition 1 is part of the solution. The measure would expand his existing housing and treatment programs, which do not trigger the land use and environmental reviews that often delay or kill new projects.

“We are in a unique position to take what we have been promoting — these promises — and make them real,” Newsom said in January. Like all of Newsom’s homeless housing initiatives, Proposition 1 would rely on outreach teams and caseworkers to help

homeless people obtain services and housing.

But in boots-on-the-ground interviews from rural Northern California to San Diego, such workers said it would be difficult to get more people into housing if they must continue picking up the pieces after encampment clearings — a policy the U.S. Supreme Court will scrutinize in April.

The question the court will consider is whether to allow criminal or civil penalties against homeless people living outdoors if no shelter or housing is available. Newsom said in an amicus brief that cities and counties should be allowed to clear encampments, signaling he has no plans to retreat from the policy.

“When encampments are being cleared by law enforcement, it totally upends people’s lives and violates that trust in a way that they’re going to be more resistant to help,” said Hannah Wesolowski, chief advocacy officer for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, whose California chapter supports the ballot initiative. “If someone has a mental illness and is unhoused, trust is the most important thing in trying to engage them in treatment and actually getting them into housing.”

Take Samuel Buckles, a longtime Sacramento resident who said he struggles with mental health and is addicted to fentanyl. Buckles, 53, lost his home in a fire and then his job early in the covid-19 pandemic. Since then, he has worked odd jobs as a handyman and purchased a recreational vehicle that he parked around Sacramento and called home.

When law enforcement officials cleared his camp in early February, they confiscated his RV because he had allowed the registration to lapse. He lost his birth certificate and Social Security card, all his medications for diabetes and high blood pressure, his extra clothing, and a fridge packed with groceries he’d recently purchased with his food stamp benefits.

“That was my home and everything I had in the world,” Buckles said on a cold February morning from his new form of shelter: a tent donated by outreach workers.

It was the first time in years he said he had truly felt homeless.

In mid-February, law u PAGE 4

Filipino Migrant Center opens new hub to provide more resources, services

A new chapter unfolds for California’s Filipino community as they open their new hub for immigration and government services assistance

by Mary Villegas Inquirer.net

SOLIDARITY and community empowerment are the pillars of the nonprofit organization Filipino Migrant Center (FMC).

Now they’ve found their own home in West Long Beach in California.

What has long been lacking of places to gather for the Filipino American community in Southern California now has their own cultural hub — a newly renovated place where community members can receive immigration and government services assistance. It can also serve as a workplace. “We want it to really serve as a hub for the community where they can have free resources, programs, and services,” says Romeo Hebron, the executive director of FMC.

Envisioning a place that boosts and enlivens the FilAm spirit, The Filipino Migrant Center opened its new doors at 1631 W. Burnett St. on Saturday, February 24, 2024.

The opening of the new hub isn’t just a debut but an unveiling of culture and yes, free food and performances from the community promise a day of Filipino community celebration.

Fil-Am community empowerment

The Filipino Migrant Center, founded in 2010, has been a place of solace for low-income, working-class Filipino families — offering a haven for those going through the intricacies of a new life in the South Bay Area.

Hebron’s goals for intergenerational programming involve a commitment to nur -

turing leadership, promoting wellness and educating community members on employee’s rights.

“We dream of a society where families are not torn apart by urgent need for survival,” the FMC says on its website. “We dream (of) and will actively work for a society where there is equal opportunity for everyone to live a decent and human life.”

With their new hub, the center hopes to serve and empower more members of the Filipino community and work for local and global justice.

“We aim to educate, organize and mobilize the low-income and working-class families of the Filipino community in Southern California and address the issues and concerns that we face in our daily lives,” FMC says. g

HEROES’ HALL. The flags of the revolutionary group Katipunan are displayed in one of the rooms of the Bahay Nakpil-Bautista (Tahanan ng mga Katipunero or Home of Heroes of the Philippine Revolution) in A. Bautista Street, Quiapo, Manila, as photographed during a tour on Saturday, Feb. 24. The house-turned museum has rooms dedicated to Gregoria “Oriang” De Jesus, founder of the women’s chapter of the Katipunan and once married to Katipunan “supremo” Andres Bonifacio; a small library of Filipiniana books for researchers; a community center for Quiapo; and venues for exhibits of young and upcoming artists and photographers and meetings of advocacy groups. PNA photo by Joan Bondoc

Duterte backs Marcos on economic...

for changes in the economic provisions of the Constitution to attract more investors to the country.

Just several weeks ago, Duterte and Marcos were firing broadsides at each other.

Duterte had labeled the president as a “drug addict” who is often “high” while performing his duties.

The president fired back by saying, “It’s the fentanyl,” referring to a strong anti-pain medication that was triggering Duterte’s tirades.

During a press briefing Monday, February 26, some members of the House of Representatives

welcomed Duterte’s support for economic Charter change (Chacha). Isabela Rep. Faustino “Inno” Dy 5th described the former president’s backing as “a welcome development.” House Deputy Speaker David “Jayjay” Suarez said he was “very happy with Duterte’s statements, but he would be a lot happier “if the same can be echoed by” Duterte’s supporters. Suarez said the House has “been consistent” in pushing for an “economic Cha-cha.”

Also on Monday, the House, acting as a committee of the whole, started deliberations on Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 7, which

California Gov. Newsom wants voters to approve...

enforcement cleared the encampment he had relocated to, forcing him to move again.

Feeling despondent, he said he had given up on the promise of housing. “Please make this pain stop. I don’t know how much more I can take,” he said.

Buckles was able to grab a few possessions from his RV after it was confiscated, but replacing the documents he needs for housing may take months and repeat visits by outreach workers, said Greg Stupplebeen, an outreach manager with Hope Cooperative.

Even if Buckles had his paperwork in order, “there’s nowhere to put anybody right now,” Stupplebeen told him.

(Angela Hart/KFF Health News)

This article was produced

SAN FRANCISCO – The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco joined other Philippine Foreign Service Posts in the U.S. in an online roadshow on the 30th tranche of the Retail Treasury Bonds (RTB 30), organized by the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) on February 14, 2024.

In his video message during the online roadshow, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said that investing in the RTBs will help the government build “much-needed infrastructure for our communities, quality education for the next generation of Filipinos, and a reliable healthcare system for Filipino families.”

“Gamit ang RTBs, sama-sama nating makakamit ang ‘Bagong Pilipinas’  (With the RTBs, we will all achieve a ‘New Philippines’),” Secretary Recto said.

For his part, Consul General Neil Ferrer said that “by investing in the RTBs, overseas Filipinos as well as dual citizens become partners in Philippine development.”

Consul General Ferrer also noted that since its launch in 2001, the RTBs have raised P5.1 trillion ($91.3 billion) in funds for the country’s priority projects in infrastructure, agriculture, education, and healthcare. The RTBs are safe and low-risk savings investment with a fixed interest rate of 6.25 percent per annum for the next five years. For a minimum investment of only P5,000, investors will receive their interest payments quarterly.

The primary offer period for the RTB 30 ended on February 23, 2024, 12 noon Philippine Time (22 February 2024, 8:00 p.m. U.S. Pacific Time). To learn more, visit the BTr web-

site (http://www.treasury.gov. ph) or download the BTr app on the Apple App Store (http://bit. ly/btr-app-ios) or on Google Play (http://bit.ly/btr-app). (PCGSF Release)

that margin of difference in closer races.”

vesting in us. There was heavy redlining, policing,” failed responses to the crack epidemic and corporate and environmental exploitation. “We wanted to have a say in how our elected leaders were governing us.”

Because communities of color are often disenfranchised, he continued, many members are not as politically informed, and so “the grassroot effort to have a voice at the table requires telling our community why it’s important to vote, showing what it can win.”

One major recent victory by SCOPE involved the 2022 election of LA Mayor Karen Bass, who gave up her congressional seat to run a grassroots campaign against billionaire Rick Caruso.

“So, you have a grassroots leader, with only $10 million in budget, against someone who spent $109 million dollars with big business support … recreating her through ads to the point that people thought she was an entirely different person than who she was,” Serrano said. “These are odds that, historically, people don’t beat, and we won.”

How was it possible?

“Because he didn’t have a concept of what it meant to reach the demographic that he needed to reach in order to gain the seat,” explained Serrano. “If he was really interested in bettering conditions in LA like homelessness and environmental issues, he would have invested in LA residents … who are often disengaged from the voting process because they don’t believe the system was designed for us, that it’s already rigged for the powers that be. But that’s not necessarily true.”

Empowering voters by counting voters

The power of community voting “starts with the Census,” said Debbie Chen, Houston-based community activist and Executive VP with the National OCA, Asian Pacific American Advocates.

“It’s not simply ‘Come election time, go vote,’ because redistricting is actually the best way to conduct mass voter suppression,” she explained. “The Census determines who gets counted for redistricting, which determines who gets to govern, vote and spend in certain areas.”

Redistricting is the process through which congressional districts are drawn every ten years, following the decennial Census count.

For the average first-generation immigrant, ‘The importance of being counted,’ that message alone doesn’t necessarily resonate,” Chen continued. “But when you approach it from the perspective that being counted lets you decide who gets to spend your tax dollars, how much of your money comes back to your area to get roads built, schools, nice sidewalks as opposed to ditches — everybody understands money.”

“Many people in the new immigrant AAPI community don’t realize how your vote gives you power to influence your community this way,” she added. Although AAPI are the fastest-growing U.S. ethnic group, “neither party has traditionally invested in outreach to the AAPI community, despite the fact that in many areas our vote can make

In Texas, for instance, eligible AAPI voters grew by 74% between 2010 and 2020, compared to a 21% increase in overall eligible voters statewide.

The power of voting lies in “making sure that we get counted, that our influence over our community doesn’t get diluted through racial gerrymandering,” Chen said. “It should come down to who can best invest in where we live.”

The value of community votes

“Politics is local,” said Anneshia Hardy, executive director of Alabama Values. “The message of ‘If your vote wasn’t important, they would stop it’ doesn’t ring true because of these coordinated efforts to dilute our vote, the value of it.”

White men, for example, are 30% of the population but hold 62% of U.S. elected offices, she said — often as a result of incumbency and racial redistricting such as in the Milligan fair mapping case, which Alabama Values helped win last year in favor of two newly redrawn majority-minority districts reflecting the state’s growing Black electorate.

Although white voters are historically more likely to turn out than other ethnic groups, ethnic voters make up increasingly decisive electorates in battleground states, while the share of non-Hispanic White eligible voters has been declining since 2000, according to Pew.

That electoral gap also extends across generations, with Alabamians under 45 comprising 1.7 million of the voting population, but only half of those voters cast ballots, compared to 70% of 2.1 million voters over 45.

In total, 2.3 million Alabamians voted — a record number in terms of volume, but one which represented only 62% of voters statewide, with 1.4 million eligible Alabamians not having voted.

How do we show the value of community votes to those who do not engage?

“By helping voters see themselves in the solution to issues that matter to them — social justice, health care, education,” said Hardy. “Who controls the narrative has power over tangible community outcomes.”

“The notion that voters of color abstain because they feel their vote doesn’t matter fails to acknowledge the deeper issue at play,” she continued. “Many of these voters are disappointed not because they undervalue their vote, but because they see unkept political promises that persist despite their vote.”

Currently, Alabama Values is battling Senate Bill 1, a piece of state legislation that makes absentee ballot voting a felony — worsening the ability of many Alabamians, particularly those of color living in remote areas, to vote at all.

“Even in the midst of trying to get people to vote, we’re fighting to ensure that everyone has access to the ballot at all,” added Hardy. “To engage these voters, particularly voters of color, we must address their legitimate concerns about the democratic process by working to make it more responsive to what they want.” (Selen Ozturk/Ethnic Media Services)

Photo from Facebook/@GavinNewsom

by HELEN FLORES Philstar.com

MANILA

Responding to clamor to extend benefits to Filipino

and nonagenarians, President Ferdiannd Marcos Jr. signed on Monday, February 26 a law providing P10,000 cash gift to citizens who reach 80, 85, 90 and 95 years old.

Marcos said Republic Act 11982 or “An Act Granting benefits to Filipino Octogenarians and Nonagenarians” is a homage and an expression of gratitude to the Filipino elderly.

“To our active 80-somethings and lively 90-somethings, the expanded Centenarians Act confers upon you the thanks of a grateful nation that you have made strong and stable through your labors,” Marcos said in his speech during the ceremonial signing of the law at Malacañang.

RA 11982 amended RA 10868 or the “Centenarians Act of 2016,” which grants P100,000 cash gift to those who reach 100.

“The expansion of the coverage of the Centenarians Act is a homage to the Filipino trait of compassion and in our culture, none are showered with more kind and loving care than our elderly,” the president said.

Under the new law, Filipinos, upon reaching the age of 80, will receive a cash gift of P10,000 and every five years thereafter

upon reaching the ages of 85, 90 and 95.

“We do, after all, stand on the shoulders of these giants,” Marcos said.

Apart from the financial incentive, the chief executive also pushed for senior citizenfriendly infrastructure in the country.

“They deserve more than cash in an envelope. What they should get is a support infrastructure that every society owes to its greying population,” he said.

Based on 2020 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, there are 9,242,121 senior citizens or those aged 60 and above nationwide.

“But as this demographic enlarges, the societal facilities that attend to them should be expanded as well,” the 66-yearold Marcos said.

“When we think of the future, it is not just about, as Hubert Humphrey once said, ‘those who are in the dawn of life, our children,’ but also ‘those in the twilight of life, our elderly.’”

As a senior citizen himself, Marcos joked that he and the proponents of the law might be suspected of having passed the bill for themselves.

Among those present during the signing of the expanded Centenarian Law were Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, Speaker Martin Romualdez, senators, including the

president’s sister, Sen. Imee Marcos, members of the House of Representatives and Cabinet secretaries.

As the new law is not covered by the 2024 national budget, House committee on appropriations chair and Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co proposed the use of savings or unprogrammed funds for the cash gifts.

“But the national budget is not inflexible. Savings can be tapped, but with proper authorization from DBM. The unprogrammed funds can also be a funding source, provided the rules on these funds are followed, so that DBM can properly authorize access to the unprogrammed funds,” Co said, referring to the Department of Budget and Management.

Senior Citizens party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes said the funds could also be sourced from the savings of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

“Now that the amendments to the Centenarian’s Act are approved, the Senior Citizens party-list shifts its focus to its funding and implementation, including the implementing rules and regulations to make sure the new law is faithfully and effectively executed,” Ordanes said, noting a need to clarify if the new law also applies to those who turned 80, 85, 90 and 95 before the law took effect. 

said Bautista.

MANILA — The Philippines' first-ever underground mass transport system is almost halfway through completion after it recorded an overall project implementation progress rate at 40% as of January 2024.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) shared the news during the site inspection of the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP), together with Finance Secretary Ralph Recto and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Chief Representative to the Philippines Takema Sakamoto on Monday, February 26.

"We have shown to Secretary Ralph Recto the ongoing development and briefing on what the project is all about, and with the support of JICA we are implementing this project on time for completion in 2029,"

The MMSP is currently being financed by two active loan agreements and is expected to enter into a third tranche of loan worth ¥150 billion by March 2024.

The project includes the construction of a deport and a 33-kilometer railway line made up of 17 stations that will connect Valenzuela City to Pasay City with a spur line to Terminal 3 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Parañaque City.

Through the project, state officials aim to reduce travel time from Valenzuela to NAIA from 1 hour and 30 minutes to just 35 minutes while servicing 519,000 passengers on a daily basis.

Completion by 2029

Bautista said that the DOTr is currently in discussion with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)

and the Department of Finance (DOF) for review of draft documents pertaining to the loan deal provided by JICA and the government of Japan.

"With the support of JICA, we are implementing this project on time for completion in 2029," Bautista continued.

Recto has also expressed support to ensure the project is completed on time, while the DOTr addresses the right-ofway issues.

It could be remembered that the MMSP only resumed its actual construction in January 2023 following the right-ofway issues after some property owners refused to surrender their land to the state.

"The Department of Finance is fully committed to securing the funding for this project," said Recto. "We aim to finalize the loan agreement for the 3rd tranche of financing by March 2024." 

MANILA — The Senate has passed on final reading a bill that defines the maritime zones under Philippine jurisdiction in a bid to eventually fend off entities that seek to challenge the 2016 arbitral ruling on the West Philippine Sea. Senate Bill No. 2492, which was approved on Monday, February 26 draws the exact meters and bounds of the Philippines’ maritime entitlements under UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and other international laws. This includes the internal waters and exclusive economic zones (EEZ) over which the Philippines exercises sovereignty and jurisdiction.

In a press conference on Monday, Sen. Francis Tolentino, sponsor of the measure, said that the bill also considers the artificial islands and installations within the country's EEZ as part of its jurisdiction.

Even if the Philippines did

not build the artificial island, it is considered “owned” by the country under the measure, Tolentino said.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration under the United Nations ruled in 2016 that China's nine-dash line claim and other activities in Philippine were unlawful.

Since then, the arbitral ruling has been repeatedly invoked by the Philippines and other nations with overlapping claims in response to Chinese maritime aggression.

Beijing has largely dismissed the international ruling, claiming it has no legal basis.

Maritime expert Jay Batongbacal said that the passage of the measure marks a “significant milestone in the country’s long and difficult quest toward effectively managing our seas.”

“Foreign States will be obliged to ensure that their flag vessels comply with the laws and regulations of the country enacted in accordance with international law,” Batongbacal said.

The proposed Maritime Zones Act is also legislation that is “40 years in the making,” said Julio Amador III, senior adviser at Waypoints, a group of maritime security specialists, practitioners and experts.

“Since UNCLOS was adopted, the Philippines needed to align its national laws with international norms and laws. This historic act underscores the Philippines’ commitment to defend its rights in its waters,” Amador said.

The House version of the bill was passed on final reading in May 2023.

If the measure is passed into law, it may help the Philippines implement the 2016 tribunal ruling that invalidated China’s sweeping claims in the West Philippine Sea, Tolentino said in a radio interview in December.

Tolentino said that once the proposed Philippine Maritime Zones Act becomes law, the Philippine government will submit this to the United Nations to be recognized by other countries, which will solidify the country’s maritime claims. 

Remembering, 38 years later

THE nation marked on Sunday, February 25 the 38th anniversary of the people power revolt with new personalities organizing or participating in mass gatherings against the administration. At the EDSA Shrine, groups identified with the opposition during the 1986 peaceful revolt gathered to amplify calls to protect the Constitution from self-serving amendments.

Ratified in 1987, the so-called Freedom Constitution was designed to prevent a return of the authoritarian rule, state abuses and large-scale corruption under the elder Ferdinand Marcos.

Editorial

Opposition to Charter change, which is currently being pushed by the House of Representatives, was also the cause taken up by groups that were expected to gather in Cebu on Sunday, led by former President Rodrigo Duterte together with his family and supporters.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has admitted that the ouster of his father and namesake and their exile were “dark days” and “a very trying time” for their family. He entered politics, he said at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland last year, “to defend ourselves politically,” to protect his father’s “legacy” and for his family’s “own survival.”

Following his election to the nation’s highest office, marking his family’s dramatic political comeback, Marcos has often called for unity.

AS I have repeatedly said on several occasions, the unprecedented interest in the Philippines has grown exponentially, particularly from the Western world, ever since Ferdinand Marcos Jr. became president. The president’s interactions with leaders through state and official visits have put the Philippines on the radar screen, consequently giving revitalized interest in the country as a smart investment destination. We also cannot deny the fact that the president’s courageous pushback on Chinese aggression in our territorial waters has given him high international leadership status.

I cannot overemphasize that all the trips that have been undertaken by the president are starting to bear fruit. We are seeing tangible results in data coming from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showing that net foreign direct investment inflows in November 2023 rebounded by 27.8 percent amounting to $1

THE election of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to the presidency in 2022 has been jarring enough to Filipinos who thought the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution was the final deliverance from authoritarian rule. It had come at a great sacrifice, not only for the whole nation but for those thousands who chose to stand up against the dictator, notably Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. who was brutally murdered in 1983. From the mammoth 12-hour funeral display of the people’s anger to the people power revolt, it took the Filipino people just three years to gather the storm that would sweep the Marcoses from Malacañang.

It is clear we are now waging an EDSA 2. This is a battle for the memory of EDSA and against historical revisionism, of upholding the meaning of all the sacrifices the nation suffered and the risks the people took. The return of the Marcoses during the term of President Fidel V. Ramos was the Trojan horse moment. From then on, the Marcoses squeezed all that the 1987 Constitution offered by way of civil, political, economic, and

Unlike the Lunar New Year or other special events, however, he did not declare a holiday for the EDSA anniversary commemoration. But Marcos Junior is showing so far that he is no autocrat like his father.

In the human rights department, he is also seen as a major improvement from his predecessor. Former senator Leila de Lima, who is finally out on bail, sees the current Marcos administration as a “breathing room” from the “authoritarian regime” of Rodrigo Duterte. Filipinos may have lost their appetite for people power, but this should not diminish the significance of the event 38 years ago that inspired other democracy movements around the world. The event showed what Filipinos united behind a worthy cause can achieve. This spirit can be harnessed for the many reforms that are still urgently needed to strengthen democracy, promote inclusive growth and realize the promise of an unfinished revolution. (Philstar.com)

billion, bringing the 11-month FDI inflows to $7.6 billion.

A report from the Philippine Statistics Authority also disclosed that foreign investment pledges surged 127.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023 to P394.45 billion, while 117 projects worth P2.5 trillion between the government and the private sector are now in the pipeline. The unemployment rate also went down to 3.1 percent in December – the lowest level since 2005 – better than the 3.6 percent recorded in November. Analysts are also optimistic for 2024, among them Fitch Solutions’ unit BMI saying it expects the Philippine economy to grow at a faster rate of 6.2 percent this year, higher than the 5.6 percent in 2023. The Bank of the Philippine Islands meanwhile projects the economy to expand by 6.3 percent. As noted by our economic team, “the presidential visits have been impactful for the economy, signaling to both local entrepreneurs and foreign investors alike the government’s commitment to fostering a conducive environment for economic prosperity. The Philippines has become a

social rights to rehabilitate their name and restore their political power. It was not a difficult task—they had all the plundered wealth to invest in the grand scheme. For the financial support the Marcoses provided, Rodrigo Duterte allowed the burial of Marcos Sr. at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani in 2016, a mental dissonance of epic proportions. Chased out of the country, the dictator is now ensconced in the pantheon of Filipino heroes. EDSA 2 is about protecting our memory of EDSA, of our people voicing their abhorrence of authoritarian rule. It is about pushing back against the Marcos administration’s gambit to consign EDSA to the dustbin of insignificance and oblivion. Beyond the symbolism and significance of EDSA, however, there are patterns of collective will and action that have taken root because of EDSA. No matter that some glib-tongues talk about “EDSA-pwera,” it remains true that EDSA has brought back formal democratic institutions, with functioning institutions such as a free press, an independent judiciary, a multiparty system, and three co-equal branches of government kept by a checks and balances system. The Philippines has witnessed significant economic growth

premier investment destination for foreign businesses in Asia.”

Sadly, there are still people looking at things from the old Filipino mentality of “instant gratification” – expecting instant results, refusing to acknowledge that these things don’t just come or happen at the click of a finger.

But I can honestly say from where I am sitting, there is absolutely no doubt there is a renewed interest in the Philippines from many American business groups. In fact, the newly reinvigorated U.S.Philippines Society is arriving with a big delegation to Manila this week, with new members composed of executives from U.S. companies, especially after reorganizing their board of directors.

Founded in 2012, the U.S.Philippines Society is a private sector initiative that seeks to elevate the profile of the Philippines in the United States. Its members are composed of former diplomats and U.S. government officials, and top businessmen from the U.S. and the Philippines. The group has been reinvigorated with a lot of new members, with Ambassador John Negroponte as co-chairman for the U.S. side.

since 1986 even though poverty and inequality have festered. Civil society has been vibrant and the media free despite herculean efforts during the Duterte administration to muzzle it. Sure, Philippine democracy has visible dents and signs of corrosion, but it has worked.

There was even enough political elbow room to experiment with dangerous outliers like Joseph “Erap” Estrada and Duterte. Perhaps the best legacy of EDSA is Marcos Jr., who, defying preconceived notions he will be as dictatorial and kleptocratic as his father, has surprisingly abided by the available political, legal, and other controls of the Constitution. Even his “New Philippines” does not spell the imagined malevolence of his father’s New Society. The Charter change attempt initiated by his minions was checkmated, even if it meanders looking for an extra-legal pathway to fruition. Malacañang’s official bypass of the commemoration of EDSA did not prevent the resounding ridicule of the EDSA-pwera salvo that initiated the media campaign to change the Constitution.

Most of all, the Marcos Jr. victory in May 2022, no matter how grotesque to many, can still be seen as the normal functioning of a democratic system where voters are free to choose their

Formerly the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Negroponte also served as Deputy Secretary of State and was appointed by president George W. Bush as the first ever Director of National Intelligence. Businessman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala has taken over as co-chairman for the Philippine side, vice Manny Pangilinan who has opted to be a board member instead since he is busy with many other businesses. During the most recent SGV Knowledge Institute Briefing, Jaime Augusto shared his confidence that the Philippines will be able to “maintain its position as one of the region’s fastest growing economies this year,” sharing his optimism that “inflation will continue to slow down and catalyze the return of much more robust consumer spending, which has long been the driver of the economy, as well as higher investments from both the public and private sectors.”

Earlier this week, a delegation from the Honolulu City Council, the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii and the Hawaii Philippines Business

Economic Council paid a courtesy call on President Marcos and expressed interest in exploring opportunities in trade, tourism and agriculture. But the highlight of all these investments is the big business delegation organized by President Joe Biden himself. They will be arriving mid-March led by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, whom I met with in Washington recently to get a brief on the plans for that extremely important undertaking. Secretary Raimondo will be bringing top CEOs who will be looking at the Philippines for potential investments in many sectors that include innovation economy, connective infrastructure, clean energy transition, critical minerals sector and food security, among others. A big impediment in attracting foreign investors are the restrictive economic provisions in the Constitution which President Marcos correctly described were “not written for a globalized world.” According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s foreign direct investment regulatory restrictiveness index (FDI Index), the Philippines in

2020 ranked as the third most restrictive out of 84 countries, with most of the restrictive laws directly enshrined in the 1987 Constitution.

I know there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the issue of economic Charter change, but this is something that cannot be done overnight either. As I repeatedly said, it must be properly debated on, with the pros and cons thoroughly discussed in a transparent manner because we will be changing laws that are enshrined in the Constitution –so we have to be careful about this. This is something that should not be simply shoved down people’s throats. There’s an old saying –“patience is a virtue” – and clearly, we should have enough sense and patience to know where we all want our country to go: economic prosperity means economic security. (Philstar.com)

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

* * * babeseyeview@gmail.com

leaders, notwithstanding the imperfections of the Philippine electoral system. But the best legacy of EDSA is how it has eventually returned the military to the barracks. Those uncertain days of six successive coups under Cory Aquino’s presidency tapered off after the Oakwood Mutiny against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2003. The military today singlemindedly finds pride and meaning in its role of protecting Philippine

sovereignty from both external and internal threats.

The legacy of EDSA is how the military, even with blandishments from Duterte, refused to join his war on drugs without a legal written order, in stark contrast to the Philippine National Police which went along for the ride with nothing more than verbal urgings.

When one looks at nations, including in Asean, experiencing excruciating turmoil as the military takes over democratic

governments, one realizes that the legacy of EDSA is the Filipino people doggedly stumbling, fumbling, and jostling peacefully toward the possible dream of a Philippine democracy of all, for all, because by all. (Inquirer.net)

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

* * * doyromero@gmail.com

REFRESHING

Framer of 1987 Constitution favors economic amendments

MANILA – Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Adolf Azcuna, one of the framers of the 1987 Constitution, is in favor of amending the economic provisions of the constitution.

Azcuna, who was the vice chair of the legislative committee of the Constitutional Commission that drafted the Constitution in 1986, said he hopes the charter would be finally amended “to be responsive to the fast-changing economic condition of the day.”

“Economic provisions should be flexible and they should not be cast in stone, and 37 years is casting in stone. The economic provisions must be responsive to changing economic conditions,” he said at the hearing of the Committee of the Whole on RHB 7 at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on Tuesday, February 27.

“Therefore, I believe that we should change the provisions to make them flexible by legislation by simply adding an amendment unless otherwise provided by law,” he said.

Azcuna further said adding the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” to Articles 12, 14, and 16 makes the amendment “changeable by legislation,” which he believes is “the best solution” to the economic provisions’ restriction.

He also noted that there is an existing safeguard against the Senate or the House adding other proposed amendments, particularly those that are political

in nature.

“[The Constitutional amendment] is limited by the very form of their proposed resolution, which is in the form of a joint resolution of both Houses, and it is subjected to the cardinal rule of one subject matter only that must be expressed in that title.

So political matters are not covered because they are not in the subject matter stated in the title.

So that is the safeguard,” he said. Constitutional challenges

In a press conference also on Tuesday, 1-RIDER Party-list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez expressed optimism about the readiness of the House to confront constitutional challenges in amending the economic provisions.

"I would say there is no other way but to risk it because any method that we take for constitutional change is actually subject to a constitutional challenge," Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez was responding to a statement earlier made by retired Chief Justice Reynato Puno, who cautioned that the inclusion of the phrase "unless otherwise provided by law" in the economic provisions could potentially face scrutiny and be susceptible to a constitutional challenge.

Puno was among the invited resource persons at the hearing of the Committee of the Whole convened to address RBH 7. This measure mirrors a similar proposal being deliberated in the Senate, aiming to amend certain economic provisions in the char-

ter concerning public services, education, and advertising.

Gutierrez pointed out that even if certain phrases were amended based on advice from the retired chief magistrate, the absence of specific provisions could still lead to inadvertent challenges.

He further noted that by virtue of “mere inadvertence,” anything that Congress will do, whether it’s in the House or in the Senate, there will always be the possibility of a constitutional challenge.

“The question before us now as lawmakers, itutuloy pa po ba natin ito kung alam natin na matsa-challenge ito (will we continue with this even if we knew that it will be challenged)? Of course, because precisely, we are advocating for this change. We have no choice but to move forward,” he said.

But despite the anticipated legal challenges, Gutierrez expressed confidence in the judiciary's ability to fairly adjudicate these matters.

“We will leave it to the Supreme Court, which has proper jurisdiction on this, and we trust in their good judgment to make the right decisions," he said, while underscoring the ultimate authority of the people in the decision-making process.

“At the end of the day, plebiscite ang (is the) determining factor. It is the sovereign will of the people that will be followed," Gutierrez said. (With a report from Filane Mikee Cervantes/ PNA)

para sa mga taon ng pananalapi 2020-

Pampublikong Mga pagpapabuti

hanggang 2022-23, muling inilalaan ang $519,051.64 ng pondo ng CDBG. Nasa ibaba ang mga inirerekomendang programa at halaga ng pagpopondo para sa iminungkahing pag-amyenda: AVAILABLE PARA SA PAMPUBLIKONG PAGSUSURI

Pampublikong Pagpapabuti, kabilang ang pag-upgrade ng ADA sa buong Lungsod, ang Relokasyon ng Alameda Food Bank at mga pagpapabuti, at iba pang kwalipikadong aktibidad

Simula Marso 1, 2024, ang iminungkahing Pagbabago sa Plano sa Aksyon ay magiging available sa Website ng Lungsod ng Alameda, www.alamedaca.gov at ang mga mamamayan ay iniimbitahan at hinihikayat na magbigay ng mga komento.

PAGKAKATAONG MARINIG

Inaanyayahan ang publiko na lumahok sa proseso ng CDBG at magkomento sa Pagbabago ng Plano sa Aksyon, pasalita o pasulat, ayon sa iskedyul sa ibaba: Abril 2, 2024 Pagpupulong ng Konseho ng Lungsod sa 7:00 p.m.

Pampublikong pagdinig tungkol sa iminungkahing Pagbabago sa Plano sa Aksyon para sa mga taon ng pananalapi 2020-21 hanggang 2022-23. Upang tingnan ang pampublikong pagdinig, bisitahin ang website ng Lungsod ng Alameda sa: https://www.alamedaca.gov/GOVERNMENT/Agendas-Minutes-Announcements. Ang mga komento tungkol sa iminungkahing Pagbabago sa Plano sa Aksyon ay maaaring isumite kay Andre Fairley sa (510) 747-6883 o sa pamamagitan ng email sa housing@alamedaca.gov. Mangyaring magbigay ng ga komento bago ang 7:00 p.m. noong Abril 2, 2024. Ang Konseho ng Lungsod ay didinig ng mga komento at isaalangalang ang pagpapatibay ng Pagbabago ng Plano sa Aksyon sa regular na pagpupulong nito sa 7:00 p.m. sa Abril 2, 2024, sa City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Avenue. Hinihikayat ang publiko na dumalo at lumahok. MGA PROBISYON PARA SA MGA TAONG MAY KAPANSANAN

Kung ang sinumang taong may interes na lumahok sa programang ito ay isang taong may kapansanan gaya ng tinukoy ng Seksyon 504 ng Rehabilitation Act of 1974 at nangangailangan ng isang akomodasyon para lumahok o kumuha ng interes, ang isang kahilingan para sa tirahan ay maaaring gawin kay Andre Fairley sa (510) 747-6883 (Voice) o sa pamamagitan ng email sa afairley@alamedaca.gov. Ang nasabing kahilingan ay dapat magsama ng paglalarawan ng Hinahangad na tirahan, kasama ang isang pahayag ng kapansanan na nangangailangan ng akomodasyon. Ang anumang kahilingan para sa tirahan ay dapat suriin at ang isang tugon ay Ibibigay sa loob ng limang araw ng negosyo pagkatapos matanggap ang naturang kahilingan. Ang paunawa ng anumang Akomodasyon na ipinagkaloob ay ibibigay kaagad sa humihiling.

MGA PROBISYON PARA SA MGA RESIDENTENG HINDI NAGSASALITA NG INGLES

Ang Lungsod ng Alameda ay may network ng mga empleyado na nagsasalita ng mga 45 wika na Maaaring kumilos bilang mga tagasalin para sa mga residenteng naghahanap ng impormasyon tungkol sa mga pederal na programa. Kung naabisuhan nang maaga ng limang araw ng negosyo, aayusin ng Lungsod na magkaroon ng tagasalin na available.

Mangyaring makipag-ugnayan kay Andre Fairley sa (510) 747-6883 o sa pamamagitan ng email sa afairley@ alamedaca.gov.

PATAKARANG WALANG DISKRIMINASYON

Ang Lungsod ng Alameda ay walang diskriminasyon laban sa sinumang tao batay sa lahi, kulay, relihiyon, bansang pinagmulan, ninuno, seks, kasarian, pagkakakilanlan ng kasarian, pagpapahayag ng kasarian, oryentasyong sekswal, katayuan sa pag-aasawa, katayuan sa pamilya, pinagmumulan ng kita, genetic na impormasyon, kondisyong medikal, pisikal na kapansanan o kapansanan sa pag-iisip, o anumang iba pang kategoryang protektado ng batas.

Dave Bautista: Unleashing beast mode on and o the screen

periences.

In an interview with GQ, Bautista, whose mom is Greek and dad is Filipino, shared his pride in three tattoos. One on his upper left arm are the flags of the Philippines and Greece placed side-by-side. On his left elbow, he has three yellow stars and the sun from the Philippine flag. The black-colored Philippine sun surrounds an Eye of Providence on his chest.

From hero to villain: Embracing the dark side

Having portrayed both heroes and villains, Bautista finds playing the antagonist more fun and challenging as a performer. He draws parallels between his wrestling career, where he embraced the role of the “bad guy” to enhance the hero’s narrative, and his love for portraying villains on the big screen.

the entertainment value of this and look at this as just beautiful storytelling,” he urges. Bautista credits Villeneuve’s commitment to the source material, creating a cinematic experience that aligns with the novel’s essence.

“Dave is excellent. We spend more time with Beast Rabban— let’s just say, he does not have a good time in ‘Part Two!’” Villeneuve said. “He’s humiliated, he’s struggling with the Fremen, and we see this is a character who is reaching his limit, panicking and losing control of Arrakis.”

Collaborating with Austin Butler and Filipino Martial Arts

emphasizes the importance of inclusion and diversity.

“Diverse is my love language,” he told us, reflecting on his own struggles to find role models growing up. His journey, shaped by being a person of mixed race raised by a lesbian single mother, fuels his commitment to breaking barriers in the entertainment industry.

“I know a lot of my life I never really knew where I fit in. It was hard for me to feel like I fit in because I didn’t have those role models,” he shares. Bautista believes that focusing on inclusion and representation is not just a social responsibility but a personal one, resonating with his own ex-

“I think, you know, the root of me. I’m a good person, I’m a nice person. I’m a kind person, and I take pride in that. But it’s fun playing the bad guy,” he shares. Bautista’s journey in Hollywood showcases his versatility and willingness to explore different facets of his craft.

Dune: A Timeless Tale with Timely Themes

Discussing his role in “Dune

Part Two,” Bautista emphasizes writer and director Denis Villeneuve’s dedication to staying true to Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel and the fan base. He encourages audiences to appreciate the storytelling and visual representation while acknowledging that political interpretations are inevitable.

“People shouldn’t lose sight of

Austin Butler, a new addition to the cast said, “I had a blast playing villainous characters with Stellan Skarsgård and Dave Bautista, they are both such sweet and funny guys and they welcomed me with open arms.”

Bautista on the other hand describes the experience of working with Butler as a blessing. He praises the younger actor’s talent and genuine nature, emphasizing the importance of feeling at ease with co-stars.

Viewers will experience an adrenaline-fueled cinematic showdown as Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides confronts Butler’s treacherous and bloodthirsty Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in an epic duel, a highlight that’s more than worth the price of admission. The intensity builds the moment the actors utter the words, “May thy knife chip and shatter.” This nail-biting scene isn’t just a spectacle; it’s a heart-pounding experience that elevates the entire movie as the choreography unfolds like a mesmerizing dance, capturing the intricacy and intensity that makes this duel truly unforgettable.

“It was really about trying to find Feyd’s fighting style, and if Paul has training in the Atreides and Fremen way of fighting, how does Feyd’s differ? And I trained vocally as well. And once I saw myself in the mirror and I didn’t have any hair, and I had the black teeth... You start to see the transformation, and that just becomes a blast, because then you can lose yourself in it,” Butler said.

“I knew the fight scenes were going to be really taxing, and I wanted them to feel powerful, so we trained a lot. We did a lot of Kali, which is Filipino stick fighting, and a lot of knife work,” he added.

Reflecting on Butler’s training in Kali, Bautista expressed his love for it, highlighting its presence in Hollywood for decades.

“I love it. Now people are actu-

ally recognizing it for what it is,” Bautista noted, emphasizing that Filipino Martial Arts have been contributing to cinematic fight scenes for years. His personal favorite is Kali, appreciating its versatility with empty hand or knife techniques.

Notes from Denis: A validation of trust

Receiving notes from his director is a source of immense joy and genuine excitement, making Bautista feel validated in his career choices. This validation is particularly significant, con-

Troy Laureta on working with Ariana, Katy, Bocelli, other A-list international singers

by BOY ABUNDA Philstar.com

CONTRARY to the title of Vol.

3 of his OPM album, “Dalamhati” (the Tagalog word for grief or grieving), Filipino-American musical director, songwriter, and performer Troy Laureta is in a celebratory mood for several reasons.The Hawaii-born, full-blooded Pinoy is ecstatic about the goings-on in his life – both personally and professionally. Troy initially made a name for himself in the international music scene as the Fil-Am musical director of famous artists in the U.S. He has worked with such A-list international singers as Ariana Grande, David Foster, Katy Perry, and Andrea Bocelli.

Filipino music enthusiasts have known Troy since he began to co-produce songs with ABS-CBN Music and work with local singers like Ogie Alcasid, Jed Madela, Regine Velasquez, to name a few. While his career was booming, Troy was hurting inside for not being able to show to the whole world who he really is. It was two years ago when he made a revelation about his sexual orientation and gender identity through his Instagram. Dalamhati (full title is Dalamhati: A Troy Laureta OPM Collective, Vol. 3) is my most special album because it’s the first album that I produced as an openly gay

man. Being open about myself is something that I wanted for so long, so, to be able to put all those emotions, all those feelings finally, openly and freely, into a body of work, it’s something I dreamt about,” he offered.

It’s a follow-up to Kaibigan: A Troy Laureta Collective Vol.1 and Giliw: A Troy Laureta OPM Collective Vol. 2, released in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

I recently met with Troy for a one-on-one for Batalk Channel’s The Interviewer. Below are excerpts. What have been changed so far in your life now?

“A lot of things have changed. I released my third and final album and I’m just starting to step into a different era of my artistry and my life. I’m just happy to be here.” This third collective is a celebration of your being gay. How did it impact the choice of songs and the singers?

“Those songs have kind of become a beacon of hope for me during my process of coming out and with the singers, they are the people who have been with me through it all.”

Let’s talk about the songs in Dalamhati. I know Martin Nievera released one – Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika. Morissette did Huling El Bimbo, and aside from that, you also have Jonathan Manalo’s Gusto Ko ng Bumitaw

performed by Pia Toscano and Loren Allred.

“They are good friends of mine. Ogie (Alcasid) was also part of Dalamhati. He did an acoustic version of Pangarap Ko ay Ibigin Ka.”

Your Collectives – Kaibigan, Giliw and Dalamhati – are your tribute to OPM. You’ve made a mark abroad. You just made this country proud. Having achieved what you have achieved, why are you doing all this?

“For so long, I wasn’t able to formally give Filipino music and the Filipinos the recognition for molding me into the musician that I am today. It’s something very heavy on my heart and it’s for my family, too. I see how hard they work and what they had to do for me to get here and it was my way of saying thank you. And for the youth especially, it’s something to be proud of, something to be seen and heard because when I was growing up, there wasn’t Filipino music other than what I saw on TFC. But if someone in the States or someone in the province can listen to our music being sung by the world, I’m hoping that it would give them the courage to step into their light because I would have loved that back when I was a little younger.” Did you come with David Foster when he did his concerts in Manila?

“It was his manager who called me up on a random Tuesday or something and said, ‘Hey, David needs a musical director,’ and I tell you, Tito Boy, I got scared that I almost didn’t do the audition. I wasn’t sure if I was ready but I did it. He’s been following my career with Ariana and all the other artists that I’ve worked with through the years.”

Let’s talk about Ariana.

“I got to work with Ariana through auditions in L.A. I became her musical director on her first world tour, The Honeymoon Tour (2015).”

How’s it working with Ariana?

“Amazing. I’m a fan of singers so when I was able to work with someone who’s not only famous and beautiful but also fulfills my musical heart.”

How about Katy Perry?

“I worked with Katy on a couple of gigs. It was through David and we did this like corporate events and we did a full set of her songs. It was so much fun. It was short but I was able to play Fireworks and you know, all the hits and it was super fun. She was very nice.”

Let’s talk about your experience working with Bocelli.

“It was special because we all know Bocelli from singing songs like The Prayer and I grew up with that song so when I got to work with him, it was a moment that I’ll always remember be-

sidering the challenges he faced in earning the trust and belief of others in the industry.

Reflecting on their collaborative journey, he acknowledges the initial challenge of earning Denis’s approval for a character in their first film together. Despite Denis not seeing him for the role initially, Bautista persevered, earning the trust and subsequently gaining robust support from the acclaimed director.

“To feel like I’m collaborating with him, we’re investing, we’re talking about a character, it just

feels like… I feel validated,” Bautista shared. As Dave Bautista steps back into the shadowy realms of villains in “Dune Part Two,” he carries with him more than just the weight of Beast’s ferocity. He’s a beacon for aspiring actors, an advocate for diversity, and a testament to the transformative power of storytelling. With his unapologetic approach to life and craft, he continues to leave an indelible mark on Hollywood embracing challenges and bringing authenticity to every role he undertakes.

was a full

My first gig with Bocelli was actually in Italy. We performed at the Colosseum and it was one of my first David Foster gigs.” Your third collective is your opus as a gay man. Tell me the story.

“I was closeted for a long time

because I didn’t want to disappoint my family. I thought within myself that if I was able to do good in music they wouldn’t care about you —you know, me being gay. “But then it started to take a toll on me where I was kind of hiding PAGE 9

Dave as “Beast” Rabban Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure “Dune: Part Two,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

(L-R) Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides and Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure “Dune: Part Two,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

Photos by Niko Tavernise

Dave Bautista

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

The Hawaii-born, full-blooded Pinoy is ecstatic about the goings-on in his life – both personally and professionally. Troy initially made a name for himself in the international music scene as the Fil-Am musical director of famous artists in the U.S. He has worked with such A-list international singers as Ariana Grande, David Foster, Katy Perry, and Andrea Bocelli. Photo from Instagram/@troylaureta cause it

circle moment.

Six additional vote centers now open for March 5 elections

• East Palo Alto Lewis and Joan Platt East Palo Alto Family YMCA, 550 Bell Street

• Half Moon Bay Emergency Operations Center, 537 Kelly Avenue

• Pacifica St. Peter Church, 700 Oddstad Boulevard

• San Carlos Library, Community Room, 610 Elm Street.

Hours of Operation: Saturday, February 24 through Monday, March 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (daily); Tuesday, March 5 (Election Day), 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Thirty-six (36) additional Vote Centers will open on Saturday, March 2, for a total of forty-five (45) Vote Centers available through Election Day.

Four Pop-Up Vote Centers will be available Monday, March 4 and Tuesday, March 5 in East Palo Alto, Half Moon Bay, La Honda and Pescadero.

A Mobile Vote Center will be at the Half Moon Bay Airport, off Highway 1, from March 2 to March 5.

San Mateo County voter information pamphlets and

ballots are available in four languages – English, Spanish, Chinese and Tagalog. Voters may update their language preferences at any time by contacting the Registration & Elections Division.

Voters are encouraged to check My Election Info on smcvote.gov or sign up for alerts at Where’s My Ballot? to learn when their ballot is received and counted.

Early voting period runs February 5 to March 4 Registered voters in San Mateo County were mailed their ballots in February. Official Ballot Drop Boxes are open. For more information on the March 5, 2024 Presidential Primary Election, please call or text 650.312.5222, visit www.smcacre.gov, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram @smcvote.

The Registration & Elections Division offers a toll-free hotline, 888.SMC.VOTE (888.762.8683), to assist voters in English, Spanish, Chinese and Tagalog. Voter assistance is available in-person at the San Mateo Election Division office or by phone from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with extended hours, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., on Election Day. (SMCACRE Release)

Troy Laureta on working with Ariana...

who I was and I didn’t see myself anymore and it wasn’t until my grandfather died in 2016 that kind of made me come up with the decision to just start to come out slowly and it wasn’t until last year that I officially came out to the world and it was so hard.”

How did it happen?

“I was sitting with my mom at breakfast and she was just wondering, ‘Why are you so quiet?

Why are you being weird?’ She kept badgering me and finally, I just started crying and I fell to

and I told her that I’m

and I’m tired, I’m very tired. She just hugged me and she said that it’s okay. That part was probably the most hurtful part of coming out because I realized I could have come out sooner and there was a lot of regret like we

What was your Dad’s reaction?

“My dad didn’t care. That was the one I was worried about my dad, a Filipino from Quezon City like, you know, ‘bro,’ ‘tol.’ But he was cool with it. It just made my heart jump.”

I know I already asked you this but again, now at a different phase in your life, if there’s one song that defines who you are, what is it?

“The one song that always brings back memories and makes me feel happy or sad, depending on the moment, is this beautiful Bisaya song called Usahay. I’m a very proud Cebuano, (I’m a) very proud Bisaya so, to be able to showcase that to the Philippines and the world, is a great accomplishment for me.”

What do you want to tell the Filipino people?

“The past couple of years have been so beautiful for me. To the Filipino people, to be able to con-

nect with you guys on a musical level is something that I’ve been wanting all my life and I just want to say thank you, guys so much for embracing me and my music these past couple of years and I also want to say on just a personal level when it comes to OPM (Original Pilipino Music), God has taken me to such beautiful places but there’s nothing like coming home.

“We can like Ariana. We can like Journey. We can love Whitney Houston but it’s still amazing and beautiful to celebrate Pilita Corrales, Martin Nievera, to celebrate our music because our music is so beautiful.

“A lot of people ask me, ‘Why are you so passionate about it?’ It’s because OPM literally saved my life. Dalamhati is a story about how I was able to get through the mental stuff that I was going through and I used Filipino music to get me through those times.”

California State Assembly candidate Jessica Caloza sits down for a one-on-one interview with Attorney Michael Gurfinkel on a special encore episode of Citizen Pinoy this Sunday

J. Gurfinkel.

Caloza served as an education policy advisor to President Barack Obama, was L.A. Public Works commissioner, and was formerly California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s deputy chief of staff. She will talk about her family’s immigration story and will discuss, in-depth, her stand on immigration

and those issues affecting immigrants. Jessica wants all families to have the same opportunities hers did: to work hard, get goodpaying jobs, and build a better life. “It’s not about one of us, it’s about all of us.”

Watch the inspiring story of Jessica Caloza on an encore episode of Citizen Pinoy on Sunday, March 3 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET thru select Cable/ Satellite providers), right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app. (Advertising Supplement)

MANY of us have seen the 1990 film “Green Card” where an American woman (Andie MacDowell) and a French man (Gerard Depardieu) enter into a fake marriage to get permanent residence for the Depardieu character. The film portrays an intense immigration interview taking place at the couple’s apartment — something that never occurs in real life.

More recently, the popular reality TV series “90 Day Fiancee” follows the journey of couples who obtain the U.S. visa for fiancées and have three months to get to know one another before deciding on marriage.

These shows dramatize a part of a complex and bureaucratic process that many couples go through to live together in the U.S. This article explains what the process really looks like these days and how immigrants can follow the right path to finish the green card journey successfully.

Three ways to obtain a green card for an immigrant married to a U.S. citizen

As one might expect, marriage to a U.S. citizen is one of the most common means of getting permanent residence in the U.S. The rules are quite different for those entered the U.S. illegally; they would typically need a waiver to pardon their unlawful presence here. I have written about that procedure earlier. You can find that article at: https://www. sonomacountygazette.com/sonoma-county-news/easing-anxiety-during-green-card-interviews/.

The following describes the three options for those foreign nationals here legally, or who are outside the country.

Option 1: A family petition followed by consular interview.

For those already married, or who will be married abroad, the standard manner for immigrating would be through the filing of a family petition through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) and then an interview at the consulate in their home country. The couple should provide proof that their relationship is legitimate. In addition to a medical exam and background check, the immigrant spouse has a consular interview, which is usually short and results in a per-

How one gets a green card after marriage to a US citizen

manent residence stamp in their passport.

The process currently takes 12-18 months, depending on the consulate. The disadvantage of this would be government delays which can cause the couple to be separated for large periods of time, especially if the U.S. citizen needs to live in the U.S. while the petition is moving forward. Option 2: Adjustment of status to permanent residence.

The second option would be filing for “adjustment of status” with the USCIS for the foreign national after they enter the U.S. on another visa. This is a one-step process which takes an average of 9-15 months at the moment. In the past, there was always an interview of the couple taking place in the local immigration office; but recently the Biden Administration has been approving many cases without an interview where the documentation submitted by the couple strongly suggests they have a bona fide marriage.

This procedure has the advantage of the immigrant spouse being able to remain in the U.S. with a work permit until the adjustment of status application is adjudicated.

It can be a good choice for those foreign nationals who are here on a tourist or other visa, or can obtain one. However, the immigration authorities may consider this visa fraud if the foreign spouse enters the U.S. on a non-immigrant visa (other than a fiancée visa) with a “secret” intent to marry and apply here. This option is usually appropriate only when the foreign national enters the U.S. without a definitive plan to marry. Option 3: K-1 fianceé.

The third option would apply only to those not yet married. That would be the K-1 fiancee visa.

The K-1 visa process is very similar to option 1: the process starts with a petition to the USCIS, then more processing through the National Visa Center of the U.S. Department of State, followed by a consular interview at the U.S. consulate abroad.

The primary differences are:

1) the foreign national does not marry until after coming to the U.S. on the K-1 visa; and 2) he or she must marry within 90 days of coming to the U.S.; and 3) they then go through the Adjustment of Status process described as

Option 2 above.

This option has the advantage of postponing the need to marry until after the foreign national comes and the couple presumably spends up to 90 days living together in the U.S. It therefore allows the couple additional time to test out their living together in the U.S. before committing to marriage and immigration to the U.S. It may also be necessary for those who cannot marry abroad and when the foreign national cannot get a non-immigrant visa — which is often the case for persons from poorer backgrounds and/or from developing countries.

Conclusion

With careful planning and preparation of the application package, almost all eligible foreign nationals applying based on marriage to a U.S. citizen should be able to obtain permanent residence in the U.S. The process is usually not as dramatic as in the movies, but it almost always results in a happy ending.

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

* * *

Christopher A. Kerosky, Esq. graduated from the University of California Berkeley (Boalt Hall) Law School and has practiced Immigration Law for over 25 years. For 15 years, “SuperLawyers” named him one of the top lawyers in Northern California (2006-2020; https://profiles.superlawyers. com/california-northern/san-francisco/ lawyer/christopher-a-kerosky/358dc9f1b1c2-46b5-80cc-6e9610b1cd43.html). Atty. Kerosky has had an office in San Francisco since 1989. His law firm also has offices in Santa Rosa, Napa, San Rafael, Ukiah, Bishop and Los Angeles. He speaks Spanish and Polish fluently and conversational Russian and French. Since 2013, Atty. Kerosky has served as a Member of the Human Rights Commission for Sonoma County, appointed by the County Board of Supervisors to represent the 5th District. As part of his work with the Commission, Christopher helped found My American Dreams, a local nonprofit devoted to community education and advocacy for immigrants. Atty. Kerosky served as Honorary Consul for the Republic of Poland in San Francisco from 2004 to 2019 and as such, his office acted as the Polish Consulate in San Francisco. He was one of the longest serving members of the San Francisco Consular Corps. Atty. Kerosky resides with his family just outside Santa Rosa but also owns a house in the Bishop area.

(Advertising Supplement)

Canepa: County o ers new lifeline for those in mental crisis

REDWOOD CITY – San Mateo County Board of Supervisors Vice President David J. Canepa made the following statement on Tuesday, February 27 following the Board adopting a resolution authorizing a $4.9 million two-year agreement with Telecare Corporation for Unarmed Mobile Mental Health Crisis Response Services for individuals in crisis and their families who call 988 or the StarVista hotline at (650) 579-0350.

“We’ve seen suicide rates continue to climb which is a leading cause of death for children aged 10-14, young adults 20-34, and men, mostly white, 75 years and older,” Canepa said. “Now, the county will be able to provide unprecedented services, offering a new lifeline with in-person clinical support for those in crisis or feeling suicidal right where you live. This is 24/7 unarmed and compassionate approach meant to keep individuals out of our emergency rooms or jails and handled with care by trained clinicians.”

The service will partially begin in May with one team during evening weekday hours before fully ramping up by August to five 24/7 teams and two on-call teams. It will be for people who do not need immediate hospitalization.

Once 988 calls are screened by StarVista, the hotline will dispatch clinicians trained in crisis assessment, de-escalation and intervention. They will arrive in nondescript vehicles – no lights and sirens – around-the-clock, any day of the year with

the goal of stabilizing situations and, if necessary, taking individuals or arranging transportation to the appropriate level of care. The County along with Telecare and StarVista will develop an outreach campaign to promote awareness of the hotline number and the service.

Minding Your Finances

THE IRS is the worst creditor you can possibly have. It’s always bad news when you find out that you owe taxes, and it’s even worse when you don’t have the money to pay. Some people erroneously believe that if they can’t pay what they expect to owe when they file their return, that they can just file for an extension and get more time. Wrong. While an extension does provide you some additional time to file your return, it doesn’t extend the deadline to pay what you owe. Let me explain.

First, if you don’t file your tax returns on time, you get hit with failure-to-file penalties. The penalty is 0.5% for each month that the tax is not fully paid.

Second, the longer your taxes remain unpaid, interest on the amount will also continue to pile up. Currently, that interest is about 7% per year. So, the sooner that you pay, the less money that you need to fork out to pay your tax bill. Unfortunately, depending on how much you owe, you may require a long repayment plan that lasts for several years. That means a lot of your payments will go to penalties and interest, making it difficult for you to end your IRS nightmare sooner that you’d like. The IRS offers several payment options. Usually, the IRS will ask

THE Philippine Consulate General and Sentro Rizal San Francisco are pleased to inform Filipino community organizations under its jurisdiction that the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) is offering the “Sentro Rizal Virtual Masterclass” on Philippine Choral Music Singing with the world renowned Philippine Madrigal Singers.

The Sentro Rizal Virtual Masterclass is a program that connects internationallyacclaimed Filipino artists with their fellow artists in the diaspora.

The target audience of the Sentro Rizal Virtual Masterclass are members of a choir/choral group, music teachers, and music enthusiasts, with prior experience in choral singing.

Some of the basic singing techniques will be touched

If you just found out that you owe the IRS and can’t pay

you if you can pay within 120 days. If you cannot pay within that period, you can request an installment agreement. Your monthly payment will depend on your income and expenses, and you may need to submit a collection financial statement unless the amount owed is less than $10,000. Once your request is approved, you can always pay it off sooner. But going forward, you need to remain compliant as long as the agreement is in effect. That means you need to file your tax returns in a timely manner and that you can’t have another tax bill going forward that you can’t pay. Otherwise, the IRS will cancel your original agreement and you will need to re-negotiate a new installment agreement.

If you qualify for tax debt forgiveness, you can reduce your tax debt significantly. This is called an “Offer in Compromise” where the IRS, believing that you will never be able to pay the entire amount based on your income and assets, agrees to take what you can afford and cancels the rest of your tax liability. Before applying, the IRS requires that you have filed all your tax returns and so if you have any years where you did not file a return, you need to file those first before the IRS will even talk to you. Some people will sell assets, borrow money, dip into their retirement plans, etc. just to

get their taxes paid off quickly because they don’t want to deal with tax liens, bank levies, or wage garnishments by the IRS. While it is a good idea to get the IRS out of your life as soon as you can, some of these options are not necessarily the best. For example, if you tap into your retirement plans to pay the IRS, you may incur tax penalties for early withdrawal on top of the taxes that will be due next year on the amount you are withdrawing (i.e., pre-tax money). In other words, you are simply robbing Peter to pay Paul by exchanging one tax bill for another.

If you owe the IRS, the State, EDD or State Board of Equalization, my office can help you find the best solution to resolve your tax liability. You will never have to speak with the IRS again. I will review your case and help you make the best decision for yourself and your family.

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

* * *

None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation.  Atty. Ray J. Bulaon has successfully helped over 6,000 clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call RJB Law Offices at TOLL FREE  1-866-471-8272.(Advertising Supplement)

upon, including diction, tone and choral blend, intonation and harmony, dynamic and expressive singing, “singtelligence,” and “singtegration.” The lecture for the Masterclass is pre-recorded, but the Philippine Madrigal Singers will join the participants live during the question-andanswer portion. This Sentro Rizal Virtual Masterclass will be held on March 19-20, 2024 and March 26-27, 2024, Philippine (PH) Time, with

the following schedule: (see table). Due to the time difference between the Philippines and the U.S., the exact timings of each session will be determined once all applications are in. Interested groups are requested to apply with the Consulate by sending an email at cultural@pcgsanfrancisco. org, with their preferred cluster. The deadline for applications is on March 1, 2024 (U.S. Pacific Time).

(PCGSF Release)

(Supervisor Canepa’s Office Release)