030223 - Las Vegas Edition

reaffirms ‘continuing’ commitment to human rights

MANILA — The Philippines has reaffirmed its “solemn” and “continuing” commitment to human rights for all, but rejects any disturbance to its bureaucratic structures while the government embarks on justice and prison reforms to fix its criminal justice system.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla told the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Wednesday that the Philippines was pursuing a comprehensive reform agenda to ensure that the rule of law prevailed, and that every Filipino was afforded fair administration of justice. Remulla addressed the Human

AAPI in Nevada

IN the spirit of recognition and celebration of Women’s History Month, The National Federation of Filipino American Associations—Nevada (NaFFAA NV) continues to recognize outstanding women that have demonstrated exceptional achievement, contribution, leadership, advocacy and service to the Las Vegas Community and humanity. These outstanding women are honored with an Annual Event that started in March 2021.

The honorees were nominated by their peers and selected by the NaFFAA NV Awards Committee at Cafe De Manila on February 27.

“As we honor these special women, they will

A MAN in Colorado Springs, Colorado was and sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday, February 21 after being found guilty of firstdegree murder in the disappearance of his Filipina wife in 2019.

After a quick deliberation on Tuesday, a jury found Dane Kallungi guilty of first-degree murder of his wife, Jepsy Amaga Kallungi, who

A FILIPINO American public official and community leader is currently serving as chief of staff for Nevada’s Lieutenant Governor Stavros Anthony. In this position, Rudy Pamintuan is considered the highest ranking Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) official in the Silver State.

As chief of staff, Pamintuan oversees the Office of the

Drug war victims’ kin tell ICC: Don’t let PH gov’t stall probe

MANILA — Families who lost loved ones in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs have invoked the right to object formally to the Philippine government’s effort to stop the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) from investigating the thousands killed during the crackdown.

A Feb. 17 submission made public on Friday and filed on behalf of some 90 family members asked the ICC for the opportunity

to “present views and concerns in the appeal by submitting a response to the appeal brief” to be submitted by the Philippine government this month.

It cited Article 68 (3) of the Rome Statute, ICC’s founding document, which stipulates that the court should permit victims’ views and concerns to enter into the records at stages of the proceedings, in a manner not prejudicial to the rights of the accused.

The 90 applicants represent one of several groups that have filed communiques before

Philippines, Malaysia to boost defense, security ties amid sea row

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim have agreed to further enhance the defense and security ties between their countries as they tackled the rising tensions in the South China Sea. Marcos and Anwar reaffirmed their commitment to boost the collaboration between the Philippines and Malaysia during their bilateral meeting in Malacañang Wednesday, March 1.

In a joint statement after their meeting, Anwar assured Marcos that the new

Lieutenant Governor and manages the tourism, transportation, economic development, workforce development, and outdoor recreation portfolios and the Office of Small Business Advocacy, according to his bio.

Prior to taking the position at the lieutenant governor’s office Pamintuan was the managing director of Sherman Worldwide providing clients with advisory and professional services in the areas of international affairs, emerging

technology, trade, real estate and security. He served as an appointee for President George W. Bush as the chairman of the President’s Advisory Council on AAPIs. He also was served on then President-Elect Donald Trump’s transition team. Pamintuan is a resident of Henderson, Nevada and engages in several philanthropic efforts in the areas of civil rights, global health, education, women and children. n

Reopened flights from Clark to boost tourism, decongest NAIA

by ralph edwin VillanueVa Philstar.com

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

administration in Malaysia will be more than happy to further enhance this collaboration, "guided by shared interest, multidimensional bilateral cooperation and vibrant people-topeople interaction" between their countries.

"Our bilateral cooperation is multisectoral, covering trade and investment, education, health, agriculture, health, tourism, and culture. And I have alluded to earlier how our first generation of Malaysian professionals benefitted immensely from the work at Los Baños and some of the known centers of learning in the Philippines," Anwar told Marcos.

"Our defense and security ties are also

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

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

Philippines reaffirms continuing...

Rights Council 52nd Regular

Session in Geneva, Switzerland

and enumerated the Philippines’ progress in human rights reforms under the Marcos administration.

He said the case build-up rule had been drafted, which requires a higher level of proof for preliminary investigations in criminal cases, and closer cooperation between prosecutors and law enforcement.

To decongest penal institutions, he said the monthly releases of an average of 500 inmates had been orchestrated, noting that new guidelines had been issued which significantly lowered the bail bond for indigents accused of crimes and for the dismissal of cases with no reasonable certainty of convictions pending before the courts.

“The Philippines continues its tradition of open, constructive, and active engagement on human rights with the UN and international stakeholders, including civil society,” stressed Remulla.

“There are a lot challenges in our mission to reform our jail and prison system in the Philippines, and our unique situation drives us to find new ways and outside-thebox- solutions to hurdle them,” he added.

Upon the Philippine government’s invitation, the special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and his team visited the Philippines last month to initiate an immediate program for capacity building of doctors.

“Come July, after their training, this group would become mentors to cascade down their knowledge in order to have forensic experts in all regions of the country,” the Council said.

Remulla draws line vs ICC

However, Remulla was firm on stating that the Philippines “rejects” the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s drug war investigation into alleged crimes against humanity during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

The ICC earlier cleared the way for its prosecutors to resume the investigation into the drug war killings, a decision currently under appeal with the ICC’s Appeals Chamber.

It was anticipated that the UNHRC will try to convince the Philippine delegation to allow it, but Remulla said: “We draw the line, as any sovereign state must, when an international institution overreaches and departs from the boundaries of its creation. Upon this context, the Philippine government rejects the ICC’s decision to resume investigations over alleged crimes committed during the anti-illegal drug campaign.”

Remulla has been vocal about not letting the ICC conduct its probe on Philippine soil, viewing the whole process as an insult and act of attempting to “take over” the country’s functioning justice system.

Upholding sovereignty, the complementarity principle in international law, and the ICC’s lack

of jurisdiction over the Philippines have been key arguments of the government’s top litigators in stopping the ICC probe.

Remulla did assure the UNHRC that there was no culture of impunity in the Philippines, stressing that its own investigative and human rights mechanisms would be enough to address extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations being alleged and no longer needs the help of external bodies like the ICC.

“National sovereignty and international solidarity, go hand in hand, complement each other and create the fertile ground in which human rights can truly flourish. Let us uphold sovereignty and harness solidarity to promote and protect human rights and dignity for all,” he said.

“We have a working justice system that is a cornerstone of our accountability mechanism. Our prosecutors and courts are ready, able and willing to prosecute anyone if the evidence so warrants,” he added.

Last year, the Philippines held constructive dialogues with multiple human rights committees and participated in an enhanced interactive dialogue with the Council.

“The Philippines had accepted 215 out of 289 recommendations received at the Universal Periodic Review, assuring that extrajudicial killings had never been, and would never be a state policy,” Remulla said. n

Philippines, Malaysia to boost defense, security...

strong and growing. We share common borders and to an extent [are] quite porous. Therefore, the collaboration needs to be further enhanced," he added.

Anwar said they also agreed to resume the 8th Joint Commission Meeting to be led by both foreign ministers this year at a mutually convenient date.

"It's our turn to host this meeting and I have advised the colleagues in the Foreign Ministry to facilitate

and accelerate this process," he said.

During the meeting, Anwar said he and Marcos also discussed the South China Sea dispute, saying they should take the position at the multilateral level in the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

"We did discuss the South China issue and I shared President Marcos Jr.'s concern that due to the complexity and sensitivity of the issue, we should try and engage and take the position at a multilateral level between Asean so that we have a comprehensive approach and achieve an amicable resolution to this outstanding problem," he said.

Six parties – the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, Vietnam, and China – hold claims over the disputed South China Sea.

The Asean comprises 10 member countries, of which Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand are not South China Sea claimants.

China claims "historical rights" to almost 90 percent of the South China Sea, an area roughly demarcated by the nine-dash line. Other claimants have rejected those claims. Additionally, 2016 international arbitration tribunal ruled that China's claims had no legal basis.

Apart from the South China Sea issue, Anwar said he and Marcos also discussed areas for further collaboration – new and important sectors such as halal industry, food security, digital economy, and among other key areas that he proposed as potential cooperation.

"The President and I also agreed that both countries should intensify efforts to increase the volume of trade and investments. We had a very good beginning but there is no excuse why we can't further increase both trade and investment. That would be of tremendous benefit to both our countries," he said.

"We also agreed that we should deepen the existing strong peopleto-people ties through closer cultural and tourism collaboration, education, and sports. Malaysia stands ready to explore potential new collaboration with the Philippines in this regard," he added.

On the peace process in

Mindanao, Anwar expressed his gratitude to the Philippine government, saying "this has been a century-long contentious issues that invariably affect the region and in particular Malaysia too."

"And under your leadership President, you have seen great strides in this direction. And I think it's only our duty as a good neighbor to support and facilitate the process and I stand guided whatever things need to be done at the bilateral, multilateral level to support this endeavor," Anwar said.

"It has to succeed in the interest of the Philippines and Malaysia and the region and then utilize this enormous potential to the benefit of our people," he added.

The Malaysian leader said his country will also continue to offer assistance to the Bangsamoro people through various capacitybuilding programs including through our Malaysia Technical Cooperation Program.

"In my meeting with the President, I have asked the Philippines' assistance and cooperation to expedite the commutation of nationals so that they can be repatriated to the Philippines in a timely manner. And I am pleased that -- their willingness to facilitate this arrangement in a mutually agreed fashion," he said.

Anwar said he and Marcos also reiterated their commitment to continue supporting and enhancing cooperation with the BIMP-EAGA including hosting the Brunei-Indonesia-MalaysiaPhilippines Facilitation Center.

"I did express my concern about the contentious unresolved Myanmar issue which is affecting Malaysia adversely due to the huge number of refugees exceeding 200,000 people now in Malaysia," Anwar said.

"Now the President in his wisdom has reiterated the need for the Five-Point Consensus but I would certainly suggest with his experience of wisdom to explore new areas how Myanmar junta can be persuaded to work and collaborate as a team within Asean and resolve the outstanding issues which cannot be considered as purely internal because it's affecting the security and welfare of the region," he added. n

Missing Filipina’s ex- husband gets...

is still missing.

Dane Kallungi was also found guilty of tampering with a human body. He was immediately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Jepsy went missing in March 2019, and neither she nor her body has been found.

Jepsy’s mother, Margie Amaga, told KKTV 11 News she last spoke to her her daughter on March 20, 2019.

Jepsy and Dane met on an internet dating site before she moved to Colorado from the Philippines to marry him. They were divorced in January 2019. Colorado Springs Police Department began investigating Jepsy’s disappearance on April 4, 2019.

Prosecutors played a video recording from Kallungi’s interrogation, in which he could be heard saying that he “did not mean to kill her.” (Inquirer.net)

NAFFAA NV to celebrate Women’s...

share their experiences that made them who they are today in their successful businesses or fields of endeavors. We will learn what inspires them and what keeps them going each and every day.

These women represent the value of hard work and perseverance along with giving us Hope for the future. They inspire us all to make our own history,” exclaimed Jacqueline De Joya, president of NaFFAA NV. This year’s honorees that will receive recognition for making their exemplary mark in the respective fields are:

Business/entrepreneur: Kate's Koffee, Kate Recto; CMC Boutique, Mila Paglinawan; and Cafe De Manila, Millie Cadag.

Health care: Julie Ann

Torremoro

Education: Janine Sangalang

Public service: Marilyn Ante

Professional: Anna Ladao

Performing arts/cultural: The Filipiniana Dance Company of Las Vegas Lifetime achievement award: Fatima (Pat) Magallanes

A special tribute will be given to Ms. Loni Andal. Ms. Josie Harrison will grace the event as a guest speaker.

Women’s History Month was established by Congress in 1987 and proclaimed by the President of the United States that the month of March be National Women’s History Month as an opportunity to honor and celebrate women’s lives and historic achievements.

NaFFAA NV Women’s History Month Awards Ceremony will be held on March 12, 2023 at the +63FIFTY FilAm Central, 3700 South Maryland Parkway Suite 525 at 5 p.m. For future information, contact Gloria Caoile of the Member Awards Committee at gtcaoile@gmail. com. (Contributed by Mia Casino)

BILATERAL MEETING. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (right) and Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim deliver their respective statements at the President’s Hall of Malacañan Palace on Wednesday, March 1. The two leaders hold the joint press conference following their bilateral meeting on the revitalization of Philippines-Malaysia relations through enhanced economic and security cooperation, as well as cultural exchange and tourism. PNA photo by Rey Baniquet

Drug war victims’ kin tell ICC: Don’t let...

the court since 2016 accusing then President Rodrigo Duterte and other officials of crimes against humanity by authorizing thousands of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the bloody campaign against illegal drugs.

‘Trauma, loss of income’

They argued that the Philippine appeal to suspend the ICC investigation would have an “immediate and direct effect on the personal interests of the applicants as they have not been able to obtain justice and remedies for the crimes committed against their family members.”

Some of the applicants, they said, “experienced torture at the hands of the police in relation to the drug war.”

“As a result of the killings of their family members or the torture they were subjected to, the applicants have suffered physical, psychological and socio- economic harm, including physical pain, injuries, anxiety, loss of sleep, trauma, feeling of fear, depression, loss of income, and economic hardship,” they said.

Obscured death toll

Government data put the death toll of the drug war during Duterte’s term from July 2016 to May 2022 at 6,252 individuals, but human rights groups contend that the actual number could be three times that, as a consequence of sloppy investigation, and in a number of documented cases, falsified death certificates.

The Philippine government is expected to file its appeal brief before the March deadline, after the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I, in a Jan. 26 decision, authorized ICC prosecutor Karim Khan to proceed with the preliminary investigation.

In a Feb. 3 petition, the government, through Solicitor

General Menardo Guevarra, who served as Duterte’s justice secretary, sought the reversal of the ICC chamber’s decision.

Under ICC processes, the government is to submit its arguments in a more detailed appeal brief, with the prosecutor given the chance to respond afterward.

The Marcos administration has supported its predecessor in the ICC case, arguing that the court has no jurisdiction over the Philippines after the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute took effect in 2019, and that the government is already investigating the same drug warrelated crimes under scrutiny.

In 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that withdrawing from the Rome Statute “does not discharge a state party from the obligations it has incurred as a member.”

Back in Geneva

On Wednesday, March 1,

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla sought to convince the international community that the Philippines is pursuing human rights reforms, as he addressed the 52nd Regular Session of the United Nations (UN) Human

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.

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.

Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, Switzerland.

Remulla spoke on the “progress in the government’s justice sector programs under the Marcos administration’s larger human rights and development agenda,” the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a statement.

He also discussed the importance of upholding sovereignty and harnessing international solidarity in the promotion and protection of human rights, the DOJ said.

Remulla is scheduled to meet with HRC President Vaclav Balek, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, Australian Assistant Foreign Minister Tim Watts, and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Director General Majid Al Suwaldi.

On Tuesday, he was expected to join a panel discussion to share what the government had done to strengthen the criminal justice system, particularly in decongesting jails and prisons, reducing case backlogs, and improving the poor’s access to the system. (With a report from Tina Santos)

Reopened flights from Clark to boost tourism...

relevant aviation agencies and stakeholders such as the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines, we welcome these additional 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

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 decades-long, headlinegrabbing 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

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 costeffective, 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.

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

STOP THE KILLINGS Mothers of “Oplan Tokhang” victims appeal to then President Rodrigo Duterte to stop the killings in this file photo on Oct. 28, 2017, just a year after he launched his brutal war on drugs that left more than 6,000 mostly poor suspects dead by the time he left office on

House approves hybrid Con-con on 2nd reading

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 makebelieve 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)

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 (concon) delegates, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said on Tuesday, February 28.

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.

Last week, the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments approved a Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) calling for a concon 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, February 27, 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 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

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia. ManilaTimes.net file photo 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)

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. n

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 10year 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 5050 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.

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 decisionmaking 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.

Police have arrested and filed complaints of violating the antihazing law against six members of the fraternity.

POLICE have considered the death by hazing of Adamson University student John Matthew Salilig a “solved” case after the arrest of several members of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity and the filing of criminal complaints against them.

In Cebu City, the local police office said it was also investigating an alleged fraternity hazing death of a 20-year-old second year marine engineering student of University of Cebu (UC) in December last year.

“By the arrest of most officers of this fraternity chapter, we can consider this case solved, but not case closed. I am morally convinced that we have an airtight case,” Biñan City police chief Lt. Col. Virgilio Jopia told reporters.

up and positively identified them as those principally involved in brutalizing Salilig and himself.

Gregorio Cruz — the father of Aron Cruz, who is also a Tau Gamma member and person of interest — was also detained on Wednesday for obstruction of justice for refusing to hand over the blue-grey Ford Everest of his son in their home in Parañaque City.

“I was thinking of already quitting in the middle of the initiation rites, because I might die since I couldn’t bear it anymore. After receiving 20 paddles, I wanted to quit, because it’s too painful. But I was already there, and got past 20 paddles, so I just pursued,” he told reporters. He said it took him a week’s rest before he was able to walk again. But the hazing did not stop with the paddles.

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

On Thursday morning, March 2, six Tau Gamma members were brought to the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila for inquest proceedings on two counts of violation of the anti-hazing law, Republic Act No. 8049, as amended by Republic Act No. 11053.

Each one faces a prison term of 20 years to 40 years and a fine of P3 million for each count.

Salilig’s brother, John Michael, and Roi Osmond Tuazon dela Cruz, a 21-year-old neophyte who reportedly underwent hazing with Salilig, were named complainants.

The six fraternity members — Tung Cheng Teng Jr., 22, the “Grand Triskelion,” or leader of Tau Gamma’s Adamson chapter; Earl Anthony Romero, 21; Jerome Balot, 22; Sandro Victorino, 28; Michael Lambert Ritalde, 31; and Mark Pedrosa, 39 — “voluntarily” appeared on Wednesday, March 1, at the police station in Biñan, Laguna province, where the hazing occurred.

The six persons of interest were supposed to just answer questions from investigators and give statements on their participation during welcoming rites conducted by members of Tau Gamma’s Adamson chapter for Salilig and initiation rites for three neophytes.

However, in the course of investigation, they became suspects when Dela Cruz showed

Pagpapalathala: Ika-16 ng Pebrero, Ika-23 ng Pebrero, Ika-2 ng Marso, Ika-9 ng Marso, 2023 TAG: Pagsasara ng Pagpaparehistro, Espesyal na Halalan, Tagalog

PAUNAWA PARA SA MGA MANGHAHALAL SA PAGSASARA NG PAGPAPAREHISTROPARA SA 2023 PUROK 1 ESPESYAL NA HALALAN

NA GAGANAPIN SA LUNES, IKA-3 NG ABRIL, 2023 SA LUNGSOD NG HENDERSON

ANG PAGPAPAREHISTRO AY MAGSASARA

SABADO, IKA-18 NG MARSO, 2023

ANG PAUNAWA’NG ITO AY NAGBIBIGAY NANG KAALAMAN na ang pagpaparehistro ng botante para sa 2023 Purok 1 Espesyal na Halalan na gaganapin sa Lunes, ika-3 ng Abril, 2023, ay magsasara sa Sabado, ika-18 ng Marso, 2023 sa 5:00 n.h.

Ang kahit na sino ma’ng karapat-dapat na manghahalal na ang pangalan ay hindi makikita sa opisyal na talaan ay maaari’ng magparehistro sa pamamagitan ng pagbisita ng pangkaraniwa’ng oras ng pangangalakal, sa Lalawigan ng Clark Sentro ng Halalan, 965 Trade Drive, Suite A, North Las Vegas o sa Lungsod ng Henderson Tanggapan ng Kawani, 240 South Water Street, Henderson. Ang Lalawigan ng Clark Kagawaran ng Halalan ay bukas Lunes hanggang Huwebes, 7:30 n.u. hanggang 5:30 n.h. Ang Lungsod ng Henderson Tanggapan ng Kawani ay bukas Lunes hanggang Huwebes, 7:30 n.u. hanggang 5:30 n.h.

Mga pinahabang oras sa Lungsod ng Henderson Tanggapan ng Kawani Sa ika-17 ng Marso at ika-18 ng Marso, ang pagpaparehistro ng bontante ay maaari’ng gawin nang personal sa Lungsod ng Henderson Tanggapan ng Kawani, 240 South Water Street, Henderson, NV 89015, sa panahon ng mga pinahabang oras tulad ng sumusunod: Biyernes, ika-17 ng Marso, 2023 8:00 n.u. – 5:00 n.h. Sabado, ika-18 ng Marso, 2023 8:00 n.u. – 5:00 n.h.

Upang magparehistro sa online, bisitahin ang website ng Lalawigan ng Clark Kagawaran ng Halalan sa http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/vote at pumunta sa Serbisyo sa Online na Pagpaparehistro “Click Here” na buton. Ang serbisyo’ng ito ay magagamit 24 na oras sa isang araw.

Para sa karagdagang impormasyon, pinapakiusap na makipag-ugnayan sa Lungsod ng Henderson Tanggapan ng Kawani, 240 South Water Street, Henderson, NV 89015, o sa pamamagitan ng pagtawag sa 702-267-1400 o sa website ng Lungsod sa www.cityofhenderson.com

The car was allegedly used to transport a bloodied Salilig on February 18 back to Metro Manila from a house in Barangay Casile, in Biñan, where the initiation rites took place. When his fratmates noticed that he was already lifeless, Salilig’s body was transferred to the compartment of a second vehicle, and eventually buried in a shallow grave in Imus City, Cavite province, according to Jopia, quoting one unidentified witness.

Authorities found the 24-year-old Salilig’s battered and decomposing body 10 days later in a vacant lot in Barangay Malagasang I-G.

One suspect led police to the grave site, while another executed an extrajudicial confession, Jopia said.

Autopsy result

An autopsy conducted by the Cavite Provincial Crime Laboratory Office found that Salilig died due to “severe blunt force trauma to the lower extremities.” His body was mangled from his chest down to his thighs.

Witnesses told investigators Salilig was beaten with a paddle more than 70 times during which he vomited and even defecated himself.

Of the 11 other persons of interest, three who are members of Tau Gamma’s Biñan chapter had already surrendered to the local police. The eight others who are members of the fraternity’s Adamson chapter have not yet surfaced.

According to Dela Cruz, who is also an Adamson student, his recruiters told him that he would only receive at most 24 paddle beatings. But on the day of his initiation rites, they beat him more than 70 times.

Candle wax, leather belt Dela Cruz said hot melted candle wax was also poured on his back in the image of a triskelion, Tau Gamma’s logo. And to remove the dried wax, he was whipped with a leather belt.

Salilig was not even supposed to undergo the welcoming rites as he had been a member of the fraternity since 2020 and passed initiation rites in Tau Gamma’s chapter in Zamboanga City.

One of the largest fraternities in the country, Tau Gamma Phi was founded in 1968 by students from the University of the Philippines Diliman. Its members call themselves “triskelions.”

Although the fraternity has publicly declared a “no hazing” policy, at least 14 hazing incidents have been attributed to its members since 2006.

Prior to Salilig’s death, Reymarc Rabutazo, a Grade 12 student, died after undergoing initiation rites by Tau Gamma in Laguna in March 2022. According to his mother, the 18-year-old “suffered a lot” before he died, with his body bearing cigarette burns, his teeth missing, and his skull cracked.

In 2012, Tau Gamma’s founder Vedasto “Tito” Venida condemned the fraternity’s practice of hazing and said that the brotherhood had “taken so many innocent lives.”

Among notable personalities in Congress who are Tau Gamma members are Representatives Bong Teves Jr. and Alfredo Garbin of TGP and AKO Bicol party lists, respectively; Batangas Rep. Ralph Recto; Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez; and Senator Joel Villanueva. Cebu case

In Cebu, the police said they were also looking into the alleged u PAGE 7

Ipalathala: Ika-24 ng Pebrero at ika-3 ng Marso, 2023

TAG: Paunawa ng Halalan kasama ang Pagboto/Mga Kandidato, Espesyal na Halalan, Tagalog

ESTADO NG NEVADA – LALAWIGAN NG CLARK

Ako, si JOSE LUIS VALDEZ, ang nararapat na itinalagang Kawani ng Lungsod para sa Lungsod ng Henderson, Estado ng Nevada, ay nagpapatunay na ang Espesyal na Halalan ay gaganapin sa Lunes, ika-3 ng Abril, 2023. Ang mga lugar ng pagboto ay magbubukas mula 7:00 n.u. hanggang 7:00 n.g. sa nasabing petsa.

SAKSI ANG AKING KAMAY at PANGSELYO ngayong ____ araw ng Pebrero, 2023

JOSE LUIS VALDEZ

Kawani ng Lungsod

LISTAHAN NG MGA KANDIDATO NA IBOBOTO SA IKA-3 NG ABRIL, 2023 ESPESYAL NA HALALAN

KONSEHO NG LUNGSOD, PUROK 1

APAT NA TAONG TERMINO

Tim Cox

Eddie “Every Cycle” Hamilton

Aaron Johnson

Alex Kleytman

Alisha “Ali Brady” Nilson

Jim Seebock

Melissa Woodbury

LUGAR NG PAGBOTO SA ARAW NG HALALAN PARA SA 2023 ESPESYAL NA HALALAN SA IKA-3 NG ABRIL, 2023 Munisipyo ng Henderson, 240 S. Water Street, Henderson, NV 89015

PINETSAHAN Ika-21 ng Pebrero, 2023.

Para sa karagdagang impormasyon, pinapakiusap na makipagugnayan sa Tanggapan ng Kawani ng Lungsod ng Henderson, 240 South Water Street, Henderson, NV 89015, o sa pamamagitan ng pagtawag

Senior citizens

ManilaTimes.net file photo

6 frat men yield; hazing case still ‘not closed’

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

– 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, 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

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

Commentary

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

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 U.S., 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?

the Cory administration, ramped 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

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. (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.

* * * 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.

need to be checked 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. (ManilaTimes.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.

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

Transport strike to push through

by Franco Jose c. Baroña ManilaTimes.net

MAR VALBUENA, leader of the Manibela transport group, said on Thursday, March 2 that drivers and operators of traditional jeepneys and UV Express will push through with their strike to protest the government's PUV Modernization Program.

The transport strike, with participants in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol Region, and Cagayan de Oro, will start on March 6 at 7 a.m. and will last until March 12.

"Tuloy ang tigil pasada (The transport strike will push through )," Valbuena told The Manila Times.

He said they will only call off the strike if the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will scrap its memorandum circular 2023-013, ordering all drivers and operators of traditional jeepneys to join

cooperatives. He said failure to comply with the directive will result in the cancellation of the provisional authority that allows them to operate in their respective routes.

"We want the LTFRB circular 2023-013 to be scrapped first or totally canceled before we would sit down for a dialogue," said Valbuena.

The LTFRB announced on Wednesday, March 1 the extension of the deadline for traditional jeepneys to consolidate their franchises under a cooperative until the end of 2023.

"Following the advice of [Transportation] Secretary Jaime Bautista and following the statement of President (Ferdinand) Marcos (Jr.), we are extending the consolidation of modern jeepneys from June 30 to the end of December 2023. This is in response to the request of the transport sector," LTFRB Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III said.

Sustain fight vs human trafficking - ex-DoJ official

said.

Guadiz said the deadline extension was made not to appease the strikers. "To be honest, we are not pressured by the threat of a strike because more than 90 percent of transport groups have signified their support to the program of the LTFRB," he said.

Valbuena said the LTFRB's move to extend the consolidation deadline will not alter the fact that operators and drivers of traditional jeepneys will eventually lose their livelihood.

"They are only trying to calm us down. But in the end, we will still lose our livelihood because after the extension we still need to replace our units," he said.

Valbuena slammed local government units for allegedly offering financial assistance to operators and drivers of traditional jeepneys to change their mind.

"So there should always be a transport strike so that there will be aid?" he said.

Guadiz said that following the extension of the deadline, the LTFRB will draft new guidelines on the matter, including the possibility of allowing jeepney operators to maintain their franchises even without joining a cooperative.

The jeepney modernization program seeks to phase out old and dilapidated jeepneys and replace them with high-capacity and environment-friendly vehicles.

Under the program, operators must surrender their individual franchises and consolidate with a fleet management system wherein each cooperative is required to purchase 15 imported minibuses per route. n

6 frat men yield; hazing case still...

hazing death of Ronnel Baguio, 20, a second year marine engineering student of UC.

Cebu police chief Col. Ireneo Dalogdog said they got wind of Baguio’s death after the student was brought to the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) for treatment of difficulty in breathing and bruises all over his body on Dec. 18. He was pronounced dead at 5 p.m., two and a half hours after he was brought in.

An autopsy revealed that he died of “severe acute respiratory distress secondary to indirect lung injury,” Dalogdog said. His body was immediately flown

to his home province of Bataan and investigators were unable to conduct a proper investigation, Dalogdog said.

“Updates of this case moved so slow because there is no complainant,” he said, but added that at least one suspect had been identified.

He did not give the suspect’s name or identify the fraternity pending further investigation.

Dalogdog said Baguio’s mother had not returned to Cebu to help probers.

In a statement, UC condemned the death of Baguio and stressed that fraternities and hazing had no place in the university.

It said its Maritime Education and Training Center was not aware of the incident and that it did not recognize any fraternity or sorority.

Manuel Sarausad, the university’s legal counsel, said the school learned about Baguio’s death due to hazing injuries the day after.

Recently, UC received a request from the Public Attorney’s Office for a formal investigation of the death of Baguio, the lawyer said.

“The university reiterates its commitment to cooperate and assist the police and the Baguio family as they seek justice for Ronnel,” he said. (Inquirer.net)

FORMER justice undersecretary Jose Vicente Salazar on Tuesday, February 28 urged the government to keep the fight against human trafficking "at all costs" as he welcomed the Senate investigation on the reported human trafficking at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

He was referring to the Senate blue ribbon committee (BRC) probe on the alleged "new highend" human trafficking scheme at the country's premier gateway. Salazar was once at the forefront of the country's fight against human smuggling as head of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking.

The Senate probe was an offshoot of Sen. Mary Grace Poe's expose on what she said could be another grand design of a "human trafficking" scheme at NAIA involving a private aircraft and foreign nationals.

The senator said that "the Manila International Airport Authority, Bureau of Immigration, the Philippine National Police (PNP) Aviation Group and the Globan Aviation will have a lot of explaining to do."

In a speech last February 15, Poe claimed that police and airport

authorities failed to stop the departure of a Dubai-bound flight that carried 10 foreigners, but only seven were declared before immigration officials.

"I believe there is more to this kind of a high-end modus that concerned government officials must look into the soonest possible time," said Salazar. "The Senate's move is a step in the right direction to unearth the identities of perpetrators at the soonest possible time."

The "modus operandi" was exposed when the PNP Aviation Security Group received an "anonymous tip" about a human trafficking activity involving an aircraft that is set to depart for Dubai at about 10 p.m. on the same day at the NAIA.

It said that only six passengers were declared but 14 passengers will board the aircraft.

"We say that there could be more to this that might have been perfected a long time ago and every time with cargoes as well in such instances. If human trafficking can take place, how much more with illegal drugs," Salazar, who also served as undersecretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology,

"This is a very serious matter because if human trafficking can take place using private planes, how much more with illegal drugs that might only be considered as mere cargoes," he added.

"As I said, the recent accidental discovery of the latest illegal activity could only be the tip of the iceberg. Thus, a Senate inquiry into this is a very welcome step," he said.

Sen. Christopher "Bong" Go has expressed apprehension over the reported human trafficking scheme at the NAIA since it might involve national security.

"This is very disturbing and we condemn this new case of human trafficking using private jets," Go said in Filipino and English during a chance interview in Quezon City on February 17.

"It appeared on the report that there are foreign passengers on board," he said. Go voiced concern that some groups "use our airports as transit or exit point for smuggled people." "This should be stopped. This should be looked into thoroughly because there could be 'national security dimension' in this case," he said. (ManilaTimes.net)

Dementia care programs help,if caregivers...

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 mini-lecture, 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 hour-long 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.

RARE RIDE Commuters wait for a ride in Pasay City on Thursday, March 2, 2023, as the country braces for a nationwide transport strike that will start on March 6. ManialTimes.net photo

VEGAS&STYLE

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.

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.

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.

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 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

DIDN’T EVEN CHOOSE THE NAME LIZA’: Liza Soberano shares story of ‘growth, gratitude, taking control’ in new vlog

by Kathleen 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

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 com for early access to tickets.

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

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 KeenanBolger, 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.

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 direc-

tor), 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.

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 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.

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

‘I

Liza Soberano uploads a heartfelt vlog days after her social media accounts were wiped out. Photos from Instagram/@lizasoberano

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

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

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 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.

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

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.

“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 Torres

getting started to win medals. “2 years in the making.. i’m just getting started. It’s a privilege to fight for UP,” she

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 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.

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.”

Cherry Pie Picache Photo fron Instagram.com/@yescppicache

Dimples Romana and her third child, baby Elio.

Photo from Instagram/@dimplesromana

Richard Gomez with daughter Juliana

Photo from Richard Gomez via Instagram and Richard said that she’s just

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

Vilma Santos reacts to National Artist award, working again with Nora Aunor

by Deni AfiniDAD-BernArDo Philstar.com

“THE highest, if I’m not mistaken,” Vilma Santos said of Nora Aunor’s National Artist award at a press conference for motorcycle taxis company Angkas last Monday, stressing that Aunor, who has been pitied against her during her entire 60-year showbiz career, has already reached the zenith as a Filipino performer.

“Alam mo, if it’s meant for you, it’s meant for you,” “Ate Vi” said when asked if she also wants to be hailed a National Artist like “Ate Guy.”

“’Pag hindi napunta sa’yo, it’s not meant for you. So d’un sa mga nabigyan, it’s meant for them, like ‘yung kay Ate Guy. So kung meron akong space d’yan, darating ‘yung panahon na ‘yun, para sa akin na ‘yun.”

Now that Ate Guy has announced her showbiz comeback, Ate Vi is open to work with her again, if given the right material.

"If we can offer something new and something different, why not? Lalo na sa edad namin ngayon, 'di ba?" she told Philstar.com in an exclusive interview.

“Basta one thing that I noticed, malaki ang naging problema natin nang pumasok ang pandemiya.

Talagang ang isa sa mga major na naapektuhan ay ang movie industry, entertainment,” Vilma fretted.

“But you know what, ngayon na mas medyo mas maganda ang ating environment, if you talk about COVID, palagay ko, we’re surviving,” she said when asked about the state of Philippine cinema.

“Alam mo, hindi tayo matatakot kahit merong mga K-dramas kasi alam mo, ang mga Pilipino maabilidad… Hindi magpapatalo ang Pilipino! Ang kailangang kailangan lang talaga natin is really support, support from the government, and ‘yung oportunidad na mas ma-open pa ‘yung movie industry natin at mas masuportahan sila. Pero hindi matatalo ang Pinoy. Maabilidad ang Pinoy!”

Ate Vi believes that for Filipinos to be recognized at major global award-giving bodies like the Oscars, she thinks government support should step in.

“Siguro, I’ll be straight, pinansyal, no? Like halimbawa, magcocompete tayo sa Oscars, ‘di ba? Alam mo, pupuhanan mo ‘yun, kasi may lobbying d’un. At kung gusto mo i-compete ang Pilipino movie, let’s say sa Oscars, gagastahan ‘yan. ‘Di kaya ng mga

Health @Heart

ordinaryo nating producers ‘yan. Kailangan talaga ng support ng government na madalhin d’un sa abroad ‘yung particular movie, kasi magpapa-press con ka d’un, magpapa-filming… gastos ‘yun!” she reminded.

“So I think kailangan natin ng support na ganu’n. More on financial talaga, kasi gagastahan mo talaga. I need we need that in this point in time kasi we really have to move to really compete internationally.”

When asked if she is 100% confident that Filipino movies can compete, she said without batting an eyelash: “Absolutely!”

‘I never mentioned I didn’t like Liza Soberano’: Liza responds to Ogie Diaz, critics

ACTRESS Liza Soberano responded to critics calling her "ungrateful."

In her interview with ABS-CBN News, Liza said she's grateful for everything she had and experienced in her career.

"I feel like a lot of people have mixed reactions toward my vlog, but I’m speaking for my experiences and I will reiterate that I am truly grateful for everything that I had and everything that I had experienced, everything that I have achieved in life," Liza said.

"And I acknowledge that I wouldn’t have any of that if everybody along the way wasn’t there with me,” she added.

Liza said she's no ill feelings for ABS-CBN and said that she watched her former manager Ogie Diaz's YouTube video.

“When I mentioned that in my vlog, that was more of me just stating a fact. I never mentioned

that I didn’t like the name ‘Liza Soberano’ or that I wasn’t proud of it. It’s just the fact that I wasn’t the one who chose my name because that’s one thing that a lot of people don’t know about me,” she clarified.

“I want to tell him that I’m very

grateful for everything that he has contributed to me, personally and to my career. And I will always be grateful for that,” she added.

Liza has been trending online after she released her video blog about her "life update."

“I guess my video was really up for other people’s interpretation, but I know my piece and I am very grateful. I’ve never got to express what I feel like before, even before I decided to sign for a new management company, I was always there for everybody who has helped me along the way and my journey," she said.

"And even before, the number one thing I would always say to everyone is thank you, truly grateful. And that has not changed until now. I’m not upset about anything, I’m just stating facts, things I’ve experienced, things I’ve been through. And how I am moving forward for that."

IN spite of the radical leftist media, especially social platforms, widely tearing down and mocking everyone who had suggested that the COVID-19 originated from a leak in the Wuhan laboratory, and all covered up by China, epidemiologists and political leaders remained convinced, and now the U.S. Department of Energy and the FBI have concluded that the origin was, in fact, a lab leak caused by human error or accident in the Wuhan lab. Since there is still no evidence of zoonotic carrier (bats, snakes, pangolin, etc.) from December 2019 to the present, it is obvious that a lab leak in Wuhan caused the COVID-19 pandemic. Plain common sense.

As of Tuesday, February 28, 2023, there were 679,912,028 COVID cases, with 6,799,783 deaths worldwide; 105,266,332 cases, with 1,145,415 deaths in the United States; and 4,076,307, with 66,111 deaths in the Philippines.

Had Communist China locked down the entire Wuhan City, after its discovery of the first case of the novel corona virus infection on December 19, 2019, the infection could have been limited to Wuhan and not even spread to the rest of China, much less around the world, saving at least 668 million lives globally.

Why the Biden administration is not willing to accept this strong consensus in the scientific community and among political leaders, and not blaming and holding China responsible for this preventable global catastrophe, is, indeed, very puzzling.

COVID and diabetes

New studies reveal that among the unvaccinated, the incidence of developing a new-onset diabetes mellitus was significantly higher following COVID-19 infection. COVID-19 vaccines appear to offer some protection for those who received the vaccines from developing new-onset diabetes.

“In a cohort of nearly 24,000 adults at a large California health system, adjusted models showed that having a history of a treated COVID infection was tied with a 58% higher likelihood of developing new-onset diabetes compared with a new diagnosis of a benchmark condition,” reported Alan Kwan, MD, MSc, of Cedars-Sinai Health System in Los Angeles and colleagues in JAMA Network. He added, “This risk appeared to be mostly driven by unvaccinated individuals; unvaccinated

individuals saw a 78% increased chance of developing diabetes within 90 days of infection, while no significant association was observed in vaccinated individuals.” The COVID-19 vaccines obviously protected them.

Allergic and Non-Allergic

Contrary to the common belief that only allergies can cause runny nose, and sneezing, nasal congestion (not due to a cold), especially during the spring season, there is a non-allergy condition that can cause the same rhinitis (nasal inflammatory) symptoms.

As a reaction to an environmental irritant (cat/dog dander, mold, grass, ragweed, pollen), histamine is released in the body, which is the usual form of allergic rhinitis. This condition responds to antihistamine treatment. If the rhinitis does not respond to antihistamine, it may not be allergies at all; it is the non-allergy form of rhinitis, which is caused by polluted air, tobacco smoke, perfume, cologne, cleaning agents, or flu or cold. Antihistamine does not work for any of these since they do not result in histamine release in the body.

About 65 percent of people misdiagnose their rhinitis and buy over-the-counter antihistamine, only to find out it does not work for their (non-allergic) runny nose, sneezing, etc. Even physicians could be confused, so they resort to specific IgE blood testing to be sure in questionable cases.

Nasal rinse

One of the most practical and useful DIY home remedy for rhinitis (allergic or non-allergic) is nasal rinse with one part baking soda and 3 parts non-iodized salt (one teaspoon) in 8 ounces of lukewarm distilled or boiled water that is cooled down to lukewarm in squeezable bottle with a nozzle (like in the NeilMed Sinus Rinse kit). The solution is flushed into each nostril once or twice a day. This rinses out the sinuses of any irritants, viruses, bacteria, etc., that cause runny nose and sneezing. Do not do nasal rinses if you do not have any rhinitis.

Mediterranean diet

There are more than a dozen of diets around but the one that has a proven record of greater benefit to our body and our microbiome is the Mediterranean diet, the top diet the past five years. This way of eating is inspired by the centuries-old traditional cuisines of Italy, France, Greece, Israel, Spain, among others around the same region. It is rich in produce, greenest greens, olive oil, whole grains, legumes, healthy fats (fatty fish, avocados), nuts, seeds, some fruits, various spices,

and aromatic herbs. There is a moderate amount of eggs, dairy products, and poultry. Red meat is included by a minimal amount, like beef and lamb, goat. Alcohol (specifically red wine) is included in moderation (1-2 glasses). This diet focuses on food quality and more so on a way of life and a way of eating. As always, moderation is the key.

Avoiding self-abuse with illicit drugs, tobacco, and undisciplined alcohol intake, together with physical exercise and stress management are essential supplements to this diet. All this provide a profound impact on mental health and mood of the partakers and foster a deep appreciation for the pleasures of healthy eating – nutritional food, the enjoyable company of family and friends, and achieving maximal longevity possible. Some of the excellent food items include mushrooms (Shiitake, portabella, cremini, not the large white mushrooms), the greenest vegetables, arugula, bitten melons, Bok choy, etc., which are all excellent antioxidants that also maintain a healthy gut microbiome.

Food we consume is metabolized into various chemical ingredients, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, enzymes, hormones, etc., the effects of which on our brain, other vital organs and important glands, are like the effects of medications we take. This diet also lessens depression, boosts our immunity, and maintains a healthy balance of our body’s “yin and yang,” achieving wellness.

[WARNING: Eat food as medicine today to avoid having to eat medicine as food tomorrow.]

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

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The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health.

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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday. com, and philipSchua.com; Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com.

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 pagaayos 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.

“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

by Kristofer Purnell Philstar.com

KYLE Douglas Jennermann,

YouTube channel "Becoming Filipino," is one step closer to obtaining Filipino citizenship.

Last February 27, the House of Representative passed on third and final reading House Bill (HB) No.7185, an act granting citizenship to Jennermann — or Kulas as he goes by — as filed by Biñan City Rep. Marlyn "Len" Alonte over a year ago.

244 House members voted in the affirmative during the plenary session, with one abstention and no negative votes.

The bill will now be passed over to the Senate for approval, and if also passed on final reading, will be up for signing into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

"Kyle Jennermann is a Canadian national who found himself enamored with the Philippines. He

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 ka-echosan?” 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.

Kylie Padilla Philstar.com file photo

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.

citizen

"Through his vlogs, he has created and published thousands of video content showcasing his real-life interactions and connections with the Filipino people and their culture all throughout his eight years of immersive travel."

Jennermann expressed his gratitude on social media and reflected on what it means to "become Filipino" as he praised the Philippines which he has been "so privileged to deeply immerse and grow with... a place full of people that I idolize, learn from, appreciate, share inspiration with."

The vlogger has lived in the Philippines for a decade now. Beyond vlogging, Jennermann actively participates in different outreach programs and government disaster response operations.

firmly believes that the world be a better place to live if people around the world make the Philippines a part of their lives in one way or another," says HB No. 7185.

As of writing, the "Becoming Filipino" YouTube channel has 1.06 million followers while its official Facebook page has 1.5 million followers.

‘Becoming Filipino’ vlogger closer to becoming Filipino

Kyle Douglas Jennermann of “Becoming Filipino” at the House of Representatives

Photo from Instagram/@becomingfilipino

Vilma Santos Photo from Instagram/@rosavilmasantosrecto

Liza Soberano Philstar.com file photo

PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS

the Canadian national behind the popular