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MARCH 10-16, 2022
T HE F ILIPINO A MERICAN C OMMUNITY N EWSPAPER
Volume 33 - No. 10 • 12 Pages
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Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY
PH gov’t: 199 Filipinos from US delivers 4 million Ukraine now ‘out of harm’s way’ Pfizer jabs, largest DATELINE
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
in single day to PH
MANILA — The United States delivered on Monday, March 7 its largest single-day shipment of 3,999,060 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines as part of its continuing worldwide effort to combat COVID-19. The U.S. embassy in Manila said the U.S. government’s latest donation is part of the 1.2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses that the U.S. distributed through the COVAX Facility. “We are immensely proud that our friends, partners and allies in the Philippines are receiving this historic shipment. This significant donation underscores the United States’ commitment to continue working with our Philippine partners to combat COVID-19 even as we face serious challenges around the world,” said U.S. embassy Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Heather Variava. U.S. Agency for International Development Philippines Health Office director Michelle Lang-Alli joined Philippine government officials and other stakeholders at the Ninoy Aquino
by CATHRINE
GONZALES Inquirer.net
MANILA — A total of 199 Filipinos who were evacuated from Ukraine are now “out of harm’s way,” an official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Wednesday, March 9.
DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola said 63 Filipinos have so far been repatriated to the Philippines, while 136 have been transported to other European countries. “As of now, 199 Filipinos na po ang out of harm’s way, kasi may nakauwi na pong 63 tapos ‘yung iba po, ‘yung 136 nandoon na po sa ibang countries,
MARTINEZ — A policeman was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday, March 4 for the on-duty shooting death of a mentally ill Filipino American man in a slow-speed chase two years ago. Ex-sheriff’s Dep. Andrew Hall was convicted last year of assault with a firearm and a gun enhancement in 33-year-old Laudemer Arboleda’s shooting death. The jury could not reach a verdict on a more serious manslaughter count. A sheriff’s internal probe cleared Hall of wrongdoing, and he returned to duty. In March 2021, Hall shot and killed another man, 32-year-old Tyrell Wilson, who pulled a knife and took a step toward Hall during a jaywalking stop. Hall was cleared by an internal sheriff’s probe; the DA’s office
by DANIZA
FERNANDEZ Inquirer.net
MINORS VAX DRIVE. Roxcy Mae Escala, 13, receives her second dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from a health worker at the Dasmarinas II Central School, Dasmarinas, Cavite on Thursday, March 10. The Department of Health said vaccinating children will allow them to go out, attend physical classes, and restore social skills development and cognitive function affected by the pandemic. PNA photo by Gil Calinga
by DAPHNE
GALVEZ Inquirer.net
LAST year, when anti-Asian violence and hate spiked exponentially due to the coronavirus pandemic, the heartbroken Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community continued demanding justice for these senseless attacks, which primarily targeted women and the elderly. The frustrations and tragedy among the AAPI community crested on March 16, 2021 when a gunman drove to three separate Asian-owned massage parlors
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global economy. In a research note on the Asian markets, ING Bank said the peso was also facing headwinds from rising oil prices and the policy stance of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), which remained accommodative even as influential central banks like the US Federal Reserve are tipped to start tightening in the next few months. Trade deficit “Surging oil prices will bloat the country’s trade deficit as the Philippines is a net energy importer, resulting in an increased demand for dollars,” the bank RA 116481 says that someone with carnal knowledge of an individual who is “under 16 years said. of age or is demented” is now liable for committing rape. PNA photo by Simeon Celi, Jr.
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‘We need greater investment in our community’: Asian American women reflect on anti-Asian racism one year after Atlanta massacre MEDENILLA AJPress
MANILA — The Department of Tourism (DOT) is hoping that the Philippines can accept all foreign travelers by April. Currently, the country is only accepting travelers from 157 visa-free nations. “Right now, it’s only for 157 visa-free countries. But, we are hoping that by April, we will be open to all foreigners,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette RomuloPuyat said in ABS-CBN News Channel’s Headstart on Thursday. Since the country’s borders were reopened on February 10, the DOT has recorded a total of 73,178 tourist arrivals in the country. Puyat noted that the number is lower compared to prepandemic levels, but they were surprised with the figure. “From February 10 to March 8, we recorded a total of
Peso breaches 52 vs dollar, first time in 2.5 years
MANILA — The Philippine peso breached the 52-per-dollar mark on Monday, March 7 for the first time in almost two and a half years, with expectations that it will get even weaker over the next few months due to the worsening Russia-Ukraine conflict. The local currency closed trading at P52.001 to the dollar on March 7, the weakest position since the P52.042 recorded on Sept. 30, 2019. As of this writing, the peso was trading at between 52.01 and 52.30 against the greenback as the escalating war between Russia and PAGE 3 Ukraine has sent shock waves across the
by KLARIZE
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DOT hopes PH can accept all foreign travelers by April
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California cop who killed mentally ill Fil-Am sentenced to 6 years in prison
naghihintay na lang ng eroplanong pabalik sa Pilipinas,” she said in an interview with ABS-CBN News’ Teleradyo. (As of now, 199 Filipinos are already out of harm’s way, because 63 have already been sent home, and 136 have been evacuated to other countries and are
and shot and killed eight people, including six Asian women. Since March 2020, the community has faced more than 10,905 attacks, 16% of which were physically violent, according to Stop AAPI Hate, the national coalition of AAPI organizations that began gathering self-reports of anti-AAPI hate since the pandemic’s beginning. Disturbingly, AAPI women comprised 70% of all reported harassment, according to the Stop AAPI Hate tracker. A separate poll from the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
found that 70% of AAPI women experienced racially motivated harassment or discrimination between June 2019 and January 2021. The increased attacks, as well as the increase in awareness toward the oft-overlooked social issues plaguing the AAPI community, brought forth a fervent string of AAPIs demanding betterment for the community through policy that protects the diverse AAPI community and education. “In terms of education and awareness, we now have more voices speaking out to help
people understand the harm that racist rhetoric has on our communities,” Filipina American Maritza Etcubañez, senior director of strategic initiatives at Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ), said at an Ethnic Media Services press conference on Friday, Feb. 25. She added: “We need greater investment in our community, including in social services, improving education, so that we can better create the conditions where people not only feel safe but are [also] able to thrive.” In May 2021, President Joe
Duterte signs law increasing age of sexual consent from 12 to 16 by ANGELICA
Y. YANG
Philstar.com
MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte recently signed a bill increasing the age of sexual consent to under 16 years of age, from 12 years old, which means that those who engage in sexual activities with children below the newly-prescribed age are liable for statutory rape. A copy of the legislation, Republic Act (RA) 116481, was uploaded on the Official Gazette’s website on Monday, March 7, although Duterte signed the law on March 4. The law amends several PAGE 3 portions of the Revised Penal
Code, the Anti-Rape Law and the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act. RA 116481 says that someone with carnal knowledge of an individual who is “under 16 years of age or is demented”, is now liable for committing rape. It said, however, that there will be no criminal liability for people who engage in sexual activities with those under 16 years of age when the age difference between parties is not more than three years, and if the act is consensual, non-abusive and non-exploitative. “If the victim is under 13 years of age, this
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