031123 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

JANUARY’S mass shootings in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay trained public attention on the perpetrators’ mental health. But experts stress the evidence linking mental health and violence is weak and that people with mental illnesses are more often themselves victims of violence.

They also warn against further stigmatizing an issue that is already considered taboo in many communities.

“It’s important for the public to keep in mind that the majority of folks with mental illness do not have any violent tendencies,” says clinical psychologist Dr. Michi Fu, who specializes in cross-cultural mental health issues.

That assertion aligns with findings

Suspects in anti-Asian Queens attack arrested; charged with assault as a hate crime

Victims reportedly called ‘Ugly Asian!’ by one of the assailants

NEW YORK police arrested on Monday, March 6 two suspects wanted for an alleged racially motivated attack on a Filipino-American woman and her son in Queens.

Police identified the suspects as Natalie Plaza, 18, and Elijah Fernandez, 21, who insulted, punched, and kicked Cecilia Lai and her son Kyle near the corner of Junction Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue on Thursday, March 2 about 2:30 p.m.

The NYPD said Plaza, of 110th Street in Richmond Hill, has been charged with assault in the third degree as a hate crime and assault for the March 2 attack. Fernandez, of 107th Avenue in Ozone Park, has been charged with two counts of assault in the third degree as a hate crime and assault. A third suspect in the case is still at large.

“In the most diverse county in the country,

More Filipinos confident

confident that the Philippine economy will improve in the next 12 months, according to a Social Weather Stations survey released on Thursday, March 9. The survey, which was conducted through inperson interviews from Dec. 10 to 14 last year, further pointed out that only nine percent of the

1,200 respondents expect the economy to worsen, while the remaining 33 percent remained neutral about it. This brought the net economic optimism score to +40 (percentage of economic optimists  PAGE A2

by AJPRESS

CALIFORNIA Attorney General Rob Bonta, the first Filipino American to hold the office, had a ceremonial swearing-in during a recent community event in Los Angeles.

LA Mayor Karen Bass administered the oath of office during the ceremony held at the Japanese American National Museum on Sunday, March 5 as Bonta’s wife, Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Alameda), held the Bible.   Bonta, previously a state assemblymember, was first appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom as attorney general in March 2021, before being elected to a full term last November 2022. He was sworn in and delivered his inaugural address in Sacramento last January 6.

The attorney general declared that it was “important…to celebrate this special moment in Los

by RON LOPEZ Philstar.com

OVER THE SPRATLY ISLANDS — As a Philippine Coast Guard plane carrying journalists flew over the Spratly Islands in the hotly disputed South China Sea, a Chinese voice issued a stern command over the radio: "Leave immediately."

The order came from a radio operator on a Chinese coast guard vessel 3,500 feet (1,066 metres) below -- one of dozens of ships seen prowling the waters.

AFP was one of several media outlets

given the rare opportunity on Thursday, March 9 to fly over some of the dozens of tiny islands and reefs where the Philippines, China and several other nations have competing claims.

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including the Spratlys, ignoring an international ruling that its claims have no legal basis.

In the past decade, it has ripped up thousands of hectares of reef in the archipelago to create militarised islands with runways, ports and radar systems.

 PAGE A4

by DANIZA FERNANDEZ Inquirer.net

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called for group cooperation to guarantee “free, fair, credible” elections in the Philippines.

Marcos made the remark as he graced the first-ever National Election Summit, organized by

the Commission on Elections (Comelec), on Friday, March 10. “I call for the active cooperation of stakeholders, experts, and civil society organizations to ensure free,  PAGE A2

MANILA — Military cooperation between the Philippines and the United States will “seriously endanger regional peace and stability,” the Chinese Embassy in Manila said on Friday, March 10.

The embassy issued the statement after U.S. Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland visited the Philippines and said that four additional

Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) sites will bring economic opportunities and jobs to Manila.

“Creating economic opportunities and jobs through military cooperation is tantamount to quenching thirst with poison and gouging flesh to heal wounds. Such cooperation will seriously endanger regional peace and stability and drag the Philippines into the abyss of geopolitical strife and damage

Survey: More Filipinos confident...

minus percentage of economic pessimists) — a point below the +41 in October 2022 but still deemed “excellent” by the SWS as it had been since December 2021.

Net economic optimism was the highest in Metro Manila with +47, but it notably declined by five points from its previous record at +52.

Mindanao was the next area with the highest net economic optimism at +45, followed by Balance Luzon at +40 and Visayas at +27.

“Net economic optimism tends to be higher among those with more years of formal education,” SWS explained.

It took note that more college graduates (+51) are confident that the economy will improve compared to the optimism of junior high school graduates (+40), non-elementary graduates (+37) and elementary graduates (+35).

Knowing the economic optimists

Net economic optimism, according to the SWS, is higher among the 49 percent of Filipinos who believe their quality of life will improve in 2023 (+65).

“Compared to October 2022, net economic optimism stayed at an excellent +65 among personal optimists,” it added. The poll body said net economic optimism was similarly

higher among those who believe their quality of life was better than 12 months before (+51).

It was also more inclined toward Filipinos who belong to families that consider themselves not poor (+42) than those who rated themselves poor (+36).

After five months on a skyrocketing trend, Philippine inflation slightly dipped from 8.7 percent in January to 8.6 percent in February, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The inflation slowdown, it noted, was mainly because of slower price hikes in the transport commodity group, with an inflation rate that went down from 11.1 to nine percent over the same period. 

Suspects in anti-Asian Queens attack arrested...

perhaps the most diverse place in the world, there is zero tolerance for hate. We will not allow our values to be threatened with violence,” Queens District

Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Wednesday, March 8. Plaza was inside a white Acura SUV near Junction Boulevard at around 2:30 p.m. when she yelled out “ugly Asian,” and threw water at the 44-year-old Lai, authorities said. The SUV stopped and Plaza got out, approached Lai and pulled her to the ground. Plaza then punched and kicked the woman multiple times in the face and upper body.

A 44-year-old male bystander approached to help the victim, at which time Fernandez and another male who has yet to be arrested got out of the SUV and rushed toward the Good Samaritan.

As the Good Samaritan attempted to pull Plaza away from the prone female victim, Fernandez and his male associate punched him in the face. Lai’s 24-year-old son approached to help his mother and was also punched in the face by Fernandez.

The three assailants then got back into the SUV, with Fernandez behind the wheel and took off.

Lai suffered a concussion, scratches to her eye, and bruising on her body, while her son suffered a skull fracture, police added.

The victims were transported to area hospitals where they

were treated for head injuries, according to the NYPD. They have both been released from the hospital.

Both Fernandez and Plaza were arraigned Tuesday night, March 7 on a criminal complaint charging both with assault in the third degree as a hate crime and aggravated harassment in the second degree. Fernandez was additionally charged on a fivecount complaint with assault in the third degree as a hate crime, menacing in the second degree as a hate crime, assault in the third degree, aggravated harassment in the second degree and harassment in the second degree in connection with the incident.  Fernandez and Plaza face up to 4 years in prison, if convicted. Judge Jessica Earle-Gargan ordered the defendants to return to court on March 10.

Community, lawmakers issue support

Six elected officials from Queens led by U.S. Rep. Grace Meng issued a joint statement on Monday, March 6 denouncing the suspects for their “utterly reprehensible” attack on the two victims.

State Senators Michael Gianaris and Jessica Ramos, Assembly Members Steven Raga and Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, as well as City Councilman Shekar Krishnan also signed the statement saying they were deeply saddened and concerned to learn about what happened to the pair, and they

Ceremonial swearing-in held in LA for...

vowed

to stand up against such hate-filled acts.

“We condemn this heinous act of xenophobia and violence,” the lawmakers said in a statement. “The incident involved the use of explicit anti-Asian slurs and physical violence, which is utterly reprehensible.

“We stand in solidarity with Cecille and her family during this difficult time. Within our role as elected officials, we remain firmly committed to combating hate and bigotry in all its forms and ensuring that everyone in our community is treated with respect, dignity, and kindness,” the statement said further.

The Fil-Am community has also scheduled a couple of events to support Lai and her son.

A visibility rally is scheduled for Friday, March 10, 5:00 p.m. at Corona Plaza in Queens.

The group International Women Artists has organized a Women’s Self-Defense Workshop as part of Women’s History Month and a way to support Lai and her son.

This self-defense workshop with Queens Training Club is scheduled on Saturday, March 11 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at PS316Q (39-07 57th Street Woodside, NY 11377).

The workshop is in collaboration with The Office of District 30 Assemblyman Steven Raga, Woodside On The Move, and Kinding Sindaw. (Momar G. Visaya/AJPress)

Angeles because my story in this country began right here.”

Born in the Philippines, Bonta was two months old when his parents, who were social justice missionaries, moved the family to the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. He shared his family’s story of then moving to the Central Valley to work with farmworkers, including Filipino American figures Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz, and how those experiences shaped his future in public service.

“As attorney general, I now have the great honor of representing all Californians — those who have called this state home for generations and those who are just putting down roots,” Bonta told the audience of elected officials, community leaders and supporters.

Since taking office in 2021, Bonta has tackled issues from firearm ownership to housing laws to reproductive rights.

“It's been a busy two years because now more than ever, we need leaders of government and law enforcement to build and rebuild bridges with our communities,” he added. “Today, you have my

commitment to do just that. I’m here to protect and serve our community because I’m a proud son of California.”

The ceremony, which was hosted by media personality Van Jones, included testimonies of the attorney general’s work and character from Rep. Robert

Garcia, Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, and Assemblymember Bonta.

“This is a new day for justice…I’m driven by the desire to protect and defend every day people who have been harmed, mistreated or abused,” the attorney general said. 

Marcos calls for cooperation to ensure...

PAGE A1

fair, credible elections in our country, in strong partnership with an enlightened and informed citizenry,” Marcos said. “Let us learn from the areas we need to improve and explore solutions to make things work better for our beloved country,” he added.

The Summit is a platform for national discussions and interaction among poll stakeholders in developing policies, plans, and programs in election administration, enforcement, and adjudication.

Before the National Election Summit, Marcos noted that preparatory consultations with

various stakeholders were held across the country.

“From these pre-summit meetings, it has come to the attention that several reforms in the election process must be made and given these findings, let us take these matters seriously as the outputs obtained from these activities are indisputably significant,” the president said.

“Driven by the commitment to strengthen the people’s trust and confidence in the Comelec, I ask you to open yourselves to the recommendations of our experts and Filipino voters, who are [our] partners in ensuring free, orderly, honest, and credible elections,” he went on.

Marcos also said that poll results should be “accurate and unalterable” to keep the election’s sanctity. The chief executive believes that positive reforms can be implemented with modern technologies.

“Now that we use modern technologies to advance and make our election system more reliable, I am sure that we can implement positive reforms and make election result transmission faster and maintain its accuracy,” he said.

The next election is slated for October as citizens will cast their votes for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls. 

PH, US military cooperation to ‘seriously...

PAGE A1

its economic development at the end of the day,” the Chinese embassy said.

“We hope that the Philippine people can tell the selfish interests and zero-sum mentality of the United States to provoke a new cold war in this region,” it went on. “History will judge who is the reliable partner of the Philippines for mutual assistance and common development, and who is a passer-by that instigates and fans discordance in this region.”

China likewise was irked by U.S.’ “discrediting” of cooperation between Beijing and Manila. Nuland earlier asked whether

China’s promises generated employment in the Philippines.

The Chinese embassy said: “Economy and trade cannot flourish without a peaceful and stable regional environment. However, some Americans claim that the four additional military sites in the Philippines to which US forces would have access under the EDCA would bring ‘economic opportunities, jobs’ to their host communities, and discredit China-Philippines economic cooperation at the same time.”

“Such remarks are in total ignorance of the Philippine people’s pursuit of peace, cooperation, and development as well as China-Philippines

helping each other in developing economy, improving people’s livelihood, and increasing employment,” it continued.

China noted that about 40 government-to-government cooperation projects have been accomplished or are in progress in the Philippines.

It further said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s state visit to China resulted in 14 intergovernmental cooperation deals.

Citing Philippine data, China said that Manila and Beijing signed deals of intention of investment and trade amounting to $22.8 billion and procurement plans worth almost $2.1 billion. 

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass administers the oath of office for Attorney General Rob Bonta on March 5 during a community ceremony at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. Bonta was joined on stage by his wife, Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Alameda).

Photo courtesy of the LA Mayor’s Office

Attorney General Rob Bonta, the first Filipino American to hold the office, delivers remarks during the community inauguration ceremony on March 5 in Los Angeles.

SYNC. The Philippines’ Joaquin Tuzon (left) and Laeia Si Soria compete in the mixed pair

Chinese security vessel orders PH plane...

To assert its claims, hundreds of Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels patrol the waters, swarming reefs, harassing and attacking fishing and other boats.

They also try expel nonChinese planes from the airspace overhead.

"You have entered (the water around) a Chinese reef and constituted a security threat. To avoid misunderstanding, leave immediately," the Chinese radio operator said, in one of seven messages issued in Chinese and English as the coast guard plane flew over a Philippine-occupied island and shoal.

The Filipino pilot responded that they were flying within Philippine territory.

'Bullying behaviour'

During the four-hour flight in the Cessna Caravan, Philippine Coast Guard personnel identified nearly 20 Chinese vessels, including suspected maritime militia boats, in waters around some of the nine islands and reefs occupied by the Philippines.

Seventeen Chinese maritime militia boats were also spotted by

the Philippine coast guard near Sabina Shoal, which is claimed by Manila.

Fifteen Chinese maritime militia boats were seen in the vicinity of Thitu, the largest Philippine-occupied island which lies about 430 kilometres (267 miles) from the major Philippine island of Palawan.

A Chinese navy ship was 15 kilometres from the island, while a coast guard vessel was half that distance away, according to estimates provided by the Philippine Coast Guard.

At Second Thomas Shoal, where Philippine marines are stationed in a derelict navy ship grounded to assert Manila's territorial claim in the waters, a Chinese coast guard vessel was about 11 kilometres away, the Philippine authorities said.

Last month, a Chinese coast guard boat was nearly 20 kilometres from the shoal when it allegedly used a military-grade laser light against a Philippine patrol boat.

That was the latest major maritime incident between the Philippines and China.

It sparked a fresh diplomatic

row and prompted Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos to take the unusual step of confronting the Chinese ambassador to Manila.

Marcos has insisted he will not let China trample on the Philippines' maritime rights -in contrast to his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte who was reluctant to criticise Beijing.

The Philippines' new strategy was to call out China's "bullying behaviour and aggressive actions", Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, told a forum in the capital Manila on Wednesday.

Manila refers to waters immediately to its west as the West Philippine Sea. The coast guard is regularly publishing information, including photos and videos, about Chinese vessels in the waters around Philippine-occupied features. This helps inform Filipinos and enables other countries to criticise China over its activities, Tarriela said.

And it forces Beijing "to come out in the open to explain or to completely lie". 

Medicaid heath plans try to protect members — and pro ts — during unwinding

by PHIL GALEWITZ Kaiser Health News

THE federal COVID-19 pandemic protections that have largely prohibited states from dropping anyone from Medicaid since 2020 helped millions of low-income Americans retain health insurance coverage — even if they no longer qualified — and brought the U.S. uninsured rate to a record low.

It also led to a windfall for the health plans that states pay to oversee care of most Medicaid enrollees. These plans — many run by insurance titans including UnitedHealthcare, Centene, and Aetna — have seen their revenue surge by billions as their membership soared by millions.

With states poised to start disenrolling Medicaid enrollees in April who no longer qualify, the insurers hope to retain enrollees who are still eligible and capture those who lose coverage with the Affordable Care Act marketplace plans.

Except for the enrollees themselves, for whom losing coverage could restrict access to care and leave them vulnerable to large medical bills, no one has more at stake than these insurers. The plans have a strong financial incentive to keep their members enrolled because states pay them per member, per month: The more people they cover, the more money they get.

The Biden administration estimates that 15 million of the more than 91 million Medicaid enrollees will fall off the rolls, nearly half because their income exceeds program limits and the rest because they fail to complete the reenrollment paperwork.

Of the people losing eligibility, about two-thirds will enroll in a workplace health plan, health insurers predict, and the other third will be evenly divided between ACA plans and being left uninsured.

The financial ramifications of the so-called Medicaid unwinding for health plans are huge, said Gary Taylor, a securities analyst with Cowen and Co. “It’s billions of dollars for these guys,” he said of the five largest Medicaid health plans: Centene, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Elevance Health (formerly Anthem), and Molina Healthcare.

Investor-owned companies earn pretax profit margins of about 3% on average from Medicaid managed care, slightly below what they make

on ACA marketplace business, he said. So moving members to an ACA plan could boost the profits of these companies.

State Medicaid officials say they need the health plans’ help during the unwinding to avert a big jump in uninsured residents. The health insurers could help those who lose Medicaid coverage find other sources, such as the governmentsubsidized plans offered on the ACA marketplaces.

“In Nevada, our managedcare plans are motivated to keep members enrolled,” Sandie Ruybalid, deputy administrator of the Nevada state health department division that oversees Medicaid, told a congressional advisory board in January. “Our managed-care plans are innovative, and we lean on them to help us through this.”

Ruybalid said her state doesn’t have large marketing budgets, as the giant insurers do, to educate enrollees about how to stay enrolled.

One way some companies hope to make up for their lost Medicaid revenue will be by adding customers to their ACA marketplace plans.

Centene — the nation’s largest Medicaid health insurer, with 16 million members — expects to lose over 2 million enrollees during the unwinding.

But it expects between 200,000 and 300,000 people who lose Medicaid coverage to sign up for a Centene ACA marketplace plan, CEO Sarah London told investment analysts in February.

In 15 of the 25 states where St. Louis-based Centene offers both Medicaid and marketplace plans, the company will reach out to members about their ACA coverage options.

Although state Medicaid programs for years have used private insurers to control their costs and improve enrollees’ health, enlisting the companies for eligibility assistance is new.

Health plans are often in a better position than state Medicaid agencies to connect with enrollees because they are more likely to have their current addresses and contact information, state officials said.

“We don’t have direct contact with our members all the time, and health plans have more interaction with them,” said Chris Underwood, chief administrative officer for the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, the state’s Medicaid agency. Since

the state contracts with health plans to help enrollees find doctors or assist with other care needs, it’s not a big step to have the plans help with eligibility, he said.

Colorado health officials will do the initial outreach to Medicaid enrollees and will count on health plans to follow up with emails, calls, and texts to those who don’t respond, Underwood said. Health plans will also guide enrollees no longer eligible for Medicaid to the state’s ACA marketplace, which will reach out to help them sign up.

AmeriHealth Caritas, which has about 2.8 million Medicaid enrollees nationwide, will target community organizations such as churches, homeless shelters, and food banks to deliver the message about the need to reenroll. It will also email, text, and call enrollees to remind them, said Courtnay Thompson, market president for AmeriHealth Caritas’ South Carolina plan, Select Health.

She said strategies to reach enrollees will vary by state. Some will try to reassess the eligibility of all members in six months, while others will take more than a year. Some states will share with the plans their enrollees’ enrollment status before they lose coverage, and others won’t.

UnitedHealthcare, which has about 8 million Medicaid enrollees, said its call center representatives will remind members to reenroll in Medicaid. The company will also put information about the need to reenroll at its network pharmacies and use online advertising such as on Facebook and Google. And it will work with its medical providers to make sure members understand the changes.

“We are very aware of the historical challenges that individuals face when reenrolling,” said Tim Spilker, CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s Community & State unit. “We are optimistic with the magnitude of the outreach that we will help increase awareness among individuals about what they need to do.”

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.

Recent mass shootings deepen stigma...

from organizations including the American Psychological Association and MentalHealth. gov which agree that the majority of people who commit violence do not have mental illnesses.

Fu says misconceptions surrounding those with mental health challenges can worsen the already heavy stigma around mental illness, potentially discouraging people from finding help. “There’s a lot of damage to be done if we continue to point towards mental illness as the reason why these people acted.”

The back-to-back mass shootings in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay in late January came within just days of one another, the former claiming 11 victims and the latter seven— mostly migrant farmworkers. Both shooters were older Asian men, a rarity in an otherwise troublingly familiar narrative of mass shootings in this country.

‘Systemic pressures’

Dr. Jenny Wang is a clinical psychologist and national speaker on Asian American mental health and racial trauma in immigrant communities and communities of color. She says prevailing misconceptions about people with mental illness— that they are more prone to violence—obscure the root causes of violence, from a lack of gun control legislation to issues of poverty, including food insecurity, housing and the need for a livable wage.

While not a direct cause of violence, these “systemic pressures,” Wang notes, can, in isolated cases, compound existing traumas that an individual is experiencing, making it “difficult to understand the consequences of their actions when they are under intense stress.”

And trauma can be experienced across entire communities, as is the case for many Asian Americans who in recent years have watched as members of their community have been the targets of often violent crime and racist attacks.

“In order for there to be trauma, you don’t actually have to be a direct recipient of that violence,” says Fu. “You can just engage in watching the media.”

Yet despite the prevalence of mental health challenges among Asian Americans, studies show they remain among the groups least likely to seek treatment. Carrie Zhang, who founded the Asian Mental Health Project (AMHP), says cultural taboos and language play a large role in preventing people from seeking help.

“Growing up, it was really hard to communicate things, not just because of stigma, but also because of language barriers,” recalls Zhang, who while receiving counseling and therapy in college says she struggled to open up to her family about her own mental health challenges.

The breakthrough moment came when she was interviewed about her experience by a Chinese-language publication. Zhang says reading her account in Chinese allowed her parents to connect their own experiences with hers.

“My dad was like, ‘You know, actually, I think I experienced anxiety too.’ And I was like, ‘Holy crap, (that’s) the first time he has ever talked to me about this,’” she recalls. Seeking care

Recognizing the signs of mental illness in a loved one is an important first step toward providing support. Those signs include disruptions to daily functioning: unusual sleeping and eating patterns, being unable to get out of bed, social isolation, or mood swings.

Signs that these symptoms have escalated into a crisis, however, include a preoccupation with ideas of dying, or speaking as if there’s no future.

Still, it can often be difficult to find culturally competent professional care for many immigrant communities. One option open to Asian Americans is to reach out to one of the handful of organizations dedicated to offering care to the community. These

include the Asian American Psychological Association, Asian Mental Health Collective, Yellow Chair Collective, and Entwine Community.

Wang stresses, however, that pressuring people to find professional help can sometimes be counterproductive. She suggests that as an alternative first step community members can help to undo prevailing mental health stigmas by being more “vulnerable with the more human aspects of who we are.”

She continues, “When we do that, I believe that we give other people what I like to call the gift of going second. When I go first and share my story… it creates space for others to do the same,” she says. “It has that ripple effect within our community.”

Other approaches to addressing communal or personal trauma can include things like radical self-healing, community-based care, or volunteering, says Zhang. “It’s important for us to honor our own particular styles of self-care, and to keep in mind that being in community can be part of that.”

This community-centered approach is central to the ethos of AMHP, which, as Zhang says, is grounded in the idea that “we care for each other.” This includes securing people’s material needs, such as food and housing security, and providing language-informed, culturally competent psychological care.

Zhang says that this combination of professional and communal support, plus a broader cultural shift towards openly discussing mental health, can be help disrupt cycles of trauma and break down lingering taboos.

“One of the things that we find very important is how we break these cycles of violence, and in turn cycles of trauma,” Zhang says. “And a lot of the answers lie in de-stigmatizing talking about our feelings, and also providing comprehensive community care initiatives that will address these from the root of the issue.” (Julia Tong/Ethnic Media Services)

DATELINE PHILIPPINES

Philippines recognizes su erings of

World War II ’comfort women’

it added.

by DANIZA FERNANDEZ Inquirer.net

MANILA — The Philippines stressed that it is acknowledging the sufferings of World War II “comfort women” despite a United Nations (UN) body decision saying that the country failed to give the victims reparations, social support, and recognition.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) ruled that the Philippine government failed to provide reparations, social support, and recognition for the “comfort women” despite

their clamor, hence violating the victims’ rights.

“The Government of the Philippines recognizes the suffering of female victims of atrocious violations that occurred during the Second World War. In this regard, we note that some reparations have been made and the Supreme Court has adjudicated on the matter,” the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a statement.

“The Government of the Philippines remains fully committed to women’s rights pursuant to its international human rights obligations and national laws and jurisprudence,”

The PCO said they will study the panel’s views and submit a written response to CEDAW within six months.

The “comfort women” were victims of sexual slavery committed by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. CEDAW’s decision is in response to a case brought by a group of Filipino comfort women in 2019.

The committee urges the Philippine government to “provide the victims full reparation, including recognition and redress, an official apology and material and moral damages.” 

60 million COVID-19 vaccines expiring this month

by RHODINA VILLANUEVA CECILLE SUERTE FELIPE Philstar.com

MANILA — The number of wasted COVID vaccine doses may reach 60 million by September unless the government ramps up its rollout, Department of Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire confirmed before a Senate panel.

“Our wastage is 17.5 percent, the quantities would be 44 million doses-plus,” Vergeire told the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing on Friday, March 10 on the vaccination program.

“But for the quantity expired for the national government procurement, we have 2.97 percent. For local government procurement, we have 33.4 percent. For private procurement, we have 44.8 percent and for COVAX procurement, we have 13.9 percent. And for the bilateral agreements and procurement or agreements donations, it will be 7.06 percent,” Vergeire said.

She said that by the end of March, the vaccine wastage could reach 50.74 million doses because there are 6.74 million doses expiring within the month.

Basing on the high rate of wastage, Blue Ribbon chairman Sen. Francis Tolentino asked if

the number of expired vaccine doses was likely to hit 60 million by September and Vergeire answered in the affirmative.

She also noted that COVAX agreed to replace some of the expired vaccines.

“We have an agreement with COVAX as early as July 2022,” said Vergeire. “They offered to replace the expired vaccine in the country. We were able to have some 398,000 doses replaced by COVAX.”

She admitted, though, that the vaccination rates are still low, especially in the provinces, but noted the DOH’s plan to include the administration of COVID-19 vaccines in its regular community vaccination program to give more people access to them.

At present, an average of 46,000 Filipinos get vaccinated in a week or between 6,000 to 10,000 vaccines administered daily. However, there is a lower rate of booster shots at 27.65 percent or 21.5 million Filipinos, said Vergeire.

Tolentino commented that, perhaps, the absence of regular televised COVID-19 status briefings as seen at the height of the pandemic has contributed to the public’s dwindling interest in vaccines and boosters.

“People might think that there is no urgency to get vaccinated,”

he said. Vergeire clarified that the DOH issues public updates on COVID-19 deaths and severe cases twice a week on its DOH website, the senator noted that some people might not be checking the website in the first place.

Meanwhile, Vergeire also said the DOH is waiting on a go-signal from Malacañang to accept COVID-19 bivalent vaccine doses donated through the COVAX Facility. She said “COVAX is set to donate to the country these doses for the bivalent vaccine” but that the donation of Pfizer should be covered by immunity from liability.

“We are currently negotiating. We just need some form of guidance from the Office of the President in terms of Pfizer’s requirement for immunity from liability,” she said.

Donate expiring doses

Tolentino asked Vergeire whether or not the vaccines near expiry could be donated to other countries like Turkey and Syria, which were hit by massive earthquakes.

“Are we allowed to donate vaccines in our possession to other countries? Our 15 million doses which we might not use and Africa or Turkiye and Syria,

MANILA – Some 50,000 travelers are expected to arrive in the country for the summer months, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Friday, March 10.

“Now, we see around 36,000 departures and around 30,000 arrivals; but during Holy Week, as the summer season enters, maybe we can see that it can hit around 40,000 to 50,000 per day,” BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said in a Laging Handa briefing Friday.

Sandoval said they expect an influx of tourists as most travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic have already been lifted.

added.

On the other hand, she also noted that they are opening additional immigration counters to be able to serve more passengers amid reports of long queues.

“Apart from maximizing our manpower here at our airports, particularly here at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, where most of the departing and arriving people pass through there,” the BI official said.

She added that they are also coordinating with airport stakeholders to minimize passenger queues.

immigration officers are set to graduate soon from the Philippine Immigration Academy.

“Right now we have 38 Immigration officers in our Philippine Immigration Academy that are set to graduate soon. So we will immediately deploy them after graduation. There's another 147 batch of Immigration officers whose hiring process is ongoing. So our hiring is continuous so that we can really fill all the Immigration officers we need,” Sandoval added.

“This is a big difference from the past two years when our tourism has really fallen, the number of travelers will be less primarily because we have an arrival cap and we have travel restrictions not only in the Philippines but also in other countries. Now, as the world eases up here with our restrictions during the height of the pandemic, we're seeing that the number of travelers is really going up,” Sandoval

“We are also contacting and working with the airport authorities because we see this problem, the length of the queue, it's a problem that requires a multisectoral approach. Apart from the BI maximizing its manpower, we also have many airport stakeholders such as airlines and airport authorities who can help a lot to ease the queues at our airports,” she added.

She also advised travelers to go to the airport three hours before their scheduled flights to spare them from hustles.

“Since many of us want to go sightseeing inside and outside the country. We at the Bureau of Immigration are ready to serve you. We highly suggest to be at the airport three hours prior to your flight, check-in early and go straight to the immigration area so that there will be no problems so that your travel will be smooth and seamless,” Sandoval added. (PNA) 

The BI spokesperson reported that more than 30

Gradual phaseout

AFTER only two days, public utility vehicle operators and drivers decided to end what was supposed to be a week-long strike. This was after Malacañang announced that the planned phaseout of traditional jeepneys, which have only until Dec. 31 to operate, would be gradual. How gradual is unclear, but President Marcos said he understood the problems raised by the protesting transport operators and drivers in complying with the PUV modernization program.

Among the biggest issues raised by the protesters is the steep price of the modern jeepney that is supposed to replace the iconic traditional vehicle. Prices range from P2.2 million to P2.6 million, against the traditional one that costs from P600,000 to P700,000.

Editorial

Among the required technical specifications are passenger access on the curbside rather than the rear, an interior that allows passengers to stand at full height along the aisles, and compliance with Euro-4 emission standards. The top-of-theline models have air conditioning, closed-circuit television, WiFi access and global positioning system. Some makers are addressing calls to install special access for persons with disabilities.

PUV modernization has gained support, but the concerns about the steep price of the modern jeepney cannot be brushed aside. Some transport groups are asking for a higher government subsidy, currently at P160,000 per unit, for purchasing the modern jeepney. Another

option is to make available modern jeepneys that meet the technical requirements, but with a much lower price tag.

Such models are already being rolled out. Automotive giants Hyundai and Isuzu are offering models for around P1.5 million.

The Department of Science and Technology is launching a more affordable e-jeepney developed by its scientists and technologists.

This week the Association of Committed Transport Organizations Nationwide Corp. or Actona presented a locally developed prototype of a jeepney that retains the traditional gaily painted exterior but meets the interior and engine specs.

The price tag is just P1.3 million to P1.5 million, depending on whether there is air-conditioning.

Actona’s prototype jeepney is powered by a Euro 5 engine. It has two doors, at the rear and curbside, and interior height that allows standing along the aisles. There is a detachable ramp at the rear for PWDs. Sarao Motors, one of the earliest jeepney makers in the country, has developed

such a model, with a price tag of P1.5 million to P2 million.

The aim of providing a clean, comfortable and more efficient commute, in a vehicle that is kinder on the environment, has gained support

for the PUV modernization, which has been in the works for several years now. With the lingering concerns of the PUV operators addressed, the effort could be turned into a win-win situation for all. (Philstar.com)

Economic wars between America and China

liberal and political order.

XI Jinping very recently publicly complained that the United States is holding back China’s economy. He is obviously referring to Americanled alliances that have virtually imposed sanctions on countries and companies not to export American technology to China. Major examples of this are banning the use of 5G technology by American companies and the use of the popular TikTok by government institutions in the United States.

Generally, the European Union countries and the socalled Quad – which refers to the four-country alliance of Japan, India, Australia and South Korea that was set up to be a check on Chinese expansion – are following the American lead. These governments – Quad and EU – are not only allies but also prominent market democracies and stakeholders in the world

Recently, the Quad and the European countries have tried to expand their alliance. In June last year, the United States announced the Mineral Security Partnership, an alliance composed of the United States, Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Japan, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, United Kingdom and the European Union to safeguard the supply of copper, lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earth minerals. China is the leading producer of rare earth minerals. There are also ongoing talks between Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States to create an alliance called Chip 4 that would consolidate the supply chain for semiconductors. There is presently a looming global shortage for these semiconductor chips. Economic sanctions have been used by the United States and its allies to put pressure on countries that have different political agendas. A current example is the sanction imposed on Russia after it invaded Ukraine. China has also used economic

coercion to achieve political objectives and to punish countries that appear to have differences with Chinese political ambitions. This has proven to be also effective because China has the second largest economy in the world and has a huge market of 1.4 billion people.

Although there has been a lot of talk about countries decoupling from Chinese manufacturers to lessen dependence on Chinese supply chain, this has not been successful. Beijing’s long-term objective in the use of economic coercion is to force governments and companies to respect and defer to Chinese interests in all their present and future actions.

This methodology seems to be partly working. For example, major democracies such as South Korea remain silent when China passed a National Security Law in Hong Kong suppressing democracy in 2020. In 2021, Brazil did not exclude the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from its 5G auction for fear of losing billions of dollars in business.

In 2010, after the Norwegian

Marcoses: Sibling rivalry?

THE great political scientist Alfred W. McCoy once described Philippine politics, in an awardwinning edited volume, as an “anarchy of families.” When it comes to politics, ours is a nation dominated by a few families like no other. The numbers speak for themselves. Authoritative studies have shown that up to 178 political dynasties have largely dominated 73 out of 81 provinces across the country. A decade ago, political dynasties dominated 75 percent of the legislature, a troublingly oligarchic trend that intensified over the succeeding years even under the reformist Aquino administration.

In fact, the Philippines does worse than comparable nations, namely Thailand (42 percent) as well as those in Latin America, the world’s most unequal region:

In Mexico, which used to be the de facto ruler of the Philippines during the Galleon Trade era, political dynasties, at their peak, controlled 40 percent of the legislature, while in Argentina, which has lived under the shadow of Juan Perón and the Kirchner family, the number is 10 percent.

In short, the Philippines is in a league of its own when it comes to oligarchic politics, so much so that one wonders if this country were ever a democracy at all. With our superlatively oligarchic politics comes also an element of anarchy, most dramatically in the shape of family feuds. Lest we forget, Sara Duterte, the current vice president, was a top contender for the highest office until the third quarter of 2021. Absent clear and consistent support from the incumbent back then, however, she wasn’t able to mobilize the necessary machinery.

“I was left with two letters endorsed to me by the president for consideration—one note explained why I should endorse the Go-Duterte tandem and the other suggested that I take in Senator Go as my vice president,” complained Sara in a statement in late August. “I respectfully advise them to stop talking about me and make me the reason for them running or not running,” she added, stating there was a meeting regarding the matter that was “not a pleasant event.”

A year later, media outlets have been speculating about another potential “family feud.”

We have seen some divergent positioning by President Marcos Jr. and his sister, Sen. Maria

Imelda “Imee” Marcos. But much of it is overblown. When it comes to the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement, for instance, the two siblings actually shared broadly similar apprehensions. This is the reason why the Philippines was the last party, aside from post-coup Myanmar, to ratify the megatrade deal, precisely because the president, just like his sister, had serious reservations about the impact of further trade liberalization on vulnerable sectors, most especially farmers.

Moreover, way before Mr. Marcos extended an olive branch and called for “unity” and “reconciliation” during the Edsa people power commemoration, it was Imee who provided a semblance of “apology” for her father’s authoritarian regime. “I said on many, many occasions that for those who were inadvertently pained, certainly, we apologize,” she said in a forum back in 2018, though refusing to offer a full apology.

On many other occasions, Imee, as a senator, was simply doing her job, namely scrutinizing key government decisions. Where the two seem to significantly differ, however, is on foreign policy, with Imee’s positioning

committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to a Chinese dissident, Beijing heavily restricted imports of Norwegian salmon. Over the next year, the product went from cornering almost 94 percent of China’s salmon market to just 37 percent, a collapse that deprived the Norwegian economy of $60 million in one year. It was no coincidence that Norwegian leaders refused to meet with the Dalai Lama when he visited Norway in 2014.

After South Korea agreed to host a U.S. missile system in 2016, China forced stores in China owned by the Seoul-based Lotte Group to shut down, causing over $ 750 million in economic damage. China similarly banned and then heavily restricted the sale of group tours to South Korea, costing the country an estimated $15.6 billion.

The Uyghurs is a Muslim minority living in northwestern China. There are documented evidence of persecution and imprisonment in concentration camps. However, very few countries have condemned

Chinese action against this religious minority. Even Muslim countries have not expressed any objection to the ongoing persecution of this Muslim minority. China has also used its status as the largest consumer market in the world to silence any criticism from the private sector. For example, in 2021, the Chinese government-controlled media encouraged a boycott of the Swedish fashion retailer H&M after it expressed concern about forced labor in Xinjiang, a Chinese province populated predominantly by Muslim Uyghurs. H&M sales in China immediately dropped by 23 percent.

According to human rights groups, Hollywood companies will not produce films that will cast China in a negative light for fear of losing ticket sales in China. China’s economic coercion has not always been successful. When Australia called for an independent investigation of COVID-19’s origins, China increased tariffs on Australian barley, coal and wine. Australia

was able to find other markets for these products.

In 2010, China restricted exports of rare earth minerals to Japan over a dispute over the Senkaku Islands. Japan was able to reduce its dependence on China for these critical minerals.

The widespread use of sanctions by the American government and economic coercion by the Chinese government have extremely negative effects on the world economy. Both the West and China ideally should maintain adherence to the principles of free trade. However, the growing competition between the two superpowers, United States and China, will become even more extreme. This new Cold War will only increase with the use of economic boycotts. (Phistar.com) * * *

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

* * *

Email: elfrencruz@gmail.com

hewing far closer to the previous administration’s than the current one. This explains, inter alia, her staunchly nonaligned “seven-point agenda” speech in Washington last year, as well as her spirited opposition to the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement expansion deal and to ongoing plans to conduct large scale military drills near Taiwan’s shores.

Ultimately, however, this all could also boil down to the presidential sister’s own ambitions and her efforts, as

clearly demonstrated in a series of movies meant to shape the national discourse in her own image. After all, Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was supremely proud of his daughter, who excelled in school and showed political talents early on; the late strongman fondly cited, in one of his diaries, the Ilocano expression, “An apple tree will not bear orange fruit,” though, cognizant of prevailing patriarchy, lamented: “I wish she had been a boy.”

More than half a century later,

Imee is likely looking forward to the senate race in 2025. And should she top that race, which seems highly probable based on preliminary surveys and trend lines, her next step will likely surprise few observers. (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.

* * * rheydarian@inquirer.com.ph

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Senator Imee Marcos Inquirer.net file photo

by ELIJAH FELICE ROSALES Philstar.com April 26

MANILA — An extension of the April 26 deadline for SIM registration may become necessary with only 25 percent of subscribers so far enlisted, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said.

Information Undersecretary Anna Mae Lamentillo on Thursday, March 9 said the DICT may have to extend the deadline for subscribers who have yet to register their SIM.

“The DICT is looking at the possibility of an extension,” Lamentillo said. “The DICT has the prerogative to extend the SIM registration process for another 120 days and we’re still deliberating on the matter. Now we’re focused on increasing the number of registrants before the

60 million COVID-19 vaccines expiring...

which were hit by massive earthquakes. They reportedly have no vaccines. This is an emergency,” he said.

Vergeire said the DOH has taken the initiative to do so as early as August last year by coordinating with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

“Unfortunately, the DFA has tried to donate and discussed with different countries. First, we had Myanmar… Unfortunately, after a month of negotiating, they decided not to accept (the donation),” she said, noting that such was the case for four other countries the DFA had reached out to.

“We were left without countries to accept our expiring vaccines,” she said.

Tolentino also expressed concern about the disposal of used vials and expired vaccines, which might have longterm negative effects on the environment. He noted that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources does not have any study about it.

“I’m not convinced that it’s safe when burned. Definitely, when mixed with the river, it still has an effect, as to the matter of safety, no one can say it’s safe because it’s infectious waste,” he said.

BA.2.3.20, XBB most prevalent

More than half of the recently sequenced COVID-19 samples were classified as Omicron subvariant BA.2.3.20, followed by the XBB subvariant in one in five samples, the DOH reported yesterday.

“Out of the recent 761 samples sequenced by the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center last February 27, 468 (61.50 percent) were classified as BA.2.3.20,” the latest COVID-19 Biosurveillance Report said. The new BA.2.3.20 cases are local cases found in Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Soccsksargen, Cordillera Administrative Region, Caraga and National Capital Region (NCR) with one case classified as a returning overseas Filipino, while the case type of the remaining seven are currently being verified.

Second among the most prevalent COVID-19 strains detected is the Omicron subvariant XBB (including three cases classified as XBB.1.5), numbering 149 cases and representing 19.58 percent of total samples sequenced. These were detected in all regions except Mimaropa

(Mindoro provinces, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan or Region 4-B), Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Davao region.

Meanwhile, nine (1.18 percent) were classified as XBC, six samples of which were yielded from Soccsksargen and one each from Central Visayas, Zamboanga peninsula and Caraga.

The DOH report also noted eight cases of BA.5 that included six cases classified as BQ.1, all of which represent 1.05 percent of the total samples sequenced.

Under BA.5, two were classified as other BA.5 sublineages – one sample from Zamboanga peninsula and the other from Metro Manila. The BQ.1 cases were from samples originating in NCR (3), Central Visayas (1), Soccsksargen (1) and one other still being verified.

The report further said there were four (0.53 percent) cases of BN.1 (classified under BA.2.75). These were detected in the NCR (1) and three were incoming international travelers.

The DOH said 33 cases or 4.34 percent of the total were tagged as “other Omicron sublineages.”

The report showed a total of 671 new Omicron cases logged in the country as the remaining 90 samples sequenced were not assigned lineages. 

deadline.”

As of March 7, the NTC reported that just 24.54 percent, or 41.47 million, of the 169.98 million SIMs across the Philippines were registered with their telco providers. With less than 50 days to go before April 26, the government has to register roughly three million a day to meet the initial deadline.

By network, Pangilinan-led Smart Communications has registered 31 percent, or 21.12 million, of its user base estimated at 68 million.

After Smart, Dennis Uy’s Dito Telecommunity Corp. has enlisted 24 percent of its 13.11 million subscribers, while Ayala-led Globe Telecom Inc. has registered a fifth of its 87.87 million users.

In January the government denied its option of extending the April 26 deadline on optimism that it can reach the goal of registering

everyone by then.

Under the law, the DICT may extend the SIM registration by at least 120 days. Afterward, users who have yet to register will have their mobile numbers deactivated and may only be reactivated upon signing up with their telco provider. Republic Act 11934, or the SIM Card Registration Act, requires all existing subscribers to enlist their mobile numbers with their service network. The policy seeks to eliminate the prevalence of digital fraud given that all SIMs can soon be tracked by the government. Telco players, for their part, are instructed to deactivate all SIMs that would be sold to the public upon approval of the law. They are also coordinating with the government, both local and national, in registering the SIMs of their subscribers who reside in areas with weak to no connectivity. 

Sara calls for electoral reforms, end to political violence

VICE President Sara Duterte has pushed for reforms in the country’s electoral system while also calling for an end to violence against elected officials.

During her speech at the National Election Summit organized by the Commission on Elections in Pasay City on Thursday, March 9, Duterte said that she was “pleased” to join in a gathering that sought ways to safeguard the integrity of the election process in the digital age.

“The presence of every esteemed speaker and

stakeholder across different levels of governance in today’s National Election Summit demonstrates our dedication to upholding the Filipinos’ right to vote and harnessing the critical role of technology in promoting responsible voting,” Duterte said. She also welcomed the integration of voter’s education in the country’s K-12 program to help prepare Filipino youth with the ability to discern and engage responsibly in the democratic process.

“By instituting civic education in youth- and nation-building, we encourage the involvement of an empowered citizenry guided by Filipino values, discernment, and knowledge that are crucial in cultivating a culture of participative democracy,” Duterte said. She also called on the Comelec to prioritize the pay of teachers before elections as compensation for their hard work amid threats by warlord politicians who use some of them for poll fraud.

With the spate of attacks against elected officials, Duterte also called on law enforcement authorities to address, solve and put an end against them, as it brings a “chilling climate of fear” among people.

“It is not enough that we condemn these attacks. The time calls for prosecution. For

the attackers, the killers, and the masterminds to be jailed,” Duterte said. (ManilaTimes.net)

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITY IFB NO. PO846-23 CAMERA AND LDVR SYSTEM REPLACEMENT

The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) is seeking Bids for Camera and LDVR System Replacement. Bid documents may be downloaded at SCRRA’s website at http://www.metrolinktrains. com/contracts. Bids are due on 4/20/23. The contract to be awarded will be funded in part by grants under the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transportation Administration and is subject to an DBE Participation Goal of 4.39%. For further information contact: Dorothea Cantero, Contract Administrator, at canterod@scrra.net.

3/11/23

CNS-3669181#

ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)

Vice President Sara Duterte PNA file

Asian Journal WKND

Success story: Aged-out daughter obtains immigrant visa through CSPA, on Citizen Pinoy this

explore other ways of bringing Alyssa to the U.S.

Moira shows weight loss progress, reveals she was declared ‘infertile’ for two years

by aNNe Pasajol Inquirer.net

MOIRA Dela Torre opened up about the process she underwent to “correct” her hormones, disclosing she was declared to be “infertile” for two years and was diagnosed with an eating disorder.

The singer revealed this while showing her weight loss after over a year into her medication, which included “no exercise, no diet and no surgeries,” as per her Instagram page on Thursday, March 9.

“[One] year and a month apart — from 180 lbs to 120 lbs— 60 lbs lighter and cleared of Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, estrogen dominance, and no longer infertile after [two years] of being declared to be,” she wrote.

Dela Torre further disclosed that she “secretly became bulimic for two years” in 2020, which left her “struggling mentally and physically.” She was then introduced by broadcaster Karen Davila, who Dela Torre had an interview with in 2021, to a doctor who “started working on [her] hormones and forever changed [her] life for the better.”

“[The doctor] had me take a hormone test,

MARKETPLACE

Alden believes in adopting a ‘reward system’ in life

By Nathalie tomada Philstar.com

ALDEN Richards believes everyone deserves a “reward system” in life. When asked what he thought about the “deserve ko ‘to (I deserve this)” mindset, the 31-year-old Kapuso star shared: “We need a reward system sa buhay natin. Kumbaga, we work hard, we always have to

treat ourselves every now and then. So, I think, ‘pag sinasabi na deserve ko ‘to and then you buy something for yourself, I think it’s all worth it, I think you deserve it!

“No matter who you are, where you are from or what you do, kung talagang you know in yourself na after you have purchased this certain thing — it doesn’t matter naman kung material, minsan you treat

yourself to a vacation — parang (you use it as your) drive to work hard even further. If that continues, in a systematic kind of way (not impulsive), in your life, ‘di ka mabu-burnout, ‘di ka mawawalan ng gana sa buhay mo.”

Alden’s idea of rewarding himself nowadays is staying home and playing video games, having a massage, spending time

for her interview, and obtained her immigrant visa and green card.

Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, March 12 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app. (Advertising Supplement)

Kylie, Marco add lots of sexy to rom-com genre

TWO of today’s sexiest dramatic movie stars are excited over a different reunion on the big screen. Kylie Verzosa and Marco Gumabao of 2021’s hit Vivamax movie, “My Husband, My Lover,” have been cast by award-winning and box office director Jason Paul Laxamana in a fun and romantic comedy that is expectedly super sexy titled, “Baby Boy, Baby Girl.”

At a recent media conference, Laxamana, who also wrote the movie’s script, opens the world of “Sugar Dating,” where romantic relationships proceed like transactions. Every expectation is laid out and agreed upon in this arrangement--and with a price. The film hopes to answer whether the setup is advisable, especially for those broken by love?

Gumabao plays Seb, who rose from rags to riches. How? He became a sugar baby.

Working as a janitor wasn’t paying the bills, so he turned to sugar dating and took it seriously. Now, he’s looking very expensive. His extreme lifestyle change catches the attention of his ex-girlfriend, Josie.

Josie is Verzosa, a failed startup businesswoman now struggling in online selling and trying to earn from whatever side hustle she can find. When she learns about Seb’s success, she asks him to groom her for sugar dating. She’ll do everything to be good at it and never struggle financially again.

As Seb helps Josie achieve the “sweet life,” his feelings for her return.

Laxamana said he did a lot of research to be able to write the screenplay for “Baby Boy, Baby Girl.” He even made an account on one of those social media sites matching potential sugar daddies/mommies and sugar

babies to discover the reasons why anyone would want such an arrangement.

“Of course, the movie’s also very sexy because si Kylie at si Marco nga ito,” the director added in presenting the premise and feel of the movie.

Meanwhile, the actors who have forged a friendship from previoulsy working together said “Baby Boy, Baby Girl” was fun to do.

“I’ve never done a romcom before. I’m happy to be paired with Marco again and most of all, I’m grateful to finally get the chance to work with direk JP,” the 2016 Miss International titleholder who has successfully transitioned into show business told The Manila Times Entertainment

Asked whether what many actors say is true — that it’s

FIIRE holds conference for US delegation in Manila

FILIPINOS in Institutional Real Estate (FIIRE) held a 5-day conference in the Philippines for a delegation coming from the United States in mid-February.

FIIRE initially planned an inaugural event in the Philippines to commemorate the beginning of the Manila Chapter in February 2020, eventually pivoting to a virtual launch due to COVID-19.

The recent conference served as an opportunity to celebrate the inauguration of the Manila Chapter of FIIRE while allowing visiting FIIRE members the opportunity to explore the Philippines first-hand as originally intended.

Through launching a Philippines Chapter, FIIRE intends to do the following:

• Assist in attracting large institutions to invest in the Philippines;

• Cultivate a pipeline of talent by sharing best practices of the US specific to the commercial real estate industry;

• Create an exchange program that will bring Filipino students/ professionals to train with institutional commercial real estate companies.

The event included a welcome dinner hosted at a private estate in Forbes Park hosted by Monocle Group and Longview, a market introduction by AyalaLand, and real estate tours in various areas of BGC, Makati, Pasay City, and Aseana City hosted by NEO, AyalaLand, SM, and DM Wenceslao.

more challenging to make audiences laugh than to cry or scare — Gumabao replied thoughtfully and professionally. Recalling his first and very recent experience in a rom-com with Kylie Padilla in Viva Films’ “Spellbound” last February, he admitted, “There are times when I wasn’t confident I got the delivery [of punchlines] right, but I believe it’s really the editing that makes everything work. I’m sure it’s the same with this one.”

Again, the pair credit their years of friendship for making them comfortable on the set, especially in their intimate scenes. Together, they promise “Baby Boy, Baby Girl” will not just entertain but will serve as an eye-opener to another kind of relationship. (ManilaTimes. net)

Jessy back to working out two months after childbirth

By Anne PAsAjol Inquirer.net

TWO months after she gave birth to her first child Isabella Rose, Jessy Mendiola has begun working out again not to get her pre-pregnancy figure back, but to “build a better” body.

The actress spoke about her fitness journey while showing

herself lying down in her active wear, through her Instagram Stories on Thursday, March 9.

“Back at it,” she said. “It’s so important to take it easy, especially if you’ve just given birth via CS (cesarean section).

Take time to rehab your pelvis and core before going back to your pre-pregnancy workouts.”

“I do not want to go back to my

pre-pregnancy body (or weight). I want to build a better one,” she continued. “It’s all about acceptance and challenging yourself to move forward.”

Mendiola admitted that there are times when she finds it hard to accept the changes in her body, but she reminds herself that “a life grew inside of [her]” and that her body “went through so much.”

“My body went through so much (nine months of pregnancy and delivery via CS) so now, I’m giving it the [tender loving care] it truly deserves,” she stated.

“Good job, body! I love you, thank you for taking care of my little Peanut,” she expressed appreciation to herself. “The reason why I want to stay active is because I want to be able to carry and run with my little one until I grow old.”

Mendiola and her husband, actor-TV host Luis Manzano, welcomed their first child on Dec. 28 last year, but only announced it to the public in January. The couple revealed Isabella Rose’s face a month after she was born.

Mendiola and Manzano got married in an intimate ceremony in 2021. g

Moira shows weight loss progress...

PAGE B1

where she found out what really was messing up my system (stress, depression and misdiagnosed [polycystic ovary syndrome] for years),” Dela Torre stated. “I’ve been known to be someone whose weight fluctuated a lot—and I’d get conscious, not really because of my physical appearance but more so because of how i felt internally.”

“I always felt uncomfortable and unable to function at my best. So when we got to the real root of all the misalignment, she knew exactly which supplements to give me and the rest is history,” she continued.

Dela Torre, who is currently abroad for a concert tour, then spoke about how the changes in her body helped her to be “fully present” and “completely enjoy” this season in her life. She said she recently visited a gym, her first time in about three years.

“Mentally, I’ve never felt so alive. I felt 100% and felt so happy doing what I love, especially being able to do it well,” she said. “Today, I went to the gym for the first time in 2 (maybe 3) years, [and] don’t ever remember feeling this happy and healthy in my life.”

After sharing her health journey, Dela Torre received love and cheers from fellow celebrities including Anne Curtis, Chito Miranda, Ogie Alcasid, TJ Monterde and Dani Barretto.

Aside from her weight loss, fans of Dela Torre have also been noticing the singer’s glow-up after her separation from estranged husband, fellow singer Jason Marvin Hernandez. Dela Torre spoke about this and declared that she “just healed” from her heartbreak, and that going through the healing process boosted her self-confidence. g

The main event was held on Friday, February 17 at the Shangri-La in Bonifacio Global City. Speakers included board members from the U.S. – Gloria Browning Gil, Jennifer del Rosario Taylor, Huber Bongolan, Barbara Faylona-Jesuele, and Ernie Ocampo. Economic and real estate updates were presented by Victor Calanog/Moody’s Analytics and David Leechiu/ Leechiu Property Consultants. A keynote presentation was provided by Wick Veloso/GSIS.

The first panel discussion with Sheryll Verano/Arthaland Corporation, Mike Rodriguez/ Macquarie Asset Management, and RB Roa/ATRAM touched on the growth of the Philippine real estate sector, highlighting how unprecedented capital is being sourced from both equity and debt markets.

Another panel featured Barbara Faylona-Jesuele/J. Paul Getty Trust, Jonathan “Loy” Umali/Arch Capital, and Paul Gately/EQT Exeter who all came in from different countries to discuss the key components institutional real estate investors analyze when entering new markets and potential partners.

They also highlighted how institutional capital can provide advantages for local real estate developers to grow and scale

their businesses. A FIIREside chat moderated by Eric Manuel/Arch Capital and featuring Gloria-Browning Gil, co-founder of FIIRE, concluded the program. Through this chat, the audience discovered how FIIRE started, the importance of mentors, the rise of Gloria’s career, and her outlook on the industry.

Over the weekend, a Poblacion food and pub crawl was coordinated by Poblacion Land and Urban Development for the attendees to get a taste of the nightlife in the vibrant area that has rapidly been transforming over the past few years. The National Parks Development Committee hosted a tour of Intramuros and its rich history. The last day of the conference, delegates were invited to visit the Philippine Stock Exchange. The conference concluded with a master class in collaboration with Urban Land Institute (ULI) Philippines, with speakers from the U.S. discussing real estate topics such as an introduction to institutional investing, debt market, underwriting, fund management, asset management, and much more.

The events were made possible through the generous sponsorship of Arch Capital Management, D.M. Wenceslao and Associates, Manulife Investment Management, EQT Exeter, NEO, Leechiu Property Consultants, Monocle Group, Arthaland Corp, AyalaLand, Santos Knight Frank, CebuLand, Corebuilt, Grow Capital Partners, Romulo, KMC Savills, Colliers, Catellina Property Consultants. FIIRE, or Filipinos in Institutional Real Estate, is a 501c3 trade organization started in the United States of America that focuses on networking, educating and mentoring Filipinos in institutional real estate. The organization was established in 2009 and has chapters throughout the US in Chicago, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Mid-South, New York City, New England, San Diego, San Francisco, Pacific Northwest and internationallyin the Philippines. g

Over years of working together the pair of actors have forged a friendship puts them at ease even in intimate scenes.

Photo courtesy of Viva FIlms

Jessy Mendiola and her daughter Isabella Rose Photo from Instagram/@jessymendiola

Abigail Zelenski, Ernie Ocampo, Gloria Gil and Bob Tessa view model of AyalaLand’s assets.

Raymond Ruffino, Rene Benitez, Jennifer Taylor, Eric Manuel and Loy Umali attend a private reception hosted by Monocle Group and Longview.

The main event was held at the Shangri-La Fort was attended by FIIRE USA delegates and many local investors, developers and from the banking sector.

Panelists Mike Rodriguez, RB Roa and Sheryll Verano in a discussion with moderator Jean De Castro.

Barbara Jesuele, Sheryll Verano and Huber Bongolan having lunch at Manila House hosted by NEO.

Raymond Rufino welcomes his guests to Manila House at a private lunch hosted by NEO.

Buds Wensceslao hosted FIIRE USA delegates for a private tour of Aseana City.

Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (right) was able to get a visa for Alyssa (left) through her mother, Marivic’s (middle) petition, despite aging out, on a brand-new episode of Citizen Pinoy.

How Selina fought her way back from cancer

By Dennis Gutierrez Inquirer.net

IT was a story of hope, perseverance and faith. But Selina Dagdag-Alas, the better half of basketball start Kevin Alas, did it. She managed to fight off cancer.

Selina’s Instagram was the first to reveal many milestones, from her sportscaster career, her marriage to Alas, and her heartbreaking cancer diagnosis and how she bravely overcame it.

John Lloyd visits animal shelter with rumored girlfriend to adopt a dog

By Kristofer Purnell Philstar.com

ACTOR John Lloyd Cruz and his rumored girlfriend Isabel Santos visited a local animal shelter with the intentions of adopting a rescued dog.

The social media accounts of animal rescue service Strays Worth Saving posted photos of John Lloyd and Isabel interacting with their rescues, also thanking them for the visit.

“There is no denying not only the dogs but also the caretakers were so excited to meet our celebrity visitors... these two have no qualms at all carrying and playing with the rescues,” said Strays Worth Saving.

A rescued dog named Rain even peed on John Lloyd’s clothes but the actor did not

mind at all. Strays Worth Saving also said the rumored couple posed for photos with other dogs to help encourage others to adopt them.

Isabel later posted on her own Instagram account photos of their visit, sharing they fell in love with all the dogs they met. Strays Worth Saving, John Lloyd, or Isabel did not say which dog they ended up adopting, though they did play with more than 10 dogs and petted even more those in cages.

John Lloyd and Isabel have yet to confirm their relationship despite months of speculation, especially after Isabel accompanied John Lloyd to the 15th Asia Pacific Screen Awards and on a camping trip with John Lloyd’s son Elias, his child with ex Ellen Adarna.

Selina and Kevin’s church wedding was the talk of the town in 2021. It was a match made in heaven that the public journeyed with the couple as they announced their pregnancy months after.

But reports of miscarriage followed suit.

In 2022, Selina went to her doctor for a regular checkup but discovered that her eight-week pregnancy did not progress. Then, after going through a dilation and curettage procedure, it was revealed there were signs of cancer.

Selina battled against a rare form of cancer called Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia (GTN), a type of Gestational Trophoblastic Disease (GTD) that is always malignant. According to Johns Hopkins University, GTD is the term given to a group of rare tumors that develop during the early stages of pregnancy, just as when the woman’s body prepares to nourish the embryo or the baby.

From the day she was diagnosed with the deadly disease, Selina said she stuck to her faith all the way especially while going through the process of chemotherapy.

“Looking back, I honestly don’t know how I got through it—si God lang talaga. But, as I mentioned, I remember feeling weak and nauseous for the most part,” she said. “But through every single day, I truly felt the Lord with me.”

Fast forward to the present, Selina now

lives her life cancer-free thanks in part to her neighbor, “Ate Gema.”

Si Ate Gem, she would send me all of these supplements and organic products to help my body fight as I went through strong medication. She would send me a couple of these products, as I mentioned. Pero, of course, I knew, being a cancer patient then, that I needed to run everything I was ingesting by my doctor.”

Ate Gema researched a “green juice” which she advocated for Selina to drink.

“So I started taking this green juice as often as possible, and thankfully, I felt it made a difference in my body.”

The green juice turned out to be JC’s Organic Barley Juice. Barley, which is

considered 21st century’s superfoods, is asked with nutrients like protein, eight essential amino acids, highly alkalizing minerals, and a whole range of vitamins.

Selina said she added the juice on top of the supplements she received and experienced wonders from it.

“I added this green juice, and I saw the effects. There was evidence and proof in my blood works. You know, eventually, after going through my cycles and supplementing with this green juice, by the grace of God, my HCG levels after about seven cycles went down to 1.20, so that is considered normal. In some hospitals, that’s the lowest level already,” she said.

Selina believes that constant barley juice drinking helped manage her cancer.

“Praise God, we did the re-test the following day, and all of a sudden, my lungs were clear. So my cancer was staged to 1.” she revealed.

“It was almost miraculous, so nakita ko talaga yung difference, even yung liver enzymes ko, which shot up, I told you guys, 5 times the normal level, nag normalize rin siya eventually and my red blood cells, white blood cells, and hemoglobin, it also went up. Nag normalize. As such, I was able to carry through with my treatment and I was able to finish it. Until I was officially in remission.”

Selina posted the development on Instagram, and the videos received positive feedback as they carried messages of hope.

“So for those of you going through a severe trial or terrible suffering right now, I know I may not have the answer to your whys, but I know you are in the hands of an infinitely loving Father who ordained this at the beginning of time for your good and His glory. There is immense love behind every pain, every suffering, every tear. With God, I have learned there are no Plan B’s. This is His plan A, and He has it all under control. You can rest and trust in Him,” she said. g

Kathryn, Daniel among top celebrity taxpayers

By Jan Milo severo Philstar.com

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue revealed that real life couple Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla were among the top celebrity taxpayers in 2022.

In a recognition held on Wednesday, March 8 Daniel and Kathryn thanked BIR for the award as they hope they that they have inspired people to pay their taxes.

Maraming-maraming salamat po sa award na ito at maramingmaraming salamat sa dami naming binayad na tax,” Daniel said.

“Hopefully, this would inspire everybody to do our responsibility PAGE B4

g

John Lloyd Cruz and Isabel visiting animal rescue service Strays Worth Saving.

Photo from Instagram/@straysorthsaving

Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla

Photo from Instagram/@bernardokath

It was a story of hope, perseverance and faith.

Photo from Instagram/@selina_dagdag

Niana: On her own terms

By Christina alpad ManilaTimes.net

DESPITE her young age, Niana Guerrero already commands enormous influence. She has more than 14 million followers on Instagram, 15 million on YouTube, 24 million on Facebook and 38 million on TikTok. That’s more than 90 million total followers across her socials.

The dance dynamite first gained popularity as the adorable tween sister of boyband member Kyle Ranz.

They even got nominated and won Favorite Pinoy Internet Star at the 2019 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards.

But soon, with her charm and other creative talents, she attracted fans of her own.

Today, this 17-year-old’s influence has gone beyond the Philippines with her latest international feat. Yes, she’s back as a nominee at the 2023 Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards in the Favorite Asian Creator category, but this time, she’s nominated as a solo artist.

“To be nominated in this new category as Niana Guerrero for me is just really cool, and awesome and surreal,” Guerrero said in a one-onone media interview with The Manila Times Entertainment.

However, she did not forget to credit her brother who first brought her into the world of content creation.

“When my brother found out, he was actually very excited

and honestly, without him, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I’ve learned so much from him regarding content creation and all that stuff, so big shout out to him.”

Besides the viral dance videos she posts on her social accounts, Guerrero also charms her fans with family content she shares not just with Ranz Kyle but the rest of her family. In fact, theirs is a family of content creators. Ranz Kyle, Niña Stephanie Guerrero and Chelsea Ongsee have their respective social media presence where they dabble in lifestyle, beauty and travel content.

Letting in on the process, she described, “For the YouTube vlogs, it’s just me and my brother who meet with our team about the content idea. And then, we ask our family if they want to join the video. For us, as long as they are willing to do it, we’ll do the vlogs.

“But for my dance videos, those are really spontaneous. I’m just doing what I love doing and exploring different things in terms of content.”

Meanwhile, additional content comes in the form of annual songs Guerrero records with her brother. In previous years, they realized pop tracks, but for 2023 they surprised fans with the angsty and anthemic song “Noise.”

Guerrero said it was a deliberate effort to release something different, and it’s PAGE B5

SexBomb Girls not allowed to date, get married at height of their career

By hannah MallorCa Inquirer.net

THE widespread popularity of SexBomb Girls in the late 1990s to 2010s came at a huge cost, including the members sacrificing their personal lives for the sake of their career growth.

Five of the original members of SexBomb — Jopay PaguiaZamora, Che-Che Tolentino, Sandy Tolentino, Monic IcbanDiamante, and Mia Pangyarihan — revealed in a clip of the news magazine show “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho,” uploaded on its official YouTube channel on Monday, March 6, that they were not allowed to get into relationships during the height of their careers.

“Kung gusto mong maging SexBomb, kailangan matibay ang loob mo. Didiretsuhin ka, ‘Ang tigas ng katawan mo.’ Pag balat sibuyas ka, hindi mo kaya, out ka na,” she stated.

(If you want to be a SexBomb member, you need to have a strong will. There are moments

when you would receive the remark like, “You can’t dance gracefully.” If you’re easily hurt, if you can’t handle the pressure, you’re out.)

The SexBomb Girls has been a notable fixture on local pop culture, especially during the

height of their popularity. The group, best known for their hit songs “Spaghetti Song,” Halukay Ube,” and “Bakit Papa,” currently experienced a resurgence following their appearance at an advertisement of a popular streaming platform.

Kathryn, Daniel among top celebrity...

PAGE B3

Aside from the aforementioned members, some of the group’s biggest names include Rochelle PangilinanSolinap, Aira Bermudez, Izzy Trazona-Aragon, Weng Ibarra, and Evette Pabalan-Onayan, among others. g bilang Pilipino na magbayad ng tax,” Kathryn added.

Apart from the couple, other top celebrity taxpayers were Coco Martin, Judy Ann Santos, Liza Soberano, Vic Sotto, Willie

Revillame, Michael V., Sarah Geronimo, Anne Curtis and Maja Savador.

“I just wanna say that now I am a mother, I think it’s so important that we lead by example to the future generations and encourage others to think about the

EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT FOR RENT

progression of our country as well for the future generations that have yet to come,” Anne said in her acceptance speech. “So, let’s all lead by example and support the BIR and let’s pay everything on time,” she added. g

EMPLOYMENT

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice To The Public

In compliance with Section 5 of RA. Act No. 9048, a notice is hereby served to the Public the Zenaida Chua Wiltse has filed a petition to change the first name from Agrifina to Zenaida in the Certificate of Birth No. 214 of Sinait, Ilocos Sur, Philippines.

Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his/her written opposition with the Philippine Consulate General, Los Angeles, California within the two weeks period of this publication.

#35578

Jopay Paguia-Zamora, Che-Che Tolentino, Sandy Tolentino, Monic Icban-Diamante, and Mia Pangyarihan of SexBomb Girls

Photo from Instagram/@jopaypaguiazamora

Alden believes in adopting...

with family and going abroad.

On how to avoid going overboard with the so-called “deserve ko ‘to” mentality, he said, “If at one point, it feels na hindi na talaga siya tumutugma dun sa… because, of course, when you say deserve, you get something… you pay a certain amount for something that you want involving money. So kung medyo you’re spending beyond your means, baka yun na yung abuso sa #deservekoto. ‘Wag naman ganun.”

The STAR and some select media were able to talk to Alden Richards on the sidelines of the pioneering e-commerce site Lazada’s 11th-anniversary celebration, also dubbed as “Epic 11th Birthday Sale,” now ongoing until March 13.

Together with his Start-Up leading lady, Bea Alonzo, Alden co-hosted the event that featured the Lazada Shoppable Runway fashion show, unveiling of the 20-foot tall LazLook Mannequin, alongside other prize-giving activities.

According to Alden, he was proud to endorse the e-commerce site for two years now because of their “similar beginnings.” He also started in the showbiz industry 11 years ago.

“When Lazada started in the Philippines, it was 11 years ago. Kasabay ko siya when I started my showbiz career, nag-11 years din ako last December.

Whenever I’m asked about the products I’ve been endorsing, sinasabi ko Lazada because first, it’s well-known, it’s a name that you can be proud of, it’s one of the most respected e-commerce platforms in the whole of Asia. Plus, with the deals that you get out of the platform, those special perks and privileges given to loyal customers, they’re always there — vouchers, cash packs, free and fast shipping.

“That’s what we want as consumers, yung comfort in our shopping experience within the comforts of our home. Of course with what the pandemic brought us, ayaw natin lumabas ‘di ba, at least Lazada caters to our safety as well. And they’re improving their services every now and then. Like right now, they already have the next day delivery option. So, I’m really proud (to be brand ambassador) and hopefully, more years to

come with Lazada.”

As a certified online shopper, Alden was asked how he makes sure he’s “budol-free” and he was quick to admit that “medyo mahirap.”

“

Yung pag-la-Lazada, it has become a pastime. ‘Di ba usually, we go to bed, social media, social media and then at one point, ano kaya ang meron sa Lazada, because sometimes like myself, pupunta ako sa app, minsan wala talaga akong mabibili but you’ll end up buying something. Especially when you see something on social media, like on TikTok while browsing, Ay meron palang ganitong item.

“But I make sure that whenever I buy something, it makes my life comfortable and even more comfortable. Because it’s not just about luho lang kumbaga panlinis ng bedroom, lint remover ng carpet, yun lang yung pinagbibili ko talaga.”

Recently, Alden has been adding to cart beach essentials from swimwear and shorts to even mini-surfboards for some scheduled beach trips this March.

“Surfing is something I really want to try. My dad also wants to try it para may something new

lang matutunan this year. (We’re going to) Siargao, definitely. My cousin lives there so madalas talaga ako nagpupunta dun.

Maganda kasi beaches and habang fresh pa siya… wellknown naman ang Siargao. What I’m trying to say is at the moment, it’s not that crowded.”

Work-wise, he updated the press about his upcoming projects. His movie with Bea Alonzo, a supposed remake of a hit South Korean film, is still on hold. “Medyo naging busy lang kami ni B with separate commitments so wala pa rin kaming update in terms of the movie. Both of us are still waiting for the go-signal. We’re just on stand by and we’ll see if it will push through.”

What’s sure is he’s going to host a game/reality show and do movies this year. “Sobrang dami. I think this year, I will be focusing more on movies and doing events under my production,” he said.

By production, he meant his new business venture Myriad Corporation, the company that served as one of the coproducers of the historic reunion concert of the iconic OPM band Eraserheads, titled Huling El Bimbo (incidentally, the band is going on an international tour starting with shows in North America and Canada from May to June this year).

“Meron po (coming events). Still on talking terms but masusurprise sila… international (artists),” Alden teased.

Proceeds of his events, he said, will also help support his education-focused AR Foundation, Inc.

“We have 26 scholars at the moment and then from three college graduates, there are now five of them after 2022. Ngayon, ongoing pa rin yung pagpapaaral natin sa kanila. Dun sa mga ginagawa kong events, basically, I see to it that a part of it (is donated) to the foundation for sustainability because of course, it’s a commitment to the scholars.

“

‘Di ko na pwede tanggalin yun and I want them to fulfill their dreams while (they’re still under us) na papaano I’ve given them something in their lifetime that I will also cherish. Of course, what I wish them to do is to also do the same thing to other people para di matatapos yung ripple of kindness naman.” g

Can my employer stop me from disclosing discrimination at work?

Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights

Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr

Q: I AM getting laid off from work. My employer offered me a severance agreement, but the document says I will have to agree to confidentiality clause about any harassment or discrimination at work. I have second thoughts about that because I actually complained to HR before the layoff notice that my boss is discriminating and harassing me at work. I am the only Filipino in my unit, and the manager goes out of his way to criticize and humiliate me. He even makes fun of my accent and my food. All my reviews from former supervisors were good. He gave me the severance agreement today and is saying I have to sign right away or they might withdraw the offer. Can they really do that?

A: No, your employer cannot rush you into signing the agreement, and they also cannot require you to agree to a confidentiality clause that prohibits your talking about any harassment or discrimination. Under California law, it is unlawful for an employer to include in

a severance agreement “any provision that prohibits the disclosure of information about unlawful acts in the workplace.”

That same California law also requires an employer offering a severance agreement to notify the employee that they have the “right to consult an attorney regarding the agreement,” and give that that employee no less than 5 business days to consult with an attorney and consider the offered severance agreement. They cannot make you sign right away; you have to be given at least 5 business days to sign the offered severance agreement. I strongly suggest you use this time to consult with an attorney, including whether you may have a valid claim for discrimination, harassment or retaliation.

You already mentioned your belief that you were harassed and discriminated against because of your national origin and/or ethnicity. A consultation with an attorney can help you determine whether the termination of your employment may be related to that harassment and discrimination.

Moreover, when you complained to HR about discrimination and harassment, you were engaging in a protected

activity under the antiretaliation laws. If the evidence shows that the employer discharged you because of your complaint of discrimination, that conduct may constitute unlawful termination. In that instance, you may be entitled to recover lost wages and damages for emotional distress. The employer may additionally be held to pay attorneys’ fees that you may have incurred in order to enforce your rights..

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

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

(Advertising Supplement)

Niana: On her own terms...

PAGE B4

paying off as fans could not help but rave about their song, especially Guerrero’s solo raps in Tagalog.

“The song was actually very on the spot. Together with our producer and songwriter, we came up with the beat on the spot, we came out with the lyrics on the spot, and did everything until we finished at like six in the morning.

“The goal was to make a maangas sound and beat with lyrics that are motivating, so we really wanted to include the rap. But to be clear, I don’t think we’re making this music to really be like rappers or singers. It’s really just for fun,” Guerrero divulged. g

Alden Richards’ idea of rewarding himself nowadays is staying home and playing video games, having a massage, spending time with family and going abroad.

At 17, Niana Guerrero already commands great influence.

Photo from Instagram/@nianaguererro

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

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

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

If you still have no income, you are going to lose your house by foreclosure, or eviction. In either case, you are moving into tent city, unless you have relatives or friends who are kind enough to shelter you until you get back on your feet. Nobody wants to live under the freeway or even in a

nicer tent city provided by the City of LA. But when push comes to shove, that is the reality we live in. Even with three stimulus payments and a year of pandemic unemployment income, the wolf is still at the door, ready to pounce. There are now supposedly millions of new jobs available, businesses that were closed during the pandemic have reopened and looking for people to hire. The economy is roaring back at an unheard of 6.5%. So, the job market is looking good.

Many people who lost their jobs will be able to find new jobs, and the first problem that they will face is the credit cards that have accumulated during the pandemic that were used for necessities.

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

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

In addition, the client has four adult children with low income who live with him. That’s a lot of food expenses, as we all know. Easily, that’s $2,000 a

Can I obtain a divorce if my spouse refuse to sign?

month for food. With all these necessary expenses, another $2,400 to cover minimum credit card debt of $70,000 is just not manageable. Creditors don’t care about the client’s family and financial situation, they just want their money back with high interest, penalties and legal fees as they are in business after all and they are not charitable organizations. So, unpaid creditors do what they do, they file their lawsuits to collect.

Obviously, the client wants a Chapter 7 wipe out of the $70,000. There’s no problem with $250,000 of home equity under the new homestead exemption of $600,000. But with $150,000 of annual income, even with so many dependents, the client would not qualify under the means test for Chapter 7 even if that’s what he wants.

He would need Chapter 13 which would allow him to pay a portion of the $70,000 over five years with no interest. How much would the plan payment be? Well, certainly a lot less than $2,400 a month, which is the minimum monthly payment to keep them current. He might be able to get away with $600 a month of plan payment. That will pay about half of the $70,000 in five years.

If he makes all timely payments, then the court will discharge the unpaid balance of $34,000. That’s certainly a reasonable reorganization plan under Chapter 13. The two court judgments with garnishments will stop with the filing of the case and the third lawsuit will be dismissed outright. All creditors will be forced by the confirmed plan in Chapter 13, which is a court order to accept a proportionate equal distribution from the $600 a month of plan payment.

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

If you have too much debt and need relief, please set an

Barrister’s Corner

THERE seems to be a misconception in the general public that you can only obtain a divorce in California if your spouse will sign the divorce papers. I get this question a lot from our family law clients. The fact is that California is a no fault state and you do not need your spouse’s signature in order to get a divorce. What is more important is being able to properly serve your spouse with the divorce petition and satisfy the jurisdictional requirement of the Court by showing that either you or your spouse resided in the State for at least 6 months prior to filing the petition and in the County for 3 months prior to filing the petition.

When you file a divorce petition, you have to serve your spouse with the summons and petition. Your spouse then has 30 days to file a response after being served with a divorce petition. If your spouse fails to file and serve you with a response, you can file a request for default against your spouse after 30 days. You can also file a proposed judgment for the court to approve. The default procedure can be done even if there are issues of property division, custody, visitation, and support. However, the Court will still review your proposed judgment and property division to make sure it conforms to the policy towards equal division of community property. Meaning, appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally. * * *

you have to propose a division of community property that is pretty much equal between the spouses. If your proposed property division is one sided such as distributing all community property to you and giving all the community debts to your spouse, the Court would probably not grant your judgment. The Court would probably set a hearing for you to explain why this is an equal division of community property.

The only time you may need your spouse’s signature is if your spouse files a response to your divorce petition. This is called “contesting” the divorce.

If your divorce is contested by your spouse, you can resolve

essence an agreement as to all the issues in the divorce case. For issues which you and your spouse cannot agree on, you will have to go through the litigation process which involves obtaining discovery, exchanging declarations of disclosures, and preparing the case for trial.

Ultimately, you will obtain your divorce at trial in addition to adjudication of the distribution of community assets and debts amongst other issues. It is in the best interest of the party to retain the representation of competent counsel who will assert his or her rights under the family code.

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

“When you file a divorce petition, you have to serve your spouse with the summons and petition. Your spouse then has 30 days to file a response after being served with a divorce petition. If your spouse fails to file and serve you with a response, you can file a request for default against your spouse after 30 days.”

the case either by “settlement” or by “trial.” However, you do not have to settle all the issues in the case at once. Under the concept of divisible divorce, you can settle some of the issues and set the other issues which you and your spouse cannot agree on for trial. Our office try to resolve cases through settlement because it is more cost effective and the parties are usually happier with the outcome. In that situation, the parties may avoid the cost and uncertainty of going to trial by executing what is called a stipulated judgment which is in

relationship established by reading this article.

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

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Disclaimer: None of the foregoing is considered legal advice for anyone. Each case is different. There is no absolutely no attorney-client

* * * Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand

clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement)