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MARCH 20-26, 2020 Volume 13 - No. 20 • 16 Pages 133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, NY 11354 • 2500 Plaza S. Harborside Financial Center, Jersey City, NJ 07311 • Tel. (212) 655-5426 • Fax: (818) 502-0858
Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Tri-state governors set shutdowns and curfews to slow spread of coronavirus by MOMAR
G. VISAYA
AJPress
NEW JERSEY Governor Phil Murphy, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced on Monday, March 16 a regional approach to combatting the novel coronavirus - or COVID19 - throughout the tri-state area. Among the uniform stan-
DATELINE
dards include limiting crowd capacity for social and recreational gatherings to 50 people; restaurants and bars closing for on premise service and moving to take-out and delivery services only and temporarily closing movie theaters, gyms and casinos. These measures went to effect at 8:00 p.m. on Monday. “The federal government has to step up. They have been behind from day one on
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
US, DOH partner to combat COVID-19 in PH THE U.S. Embassy in the Philippines announced on Tuesday, March 17 that the U.S. government has committed more than P139 million ($2.7 million) to support the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) in its response to COVID-19 in the country.
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PH Center in New York to reopen on March 27 by MOMAR
G. VISAYA
AJPress
THE Philippine Consulate General is set to reopen on March 27, Friday after the mandatory 14-day isolation period for close exposure incidents. Upon its reopening, the consulate will be
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this crisis,” Cuomo said. “We knew this was happening in China back in November. That we are surprised in March and still scrambling to get testing in place and getting a health care system in place is inexcusable, and states frankly don’t have the capacity or the power to make up for the federal government. So we’re doing the best we can but we really need the federal gov-
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The lights went out on Broadway last week and because of new crowd capacity regulations in place to arrest the spread of coronavirus, the result is a quiet Times Square without the tourists and local crowds. Photo courtesy of Josh Vasquez
Total of COVID-19 cases in PH now at 217 How 3 Fil-Am families are by DAPHNE
GALVEZ Inquirer.net
MANILA — The number of individuals who tested positive for the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country has reached 217, with 15 new cases recorded as of Thursday, March 19. One confirmed case was also reported to have recovered from the disease, bringing the
total number of recovered patients to eight, the Department of Health (DOH) said. The recovered patient (PH20) is a Filipino male from Cavite who was admitted to the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) last March 7. He was known to have a travel history to Japan, which is a COVID-19-affected country. He tested negative twice for the virus before
coping with coronavirus deaths, infection by MOMAR
G. VISAYA
AJPress
NEW YORK-based Filipino American lawyer and legal recruiter David u PAGE 2 Lat announced on social media this week that he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). “Hello everyone. You are looking at New York State’s 951st and New York City’s 464th confirmed case of Covid-19 aka coronavirus,” he posted on Monday, Filipino American lawyer and March 16. legal recruiter David Lat tested Lat called on anyone positive for COVID-19. who had any contact with him “anytime after around Sunday, February 23, you can play the “David Lat card” and can — and Cherrie Atilano amd Henry Motte-Muñoz Inquirer.net photos should — get tested automatically.” His husband Zach, a confirmed case as well, got Olympian and co-captain of the U.S. women soccer team that won the 2019 FIFA World the same symptoms two days after Lat did. “For now, I wanted to let you all know, apologize Cup; Larry Madowo, BBC Africa Business
2 Filipinos named 2020 Young Global Leaders by DORIS
DUMLAO-ABADILLA Inquirer.net
TWO millennial Filipino chief executive officers (CEOs) —agricultural entrepreneurship champion Cherrie Atilano and edukasyon.ph founder Henry Motte-Muñoz —were handpicked by Switzerland-based World Economic Forum (WEF) to be part of the “Young Global Leaders (YGL)” global community of “exceptional young people with the vision, courage and influence to drive positive change in the world.” They are among the 115 members of the YGL Class of 2020, which also includes: Sanna Marin, the first female Prime Minister of Finland and the youngest head of state in the world; Megan Rapinoe, decorated
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march 20-26, 2020 • NEW YOrK aND NEW JErSEY aSIaN JOUrNaL
Total of COVID-19 cases in...
PAGE 1 he was discharged from the hospital. The number of deaths remained at 17. The whole island of Luzon remains under “enhanced community quarantine” as a government effort to curb the spread of the virus in the country. Mass public transportation is still suspended but several local governments in Metro Manila have taken initiatives to provide transportation and shelter to frontliners and health
care providers. The quarantine is expected to last until April 13. President Rodrigo Duterte has also placed the entire country under a state of calamity, allowing local government units to access their quick response funds. The World Health Organization declared the disease as a global pandemic after it killed nearly 5,000 people and infected 110,000 others worldwide. The International Commit-
PAGE 1 implementing some limitations in order to conform to current COVID19 mitigation measures. Among these measures are the immediate suspension of dual citizenship applications and processing, personal applications for civil registration. All passport processing will be done by appointment only, with limited daily slots for applicants. “While the Consulate awaits the implementation of the Qless Appointment System sometime
in April 020, we are finalizing the appointment procedure cover the phone or by email,” the advisory said. Furthermore, there will be no entry for persons with no preapproved appointments with the consulate. There will also be continued temperature checks for all applicants who have urgent, pre-approved appointments and anyone with a temperature above 100.4 Fahrenheit will be denied entry. The consulate is also asking
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From the Front Page
tee on Taxonomy of Viruses named the novel coronavirus as SARS-CoV-2. The virus causes mild symptoms such as fever and cough for most people but can cause serious illness such as pneumonia for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems. Coronavirus is a family of viruses, which surfaces have a crown-like appearance. The viruses are named for the spikes on their surfaces. n
PH Center in New York to reopen... all clients to wear facemasks, with the number of people present in the lobby limited to 10 people and in the consulate waiting area to eight. “We are aware that these are severe measures that have never been implemented before. We ask for the public’s continued understanding that COVID19 is a pandemic that is causing massive strain on the health and social support systems of many countries and areas,” the consulate advisory explained. n
SOCIAL DISTANCE. In light of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) threat, people follow the recommended one-meter social distancing while waiting for their turn to buy basic needs at a supermarket in Manila on Thursday, March 19. Maintaining social distance is one way to avoid being infected by the dreaded virus. PNA photo by Rico H. Borja
US, DOH partner to combat COVID-19... PAGE 1 The U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will collaborate with Philippine government counterparts to establish and implement internationally-recognized infectious disease threat prevention and response strategies,
and enhance infection control. U.S. assistance will strengthen specimen transport systems and laboratory capacity to accurately and rapidly detect cases. The assistance also will help protect health workers and patients by ensuring that hygiene products, masks, waste man-
agement supplies, and other necessary commodities are available, delivered, and managed appropriately. More broadly, the U.S. government supported programs will expand communities’ disease preparedness and access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services and commodities. (AJPress)
How 3 Fil-Am families are coping...
PAGE 1 if I unknowingly infected you — I self-quarantined as soon as I had real symptoms, but people can transmit it before they’re symptomatic — and assure you that I’m doing well,” Lat wrote. The lawyer also expressed his frustration about the availability of testing for COVID-19. “If you interacted with me in person after 2/23, you can cite that fact and get automatically tested,” Lat said on Twitter. “Otherwise you might have to go to the ridiculous efforts I had to in order to get a simple test that other countries have given to their citizens by the hundreds of thousands.” Living with COVID-19 Lat updated his family and friends on Tuesday with a series of tweets and talked about his current condition. He said that he is generally healthy, he doesn’t take drugs, rarely drinks and no health conditions other than exercise-induced asthma, which he manages with an inhaler. “In my current state, #LivingWithCovid, I am constantly weak and winded. I’m hooked up to oxygen 24/7. Even with oxygen, the simplest tasks are extremely difficult,” he shared. “I have never been this sick in
my entire life.” Among these tasks are going to the toilet, saying he could barely walk the five feet from the bed to the toilet “and I had to pee as quickly as possible, chest heaving with the labor of breathing, because I was going to collapse if I stood too long.” Prior to getting sick, Lat has run the NYC Marathon twice and walked 25 miles a week, aside from three high-intensity interval training classes at the gym. He was also a fast eater but “Today it took my 90 minutes to eat my lunch - because I kept getting winded as I ate. Who DOES that? I’m so weak, the fork wobbled each time I lifted it to my mouth.” Lat’s husband had “a lowlevel flu that seems to have almost run its course after about a week.” “But for those who get severe cases, like me, it’s been hell,” he said. For the past ten days and counting, it has been a combination of fever, fatigue, joint aches, chills, cough, and respiratory difficulty “with no real improvement.” Lat thanked “the talented and hardworking (but very understaffed) team” at NYU Langone Medical Center and
his family and friends for their “prayers, sympathies and good wishes.” Lat’s parents are watching after his two-year-old son Harlan in Saddle River, New Jersey while his dads are ill. “The city’s not a great place for kids these days. Kids don’t tend to get much in the way of coronavirus symptoms but they can carry it, something that my fellow parents should bear in mind,” Lat said. Lat is the founder of the legal blog Above the Law, a website about law firms and the legal profession. Family tragedy Penn Baluyut, a local community leader, also took to social media to share the story of his brother who passed away after contracting the virus, in an effort to alert the community about how dangerous this virus is. “With sincere intentions, I am sad and obliged to inform everyone of my brother Arriba Ed Baluyut death as a victim of the virus,” Penn wrote in a message, now widely shared within the Fil-Am community in New York. Baluyut’s brother Ed was based in the Philippines. “I am making this public
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Dateline USa
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PAGE 2 announcement to save anyone from this deadly virus. If Ed’s death story can save one family then his death will not go in vain,” he wrote. Their older sister from Chicago arrived from Singapore on February 22 after spending a week in Manila to take care of their youngest brother who lives in Singapore with lung cancer. She stayed in Singapore for five weeks. Their families in Manila gave her dinner and despedida parties and their brother Ed was her official driver. The sister then left for Chicago last February 28. Ed and his wife Ging got sick on March 8 with fever and coughing. “Ed became worse and rushed to the hospital where he died the following day and tested positive of the virus last March 12. His wife is still critical with the virus,” he added. Their sister in Chicago and her husband are also sick. Their brother-in-law in Manila who always hosts the dinners and parties is also sick with the symptoms of the virus. “For two weeks my families in Chicago had dinners and welcome parties with everybody. Five families in Chicago. Everybody is under 14 days of self-quarantine now,” Penn shared. He is calling on the community to be safe and called on people who travelled from other countries or states to practice self-quarantine for 14 days. “Do not let your families…see you or visit. From [the] airport, you must remove your clothes and shoes straight to laundry to wash or put in [a] big black bag. Inform your family to prepare your change of clothes and not bring your clothes inside the house,” he said. First Filipino COVID-19 casualty
had COVID-19. Her father also tested positive for COVID-19. All family and friends who have been exposed to her parents are in isolation and quarantine. “No one knows how they contracted COVID-19, but Manila is a crowded, internationally mix city of 13 million people. Speculations as to where they got it from [are] unknown, and we are leaving that to the Department of Health,” she said. These speculations have led to social media posts about her parents and Paqueo said she wanted to clarify the gossip that has been going around, saying that her parents have not traveled anywhere domestically or internationally. “To compound the grief and pain, rumors and malicious misinformation have circulated on social media about my parents. This has all resulted in panic, violence, threats and stigmatization of our family and loved ones. Disclosure of private information has circulated as well,” she said. While her father also tested positive for COVID-19, Liza said he is now “in stable condition and in quarantine.” “The Department of Health is now working with the hospitals and her father on epidemiological protocols around this infection,” she said. Like Lat, Paqueo is calling on the people who may have met with her parents in Manila to come out and take precautions. “If you have been around my parents between February 29 (when my mother first reported symptoms) and her death on March 11, then we encourage you to self-isolate for 14 days. And if you have a fever and a cough, please report to the Department of Health. It is the responsible thing to do. There is no stigma with this disease,” she wrote. n
Small Fil Am businesses struggle amidst lockdown How 3 Fil-Am families are coping... by MoMar
G. Visaya
AJPress
FILIPINO restaurants in New York are feeling the pinch as the lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic forced them to drastically cut their operations, doing away with dine in and focusing only on pick up, to go or delivery. Restaurants in the city are among the particularly hardhit and the restrictions made by the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut earlier this week compound this hardship. Chef owners have resorted into various strategies in order to survive. For a couple of days this week, Aris Tuazon of Ugly Kitchen announced that his team will be accepting orders for lunch delivery to midtown and upper Manhattan. Leah Cohen of Pig & Khao is selling their $100 gift cards for 25 percent off. It has even come to the point where some of the owners have resorted to fundraising through sites such as GoFundMe in order to support their employees. Among the restaurants who have set their online fundraisers are Tsismis NYC and Jeepney. Geena Rocero, a friend of Jeepney’s Nicole Ponseca announced on Instagram that
she will be cooking chicken adobo in the restaurant on Thursday evening for their IG live fundraising to benefit the restaurant’s Employee Relief Fund. They will also be selling gift cards and merchandise like t-shirts. “As many of you know @ jeepneynyc is Home and an important space for Filipinx Culture that now needs our support,” she posted. Jappy Afzelius also fast tracked the release of Tsismis NYC gift cards, which they were planning to launch in June as they celebrate their first anniversary. “At the current state of the restaurant industry we will need your support in order to bounce back from this global catastrophe,” Afzelius said. “The support of our patrons and the local community will enable us to continue our operation once it’s safe to resume.” Some of them, like Purple Yam in Brooklyn and Tsismis in the Lower East Side have decided to close shop until further notice. The restaurant industry is already projecting a $225 billion sales decline and between five to seven million jobs lost just in the next three months, a Forbes article said. According to the New York State Labor Department, New
York City employed 315,200 workers in the food service and drinking venues in 2018 at an average yearly wage of $31,500. “I’m normally pretty upbeat but this has been one of the roughest weeks for everybody,” chef and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson told his followers on Instagram. “I hope we get through this together.” It’s an industry problem now since everyone is affected. Even leaders and high-profile chefs have been feeling the burn. “We are taking the most distasteful medicine we have ever ingested for the purpose of being around when the sun shines again,” said restaurateur Danny Meyer in a video announcing layoffs at his Union Square Hospitality Group. Among Mayer’s restaurants are considered as Manhattan mainstays such as the Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Tavern. Meyer said that approximately 2,000 workers will be laid off, representing about 80 percent of its total workforce, according to the Eater food blog. Fellow celebrity chef Tom Colicchio said he had to lay off 300 people at his Crafted Hospitality restaurant group this week. n
2 Filipinos named 2020 Young Global Leaders PAGE 1 Editor, an accomplished and pioneering digital journalist in Africa; and, Alicia Garza, United States civil rights activist and editorial writer. “Each year, the Forum of Young Global Leaders identifies the world’s most promising leaders under the age of 40— people driving innovation for positive change across civil society, arts, culture, government and business. By connecting them to a community of remarkable peers and investing further in their leadership abilities, the aim is to create a ripple effect over five years that benefits their organizations and the world,” said Mariah Levin, head of the Forum of YGLs at the WEF. It is the first time since 2015 that Filipinos passed the WEF’s stringent global screening for the YGL community. Atilano, founder and CEO of Marinduque-based Agrea Agricultural Systems International Inc., has had 21 years of experience in sustainable food systems and inclusive agribusiness as an advocate of women and youth in agriculture, agri-
technology, malnutrition eradication and the responsible production and consumption for the future of food. She is a multiawarded entrepreneur and high-level ambassador of the United Nations Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement. She is an honoree of The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Class of 2018 and was also awarded one of The Outstanding Women in the Nations Service (TOWNS) in 2016. She is also part of Asia Society’s Asia21 Young Leaders Class of 2017. Motte-Muñoz is the founder and CEO of Edukasyon.ph, the largest youth platform in the Philippines empowering more than 10 million student visitors each year to find and take their path from education to career. His work in education technology and social entrepreneurship has been recognized by global and regional organizations including the Asia CEO Awards (Young Leader of the Year 2019), Financial Times and International Finance Corporation (Transformational Business Award 2017), Forbes
(30 Under 30 Asia 2016) and Asia Society (21 Young Leaders 2015). Motte-Muñoz is also cofounder and director of anticorruption NGO bantay.ph. “I’m humbled and honored to be joining far more impressive folks in this year’s batch of Young Global Leaders, alongside Cherrie Atilano,” MotteMuñoz said in an email. “The goal of this forum is to create a world where leaders take responsibility for a sustainable future. Being part of this leadership program is especially meaningful for me because, by nature of what we do at Edukasyon.ph, I represent not just myself or my team, but 20 million young Filipinos who are finding their place in the world and their role in building our future. So, I’m grateful for this opportunity to learn from and exchange ideas with such a diverse group of individuals, but also take pride in leveraging this global platform to share and help develop the great things that young Filipinos are capable of,” he said. n
Liza Paqueo (left) with her mother Nida Cortes Paqueo, who died in Manila on Wednesday, March 11 from COVID-19. Photo courtesy of Liza « Paqueo/Facebook
The daughter of ‘PH35’, the first Filipino to succumb to COVID-19 shared her grief on social media last Friday. Liza Paqueo broke her family’s silence with a Facebook post announcing the passing of her mother, Nida Cortes Paqueo, who died in Manila on Wednesday, March 11 shortly after her 67th birthday. “A few hours ago, my beautiful mother, Nida, was cremated. She died alone without her loving family and friends around her. She was cremated, alone, without ceremony or tribute,” Liza Paqueo posted. Paqueo grieved the fact that she and her brothers who are all in the United States, were not there for their parents. “She was healthy and fit. She went into the hospital on March 5 with localized pneumonia,” Paqueo said. “A couple of days later, my father was admitted into the hospital.” “My father is alone as well. He is at a Manila hospital, he is in deep grief over the loss of his wife of 47 years, the love of his life,” she lamented. “We are not allowed to visit my dad. We are not allowed to manage and advocate for him.” Paqueo said that they received the news on Wednesday that her mom passed away and
Tri-state governors set shutdowns and curfews...
PAGE 1 ernment to do what it’s supposed to be doing.” Lamont echoed Cuomo’s comments, adding that the “feds have been asleep at the switch” and that working together on a united basis would give “people that sense of urgency that we’re doing what we can.” “If you have any option at all, stay home. If you’re over 60, 70, stay home. If your grandchild wants to visit you, stay home and say you’re going to learn to FaceTime because these are the folks who are, by far, the most vulnerable,” Lamont added.
Murphy said cancelling events with 50 or more people along with closing schools and institutions of higher education has become necessary in order to encourage social distancing and get residents to stay home and play their role in slowing the spread of the virus. “We can’t say this enough that everyone needs to stay in and be safe,” Murphy said. “Just because you don’t feel sick and this is a particular shutout to our young people, it doesn’t mean you aren’t carrying the virus. The last thing anyone should be thinking about is going out and poten-
tially spreading the disease.” He announced later in the evening the third death of an individual with coronavirus in the state. The man, in his 90s, was being treated at Hackensack University Medical Center in Bergen County. Bergen County has the highest case count of coronavirus in the state. The first death was recorded on March 10, the second death was announced on March 12. State officials reported that the coronavirus presumptive positive case count had risen from 98 on Sunday to 178 on Monday. PAGE 7
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 20-26, 2020
OPINION
FEATURES
Opportunity in crisis THE travel and tourism industry has been battered by the 2019 coronavirus disease contagion. Smaller businesses are shutting down and workers are losing their jobs, with the trend expected to continue in the coming weeks as the country joins the rest of the planet in efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Across the country, several top tourist destinations are shutting out visitors, especially from Metro Manila, now the epicenter of the contagion in the country. Sagada and other destinations in the Cordilleras can take advantage of the shutdown to rehabilitate heavily visited sites. Amid all the woes, people can make the best of a crisis situation by seeing it as an opportunity to clean up travel destinations, and if resources permit, to upgrade facilities and services. Boracay has shown the way in cleaning up and controlling the number of visitors. Before the novel coronavirus reached the Philippines, there were already ongoing clean-
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ups and rehabilitation of travel destinations, among them El Nido in Palawan. The Baguio City government together with the Department of Tourism had unveiled a plan to revive popular spots such as Burnham Park and restore the pine forests of the country’s summer capital. With fewer visitors, the task should be easier. In Metro Manila, the ongoing cleanup of Manila Bay, Pasig River and its tributaries is also meant to boost tourism apart from improving the environment. With the National Capital Region under community quarantine for a month, the cleanup should be easier and must be ramped up. Even Catholic churches, where attendance has fallen because of the virus scare, can use the break for restoration work – although they might need contributions from devotees because the ManilaTimes.net photo COVID contagion has also meant a plunge in church collections during masses. part of overall efforts to revive the travel industry Churches are among the top tourist draws in once the COVID-19 pandemic is contained. the country, so restoration projects should be This contagion isn’t going to last forever.
Editorial
The US is now nearing the tipping point in the coronavirus outbreak: Social distancing, obedience and cooperation may save your life! tragedy that Italians are going through right now. Italy has the second oldest population among the nations on earth, and the younger generations are very sociable people who are very much present GEL SANTOS-RELOS in the lives of their elderly loved EXPERTS monitoring the ones. Very much like Filipinos, coronavirus outbreak warn right? that if we, as a nation and as a The number of people who people, do not implement and died of the coronavirus panfollow drastic measures and demic in Italy has topped the preparations for the inevitable 2,500 mark, as of press time. surge in the number of those The first cases of COVID-19 in infected by the disease, then the country were confirmed on we may very well be on track January 31, 2020, and started to experience the chaos and off with two Chinese tourists
The Fil-Am Perspective
who visited Rome tested positive for the virus. Italy reported an increase of 16% in the death toll just in the last 24 hours — adding 345 new deaths to a total of 2,503 — according to an Al Jazeera report. When it comes to the number of COVID-19 infected cases, the total rose to 31,506 from the previously reported number of 27,980 — a spike of 12.6% — and this is the “slowest rate of increase” since February 21. Al Jazeera further reported that Italy is the counPAGE 7
When the crisis is over, everyone should be ready for the revival of business – and stiff competition. (Philstar.com)
AAPIs bear the brunt of GOP rhetoric on coronavirus outbreak
Commentary
SEEMA NANDA, REP. GRACE MENG, AND BEL LEONG-HONG ACROSS the country, COVID19 is taking its toll. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that despite the continued lack of widespread testing, they have identified more than 10,000 infections across all 50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. After weeks of inaction by the federal government to the spread of this deadly virus, President Trump’s administration is finally moving to address the fast-moving crisis. Sadly,
the work of dedicated government officials continues to be scrambled by the White House’s parallel efforts to protect Trump from criticism and to buttress the misinformation coming from the president himself. Unfortunately, part of the White House and the GOP’s strategy to shift blame over the government’s paralysis in addressing this crisis is their increasing use of dog-whistle politics through xenophobia. On March 9, GOP Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy called COVID19 “Chinese coronavirus.” The day prior, Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar called it the “Wuhan Virus” during his announcement that he may have been
exposed to the virus. Most recently, President Trump has defended labeling COVID-19 the “Chinese virus,” and his ongoing focus on the travel-related spread of the virus goes against the reality on the ground, where the recent spike in infections is happening through community transmission. The language they choose glosses over the fact that panic and fear are spreading because of Trump’s inability to lead. Instead, they chose that classic GOP tactic of blaming communities of color and immigrant communities for their party’s failures to lead. PAGE 10
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.
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Dateline PhiliPPines
Duterte to work under medical supervision PH gov’t agencies told: Strictly enforce water conservation measures
MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte will be working under a doctor’s medical supervision from here on, Sen. Bong Go confirmed on Thursday, March 19. According to Go, the president’s former aide and de facto spokesperson, Duterte would continue to work and would opt not to undergo self-quarantine for now. This, despite the chief executive’s consistent and close contact with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, who has been confirmed to undergo self-quarantine. Duque was tested for possible transmission of the new coronavirus and will be working from home for the time being. His results have not been released as of this writing. On Tuesday, March 17 Go also disclosed that the Duterte family, including presidential children Paolo, Sebastian and Veronica and his partner Honeylet Avanceña got tested for COVID-19. Asked about the reason behind the family’s decision to
reduced allocation for the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to 20 cubic meters per MANILA — President Ro- second or 50 percent of the drigo Duterte has ordered all total allocation requirement of government agencies to strictly the NIA for the dry cropping implement water conservation season in agricultural areas measures as the dry season served by the Angat Dam, such nears. as the provinces of Bulacan and In his Administrative Or- Pampanga. der No. 24, Duterte said that In issuing the order, Duterte President Rodrigo Duterte inspects a checkpoint on the first day of the “enhanced based on the projections of cited the “urgent need to imcommunity quarantine” in Luzon on Tuesday, March 17. the National Water Resources plement water conservation Photo courtesy of PSG thorugh PCOO Usec. Lorraine Badoy Board (NWRB), the water level measures to avert looming have themselves tested, Go ter, also tested negative for in Angat Dam will be below its water crisis and in order to said, “Para makasigurado (Just the virus after she underwent normal high operating level of attain at least a 20 percent self-quarantine owing to her 210 meters from the months reduction on water consumpto be sure).” The president has already attendance at a hearing at of January to March 2020 and tion especially within the areas tested negative earlier, al- the Senate hours before it below its minimum operating served by Angat Dam, includthough this was before his was placed on lockdown on level of 180 meters from the ing Metro Manila and parts interactions with Duque this March 11. months of April and May. of Cavite, Rizal, and Bulacan According to the Health week. Considering the said projec- provinces.” It is unclear if the decision department’s screening tool tions, the President said that the Last March 2019, the capital to place him under medical for possible cases, the three NRWB has reduced the water region suffered the worst water supervision is linked to the factors indicating possible con- allocations for the Metropolitan crisis in years, leaving famiHealth secretary’s decision, traction of the virus are signs Waterworks and Sewerage lies to wait hours to get their and Duque has yet to respond and symptoms, travel history, System (MWSS) from its normal daily water supply from tanker to Philstar.com’s request for and history of exposure to con- demand of 44 cubic meters per trucks as the Angat Dam water firmed cases or other persons second to 40 cubic meters per level dipped. comment. Sara Duterte-Carpio, the under investigation. (Philstar. second for January. Duterte asked government chief executive’s eldest daugh- com) The government likewise agencies, government-owned by Darryl John
EsguErra
Inquirer.net
or -controlled corporations and state universities, especially those located within areas served by the Angat Dam, to urgently implement water conservation measures in coordination with El Niño Task Force and the NWRB. The El Niño Task Force, meanwhile, is ordered to spearhead a massive information campaign on water conservation in traditional and social media platforms, schools, subdivisions and government offices. All local government units, especially those served by Angat Dam, are also ordered to issue advisories and enact ordinances that will protect water supply within their respective jurisdictions. The Department of Interior and Local Government will monitor the compliance of concerned LGUs with the Presidential directive. Failure to comply will result in the filing of appropriate administrative charges. n
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Dateline PhiliPPines
Tri-state governors set shutdowns and curfews... PAGE 4 Bergenfield declares state of emergency The Borough of Bergenfield’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM), upon the recommendation of Mayor Arvin Amatorio and the Council, has officially declared a State of Emergency in order to ensure that the borough has the necessary policies in place to respond to the COVID-19/Coronavirus pandemic. “While our community has thus far seen fewer positive test results than some of our neighboring towns, we are taking this proactive step to ensure that we are ready to respond to an increase in cases among our residents,” said Mayor Amatorio. “Declaring a State of Emergency will remove regulatory barriers, and I am hopeful that this decisive action will send a signal to all residents to take this crisis seriously and practice social distancing in order to slow the spread of the virus.” Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco on Monday, March 16 amended the Executive Order he issued last week declaring a State of Emergency in Bergen County to include the temporary closure of shopping centers, offices and other facilities. County parks shall remain open only for passive recreation in groups no bigger than four individuals. “These decisions are not made easily, but I don’t want to be reading names off a paper of people who are no longer with us,” Tedesco said. “If anyone wants to challenge my decisions, that is their right.” Curfew set in Jersey City Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop has also closed bars, nightclubs, movie theaters, malls, gyms and fitness centers. Fulop also confirmed that the city has recorded its fourth positive case. “We were the first in the country last week to implement any restrictions on any sort of establishments in the city, and being that social distancing is the best solution, we will be expanding our limitations to different establishments,” Fulop said on Monday. Aside from the aforementioned places, the following places will also be closed: barber shops, daycare centers, nail salons, and non-urgent medical offices including, dental offices, physical therapy clinics, chiropractor offices, and all state licensed cosmetology establishments.
NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • mARch 20-26, 2020
Reds welcome with caution unilateral ceasefire
DAVAO CITY —-The leadership of the communist movement in the country welcomes with some apprehension the unilateral ceasefire declaration of President Duterte on Wednesday, March 18. Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison said the rebel movement is still searching for a clear basis before they reciprocate the ceasefire declaration. Duterte on Wednesday announced, through presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, the ceasefire, ordering all government forces to cease and desist all operations against communist fighters from March 19 to April 15. The government explained that the unilateral ceasefire order is part of efforts to contain the further spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country. “There is communication going on between the GRP
(Government of the Republic of the Philippines) and NDFP (National Democratic Front of the Philippines) negotiating panels. But there is yet no agreement for reciprocal unilateral ceasefires in connection with certain considerations, requirements, and modalities. There has to be catch-up on these matters, if still possible,” Sison said. Calling the declaration premature, Sison said that the NDF is “not assured and satisfied” that the ceasefire is based on national unity against the effects of the pandemic in the country. “Unless it receives sufficient assurances from the GRP, the NDFP will be inclined to think that the GRP unilateral ceasefire declaration is not sincere and is not intended to invite reciprocation by the NDFP but is meant to be a mere psywar (psychological war) trick,” Sison added. Sison explained that the apprehensions of the communist movement is based on several recent experiences including
the attacks on legal activists and the alleged “militarist” lockdown in Luzon. “Despite all the above, the NDFP continues to hope that the GRP and NDFP negotiating panels come to clear terms on certain considerations, requirements and modalities for the benefit of the people. Promises of Duterte, such as doing a good turn from a good heart, can be believed only as they are realized promptly and according to a definite schedule,” Sison said. The peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front successfully completed four productive rounds until it collapsed after martial law was declared throughout Mindanao following the hostilities in Marawi City in 2017. One of the major achievements in the negotiations was the initial agreements on social and economic reforms including the basic principle of an agrarian reform program founded on free land distribution. n
PAGE 5 try in Europe hardest hit by the coronavirus. As a result, the Telegraph reported that “victims in Italy will be denied access to intensive care if they are aged 80 or more or in poor health should pressure on beds increase, a document prepared by a crisis management unit in Turin proposes.” In effect, some patients denied intensive care will be left to die, doctors fear. While this may sound so cruel and sad, this is just a fact of life and a protocol to follow when there is a scarcity of resources just like in a pandemic or a war where there may be mass casualties. Those who will have higher chances of survival and recovery are prioritized given the limited resources and insufficient bed spaces. Unfortunately, lolos and lolas 80 and above have lower chances of survival, not to mention that many of them have underlying conditions because of old age. This is the principle and protocol followed in almost all hospitals. On a global scale, the World Health Organization (WHO) is reporting that to date, as of press time, COVID-19 has infected more than 184,000 people and has taken the lives of at least 7,500. In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting that as of Tuesday, March 17, the total cases are 4,226 while the total
deaths are 75. Time reported that right now, the number of new cases of confirmed infection in the U.S. is doubling every four days. This puts us on a trajectory towards becoming Italy. Is this the direction we want to take? The report further stated that a research team at Imperial College London published a new study on March 16 “suggesting that without taking control measures, there would be about 2.2 million deaths in the U.S.” Do we want this? Do we want to be part of the death toll statistics? As Time wrote: “We could still avoid this catastrophic scenario. We will need to act urgently, ruthlessly, and aggressively to adopt five key measures that helped to flatten the curve in places like Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea.” 1. Testing Why is it so critical for us to have a massive surge in testing? People who are sick need to get the right diagnosis and clinical care. We know, for example, that if you are hospitalized with COVID-19, there’s a high chance you’ll need transfer to the intensive care unit. People with mild symptoms who get tested can self-isolate and help stop the spread of the virus. If one person has the disease, we can then test those they have been in contact with (known as “contact tracing”).
In other words, testing and contact tracing can help to break the chain of transmission. Countries that have flattened the curve made testing widely and freely available, using innovative approaches like mass drive-thru test centers. South Korea has been conducting around 12,000-15,000 tests every day, and has the capacity to do 20,000 daily. While it is hard to get accurate estimates, the CDC reports that only around 25,000 tests have been conducted in total nationwide by CDC or public health labs in the U.S.—compare this with the roughly 250,000 tests that South Korea has done to date. 2. Communicate and coordinate There’s one striking message from a new analysis of how Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan were able to contain COVID-19. In all three locations, there was excellent communication and coordination between different government departments and between the central and regional governments. In Singapore, for example, “there are almost daily meetings between Regional Health System managers, hospital leaders, and the Ministry of Health.” Clear COVID-19 plans and protocols are in place so that all key players at all levels of the health system know what they are supposed to do. PAGE 10
by Karlos
Manlupig Inquirer.net
The US is now nearing the tipping point in...
Times Square is normally filled with tourists and vehicles but it was almost empty On Wednesday evening as bars and restaurants became take-out, delivery or pick up only and public spaces like theaters and gyms were forced to closed. Photos courtesy of Josh Vasquez
All restaurants in the city are now prohibited from providing dine-in services,
but will be allowed to have take-out, delivery, and drivethrough services. n
march 20-26, 2020 • NEW YOrK aND NEW JErSEY aSIaN JOUrNaL
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10 march 20-26, 2020 • NEW YOrK aND NEW JErSEY aSIaN JOUrNaL
Dateline PhiliPPines
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PH gov’t lifts 72-hour window for outbound flights by ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
GOD IS EVERYWHERE. A woman prays outside the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo City. Churches were also closed after Luzon was placed under community quarantine on Monday, March 16. ManilaTimes.net photo by John Orven Verdote
Phivolcs lowers Taal status to Alert Level 1 Alert Level 2 on 14 February 2020 as been characterized by low-level volcanic earthquake MANILA — The Philip- activity, stabilizing ground pine Institute of Volcanology deformation of the Taal Caland Seismology on Thursday, dera and Taal Volcano Island March 19 downgraded Taal edifices and weak surface Volcano to Alert Level 1, two activity at the Main Crater and months since its eruption. the Daang Kastila fissure.” This means there “no erupState volcanologists howtion is imminent” in Taal. ever reminded that Alert Level In its 8 a.m. bulletin, Phil- 1 means that Taal is “still volcs said: “Taal Volcano’s in abnormal condition and condition in the succeeding should not be interpreted four weeks after step-down to that unrest has ceased or that by Kristine Joy
Philstar.com
Patag
the threat of an eruption has disappeared. Taal woke up from its slumber on January 12, unleashing kilometers-high ash column and lava fountain the next day, signalling. The restive activity led to the evacuation of thousands living on the volcano island and high-risk areas and destruction of houses and establishments in Batangas. The volcano’s status was scaled down to Alert Level 3 two weeks later. n
The US is now nearing the tipping point in... PAGE 7
There’s also explicit, detailed [FACTUAL SCIENCE-BASED] information given daily to the public on the state of the outbreak. 3. Use social distancing to protect the vulnerable Social distancing means staying away from places where people congregate (movie theaters, bars, restaurants, shopping centers), avoiding mass gatherings (like religious services and concerts), and maintaining a distance of at least six feet from other people. Countries that flattened the curve have taken a variety of approaches to breaking community transmission, from school and office closures to suspending public transportation. People can transmit the virus without knowing they are infected. When we decide to have a beer or cocktail at our favorite crowded bar, we could end up spreading the coronavirus to our friend, who then transmits it to their aging mother who has heart disease and who could end up getting sick or even dying. We are all potential links in the transmission chain, which is why social distancing is so important.
4. Protect our health workers We need to protect these heroes—our national shortage of protective equipment means doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and other frontline workers are getting infected and risk death. Rapidly scaling up and deploying the production of protective equipment for health workers is not just a public health necessity. It’s also a moral emergency. 5. Expect and plan for a rise in cases As Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has warned, “things will get worse than they are right now.” Every health care setting across the country, especially hospitals, should take steps now to prepare for a rise in cases, including scaling up their supplies of equipment such as ventilators. WHAT DO WE DO? If we want to follow the success story of South Korea, then we should stop complaining about the inconveniences the drastic measures being done now — social distancing, washing your hands, staying at home, closure of schools
and non-essential businesses like theaters, bars, gym, malls, restaurants, and casinos, work from home, shelter in place, self-quarantine or community lockdown, etc — but these sacrifices are important to our being safe and alive, especially the most vulnerable. We are all in this together. Just follow the directives of the local and federal government and show good examples of obedience and cooperation to your children. The sooner we all get our act together, the sooner will our healing and going back to our normal life will be. Are we overreacting as some of you have been arguing? Well, the clock is ticking. As Dr. Anthony Fauci warns: “If it looks like you’re overreacting, you’re probably doing the right thing.” *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@ icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos. Relos.
THE 72-hour deadline for international travelers to leave the Philippines has been lifted, the government announced on Wednesday, March 18. The updated announcement from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases will allow overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), balikbayans, and foreigners to leave the country through any of the ports in Luzon at any time during the “enhanced community quarantine” period, provided they travel only to the airport within 24 hours of the date and time of their departure. “OFWs, balikbayans, and foreigners leaving for abroad through any of the ports in Luzon shall be allowed to leave the Philippines at any time for the duration of the enhanced community quarantine, provided that proof of international travel itinerary scheduled within 24 hours must be presented,” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles confirmed on Wednesday. The Philippine Department of Transportation on Tuesday had previously given international airports in the country a 72-hour window to accommodate foreigners seeking to leave the Philippines, after which all gateways from the mainland will be closed in compliance with the enhanced community quaran-
Foreigners flock to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal (NAIA) 1 on Thursday, March 19 after the government lifted a 72-hour deadline for travelers to leave Luzon, Philstar.com photo by Krizjohn Rosales
tine enforced in Luzon. Under the new guidelines, Nograles said that departing passengers are allowed to be accompanied by only one person to any international port, who should depart immediately after dropping off the passenger. The accompanying person must also carry a copy of the e-ticket or itinerary. Nograles added that the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration “may provide transportation services to OFWs intending to leave for abroad.” “This provision shall not be interpreted to allow outbound travel by Filipinos to jurisdictions where travel restrictions are in place,” he stressed. Inbound international passengers, meanwhile, are allowed entry, subject to strict immigration and quarantine protocols. Filipino tourists, however,
are barred from leaving the country. The previous travel restrictions for arriving passengers remain in place. “Our travel restrictions for foreign nationals arriving from China, Hong Kong, Macau, North Gyeongsang including Daegu and Cheongdo of South Korea, Iran, and Italy still stand,” announced Philippine Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente. President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, March 16, placed Luzon on an “enhanced community quarantine” to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Philippines. Airlines such as Philippine Airlines, AirAsia, and Cebu Pacific all announced the cancellation of their flights in support of government regulations addressing the COVID19 outbreak. n
AAPIs bear the brunt of GOP rhetoric on...
PAGE 5 It may be easy to dismiss the negative reactions to these tweets as an over-reaction as McCarthy suggests, but the increasing xenophobia that results from the government’s continued inaction to stop the spread of the infection is having real-world consequences. While Americans are left untreated and untested for possible infection, more than 1,000 acts of racism and discrimination--or 37 per day--have been perpetrated against people of Asian descent. As Americans panic over the lack of clear guidance from the Trump administration, Asianowned businesses are suffering throughout the country due to the erroneous association between Asian Americans and the deadly virus. While Trump blames the virus on China, Chinese Americans are feeling increasingly isolated and targeted because of the president’s willingness to amplify misinformation.
Instead of alleviating the suffering of Americans whose lives are being directly impacted by the panic that resulted from the government’s inaction, the GOP is diverting blame and responsibility in order to protect Trump’s fragile ego. But this should not come as a surprise, as the GOP has shown that they offer nothing to everyday Americans other than mismanagement and lack of leadership in the service of protecting Trump’s cult of personality. This crisis — along with the countless self-manufactured crises that have become the defining hallmarks of the Trump administration — has laid bare exactly what is at stake during this year’s election, and why we must all put a stop to Trump and the GOP before they continue to destroy our country through paralysis and lack of leadership. For Asian Americans, it is clear that we must choose elected officials up and down the ballot who will not resort to racist innuendos to scapegoat
our community or any other communities of color for the failures of a president. We deserve better than the cult of personality that the GOP offers, and we have the power to change the direction of our country in November. *** Seema Nanda is the first AAPI CEO of the Democratic National Committee and she will be responsible for executing the DNC’s national strategy during this year’s crucial election. Previously she was the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Rep. Grace Meng is the Vice Chair for the DNC and the first AAPI member of Congress from New York. She represents the 6th district of New York, which includes the New York City borough of Queens. Bel Leong-Hong is the National Chair of the DNC’s AAPI Caucus, a leadership role she has held since 2005. She is also the Founder and CEO of Knowledge Advantage, Inc. and previously served in the U.S. Department of Defense for 20 years.
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • mARch 20-26, 2020
COMMUNITY Journal
11
April 2020 priority dates
Immigration Corner
The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows: FAMILY CATEGORY:
Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ
First Preference
EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have to wait until it becomes current again. Beginning in October 2015, the format of the Visa Bulletin changed, in that a new column was added, called the “Application Filing Date.” If a person’s priority date is earlier than the Application Filing Date, they can already file for adjustment of status and work authorization (provided they are otherwise eligible and USCIS indicates on its website it will use the Application Filing Date for that month). This could allow people to obtain work authorization much sooner than before, where they had to wait for the priority date to be current (in the Visa Issuance or Final Action Date column) in order to both file for adjustment and be eligible for a green card.
Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens (over 21 years of age)
Application Filing Date
Visa Issuance Date
November 01, 2010
March 01, 2010
(2A) Spouse and Second Preference minor children (below February 01, 21 years old) of green 2020 card holders
Current
(2B) Unmarried sons October 01, and daughters (21 years old or older) 2010 of green card holders
February 01, 2010
Third Preference
married sons and daughters of US citizens
January 15, 2001
May 15, 2000
Fourth Preference
Brothers and sisters of US citizens
January 01, 2001
May 01, 2000
Application Filing Date
Visa Issuance Date
LABOR CERTIFICATION:
Second Preference
Advanced Degree (masters)
Current
Current
Third Preference
Professional/ Skilled Workers
January 01, 2019
January 01, 2017
Other Workers
Non-Skilled Workers
January 01, 2019
January 01, 2017
*** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty,
guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/ GurfinkelLaw and Twitter @ GurfinkelLaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)
Catriona’s reminder: ‘We’re in this together’
AMID the global challenge of the Coronavirus disease, Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray this week reminded the world, “We’re in this together.” “So many places in our world are so contrastingly empty now as we all stay in our homes in the interest of public safety. In isolation and uncertain times it’s PAGE 13
Catriona Gray
Photo from Instagram/@catriona_gray
Family petitioning Family For employment-based green card. many people believe the only way to bring a family member to the U.s. is through a family petition. Auntie Eva started as a caregiver when she first set foot on American soil. Through the years, she was able to put up her own six-bed facility, but desperately needed help. Eva’s niece, Russell, just finished her nursing courses back in the Philippines. While watching an episode of Citizen Pinoy, Eva learned a valuable lesson: family members in the U.S. who have businesses that are financially stable can legally petition relatives for an employment-based green card (PERM/labor certification). Watch this informative episode on how Atty. Gurfinkel’s office was able to complete all the necessary requirements, and help Tita Eva get the much-needed help for her facility (and a green card for her family member) on an encore episode of Citizen Pinoy. (Advertising Supplement)
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MARCH 20-26, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL
Health@Heart PhiliP S. ChuA, Md, FACS, FPCS HERE are some medical facts and practical Do-ItYourself (DIY) measures to ward off the COVID-19 infection that is now a serious pandemic. CAVEAT: A clean wellventilated home is our safest sanctuary. Self-quarantine by everyone around the world will help end this pandemic much sooner. Wisdom and a healthy dose of rational fear and paranoia (medical vigilance) will also be beneficial for safety. Is COVID-19 worse than the Flu? As far as the number of cases and mortality rate are concerned, COVID19, as of March 18, 2020, 3:22 PM, GMT, there were 208,172 cases worldwide, with 8,272 deaths in 170 countries, including the following: China – 80,894, deaths - 3,237; Italy – 31,506, deaths - 2503; Iran – 17,361, deaths - 1135; Spain – 13,910, deaths - 623; USA (all 50 States) – 7,387, deaths - 116; Philippines – 202, deaths - 17. The numbers are expected to go higher as hours go by, because the crisis has not yet peaked. Two physicians, as of March 17, died from COVID-19. Evidently this is a more virulent and more easily transmissible virus than we thought. Selfquarantine at home and “crowd-control, city and country lockdowns” are vital to end this pandemic sooner. According to the US-CDC report, “during the 20192020 Flu season in the USA, more than 26 million have fallen ill with the regular flu, 250,000 hospitalized, and 4,000 died.” These medical data will keep the situation in its proper perspective and prevent panic and chaos, but we must, nonetheless, be ever vigilant and not let down our guard, and adjust/modify our behavior and habits accordingly. As we now know, COVID-19 could be deadly, with a 2 to 3 percent average mortality, and almost 15 percent for those 80 and above with health issues and people with the highest risk (like those immune-compromised). Why are people very
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DiY strategy vs cOViD-19 scared about this pandemic? It is normal for people to be scared of the unknown. SARS-CoV2 is a new virus we do not know and for which we do not have immunity, nor a vaccine nor a cure. Vaccine for the flu does not work for COVID19. Officially the infection has been designated as COVID-19, the “19” referring to the year it was first detected in Wuhan, Hubei, China. Since the virus is transmitted by respiratory droplets from sneezes and coughs of infected persons, it is easily transmitted to another person (within 4 to 6 feet), and spreads very fast. Again, a clean well-ventilated home is our safest sanctuary. Self-quarantine by everyone around the world will help end this pandemic much sooner. A healthy dose of rational fear and paranoia (medical vigilance) will also be beneficial for safety. Do masks work? A bit of good news: A study in Singapore among healthcare providers showed that regular surgical masks and the superior N95 model both appear to prevent getting COVID-19. But, obviously, for those not providing medical care, is it is best to stay home. The less exposure to the outside, the safer. Why even risk it? Can I catch the virus from touching objects, surfaces? The SARS-CoV2 virus has been found in respiratory secretions and saliva and is suspected to survive on surfaces between a few hours and up to 9 days. According to CDC, touching packages, letters, other objects from China is safe; “transmissibility of coronaviruses from contaminated surfaces to hands were not found. However, it could be shown with influenza A virus that a contact of 5 [seconds] can transfer 31.6% of the viral load to the hands.” More precise data would be forthcoming as scientists learn more about this virus. Again, washing hands after touching any object with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and drying them well, is essential. If water is not available, hand sanitizers would be a good temporary option. I have no symptoms, could I get tested?
The test is recommended for those with symptoms and those who have or may have been exposed to infected persons. COVID-19 testing kits are in great demand and the needs for those who are exposed or with symptoms are still hardly met, just like the masks, so we must all exercise medical wisdom and compassion for those who need the test more urgently. Testing the entire population of any city or country is not medically sound nor practical, nor wise, and only a massive waste of resources with minimal returns. On the other hand, testing ALL suspects and symptomatic individuals, as many as possible, would certainly prevent the further spread of COVID-19 and help end this tragedy sooner. Who should be quarantined? Those who have tested positive and those who have been exposed, whether in doubt or not, should be quarantined. In fighting infectious diseases, isolation is effective in preventing spread as history has proven, which is why testing is most crucial. Among the non-exposed individuals, we could all practice DIY voluntary preventive measures like disciplined self-isolation (staying home, avoiding non-essential travels even in our own town), washing our hands and face often (even after touching money), not touching our face, greeting with a “Hi” instead of a handshake, not touching door knobs, handrails, counters, surfaces, with our bare hands, avoiding crowds, and distancing ourselves from people, especially those who cough or look sickly. Repeat: A clean well-ventilated home is our safest sanctuary. Self-quarantine by everyone around the world will help end this pandemic much sooner. A healthy dose of rational fear and paranoia (medical vigilance) will also be beneficial for safety. Do sesame oil, coconut oil, olive oil kill the virus? No, there is no evidence that any of these oils or any salve, liniment, cream, or ointment kill the SARSCoV2 virus. Vinegar (Acetic Acid, 5%) and alcohol (at least 60%) are good disinfectants for counterPAGE 13
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA WHILE appearances may deceive, more often than not, what you are is reflected on the outside. Becoming your own style icon does not mean maxing out your credit cards just to follow the latest fashion trends. Don’t do it. It’s a fool’s errand. You can never get caught up with it anyway. Fashion, like technology, will push the latest trend just to keep and grow market share. It’s all about money and profits. Who says you have to buy every season’s new fashion? Don’t let those so-called fashion Nazis dictate how you dress. First, get comfortable in your own skin. Focus on the positive features and accept and mitigate what you consider as flaws. Then find the style that suits you — something well within your means and makes you comfortable and confident while you do the things you love to do, or in many cases, have to do, on a daily basis. Experiment with the clothes you already have in your closet. Chances are, with the exception of underwear, you probably have all you need. Test combinations of cut, color, texture and style. Take a photo of the combinations that work for you and make you feel good and confident. Browse through magazines and pick a few that appeal to your own sense of who you are. Stick to the time-tested classics and it is more than likely, you will hit the bullseye of being your own style icon. Dump the Hollywood look. Entertainment industry stylists push trends that are flashy, show far too much skin and wobbly bits and mounds of flesh
Bucket List #9
Become your own style icon “… As within, so without…” –Hermes Trismegistus like jiggly jello. Notice how they almost have the same cookie cutter look and the same frozen faces botoxed to the max? No, you don’t want to go there. Keep mixing and matching. Discard the ones you know in your gut you will never, ever use. Reclaim valued space in the closet. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. There is no fashion police to issue you a ticket. Pretty soon, you will know in your gut the look that telegraphs who you are without saying a word. You’ve heard it before. “Dress for success! Dress to impresss!” Or that famous line: “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit!” (Okay, I am going off tangent here.) But the point is you must regard slogans with a bit of caution. Catchy rhyming slogans are not necessarily true. Discernment is key. When you dress to impress, you will simply get stressed trying to top each ensemble you put together with the next one. Your ego becomes the driver plus your wallet is lighter. Life is just too short to obsess on this matter. The focus becomes the dress not on how your style makes you comfortable allowing you to function without having to fuss preening all day in front of a mirror. The right style projects the person quite easily, making you your own unique style icon. There may be clones of you, but no one is quite like you. God and your choices make it so.
If you work for an organization, it means you have to blend your style and comply with the company dress code. Looking professional and competent is key. Remember that as an employee, you are a reflection of the company you work for. If casual jeans and tees are the norm in the company or because the nature of your work requires you to be holed up all day in some obscure cubicle and does not have to face the public, then wear them. It doesn’t mean, however, that you are required to dress down at all times. Predictability is boring. From time to time, make an effort to look really good just to make yourself feel good. Why buy clothes and let them hang by their lonesome in the closet? Believe it or not, it does your psyche good to receive compliments from time to time, particularly on down days. Do you know what is the cherry on top of a unique style icon? It’s a killer smile. A smile that comes from your eyes is a light bulb that dispels darkness and negativity. It is essentially a sneak preview of the wellspring of goodness and love busting to get out from within you. Next week: Back to yet another idea to consider for The Bucket List… *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com.
Catriona’s reminder...
PAGE 12 easy for fear to overwhelm us and feelings of anxiety to creep in,” she wrote on Instagram @CatrionaGray. “I understand many of us don’t have the ability to stay home because of the need to go to work to provide for our families and put food on the table. Many of our workers are still go-
ing out every day to help in supplying food, services and especially, those who are tirelessly on the front lines in all our medical centers and hospitals.” At this point, the beauty queen asked her followers to join her in offering a prayer for these modern heroes. “Please join in including them in our daily
prayers along with praying for wisdom for our leaders and praying for the quick progress of a vaccine and health for all our nations.” In ending, Gray wrote, “Wherever in the world you are take this as a time to draw close… Do your loved ones, family and also to God #WereInThisTogether.” (ManilaTimes.net)
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DIY strategy vs COVID-19... PAGE 12 tops and other surfaces, but not for skin application. Lysol and chlorine (bleach) solutions are also effective but toxic to humans for long term use. Eating garlic, herbs, alcohol body rub (dangerously toxic), gurgling solutions of any kind do not prevent COVID-19. Self-quarantine at home is a most effective DIY preventive strategy whether one has been exposed, with or without symptoms, or not exposed at all and healthy. Does handwashing really protect us? A 20-second handwash with soap and water, done several times a day, will greatly protect people from getting infected. Handwashing frequently after waking up, going to the bathroom, before and after eating, is an essential habit to develop, even in the absence of any epidemic or pandemic. It is most important to DRY your hands after washing, because viruses, bacteria, fungus, and mold all love moisture. Does UV light kill viruses?
FOR RENT
The UV-C light is used routinely in hospitals for sterilizing empty rooms (operating room, ICU, etc.) and in medical/dental offices to sterilize instruments. UV lights are harmful to the skin and the eyes, but safe in a bag. Info on UVC SterileTote is available at steriletote@hotmail.com. This bag is used to sterilize CPAP mask, tubing, children’s bib, toys, cellphones, tablets, toothbrush, combs, and any item that would fit in the bag. It automatically shuts off in 5 minutes. Columbia University lab is developing a “far-UVC” lamp that is not harmful to humans and pets, which could be used anywhere, like a mosquito zapper lamp, to sterilize rooms daily even with people in them. Does blood transfusion help? Injecting the processed blood serum of survivors of COVID-19 (loaded with antibodies against SARSCoV2 virus) into newly-infected persons and those high-risk individuals to boost their immunity and ability to fight COVID-19
is being investigated now. The rapidly developed new U.S. vaccine against COVID-19 that is being tested now in Seattle is wonderful news. Should China be held accountable for this pandemic? The Black Death (Bubonic plague) in Europe (1347 to 1351), which killed 25 million people, originated from China. The SARS pandemic (November 2002) which infected 26 countries and killed 815, came from Guangdong, China. And now the COVID-19 from Wuhan. There are stories circulating on the internet that the SARS-CoV2 virus probably came from the communist-controlled biolab near Wuhan and that a young healthy Chinese physician who worked with the whistleblower in Wuhan and who wanted to warn the world about the nCorona virus infection was silenced and punished by powers in that sector of China, and later suspiciously “died” of COVID-19. The weeks of delay in the official announcement of the
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massive epidemic in China made on December 31, 2019 (lately discovered the first case was on November 17, 2019) and China’s obvious intentional lack of transparency and cover-up has enabled the virus to spread worldwide into a ruinous pandemic. Whether those claims are true or not, and notwithstanding their veracity, it behooves the World Health Organization and the United Nations to conduct a thorough study on China’s health system and all the issues surrounding this COVID19 pandemic, which has so far infected almost 210,000 and killed almost 8,300 people, devastated businesses and national economies in 170 countries, and painfully disrupted billions of lives around the globe. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian and anti-graft foundation in the United States. Visit our websites: philipSchua. com and FUN8888.com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.
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Christopher De Leon with wife Sandy Andolong Photo from Instagram/@sandy_andolong_deleon
Actor Christopher calls on friends to impose self-quarantine, get tested for COVID-19 By Nika
Roque ManilaTimes
AFTER multi-awarded actor Christopher de Leon announced on Tuesday, March 17 that he was positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) despite having no travel history or exposure to anyone infected
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with the disease, he called on close friends and associates to get tested and go on self-quarantine. According to his longtime manager and showbiz veteran Lolit Solis, de Leon had in fact been checking on family and friends even before he was diagnosed, PAGE 15
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people events arts culture entertainment
Anticipated 2020 book releases by Filipino & Fil-Am authors T
by
AJPRESS
O read more books has been among the top resolutions individuals continue to promise. Luckily, like 2019 — which was a stellar year to accomplish the goal as there were over a dozen new releases by Filipino and Filipino American authors across genres — 2020 is shaping up to be another good year with more literature choices to come. Here are a few mustread titles on the Asian Journal’s radar for this year.
“The Vanished Birds” by Simon Jimenez (January 14) Author Simon Jimenez makes his novel debut with “The Vanished Birds,” a mind-bending adventure that defies space and time. A mute child with a special musical ability gets taken in by Nia, a solitary female ship captain drifting through time. “Soon, these two outsiders discover in each other the things they lack. For him, a home, a place of love and safety. For her, an anchor to the world outside of herself. For both of them, a family. But Nia is not the only one who wants the boy,” says the description by publisher Del Rey.
“Wicked as You Wish” by Rin Chupeco (March 3) Launching the “A Hundred Names for Magic” series, Rin Chupeco’s “Wicked as You Wish” is an alternative history fairy tale about found family, modern day magic, and fi nding the place you belong. Prince Alexei, the sole survivor of the Kingdom of Avalon’s royal family, is exiled to a town where magic doesn’t work and few know his true identity. His friend Tala, however, knows but is keeping a secret of her own as a spellbreaker. When Avalon’s most powerful weapon, the Firebird, reemerges after decades in hiding, Alex, Tala and a group of friends band together to reclaim the magical kingdom.
“How to Make Friends with the Sea” by Tanya Guerrero (March 31) “How to Make Friends with the Sea” is Tanya Guerrero’s debut middle grade novel about 12-year-old Pablo and his mother who move
around every few months. Her job as a zoologist has now brought them to the Philippines, where she soon fosters Chiqui, an orphaned Filipina girl with a cleft lip. With the constant changes, Pablo has been grappling with anxiety, but soon realizes that he must be strong for Chiqui and face certain fears, like the sea.
“Any Day with You” by Mae Respicio (May 5) 12-year-old Filipina American Kaia is the main character in Mae Respicio’s forthcoming middle grade book, “Any Day With You.” When her great-grandfather Tatang, who has lived with Kaia and her family in Santa Monica all her life, decides that he wants to go back to the Philippines, Kaia devises a plan to make him stay by working on a short movie inspired by the Filipino folktales that he used to share and entering it in a contest
at her summer camp. She learns more about his past, including how he fought on the U.S. side in World War II, and his early years in America. Kaia begins to see how his sacrifices enabled her family’s present life, and what winning really means. A Bay Area resident, Respicio’s debut novel, “The House That Lou Built,” received the Asian/Pacific American Library Association Honor Award in Children’s Literature and was an NPR Best Book of the Year.
“Fairest” by Meredith Talusan (May 26) This coming-of-age memoir by award-winning author and journalist Meredith Talusan chronicles the journey of precocious boy with albinism in the Philippines who would migrate to the United States, study at Harvard and transition to become a woman. Navigating through race, class, colorism and belonging within the gay community, “Talusan shares poignant and powerful episodes of desirability and love,” according to publisher Viking. “Her evocative reflections will shift our own perceptions of love, identity, gender, and the fairness of life.”
“Where Dreams Descend” by Janella Angeles (June 2) In “Where Dreams Descend” — the fi rst book in Fil-Am writer Janella Angeles’ Kingdom of Cards fantasy duology — readers will be transported to a city covered in ice and ruin where a group of magicians embark on a series of games in search of the next headliner of the Conquering Circus. There’s romance, secrecy and unseen danger along the way as we meet Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost; Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club and more than one lie told; and Demarco, the brooding judge with a past he can no longer hide.
“The Groom Will Keep His Name” by Matt Ortile (June 2) The debut collection of es-
says covering topics, such as dating, identity and sexuality, comes from Matt Ortile, managing editor of Catapult magazine. Releasing this June by Bold Type Books, an imprint of Hachette, “The Groom Will Keep His Name” CCHARTS Ortile’s journey moving from Manila to Las Vegas and the experience of being bullied for his skin tone, Filipino accent and femininity. The essays explore the idea of social media personas and ultimately, lead to a realization of “radical self-love.”
“Amboy: Recipes from the Filipino-American Dream” by Alvin Cailan and Alexandra Cuerdo (August 25) Famed Fil-Am chef Alvin Cailan — founder of popular breakfast sandwich purveyor Eggslut and host of online series “The Burger Show” — has teamed up with “Ulam” documentary director Alexandra Cuerdo for a cookbook illustrating the dual identity as an “amboy,” a Filipino growing up in America. Set to be released by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in late summer, this cookbook narrates Cailan overcoming “cultural traditions and family expectations to find his own path to success.” Expect Filipino comfort classics from the lens of a Fil-Am upbringing and anecdotes about Cailan’s rise as a chef.
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Actress Vanessa Hudgens under fire for coronavirus remarks By Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
ACTRESS Vanessa Hudgens, who is part Filipina, came under fire after making dismissive remarks about the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) during a live video on Instagram. “I’m sorry, but like, it’s a virus, I get it, like, I respect it, but at the same time I’m like, even if everybody gets it, like yeah, people are going to die, which is terrible but like, inevitable?” said the High School Musical star on Monday, March 16. The video stirred out-
rage among her fans and haters on various social media platforms, accusing her of not taking the pandemic seriously. One Twitter user said, “What a horrible and heartless message for you to share with the younger people who look up to you.” “Seven million followers. If only 1% of them go out and ‘live their best lives’ because hey, ‘death is inevitable,’ that’s 70,000 vectors of disease that can infect elders, grandparents, and the immunocompromised. This is irresponsible, selfish, and callous,” another netizen
said. Hudgens took to Instagram again on Tuesday to comment on the backlash she was receiving about her remarks. “I realize today that some of my comments are being taken out of context,” she said. She added, “It’s a crazy time. It’s a crazy, crazy time. And I am at home and in lockdown, and that’s what I hope you guys are doing too – in full quarantine and staying safe and sane. I don’t take this situation lightly by any means. I’m home. So stay inside, y’all.” Later, she went on Twit-
ter to release an apology, noting how the fiasco was a huge wake-up call for her. “I’m so sorry for the way I have offended anyone and everyone who has seen the clip from my Instagram live yesterday. I realize my words were insensitive and not at all appropriate for the situation our country and the world are in right now,” she wrote. “This has been a huge wake-up call about the significance my words have, now more than ever. I’m sending safe wishes to everyone to stay safe and healthy during this crazy time,” she added.
Vanessa Hudgen
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Photo from Instagram/@vanessahudgens
Actor Christopher calls on friends...
KC Concepcion
Photo from Instagram/@itskcconcepcion
KC wants to get married after quarantine By Jan
Milo SeveRo Philstar.com
ACTRESS KC Concepcion revealed that she will consider marriage after the enhanced community quarantine due to the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In her Instagram account, the daughter of “Megastar” Sharon Cuneta and actor Gabby Concepcion posted a conversation with her personal assistant. “Dear God after this pandemic promise ko sa
iyo I will seriously consider marriage na. Ayoko na mag-isa. And thank you din God na may nahanap si Puff (my P.A.) na magaalaga sa kanya, dream ko ‘yon for her. Me naman next !!Lord ha?” KC wrote in the caption. In another post, KC assured the public that they will find comfort in God amid everything that is happening in the world now. “You can find comfort through all this hell we’re going through. The world outside is an uncomfort-
able place right now, but let’s stay stuck for a bit and see what God is doing here… Grow your faith, no matter where you are. Faith over fear, no?” she wrote. KC’s last relationship was with French Pierre Plassart. They broke up last year. Rumors have been circulating that KC is dating “The Voice” coach and Black Eyed Peas member Apl.de.ap. Earlier this month, KC f launted her body in sexy bikini photos while vacationing in Boracay.
PAGE 13 enjoining them to take all necessary precautions to stay safe and to follow government directives during the quarantine period. On her Instagram account, Solis shared, “I cannot imagine na (that) a day ago we were talking on the phone at panay pa ang remind niya (de Leon) sa akin na huwag lalabas ng bahay dahil nga (and he always reminded me not to go out of the house because) prone ang mga senior citizen na tulad ko sa pandemic na ito, at siya pala ang tinamaan (senior citizens like me were prone to this pandemic, and now he was infected).” Her post continued, “Halos lahat ng barkada nila Christopher na sila Lorna Tolentino, Tirso Cruz 3rd, tinawagan niya para magpa-testing at mag-quarantine (Christopher called almost all of his friends to have themselves tested and quarantined).” Worried for Sandy Solis further shared that de Leon has been all the more worried for his wife, actress Sandy Andolong, since the health crisis began. Andolong is a kidney transplant patient and therefore under lifelong immunosuppression treatment. Nevertheless, Solis said she was certain de Leon would recover from the virus “with flying colors” given the way he has cared for his health and those around him following illnesses and
accidents he and his loved ones endured and survived. The talent manager elaborated, “Siguro nga dapat natin gayahin iyon ugali ni (Perhaps, we should emulate) Christopher. Dahil sa mga naranasan sa buhay niya (because of what he’s experienced in life), [he] always listened to his body. Isang anak ni (A child of) Boyet ang (is a) cancer survivor; si Sandy Andolong ay nag-undergo ng kidney transplant; muntik mamiligro ang buhay niya [de Leon] sa aksidente sa taping niya ng tamaan siya ng blank bullet sa singit at muntik mamatay sa sepsis (he nearly died during a taping where he was hit by a blank bullet and almost died of sepsis). “Kaya dahil sa mga pangyayaring ito, konti lang na feeling of pain or discomfort, takbo agad siya sa doktor (It is because of this incident that he has made it a point to run to the doctor everytime there’s a feeling of pain or discomfort). Iyon ang naging dahilan kung bakit maaga niya na (This is the reason they were able to) detect ang (the) corona virus,” Solis said. Finally citing her ward’s unwavering faith in the Lord—de Leon is in fact called “Bro. Bo” in his Christian community where he is a very active member—Solis said, “I salute you Christopher de Leon, kakayanin mo iyan, malalagpasan mo at gagaling ka, ikaw pa, ang lakas mo kay (you can do this, you can beat it and you
will get well. You know how favored you are with) God.” Outpouring of support Since de Leon’s announcement on Tuesday evening, he has received an outpouring of love and support from the entertainment industry. Ali Sotto, Miles Ocampo, MJ Cayabyab, director Mae Cruz-Alviar, Pinky Amador and Jackie Lou Blanco, were among the first celebrities who expressed their concern for the acclaimed actor, as well as the confidence that he will bounce back from the virus. Castmates from de Leon’s star studded ABS-CBN afternoon soap, “Love Thy Woman,” where he plays a Filipino-Chinese tycoon and father of strained sisters Kim Chiu and Yam Concepcion, also took to social media to ask the public for prayers for the actor’s quick recovery. Chiu posted on Instagram, “Get well soon, Tito Bo! Praying for your recovery! Let’s all include Tito Bo sa prayers natin!” Co-star Sunshine Cruz also took to the social media site and said, “Get well soon Kuya Boyet!!! Let’s all pray for his quick recovery!” None of de Leon’s castmates, however, announced if they had opted to go on self-quarantine even if the actor expressly said he revealed his test results so that those who had recent contact with him will take the necessary steps to ensure their safety and those of others.
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MARCH 20-26, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL
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