032020 - Northern California Edition

Volume 18 - No. 17 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Volume 19 - No. 11 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages

T HE F ILIPINO A MERICAN C OMMUNITY N EWSPAPER

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MARCH 20-26, 2020

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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.

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

Also published in LOS ANGELES, LAS VEGAS, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY

Fil-Ams cope as 7 Bay Area counties issue ‘shelter in place’ order

by JOSEPH

L. PERALTA

AJPress

COUNTY and city officials from seven Bay Area counties issued a “shelter-in-place� order this week for its residents in a bid to stop the spread of the newly-discovered coronavirus (SARS-CoV2), which has been designated as COVID-19, in areas where cases are increasing.

The order, announced on Monday, March 16, affects about 7 million people in San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, including the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

The mandate orders residents to stay home (and

work from home if employers provide for it) and only venture outside for food, medicine and outings that are considered essential.

The shelter-in-place order, which started at midnight on Tuesday, March 17, will be in effect until April 7. It aligns with California Governor Gavin Newsom’s announcement on Monday via Facebook Live which asked, “all our California restaurants to close down for the moment, provide takeout if they wish, and operate in that frame.�

Gyms, health clubs and movie theaters should shutter their operations, according to Newsom, adding to the list of establishments he asked to close for the time being across the state, which included bars, wineries, brewpubs, nightclubs and similar businesses.

Sacramento County, along with the Yolo County community of Davis and the San Joaquin County community of Manteca issued a directive on Tuesday, March 17 asking residents to stay home to help mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus, per a report from Fox40 Web Desk.

Days earlier, many school districts in the state had shut down educational institutions in response to the coronavirus pandemic, with some offering classes online. If the entire academic year gets canceled, which Newsom fears might happen in a worst-case scenario, school districts are preparing to deliver educational materials via online.

There are exemptions to the order, which includes employees of businesses that are allowed to stay

u PAGE A2

How 3 Fil-Am families are coping CA Gov. Newsom issues with coronavirus u PAGE A3

executive order to stop deaths, infection evictions, foreclosures

by MOMAR

G. VISAYA

AJPress

CALIFORNIA Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Monday night, March 16 halting evictions and foreclosures as the coronavirus pandemic threatens the livelihoods of the state’s renters and homeowners.

The executive order comes as Californians are experiencing substantial loss of hours or wages, or layoffs related to COVID-19, affecting their ability to keep up with their rents, mortgages, and utility bills. “People shouldn’t lose or be forced out of their home because of the spread of COVID-19,� said Newsom in a statement. “Over the next few weeks, everyone will have to make sacrifices – but a place to live shouldn’t be one of them. I strongly encourage cities and counties take up this authority to protect Californians.�

NEW YORK-based Filipino American lawyer and legal recruiter David 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, March 16.

Lat said that he will write a more detailed post about his ordeal and called on anyone who had any contact with him “anytime after around Sunday, February 23, you can play the ‘David Lat card’ and can — and should — get tested automatically.�

u PAGE A4

u PAGE A2

CONGESTED. Motorists are stuck at a checkpoint set up by authorities at the boundary of Marikina City and Cainta, Rizal on Wednesday,March 18, the third day of the community quarantine in Metro Manila. President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, March 16 declared an enhanced community quarantine to include the entire Luzon in a bid to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus disease 2019 COVID-19.

PNA photo by Ben Briones

Philippine gov’t lifts 72-hour COVID-19 cases in PH could reach 75,000 window for outbound flights in months if not contained - DOH

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA

AJPress

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 depar-

ture. “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 quarantine 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 eticket 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

Pacquiao confident he can fight in July

Pacquiao wants to fight either welterweight Mikey Garcia (40ManilaTimes.net 1-0 win-loss-draw record with 30 REIGNING World Boxing As- knockouts) or International Boxsociation (WBA) Super welter- ing Federation (IBF) and World weight champion Manny Pac- Boxing Council (WBC) welterquiao said he is confident he weight titleholder Errol Spence could fight in July when the Co- Jr. (26-0 with 21 knockouts) vid pandemic shall have waned. u PAGE A4

by JOSEF

T. RAMOS

u PAGE A2

stringent measures such as social distancing,� she said.

As of writing, there are a total THE Philippine Department of 202 confirmed cases of COof Health said novel coronavirus VID-19 in the country, with 17 (COVID-19) cases in the country fatalities and seven recoveries.

President Rodrigo Duterte could rise to 75,000 in two to three months if the spread of the Duterte on Tuesday, March 17, contagion is not contained. “Within two to three months, it can reach that peak in which 75,000 may possibly get infected,� said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Wednesday, March 18.

However, she noted that it is possible to “flatten the curve� as long as strict measures are in place. “That means we can spread out the infections across many months if we only can implement !.$2%7 " 3().

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

signed Proclamation 929, which declares a state of calamity for six months unless lifted earlier extended “as circumstances may warrant.�

The declaration enjoins all government agencies and local gov-

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From the Front Page COVID-19 cases in PH could reach 75,000... CA Gov. Newsom issues executive order to stop...

PAGE A1 t ernment units (LGUs) to render full assistance in combating the spread of the disease.

“All government agencies and LGUs are enjoined to render full assistance to and cooperation with each other and mobilize the necessary resources to undertake critical, urgent, and appropriate disaster response aid and measures in a timely manner to curtail and eliminate the threat of COVID-19,” stated Duterte’s proclamation.

His declaration also directs law enforcement agencies, with the support from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, “to undertake all necessary measures to ensure peace and order.”

A day before, the president placed Luzon on an enhanced community quarantine to contain the spread of virus in the country.

“I have come to the conclusion that stricter measures are necessary. For this reason, pursuant to my powers as President under the constitution and RA 11332, I am placing the entire mainland of Luzon under enhanced community quarantine until April 12, 2020,” he said in a nationally televised address.

This comes after problems with the community quarantine protocol cropped up on the first day of the workweek, such as failed social distancing due to cramped public vehicles, road congestion, and checkpoint issues.

According to a Palace memo issued over the weekend, an enhanced community quarantine suspends mass public transport, and land, air, and sea travel. It also implements a strict home quarantine for every household, regulates provisions for food and essential health services, and heightens the presence of uniformed personnel to enforce quarantine procedures.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo earlier said that food

and essential needs will be delivered to houses by local government units (LGUs).

“The respective LGUs will have to create a system where food and essential needs will be delivered to the homes of the communities.

In other words, we will not allow a rush to get food and supplies because there will be sufficient food and supply,” he added.

Duterte urged the public once again to stay inside their homes.

“Everyone will stay at home, leaving their houses only to buy food, medicine, and other things necessary for survival,” he said.

Private establishments providing basic necessities, such as those related to food and medicine production are allowed to operate with a skeleton force. Among those businesses include public markets, supermarkets, groceries, convenience stores, hospitals, medical clinics, pharmacies and drugstores, food preparation and delivery services, water-refilling stations, and banks.

Malls, meanwhile, have already announced their temporary closure until further notice.

Different cities in Metro Manila have also implemented a curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. during the quarantine period — among them are Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Mandaluyong, Manila, Muntinlupa, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon City, San Juan, and Taguig.

Also on Wednesday, three senators backed the president’s decision to place the country under a state of calamity.

Senator Grace Poe praised the move as “necessary” to fight and prevent the spread of the disease and to provide assistance to Filipinos.

“The decision is necessary to bolster sweeping relief and emergency efforts to contain the outbreak and at the same time ease the burden of our front liners and ordinary citizens as we come to

grips with this public health crisis,” Poe said in a statement.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson noted that the action is “timely and rational.”

He also called on Filipinos to support the measure.

“The government, for all its disaster preparedness and response efforts, cannot overcome the threat by itself. We must all do our part, whether as workers rendering frontline services, scientists developing ways to deal with the problem, or responsible Filipinos giving support to them while showing understanding and cooperation with measures from the national government and local government units (LGUs),” he said in a separate statement.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan said Duterte’s decision is “necessary” so that the PHP16-billion calamity fund of the national government can be released.

He also pointed out that another PHP13 billion of the contingency fund can also be tapped because of this.

Gov’t releases spending plan vs COVID-19 pandemic A P27.1-billion spending plan was rolled out by the government’s economic team for everyone affected by the enhanced community quarantine enforced in Luzon.

“As directed by President Duterte, the government will provide targeted and direct programs to guarantee that benefits will go to our workers and other affected sectors,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said in a statement.

“We have enough but limited resources, so our job is to make sure that we have sufficient funds for programs mitigating the adverse effects of COVID-19 on our economy,” he added.

Of the figure, P3.1 billion has been set aside for buying more coronavirus test kits while P14 billion was allocated to the tourism PAGE A5

Philippine gov’t lifts 72-hour window...

PAGE A1 t

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 COVID-19 outbreak. n

PAGE A1 The order does not relieve a tenant from the obligation to pay rent, or restrict the landlord’s ability to recover rent that is due, however. The protections are in effect through May 31, unless extended.

The order requests banks and other financial institutions to halt foreclosures and related evictions during this time period.

The order also directs the California Public Utilities Commission to monitor measures undertaken by public and private utility providers to implement customer service

protections for critical utilities, including electric, gas, water, internet, landline telephone, and cell phone service on a weekly basis.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Sunday night, March 15 also issued a moratorium on evictions if the tenant is able to show that he or she cannot pay rent due to pandemic-related circumstances, such as the loss of income because of workplace closures, child care costs due to school shutdowns, or California Governor Gavin Newsom Photo courtesy of Office of CA Governor taking care of a sick family memcases have been confirmed as of ber.

In California alone, 473 virus press time. (AJPress) n

PAGE A1 t open during this time like restaurants (providing take-out options to patrons), groceries, gas stations, pharmacies, hardware stores, the postal service and banks, as well as workers in hospitals, health care facilities and emergency service providers and other essential public services.

National parks and state parks will also remain open at this time except for indoor spaces, which may be used by people for outdoor exercise or to walk their pets. Those who do so are asked to practice social distancing (have a space of not less than 6 feet away from other individuals) and pick up after their pets and dispose of garbage properly.

As of Tuesday, per a report from MSN.com, there are 392 cases in California, with six deaths. San Mateo County reported a surge of 22 new cases on its website, bringing the total number of cases in the county to 64, and one death. Santa Clara County has the most number of cases so far with 138, and four deaths.

The same report stated that San Francisco County has 40 cases, Santa Cruz County has nine cases, Marin County has 11 cases, Alameda County has 18 cases, and Contra Costa County has 34 cases. No deaths were reported for these counties.

Although local officials cautioned the public from panicking and hoarding supplies as the

“shelter-in-place” order went into effect, groceries, pharmacies and similar establishments were deluged by shoppers on Monday.

In the normally sleepy, laidback town of Pacifica, long lines of shoppers in Safeway waiting to check out with carts and baskets full of grocery items seemed on edge as workers tried to process customers as fast as they could.

A shopper wearing a mask said she could not believe the craziness of the situation, and was amazed at how there was some order in the chaotic environment of people grabbing groceries in between lines of customers that snaked down the grocery aisles to the back of the store.

As customers waited, an announcement over the public address system informed customers of a change in store hours, reflecting the change in the business hours of many establishments who will continue to operate during the “shelter-in-place” time frame.

As both elderly and disabled shoppers, as well as those who have a high risk for the coronavirus, jostle with shoppers, some chains, including Target, Whole Foods and Dollar General, recently announced they are now offering exclusive early shopping hours for the elderly and those vulnerable to COVID-19.

In the Bay Area, Filipino Americans are trying to grapple with the shelter-in-place mandate and

Fil-Ams cope as 7 Bay area counties...

create a semblance of normalcy for themselves and their families.

Gale Tan Ong of Cupertino told the Asian Journal via text that her family is “staying home and trying our best to keep our spirits high in these trying times.”

“We are using this time to revisit old books and enjoy the simple things in life like cooking, baking, crafts and spending time having those important conversations about life that we have somehow neglected because of our busy lives,” she said, while adding that it was a challenge to have to quarantine her child after arriving home from college.

Stephanie Valencia of San Jose said she is working from home and “find myself looking forward to breaks watching KDrama [Korean television series]” and “limiting my time to watch the news.”

“It has helped me cope with this unsettling feeling,” she said.

“Lately, I have a need to take a walk outside in our neighboring park and on longer trails on the weekend with my husband. This isolation has increased my need for social networking, connecting with family and friends through virtual meetings.”

“With WFH [work from home], I am exhausted!” said Lally Reyes of Dublin. “I am barely able to stand for breaks. My day is full of meetings and when not in meetings, responding to emails and PAGE A3

SF Mayor announces moratorium on commercial evictions

SAN FRANCISCO Mayor London N. Breed on Tuesday, March 17 announced a moratorium on commercial evictions for small and medium-sized businesses related to financial impacts caused by COVID-19.

The moratorium will prevent any small- to medium-sized business from being evicted due to a loss of income related to lost revenue or other economic impacts caused by the COVID19 pandemic.

Under normal state law, localities are prohibited from regulating commercial evictions.

San Francisco is allowed to take this action following Governor Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order that was signed on Monday, March 16, and Mayor Breed issued this moratorium under the powers of the Local Emergency she declared on February 25th.

The small- and medium-sized business eviction moratorium will be in effect for 30 days, and can be extended by the Mayor for another 30 days through an Executive Order. If the Local Emergency declared by the Mayor is rescinded at any point, the moratorium will cease to be in effect.

This commercial eviction moratorium will apply to businesses with a license to operate

in San Francisco that have less than $25 million in annual gross receipts. This follows a moratorium on residential evictions that Mayor Breed announced on March 13.

“The steps we have taken to protect public health are absolutely necessary, but we know that they are having a huge impact on our workers and our businesses,” said Mayor Breed. “Now that the Governor has waived laws allowing us to prevent commercial evictions, we are taking action to make sure that our small businesses are not displaced as a result of the economic impact caused by coronavirus. We will continue to push for more immediate state and federal support in addition to the programs we’ve introduced locally, because this pandemic is having major widespread economic impacts on almost every business and resident in our city.”

On Tuesday, Mayor Breed announced the Workers and Families First Program to provide paid sick leave to private sector workers who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This plan will include $10 million in public funding that will provide businesses with funding to provide an additional five

San Francisco California Mayor London N. Breed

days of sick leave pay to workers beyond their existing policies. If fully used, this program would support over 16,000 additional weeks of sick leave pay, providing coverage for up to 25,000 San Francisco employees.

The City has also launched efforts to support small businesses include deferring business taxes and licensing fees, launching a relief fund for impacted businesses, supporting nonprofits funded by the City so workers don’t lose their incomes, working with partners in the philanthropic and priPAGE A3

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Dateline USa

Mayor London Breed announces...

PAGE A2 vate sector, and advocating for state and federal support for workers and businesses. This includes the www.Give2SF. org fund, where donations can be made to support both small businesses and individuals impacted by coronavirus. The City launched a website to serve as a one-stop shop for all resources, contacts, and updates for small businesses: www.oewd.org/covid19.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is doing severe harm to small businesses in San Francisco and elsewhere, and we must take aggressive steps to help them survive and reopen after the stay-athome order ends,” said Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who announced legislation along with Senator Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) to place a moratorium on commercial evictions. “The last thing we need is permanent mass closure of San Francisco small businesses due to inability to pay rent. We need to hit the pause button and allow these businesses — many of whom have little or no revenue at the moment — not to pay rent while still keeping their spaces. I applaud Mayor Breed for quickly stepping up to enact an emergency moratorium on com-

mercial evictions. We will also continue to pursue state legislation so that we’re confronting this problem from all angles.”

“Mayor Breed and our state leaders have delivered a crucial lifeline to our small businesses and the employees who depend on them,” said Joaquín Torres, Director of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. “Our neighborhood businesses and their workforce are critical to the culture, economy and vibrancy of San Francisco and we will continue to roll out programs that support the economic infrastructure of our city during this time of extreme need.”

“As a business owner in Chinatown, I am concerned of the survival of my business due to the COVID-19. We’re are feeling the impacts and I fully support the City’s moratorium of business evictions during this challenging time. This will alleviate one of the many financial pressures we are facing as we work to stay afloat,” said Emmy Yu, owner of Dee Dee Boutique.

“As a result of the public health order I had to close my salon immediately and have no other source of income. I depend on my daily bookings to make the rent every month and

at this point I would not be able to pay April’s rent. A moratorium on evictions would allow me the time to recover, bounce back, and keep my business open,” said Dimitri Cornet, owner of Werk Salon.

“The measure of protecting businesses from being evicted is perfect because it gives us relief right now. This is going to help me get on with my more than 20-year-old business in the community,” said Cesar Ogaya, owner of Native Forever on 24th Street.

The Health Officer of the City and County of San Francisco has issued a Public Health Order requiring that residents stay in their homes, with few exceptions, through April 7, 2020.

This order is designed to protect community health by slowing the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. These are systemic as well as individual changes that will make a difference in people’s lives.

Even people engaged in the essential activities described in the order must practice the following to avoid getting sick and to prevent the spread of COVID19.

• Stay at least 6 feet away from other people when on esPAGE A4

Fil-Ams cope as 7 Bay area counties...

PAGE A2 work on my deliverables. I am also working longer.”

Reyes added that they have dinner and walk or move around the house after the workday. “We also take time to video call family and friends daily. Then, we go to bed as my body is tight from being in front of the computer all day. It is exhausting, regardless!” she added.

Vi Cruz of Sacramento, CA told the Asian Journal that she is working from home, but it is “not as productive as I want it to be.” Cruz said she is trying to stay positive despite being anxious of the situation.

“I try to walk around the house as much as possible. I am constantly checking FB [Facebook] and doing a lot of browsing to get updates, watch news and movies,” she added.

Benjamin Ong of Concord, who telecommutes for work, said he spends the day working.

“On weekends, I watch TV, clean, do other chores like laundry and walk my dog,” he told the Asian Journal via email.

With two daughters at home, Ivy Castro-Antonio said they are trying as a family to maintain a positive outlook in life and pray that a vaccine is found soon.

“We are thankful that we’re

able to spend time as a family.

We take advantage of this time to talk to our daughters about how they feel about wha’s going on around them, talk about it and try to appease them that this too shall pass,” Castro-Antonio said. “I am fortunate enough to be able to work from home so I can at least stay with them while I work everyday.”

The Sacramento resident said that she asks her daughters to read books and news articles (which she and her husband discuss with them afterward), check on their Google classrooms for assignments, have them help cook lunch and even dinner.

“We reintroduced board games, puzzles, card games, etc. so we play and do that together as well,” she further said. “In addition, when the weather is nice we walk outside to get some exercise in.”

The Zialcitas of San Jose have a full house right now with their three kids back home.

While the couple and their eldest are working from home, the two younger children are busy finishing classes and homework online. They also have more time to play with their newly-adopted dog, Leo, as they do not have to drive to school and go to work, and take the children to activities

US, DOH partner to combat...

PAGE A1 accurately and rapidly detect cases. The assistance also will help protect health workers and patients by ensuring that hygiene products, masks, waste management supplies, and other necessary commodities are avail-

able, 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) n

like soccer and track which have all been canceled.

“The challenge for me is keeping up our fridge and pantry stocked because these boys eat a lot,” they said in a text message. n

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 20-26, 2020

A

Help comes big and small for PH heroes in virus fight

by Josef

T. Ramos ManilaTimes.net

HELP is coming!

A civic group, a small craft beer maker, big business conglomerates, and even Jack Ma, founder of the giant Chinese e-commerce and technology company Alibaba, are pouring in support for frontliners in the country’s battle against COVID-19.

The big and small donations, including P17.3 million raised by the Office of the Vice President (OVP), include not just personal protective equipment (PPE) but also food for doctors, nurses and other health workers—the first line of defense against the pneumonia-like disease.

Tens of thousands of test kits to detect SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are also on the way.

The coronavirus has afflicted 187 people in the country, including 14 who have died, since January, prompting President Rodrigo Duterte to declare an “enhanced community quarantine,” or a virtual lockdown, on Luzon, the country’s biggest island.

Pagcor funds The largest donation of P2.5 billion came from state gambling regulator, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).

The money will be used to procure PPE for frontliners, additional operating funds for the Bureau of Quarantine and support for the tests being conducted by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), Pagcor chair

RELIEF FOR HEALTH WORKERS Medical staff members of a Metro Manila hospital, among the frontliners in the grueling fight against the new coronavirus, are treated to free meals donated by a restaurant through the efforts of alternative education group Rock Ed Philippines.

Contributed photo

and CEO Andrea Domingo said on Tuesday, March 17.

Some modest support was raised by the alternative education group Rock Ed Philippines after it rallied people on social media to donate freshly cooked meals to hospital workers.

Rock Ed founder Gang Badoy on Monday said the group was distributing food to more than 1,000 staff members at hospitals like Makati Medical Center, The Medical City, Philippine Heart Center, Philippine General Hospital (PGH), Lung Center of the Philippines, University of Sto. Tomas, Far Eastern University-NRMF, San Juan de Dios, East Avenue Medical Center, Asian Hospital and St. Luke’s Medical CenterGlobal City.

Nearly all these hospitals have COVID-19 patients. Nationwide, 37 hospitals, mostly in Metro Ma-

nila, take care of COVID-19 cases.

Test kits, face masks According to Sen. Manny Pacquiao, Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, his personal friend, has pledged 50,000 test kits to his foundation.

“With everything that’s happening around the world today, there is no better time to unite and do whatever we can to help each other,” he said in an Instagram post on Tuesday, March 17.

Pacquiao himself turned over 700,000 face masks on Tuesday to the Philippine National Police to help policemen, soldiers, health workers and others who had been deployed to enforce the “community quarantine” on mainland Luzon.

The country’s largest conglomerate, SM Investments Corp. (SM), has earmarked P100 million for test kits and other medical equipPAGE A4

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Over 400 Filipinos on quarantined How three Fil-Am families are coping...

Grand Princess ship return home

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

A TOTAL of 444 Filipinos aboard the virus-stricken MV Grand Princess have arrived in the Philippines, the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs said on Monday, March 16.

The 438 crew members and six passengers underwent health screenings by the United States Department of Health and Human Services before boarding a chartered flight that brought them from San Francisco International Airport to the Clark Airbase in Pampanga past 2 a.m. on Monday.

The group was “safely and im-

mediately transported” on chartered buses to the Athletes’ Village in New Clark City for the 14-day quarantine period under the Department of Health’s supervision, according to the DFA. The department added that 78 Filipino crew members volunteered to remain on board the MV Grand Princess to be part of the essential manning of the ship, while 13 Filipino crew members stayed in the U.S. after they tested positive for coronavirus (COVID19). They were brought to a care facility for treatment.

The DFA said this is the third batch of repatriates that it brought home from COVID-19 affected areas.

The first repatriated batch was the Filipinos from the Chinese central city of Wuhan, the second batch was the Filipinos on board the virus-struck MV Diamond Princess in Japan.

The Grand Princess and Diamond Princess were both operated by Princess Cruises, which announced Thursday, March 12, that it will suspend all operations of its 18 cruise ships for 60 days.

The Grand Princess repatriation was coordinated and facilitated by the DFA through the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, the Carnival Corporation, the U.S. State Department’s Office of Foreign Missions, and the California Governor’s Office. n

Pacquiao confident he can fight...

PAGE A1 next.

“The fight is still a long way off. It’s still in July. So by July, Covid is already gone,” Pacquiao told The Manila Times in an interview last Thursday at the Makati Shangrila Hotel.

Garcia said he wants to face

Pacquiao after his unanimous decision win over Jessie Vargas last February 29 in their welterweight bout in Frisco, Texas.

In his last fight last July 20, Pacquiao defeated American Keith Thurman by a split decision at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pacquiao, 41, advised the people not to panic in critical times like the Covid contagion.

“Huminahon lang basta palaging maging malinis, huwag magalala. God is good all the time.

(Just calm down. Stay clean and don’t worry),” added the senator. n

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PAGE A1 His husband Zach, a confirmed case as well, got the same symptoms two days after Lat did.

“For now, I wanted to let you all know, apologize 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.”

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 FilAm community in New York.

Baluyut’s brother Ed was based in the Philippines.

“I am making this public 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 selfquarantine 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 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, March

Filipino American lawyer and legal recruiter David Lat tested positive for COVID-19.

AJPress photo

18 that her mom passed away and 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

Help comes big and small for PH heroes...

PAGE A3 ment, plus alcohol and other supplies for PGH, RITM, and other hospitals.

For its part, the Ayala Group distributed over 10,000 N95 masks to key hospitals in Manila, Quezon City and other locations.

SM said it had reached out to Manila Healthtek Inc., the producer of the local test kits developed by the University of the Philippines-National Institute of Health team, to distribute 20,000 of them for free to government hospitals, once approved for use.

AC Health, through Ayala Foundation, distributed 10,000 masks directly or through DOH channels to various hospitals, as well as to partner institutions that serve communities outside Metro Manila, the Ayala Group said in a statement.

“Amidst the challenges of this COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important for us to support our medical professionals and frontliners,” said Paolo Borromeo, president and chief executive officer of AC Health.

In a novel move, craft beer maker Elias Wicked Ales and Spirits used its factory to produce alcohol of the rubbing kind.

On March 14, it rolled out 1,000 60-milliliter bottles of its new concoction, “Spray for Manila.”

Rubbing alcohol The 70-percent ethyl alcohol is derived from barley and sugar and nontoxic unlike the common isoprophyl variety, and guaranteed to be effective, according to

Raoul Masangcay, head brewer and owner of Elias.

Spray will be distributed free to employees and customers at their breweries or taprooms in Banawe, Quezon City, and BF Homes, Parañaque City.

“Of course, we’re not saying that they should drink our sprays,” Masangcay said.

Elias is brewing another batch.

Masangcay said his goal was to give away 500 bottles of Spray to PGH. Food treats “We don’t have enough capacity to produce a lot but we’re trying to help out with what we have … there is a need, and we’d like to contribute,” he said.

Hospital workers also received treats of bibingka (rice cake topped with slices of salted duck egg and white cheese) from local food stall brand Bibingkinitan.

On March 15, FoodAsia Group (which also includes Lava Cheese Tarts, The BBQ Shack, and Papas Potato Chips) gave out its mini bibingka, with coffee, to around 500 workers at RITM, Asian Hospital and Medical Center and St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global City.

Rich Sanz, FoodAsia Group founder and CEO, said the company planned to continue donating food and coffee, juices, and bottled water to more health workers, especially in hospitals with “patients under investigation” to show “support and deep appreciation for [their] dedication, commitment and sacrifice.”

While its stores have been

closed because of the quarantine restrictions, the company said it would focus on “paying it forward” by way of the “bayanihan.”

“Let’s take care not only of our doctors, nurses and other allied health workers, but also our policemen, military and delivery guys,” Sanz said.

Protective gear On Tuesday, Vice President Leni Robredo’s office reported that it had provided 490 health workers who directly respond to COVID-19 with PPE. It said it had 7,350 protective gear for nine hospitals in Manila and Quezon City.

The PPE, consisting of an N95 mask, a gown, two sets of gloves, two pieces of head covers, two sets of shoe covers and a pair of goggles, may be used for 15 days.

A donation drive led by Kaya Natin! Movement, a private partner of Angat Buhay, the flagship antipoverty program of the OVP, plus P6 million from Robredo’s office raised P17.3 million in just four days, enough money to buy over 36,000 PPE sets for over 2,400 frontliners.

The OVP said support for frontliners will also include food and care packages for the workers and their families.

Kaya Natin will still accept donations through this website: Kaya Natin. (With reports from Annelle Tayao-Juego, Marlon Ramos, Doris Dumlao-Abadilla, Jhesset O. Enano and Inquirer Research). n

Mayor London Breed announces...

PAGE A3 sential outings such as grocery shopping, riding public transit to an essential job, or walking your dog.

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

• Cover your cough or sneeze.

• Avoid touching your face.

• Do not shake hands.

• Keep common spaces clean to help maintain a healthy environment for you and others. Frequently touched surfaces should be cleaned regularly with disinfecting sprays, wipes or common household cleaning products.

Stay home altogether if you

are sick, 60+ years of age, and/or have certain underlying health conditions. Make sure you have a supply of essential medications for your family. Plan for how you can care for a sick family member without getting sick yourself. Take care of each other and check in by phone with friends, family and neighbors that are vulnerable to serious illness or death if they get COVID-19.

There is no recommendation to wear masks at this time to prevent yourself from getting sick. If you are sick, first call your health care provider; if you must leave your home to seek medical treatment, you may wear a

mask or similar personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent spreading illness to others.

Find the answers to frequently asked questions about the order at SF.gov/coronavirus.

Other Public Health Orders and recommendations from DPH can be found at sfdph.org/dph/ alerts/coronavirus.asp. Mayoral declarations regarding COVID19 can be found at sfmayor.org/ mayoral-declarations-regardingcovid-19.

For more information, you can also call 311, and for official updates, sign up for the City’s alert service: text COVID19SF to 888777. n

(650) 689-5160 • http://www.asianjournal.com

by Louise

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 20-26, 2020

A

Dateline PhiliPPines Robredo calls for assistance, alternatives Bird flu hits Nueva Ecija

Maureen Philstar.com

siMeon

MANILA — The Philippines will once again deal with bird flu after a quail farm in Nueva Ecija tested positive for the same poultry disease that hit the country three years ago.

In a briefing on Monday, March 16, Agriculture Secretary William Dar has confirmed the detection of the H5N6 highly pathogenic avian influenza in Barangay UlaninPitak in Jaen, Nueva Ecija, which has affected some 15,000 quails.

Nueva Ecija was also hit by bird flu in 2017.

The bird flu can affect humans but the rate is very low. This comes at a time when the country is seeing rising cases of coronavirus disease and is scrambling to contain African swine fever.

“While this can affect humans, the bird flu in 2017 has not affected humans in the country. And globally, there have only been a few cases of human infections and all of these were reported in China,” Dar said.

“Animal quarantine checkpoints have been established to restrict movement on all live domestic birds to and from the one-kilometer radius quarantine area. Day old

chicks, hatching eggs and poultry meat will be allowed provided that the source farm will be tested negative from bird flu,” he said.

As early as March 6, quails in the farm showed symptoms, including lack of appetite and weakness. It was on March 9 when an initial 12 heads died.

Since then, the farm recorded increasing mortalities, which eventually reached 3,000 heads in a few days. The DA said the farm owner immediately reported the situation to the Provincial Veterinary Office and tests were conducted.

Test results showed the farm was hit by bird flu, and 12,000 more heads had to be depopulated.

Dr. Arlene Vytiaco, DA technical spokesperson for avian influenza, said the situation is under control following early reporting of the disease.

The DA will be implementing the 1-7 protocol where all birds within a one-kilometer radius will be tested, and will only be culled if found positive of the disease.

Those in the seven-kilometer radius will be in surveillance zones and will be monitored. Random sampling for the test will also be done.

As to the possibility of human

transmission, Vytiaco maintained that “chance is very slim” and that the Philippines has not recorded any case even within the farms affected in 2017.

As part of the protocol, all persons who have been exposed to the farm would have to be tested by the Department of Health and will be placed under incubation period of seven to 14 days.

The DA is now tracing back how the bird flu got into the country.

One of the possibilities is through migratory birds.

Agriculture Undersecretary Ariel Cayanan said the DA is now encouraging regional field offices to test birds in their areas as a control measure.

Should the situation worsen, the DA assured raisers of indemnification if they will be affected. It will pay P80 per duck, broiler, and layer chickens to be affected, while P10 will be paid per quail.

Likewise, the DA called on the public to not avoid consuming chicken so as not to affect the decline of farmgate prices. It reiterated that consuming chicken is safe.

Malacañang assured the public that the government is ready to respond to the problems to be caused by bird flu. n

Church to faithful: Treat online Mass with solemnity

for vulnerable sectors amid quarantine

MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo in a video released on Tuesday evening, March 17 called for more social safety nets for the poorest Filipinos affected by a month of quarantine.

The vice president appealed to the private sector to provide meals and financial aid to affected barangays and communities.

Robredo backed the strategy of social distancing to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) but called attention to those who would be left vulnerable by the tactic, including low-wage earners and senior citizens.

“Protect the vulnerable. I’m one with President Duterte’s call to observe social distancing, but we cannot leave the poor behind,” she said in Filipino.

She also called for a “whole of society” approach against the virus.

“Social distancing measure re-

quire huge sacrifices, but it will only be effective if everyone abides by it,” Robredo added.

The vice president also reiterated a number of recommendations she made in an earlier address, including: • Benefits, cash transfers and pension for those in need • Providing basic needs such as sanitation items and supplies for food banks, especially for poorer communities • Providing financial assistance to indigent citizens losing income and affected by quarantine measures, among others • Clearer information on public hospitals that capable of accepting those with severe symptoms • Expediting the process of releasing testing kits developed by local scientists • Natonal government setting up temporary isolation facilities • Acquiring more protective

equipment for over 2,400 health workers working the frontlines against the new pathogen Robredo called for a clearer flow of information from the administration so as not to cause panic.

She said her office will distribute over P11.4 million worth of funds to aid the government’s response and gather P17.3 million in donations.

The Department of Labor and Employment has said that regular workers could be hired to disinfect school and government buildings, while others could use their leave credits for the quarantine.

As of this writing, there are a total of 187 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country after the Department of Health confirmed 45 new patients.

“We respond to the worst of times with the best of ourselves,” she said. “We Filipinos who can hurdle this trial.” n

Prosecution witness in Maguindanao massacre survives ambush

when the incident happened, according to police. A Toyota pickup also traversing the road was hit A PROSECUTION witness of the by a bullet at its radiator.

Personnel of the 2nd Provincial 2009 Maguindanao massacre survived an ambush in Shariff Aguak Mobile Force Company immeditown in the province on Tuesday ately responded to the crime scene but the gunmen had already fled afternoon, March 17.

Police said Mohammad Sangki, from the area when they arrived.

Police found 29 spent shells be56, was with his four companions onboard a Nissan van in Barangay lieved to be from caliber 5.56mm Mother Poblacion when they were firearms from the site.

No one was hit in the shooting fired upon by unidentified gunmen from a far distance at about incident.

Investigators are eyeing two to 5:30 p.m.

The group came from the In- three gunmen in the attack, Maj. tegrated Provincial Health Office Erwin Tabora, Shariff Aguak poby Catherine

GonzaLes Philstar.com

lice chief, told INQUIRER.net.

Sangki was refused to be admitted as a state witness to the gruesome massacre by the Court Appeals in July 2018, upholding its similar decision in May 2015.

He was one of those acquitted of charges by the Quezon City Regional Branch Trial Court Branch 221 in its decision on the case on December 19, 2019.

The Maguindanao massacre that left 58 individuals killed, including 32 members of the media, in November 2009 is tagged as the most violent election-related incident in Philippine history. n

Oplan Tokhang suspended due to COVID-19 quarantine A man prays at the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help (Baclaran Church) in Baclaran, Parañaque City on Sunday, March 15, Most churches in Metro Manila were almost empty following appeals to Catholics to hear Mass on television instead.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Mike Alquinto

by JoMar

CanLas ManilaTimes.net

THE Catholic Church has started online Mass after regular Sunday Masses and daily services in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

In a pastoral instruction is-

sued by the Archdiocese of Manila, Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo urged the faithful to observe the sanctity of the Mass in their homes.

He advised that online Mass should not be done while the household is having coffee or eating.

“Have a few moments too to think what you are, to thank the Lord for and what to offer to Him this Mass. Remember that you are praying this Eucharist with many other fellow Catholics not only in your parish, but all over the world,” Pabillo said. n

COVID-19 cases in PH could reach 75,000...

PAGE A2 sector.

P3 billion was allocated for scholarship programs of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for displaced workers, P2 billion by the Department of Labor and Employment will be allotted to displaced workers, P1.2 billion was also set for Social Security System unemployment benefits, and P1 billion from the Department of Trade and Industry to finance small and medium enterprises affected by COVID-19.

P2.8 billion was also set aside to aid farmers.

Free rides to quarantine-exempt workers The Philippine Army on Tuesday started offering free transportation to essential workers such as health professionals, food industry personnel and quarantine-exempt workers.

According to Army spokesperson Col. Ramon Zagala, 18 military vehicles from the Army Headquarters and Headquarters Support Group were deployed to operate within Metro Manila and

its neighboring areas.

A total of 1,442 individuals have already availed of the free rides as of Wednesday afternoon.

“The Army is extending its capabilities in order to provide the support it can give especially in transporting essential personnel to their place of destination. We still encourage non-essential personnel to cooperate with the government and just stay at home,” said PA chief Lt. Gen. Gilbert I. Gapay.

“We commend our medical professionals, food industry workers, and other essential personnel who provide the needs for our people in this time of medical crisis,” he added.

Gov’t workers to receive full pay during quarantine period The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), for its part, assured government workers that will receive their salaries during the enhanced community quarantine period.

“All national government employees are receiving their full salaries even if they are working from their homes,” said Budget

Secretary Wendel Avisado.

He also said that contractors and casuals covered by job orders will also get paid as scheduled.

Employers, meanwhile, are barred from sacking their workers who fail to report for work during the quarantine period in Luzon.

“Employers should not terminate their employees by reason only of not reporting for work because of the Covid-19 situation,” read the latest bulletin approved

by Duterte.

It added that employers should not require their employees to report for work, unless their company is “engaged in basic necessities or services.”

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, for his part, said that workers can file a complaint against their employers before the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) if they are punished for failing to go to work.

“Since they are under enhanced community quarantine, then they can really not report. And they will be excused. There will be no basis for them to be disciplined,” he said Tuesday, March 17. n

by FranCo Luna Philstar.com

MANILA — Amid a nationwide state of calamity and an enhanced community quarantine hoisted over all of mainland Luzon, Oplan Tokhang is suspended for the time being.

This was confirmed by Police Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas, Metro Manila police chief, at a media briefing on Tuesday, March 17.

Sinas said that the national police would shift their focus towards combating the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Department of Interior and Local Government has said that police and barangay officers will serve as “truant officers” to make sure that the learners are at home.

President Rodrigo Duterte has placed the entire country under a state of calamity upon the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Proclamation 929, signed Monday, March 16 and made public on Tuesday, March 17 which declared the state of calamity in the Philippines, directs law enforcement agencies including the Armed Forces of the Philippines “to undertake all necessary measures to ensure peace and order.”

“Wala na muna po yung Oplan Tokhang. We [are] momentarily silent on that. Kasi ang focus ay sa quarantine,” Sinas told reporters at a press conference.

Alleged rights violations According to surveys by the Social Weather Stations, 76% of

Filipinos believe the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs is laced with human rights violations.

Government data acknowledges more than 5,500 “drug personalities” killed in law enforcement operations, but activists and rights groups both local and international say the death toll has skyrocketed to around 27,000.

Authorities also say all of those who died had shot it out with police, although witnesses say they were murdered and did not fight back.

During his campaign to the presidency, Duterte promised to end the drug problem within six

months of his election.

Three years into his term, he has asked for numerous extensions for his self-imposed deadline, eventually giving up on the initial timeline altogether.

“Pagbigyan muna natin sila.

Kung nasa loob ka, wala ka namang makuhang supply,” Sinas said. “Kasi supposedly nasa bahay lang ang mga ‘yan. Ayaw namin dagdagan yung sama ng loob ng mga tao muna.”

(We’ll let them be for now. If you’re inside, you won’t get any supply. Supposedly they’ll be in their houses. We don’t want to contribute to the outrage of the people first.) n

A6

MARCH 20-26,2020 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

O PINION Opportunity in crisis

FEATURES

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 cleanups 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 COVID contagion has also meant a plunge in church collections during masses.

Churches are among the top tourist draws in the country, so restoration projects should be part of overall efforts to revive the travel industry once the COVID-19 pandemic is contained.

This contagion isn’t going to last forever. When the crisis is over, everyone should be ready for the revival of business – and stiff competition.

(Philstar.com)

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS EXPERTS monitoring the coronavirus outbreak warn that if we, as a nation and as a people, do not implement and follow drastic measures and preparations for the inevitable surge in the number of those infected by the disease, then we may very well be on track to experience the chaos and 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 in the lives of their elderly loved ones.

Very much like Filipinos, right?

The number of people who died of the coronavirus pandemic in Italy has topped the 2,500 mark, as of press time. The first cases of COVID-19 in the country were confirmed on January 31, 2020, and started off with two Chinese tourists 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 country in Europe hardest hit by the coronavirus.

ManilaTimes.net photo

The US is now nearing the tipping point in the coronavirus outbreak: Social distancing, obedience and cooperation may save your life!

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 con-

Demand and Supply

firmed 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 innova-

Adults in the room

ingly.

The worse part is having key officials contradicting each other on how the Metro Manila community quarantine is to be managed.

BOO CHANCO Someone said a curfew would be WITH the coronavirus disease part of it. Then Duterte’s com2019 or COVID-19 menace staring munications man said that’s fake us in the face, any reasonable per- news. son should be ready to cooperate Apparently, MMDA spoke too with government to survive this soon. DILG had to caution that crisis. I think any hesitation is only curfew is possible only after city because there is also fear that this councils pass an ordinance calling government is run by people who for it. All that is academic now bedo not think things through. cause we are effectively on a 24The President’s first two at- hour curfew for the next month. tempts to win public cooperation What this crisis needs is a relicould have been more successful able spokesman. if he projected himself with the The President didn’t provide same sense of purpose and disci- details the first time and also last pline that the Singapore PM did Monday. As a result, there was a when he addressed his people. deluge of questions from the pubDuterte tried doing that last Mon- lic about the scope of those direcday. At least he tried. tives.

But it isn’t just Duterte. His resiThis was something acknowldent clown was talking about eat- edged by Executive Secretary ing banana and gargling with salt Salvador Medialdea who told to fight the coronavirus. officials in Malacanang that “I Ok… so maybe we should be have received a number of them used to Duterte and Panelo by myself, and I am sure each of you now… But we are in a serious also did. In fact, I will have to adsituation. They need to act accord- mit to all of you that, in my expe-

rience, no single pronouncement of the President has given rise to so many questions as the one last night…

“Our people want to know if their specific situations are covered by those directives. They ask questions like ‘What is a community quarantine?’, ‘What counts as a mass gathering?’, ‘What if NCR residents have clients or work outside NCR, and vice versa, what if those outside have work here in NCR?’.

“Another recurring question is, ‘If those with work outside NCR will be allowed, what do they have to show to prove they have work, what if they do not work in a company but have clients.

“These are very important questions. Clearly, something has to be done. If we want to elicit the people’s cooperation, we have to clarify these matters. If they do not cooperate, the measures will not succeed. It is that simple. Our law enforcers can only do so much.”

The administration carelessly communicated its moves to address this serious epidemic. The ES made a good point about the

tive approaches like mass drivethru test centers. South Korea has been conducting around 12,00015,000 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. 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 gather-

ings (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 front-line 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 scal-

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.

need to carefully address the concerns of all our people.

“This virus is the biggest and most urgent problem the government is facing right now, but let us remember that we also have our people’s livelihoods to consider.

Any measure that will impoverish them will be seen as a cure worse than the disease.”

It is good to know there is someone within the circle of power who realizes and acknowledges their shortcomings and the importance of doing things right.

Unfortunately, the Palace committed the same mistake last Monday when they announced a Luzon wide enhanced community quarantine. They made the announcement without details hours before the President’s broadcast.

Of course, people panicked.

They don’t know what this new directive means. They cannot be faulted for feeling vulnerable. As it turned out, those who cleaned out the grocery shelves were right.

Ideally, such momentous announcements that impact greatly on how people live their lives should have enough details at the outset. The questions of the public should be anticipated and with ready answers. That’s basic crisis

communications.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles ably filled in the gap after the President’s announcement.

His answers to questions provided the guidance people need to plan their lives.

It is a pity Duterte doesn’t have a capable communications team.

Forget Andanar. The job is much too complicated for him to handle.

It need not be that way. They have a tested hot shot crisis communicator in Greg Garcia, Chairman of BCDA. I don’t think Greg would have allowed Duterte to announce the lockdown without details of how it will be implemented.

Greg is a great comms strategist. He was a legendary communications guru for my generation of corporate communicators. He is, in the words of one of his memorably successful campaigns, subok na matibay, subok na matatag.

Greg can alleviate the frustration we all have now about all the incompetence in Duterte’s comms team. Even if only a temporary special assignment, Greg should be asked to handle this very important and critical job of communicating government’s actions on

this coronavirus crisis.

One big problem of the Duterte administration is the impression that aside from a handful of top officials, they have a competence problem. It is aggravated by Duterte’s childish rants now and then. There are many times when investors wonder if there are any adults running the affairs of this country.

Of course, there are adults in the room, notably the economic managers led by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia. Now, we know, we can count Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea as one of the adults too.

At a time of crisis like what we have now, we need competent adults, those who know what to do and have the gravitas to convince Duterte to do the right things.

Maybe the fumbles happened because Dominguez, Pernia and Medialdea were on self-quarantine the past few days.

They are back and not a minute too soon. The challenges will be great in the next weeks. It is good to have adults around when the President makes decisions affecting us all. (Philstar.com)

ing 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.” ***

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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SF The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - March 20, 2020

Friday, March 20, 2020

SF

cover story The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - March 20, 2020

From Army nurse to author: Filipina American author Tif Marcelo releases fifth novel, ‘Once Upon a Sunset’

by Christina

M. Oriel / AJPress

D.C. OB-GYN who is forced WHEN Tif Marcelo first to take a leave of absence read “The Outsiders” by S.E. when a decision attracts bad Hinton growing up, she knew press for her hospital. Her she wanted to be a writer. mother Margo finds a box of “I told my dad and, of letters her World War II vetcourse, his reaction was not eran grandfather Antonio left super excited because my behind, spurring curiosity and parents were definitely more a trip to the Philippines to find pragmatic and logical,” resurviving relatives. called Marcelo, who grew up Diana, who is of Filipina in San Francisco after migratand European descent, is an ing from Quezon City, Philiphomage to Marcelo’s four pines at a young age. biracial children and “how Like the common experiTif Marcelo’s five novels, including “Once Upon a Sunset,” which was released on March 3. they fit in the world,” she said. ence of many Filipino Ameriever after’ for these characcans, she was directed toward The character is witty, analyti- her “first pen pal” who also fought in World War II and ters,” she explained. cal and set on her own ways the nursing profession, which had moved back to his home Since her first novel “North — oft times coming across as she pursued while serving in country at 40 years old. She to You” was released in 2017, stubborn — as a contrast to the Army.

Marcelo has unapologetiher more free-spirited mother. had wondered what his life “I started blogging about cally personified being a mom and Filipino American doing crafts and main characters that led me to a “This visit has changed me. You have changed me, too, for the who are experilittle bit of freebetter. But now I don’t know where I fall, with this family, with encing love in a lance writing with Military Spouse my mother, with you. I don’t…I don’t know what to do with all of way that is not often portrayed in magazine,” this, with all this information, at Corregidor, the letters between media.

Marcelo said. It my grandparents, the will. Am I supposed to leap for joy? Cry? Every morning, was then when her Marcelo wakes mom suggested What of me is Filipino, is American, of my mom or Antonio? up around 5 a.m. that she consider Was I supposed to be more than what I am now? I thought I knew and writes for the writing a book.

Fast forward who Diana was before coming here, down to what brand of socks next two hours until her children years later, her she likes, but it all doesn’t seem to make sense now. Who am I need to get ready fifth novel, “Once supposed to be?” —“Once Upon a Sunset,” p. 300. for school. Then, Upon a Sunset,” most days, the was released on house is quiet so March 3. she spends that time writing The story also comes from was like during those years “Once Upon a Sunset,” and revisiting until they return. in the United States and if he a six-week trip Marcelo took published by Simon and The laser focus is where her had made any romantic conto the Philippines as a teenSchuster imprint Gallery Army and nursing past come nections. ager, during which she spent Books, follows Diana Galto play.

“The trip was really a true time with her grandfather, lagher-Cary, a Washington, “There’s no substitution, life-changing event. I came no matter what process do back feeling like, ‘Okay, I you do — you either outline, belong somewhere.’ I always say now that where I belong is not outline, get up in the morning, stay late at night, really in the in-between,” she write one day, write 10 days described. in a row, doesn’t matter. But Written in Marcelo’s sigyou have to get to the end. nature charming style, “Once Upon a Sunset” has the recur- You have to write the end,” ring themes of identity, family, Marcelo said.

The first novel led to a romance and that search for three-book “Journey to the ‘happily ever after’ found in Heart” series and then “The her novels. With this story Key to Happily Ever After” primarily taking place in the (2019) about three sisters Philippines, she also hopes it who have their own share of will spark interest in readers romantic adventures. to visit the country and learn While she does not write more about Filipino culture. with a target readership in “I really wanted to put books out there that reflected mind, she thinks about the human inspirations around the joy in being a Filipino her, whether it was her grandAmerican and falling in love.

To me, I thought that was just father, children or female friends. as important of a message as Marcelo is set to release all the non-fiction, historical, yet another novel in spring and very serious, sometimes 2021 titled “In a Book Club very sad, books. It is my goal Far Away,” which was prompteven now in 2020 to write ed by the sisterhood amongst books that have a ‘happily Marcelo showcases her books at an event at Cascades Library in Potomac Falls, Virginia

Marcelo (second from right) was one of the featured authors during a recent “An Evening of Romance” panel at East City Book Shop in Washington, DC. Photos courtesy of Tif Marcelo

Marcelo with a completed copy of “Once Upon a Sunset” in fall 2019.

military spouses. (“They’re in a book club so it’s very meta writing a book about them talking about books,” she joked.)

“There are all kinds of little nuances that I grew up with and wanted to throw out there in the world. I’d

like my books to be slotted with other Filipino American stories so that it is just one story out of so many stories,” Marcelo said. “My books are not meant to speak for all Filipino Americans, but I want it to be part of the landscape and the fabric.”

Lorna: Hands off in Robin-Coco tiff How Richard and Sarah’s wedding came together ‘against all odds’ in coronavirus quarantine By rOnnie

CarrasCO ManilaTimes.net

LORNA Tolentino would rather not get herself embroiled in the issue involving Robin Padilla and Coco Martin, her late husband Rudy Fernandez’s maternal cousin and her co-star in ABS-CBN’s “Ang Probinsyano,” respectively.

Robin had earlier alleged that Coco is behind the series of water dousing incidents on the set of the said teleserye, this as one of the labor-related grounds worth looking into.

Coco, however, hasn’t responded to Robin’s claim.

While it has been reported that such off-camera goings-on do take place for fun among the certain cast members, Ms. LT who plays the villainous Lily in the primetime show says she has not witnessed any of those (not since she joined late last year), but acknowledges that spraying of water not dousing in other shoots is a common “recreational practice.”

The 58-year-old actress, however, believes, that Robin and Coco will patch up whatever differences in time.

“But I can’t be the peacemaker, not my cup of tea,” LT admits citing that it was actually Daboy (Rudy’s pet name) former president of the Actors’ Guild who excelled in the “peacemaking department.”

Indirectly though, Lorna stands her ground that actors,

By niña

V. GunO

Inquirer.net

Lorna Tolentino

in general, should not be fault-finding and punctilious toward one another, “Let nonshowbiz people do it. It will come out, anyway.”

Ms. LT, based on our limited factual knowledge, simply follows that she preaches.

She, too, has a fair share of

CONTROLLING the spread of COVID-19 has put many plans on hold, including events like weddings that can take months of preparations.

Among those affected by the Metro Manila community quarantine were actors Richard Gutierrez and Sarah Lahbati, whose nuptials have been a long time in the making.

The couple got engaged in 2017 and postponed wedding plans after finding out they were pregnant with their second child.

Finally, this year, everything was coming into place; they released prenup photos over the past weeks in anticipation of their big day.

Pictures of their invitation circulated online, which showed that guests included a slew of VIPs such as government officials and network executives. The date was set for Saturday, March Photo from Instagram/@lornatolentinofernandez 14 at the Shangri-La Fort—then friends-turned-foes this side the community quarantine was of showbiz, one of whom imposed days before the wedduped her of hundreds of ding. thousand worth of unreturned In light of the public health jewelry. emergency, Gutierrez and A case which happened Lahbati announced on March 12 many years ago, not once that they would postpone the did Lorna ever speak publicly ceremony “as we do not want to about it.

The newlyweds Sarah Lahbati and Richard Gutierrez.

put anyone at risk.”

By that time, however, preparations were underway, event stylist Gideon Hermosa revealed on Instagram Stories on March 15. Decorations such as chandeliers and drapings were already installed and fresh flowers from abroad had just arrived.

He recounted that the wedding planner called for an emergency meeting and the

Photos from Instagram/@sarahlahbati

suppliers showed support for the couple on whatever decision was made.

With the wedding postponed, the decor in the hotel was taken down and flowers were given away — some to Ruffa Gutierrez, others to hospitals, Hermosa said.

But the next day, it turned out that the wedding would still take place, albeit one that was Continued on Page SF3

Immigration Corner

April 2020 priority dates The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows: Visa Issuance Date

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.

November 01, 2010

March 01, 2010

February 01, 2020

Current

(2B) Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years old or older) of green card holders

October 01, 2010

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

LABOR CERTIFICATION:

Application Filing Date

Visa Issuance Date

Second Preference Advanced Degree (Masters)

Current

Current

First Preference

Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens (over 21 years of age)

(2A) Spouse and Second Preference minor children (below 21 years old) of green card holders

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

SF

The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - March 20, 2020

Application Filing Date

FAMILY CATEGORY:

Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ

community

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

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)

Christopher De Leon tests positive for COVID-19

AWARD winning actor Christopher De Leon confirmed that he has been diagnosed with the Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

“Today, our doctor confirmed that I have COVID-19,” said the actor on his Instagram (Advertising Supplement) account on Tuesday, March 17.

De Leon said that he has no recent travel history outside of the Philippines and had no previous contact with anyone who was positive with the virus. their new in-laws.

“However, due to the The reception was held at Shangri-La at the Fort’s Peruvian nature of my work in the entertainment business, I have restaurant Samba, with event interacted with many people,” styling by Teddy Manuel. he wrote. His wife, Sandy AnAs for their grand wedding, the couple said on Instagram last dolong-De Leon; their daughter and two househelp are unSaturday: “The big gathering dergoing self-quarantine. to celebrate with all our loved De Leon urged those who ones, friends and colleagues will have met him to undergo have to wait because we care self-quarantine and observe more about everyone’s safety symptoms and for everyone to and health.”

How Richard and Sarah’s wedding...

From Page SF2 “simple.”

“Against all odds, @richardgutz & @sarahlahbati decided to have a simple civil wedding.

Despite all the virus threat and the community quarantine their love stayed on top of it all,” Hermosa said on Instagram on Saturday.

Photographer Pat Dy said Lahbati’s family was already present, which is what moti-

vated them to go through with the civil ceremony.

Hermosa put together floral arrangements with the remaining flowers he had and made a lily of the valley bridal bouquet.

The stylist’s videos from the small ceremony, which involved about 20 people, showed both sides of the family giving speeches and the couple expressing their love for their parents — both their own and

christopher de leon with wife sandy andolong

photo from instagram/@sandy_andolong_deleon

cooperate with the authorities in their contact-tracing efforts.

“In this time of trial, we ask for your prayers and we continue to praise and thank the Lord for His goodness in our lives,” De Leon said.

In an interview on radio DZMM, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergiere confirmed that De Leon was one of the 187 cases reported but did not elaborate. (John Eric Mendoza/ManilaTimes.net)

SF

community

Health@Heart

The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - March 20, 2020

Immigrant Living: 101 andBeyond

BuCket LIst # 9

Become your own style icon

PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS

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

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. flesh like jiggly jello. Notice zation, it means you have to Wisdom and a healthy dose how they almost have the blend your style and comply of rational fear and paranoia same cookie cutter look and with the company dress code. (medical vigilance) will also the same frozen faces botoxed Looking professional and be beneficial for safety. to the max? No, you don’t competent is key. Remember Is COVID-19 worse than want to go there. that as an employee, you are a the Flu? Keep mixing and matching. reflection of the company you As far as the number of Discard the ones you know in work for. cases and mortality rate are your gut you will never, ever If casual jeans and tees concerned, COVID-19, as of use. Reclaim valued space in are the norm in the company March 18, 2020, 3:22 PM, the closet. Don’t be afraid to or because the nature of your GMT, there were 208,172 make mistakes. There is no work requires you to be holed cases worldwide, with 8,272 fashion police to issue you a up all day in some obscure deaths in 170 countries, ticket. Pretty soon, you will cubicle and does not have including the following: China know in your gut the look that to face the public, then wear – 80,894, deaths - 3,237; Italy telegraphs who you are withthem. It doesn’t mean, how– 31,506, deaths - 2503; Iran out saying a word. ever, that you are required to – 17,361, deaths - 1135; Spain You’ve heard it before. dress down at all times.

– 13,910, deaths - 623; USA “Dress for success! Dress to Predictability is boring. (all 50 States) – 7,387, deaths impresss!” Or that famous line: From time to time, make an - 116; Philippines – 202, “If it doesn’t fit, you must effort to look really good just deaths - 17. The numbers acquit!” (Okay, I am going off to make yourself feel good. are expected to go higher tangent here.) But the point is Why buy clothes and let them as hours go by, because the you must regard slogans with hang by their lonesome in crisis has not yet peaked. Two a bit of caution. the closet? Believe it or not, physicians, as of March 17, Catchy rhyming slogans are it does your psyche good to died from COVID-19. Evinot necessarily true. Discernreceive compliments from time dently this is a more virulent ment is key. When you dress to time, particularly on down and more easily transmisto impress, you will simply get days. sible virus than we thought. stressed trying to top each Do you know what is the Self-quarantine at home and ensemble you put together cherry on top of a unique style “crowd-control, city and with the next one. Your ego icon? country lockdowns” are vital becomes the driver plus your It’s a killer smile. A smile to end this pandemic sooner. wallet is lighter. Life is just too that comes from your eyes According to the US-CDC short to obsess on this matter. is a light bulb that dispels report, “during the 2019The focus becomes the darkness and negativity. It is 2020 Flu season in the USA, dress not on how your style essentially a sneak preview of more than 26 million have makes you comfortable allow- the wellspring of goodness fallen ill with the regular flu, ing you to function without and love busting to get out 250,000 hospitalized, and having to fuss preening all day from within you.

4,000 died.” These medical in front of a mirror. The right Next week: Back to yet data will keep the situation style projects the person quite another idea to consider for in its proper perspective and easily, making you your own The Bucket List… prevent panic and chaos, but unique style icon. There may *** we must, nonetheless, be be clones of you, but no one Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is ever vigilant and not let down is quite like you. God and your SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. our guard, and adjust/modify choices make it so.

To send comments, e-mail monette. our behavior and habits acIf you work for an organimaglaya@asianjournalinc.com

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

Monette aDeva Maglaya

“… As within, so without…”

–Hermes Trismegistus

DIY strategy vs COVID-19

cordingly. 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 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 COVID-19. 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

HOUSING

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 Continued on Page SF5

The Attorney-Client Relationship tantly, that a rejected application could lead to the issuance of a Notice to Appear (NTA)?

In September 2018, changes in policy were put in place allowing immigration officers to reject visa applications immeAtty. LiLLi BAcuLi coLLins, EsQ diately due to missing or inaccurate information. Previously, AS attorneys, we get USCIS will issue “Requests for frantic or panicked phone calls Evidence” (RFE) if there are from our clients worried about missing information, allowing their cases. It’s a natural reapplicants to address gaps sponse – nobody wants to be in their paperwork. “Notices in a place of unknowing – and of Intent to Deny” were also we try our best to walk people issued, as per prior guidance, through the process. For the which gave applicants a 30most part, the panic comes day warning that their applicafrom information gathered tion would likely be rejected. from the wonderful world of Applications affected by the internet: someone read these policies and its recent this article or watched that changes in policy apply to: (i) video, then later fears are applications and renewals of confirmed upon speaking with temporary (non-immigrant) a neighbor’s-husband’s-thirdvisas, and (ii) permanent cousin who had the “same resident status (immigrant) exact situation.” Oh boy. visas. Securing such visas are Most attorneys cannot required in order for non-U.S. speak about cases they have citizen foreign nationals to not handled. Each case is legally live and work in the unique – one tiny fact, one United States. tiny detail could change the Can USCIS refer a file to course of a case. And, in immi- deportation for the issuance gration cases where the threat of a Notice to Appear after of deportation is very real why the case has been denied? would you gamble with your Yes. The U.S. Citizenship life? Or your family’s life? and Immigration Services New Policy for Rejecting (USCIS) may also issue an NTA Incomplete or Inaccurate when it finds a noncitizen has Filings. not complied with regulaDid you know that a single tions governing admission or error could mean a rejected maintaining lawful status after application? And, more impor- admission.

The CTV Files

Consult with a licensed and experienced immigration attorney before filing anything.

First things first, do not file anything with USCIS or any other government entity without first seeking advice.

Filing for applications “frivolously” can and will come back and haunt you. While certain applications are available online making it easy to access, individuals must nevertheless proceed with caution when filing for any application with USCIS. Just because it is easier now to file for an application does not mean that you should. We urge individuals to pause and take the time to consult with a licensed and experienced immigration attorney before submitting any application with USCIS. *** Atty. Lilli Baculi Collins is an associate attorney with Chua Tinsay & Vega, A Professional Legal Corporation (CTV) – a full service law firm with offices in San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento and Philippines. The information presented in this article is for general information only and is not, nor intended to be, formal legal advice nor the formation of an attorney-client relationship. Call or e-mail CTV for an in-person or phone consultation to discuss your particular situation and/or how their services may be retained at (619) 955-6277; (415) 495-8088; (916) 449-3923; lbaculi@ctvattys.com; www. chuatinsayvega.com.

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Ellen undergoes mental training in Bali after being ‘stuck in this black hole for almost 3 years’

By Niña

V. GuNo

Inquirer.net

ELLEN Adarna’s recent trip to Bali, Indonesia was far from a relaxing stay at the beach, though she did find inner peace.

The actress took part in a one-on-one mental training for 14 days on the island, which she explained was for her mental health.

“I was isolated for one week no phone no contact with world,” she said, and noted that the documentation she shared on Instagram Stories today, March 15 were taken by her mentor so she could see “how [I] dealt with my demons.”

One exercise she was

made to do was standing for five hours. She shared pictures of her standing in a chalkdrawn circle until nighttime.

“It’s all in the mind. True story,” she said.

Another exercise saw her trapped in plastic wrap and she had to figure out how to get out on her own. She admitted that she was “full force [panicking]” and unable to breathe.

She was also made to jump for 5 kilometers for her “sanity” and did blindfold exercises while standing on a block, which she described as “f*cked up” in jest.

A challenge she faced was to cut Bermuda grass and arrange them “harmoniously” Ellen Adarna Continued on Page SF7 Photo from Instagram/@maria.ellen.adarna

DIY strategy vs COVID-19...

From Page SF4 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 SARS-CoV2 virus. Vinegar (Acetic Acid, 5%) and alcohol (at least 60%) are good disinfectants for countertops 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?

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 UV-C 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 bio-lab 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 COVID19. The weeks of delay in the official announcement of the 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, a Public Health Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: philipSchua.com and FUN888.com; Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com.

community

SF

The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - March 20, 2020

For customers adjusting to COVID-19 restrictions, PG&E offers ways to reduce energy use and bills Tips, tools and programs for saving money and energy as more customers stay home SAN FRANCISCO – Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) continues to monitor the impacts of COVID-19 across its 48-county service area. As the pandemic impacts our local communities, we understand the potential for increasing financial struggles facing our customers as schools and businesses close.

With more people remaining at home for extended periods of time, households may see an increase in energy use.

“Working from home, while caring for children and youth, adds stress in an already anxious environment. At PG&E, we know that electric and gas usage will likely increase for many customers as they practice social distancing and stay at home.

We want to help customers with common-sense advice and easy-to-use tips to reduce the impacts on their budgets,” said Laurie Giammona, PG&E’s Chief Customer Officer and a Senior Vice President.

PG&E is committed to providing safe and reliable energy and ensuring business continuity in these challenging times. We are not currently experiencing any disruptions to delivering gas and electric service to our customers.

Actions to Support Customers In its continuing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, PG&E is supporting customers with the following actions: • PG&E voluntarily implemented a moratorium on service disconnections for non-payment.

This suspension applies to both residential and commercial customers and will remain in effect until further notice.

• For the cities and coun-

ties that have a shelter-in-place order, PG&E will not perform work that requires a clearance resulting in a planned outage that impacts customers. If there’s critical work that requires a planned outage, it will be elevated for resolution.

• For the cities and counties without a shelter-in-place order, PG&E will not perform work that requires a clearance resulting in a planned outage that impacts customers with the exception of Wildfire Mitigation Program work. We will work to minimize customer impact, if possible, with temporary construction or generation. If there is critical work that requires a planned outage, it will be elevated for resolution.

• It has formally activated its Emergency Operations Center to facilitate and coordinate the company’s response to the spread of the virus. The company has had an Incident Management Team monitoring and responding to the virus for three weeks.

Tips, Tools and Programs to Save Energy and Money Here are some tips and easyto-use resources to help manage your home energy usage during this difficult time: Heating and cooling • Recommended thermostat temperatures, health permitting, are 68°F when home and awake, and 58°F when away or asleep.

• Consider wearing a sweater or using a blanket to stay warm.

• Evaluate conditions before turning on central heating. If the household is gathered in one room, maybe use an electric space heater. Remember to first read and follow all safety guidelines.

• Warm your home naturally by opening blinds and windows during sunnier hours.

Electronics, appliances and lighting • Use computer sleep and hibernate modes, which can be activated through your computer’s power settings.

• Plug all personal electronics into a power strip and simply turn off the power strip when electronics aren’t in use.

• When not in use, unplug small appliances and electronics, like coffee makers and printers.

• Open blinds and window coverings and use natural light instead of lamps.

TV and game consoles • Turn down the brightness of your TV. Factory settings are typically brighter than needed.

• Use Energy Saving features.

There are eco or energy-saving settings that automatically adjust backlight and disable certain features, like voice commands when in standby mode.

• Use smaller screens, like tablets, to stream media.

• Completely turn off TVs and game consoles.

More tips, tools and resources • Talk to household members about an energy-savings plan.

Engage kids and have them turn lights and electronics off or shut doors behind them.

• Access your PG&E online account to monitor energy use and check or compare your rate plan.

• Explore programs, like Budget Billing to help avoid or manage unanticipated high bills. The California Alternate Rates for Energy Program (CARE) provides qualiContinued on Page SF7

SF

people & events The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - March 20, 2020

celebrity world

Former Sampaguita contract star Liberty Ilagan passes away

By Ferdie Villar LIBERTY Ilagan, daughter of National Artist award recipient and film director Gerry de Leon and actress Fely Vallejo, passed away last Saturday, March 14 due to COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) complications and cardiac arrest. She was 76.

In a statement released by her children (Love OngpaucoTiu, Happy Ongpauco-Fallorina and Soeng Ongpauco) on Tuesday, March 17, according to PEP.ph, they thanked the people who expressed their condolences as they feel heartbroken over the passing of their mom. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our Mom lived a full and glorious life. Mom was a beautiful woman with a golden heart. She was a loving and wonderful mother to us, a doting Mamam to her grandchildren, and a caring and devoted wife. Above all, our mother was a true and faithful child of God. We are the luckiest children in the world to have had the privilege to call her Mom,â&#x20AC;? the statement said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Though we will miss her terribly, we are happy that she is now free from suffering is reunited with our Lord and all our loved ones who have gone on. Mom must be so touched to be remembered so fondly and be held in such high esteem by all of you. We are happy to have shared our MOM with you,â&#x20AC;? it also stated.

Liberty, who started acting at age 4, was a former contract star of Sampaguita Pictures and starred in many of the outfitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s films in the late 50s to the 60s. She was introduced in the Sampaguita film â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lover Boyâ&#x20AC;? in 1958 where

she shared the screen with Susan Roces, Romeo Vasquez and screen sweetheart Jose Mari (Gonzales).

In an interview in August 2018 with The Philippine Starâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ricky Lo, Ilagan shared that she stopped acting when â&#x20AC;&#x153;bombaâ&#x20AC;? films, or what is referred to as the soft-porn trend in local cinema, became popular, saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hindi ko kaya.â&#x20AC;?

While she considered herself successful in her film career and her business ventures, she did have some regrets though, the biggest of which was not being directed in a film by her dad. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I should have begged my father to help me with my career,â&#x20AC;? she confessed to Lo. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He could have directed me in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Brownout,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; the movie that I produced (eventually directed by the late Ruben Abalos), but I was so scared that he wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find me a good enough actress, that he would be disappointed in me. I was successful in my career as a movie actress. I was shy, afraid and too proud to ask help from anybody.â&#x20AC;?

She added then, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fear was my downfall. I could have done better with my career if I had self-confidence.â&#x20AC;?

When asked then by Lo for her advice to the young stars of today, Liberty said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Be fearless and reach for the stars without inhibitions. Tell producers to give you the kind of roles you want to play. Being so young when I entered the movies, I was sheltered and protected. I was not allowed to go abroad alone and I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t able to join produc-

tions done outside the Philippines. I was a Karilagan model of Pitoy Moreno yet I was not allowed to join his show out of the country. So many things restricted me from growing in my career.â&#x20AC;?

The actress was also related to veteran actor Robert Arevalo and the late Jay Ilagan. She was formerly married to another actor Rod Evans (or Rod Ongpauco, the owner of Barrio Fiesta); their marriage got annulled later. *** Multi-awarded actor Christopher de Leon has tested positive for COVID-19, a report from The Philippine Star said.

According to the news report, De Leon said in a Facebook post that he did not recently travel to countries with confirmed COVID-19 cases. Along with wife Sandy Andolong, daughter Mica and their domestic employee, the actor is under home quarantine.

The actor could not account for how he contracted the virus but issued a plea to persons he has had contact with over the last two weeks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;However, due to the nature of my work in the entertainment business, I have interacted with many people. I therefore ask anyone who has come in contact me within the last week or two to observe stringent self-quarantine, observe for symptoms and follow the triage procedures published by the DOH, whether asymptomatic or not,â&#x20AC;? De Leon said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Please cooperate with the authorities in their contact

Liberty Ilagan, one of the stars of Sampaguita Pictures in the 1950s and 1960s, passed away at the age of 76 last Saturday, March 14.

Pops Fernandez, known in the Philippine entertainment world as the Concert Queen, is one of the distinguished judges in the GMA Pinoy TV singing competition for young boys and girls, Centerstage, which is hosted by Alden Richards.

tracing efforts. My wife Sandy, daughter Mica & our kasambahay are in self quarantine at home,â&#x20AC;? he added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In this time of trial, we ask for your prayers and we continue to praise and thank the Lord for His goodness in our lives...

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

(1 Thessalonians 5:18 ). Stay safe & GOD bless!â&#x20AC;?

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 has affected many people worldwide.

International celebrities like Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Idris Elba, Kristofer Hivju, Rachel Matthews and Olga Kurylenko, as well as NBA stars Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell and Kevin Durant are among wellknown personalities who have been diagnosed with COVIDMulti-awarded actor Christopher de Leon and wife Sandy Andolong are in home quarantine, along with 19. daughter Mica and their domestic employee, as the actor has tested positive for COVID-19.

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SF issues new public health order requiring residents stay at home except for essential needs and shelter facilities; • Pharmacies, health care supply stores, and health care facilities; • Gas stations and auto repair facilities; • Banks; • Garbage collection; • Hardware stores, plumbers, electricians, and other service providers necessary to maintain the safety,sanitation, and essential operation of residences and other essential businesses; • Educational institutions, for the purposes of facilitating distance learning; • Laundromats, dry cleaners, and laundry service providers; • Businesses that ship or deliver groceries, food, and goods directly to residences; • Childcare facilities providing services that enable essential employees to go to work; • Roles required for any Essential Business to “maintain basic operations,” which include security, payroll, and similar activities.

2) Perform an Essential Government Function: • This includes all services needed to ensure the continuing operation of the government agencies and provide for the health, safety and welfare of the public.

“As the coronavirus situation continues to change rapidly in our city and region, I want to make sure that all San Franciscans understand that we are entering a new phase in our response. Our response has been grounded in data, science, and facts,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, Director of Health. “Based on what we can predict, now is the time to do everything we can to prevent the situation from getting much worse in a matter of days or weeks. Every hour counts. We need and appreciate the cooperation of everyone who lives and works in San Francisco—and across the Bay Area—to act immediately.”

The Department of Public Health urges people not to rush to urgent care or emergency rooms for COVID-19 testing or non-emergency needs. Do not overwhelm the health system or the emergency response system at this time. We need it to care for those who are seriously ill. If you are otherwise sick or concerned you may have coronavirus, contact your health care provider.

The Department of Public Health has issued aggressive recommendations to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the community. The recommendations for social distancing are intended to disrupt the spread of the virus and protect community health. These are systemic as well as individual changes that will make a difference in people’s lives. Although the recommendations cause inconvenience, they are necessary and worthwhile to reduce the spread of the virus and interrupt its transmission from person to person.

Public Health Orders and recommendations from DPH can be found at sfdph.org/dph/ alerts/coronavirus.asp. Mayoral Declarations regarding COVID19 can be found at sfmayor.org/ mayoral-declarations-regardingcovid-19. You can also call 311 and sign up for the City’s alert service for official updates: text COVID19SF to 888-777.

Remember, these are the best ways for all San Franciscans to reduce their risk of getting sick, and preventing COVID-19: • Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

• Cover your cough or sneeze.

• Stay home if you are sick.

• Avoid touching your face.

• Try alternatives to shaking hands, like a wave.

• If you have recently returned from a country, state or region with ongoing COVID-19 infections, monitor your health and follow the instructions of public health officials.

• There is no recommendation to wear masks at this time to prevent yourself from getting sick.

You can also prepare for the

SF

The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - March 20, 2020

For customers adjusting to COVID-19...

From Page SF5 fied customers with a monthly discount. Customers can apply for CARE online. Applying is easy and only takes about five minutes. Qualifying customers will begin receiving the CARE possible disruption caused by an program discount within their next billing cycle. outbreak: Keeping Customers and • Prepare to work from home Employees Safe by Closing if that is possible for your job, Service Centers and your employer.

All PG&E’s customer service • Make sure you have a supcenters where customers norply of all essential medications mally pay their bills closed on for your family.

• Prepare a child care plan if Tuesday, March 17. Customers who typically pay their bills at you or a caregiver are sick.

• Make arrangements about one of these centers can call 1-877-704-8470, mail payments how your family will manage school closures.

• Plan for how you can care for a sick family member without getting sick yourself.

From Page SF5 • Take care of each other and for four hours by lining them check in by phone with friends, up on pieces of paper. family and neighbors that are Adarna shared an online vulnerable to serious illness or conversation where she was death if they get COVID-19. asked if it drove her crazy.

• Keep common spaces She explained, “The point clean to help maintain a healthy environment for you and others. was to go crazy and to know you’re going crazy and [it’s] Frequently touched surfaces useless to go crazy so [you] should be cleaned regularly meditate.” with disinfecting sprays, wipes At the end of the 14 days, or common household cleaning she received a certificate for products. the “meditative gymnastic (From SF Mayor’s Press Ofprogram of the Kokoro Team fice)

Essential government services to remain open, restaurants limited to take-out and delivery only; bars, gyms, and non-essential stores to close SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor London N. Breed on Monday, March 16 announced that the Health Officer of the City and County of San Francisco has issued a Public Health Order requiring that residents remain in place, with the only exception being for essential needs. This measure is necessary to slow the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the community.

The Order was effective as of midnight on Tuesday, March 17 and is effective until April 7, 2020, or until it is extended.

“We know these measures will significantly disrupt people’s day to day lives, but they are absolutely necessary,” said Mayor Breed. “This is going to be a defining moment for our City and we all have a responsibility to do our part to protect our neighbors and slow the spread of this virus by staying at home unless it is absolutely essential to go outside. I want to encourage everyone to remain calm and emphasize that all essential needs will continue to be met.

San Francisco has overcome big challenges before and we will do it again, together.”

The Order directs all residents to remain at their place of residence, except to conduct Essential Activities, Essential Businesses, and Essential Government Functions (defined below). When conducting an allowed activity, people must maintain at least 6 feet of social distancing from everyone other than household members.

All businesses, other than Essential Businesses and Essential Government Functions, are required to cease all operations.

All public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a single family or living unit are prohibited, except for the exemptions listed below.

All travel, including but not limited to walking, biking, driving, or taking public transit is prohibited, except to perform Essential Activities, operate Essential Businesses, or to maintain Essential Government Functions. Individuals may go on a walk, get exercise, or take a pet outside to go to the bathroom, as long as at least six feet of social distancing is maintained.

People riding on public transit must maintain at least six feet of social distancing from other passengers.

Homeless individuals are not subject to the shelter in place order but are encouraged to seek shelter, and the City will be working with the State, following up on the Governor’s announcement on March 16, to maximize available resources for the homeless population.

Essential Activities (exemptions to the shelter in place order) include: • Tasks essential to maintain health and safety, such as obtaining medicine or seeing a doctor; • Getting necessary services or supplies for themselves or their family or household members, such as getting food and supplies, pet food, and getting supplies necessary for staying at home; • Engaging in outdoor activity, such as walking, hiking, or running provided that you maintain at least six feet of social distancing; • Performing work providing essential services at an Essential Business or Essential Government function (defined below); • Caring for a family member in another household; • Caring for elderly, minors, dependents, persons with disabilities, or other vulnerable persons.

Exemptions. Individuals may leave their place of residence to: 1) Operate an Essential Business, which includes: • Healthcare operations, including home health workers; • Essential Infrastructure, including construction of housing and operation of public transportation and utilities; • Grocery stores, farmers’ markets, food banks, convenience stores; • Businesses that provide necessities of life for economically disadvantaged individuals

people & events to PG&E, P.O. Box 997300, Sacramento, CA 95899, or go to pge.com to learn how to pay online or to find nearby Neighborhood Payment Centers.

The safety and health of our customers, employees and communities we serve is our primary responsibility. We have instructed our employees who have direct customer contact to take social distancing precautionary measures, such as avoiding handshakes and wearing disposable nitrile gloves while in customers’ homes. We are committed to continue addressing customer service needs.

No disruption in gas or

electric service is anticipated due to the public health crisis. Please visit ww.pge.com/covid19/ to read more about PG&E’s response to the virus.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States.

Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California.

For more information, visit pge. com and pge.com/news.

Ellen undergoes mental training...

Bali.” She recommended her mentor with the Instagram handle @pondoktaksu.

Adarna also explained why she was willing to endure the tough program: “[I] did mental training coz [I] was stuck in this black hole for almost 3 years. My [anti-depressants didn’t] do me any good, it made me immobile and numb.

[I] was getting weaker mentally and emotionally — something had to be done.”

“I can now finally say, after

years of [struggling]… I am no longer a prisoner in my own mind. Ahhhh!!! Freedom we meet again.”

The actress has been away from the spotlight and kept a low profile in social media in 2017, back when she was in a relationship with actor John Lloyd Cruz. She resurfaced on Instagram this January and has continued to maintain privacy about her personal life, such as avoiding posting pictures of her son with Cruz.

SF8

The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - March 20, 2020