040122 - Northern California Edition

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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Volume 21 - No. 13 • 12 Pages

T HE F ILIPINO A MERICAN C OMMUNITY N EWSPAPER

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APRIL 1-7, 2022

Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, SAN DIEGO, LAS VEGAS, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY

FDA allows second COVID boosters for 50 and older

by AJPRESS ELIGIBLE adults can start getting a second booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine following the United States Food and Drug Administration’s authorization this week.

The FDA on Tuesday, March 29 announced that it is expanding emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to allow adults 50 and older to get another booster shot at least four months after they received their first booster dose.

"Current evidence suggests

some waning of protection over time against serious outcomes from COVID-19 in older and immunocompromised individuals. Based on an analysis of emerging data, a second booster dose of either the PfizerBioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine could help increase protection levels for these higherrisk individuals," said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, in a news release.

"Additionally, the data show that an initial booster dose is critical in helping to protect all adults from the potentially severe

USA

DATELINE Two Filipinos attacked in NYC as community leaders stage #FilipinosRiseUp rally FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

TWO Filipinos in New York City were added to the growing list of community members who have been victims of brutal, unprovoked attacks. Both incidents happened in midtown Manhattan a few blocks from each other.

On Sunday, March 27, a 73-year-old Filipino was reported to have been assaulted by a homeless individual while on his way to church between 8th Avenue and 40th Street in Manhattan. The following morning, a 53-year-old Filipino was beaten unconscious and robbed by another homeless individual at a McDonald’s store on 7th Avenue near 34th Street.

According to a Daily News report, the man assaulted inside McDonald’s identified as

outcomes of COVID-19. So, those who have not received their initial booster dose are strongly encouraged to do so."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) likewise updated its recommendation to allow certain immunocompromised individuals and people over the age of 50 to receive their second booster shot.

Further, based on newly published data, adults who received a primary vaccine and booster dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19

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PACMAN SUPPORTERS. Residents of Barangay Tatalon hold the tarpaulins of presidential candidate, Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, to show their support during a motorcade in Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City on Tuesday, March 29. Pacquiao’s running mate, former Manila mayor Lito Atienza, has not been able to join the campaign sorties due to medical reasons.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

PCGSF presents ‘Remember Bataan: 80th anniversary of the Fall of Bataan’ SAN FRANCISCO – In commemoration of the Battle of Bataan, the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, in partnership with the Filipino American Arts Exposition, Bataan Legacy Historical Society and Philippine Scouts Heritage Society present a special exhibition – Remember Bataan: 80th Anniversary of the Fall of Bataan. The exhibition at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Consulate Building (447 Sutter Street, San Francisco) will be on view from April 11 through April 30, 2022, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

For three weeks in April, Remember Bataan pays tribute to World War II veterans and civilians who served with courage, honor, determination, and distinction and memorializes the 80th anniversary of the Bataan Death March.

“As we mark 80 years since the Fall of Bataan, a defining moment in Philippine-American history,

I invite the pubic to visit the “Remember Bataan” exhibition this April at the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco and pay homage to all our Filipino and American veterans, whose sacrifices during the Second World War paved the way for the freedoms we enjoy today,” said Philippine Consul General Neil Frank R. Ferrer.

“One of the best ways to remember and appreciate our rich history is by traveling to the Philippines and visit the key destinations and locations,” said Soleil Tropicales, Tourism Attaché of the Philippine Department of Tourism. “We will launch the World War II in the Philippines Tour Package that will bring you around Metro Manila, Bataan and Leyte.

Come and join us as we learn and at the same time, have fun touring and discovering WWII sites in the Philippines.”

April of 2022 marks the 80th anniversary of the Fall

by CATHERINE

S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

may enter the Philippines without need for an entry exemption document; provided that they comply with the applicable visa requirements and immigration entry and departure formalities,” Ablan said during a Palace press briefing.

Ablan said they must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and possess acceptable proof of vaccination, except only for minor children below 12 years old traveling with their fully vaccinated foreign parents.

These foreigners, Ablan said, must also present a negative reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction test taken within 48 hours or a negative laboratory-based antigen test taken within 24 hours, prior to

Tagalog bystander trainings aim to reduce hate incidents in Fil-Am community BA.2 COVID variant now accounts for more

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PH allows entry of fully-vaccinated foreigners Fil-Am Nani Coloretti makes history in Biden’s administration

FULLY-vaccinated foreigners may enter the Philippines “without need of an entry exemption document” starting on April 1, Malacañang said on Friday, March 25.

Acting Palace deputy spokesman Kris  PAGE 5 Ablan said the new guidelines, which were approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on Thursday, March 24 would only require foreigners to present proof of full vaccination against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and to undergo additional protocols.

“Beginning April 1, 2022, foreign nationals

TO help put an end to the proliferation of anti-Asian hate and harassment, the Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles (Advancing Justice-Los Angeles), in partnership with Hollaback!, is holding a series of virtual trainings entitled “Bystander Intervention To Stop Anti-Asian/American and Xenophobic Harassment.”

Starting with the first training last March 23 which was carried out using the native Filipino language, Jeanette Sayno, Advancing JusticeLos Angeles community legal advocate, said these workshops are aimed at empowering everyone to build a world that is free of harassment and filled with humanity.

“Our work focuses on turning the care we have for each other into simple, creative and effective action,” Sayno said, noting that the training participants will be able to

of Bataan during the Second World War. Remember Bataan brings the stories of Filipinos and Americans who fought for the peace and freedom we enjoy today. The exhibition honors them by keeping their legacy alive for future generations of Filipinos and Americans through displayed historical items and first and second-person accounts of our war heroes.

The Philippine Consulate will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception to celebrate the opening of Remember Bataan on April 11 at 5:00 p.m. The ceremony will feature remarks from Consul General Neil Ferrer and other veterans community leaders.

Members of the community who are planning to attend the event, please RSVP by April 4 to https:// rememberbataan.eventbrite.com.

“This project is a labor of love by many individuals who are committed to honor and remember our

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than one third of new infections, says CDC

by SUNITA

SOHRABJI Ethnic Media Services

THE BA.2 variant of Omicron now accounts for 35 percent of new COVID infections in the U.S., and more than 50 percent in New York and New England.

But experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that cases overall will be less severe.

“As we’re learning from our colleagues in Europe, Asia and South Africa, the BA.2 has resulted in varied peaks of cases. But there is no evidence that the BA.2 variant results in more severe disease, nor does it appear to be more likely to evade immune protection,” said Dr. John Brooks, senior

science adviser to the CDC’S COVID-19 Emergency Response team.

Brooks and Dr. Shannon Stokely, colead of the Vaccine Task Force at the CDC’S COVID-19 Emergency Response team, spoke March 25 at a news briefing organized by Ethnic Media Services, in collaboration with the CDC. Brooks cautioned that the BA.2 variant does have an increased rate of transmission in comparison to the first variant of Omicron that arrived in the US last winter and caused peaks in infections throughout the country.

The CDC is watching closely the rise of infections in the Northeast to determine

 PAGE 5

by MOMAR

G. VISAYA

AJPress

NANI Coloretti is now the highest ranking Filipino American in the Biden Administration as the U.S. Senate voted Tuesday, March 29 to confirm her nomination as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget.

“Nani will bring strong leadership experience and the ability to inspire the next generation of Filipino American leaders in Hawaii and across the country,” said Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii. “I am proud to call Nani a friend, and I look forward to continuing to work with her in her new role at OMB.” Sen. Schatz was one of the 57 senators who voted to confirm Coloretti.

The Office of Management and Budget works with federal agencies to oversee the execution of spending programs approved

by Congress.

According to Schatz, OMB is the largest office within the office of the president, “overseeing the implementation of the president’s vision across the Executive Branch. OMB also manages department and agency organization, the regulatory process, and ensures that funds appropriated by Congress are

Nani Coloretti

properly spent.”

Coloretti has led public, private and non-profit organizations to achieve outstanding results, with a focus on increasing opportunity for all. She was a Senior Vice President at the Urban Institute, an independent policy research organization and think tank dedicated to using evidence, insight, and analysis to advance upward mobility, equity, and shared prosperity all Americans.

Coloretti’s federal government service includes deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of

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APRIL 1-7, 2022 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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From the Front Page

FDA allows second COVID...

PAGE 1 vaccine at least four months ago may now receive a second booster dose using an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, either Pfizer or Moderna.

"Boosters are safe, and people over the age of 50 can now get an additional booster 4 months

after their prior dose to increase their protection further. This is especially important for those 65 and older and those 50 and older with underlying medical conditions that increase their risk for severe disease from COVID-19 as they are the most likely to benefit from receiving

an additional booster dose at this time. CDC, in collaboration with FDA and our public health partners, will continue to evaluate the need for additional booster doses for all Americans,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in the statement. n

Presidential Management Fellow in the Office of Management and Budget and work on the State of Hawaii budget.

Ms. Coloretti currently serves as an independent director on the board of the Bank of the West. She is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, Strategic Advisor to Government Executives with the Partnership for Public Services, and has been independently recognized for innovation and leadership, receiving the UC Berkeley

Goldman School of Public Policy Special Award for Policy Innovation, the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Alumni Achievement Award and the National Public Service award.

She holds a BA in economics and communications from the University of Pennsylvania and an MPP from the University of California, Berkeley. She was raised in Hawaii and currently lives in Bethesda, Maryland with her husband and together they have a son in college. g

Fil-Am Nani Coloretti makes history in Biden’s...

PAGE 1 Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Assistant Secretary for Management and Acting CFO of U.S. Department of the Treasury, and Acting COO of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Before joining the Obama Administration in 2009, she served as Policy and Budget Director for San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Her prior experience includes work in San Francisco to improve the lives of children, youth, and families; program examiner and

PCGSF presents ‘Remember Bataan: 80th...

PAGE 1

WWII heroes. I would like to acknowledge the community leaders who stepped up to make this project a reality. I also would like to thank 5M Project, BNI Embarcadero, Stiiizy, and other sponsors for their contribution.

And I am very thankful for the many community partners who shared their photo collections and artifacts, as well as individual donors who generously supported this exhibition,” said Al Perez, President of FAAE. “Filipinos did most of the fighting and the dying in Bataan, said Cecilia Gaerlan, Executive Director of the Bataan Legacy Historical Society.

“They comprised seven-eighths of the main line of resistance. It is also important to know that against all odds, they managed to hold on to Bataan for 99 days despite suffering from starvation, disease, and without any air support.”

Here are some Fall of Bataan facts and figures: • April 9 is a national holiday in the Philippines, called "Araw ng Kagitingan" (Day of Valor). The Bataan Death March took place on April 9, 1942, after General Edward King Jr. surrendered the 75,000 Filipino and American soldiers of Bataan to the Japanese Imperial Army.

• 10,650 – The approximate number of Filipinos and American soldiers that died during the Death March (5,000 –10,000 Filipino deaths and 250 – 650 American deaths; there is no official record and differing sources report the widely differing number of casualties before reaching Camp

O'Donnell).

• 20,000 – The number of Filipino and American soldiers who died at Camp O'Donnell.

• 65 miles – Length of the Bataan Death March (from the Municipality of Mariveles to Camp O'Donnell, along the Bataan Peninsula).

• 99 days – Number of days the Filipino and American soldiers (U.S. Armed Forces of the Far East; USAFFE) fought to delay the Japanese timetable, which allowed the Allied Forces the time to harness the necessary

resources to defeat Japan eventually.

The exhibition is made possible by the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco, the Philippine Department of Tourism, The Philippine Center, Filipino American Arts Exposition, Bataan Legacy Historical Society and Philippine Scouts Heritage Society.

For more information on “Remember Bataan: 80th Anniversary of the Fall of Bataan,” send email to Al Perez at alsperez@gmail.com.g

PH allows entry of fully-vaccinated...

PAGE 1

the date and time of departure from the country of origin/first port of embarkation in a continuous travel to the Philippines.

They must not have also left the airport premises or admitted into another country during such layover, according to Ablan.

They must also have passports valid for a period of at least six months at the time of their arrival to the Philippines, he added.

Under the guidelines, foreign spouses and/or children of Filipino citizens and former Filipino citizens with balikbayan

privilege, including their foreign spouse and/or children who are not balikbayans and traveling with them to the Philippines shall no longer be required to have return tickets, not later than 30 days from date of arrival in the Philippines.

They must obtain, prior to arrival, a travel insurance for COVID-19 treatment costs from reputable insurance providers, with a minimum coverage of $35,000 for the duration of their stay in the Philippines.

A facility-based quarantine is no longer required but they have to self-monitor for any sign or

symptom for seven days upon the date of arrival.

However, they are required to report to the local government unit of their destination if they manifest any COVID-19 symptom.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Department of Justice (DoJ), the Department of Transportation (DoTr)One Stop Shop, the Bureau of Quarantine (BoQ), and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) are directed to ensure the smooth implementation of the updated protocols. g

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APRIL 1-7, 2022 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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Da te lin e USa

Two Filipinos attacked in NYC as community...

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Melvin Dizon pleaded for help from the staff and customers but no one came to help him.

“I said, ‘Help, help, please call the cops,’” Dizon told the Daily News from his Bellevue Hospital bed on Tuesday, March 29. “I was hoping people were going to help me, but they didn’t ... they were just watching and they didn’t get involved. I guess they’re scared.”

Based on a security video released by the NYPD, Dizon was making a purchase from a kiosk when his attacker came up from behind and pummeled him to the ground before stealing his phone and cash.

An ABC7 news report on Wednesday, March 30, said that police have arrested the man who assaulted Dizon.

He was identified as Rasheed Osundairo, 30, and was arrested after he was recognized by an off-duty police officer while on the subway. He was additionally

charged with an assault on the subway on March 23 and for criminal possession of stolen property said to be found in his possession at the time of his arrest.

The Philippine Consulate General in New York has issued a statement condemning the latest attacks against members of the Filipino Community and the senseless violence that has left many Filipinos in fear.

"The Philippine Consulate General in New York condemns in the strongest terms the latest attacks against members of the Filipino Community," Consul General Elmer Cato said in a statement.

“The Philippine Consulate General in New York reminds kababayans to be vigilant at all times and to take the necessary precautions, especially when in public,” the statement added.

“The Consulate again calls on authorities to do more to make

sure that the streets of New York City are safe again for everyone.”

The assaults, which follow the brutal attack against a 67-yearold Filipino woman in Yonkers, New York, two weeks ago, bring to 34 the number of anti-Asian hate incidents and criminal violence involving Filipinos since last year.

According to Consul General Cato, the incidents in Manhattan bring to seven the number of cases involving members the Filipino Community reported to or monitored by the Philippine Consulate General in New York this year.

The Consulate issued a call for authorities to "do more to make sure that New York City is safe again for everyone by removing dangerous individuals, especially those with criminal records, from the streets and addressing concerns related to homelessness and mental health". (Momar G. Visaya/AJPress)

PAGE 1 learn to intervene effectively as a bystander without compromising their safety.

Earlier reports showed that in 2020, hate crimes against Asians jumped 107% in California.

Some 89 hate crimes were reported against Asian/Americans compared to 43 in 2019. The total number of hate crimes in the state in 2020 reached 1,330, the highest in more than a decade.

During the first training session of Advancing JusticeLos Angeles, the concept of 5Ds (Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay, Direct) was introduced as an effectively tool to implement bystander intervention.

“I hope more people will sign up to the program so we could explain to them how the 5Ds concept work,” Sayno said.

The workshops are free for the public but donations are also welcomed to reach out to as many Asian/Americans as possible and to further expand these capacity building and awareness efforts.

To donate, go to https://bit.ly/ donatetoadvancingjusticela Sayno said they also encouraged the participants to tell at least 10 of their friends and/or families about the training program. More free training sessions will be posted at https://advancingjustice-la.org/ bystander-intervention-trainings Advancing Justice-Los Angeles volunteer coordinator Mai Mao

Yang, on the other hand, said these discussions would help increase awareness on the role of “bystanders” amidst the rising cases of harassment against Asian/ American across the U.S. and the world, especially during the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the aim of training up to 40,000 people, Advancing JusticeLos Angeles is planning to hold these comprehensive and detailed workshops via Zoom on a monthly basis. The next Tagalog training is scheduled on April 21 at 6pm, Pacific time. To sign up, go to https://www.ihollaback.org/standstreet-harassment/ “Essentially, we want to reach out to everyone. We see that during the pandemic, this really solidifies the need for these trainings. The more, the better. Hopefully, next month we will have more people joining the training,” Yang said.

Aside from Tagalog/Filipino, the training program will also be offered in other languages such as Mandarin/Cantonese, Vietnamese, Korean and English.

The Advancing JusticeLos Angeles-sponsored trainings initiative is consistent with President Joe Biden’s pronouncement in May 2021 at the signing of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act which called for the creation of specialized hate crime units that will help states create hotlines for hate crimes at state and local levels that will be

accessible for people with limited English proficiency.

President Biden also noted that the Act provides resources for training for state and local law enforcement to identify, investigate, and report these heinous crimes.

Advancing Justice-Los Angeles is one of California’s largest legal and civil rights organization for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI).

Founded in 1983 as the Asian Pacific Legal Center, Advancing Justice-LA serves more than 15,000 individuals and organizations every year.

Through direct services, impact litigation, policy advocacy, leadership development, and capacity building, Advancing Justice-Los Angeles focuses on the most vulnerable members of Asian American and AANHPI communities while also building a strong voice for civil rights and social justice.

At present, Advancing JusticeLos Angeles is based on downtown Los Angeles, with satellite offices in Orange County and Sacramento.

Hollaback!, meanwhile, is a non-profit global organization formed to raise awareness about and combat to harassment, both online and in-person, through intervention trainings and grassroots initiatives. (Donnabelle Arevalo/AJPress)

Tagalog bystander trainings aim to reduce hate...

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 1-7, 2022

BA.2 COVID variant now accounts for more...

PAGE 1

if there is also an uptick in the severity of the disease, said Brooks. The agency has pivoted to monitoring potential increases in cases and transmission through its COVID-19 Wastewater surveillance system.

Over the past two weeks, the CDC has seen increasing wastewater signals in New York City and parts of New England and a correlating increase in the number of new infections, as well as some increased hospitalizations, he reported.

The CDC is also looking at any changes in genomic surveillance that monitors for circulating variants.

“I would like to emphasize

that if cases rise from the Omicron variant or for any other variant, we have the tools, we have vaccines, we have testing, and we have Therapeutics and we are prepared to react,” concluded Brooks.

Stokely noted that the US thus far has administered 159 million doses of the available COVID vaccines, nearly three times the number administered during a typical flu season. The majority of vaccines distributed in the U.S. are the mRNA-based Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. “These vaccines have been proven safe and effective at preventing complications from COVID-19, including severe disease, hospitalization and death.”

5

Pivoting to the question on the minds of parents with young children, Stokely addressed the issue of when vaccines might become available for children under 5-years-old. She noted there are multiple manufacturers that are conducting clinical trials to assess the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine for very young children.

The results of the rigorous clinical trials must then be presented to the FDA for emergency use authorization before the vaccine can be administered to under5s.

The trials will take into account the side effects of the vaccine in young children, including u PAGE 7

Starfleet Innotech partners with startup Luyten to enter $19-M global 3D printing construction market STARFLEET Innotech, Inc. announced a new strategic partnership with Australiabased 3D concrete printing startup Luyten.

The exclusive agreement will see Luyten’s revolutionary construction technologies utilized across SFIO’s real estate projects in the Philippines, towards the conglomerate’s goal of building a more sustainable, equitable future for community living.

As SFIO continues growing its portfolio of development projects through its real estate division, led by premiere wellness tourism brand Moraya, Luyten will play a pivotal role in championing Moraya’s mission of wellness through purposeful innovations.

According to Grand View Research, the global 3D printing construction market is estimated at roughly $19 million and is expected to reach almost $5 billion by 2030. Using their own 3D printing devices and proprietary mixtures, Luyten is able to complete construction projects with 60% less waste, 70% less production time, and at only 20% of the labor costs of traditional means.

According to the startup, walls for a twobedroom home can be printed in as little as two days. Optimized for quick deployment, Luyten’s devices can be mobilized and operational in hours, as opposed to the multiple days it takes to set up traditional machinery. Through their robotic systems, Luyten can remotely control their machinery from anywhere in the world. These innovations translate to more productive, and, therefore, more cost-effective,

construction periods.

Over the next few years, Luyten will be providing the machinery and materials needed to augment SFIO’s real estate developments – an exclusive arrangement in the Philippines, where a majority of the Moraya developments will be placed. Under this agreement, SFIO will have exclusive distribution rights to Luyten’s devices in the Philippines and projects to sell at least fifty units of 3D concrete printing machinery to other developers and organizations over the next 12 months, following regulatory approvals.

“Our partnership with Luyten stems from our commitment to invest in the futures of the industries we operate in,” said Starfleet Innotech CEO Jeths Lacson. “Joining Moraya’s divisional ecosystem, Luyten will play a key role as an enabler for our various real estate initiatives. Their affordable, sustainable offerings will allow us to build exciting projects that champion both the new communities we hope to build, as well as the existing communities we hope to serve.”

In addition to augmenting Moraya’s current township developments, this partnership will see up to 500 low-cost housing units constructed across the Philippines over the next two years. Through this exclusive agreement in the Philippines, SFIO will also be able to distribute Luyten’s machinery to local government units and nonprofit organizations seeking more affordable means to build quality, resilient homes.

(Advertising Supplement)

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OPINION

FEATURES

Going to waste

AS BA.2, the more infectious “stealth” subvariant of the Omicron strain spreads in the United States, reports on Monday, March 28 said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would approve a second booster or fourth dose of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID vaccines to ages 50 and older.

Israel, which began administering a second booster of the Pfizer vaccine early this year to ages 60 and above, reported over the weekend that the additional dose lowered the mortality rate in that vulnerable group by 78 percent. The report was based on a 40-day study among more than half a million people aged 60 to 100, conducted by Israel’s largest healthcare provider.

Last month, the United Kingdom also offered a second booster to ages 75 and above as well as anyone from age 12 up who is immunocompromised.

In the Philippines, the government wants people aged 60 and older as well as the immune suppressed and those with other serious health problems to get their booster shots against COVID. As of mid-March, however, only 13 percent of the targeted segment had received boosters. Even in Metro Manila, which has the highest COVID vaccination rate, the booster uptake is only 30 percent.

Scientists have said immunity to COVID

provided by vaccines wanes after a few months, and recommend a booster four months after the second primary dose. The additional protection is important as the stealth Omicron spreads in parts of Europe, the U.S., Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.

On Monday, Shanghai began its most extensive lockdown since the start of the pandemic to contain a COVID outbreak.

The World Health Organization has repeatedly warned that the COVID threat is far from over, and might yet be entering a deadlier phase as restrictions are eased too quickly and vaccinations fall. The WHO warning is not being heeded in the Philippines, where the sight of large political gatherings for the election campaign is giving people the impression that the pandemic is over.

While the stealth Omicron threatens to push up cases again in the Philippines, pandemic response officials are lamenting that COVID vaccines available for boosters are set to expire by June. The country is buried up to its neck in debt to finance the pandemic response, particularly

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

for the procurement of vaccines. Every dose is precious and cannot be wasted, especially since there are still millions of Filipinos who have not received even their primary dose. The national and

local governments must not be distracted by the upcoming elections in carrying out the vaccination program. Otherwise, the country could face a renewed COVID surge. (Philstar.com)

If we want Leni Robredo’s ‘Gobyernong Tapat’ to succeed, we need to vote for Kiko Pangilinan as her vice president

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS THE Philippine election is less than six weeks away. The momentum has been shifting to the Leni-Kiko campaign as evidenced by the jam-packed political rallies in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, the growing number of endorsements that Vice President Leni Robredo gets from former government officials, military leaders, universities and colleges, businesses and business analysts, nongovernment organizations, and even more from sitting local officials in the towns, cities and provinces. However, there has been online buzz about pushing for an all-women power tandem with Leni Robredo-Sara Duterte Carpio. Sara is the incumbent mayor of Davao City, the daughter of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, sister of Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, preceded by the father, and succeeded by her other brother, Sebastian Duterte.

Fellow Filipinos: if we are truly sick and tired of chronic corruption in the Philippines, if we are truly done with family dynasties that perpetuate the cycles of corruption from generation to generation, if we are truly serious and committed to finally fighting for and getting the honest, clean, good government that we deserve, then we need to vote not only for Leni Robredo for president, but also for her chosen and trusted

public servant to be her vice president, Sen. Kiko Pangilinan.

This is one of the biggest and most consequential differences between the United States and the Philippines’ way of electing the top two positions of the Executive Office.

Here in the United States, we are voting for a ticket — a team.

A vote for the president is also a vote for the running mate for vice president.

According to the White House website: “The primary responsibility of the Vice President of the United States is to be ready at a moment’s notice to assume the Presidency if the President is unable to perform his or her duties.

This can be because of the President’s death, resignation, or temporary incapacitation, or if the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet judge that the President is no longer able to discharge the duties of the presidency.”

“The Vice President also serves as the President of the United States Senate, where he or she casts the deciding vote in the case of a tie. Except in the case of tie-breaking votes, the Vice President rarely actually presides over the Senate,” WhiteHouse.gov added.

The U.S. president also has the prerogative to assign a special role or mission to the VP to help fulfill their campaign promises to the people.

WHY does the U.S. vote for

the President-VP as a team? Let us focus on the most important function/role of the VP that is true for both the U.S. and Philippine government: The VP is the second highest and second most powerful position in government, especially, God forbid, something happens to the president, the VP will take over as president.

Because the president and the VP are a team, then they share the same values and philosophy in governing, the same vision, platform and programs so that whatever happens to the president, the American people who have given them the mandate to govern will continue to fulfill the campaign promises the American people voted them for in the election.

Unfortunately, we do not vote the same way for our president and VP in the Philippines.

Sadly, too, we vote based on personality, instead of vision and ideology and programs.

This is exactly why it is so easy for parties to merge, collapse, be renamed, and for candidates to jump from one party to another. It is a batabata type of Padrino politics. It is driven by political expediency and survival based on who is more popular with name recall, including those who capitalize on the surname or family brand.

Think about this: Public officials earn meager salaries and yet most of them live questionable lavish lifestyle.

Why? There is money in politics, suggested by no less than the ousted dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, shared on video “The Kingmaker” by Sandro Marcos, son of Presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos.

This is also why traditional politics and family dynasties are perpetuated, and those in power do not want to touch it because almost all of them benefit from this corrupt system. They already have their “people” in the corrupt system, they have protectors in the complicated labyrinth of those who serve not the people they vow to serve but their own personal interests — and they all benefit from it and would fight hard and break rules just to perpetuate the status quo.

You know how family dynasties work. They have been there for the longest time — generations after generations, doing the dizzying merry-goround and musical chairs of positions they hold, keeping power within the family in both the national and local levels.

Why? Because they are fully invested and reaping much return in this game of politics.

Perhaps most of them started with good intentions, but many of them end up being eaten up by the cancer of corruption in government because of the power vested upon them by the positions in government they hold.

That is the daunting part of Philippine political reality.

However, let us remember that there have been times in our political history when the people decisively chose to elect a new kind of politician — those who live up to their role as true public servants. On the local level, we have the likes of Vico Sotto of Pasig who has unseated the Eusebios.

The same is now true in our national election.

This is what this PINK wave is all about. It is Leni bringing forth to public attention that we still have people like her and her chosen VP Francis Pangilinan who have proven to be true and genuine public servants with proven integrity and excellence through their years in public service.

Leni and Kiko never compromised the honor and dignity of the position entrusted to them by the voters in exchange for money, power and political survival. This is why they are able to give hope to people that this time things can really change for the better. This is why they are able to inspire volunteerism and service because of their own leadership by example.

Because they bring out the best in people as they work toward a common goal.

Think about the importance of the choice of VP and how that may impact our collective aspiration to finally have a

good and honest government that will truly serve the Filipino people, work in the best interest of our people, be transparent and accountable to us, protect and defend the Constitution and abide by the rule of law, and end corruption that has been plaguing our government bureaucracy from top to bottom to the detriment of the quality of life of the Filipino people.

Do not let any Trapo or member of a family dynasty like Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte Carpio corrupt this one chance we have in this generation because they will always be who they are.

Kiko Pangilinan is the only worthy VP to work with Leni Robredo to make #GobyernongTapat a reality, come what may. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

*** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989. She was a news anchor, TV host and radio commentator and public service host for ABS- CBN and DZMM. She is now working on her advocacies independently, serving the Filipino audience using different media platforms. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/ Gel.Santos.Relos. Also on Twitter, Instagram: Gel Santos Relos

Masking up helps, but getting vaccinated critical to keeping kids safe Commentary DR. JAY YEH

MEDICAL DIRECTOR, PEDIATRIC ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY LABORATORY, UC DAVIS HEALTH WHETHER or not kids should wear masks in school remains a heated topic with strong opinions on both sides.

Adding to this conversation is the state’s latest masking guidance, which went into effect on March 12. Schools are no longer required to enforce a mask mandate and instead are maintaining masking as a strong recommendation to keep students, teachers and school staff safe. Some school districts have even chosen to continue to keep mask requirements in

place, and masks continue to be mandatory in certain highrisk settings like healthcare facilities and public transit.

Despite the latest guidelines and varying views, many families are choosing to continue to mask up to protect themselves against COVID-19.

While masking remains a key tool in protecting ourselves and our families against this deadly virus, as a doctor and parent myself, I think the big question to consider is: Have you and your kids been vaccinated yet?

The reality is, getting vaccinated offers the safest protection against contracting COVID-19. Children 5+ are eligible for vaccination, so if you have not yet done so, I strongly urge you to get your kids vaccinated today. And if they are 12+, make sure they get their booster when eligible.

Vaccines are overwhelmingly safe thanks to the rigorous safety trials that included people of different genders, ethnicities, ages and preexisting conditions, as well as the ongoing efforts to monitor safety as millions of people receive the vaccine.

The pandemic is still here, and real-world evidence continues to show that the vaccine is preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death. In fact, based on the latest data collected March 3, 2022, unvaccinated Californians are 17 times more likely to die and nearly nine times more likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19 than fully vaccinated and boosted Californians.

Generally, children may have lower rates of COVID-19 and are less likely to spread the virus than adults, but it is still

possible for children to become severely ill and experience serious complications from the coronavirus. It’s simply not worth the risk. Children eligible for the vaccine should get vaccinated as soon as possible to significantly reduce their risk of becoming sick or spreading the virus to someone else, including younger children or older relatives in the home.

If your children are vaccinated and you feel better keeping them masked up, follow your instincts and know that you are not alone. As a health expert, I strongly recommend keeping kids masked up if they feel comfortable doing so. Masking in schools has been a successful strategy to keeping schools open and our kids in the classroom for a better learning environment.

It’s worth noting that California represents only 1 percent of the nation’s school closures despite educating 12 percent of the nation’s students.

Safe in-person instruction is essential, particularly for vulnerable populations. It is important to take the necessary steps to ensure that there is low risk of catching COVID-19 in school for students and staff alike. We must remain vigilant and prepared to adjust with conditions of the virus. If transmissions increase again, be prepared for schools to follow public health guidance around COVID-19 mitigation efforts including testing.

We may be in a new phase of the pandemic, but COVID-19 remains a threat. Schedule a vaccination or booster appointment today at Myturn. ca.gov or by calling 833-422-

4255. Support is available in over 250 languages via the state’s vaccination hotline.

Take precautions to protect yourself against COVID-19 and keep your family, friends and community safe and healthy.

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

••• Dr. Yeh is a board-certified pediatric cardiologist with advanced training in echocardiography. He specializes in diagnosis and treatment of congenital and acquired heart disease. He cares for a wide spectrum of patients ranging from newborns to adults with congenital heart disease. He has special clinical interest in pre-operative and post-operative care for congenital heart defects.

The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.

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Dateline PhiliPPines

Marcos Jr. still hopeful of Duterte’s endorsement

by Daphne

GalveZ Inquirer.net

MANILA — Presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday, March 29 said he is still counting on the endorsement of President Rodrigo Duterte despite the support he has obtained from the PDP-Laban faction led by the Chief Executive.

“Alam mo naman si President, he keeps us on our toes. I hope so, I hope so,” he said in a chance interview when asked if he expects Duterte’s support for his candidacy.

The PDP-Laban wing formed

by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and backed by Duterte has earlier announced their endorsement of Marcos Jr. and the president’s daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, who is running for vice president in tandem with the late strongman’s son.

But Duterte has yet to reveal his personal choice for the next president.

Sarao

Inquirer.net

MANILA — All President Rodrigo Duterte wants for his birthday is a “clean, fair, and honest” election in the May 9 polls, said Malacañang on Sunday, March 27.

“We join all our countrymen in wishing our beloved President Rodrigo Roa Duterte

fatigue, soreness at the injection site, and myocarditis, a rare symptom for some young people.

“We are in a much stronger position than we were two years ago with the tools we need, including vaccines and boosters, that are protecting people from hospitalization and death, said Stokely.

“If you are boosted, you are

Ang Lungsod ng Alameda (Lungsod) ay isang Lungsod ng Karapatan sa Programang Blokeng Gawad sa Pagpapaunlad ng Komunidad (Community Development Block Grant, CDBG) ng Kagawaran ng Pabahay at Pagpapaunlad ng Kalunsuran (Housing and Urban Development, HUD) ng U.S. Sa ika-3 ng Mayo, 2022, susuriin ng Konseho ng Lungsod ang iminumungkahing Planong Aksiyon ng FY 2022-23. Ang Taunang Planong Aksiyon ng FY 2022-23 ay nagtatatag ng plano ng Lungsod para sa pagtugon sa Mga Pangangailangan ng Pabahay at Pagpapaunlad ng Komunidad kabilang ang paggamit ng mga pondo ng CDBG at Programa sa Mga Pakikipagsosyo sa HUD ng HUD (HOME). Ang mga ispesipikong layunin para sa darating na taon ay tutugunan sa Planong Aksiyon na sasaklaw sa panahon na ika-1 ng Hulyo, 2022 hanggang ika-30 ng Hunyo, 2023. Ang iminumungkahing Planong Aksiyon ng FY 2022-23 ay maglalaan ng humigit-kumulang sa $1,100,000 sa Mga Pondo ng Karapatan ng CDBG at tinatantiyang $72,000 na Kita ng Programa ng CDBG at humigit-kumulang $500,000 ng mga pondo ng HOME.

Simula sa ika-1 ng Abril, 2022, ang Planong Aksiyon ng FY 2022-23, kabilang ang mga detalye ng pagpopondo, sa website ng Lungsod ng Alameda sa www.alamedaca.gov.

PAGKAKATAON NA MARINIG President Rodrigo Duterte and presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. Inquirer.net file photos

According to him, an ideal president should be a decisive, compassionate lawyer. Marcos Jr. is not a lawyer and Duterte has previously said that Marcos Jr. is a “weak leader.”

According to Duterte’s longtime assistant Senator Bong Go, the President met with

Marcos Jr. a few days before the PDP-Laban faction openly endorsed his candidacy.

Go said the two had a “productive” meeting, where Duterte shared his experiences and even gave advice on being president. n

a happy 77th birthday on March 28,” Acting Presidential Spokesperson Martin Andanar said in a statement.

Andanar said Duterte will hold only a simple and quiet birthday celebration in Davao City.

“His birthday wish for this year is to have a clean, fair, and honest election in May 2022, as he has time and again

underscored the importance of a peaceful transfer of power as part of his enduring legacy,” said Andanar.

He then expressed gratitude to the President for “inspiring” other government officials and wished him good health so that he may continue “serving the interest of and bringing betterment to the lives of Filipinos.” n

BA.2 COVID variant now accounts for more...

PAGE 5

PAMPUBLIKONG PAGDINIG NG LUNGSOD NG ALAMEDA TUNGKOL SA PLANONG AKSIYON NG CDBG SA FY 2022-23

MAKUKUHA PARA SA PAGSUSURI NG PUBLIKO

Duterte’s birthday wish: Clean, fair, honest 2022 elections

by Zacarian

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 1-7, 2022

21 times less likely to die from COVID-19. So the vaccination Remains the most effective and safest way to prevent COVID-19.

And I encourage everyone to remain up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations,” she said.

Brooks addressed the issue of global vaccine equity. Currently, less than 7 percent of the developing world has received a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We live in one world, and we’re only as safe as a plane ride away,” he said, “So it’s important that we protect everyone in our world community.”

“Untreated COVID-19 infections are the source of new variants. People who are not vaccinated and become infected can become the source of new emerging variants,” added Brooks. “By preventing infection, we prevent the emergence of new variants,

Ang publiko ay hinihimok at iniimbitahan na lumahok sa Planong Aksiyon na proseso ng pagpopondo ng CDBG/HOME at upang magkomento sa pabahay at pagpapaunlad ng komunidad, nang pabigkas o nakasulat, sa mga sumusunod na nakatakdang Pampublikong Pagdinig: 5/3/2022

7:00 p.m. Pulong ng Konseho ng Lungsod: , Pampublikong pagdinig na nauukol sa FY 2022-23 na Iminumungkahing Planong Aksiyon para sa mga Pederal na pondo ng CDBG at HOME. Para mapanood ang pampublikong pagdinig, bisitahin ang website ng Lungsod ng Alameda sa: https://alameda.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

Puwedeng isumite ang mga komento tungkol sa iminumungkahing sa Plano ng Pagkilos kay Lisa Fitts sa (510) 747-6884, (510) 522-7538 (TYY), o clerk@alamedaca.gov (email). Pakibigay ang mga komento bago ang 4:00 p.m. sa Mayo 3, 2022. Pakikinggan ng Konseho ng Lungsod ang mga komento at isasaalang-alang nito ang pagpapatibay sa sa Plano ng Pagkilos sa regular na pagpupulong nito nang 7:00 p.m. sa Mayo 3, 2022. Hinihikayat ang publiko na dumalo at makilahok.

MGA TULONG PARA SA MGA TAONG MAY KAPANSANAN Kung ang sinumang taong interesado sa paglahok sa nabanggit na pederal na programa ay isang taong may kapansanan tulad ng tinutukoy sa Seksyon 504 ng Rehabilitation Act of 1974, at nangangailangan siya ng tulong para makalahok o makialam, puwedeng humiling para sa tulong kay Lisa Fitts sa (510) 747-6884, (510) 522-7538 (TYY), o sa pamamagitan ng email sa lfitts@ alamedaca.gov. Kasama dapat sa nasabing kahilingan ang paglalarawan ng hinihinging tulong, kasama ang paghahayag ng kapansanang dahilan ng pangangailangan ng tulong. Susuriin ang anumang kahilingan para sa tulong at may sagot na ibibigay sa loob ng limang araw ng negosyo mula sa pagtanggap ng nasabing kahilingan. Agad na ibibigay sa humiling ang abiso ng anumang ibibigay na tulong.

MGA TULONG PARA SA MGA RESIDENTENG HINDI NAGSASALITA NG ENGLISH Ang Lungsod ng Alameda ay may network ng mga empleyadong nagsasalita ng 45 wika na puwedeng magsilbing tagapagsalin para sa mga residenteng nanghihingi ng impormasyon tungkol sa mga programa ng CDBG/HOME. Kung maaabisuhan nang maaga nang dalawang araw ng negosyo, maghahanda ang Lungsod ng tagapagsalin. Makipag-ugnayan kay Lisa Fitts sa (510) 747-6884, (510) 522-7538 (TYY), o sa pamamagitan ng email sa lfitts@alamedaca.gov.

PATAKARAN SA HINDI PANGDIDISKRIMINA Hindi nandidiskrimina ang Lungsod ng Alameda ng sinumang tao batay sa lahi, kulay, relihiyon, pinagmulang bansa, ancestry, biyolohikal na kasarian, kinikilalang kasarian, katauhang pangkasarian (gender identity), ikinikilos na kasarian (gender expression), sekswal na oryentasyon (sexual orientation), marital status, familial status, pinagmumulan ng kita, genetic na impormasyon, medikal na kundisyon, kapansanan sa pangangatawan o pag-iisip, o anupamang kategoryang pinoprotektahan ng batas.

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APRIL 1-7, 2022 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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LIFESTYLE • CONSUMER GUIDE • COMMUNITY • MARKETPLACE

Meet the long-time Filipina professor who’s taking social justice education beyond academia Dr. Robyn Rodriguez, who has more than two decades of experience as a professor at UC Davis, is taking her expertise into the world of entrepreneurship BY

KLARIZE MEDENILLA / AJPRESS

THE world of academia can be a wonderful place to hone all aspects of social justice: developing theory, interpreting history, and developing solutions for historically disenfranchised communities.

Most importantly, it’s a place to incubate the world’s future leaders and greatest minds.

But like all institutions, academia has its limitations that can stifle the boundlessness of social innovation. And, especially as a woman of color, those limitations can inspire divergence from the traditional into the progressive.

Robyn Magalit Rodriguez — a Filipina American professor of Asian American Studies at the University of California, Davis — has been an invaluable mentor and figure for college students for years.

As the first Pinay to chair UC Davis’s Asian American Studies department, she in 2019 founded the Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies, a hub inspired by the eminent Filipino artist and activist Carlos Bulosan that seeks to enrich the Filipino American experience, Rodriguez told the Asian Journal in a recent interview.

But now, Rodriguez is

departing from the world of academia into the world of entrepreneurship to expand her platform as a tribune for current and future generations of social justice leaders and facilitators.

“I’m really more interested in growing and innovating alternatives as opposed to fighting back against this institution and carving space within it,” Rodriguez explained.

“Which, again, I value that [the university system] has seen and clearly are working toward that work, but I just don’t want to spend that energy anymore. I really want to start again and craft new kinds of institutions that can actually serve our community.”

Though Rodriguez speaks fondly and proudly of her work in establishing a Filipino American studies center at UC Davis, she has decided to leave her post (starting in 2023) to seek other means of mentorship and education.

“I’ve increasingly become more acutely aware of how really limited this space for Filipino studies is in universities. It’s incredibly constrained,” she said, recounting how difficulty it was for the university system to establish the center and maintain

it.

“You can talk to any Filipino scholar — it is almost impossible to get funding for Filipino studies and research,” she said, noting that the university’s offerings for Filipino scholars almost operates like a token system, saying “once they fund one Filipino you have to wait a few cycles before they consider funding another.”

In addition to authoring several books on Asian and Asian American issues — including the newly released “Contemporary Asian American Activism: Building Movements for Liberation” on which she collaborated with Diane C. Fujino — Rodriguez launched School of Liberating Education, which is described as a “self-paced minicourse on the history of Asian American activism.”

She said that she plans to devote a large chunk of her time to the program after she leaves her teaching post at UC Davis and “really start to recruit dynamic BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, and people of color] educators to help me in creating and delivering this curriculum for the community.”

“I do sometimes worry for younger folks because history, now, is as far as you can scroll on a Google search. There’s so much knowledge that ends up getting lost,” she said of the difficulties of accessing resources on Asian American history. “We want this to be a kind of invitation to take a deeper dive into these histories and learn from them because that’s how activism can start to incubate: through learning about our histories.”

In addition to the mini-course, Rodriguez has also started a podcast called “Spitting Fire: Doktora Robyn Speaks,” where Rodriguez chats with friends and colleagues about topics like community organizing but also about emotional health issues like grief, aging, and motherhood.

As a mother, Rodriguez naturally has the gift of fostering spaces designed to enrich the community. In August 2020, Rodriguez’s son Amado Khaya Canham Rodriguez tragically passed away at the age of 22 while working alongside indigenous communities in Mindoro, Philippines — a solidarity mission that was part of a larger, life-long goal of advocating for Filipinos in the Philippines.

In honor of her late son, Rodriguez is establishing the Amado Khaya Foundation, a non-profit that seeks to support community organizers and foster a community based on wellness amid the nearly impossible task of helping make the world a safer, better place.

“Filipinos I think that we have to be better about stewarding the planet. I do think that while we may be coming out of Covid, that hasn’t diminished the climate crisis and what that’s really going to mean for all of us,” she said. “You know, we devote our entire lives in trying to raise awareness around issues compounded by violence against our communities, whether its violence that comes from lack of clean air and water to police brutality,” Rodriguez shared.

The tenacity with which Rodriguez speaks with is incredibly contagious, particularly when she talks about this new program and the other many ventures she’s invested in.

In an age where marginalized communities are hungry for more resources made for and by members of those communities, the emergence of this new chapter for Rodriguez is kismet.

Academia, particularly elite academia, has come under scrutiny recently for poor investment in opportunities for educators of color and the programs and initiatives they seek to establish for students of color. Last year, the prominent social academic and activist Cornel West shared his resignation letter from Harvard University in which he decried the “decadence in our marketdriven universities.”

For Rodriguez — an immigrant from the Philippines who has created the groundwork to create a space for Filipino Americans — that disparity in administrative investment is somewhat unsurprising, given the rocky history of the University of California system.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, admission of Asian students into UCs soared. But Asian admission plummeted in the 1980s when, according to an investigation lodged by the U.S. Dept. of Education, found that at at least one UC campus — Berkeley — was capping the admission of Asian students.

(Then-UC Berkeley Chancellor Ira Heyman apologized for the drop but denied their university was deliberately limiting Asians.)

In 1996, the UC Board of Regents were among the most profound proponents of Proposition 209, the California measure that ended affirmative action in the higher education system. While total student enrollment increased after that, the number of Black and brown students at the undergraduate level plummeted.

So rather than push for a seat at a table — a table allegedly constructed on the basis of keeping communities of color at bay — Rodriguez is carving

Dr Robyn Magalit Rodriguez holds a copy of Asian America, 2nd Edition. Through vivid examples and clear discussion of a broad range of theories, the authors Pawan Dhingra and Dr. Robyn Magalit Rodriguez explore the contributions of Asian American Studies, sociology, psychology, history, and other fields to understanding Asian Americans, and vice versa. The new edition includes further pedagogical elements to help readers apply the core theoretical and analytical frameworks encountered. In addition, the book takes readers beyond the boundaries of the United States to cultivate a comparative understanding of the Asian experience, as it has become increasingly global and diasporic. Photos courtesy of Dr. Robyn Magalit Rodriguez

out her own, one that is built for those historically ostracized communities.

And the time for that table to be set is long overdue, particularly at a time when discrimination and violence against Asians continues to be a problem long after interest in the Stop Asian Hate movement waned in 2021.

Recent stories of multiple Asian women and elderly Asians being attacked and killed place a completely unneeded stress on a community that seemingly never has time to process one incident before another one props up.

As a Filipina whose focus has been on Asian American studies, Rodriguez said that nobody should be surprised by the sudden rise in these crimes.

“Neither the hate nor the violence that [the Asian community] has suffered has been surprising. As scholars and community organizers, back in December of 2019 when Covid began propping up and news reports were fixated on China, we were all on the edge of our seats waiting for what the blowback was going to be,” she explained.

Rodriguez shared that the Stop Asian Hate movement is an

opportunity for Asians to shift the narrative of the community, and for ethnic groups like Filipinos to help create a niche for themselves, in particular. But she hopes that this emerging era of Asian American activism makes room for nuance.

“It is exciting for me to see that there’s a new consciousness among Asian Americans, but what worries me is how the consciousness doesn’t come with the added critique of antiBlackness. And there’s this very particularly active right-wing element in the Asian American community that cries foul when it comes to racism against Asian Americans,” she said.

Rodriguez hopes that with her new path of entrepreneurship will help forge a path that does make room for critique of approaches like the model minority myth and the aid of social media that proliferates misinformation.

“The world is not the same as it was 10 years ago or several decades before,” Rodriguez said.

“Clearly there’s a lot that folks are innovating right now, but it also doesn’t mean that some of the insights from the past are also still healthy today.”

Marian on Dingdong giving her Judy Ann on getting slapped by Maricel complete family she never had

by ANNE

PASAJOL Inquirer.net

MARIAN Rivera, who came from a broken family, gratefully declared that her prayer of having a complete family was answered through her husband, actor Dingdong Dantes.

Rivera spoke about how she prayed really hard for a person to build a complete family with, in an exclusive interview with celebrity hairstylist Celeste Tuviera, as seen on Tuviera’s YouTube channel last Saturday, March 26.

“Sabi ko, ‘Lord gusto ko magkaroon ako ng isang pamilya, isang asawa na magiging responsable at bibigyan ako ng anak. Kahit simpleng buhay basta masaya at buo.’ Kasi coming from a broken family, isa ‘yan sa mga wish ko talaga at pinapanalangin ko talaga ng taimtim ‘yan,” Rivera said.

(I asked the Lord, “Lord, I want to have a complete family,

JUDY Ann Santos looked back on her “ikot-ulo” (head-turning) moment as an actress which she had when she was slapped in a scene by the Diamond Star Maricel Soriano.

Santos’ recollection came when she and fellow actress Meryll Soriano talked about how tension supposedly brews among young actors after doing intense scenes, as seen in a vlog on Meryll’s YouTube channel on Sunday, March 27.

“Nalulungkot ako doon sa mga nag-aaway pagkatapos magkasakitan sa eksena. May mga gano’n, ‘yung nagkakaroon ng issue,” Santos said.

“Pero dahil ‘yan ‘yung trabaho natin e.”

(It saddens me to know that there are actors who fight after doing physical scenes. There are instances like that when issues arise out of it but that’s our work.)

Santos then narrated her experience doing a scene with Maricel where Santos was taken aback by the intensity of her slap.

“Si ate Maricel napakalakas sumampal, ikot ang ulo mo do’n. Naalala ko sinampal ako ni ate Maricel sa ‘Maricel Drama Special,’ ‘yung headband ko napunta sa likod. ‘Yung ribbon ko sa gilid napunta sa noo,” Santos recalled. “Kakapitan mo ‘yun at ipagdadasal mo na lang na, ‘Malapit na ‘to matapos.'”

Marian Rivera, Dingdong Dantes and their kids Zia and Sixto (Ate Maricel slaps so hard, it will make your head Photo from Instagram/@marianrivera turn. I remember being slapped by her in an episode a responsible husband who broken family, it’s really one of of “Maricel Drama Special,” my headband at the would give me children. I’m fine my wishes which I prayed really time was moved to the back of my head. The ribbon with having a simple life, all hard for.) which was placed at the side of my head was moved that matters is that we’re happy The actress stressed that the to the back. You’d just hold on and pray, “This will and complete.” Coming from a  PAGE 9 be over soon.”)

Judy Ann Santos

Photo from Instagram/@officialjuday

Meryll, for her part, described herself as “sugatan” (full of bruises) when doing scenes with Maricel, despite the Diamond Star’s effort of holding back because she’s her niece.

Meanwhile, Santos recently disclosed that she’s not afraid of losing her fame as she already imparted her legacy in the showbiz industry. She also added that she’s “at peace and comfortable” of where she is in her life now.

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Features

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 1-7, 2022

Pia and BFFs say no to cancel culture but yes to redemption culture

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by MJ

Marfori Philstar.com

WE continue to up the ante as Women’s Month comes to a close. This time, we had a thorough conversation with three super women — Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, her best friends and former beauty queens Carla Lizardo and Bianca Guidotti-Santos, whom she shares a podcast with, Between Us Queens.

Within a year of doing the show and starting with pageant related issues, they realized that there is so much more to be discussed as women. Just this month, they expanded and launched their first-ever vlog.

Aptly named The Queens, the vlog is a passion project of the trio for their community to broadcast women empowerment with topics that range from beauty, womanhood, friendship, relationships and current events.

They also hold online workbook sessions, so that they can answer and reflect on the workbook topics along with their listeners.

Carla even took a break from her Sports 5 reporting, to focus on this.

“I had to focus on this fulltime because the workbooks we also created on our website took time and we really want to grow the community. We realized that the content we created was just a conversation starter, but what was really important to us was this community,” she said.

Just a little backtrack on their friendship, which formed during their pageant days, seven years in the making, and it all began at the Binibining Pilipinas 2014. The three met at the national pageant and became close friends.

As the years went by, they dreamt of doing projects together but could never find the right one. Despite their careers leading them to different paths, The Queens — as what the three of them are collectively called — kept the friendship alive and when the pandemic hit, things simply fell into place.

As Pia put it, “The Queens became a safe space online where you can be yourself.”

Now, they are rebranding the whole ecosystem to “The Queens.” For the queens. By the queens. No issue is left unspoken between them and since it’s pageant season in the

Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach (center) has been doing the podcast, Between Us Queens, with (from left) best friends and former beauty queens Bianca Guidotti-Santos and Carla Lizardo.

They have since expanded to launch their first-ever vlog.

Philstar.com photo

Philippines, they talked about the blackfishing that went down at the Miss Universe Philippines.

Miss San Pablo, Laguna Shaira Aliyah Diaz allegedly claimed that she is a black woman and she was exposed by American pageant vlogger Davonna Finley.

Turns out Shaira is purely Asian.

With this, Pia tried to look for Shaira online but her socials are deactivated already.

“She needs to be guided a lot,” said she. “Honestly, it is difficult to be a candidate and there’s a tendency to overthink on how you might stand out in a sea of beautiful women.”

Pia also said that Shaira’s back story is worth a listen and the bashing right now surely is not good for her mental health.

“Actually, medyo naawa ako kasi masakit ma-cancel,” she added.

Circling back to the trio, with issues such as this, they also began the #WeAreAllQueens social campaign, the goal of which is to spread a powerful message. That we are queens in our own right, regardless of titles or appearances.

We have our own crowns and therefore, we are all Queens.

To amplify the stories of other women, those who share using the hashtag also get a chance to be featured on The Queens social media accounts.

In their first YouTube vlog, The Queens shared their thoughts on what this project means for them. For Carla, it’s about finding purpose and direction.

“It means the world to me because during the pandemic, I was feeling pretty lost. So, it was great that I was able to connect with so many amazing people

through this platform,” said Carla. “So, it’s just something super special and I feel like it’s been years since we’ve been wanting to work on a passion project together. And it was also the realization that it is actually something that I want to do. I thought that it would be a ‘side thing,’ but no, it actually grew to be something that we are mainly focusing on, something that we really, really truly care about, and something that we want to grow in the years ahead.”

To Pia, it’s the fulfillment of doing something you’re passionate about.

“It is a passion project that I’m really proud of, finally for a while, for a few years,” she shared.

“I’ve been so focused on, you know, work like endorsements, and acting projects but I didn’t really have a personal project like a real passion project. And I’m really happy that I have this now because it feels very fulfilling.

I feel like I’m really doing something meaningful with my time. You know, it feels really nice to help and give back.”

Meanwhile, Bianca looks forward to sharing this passion project with all of the queens.

“It kind of feels like my life’s work, honestly. I’m just so excited to be able to do it with two of my best friends and to be able to share it with Filipino women and hopefully, you know, women all over the world. It’s everything.”

This passion project is aimed at empowering queens all over the country and the world, and despite their busy schedules, the three say that The Queen’s community will be a top priority for them.

ATTY. GURFINKEL ANSWERS MORE IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS IN PART 2 OF EPISODE FEATURING THE SOCAL PINOYS. Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (in photo above) answers more immigration questions from the SoCal Pinoys in Part 2 of “Your Tanong, My Sagot.” Among the questions Atty. Gurfinkel answers are: “My brother-in-law was petitioned 30 years ago as “single” even though he was married. His jealous wife reported his status to the Embassy, so the petition was denied. His mother is now 82 and wants him to still come to the U.S. What are his options?” and “A baby was given to me 17 years ago when I was still in the Philippines. Her birth certificate lists me as her mother. Six years later, her biological mother’s relatives took her back. Now that I am a U.S. citizen, can I petition her as my child?” Watch Part 2 of this Filipino community episode on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, April 3 at 7:00 PM PT (10:00 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo.

(Advertising Supplement)

Atty. Gurfinkel answers more immigration questions and concerns in part 2 of episode featuring the SoCal Pinoys ON a previous episode of Citizen Pinoy, leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel met with members of SoCal Pinoys, where they talked about the group’s goals and accomplishments, and answered their immigration questions and concerns.

In this second installment of this community episode, Atty. Gurfinkel answers more immigration questions from the members of SoCal Pinoys. Some questions include: • “My brother had a massive stroke and heart attack and had to undergo brain surgery

just before his interview at the Embassy. He is now receiving long term care. Would he still be able to immigrate to the U.S. given his current condition?”

• “A baby was given to me 17 years ago when I was still in the Philippines. Her birth certificate shows me as her mother. Six years later, her biological mother’s relatives took her back.

Now that I’m a U.S. Citizen, can I petition her as my child?”

These questions and more will be answered by Atty. Gurfinkel in Part 2 of “Your Tanong, My Sagot,” with the SoCal Pinoys.

Other Fil-Am community

organizations in the U.S. can have the chance to be featured on Citizen Pinoy. Visit the Facebook page of the Law Offices of Michael J. Gurfinkel and signify your interest by sending a private message via messenger.

Watch Part 2 of this community feature on brandnew episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, April 3 at 7:00 PM PT (10:00 PM ET thru select Cable/ Satellite providers), right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app.

(Advertising Supplement)

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talaga at maraming mga signs na binibigay si Lord sa akin na si Dong talaga ‘yung nando’n e. Siya talaga.”

(Dingdong is really an answered prayer who has been by my side all long. I really prayed for him and the Lord has given me a lot of signs

and Dingdong’s presence has always been there. It’s really him.)

Rivera married Dantes in a “royal wedding” held at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Quezon City in 2014. They have two children together, Zia and Sixto.

Marian on Dingdong giving her complete...

Lord brought them together despite her initially not noticing the signs that Dantes was the one for her.

“Si Dong talaga ‘yung pinakasagot ko sa mga prayer ko na nandyan lang pala,” she said. “Kakapanalangin ko

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APRIL 1-7, 2022 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

Features

Lea Salonga: ‘Some artists take time to ripen’ celebrityworld

By Ferdie Villar

MULTI-awarded theater performer Lea Salonga will be a judge, along with singersongwriter Michael Buble, in a new all-digital international singing competition called “Sing For The Stars” which is presented by Kumu.

The social entertainment app’s competition will bring together 15 performers to be part of the show, according to an article in the Philippine Star. The top 11 will be moving on to the final leg of the competition, while the remaining four battle it out for a chance to enter the finals. The champion will earn $10,000, a one-year recording contract with Warner Music and a mini-concert inside the Kumu app, plus a oneone-one coaching session with Michael Buble. The first runnerup takes home $4,000 in cash, while the second runner-up gets $2,000.

“Technical ability and the way you convey emotion have equal weight to me,” Lea said, when asked how she would be looking at the contenders.

However, the former coach for The Voice Philippines, The Voice Kids and The Voice Teens is quick to point out that contests are not the all-important part of one’s musical journey.

“Sometimes, there are artists that take a little bit more time to ripen. And sometimes the bigger star is not even the winner of a competition. That has happened.

We’ve seen it before. And so, we might discover someone that may not make it to the absolute very, very end, but again, in that five-year period, all of a sudden, it’s like, oh my gosh, you’re doing stuff that you didn’t do during the competition, and now it’s like kaboom, career has just exploded,” she said.

Salonga believes social media and the online audition process will continue to be strong as the pandemic goes on. “[It] is going to be one that a lot of, say, casting processes will opt for to keep everyone

safe,” Salonga explained, as she added, “I mean, I’m currently filming a TV show. And that’s how I auditioned, I had to do a self tape, I had to send it to the casting director. I was in Manila auditioning for a show that films in New York. So I was thankful for technology.”

It might be different for theater, but Salonga things that both inperson and online auditions will have a place in the entertainment industry.

“Well, 10 years ago, I don’t think this would have been possible. But that said, for something like musical theater, which is very specific, and which is an in-person type of a medium, that’s probably where an in-person audition might be more beneficial. But there is a place for both. I don’t think one is necessarily better than the other. It’s just that, as a matter of necessity, sometimes we have to do the online thing,” she said.

As for “Sing For The Stars,” Salonga said that she is keeping her eyes and ears open while she is in the judging panel.

“I’m not limiting my ear to genre or vocal type. It’s all about finding that special singer who captures the audience from the first note. For me, it happens when I don’t even try to think of something to say as far as a comment or critique. I just shut my brain off and steep myself in the performance. That’s when I can say to myself, oh wow, I think we just saw a star being born,” she stated.

Asked about people who dream about being the next “Lea Salonga” and what performers need in order to succeed in this industry, Lea answered, “First, everyone needs to stop trying to be the next someone. Please, I’d rather you try to be the first YOU! Second, any success story will have hard work… literal blood, sweat and tears… a strong support system is key to keeping your head about you, as this industry is crazy and could eat

MMFF best actor winner (“Big Night”) Christian Bables is set to co-star as a villainous character in the new TV adaptation of “Mars Ravelos’ Darna.”

Photo from Instagram/@christiaaan06

you alive if you aren’t careful.

Know who you can trust.”

The hardest part of being judge, according to Lea, is saying goodbye to competitors. “[The most challenging part is] saying goodbye. That’s never easy because you know how hard the singer worked to get to that point. So no, it’s never easy telling someone that this might not be the right place for them at this moment. Maybe, for a future moment, things will change, but not for this one,” she said.

Aside from “Sing For the Stars,” Salonga is currently filming a series for HBO Max, a reboot of “Pretty Little Liars” where she plays one of the moms of the liars. *** A lot of great things are happening for actor Christian Bables, especially after his win for best actor at the last Metro Manila Film Festival. One of them is being reunited with his director from the film “Signal Rock,” Chito Roño, in the new TV adaptation of “Mars Ravelos’ Darna.”

“The set is always fun and easy. It feels good to act, especially because Direk Chito is there to direct everyone. I’m not allowed to talk about my role yet, but I can share that it’s one of the main characters in the series. It’s something I’ve never done before. It’s a villain but it’s not a gay character,” Christian said, according to an Inquirer. net article.

“On the set, Direk Chito is in his usual meticulous and extremely artistic self. He has always demanded a production team that’s professional and efficient with the tasks it is given. I think that makes the project grand – it has Direk Chito’s magical touch in all the aspects of production.

He is really something else,” he added.

As part of his research, Bables watched the “Darna” version starring Angel Locsin, although he says this new film is different in terms of its approach. “Our setting is on the present day and our attack on the story is very modern,” he revealed.

Christian has also been working out in preparation for the fight scenes, and has lost a significant amount of weight.

“From 69 kilos, I’m now down to 59 kilograms. This is really exciting for me. I like what I’m doing. I want to be ready when the time to shoot the fight scenes comes. I’ve been seeing progress with my workouts. I plan to keep on doing it even after we’re done with the fight scenes,” he said, while adding that playing his character is quite draining as the villainous persona was created out of great emotional pain.

As for other, upcoming projects, Bables prefers to Award-winning theater performer Lea Salonga is a judge, alongside singer-songwriter Michael keep mum about them until the Buble, for Kumu’s “Sing For The Stars.”

Photo from Instagram/@msleasalonga cameras start rolling.

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

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Graton Resort & Casino is first US property to unveil new Kascada® Dual Screen gaming experience

ROHNERT PARK – Graton Resort & Casino unveiled the Light & Wonder™’s new Kascada Dual Screen slot cabinet on March 15, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. The advancedtech games are first to market for Graton Resort & Casino.

“The Kascada Dual Screen is an innovative new way to play at Graton Resort & Casino,” said Greg Sarris, tribal chairman for Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. “We continually strive to bring sophisticated gaming to our guests and are pleased to be the first property in the country to feature these slot machines.”

“We are excited to partner with Graton Resort & Casino on the first to market launch of Kascada Dual Screen,” stated Matt Wilson, Group Gaming CEO at Light & Wonder. “At Light & Wonder we are fully focused on developing great game content and hardware.

Kascada Dual Screen builds on the proven performer, Kascada Portrait and we couldn’t be more proud to build momentum by launching it with one of our most celebrated brands, Double Money Link®.”

Kascada Dual Screen offers Graton guests the opportunity to experience two high definition 27” displays, lightning-fast game play, ambient lighting and crisp, custom multi-channel sound.

Graton Resort & Casino is the luxury destination in Sonoma County for gaming, hospitality and entertainment. The casino features over 3,000 slot and video poker machines, more than 115 table games and live poker. Dining options include Tony’s of North Beach for Italian fare and the sophisticated 630

Brian Green (left), VP/Assistant General Manager, and Greg Sarris (right, with giant scissors), Tribal Chairman Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, cut the red ribbon on the new Kascada® Dual Screen Gaming Experience at Graton Resort & Casino. Graton is the first property in the U.S. with this new gaming experience.

Photo courtesy of Landis Communications Inc.

Park Steakhouse. The hotel at Graton Resort & Casino is a AAA 4-diamond property, including an expansive pool area, 24/7 concierge and spa/salon.

For more information on Graton Resort & Casino or to book your stay, visit www.

gratonresortcasino.com.

Scientific Games Corporation, doing business as Light & Wonder Inc., is the global leader in cross-platform games and entertainment. The Company brings together 5,000 employees from six continents to connect content between land-based and digital channels with unmatched technology and distribution. Guided by a culture that values daring teamwork and creativity, the Company builds new worlds of play, developing game experiences loved by players around the globe.

Its OpenGaming™ platform powers the largest digitalgaming network in the industry.

The Company is committed to the highest standards of integrity, from promoting player responsibility to implementing sustainable practices. To learn more, visit lnw.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

AJ says she’s enjoying every controversy against her

by Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

SEXY actress AJ Raval revealed that she’s enjoying every controversy against her.

In the virtual press conference of her upcoming VivaMax series “Iskandalo,” AJ was asked what her biggest scandal is and how she overcame it.

“Ako po, hindi literal na scandal na sex video, pero na iskandalo na ko sa mga issues before. Para sa akin po, f*ck them all. Wala na rin po akong pakialam. Wala na 'kong feelings,” AJ said.

AJ added that she’s just laughing at the people who throw different controversial issues.

“Honestly, medyo na-eenjoy ko nga 'pag may isyu-isyu at least po may pinupuntahan 'yung career ko. Parang may part din po sa akin na pinagtatawanan ko sila dahil sa iskandalong binibigay nila.

'Yun lang masasabi ko, naeenjoy ko din po siya,” she said.

When asked about her reaction

AJ Raval

Photo from Instagram/@ajravsss

on her sex scenes in movies making rounds in different social media sites, AJ said she’s just sad for the whole team who created film.

“Hindi ko naman masyadong iniisip ang sarili ko. Nalulungkot lang po talaga ko kasi pinagpapaguran po namin 'yon.

EMPLOYMENT

Nagpupuyat kami sa shoot tapos nanakawin lang ng iba,” she said.

A 10-part Vivamax Original Series, “Iskandalo” follows the story of Patricia (Cindy Miranda), a detective who wants to climb the ladder to prove her late father’s innocence and Em (AJ) a social media celebrity who is bashed when her sex video with a mysterious man becomes viral.

As Patricia gets deeper into Em’s scandalous case, she is also able to connect several people, some dear to her – Em’s ex (Sean De Guzman), an avid fan (Ayanna Misola), Patricia’s best friend (Jamilla Obispo), a congressman (Jay Manalo), a senator (Joonee Gamboa) and Em’s parents (Carlene Aguilar, Arnold Reyes). Join Patricia as she unravels the loopholes of the case and discovers a deep connection to her late father’s case.

The series will start streaming on Vivamax on April 10 with fresh episodes every Sunday.

Features

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 1-7, 2022

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Pahrump, areas outside Las Vegas eyed by home developers as land prices increase

By REALTOR

FELY QUITEVIS-BATEMAN

REAL estate in the gaming capital of the world, Las Vegas, continues on its upward trend as the area’s population continues to grow. With construction projects on the horizon and with it more jobs and employment opportunities, Las Vegas home buyers are feeling the crunch when it comes to searching for affordable homes.

The frenzy for home buying in the area has taken its toll on prospective homeowners as many compete for available, affordable homes. A recent article even stated that some builders have put buyers on waiting lists, and that buyers have had to contend with raising of prices, overbidding and lottery draws.

That is probably the reason why home builders will be looking at areas outside of Las Vegas to develop new homes, especially since per square foot costs in these areas are cheaper when compared to Las Vegas.

Take a look at Pahrump, which is about 62 miles west of Las Vegas. Easily a drive of about an hour or less, it is an area where a person employed in the world’s gaming capital can drive to and from work, and still enjoy the comforts of a quieter, peaceful neighborhood, and far from bustling traffic, crime and other problems associated with big cities.

Today’s Pahrump is no longer a backwards place.

Still an unincorporated town, Pahrump has currently an estimated population of nearly 48,000 from the latest Census data (by comparison, in 2000, the town had an estimated population of just under 25,000), and has many major stores that can be seen in big

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman with Tim Lai (left), who is looking at parcels to build apartment units to meet the rental shortage in Pahrump.

Former Philippine President Fidel Ramos (extreme right, holding golf club) was impressed playing golf at Mountain Falls Golf Resort during his visit to Las Vegas many years ago. With former President Ramos in photo are Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman and her family.

towns like Walmart Supercenter, Albertson’s, Safeway, Home Depot and Dollar General, as well as a variety of businesses that serve its burgeoning population.

Aside from these, Pahrump is also site to the Front Sight Firearms Training Institute and Spring Mountain Motor Sports Ranch. It also has wineries, casinos, drugstores, many restaurants, and legal brothels.

Public education is administered by the Nye County School District.

Although land prices in Pahrump may not be as low as was decades ago, it is still an affordable alternative to the rising real estate prices in Las Vegas. Plus, real estate in Pahrump has appreciated about 155% over

the last ten years alone, according to latest data available, which puts the unincorporated town in the top 10% nationally for areas whose real estate values have appreciated exponentially.

Due to this, many observers see Pahrump as being one of the best long-term investments that people can make in the United States over the past decade and into the future. Despite a downturn in the housing market, Pahrump’s real estate portfolio has continued to appreciate.

Millions of dollars are being pumped into construction projects in Pahrump which will greatly benefit the town. A glove factory on 10-acre parcel of land being developed by one of my investors Andrew Hoang, will create hundreds of

From left: Atty. Jack Ross of Las Vegas, Gloria Estillore from Silicon Valley (who is eyeing to build assisted living facilities), Weenah Cadiz (considering Pahrump as her retirement destination) and Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman.

Jorge and Reggie Bondoc of Houston (extreme right and extreme left), the No. 1 top seller of Ritello USA in 2021, bought 3 lots last year on their first visit to Pahrump. They are in photo with Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman (center).

jobs.

While the market is still affordable, now is the time to look for opportunities to invest in real estate in Pahrump and neighboring communities in Las Vegas.

Even the Las Vegas Review Journal, in a recent article, said that a broader acceleration in areas like Pahrump, Mesquite, Indian Springs, Moapa Valley and Laughlin may take place to address the needs of home buyers in the lower price ranges as residential developers eye other regions for potential projects.

Besides, for those looking to invest in real estate in Pahrump like some of my clients who are now reaping the benefits of their investments, settling in places like Pahrump in Nevada has distinct tax advantages, including a competitive business state tax, a county sales tax of 6.75% (not on food items),

and no taxes associated with estate/ inheritance, franchise, gift, inventory/ interstate commerce, corporate income and personal income.

‘Whether you are looking to be gainfully employed, retire or just own a second home or land as an investment, Pahrump is a great place to start your search, and I can help you. Having seen the growth of this community since 1992, I can assist you, my kababayans, in your search for the best opportunities.

My company, Precious Properties, is a full-service company serving its clientele since 1992 and you can reach me at 775-513-8447, 805-559-2476 and 702-538-4948 for more information.

We have investors who buy houses in California and Nevada for cash and quick escrow in as short as 7 days.

(Advertising Supplement)

Victor Covarrubias (left), owner of Ford dealership in CA, looking for his 2nd dealership in Pahrump with (from left) Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman and Jennifer Benedict, another investor in Pahrump.

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APRIL 1-7, 2022 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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