040220 - Las Vegas Edition

LAS VEGAS

We’ve got you covered from Hollywood to Broadway... and Online!

APRIL 2-8, 2020

T H E F I L I P I N O –A M E R I C A N C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R

Volume 31 - No. 14 • 12 Pages

2770 S. Maryland Pkwy., Suite 201 Las Vegas, NV 89109 Tel: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879

Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY

DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Fil-Am journalists remember CBS’ Maria Mercader as a mentor, champion of newsroom diversity

FILIPINO American media professionals are paying tribute to veteran CBS News journalist and talent executive Maria Mercader who died over the weekend from the coronavirus.

Born and raised in New Filipina American Maria Mercader worked for over 30 years at CBS News York, Mercader, 54, spent over as a journalist and talent executive.

30 years at CBS as a producer and most recently was a director of talent strategy.

The Filipina American journalist got her start at the network’s page program in 1987 and rose the ranks to the CBS News foreign

u PAGE 3

FROM HOLLYWOOD TO THE FRONT LINES

Fil-Am medical professional collects supplies from TV shows for hospitals AS hospitals across Southern California run low on supplies for front-liners fighting the coronavirus outbreak, a Filipina American medical professional is using her connections to TV shows for donations to fill those needs.

Mel Oliver, a cardiovascular perfusionist and emergency medical technician in Los Angeles, has helped secure boxes of masks, gloves and other gear from Hollywood sets she’s consulted on, including HBO’s “Big Little Lies” and NBC’s “This Is Us.” In mid-March, Oliver received a call from the prop master for “This Is Us,” who was

u PAGE 2

Nevada under ‘stay at home’ order, closures extended to April 30

by AJPRESS

Announced on Wednesday, April 1, the directive instructs the state’s NEVADA Governor Steve Sisolak 3 million residents to not leave this week issued several directives, their homes unless it’s for necesincluding a formal “stay at home” sary activities, such as going to the order and the extension of nones- supermarket, working at a business sential business and school clo- deemed essential or seeking health sures until April 30. care treatment.

“Today’s ‘Stay at Home’ directive strengthens the imperative that Nevadans must not leave their homes for nonessential activities in order to prevent the spread of COVID19,” said Sisolak on Wednesday.

Another exception for leaving one’s home is picking up food at a

take-out or drive-thru restaurant.

This builds upon the governor’s previous actions in March, which included declaring a state of emergency and closing down nonessential businesses, including casinos and gaming operators, and

u PAGE 2

DFA: 401 Filipinos abroad infected with COVID-19

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, April 1, announced that there are a total of 401 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) among overseas Filipino workers.

Of the number, 270 are currently undergoing treatment, 118 have recovered while 13 have died.

According to the agency, the OFWs who contracted the disease are from 32 countries and regions covering Asia and the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East/Africa, and the Americas.

There are 206 cases of Filipinos with COVID-19 in the Asia Pacific Region, 52 cases in the Middle East/Africa, 107 cases in Europe, and 36 cases in America.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, the Department of Health announced there are 227 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the country’s official tally to 2,311.

The department also recorded eight new deaths – all of who were senior citizens. This brings the country’s death toll to 96.

The fatalities include an 80-year-old Filipino male

u PAGE 2

DISINFECTING CARGOES. Philippine Air Force troopers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) unload and disinfect boxes containing PPEs from its C-130 aircraft at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City on Tuesday, March 31. This is part of measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 in the country.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Sen. Cortez Masto highlights resource guide for Nevadans seeking help during the pandemic

by AJPRESS

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada AJPress file photo by Robert Macabagdal

NEVADA Senator Catherine Cortez Masto recently released a guide for residents seeking assistance, from unemployment insurance to health care services, during the coronavirus pandemic.

The senator’s guide came alongside the passage of the historic $2.2 trillion relief bill last

Thursday, March 26, which was subsequently signed by President Donald Trump.

The plan will send direct payments to most Americans, expand unemployment insurance for self-employed and gig economy workers, provide loans for small businesses and corporations, and disburse funding for hospitals and health care professionals.

“In times of chaos, there’s so much misinformation. There’s an opportunity for [Nevadans] to receive relief during this period of time but they don’t know where to get it. So the first step is passing the legislation and appropriating the relief into our communities,” Cortez Masto told the Asian Journal. “The second step for me after we passed this,

u PAGE 4

PH receives nearly $4-M health Duterte to those challenging gov’t assistance from US to fight COVID-19 amid crisis: I will order you shot

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE U.S. Department of State on Tuesday, March 31, said that it has provided approximately $18.3 million in emergency health and humanitarian assistance to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states, including the Philippines.

The local government received received nearly $4 million, or approximately P200 million, in health assistance to help the government prepare laboratory and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, risk communica-

tion, infection prevention and control, and more.

It added that the Department of Defense’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) provided locally sourced PPE, training, exercises, and laboratory equipment and materials to the country.

The Philippines received the largest amount of financial assistance from the U.S. among the ASEAN members.

The United States has invested more than $582 million in the Philippines’ health care system alone and nearly $4.5 billion in total assistance over the past 20 years, the U.S. Department of State noted in its report.

by DARRYL JOHN

Other ASEAN countries who received financial assistance from the U.S. are Cambodia ($2 million), Indonesia ($2.3 million), Laos (nearly $2 million), Myanmar ($3.8 million), Thailand ($1.2 million) and Vietnam (nearly $3 million).

“Our country continues to be the single largest health and humanitarian donor for both long-term development and capacity building efforts with partners, and emergency response efforts in the face of recurrent crises, the U.S. Department of State said.

The U.S. funding to ASEAN countries on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) aims to sup-

u PAGE 2 President Ordrigo Duterte

ESGUERRA

Inquirer.net

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, April 1, warned leftist groups and violators of the “enhanced community quarantine” in Luzon not to “challenge” the government during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, saying that he would not hesitate to have them shot.

“Don’t do anything foolish and go on a riot because I will order you detained and I will let you go after this COVID-19,” Duterte, speaking partly in Filipino, said in a taped speech.

“Don’t test the Filipino. Do not try to test it. You know, we are ready for you. Violence or shooting or killing, I will not hesitate to order my soldiers to shoot you. I will not hesitate to order the police to arrest and detain

u PAGE 2

Malacañang photo by Ace Morandante

0

PROMO APRIL 2 - 8, 202 W W W. I S L A N D PA C I F I C M A R K E T. C O M

$

SAN MIGUEL PUREFOODS Z CORNED BEEF 12O

$

88 /BOX

24 Cans

3 99

SAN MIGUEL PUREFOODS Z CORNED BEEF 12O

/EA

DEL MAR TUNA FLAKES IN OIL/WATER 155G

$

78 /BOX

48 Cans

$

1 79

DEL MAR TUNA FLAKES G IN OIL/WATER 155

ISLAND PACIFIC SEAFOOD MARKET SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

/EA

WEST COVINA, CANOGA PARK, OXNARD, CERRITOS, LONG BEACH, SANTA CLARITA, TEMECULA & NATIONAL CITY.

http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678

april 2-8, 2020 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal

PH receives nearly $4-M health...

PAGE 1 port the following goals: • prepare laboratories for large-scale testing for COVID19; • infection prevention and control; • enable risk communication; • implement public-health emergency plans for border

points of entry; • activate case-finding and event-based surveillance for influenza-like illnesses; • train and equip rapid-responders in investigation and contact-tracing; • and update training materials for health workers.

The U.S. government agencies spearheading internation-

From The FronT Page

al response, including The Department of State, USAID, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are working closely to allocate funds based on COVID-19 hotspots and vulnerabilities.

The. U.S. is also coordinating with other donors to complement assistance and avoid duplicating efforts. n

Fil-Am medical professional collects supplies...

PAGE 1 collecting equipment from the studio and asked if she could recommend a hospital that needed them the most.

Inspired by the efforts of ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” to donate their supplies to local hospitals, she then reached out to other prop departments she’s worked with.

It led her to a massive collection at Independent Studio Services (ISS), a prop supplier for TV and film productions. Her contact on “Big Little Lies” has also stepped up to sew reusable cloth masks.

“All these people are coming together and it’s really nice to know they’re thinking of us. Sometimes as a health care worker, you don’t get to think about that stuff and…especially for the people who are on the front lines in the emergency room, they shouldn’t have to worry where their next mask is coming from,” Oliver told the Asian Journal.

Though the pandemic is the current issue at hand, Oliver has been collecting excess and unused medical supplies, such as scrubs and gloves, from TV productions over the years.

Mel Oliver, a cardiovascular perfusionist and emergency medical technician in Los Angeles who consults on TV shows, has collected donations of masks and gloves for local hospitals.

Contributed photos

The donations are used for medical missions to underserved island communities under Isla Medical Foundation, which she helped start with two friends after taking a trip to Siargao, the surfing capital of the Philippines.

“I’d go back to Siargao and each time, the locals would tell me about the issues they’re having with the health care system,” Oliver said. “I’d been doing medical missions for other organiza-

tions and in my head, I thought: ‘Why not do what I do for other countries for my own country?’

We wanted to give back to the community that gives so much to us whenever we’re there visiting.

I’m thankful ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ would think of me every time they had extra stuff.”

The Pinay’s foray into Hollywood started 10 years ago when she was still working at CedarsPAGE 4

Nevada under ‘stay at home’...

PAGE 1 schools.

The extension also comes as President Donald Trump announced that the social distancing measures should remain in place until the end of April.

“This order still allows essential functions like grocery shopping & driving to an essential business. It also allows outdoor activity like walking.

But you must continue adhering to other directives & protocols like limiting groups to less than 10 & keeping 6ft of social distance,” Sisolak tweeted on Wednesday.

Individuals are also advised not to congregate in groups beyond those who live in their households.

The governor also said he has activated the Nevada National Guard to help deliver medical supplies and respond to the pandemic as it affects the state.

“This activation means that

Nevada has the best of the best running our statewide response operation. From delivering critical medical equipment & supplies to providing personnel & logistical expertise, no one is better — and you and your families deserve nothing less,” the Sisolak said in another tweet.

There are currently 1,458 confirmed cases and 38 deaths statewide as of Thursday, April 2, according to the Nevada Health Response. Of that number, 1,125 cases and 34 deaths are in Southern Nevada.

“Between 6 and 20 percent of Nevada’s COVID-19 patients are requiring hospitalization.

Of these cases, 74 percent are admitted to the ICU and 44 percent require a ventilator,” Sisolak said.

To assist the current workload at hospitals, he announced the Battle Born Medical Corp directive, which will waive “certain licensing requirements” so additional health

care workers can get to work.

This also covers medical students, retired health care providers, those from other states and around the world.

Essential employees are reminded to continue their work activities, making sure to take proper precautions, like frequent handwashing, staying home if they are sick and abiding by aggressive social distancing protocols.

Sisolak doubled down on staying home to help prevent the spread and to limit exposure to front-liners from doctors to grocery store workers.

“These first responders, these truck drivers that are delivering this stuff to the stores, grocery store clerks, they never thought they’d be putting themselves in the line of danger when they got a job as a grocery store stocker,” he said. “They are stepping up to help our state, and I am asking every single Nevadan…to step up for Nevada.” n

DFA: 401 Filipinos abroad infected with...

PAGE 1 from San Juan City, a 70-yearold Filipino male from Cebu City, an 84-year-old Filipino male from Mandaluyong City, a 77-year-old Filipino male from Manila, a 66-year-old Filipino male from Parañaque City, a 73-year-old Filipino male from Pasig City, a 79-year-old Filipino female from Makati City, and a 65-year-old Filipino female from Quezon City.

One patient, on the other

hand, recovered, bringing the official count of recoveries to 50.

Esperanza Cabral, former DOH chief, pointed out that the country can still expect an increase in positive cases in the next two weeks.

“I don’t think we are peaking next week or even the week after. I don’t think we have controlled the coronavirus yet,” she told CNN Philippines’ The Source.

Cabral also said that the gov-

ernment would still need to secure tens of thousands more tests before officials can analyze the severity of the virus in local communities.

“We will have to do more tests.

If we have done 10 or 20,000 of them, we can more or less determine what is the prevalence of the coronavirus in our community. And perhaps we can say that at that time, (if) we have controlled or not controlled the coronavirus,” she added. n

PAGE 1 you,” he added.

And if they would create trouble and put uniformed personnel in danger, the President said he would give the police the right to “shoot them dead.”

“My order to the police and the military, as well as the barangay officials, is that, when you create a disorder and there would be an occasion that you fight back and their [the authorities’] lives are put in danger, shoot them dead.”

Duterte issued the warning

after 20 protesters demanding food and other assistance were arrested in Quezon City for staging a rally without a permit amid the month-long Luzon lockdown.

According to reports, around 100 people from the urban poor community in Barangay Pagasa flocked to one side of Edsa on Wednesday morning.

A police dispersal of the protest resulted in the arrest of 14 men and six women.

After the protest, the urban poor group Kadamay, which

has members in the community, said that the arrest of the residents showed a gross lack of social services and compassion to those greatly affected by the lockdown.

Duterte placed the entire Luzon under a month-long lockdown on March 16, forcing about half of the country’s population to observe home quarantine. His directive came just two days after a botched attempt to restrict the movement of people living and working in Metro Manila. n

Duterte to those challenging gov’t...

Residents of Siargao show off masks, gloves and other supplies collected by Isla Medical Foundation.

Dateline USa

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 2-8, 2020

Fil-Am journalists remember CBS’ Maria Mercader... ‘I’ve never seen doctors so scared by an infection’:

PAGE A1 and national desks, guiding in the production of the biggest stories, such as the death of Princess Diana, the 9/11 attacks and Pope Francis’ visit to the United States. In 2004, she won a Business Emmy for a “CBS Sunday Morning” segment on computer spam.

She fought cancer and related illnesses for more than 20 years and had been on medical leave for an unrelated matter since the last week in February, according to the network.

CBS News Asia correspondent Ramy Inocencio — who was the first American TV journalist assigned to Wuhan, China when the virus first broke out and has since covered its spread to other Asian countries — said Mercader’s passing is a reminder of the coronavirus’ personal impact.

“Never would I have thought I would lose a friend half a world away when I first started reporting this. It’s just so important for everyone to remember coronavirus can affect us all. And it sadly does,” Inocencio wrote in an email to the Asian Journal.

The CBS News correspondent, who considered Mercader a friend for over 12 years, remembered how she never made herself or her health battles the focus when she was around others.

“Any normal person might have complained but she was strong…so strong. And sitting with her she always made it about ‘you…’ Yes, we talked about affairs of the heart along with career and Filipino food,” Inocencio said. “And she would make time for quality time — to talk about how you could rise, learn and be a better version of yourself.”

Inocencio thanked Mercader for recruiting him to join CBS and in helping land his current role as the network’s Asia correspondent based in Beijing, becoming the first Asian American in that capacity.

“That was her power, her loyal advocacy and her love. That she’s now left us makes me feel I have to work that much harder to make her proud from heaven — and I know she’s watching me all the time now and with a good glass of wine in her hand,” he said. “She’ll be missed terribly but the outpouring of love for her around the world I see now is just a beautiful torrential testament to the love she poured into the world when she was with

Doctors lament skyrocketing COVID-19 cases, deaths Medical experts urge lawmakers to practice treatment equity, call for more tests to be administered to lower-income areas

by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

Mercader with Ramy Inocencio, CBS News Asia correspondent

us.”

Her legacy at the network garnered messages from colleagues like Dan Rather and Elaine Quijano as well as segments on “CBS This Morning,” the “CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell” and the “CBS Weekend News.”

Aside from news production, Mercader devoted time to the mentorship and professional development of rising journalists of color and helped coordinate CBS News participation in the Asian American Journalists Association, the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association and the National Association of Black Journalists.

She was a 2004 graduate of AAJA’s Executive Leadership Program in Chicago. Many FilAm journalists crossed paths with Mercader at the organization’s events and annual convention and became her friends and mentees.

Multimedia journalist Chris Casquejo did not work directly with Mercader but has known her since 2004 through AAJA and other professional gatherings.

“Maria was a fierce champion for diversity in newsrooms and very proud of her Filipino roots.

I’m convinced that’s a big reason we connected on many levels: We were both Fil-Ams navigating our way through a demanding industry,” Casquejo wrote in an email to the Asian Journal.

He spoke of her “brutally honest yet encouraging” way of critiquing resume tapes for budding broadcast reporters, how she made others “the most important person in the room,” and that she reminded journalists not only to excel in their careers but also to have a work-life balance.

But Casquejo’s favorite mem-

Multimedia journalist Chris Casquejo (left) with Mercader and sports anchor CBS Sports’ Tommy Tran (right) at the AAJA convention in 2018.

ory of Mercader was outside of reporting.

“Each time we saw each other, she would point to her right cheek before even saying hello.

I wasn’t allowed to talk until I did two things: kiss her on the cheek and answer this question, ‘Are you dating anyone?’ When I would inevitably answer ‘no,’ I could see her matchmaking mind start to work. Only after she grilled me about dating could we catch up about what was happening in our lives. But I didn’t mind. She just wanted me to be happy in my career and personal life. She was truly like a Filipina Ate to me,” Casquejo added.

Will Chang, a former online editor and recruiter for the Associated Press, recalled how Mercader became a familiar face at job fairs and how she would try to find a way to bond with anyone she met.

“Even I wasn’t exempt from her playfulness. When we got to PAGE 4

ONE month ago, lawmakers across the United States, including President Donald Trump, questioned the veracity and severity of the novel coronavirus within the U.S. despite warnings from the medical community.

Back then, there were only a handful of cases across all 50 states; only 100 cases were reported as of March 2.

Today, there are 190,740 cases and counting, according to the latest figures from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

In a matter of weeks, the cases and deaths by COVID-19 skyrocketed, especially in states like California and New York.

On March 2, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the state’s first confirmed case; as of March 31, there are more than 38,000 cases and 1,218 deaths across the state (914 deaths in New York City alone).

The exponential rise in cases and deaths prompted a national emergency declaration from Trump and countless state and local safer-at-home measures.

In a virtual press briefing on Thursday, March 27 hosted by Ethnic Media Service, doctors and medical experts addressed the state of affairs within the health care industry regarding the exponential rise of the pathogen.

Addressing the gravity of the current situation, the doctors wanted to nip one thing in the bud: although it is similar to other infections like the common cold or the flu, the COVID-19 virus is shaping up to be more deadly and the public ought to treat it more seriously.

“As a doctor, I’ve never seen doctors so scared by an infection, ever,” said Dr. Tung Nguyen, an internist at the University of California, San Francisco, emphasizing the importance of prevention.

“Every thousand people infected, 15 to 45 people will die, which is 15 to 50 times more deadly than the seasonal flu.”

“No health care system can deal with uncontrolled spread and at this point, the most important thing in terms of preven-

tion are two words: stay home,” Nguyen said. “Every time you interrupt a point of transmission, the downstream effect is huge.

Having one person not infected isn’t just protecting that one person, it’s actually protecting many, many other people.”

He also warned the public about the airborne nature of the virus, sharing that people should “be wary of touching objects because right now, the data shows that the virus may be in the air for up to three hours on cardboard, for up to 24 hours on plastic, and 72 hours on steel.”

Preventative care, as Nguyen emphasized, is the first line of defense against the spread of the disease. In terms of treatment, Nguyen said that tests for the virus should only be administered to those who show symptoms.

The lack of tests, as well as the lack of ventilators and other medical equipment, have been a concern for medical professionals, especially those on the front lines like EMTs and ER and ICU nurses.

In regards to the testing, Nguyen said, “In my view, most reputable testing centers should not test people without symptoms,” and added that people should consult their primary care physicians. (In Los Angeles County, you cannot get a test without permission from a physician.)

But whatever the number of confirmed cases may be on any given day does not reflect the true scope of this pandemic, and many factors stand in the way of obtaining a test for swaths of the community.

Inequities Dr. Daniel Turner-Lloveras of Harbor-UCLA Medical Clinic lamented the legislative barriers that may make testing and treatment inaccessible to 43% of the undocumented community who don’t have health insurance, especially after the Trump administration’s new public charge rule that took effect on Feb. 23.

“We cannot contain a virus outbreak by providing care to only some of the population. We cannot successfully contain an outbreak if there are those among us who are afraid to seek care,” Turner-Lloveras remarked.

To his point, the lack of testing

also “disproportionately” puts lower-income communities at a disadvantage. As an advocate for medical equity, he’s worked with other community leaders to establish hospitals as “ICE-free zones” to serve undocumented immigrants who may be hesitant to seek medical care for fear they would be captured by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Rishi Manchanda, doctor and founder of the medical advocacy organization HealthBegins, mirrored Turner-Lloveras’ thoughts on the social equity concerns of the pandemic, which has negatively affected the economic wellbeing of people of color.

“Lower wages and insufficient insurance coverage limits their access to treatment and often forces them to work even while ill, increasing the risk of exposure to the community,” Manchanda explained, pointing out that many people of color and immigrants work in service industries like health care, transit systems or in grocery stores, which further puts them at risk for exposure.

The social inequity of this pandemic is multilayered, but one aspect of that that the speakers emphasized was the growing incidents of anti-Asian racism and hate. Written extensively in the Asian Journal, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) have reported disturbing instances of verbal abuse, harassment and violence by people who accused them of having the virus or blaming them for the virus’ spread.

“This is obviously a very challenging time for all Americans, and unfortunately, it has been made worse by racism and xenophobia that is targeting our Asian American communities,” said Manju Kulkarni, executive director of the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON), who shared the rise of hate crimes and acts of hate against Asian Americans in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, which began in Wuhan, China.

According to Kulkarni, A3PCON has received more than 750 reports of hate crimes and acts of hate in the month of March, all related to the COVID19 virus. n

april 2-8, 2020 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal

Dateline USa

http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678

‘No new fight schedules yet’ – Arum Fil-Am journalists remember CBS’ Maria Mercader...

by Josef

Ramos

ManilaTimes.net

TOP Rank boss Bob Arum said it is still unknown when the postponed fights of Filipino world boxing champions Jerwin Ancajas and John Riel Casimero will happen as the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) wreaks havoc around the world.

Ancajas was supposed to defend his International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight title against Mexican Jonathan Javier Rodriguez on April 11 at the Cosmopolitan, while Casimero was supposed to fight Japanese Naoya Inoue in a unification bout on April 25 at the Mandalay Bay both in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Top Rank announced the postponement of all its boxing events in March and April last March 16 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I wish I have the ability to

predict the future. I don’t know when this will be all over, I don’t know when will be able to do fights again,” the 88-year-old Arum told the The Manila Times in an overseas call.

Arum said there is something bigger now than boxing.

“That is not a major problem for the world, the major problem for the world is to conquer this virus so we can get back to business. When that will be, I absolutely have no idea. I’m not going to tell any date and talk like I know something because I don’t.”

Arum is concerned about boxers who don’t have any income if they don’t fight. “You have to look at these losses in these young men’s careers because they are not being able to pursue their activities because there are no fights and unlike promoters that can go on forever,” he said.

“Fighters are athletes and they die young in the sense that they have live-in careers and so without taking a big chunk out of their careers by this inactivity.”

Inoue, the reigning IBF and World Boxing Association bantamweight titleholder, and Ancajas did not fly to the United States after the pandemic exploded in mid-March while Casimero and his trainers were already in Las Vegas.

Arum said he himself is following the orders of health authorities.

“We’re staying inside the house, I go for a little walk, but the restaurants are all closed, everything is closed, and we are not interacting with people,” said Arum.

“We are making the best of it, and hopefully we’ll conquer this virus and go back to normal. When that will be we don’t know.” n

Sen. Cortez Masto highlights resource guide...

PAGE 1 and then the president signed it, was to make sure that those in our community can access these resources and that was the intent of the guide.”

Ahead of the bill’s passage, Cortez Masto and Senator Jacky Rosen had a phone briefing with leaders of the state’s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community to hear their top concerns of the moment.

Nevada is home to 334,763 AAPIs, with the largest ethnic group being Filipino (162,936).

“Senator Rosen and I were able to do a conference call with many of our leaders in the [AAPI] community and it was similar to what I’ve been hearing across from folks in Nevada, which is first, health care — what they’re hearing in their community as a lack of medical supplies. Second, with businesses and small business owners, how do we access capital? How do we take care of our workers? How do we open our doors again?” Cortez Masto said.

About $150 billion is appropriated for hospitals to purchase personal protective equipment for health care workers and get testing kits and other muchneeded equipment.

Throughout the month of March, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak and officials of the Southern Nevada Health District have

pleaded for more COVID-19 test kits from the federal government.

For now, health providers have sought private labs for testing.

Lawmakers have called upon the president to invoke the Defense Production Act so companies can build medical equipment and other necessities.

“We can prioritize those orders that go into the federal government and then all of those medical supplies then get appropriated to the various states and localities based on need so that there isn’t this competing in the private sector,” the senator added.

The president did so on Thursday, April 2, directing the U.S. Health and Human Services to help get supplies so six companies, like General Electric, can manufacture ventilators for patients.

Nevada now has over 1,100 cases, but the biggest blow to the state, especially in the southern region, has been the closure of businesses like casinos and hotels that have employed thousands of residents who are now left without jobs for the time being.

“The goal here with the relief that we are providing at the federal level is to inject money into the economy, so that we can open our doors when we can come back out and open our doors for our businesses and put work-

ers back to work [and] that our economy springs back that much quicker,” Cortez Masto said.

In the senator’s guide, she lists organizations where those in the AAPI community can turn to for help, including Las Vegas’ Asian Community Development Center (ACDC) for legal help and the Asian Community Resource Center for assistance in applying for Project REACH, a program under the NV Energy Foundation for those experiencing hardship.

She also noted that Nevadans can reach out to her local district offices for help navigating assistance from federal agencies and connecting with resources in the community.

Once the stay at home and social distancing orders have been lifted, the senator said she is confident that people will be spending their money and traveling again, especially in Las Vegas, which relies on hospitality and tourism.

“People are tired of being in their homes for 14 days or longer… We give them the liquidity, we keep home, so they’re going to be ready to go out and spend their money, travel again and enjoy entertainment and hospitality that not only Nevada provides but so many other states do. I truly believe that and so we just need to take care of them in the meantime and address this,” she added. n

PAGE A3 know each other, we both bonded over being ‘secret Filipinos.’

Most people would look at our last names and would assume we were something else, so we both got a kick out of surprising new people with being Pinoy. She never met my wife, so she would tease me and say that she didn’t think I was married,” Chang

wrote in an email to the Asian Journal. “But I also remember her kindness. She made time for me when I was going through some rough patches and always [lent] an ear when asked. That is the Maria I remember. I just wish I got to know her better.”

The AAJA asked individuals to donate to the American Ballet Theatre and Memorial Sloan

Kettering Cancer Center to honor Mercader’s legacy as a patron of the arts.

Mercader’s mother Gladys, who predeceased her, was the pianist for the American Ballet Theatre. She is survived by her father, Manuel, who worked in finance, and brother, Manuel, an attorney in New York. (Christina M. Oriel/AJPress)

Fil-Am medical professional collects supplies...

PAGE 2

Snai Medical Center and someone from “Grey’s Anatomy” reached out to the hospital looking for a perfusionist to consult on an episode.

“I took it and worked with them for that one episode,” Oliver said.

“I thought it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and as the years passed, they’d ask me to come back for like two episodes a season, then it became five episodes.

So basically, whenever they had a cardiac surgery scene, they’d have me come in and consult with them for the perfusion part.”

Working with the medical drama rippled into referrals for other shows; the most recent ones include FOX’s “9-1-1” and Amazon’s “Goliath.”

She’s also been a medical technical advisor since the first season of “This Is Us,” a drama following the Pearson family through the decades starring Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore and Sterling Brown. She goes on set during the days of filming medical scenes, whether it’s a death or birth, and helps review scripts if needed. She also stepped in front of the camera as a nurse in one episode.

“I moved to LA definitely not trying to get into the entertainment industry, but I’m lucky that I did because it’s super fun,” said Oliver, who’s originally from Ohio. “It’s a different challenge from cardiac surgery.”

The Hollywood projects led to starting her own company, Reel Medical Consulting, which also rents out medical equipment and provides real health care professionals for on-camera scenes.

The profits from the various gigs are then donated to medical charities, such as Mending Kids, CardioStart, Surfer’s Medical Association, and her own foundation.

In the past week alone, Oliver helped organize and distribute car trunks full of resources to hospitals in the LA area and is con-

Through her organization, Isla Medical Foundation, Oliver has received unused medical supplies from ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” over the years and has distributed them in Siargao, Philippines.

Contributed photos

Oliver on set for a cardiac surgery scene on “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Oliver watches from behind-the-scenes during the filming of NBC’s “This Is Us.”

tinuing to seek more donations.

She also called on those in the community with sewing skills to help make masks or spearhead their own collection drives.

“Even if it’s just one or two masks, that’s one or two masks

for someone. At my hospital right now, I’m allowed to wear one mask a day. If someone donates two masks, that’s two days worth for me and that goes a long way,” Oliver said. (Christina M. Oriel/AJPress)

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 2-8, 2020

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com

D ateline PhiliPPines 8 dead as medevac plane crashes during takeoff at NAIA

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

A medicAl evacuation plane caught on fire during takeoff on Sunday, march 29 at manila’s Ninoy Aquino international Airport (NAiA), killing all the eight people on board.

The incident took place at the end of Runway 24 while the aircraft was taking off at around 8 p.m., according to the manila international Airport Authority (miAA).

The Philippine-registered lionair Westwind was bound for Tokyo’s Haneda Airport in Japan, carrying eight people: a flight medic, nurse, doctor, three flight crew, and a canadian patient and the patient’s American companion. “immediately after the incident, the miAA Fire and Rescue team were dispatched to the site to douse the flames with chemical foam,” the airport authority said, confirming that no passengers survived the accident.

Airport authorities did not divulge the reason that prompted the medical evacuation.

The civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (cAAP) revealed that the aircraft encountered a technical problem while rolling out for takeoff.

“The medical evacuation

ILL-FATED PLANE. A Lionair aircraft, a Westwind 1124A jet, on medical evacuation mission bound for Haneda, Japan burst into flames before taking off Sunday evening, March 29 along runway 24 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at about 7:57 p.m. According to the Manila International Airport Authority, all eight people onboard perished in the accident.

Photo courtesy NAIA Media Affairs

flight, bound for Tokyo/Haneda in Japan reportedly encountered a technical problem while rolling for takeoff on Runway 06,” the cAAP said in its initial report. cAAP deputy director General don mendoza noted that the aircraft was airworthy and the pilots’ licenses were valid.

He also said that the cAAP is considering barring lionair’s fleet from taking off since this is the second fatal incident involving the company in nearly

seven months. last September 2019, a lionair plane crashed in laguna, killing nine people aboard.

“Right now the initial step we’re looking into is grounding the whole fleet,” mendoza said. “it’s quite alarming but we’re looking into the records deeply... definitely we will have a thorough investigation into this and then we will advise the operators (about) the actions and steps that will be taken,” he added. n

DOH denounces violence vs health care workers

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

THe Philippine department of Health (doH) on Sunday, march 29, condemned the acts of harassment and discrimination against health care workers amid the coVid-19 crisis. in the past few weeks, incidents of some health care professionals being victimized and subjected to acts of violence have been reported across the country.

The doH, in particular, denounced an attack on a nurse in Sultan Kudarat in mindanao’s Soccsksargen region. The front-liner’s face was reportedly doused with bleach by five individuals who ganged up on him. it added that there are reports of workers being refused access to public transportation and laundries. They are also being blocked and fined at check-

points, and even evicted from their homes.

“We denounce the acts of physical assault, harassment, and discrimination committed against our fellow health care workers. These acts cannot be tolerated,” the department said in a statement. it added, “We are mobilizing our own personnel in efforts to ascertain more details and hold perpetrators of these attacks liable and reporting these incidents to the inter-Agency Task Force on coVid-19 for proper investigation and resolution.”

The agency also urged the Philippine National Police, the department of Transportation, the department of the interior and local Government and local governments to protect the country’s front-liners.

“We appeal to the public to extend understanding and com-

passion to our health care workers. our health care workers have responded to our country’s need with dedication, courage, and selflessness. This is not the time for us to turn our backs on them,” the doH said. “it is not enough that we thank them. We need to protect them too,” it added.

The doH assured everyone that health care workers are taking extra precautions to ensure infection prevention and control.

“Health care workers who are PUis (persons under investigation) and PUms (persons under monitoring) are following protocol, taking steps to isolate themselves even from their loved ones,” the agency said.

As of writing, there are a total of 1,546 coVid-19 cases in the Philippines, with 78 fatalities and 42 recoveries. n

DILG Secretary Año tests positive for COVID-19

by AJPress PHiliPPiNe department of interior and local Government Secretary eduardo Año announced on Tuesday, march 31 that he tested positive for the novel coronavirus (coVid-19).

“Today, march 31, i received the result from RiTm (Research institute for Tropical medicine) informing me that i am positive for coVid-19,” he said in a statement.

The dilG chief said he underwent self-quarantine on Thursday, march 26 after learning that four people he interacted with tested positive for the disease. The next day, he got tested and received his results on Tuesday. “i make this announcement to call the attention of all persons i had close contact with to go on self-quarantine and observe any symptoms, in accordance with doH guidelines,” he said.

Año assured that he will continue to do his work at his home. “i am doing fine and have no symptoms. i will continue my quarantine and work from

Mendiola AJPress

THe department of Social Welfare and development (dSWd) on Thursday, April 2, assured that beneficiaries will be receiving the whole amount of P5,000 to P8,000 cash from the government’s social amelioration program.

According to dSWd Secretary Rolando Bautista, the cash will be given along with the food packs it is distributing to the beneficiaries. “in cash na ang matatanggap nila para makumpleto yung designated amount sa kanilang region. Hindi na ito magiging combination ng food packs at cash amount (They will receive it in cash so that the designated amount will be completed per region.

It will not be a combination of food packs and the cash amount),”he said. “ibig sabihin, kung bibigyan sila ng tatlong package ng food packs which cost more than P1,000, hindi ito ibaba-

Bongbong Marcos tests positive for coronavirus

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

FoRmeR Philippine Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” marcos Jr. tested positive for the novel coronavirus (coVid-19), his spokesperson confirmed Tuesday, march 31.

Victor Rodriguez, marcos’ lawyer, wrote in a Facebook post that the former senator is “improving” following the test.

“Gumaganda na ang kondisyong pangkalusugan ni dating Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ marcos Jr. makaraang ihayag sa resulta ng clinical test na isinagawa ng Research institute for Tropical medicine na siya’y positibo sa coVid-19 (The condition of former Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr is improving after the test conducted by the [RITM] showed he is positive for COVID-19),” Rodriguez wrote. marcos received his test results on Saturday, march 28. last week, he released a statement that confirmed he was self-quarantining.

“A few days ago i was feeling a little under the weather and as a result went to get checked. We are still waiting for the results,” marcos said.

“Fortunately, i feel much better and am getting stronger by

Former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Inquirer.net photo

the day. i have no doubt in my mind that this is partly due to the excellent work of the nurses and doctors who helped me during this time,” he added.

The former senator started feeling unwell after he returned to the Philippines from Spain on march 13. He went to a hospital the next day after experiencing chest pains but went home since there were too many patients. marcos stayed at home since then and only came out on march 22 as he was reportedly rushed to the emergency room for having difficulties in breathing. Then, he tested positive for coVid-19 and was advised to undergo selfquarantine.

“Simula noong marso 13,

2020 hanggang sa ngayon ay sinusunod ng dating senador ang health protocol sa mga PUi (patients under investigation) at taimtim at tahimik niyang tinupad ang ipinaiiral na proseso ng gamutan, tulad ng safety mask at self-quarantine, at walang ingay na inilayo ang kanyang sarili maging sa kanyang pamilya (Since March 13, 2020 to today, the former senator has been following the health protocol that PUIs need to follow, including wearing a safety mask, undergoing self-quarantine, and isolating himself from his family),” Rodriguez noted.

As of writing, there are a total of 2,084 confirmed coVid-19 cases in the country, with 88 fatalities and 49 recoveries. n

Karagdagang kaalaman sa Filipino (Tagalog) ay makikita rin sa website ng Lalawigan ng Clark Kagawaran ng Halalan sa: www.clarkcountynv.gov/vote.

STATE OF NEVADA - COUNTY OF CLARK I, JOSEPH P. GLORIA, the duly appointed Registrar of Voters for the County of Clark, State of Nevada, do hereby certify that the All Mail Ballot Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, June 9, 2020. All active voters will receive a mail ballot. In order to ensure you receive your mail ballot for the primary election, your residential address or mailing address must be current. You can update your registration information online at the Secretary of State’s website at www.RegistertoVoteNV.gov. A list of the DROP-OFF locations and business hours are listed below if you prefer to deliver your ballot in person.

All inactive voters will be receiving a notice in the mail asking them to update their information in order to be listed as active voters and receive a mail ballot for the 2020 Primary Election. We will also be providing an information guide to voters through the mail and on our website, www.clarkcountynv.gov/vote, to provide information related to same day registration at our Election Center, located at 965 Trade Dr., North Las Vegas, NV 89030. Any questions related to the election can also be made via phone at (702) 455-VOTE (8683).

WITNESS MY HAND and SEAL this 2nd day of April 2020.

JOSEPH P. GLORIA Registrar of Voters

MAIL BALLOT DROP-OFF LOCATIONS FOR THE JUNE 9, 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION, CLARK COUNTY, NV THROUGH JUNE 5 (FRIDAY) (Only the Clark County Election Dept. will be available on May 25, Memorial Day) Through June 5, if you wish to drop-off your own voted mail ballot in-person, you may do so ONLY at the places listed below at the times indicated.

DROP-OFF LOCATIONS THROUGH JUNE 5 (FRIDAY)

Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año

home. The result of my test will not in any way dampen my spirit and energy to do my job,” he said, adding that the public should continue to stay at home and follow social distancing.

Año is one of the three top officials who were designated to

implement the National Action Plan against coVid-19. defense Secretary delfin lorenzana is also on self-quarantine.

The Philippines now has a total of 2,084 confirmed coVid19 cases with 88 fatalities and 49 recoveries as of Tuesday. n

DSWD: Beneficiaries to receive cash aid in full

by Ritchel

DISINFECTING BARANGAYS. Village workers roam around Barangay Sabang and nearby subdivisions in Dasmariñas, Cavite to sanitize the streets with a disinfectant Monday, March 30. Local government units have been ordered to step up measures to prevent the further spread of new coronavirus disease.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

was sa designated amount per region (This means that if they receive, for instance, three food packages which cost more than P1,000, this amount will not be deducted from the cash assistance designated per region),” he added.

However, Bautista noted that the agency needs a minimum of three days to process the cash aid. “minimum of three days yon, kaya na po iyon (that can be done),” he said.

He added that the dSWd has already coordinated with the local government units (lGUs) to get the list of beneficiaries. earlier, the agency said social amelioration card (SAc) forms will be distributed by lGUs to their constituents to be filled up with the required information, including personal information, monthly income, nature of work, and the like.

This will serve as a validation tool to see whoever needs the assistance the most. “dito na ngayon yung isang critical, magkakaroon ng vali-

dation, sisiguraduhin natin na yung mga target beneficiary ay talagang credible at talagang sila yung nakasaad sa social amelioration card (This is critical; there will be validation to ensure that the target beneficiaries are credible and they are really the ones in the social amelioration card),” said Bautista. on march 24, President Rodrigo duterte signed the Bayanihan to Heal as one Act, granting him special powers to address the coVid-19 threat in the country.

Under the law, P200 billion will be allocated to low-income households affected by the enhanced community quarantine enforced in luzon.

“We have allotted P200 billion for low-income households who are badly affected by the current crisis. Sila ang nasa informal sector (They are the ones in the informal sector) and those who live day to day on subsistence wages or no work no pay,” duterte said march 30. n

DATES AND HOURS

CLARK COUNTY ELECTION DEPARTMENT 965 Trade Dr., North Las Vegas

UP TO MAY 22, MON.-FRI.: 8am-5pm CLOSED: Sat. and Sun., only up to May 17 MAY 23-JUNE 3, EVERY DAY: 8am-6pm MAY 4-5, THURS.-FRI.: 8am-8pm

CLARK COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER 1st Floor, Rotunda, 500 S. Grand Central Pkwy., Las Vegas

MONDAY-FRIDAY: 8am-5pm CLOSED: All Saturdays, Sundays, and May 25, Memorial Day Holiday

BOULDER CITY, CITY CLERK City Hall, Upstairs, 401 California Ave. Boulder City

MONDAY-THURSDAY: 7am-6pm CLOSED: All Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and May 25, Memorial Day

HENDERSON CITY CLERK City Hall, Front of Bldg., 240 Water St., Henderson

MONDAY-THURSDAY: 7:30am-5:30pm CLOSED: All Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and May 25, Memorial Day

LAS VEGAS CITY CLERK City Hall, 2nd Floor, 495 S. Main St., Las Vegas

MONDAY-THURSDAY: 7am-5:30pm CLOSED: All Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and May 25, Memorial Day

MESQUITE CITY CLERK City Hall, 10 E. Mesquite Blvd., Mesquite

MONDAY-THURSDAY: 8am-5pm FRIDAY: 8am-3:30pm CLOSED: All Saturdays, Sundays, and May 25, Memorial Day

NORTH LAS VEGAS CITY CLERK City Hall, 8th Floor, 2250 Las Vegas Blvd. North, N. Las Vegas

MONDAY-THURSDAY: 8am-5:45pm CLOSED: All Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and May 25, Memorial Day

JUNE 8 (MONDAY) On this date, if you wish to drop-off your own voted mail/absent ballot in-person, you may do so ONLY from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the CLARK COUNTY ELECTION DEPARTMENT, 965 Trade Dr., North Las Vegas.

JUNE 9, PRIMARY ELECTION DAY (TUESDAY) On Election Day, if you wish to drop-off your own voted mail ballot in person, you may do so ONLY at the places listed below at the times indicated.

DROP-OFF LOCATIONS ON JUNE 9 PRIMARY ELECTION DAY, OPEN 7:00 A.M. TO 7:00 P.M. CLARK COUNTY ELECTION DEPARTMENT, 965 Trade Dr., North Las Vegas BUNKERVILLE COMMUNITY CENTER, 200 W. Virgin St., Bunkerville CLARK COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS – LOGANDALE, 1301 Whipple Ave., Logandale INDIAN SPRINGS COMMUNITY CENTER, 715 W. Gretta Lane, Indian Springs LAUGHLIN LIBRARY, 2840 S. Needles Highway, Laughlin MOAPA COMMUNITY CENTER, 1340 E. Highway 168, Moapa MOAPA TRIBAL ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, 1 Lincoln St., Moapa MOAPA VALLEY COMMUNITY CENTER – OVERTON, 300 N. Moapa Blvd., Overton SANDY VALLEY COMMUNITY CENTER, 650 W. Quartz Ave., Sandy Valley

CITY CLERK DROP-OFF LOCATIONS ON JUNE 9 PRIMARY ELECTION DAY, HOURS OF OPERATION VARY BOULDER CITY, CITY CLERK, City Hall, Upstairs, 401 California Ave., Boulder City 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

HENDERSON CITY CLERK, City Hall, Front of Building, 240 Water St., Henderson 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

LAS VEGAS CITY CLERK, City Hall, 2nd Floor, 495 S. Main St., Las Vegas 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

MESQUITE CITY CLERK, City Hall, 10 E. Mesquite Blvd., Mesquite 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

NORTH LAS VEGAS CITY CLERK, City Hall, 8th Floor, 2250 Las Vegas Bl. North, N. Las Vegas 8:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.

CLARK COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER DROP-OFF LOCATION ON JUNE 9 PRIMARY ELECTION DAY, OPEN 8:00 A.M. TO 5:00 P.M. CLARK COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER, 1st Floor, Rotunda, 500 S. Grand Central Pkwy., Las Vegas DATED March 31, 2020

JOSEPH P. GLORIA Registrar of Voters

PUB: April 2, and 9, 2020 Las Vegas Review Journal

6

http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678

APRIL 2-8, 2020 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL

OPINION

Safe hands on World Water Day

FEATURES

IN a tragic manifestation of how the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic is overwhelming the public health system, the assistant director of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Dr. Salvacion Rodriguez-Gatchalian, last Wednesday joined the ranks of frontliners who have fallen in the difficult battle. The RITM is the country’s lone testing center for COVID-19 infection.

Health experts have stressed the importance of rapid, widespread testing to contain the spread of a potentially deadly affliction for which there is still no vaccine or cure.

There was excitement over reports that the city government of Marikina was set to open its own testing center, using the GenAmplify test kits developed by the University of the Philippines-Manila’s National Institutes of Health and Philippine Genome Center, to be mass-produced locally. Both the opening of the testing cenvter and rollout of the local test kit, however, are still waiting for an official green light.

Other countries have fast-tracked approval processes for such critical items. While Philippine health officials have valid concerns over the need to ensure the accuracy and safety of the tests, the other side of the argument is that time is of the essence in containing this highly infectious disease.

Gabor Kelen, director of emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins University in the United States, which now has the world’s highest number of COVID cases, has argued that easing regulatory hurdles for testing in this emergency outweighs the disadvantages, and governments do not have the luxury of aiming for a perfect testing environment.

With COVID deaths surging in the U.S. and their hospitals overwhelmed, Kelen was quoted in a report as saying: “If we could have done contact tracing, we might have found a lot more cases quickly and shut down the hotspots.” Arguing for the speedy rollout of more testing kits, he said: “Something is better than nothing, sooner is better than later, and if one test is good, two are better.

So let’s get to it – perfect is the enemy of good.”

(Philstar.com

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

HUWAG MAGING PASAWAY: Prepare for the surge in coronavirus cases in the US in the next three weeks Experts warn of death toll could go up to 100,000-200,000

The Fil-Am Perspective

ported more than 770 deaths, the most in one day. This has been the trend that started this week — the exponential growth in the number of people infected by the GEL SANTOS-RELOS virus, and those who did not make THE CORONAVIRUS pandemic it. the world is now fighting against As of Tuesday afternoon, more is personal to me. My husband is than 183,588 cases have been a surgeon and is part of the pool documented, and 3,780+ have of doctors called to assist in the care of coronavirus patients. My sister-in-law in Boston has just tested positive after taking care of her elderly patient who also tested positive.

There are so many more people who have been unselfishly and courageously fighting this war, risking their own health, safety, and even their lives so we may live. They are the front-liners in this war zone, those who cannot stay home because they have a sacred vow and duty to fulfill.

They are the doctors, nurses, other healthcare professionals, first responders, 9-1-1 operators, dispatchers in the Department of died in the U.S. Emergency Management. They Globally, there have been are the police, firemen, the phar- 850,500+ cases of people sufmacy personnel, supermarket fering from coronavirus, while and farmers’ market personnel, 41,600+ have perished. and volunteers.

Dr. Anthoiny Fauci, the leading They are the government of- expert in infectious diseases and ficials who have been true and member of the White House’s faithful to their oaths as public coronavirus task force, warned on servants. They have been on top CNN’s “State of the Union” that of this emergency, collaborat- “based on modeling of the current ing with scientists and experts, pace of the coronavirus’ spread in and health officials in navigating the U.S., ‘between 100,000 and through this labyrinth in search of 200,000’ people may die from ways to slow down and stop the COVID-19, the disease caused by outbreak, find a possible cure and the novel coronavirus.” vaccine, provide health and supThis estimate of 100,000-toport to hardworking Americans 200,000 death figure is a middlewhose life and livelihood had of-the-road estimate, Dr. Fauci been disrupted by this crisis. said, much lower than the worstEXPECT A SURGE in the num- case scenario predictions. ber of coronavirus cases in the As NPR reported, public health United States in the next three experts explain that “because of weeks, experts warn, urgently undocumented chains of transcalling on government officials to mission in many parts of the prepare for the apex of the pan- country, the number of new corodemic. navirus cases in the U.S. is set to As of press time on Tuesday, keep surging as more and more March 31, the United States re- test results become known.”

Demand and Supply BOO CHANCO LET us face the reality of our situation: the pace and quality of our lives now and in the foreseeable future will be dictated by the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19.

The virus respects no human title. The Crown Prince of England is infected and the British Prime Minister as well. Senators and Congressmen here and in the US are infected. A World War is raging and we can only see the enemy in a laboratory test.

President Trump wants to declare America reopened for

ing to U.S. officials familiar with spy agency reporting, as reported by the Washington Post.

All these because Trump did not want the growing “numbers” of the pandemic cases in the United States to affect his own “numbers” in economic terms he wants to brag about for his re-election bid.

We would not have been behind had Trump and his team followed the National Security Council’s pandemic playbook.

The 69-page document, finished in 2016, provided a step by step list of priorities. The Trump administration was briefed on the playbook’s existence in 2017, which was then ignored by the administration.

We would not have been behind if instead of self-aggrandizing and self-promoting in his daily briefings, instead of fighting with governors and mayors and demanding “appreciation” from them, Trump should seriously and pragmatically listen to their inputs based on facts on the ground and carry out their suggestions to meet their needs and taking care of their states and citizens-- more testing kits, protective gears for the front liners, ventilators, hospital beds, etc.

LISTEN instead to your governors and city mayors and COMPLY with their orders to exercise social distancing, work from home, shelter in place and stay at home OR face punishments like imprisonment and fines pursuant to the rule of law, just to protect us all.

HUWAG MAGING PASAWAY! GOD BLESS US ALL. ***

Dr Gap Legaspi of UP-PGH, who keeps on impressing us with his ability to get things done despite lack of resources.

This is still primarily a health and not a military crisis. We need a credible medical professional in top level decision making. That’s not Duque.

As we approach a month of total isolation for many countries, the question is often asked: Will our economies survive the virus?

Will people revolt over the draconian measures before the virus kills them?

It is bad for poor countries like ours. We have so many people living in extreme poverty even in the best of times. Now we must add those living hand-to-mouth who lost their daily wages.

It is easy to demand that government provide our poor with enough money to cover basic

needs for as long as the medical emergency exists. Our national treasury can probably afford such subsidy for a month or two.

But what happens if the virus lingers for a year or more?

The emergency power law recently passed by Congress provides for an emergency subsidy of P5,000 to P8,000 to 18 million low income households all over the country. The President has the power to realign whatever money there is in all government agencies, including GOCCs. But the big question is, how will the poor get hold of those funds? We don’t have a system to flow the money down without a large part of it being lost in the hands of corrupt officials.

Things will get worse before it gets better. According to NEDA, without mitigating measures, they see a reduction in our real

GDP growth to -0.6 to 4.3 percent this year.

NEDA also warns that “if the ECQ is extended beyond one month, or if the spread of COVID-19 is unabated even after the ECQ, then even the low-end of the estimate is still too high.”

That’s why some economists, like Toti Chikiamco, are saying a prolonged lockdown will cause not only an economic crisis, but also a social crisis, with food riots and other socially disruptive events.

Because the Philippines has a young population with a median age of 23 versus Italy with a median age of 46, Toti thinks it should be possible to risk easing the lockdown by April 14.

By easing, that means allowing mass transport to operate and businesses to reopen, provided, u PAGE 7

spread of the coronavirus.

“The ideal goal in fighting an epidemic or pandemic is to completely halt the spread. But merely slowing it—mitigation—is critical,” Harris was quoted by The New York Times.

This is so consequential and critical to the survival of people already infected by the virus. ”If

The chart above — shared by Drew Harris, a population health analyst at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia on Twitter — was based on another chart in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) paper.

As Health.com explains: The “flattening the curve” chart illustrates the wave of new coronavirus cases expected to hit. A high curve means the virus is spreading quickly; some people won’t get the medical care they need, and the number of deaths is likely to increase. A low curve means coronavirus is spreading slowly, which gives doctors the time and resources to treat more people (and hopefully save more lives).

As Health.com reported, Harris drew a dotted line onto the chart, showing that the smoothness of the curve could be the difference between treating the disease and health care providers struggling to cope with the demand for help.

It summarizes the importance of taking measures to try to slow the

Our COVID-19 economy

business by Easter. He wants people to pack their Churches in celebration of Easter, the most important holiday in Christianity. He wants businesses to start churning the economy again. But it is not his call. The virus will make that call.

We can only react to the challenge the virus in hurling at us each day. The quality of our response will dictate how soon we can get back to normal.

Are we actively testing and isolating more cases? Are we getting more ventilators and building more overflow patient facilities? When can we expect a cure and a vaccine?

This is why it is important we have leaders we can trust and have confidence in their ability

the coronavirus is passed on too quickly and too many people become infected at one time, the resources available to fight it could quickly become overwhelmed. By staggering the number of COVID19 cases over a longer period of time, everyone who becomes infected can have better access to care”, Health.com explained.

IGNORE the lies and misinformation being forced feed to us

by President Donald Trump by his irresponsible use of the bully pulpit to raise his personal ratings and feed his delusional insatiable desire to hold on to power, at the expense of the safety and lives of the American people.

As the New York Times reported, Trump’s very proven characteristics have made him unfit to lead the country especially in a global emergency of this magnitude: • profound need for personal praise • propensity to blame others • lack of human empathy

• penchant for rewriting history • disregard for expertise • distortion of facts • impatience with scrutiny REMEMBER: We would have not been in this desperate situation had Trump not eliminated the White House National Security Council Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense, established by former President Barack Obama, to prepare the United States for future pandemics like COVID-19. This is consistent with Trump’s obsession to erase Obama’s legacy in America.

We wouldn’t have been in this desperate situation had Trump not cut back on the funding for health institutions like the CDC. The CDC’s rationale: It works 24/7 to protect America from health, safety and security threats, both foreign and in the U.S. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are chronic or acute, curable or preventable, human error or deliberate attack, the CDC fights disease and supports communities and citizens to do the same.

The CDC increases the health security of our nation. As the nation’s health protection agency, it saves lives and protects people from health threats. To accomplish our mission, it conducts critical science and provides health information that protects our nation against expensive and dangerous health threats, and responds when these arise.

WE WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN BEHIND in the war against the coronavirus had Trump heeded the classified warning of U.S. intelligence agencies in January and February about the global danger posed by the coronavirus.

Instead, President Trump and his minions in the Republican Party and Fox News downplayed the threat and failed to take action that might have slowed the spread of the pathogen, accord-

However, Dr. Fauci emphasized that the prediction is “such a moving target that you could so easily be wrong and mislead people.”

The movement would then be contingent on how urgently the country moves — both the government and the people” to help “flatten the curve.”

to make the right decisions. I am not sure Health Secretary Duque still deserves our trust.

Duque played politics with China and then the VIP tests.

We had just three cases between Jan. 30 and March 4. Then the numbers increased. He wasted 35 days by not preparing more test and other facilities for the upsurge.

It isn’t as if changing him is like changing horses in the middle of a war. The graphs show the war has barely started for us and we must flatten it.

It isn’t as if we are lacking in leadership talent. There is former health secretary Manuel Dayrit who has experience managing our SARS response and also has WHO work exposure. There is

Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community.

You may contact her through email at gelrelos@ icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.

The 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.

ROGER LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board

Main Office: 1210 S. Brand Blvd Glendale, CA 91204 Tels: (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797 Fax: (818) 502-0858 • (213) 481-0854 e-mail: info@asianjournalinc.com http://www.asianjournal.com

Manila Office: 2/F D&E Fort Palm Springs Cond.

30th St., Cor. 1st Ave., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig Tel.: (632) 856-4921 • 856-0397 • Fax: (632) 856-1661

Northern California: 1799 Old Bayshore Hwy, Suite 136 Burlingame, CA 94010 Tel.: (650) 689-5160 • Fax: (650) 239-9253

New York office: 133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, NY 11354 Tel.: (212) 655-5426 • Fax (213) 481-0854

Las Vegas Sales Office: 2770 S. Maryland Pkwy., Suite 201 Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Tel.: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879

New Jersey office: 2500 Plaza 5, Harborside Financial Center, Jersey City, NJ 07311 Tel: (212)655-5426 • Fax: (818)502-0858

CORA MACABAGDAL-ORIEL President ELIZABETH HILARIO SISON Chief Financial Officer ROBERT MACABAGDAL Vice President & General Manager Las Vegas Asian Journal MOMAR G. VISAYA Executive Editor German P. Palabyab Advertising and Business Development Director

ADVERTISING AND ADVERTORIAL POLICIES Asian Journal Publitions, Inc. (“AJPI”) reserves the right to refuse to publish, in its sole and absolute discretion, any advertising and advertorial material submitted for publition by client. (“Client’s Material”) Submission of an advertisement or advertorial to an AJPI sales representative does not constitute a commitment by AJPI to publish a Client’s Material. AJPI has the option to correctly classify any Client’s Material and to delete objectionable words or phrases.

Client represents and warrants that a Client’s Material does not and will not contain any language or material which is libelous, slanderous or defamatory or invades any rights of privacy or publicity; does not and will not violate or infringe upon, or give rise to any adverse claim with respect to any common law or other right whatsoever (including, without limitation, any copyright, trademark, service mark or contract right) of any person or entity, or violate any other applible law; and is not the subject of any litigation or claim that might give rise to any litigation.

Publition of a Client’s Material does not constitute an agreement to continue publition.

Client agrees and covenants to indemnify AJPI and its officers against any and all loss, liability, damage, expenses, cost, charges, claims, actions, uses of action, recoveries, judgments, penalties, including outside attorneys’ fees (individually and collectively “Claims”) which AJPI may suffer by reason of (1) Client’s breach of any of the representations, warranties and agreements herein or (2) any Claims by any third party relating in any way to Client’s Material.

AJPI will not be liable for failure to publish any Client’s Material as requested or for more than one incorrect insertion of a Client’s Material. In the event of an error, or omission in printing or publition of a Client’s Material, AJPI shall be limited to an adjustment for the space occupied by the error, with maximum liability being ncellation of the cost of the first incorrect advertisement or republition of the correct advertisement.

Under no circumstances shall Asian Publitions, Inc. be liable for consequential damages of any kind.

ASIAN JOURNAL PUBLITIONS, INC. publishes the Los Angeles Asian Journal, published twice a week; Northern California Asian Journal, Las Vegas Asian Journal and the New York / New Jersey Asian Journal which are published once a week and distributed to Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange Counties, Northern California, Las Vegas and New York and New Jersey respectively.

Articles published in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Letters to the Editor are welcome. Letters must contain complete name and return address. The materials, however, are subject to editing and revisions.

Contributions and advertising deadlines are every Mondays and Thursdays. For advertising rates and other informations, please ll the L.A. office at (213) 250-9797 or the Las Vegas Sales Office at (702) 792-6678 or send us an email at info@asianjournalinc.com

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com

Dateline PhiliPPines

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 2-8, 2020

DFA: 80 crew members of MV Diamond Princess recover from COVID-19

by Katrina

Hallare Inquirer.net

MANILA — The 80 Filipino crew members of the MV Diamond Princess, which was docked at the Yokohama port in Japan, have successfully recovered from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Thursday, April 2.

According to the latest data provided by the DFA, the crew members are part of the 121 Filipinos abroad who managed to recover from the viral disease.

Meanwhile, the DFA added that it has recorded 448 confirmed cases of COVID-19 of Filipinos abroad. Of the said number, 14 have died.

Among the fatalities was the Philippines Ambassador to Leb-

anon Bernardita Catalla who passed away on Thursday.

The DFA further stated that 211 cases of COVID-19 are in the Asia Pacific Region, 52 cases in the Middle East and Africa, 148 cases in Europe and 37 cases in one country in the Americas.

In the Philippines, there are 2,633 confirmed cases of COVID19, of which 107 have died while 51 managed to recover. n

PACC not investigating Robredo after all as commissioner rejects earlier statement NBI going after social media Rights lawyer Chel Diokno

MANILA — The Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) is not asking the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate Vice President Leni Robredo after all.

This was the pronouncement of PACC Commissioner Greco Belgica in a statement sent to reporters on Thursday, April 2.

Earlier that day, fellow PACC Commissioner Manuelito Luna told reporters that the commission was asking the NBI to probe Robredo for actions that they said “compete with” or are “calculated to undermine” the national government’s efforts amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) scare.

“PACC is not asking anyone to investigate VP Leni Robredo. On the other hand, we are thankful to everyone who are helping the front liners and the needy including the VP,” Belgica said in his statement.

“It was a personal opinion and request made by one of the Commissioners of PACC that does not reflect the sentiments of the Commission.”

According to Luna, a number of the Office of the Vice President’s initiatives including its free shuttle service, its dorm for health workers and its donations of per-

users who criticize government, too

by Kristine Joy

Philstar.com

PACC Commissioner Greco Belgica.

sonal protective equipment for health workers on the frontlines “compete” with the Departments of Health (DOH) and Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), along with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Lawyer Barry Gutierrez, Robredo’s spokesperson, slammed the statement as “ridiculous, so inappropriate, [and] so out of touch.”

“This is not the time for politicking. We are not concerned with any personality. Our main

Philstar.com photo by Michael Varcas

concern is to make sure all the needy Filipinos get all the help they need the President promised,” Belgica added.

“Our concern is to end this COVID19 virus.”

As of this writing, the health department has recorded 2,311 confirmed COVID-19 patients in the country as the death toll rose to 96. Hundreds of new cases have been detected daily since last week, owing to enhanced testing capabilities, the department said. (Franco Luna/Philstar. com)

Sotto to NBI: We complied PASIG City Mayor Victor Ma- him allegedly violating the Bayaria “Vico” Sotto on Wednesday, nihan to Heal as One Act. April 1 hit the National Bureau of “We complied with all direcInvestigation (NBI) for ordering tives,” he tweeted. “Hindi po il-

legal magbigay ng opinyon. …at alam kaya nila naMarch 24 naging batas ang Bayanihan Act?” (It’s not illegal to give an opinion. Do they even know that the Bayanihan Act became a law on March 24?)

The Pasig mayor thanked his supporters, some of whom blasted the NBI. “Thank you all for your overwhelming support,” Sotto tweeted. “Ngunit wag na po sanang gamitin ang isyu na ‘to para sa politika (Let’s not politicize this issue).

“Panahon po ngayon ng KRISIS. Mula barangay hanggang nasyonal, kailangan maganda ang pakikipag-ugnayan (This is a time of crisis, from the village to the national level, we need to have good coordination),” he Pasic City Mayor Vico Sotto inspects knapsack sprayers to be used for disinfection. added. (Aric John Sy Cua/ManiPhoto from Facebook/Vico Sotto laTimes.net)

Our COVID-19 economy

PAGE 6 regular disinfection is mandated for all mass transport, and social distancing where possible.

Toti wants to adopt a riskbased approach to confront the epidemic – omnipresent temperature checking before entering workplaces, mandate wearing of masks for everybody, continuous public education on hand washing, social distancing; “Continue the bans on mass gatherings of more than five people; continue the quarantine of seniors who are the most vulnerable to the virus; build surge capacity of temporary hospitals and quarantine hotels for PUIs or Persons Under Investigation. It’s important for suspect cases to be removed from their families as they can spread the infection to their families as what happened

Philstar.com photo by Michael Varcas

in Wuhan; “Continue the ban on foreign visitors, or put all visitors under a 14-day quarantine. Let herd immunity build among our young population. Eventually, too, we have to do mass testing. Therefore, we have to reserve resources to buy cheap testing kits that are presently being developed by biotech companies.

“In other words, the Philippines can’t afford the 60, 90 or-120-day lockdowns being contemplated in the West. The cure may be worse than the disease…

“Flattening the curve is really about matching our health capacity to the exponential increase in cases, and therefore, hopefully, more people will be saved. How many lives will be saved, versus how many lives also lost due to

hunger and unemployment?”

There is also a proposal to devalue the peso to P55 to $1 as an economic relief and stimulus package: it will put money in the pockets of OFWs, boost exports and BPOs, and protect import-substituting local industries. China is reported to have quietly done that for the yuan.

“With oil prices at historic lows and demand down, the inflationary aspect is muted.”

So many things to do. So little time. Not enough data to act upon. And we have to fight this virus intelligently. Mistakes are too costly in terms of negative impact on lives as well as on the economy.

*** Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is bchanco@ gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @ boochanco

SHELTERS. Some 38 individuals occupy the temporary shelters set up by the Quezon City government at the covered court of the Quezon City Memorial Center on Monday, March 30. The shelters, meant for the city’s street dwellers and those who were unable to return to their provinces due to enhanced community quarantine being implemented by the national government, have comfort rooms and shower areas.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

Patag

MANILA — Rights lawyer Chel Diokno on Thursday, April 2 said the National Bureau of Investigation is going after social media users who “air their sentiments” on government’s response on the COVID-19 crisis.

In a statement Thursday, Diokno said he took on a case of a social media user who was summoned by the bureau for investigation on a violation of Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code, which explains “unlawful use of means of publication and unlawful utterances.”

Diokno said the NBI “is now going after even ordinary citizens for simply airing their sentiments on the government’s response to COVID-19 on social media.”

NBI Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin confirmed to Philstar. com the subpoena sent by Diokno and said the bureau has sent out “more than a dozen” of them.

An ABS-CBN tweet report, however, said that the NBI Cybercrime DIvision clarified that the summons were related to the Bureau’s investigation on the spread of fake news on COVID19 online.

The subpoena sent to Diokno’s client in particular noted that the investigation will be into the individual’s “publicly posted article concerning an alleged misuse of government funds.”

The veteran rights lawyer said he took on the case because “the situation is turning ‘inhumane.’”

“Ang dami nang namamatay, pati frontliners, pero imbis na COVID, kritiko ang gusto nilang

puksain (Many are dying, even frontliners, but instead of COVID, they want critics eliminated),” Diokno added.

Article 154 of RPC Early in February, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra directed the NBI to conduct a case build up against people “on the alleged deliberate spread of misinformation and fake news about... and false reporting of the [COVID-19].”

The Justice chief then said that the directive aims to avoid “causing undue panic and alarm.” The DOJ has yet to reply on questions whether the NBI issued subpoenas were made under this directive.

The summons sent by the NBI did not cite the recently signed Republic Act 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, which contains a provision on penalizing those who spread “false information” on social media regarding the COVID-19 crisis.

Instead, it cited Article 154 of the RPC which penalizes the following: • Any person who by means of printing, lithography, or any other means of publication shall publish or cause to be published as news any false news which may endanger the public order, or cause damage to the interest or credit of the State; • Any person who by the same means, or by words, utterances or speeches shall encourage disobedience to the law or to the constituted authorities or praise, justify, or extol any act punished by law; • Any person who shall maliciously publish or cause to be

published any official resolution or document without proper authority, or before they have been published officially; or • Any person who shall print, publish, or distribute or cause to be printed, published, or distributed books, pamphlets, periodicals, or leaflets which do not bear the real printer’s name, or which are classified as anonymous.

It is unclear if the said provision of the RPC covers published posts on social media.

NBI probe into LGU officials This came after the NBI’s AntiGraft Division also asked Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto to come to the bureau’s office and explain his alleged violation of Republic Act 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, specifically on the city’s supposed continuous tricycle operation.

Sotto on March 19 said that the city government will comply with all national government directives, which include the suspension of mass transportation.

RA 11469 was signed into law on March 24, and the said law is not retroactive.

Asked if an act committed before the law punishing it was signed—that is, if penal laws be applied retroactively—Guevarra explained that “penal provisions of any law are not applied retroactively unless the offense is a continuing one and its commission has not been stopped.”

The cited provision penalizes persons who... “publish or cause to be published as news any false news which may endanger the public order, or cause damage to the interest or credit of the State.” n

:8IG< ;@<D 8KK<EK@FE @DD@>I8K@FE C8NP<IJ C<>8C @DD@>I8K@FE `j X 9@> @JJL< k_\j\ [Xpj% D8EP `e fli Zfddle`kp E<<; pfli j\im`Z\j% K_\i\ Xi\ k_fljXe[j n_f dXp nXek kf \og\[`k\ k_\`i i\j`[\eZp fi glijl\ ]lcc Z`k`q\ej_`g Ylk [feËk befn _fn kf Y\^`e Xe[ n_\i\ kf ^f%

JK8E; FLK =IFD K?< G8:B% 8J@8E AFLIE8CËJ GIF=<JJ@FE8C J<IM@:<J ;@I<:KFIP# n`cc efn Y\ ilee`e^ n\\bcp# \m\ip K_lij[Xp f] CXj M\^Xj <[`k`fe%

8AËj GJ; ZXe _\cg PFL i\XZ_ flk kf k_\d X]]fi[XYcp Xe[ \]]\Zk`m\cp%

:8CC PFLI 8::FLEK D8E8><I .') .0)$--./ 8jb XYflk fli GIFDFK@FE8C @EKIF;L:KFIP G8:B8>< GI@:@E> n_`Z_ ilej pfli X[ n\\bcp ]fi dXo`dld \ogfjli\ Xk kilcp X]]fi[XYc\ iXk\j%

Fli gi`ek \[`k`fej ile `e kXe[\d n`k_ 8AËj Gi`ek <[`k`fe Fec`e\% Fec`e\1 _kkg1&&`jjll%Zfd&Xj`XeaflieXc[`^`kXc\[`k`fe

april 2-8, 2020 â&#x20AC;˘ laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal

http://www.asianjournal.com â&#x20AC;˘ (702) 792-6678

VEGAS&STYLE Journal

Friends, family celebrate the life and legacy of Chef Rodelio Aglibot

By MoMar

G. Visaya

AJPress

CHEF Rodelio Aglibot died over the weekend of an apparent heart attack and tributes and testimonials continue to pour. He was a man who wore many hats: as a chef, restaurateur, TV host and personality, entrepreneur and food consultant. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our hearts are broken. We learned yesterday that my big brother, favorite chef, best uncle and lolo ever, the always-smiling, never-met-a-stranger, family-toeveryone passed away on Friday, due to an apparent cardiac arrest,â&#x20AC;?

Aglibotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sister Ruby Byers posted on Sunday, March 29. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In his 52 years on earth, he touched so many lives all around the world. He had the best time no matter where he went, what he was doing, or whom he was with. If you knew him, you loved him. If you knew him, I know your heart is broken too.â&#x20AC;?

Aglibot introduced Filipino food to mainstream America in San Francisco back in 1996.

He was then working as a sous chef at E&O Trading Company, a pan-Asian restaurant which served wood-fired adobo pork chops and Filipino egg rolls. He moved back

to Los Angeles as the chef of Zazen, another pan-Asian restaurant where he infused more Filipino dishes and flavors into the restaurantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s menu.

He became more famous in the Los Angeles area when he became the opening executive chef at Koi, a celebrity hotspot. Then he opened Yi Cuisine, where he wrote a menu that mirrored his biography as a young chef and served a number of Filipino dishes. He then moved to Chicago and became the founding chef at the hotspot Sunda. Years later, he opened Me Geisha Salerno in Rome and Salerno.

The Filipino American chef goes by a number of monikers: Den or Denden to his close friends relatives, Tiny to his UCLA pals, Chef Rod and Food Buddha to those he fed and mentored and to the culinary world. He also starred in the TLC show eponymously called Food Buddha, which became famous because he would go to restaurants with some friends and order OOE, or â&#x20AC;&#x153;one of each.â&#x20AC;? He is the man behind various restaurant concepts like E+O and FireFin Poke. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My brotherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impact in the restaurant commu-

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This pandemic has kept my family apartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;: Fil-Am actor Nico Santos says stepdad died from coronavirus By ritchel Mendiola AJPress

Chef Rogelio Aglibot with his sister Ruby Byers and her daughter Caroline who he fondly calls Callie Sue, according to Byers. Photo was taken when Byers visited him in Cincinnati about a month ago.

Contributed photo by Ruby Byers

nity extends beyond the four walls of any restaurant,â&#x20AC;? said Byers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the relationships he built, the personal touch he gave, and how he made his colleagues, team and customers feel. As I read through Facebook post after post, it was obvious to me that he made every person feel like they were indeed his very best friend. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that kind of legacy that we all hope to leave and he achieved it with humility, love, and the biggest smile that will not be forgotten.â&#x20AC;?

Byers also requested Aglibotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s friends for more prayers for their parents, who are in the Philippines. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I rest in the fact that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reunited with our younger brother and know I will see them both again. I have two guardian angels now, even though, honestly, I would rather have them here,â&#x20AC;? she wrote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Please keep our family in your prayers, especially our mom and dad. They will be traveling home to CA in the next few days from the Philippines. No parent should have to bury their child, let alone two. They will especially

need to feel your love, prayers and Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence in the coming days, weeks, months.â&#x20AC;?

Among those who expressed grief and sent their prayers and condolences on social media are people he had worked with, from fellow chefs and customers to colleagues in the culinary industry.

Jacqueline Chio Lauri, editor of the book The New Filipino Kitchen, recalled the day when he invited Chef Rod for an interview, along with a recipe and a story for the book. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect to hear back from him at all, let alone hear back from him quickly. You see, he was a celebrity chef, running an empire of restaurants. Why would he bother giving me or my little project the time of day?â&#x20AC;? Lauri said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He had nothing to gain and a lot of precious time to lose by participating in the project. Apparently, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know him at all. Chef Rod was not in it to gain, he was in it to give.â&#x20AC;?

And he, indeed, gave wholeheartedly. He organized and joined PAGE 11

FILIPINO American actor Nico Santos over the weekend announced that his stepfather has succumbed to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Santos paid tribute to his stepfather â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tito Sonnyâ&#x20AC;? on Saturday, March 28, a day after the latter lost his battle with the virus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was a kind, caring man.

Friendly to a fault. He always greeted strangers walking past him with a chipper â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Good Morning!â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and a big smile. He had a great laugh that filled the room with joy,â&#x20AC;? the actor said in the PAGE 11

Nico Santos Photo courtesy of Nico Santos/Instagram

Fil-Am director Dean Devlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Almost Paradiseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is the first-ever American TV series shot in the Philippines

by AJPress

Filipino American producer and filmmaker, Dean Devlin (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Independence Day,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Godzillaâ&#x20AC;?).

THE first-ever American TV series filmed entirely in the Philippines made its debut on Monday, March 30 on WGN America. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Almost Paradiseâ&#x20AC;? is an action-thriller show created, written and produced by award-winning Filipino American filmmaker Dean Devlin.

Known for his work on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Independence Day,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Godzilla, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Leverage,â&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Librarians,â&#x20AC;? this is Devlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first project involving his Filipino roots.

The series is centered around Alex Walker (Christian Kane, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Librariansâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Angelâ&#x20AC;?), a former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent who goes into early retirement and moves to a beach in the Philippines he remembers PAGE 11

60 COUNTRIES. OVER 100 CITIES WORLDWIDE. THATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INTERNATIONAL.

,1 3$571(56+,3 :,7+ 7+( '(3$570(17 2) )25(,*1 $))$,56 2) 7+( 3+,/,33,1(6 %$/,.%$<$1 0$*$=,1( ,6 12: ',675,%87(' $7 /2&$/ $1' )25(,*1 3+,/,33,1( (0%$66,(6 &2168/$7(6 2)),&(6 $1' 28732676 72 &203/(0(17 285 (;,67,1* ',675,%87,21 &+$11(/6 68&+ $6 %22.6725(6 +27(/ $1' 5(6257 52206 +263,7$/6 %$1.6 &/,1,&6 5(67$85$176 6+236 75$9(/ $*(1&,(6 (9(176 $1' 68%6&5,37,216

^chiV\gVb#Xdb$Vh^Vc_djgcVa

[VXZWdd`#Xdb$6h^Vc?djgcVaEjWa^XVi^dch

il^iiZg#Xdb$Vh^Vc_djgcVaXdb

lll#WVa^`WVnVcbV\Vo^cZ#Xdb

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette aDeva Maglaya THIS coronavirus crisis seems to come out of nowhere but it didn’t. Like any story, it has a beginning, a peak and an end. And hopefully, there are no sequels to this grim story.

It seems the animal to human transmission of the hyped-up yet truly deadly virus may have happened to Patient Zero in November of 2019 in Wuhan in the Hubei province of China. Ground zero of the virus is a level 4 bio-weapons laboratory in the Wuhan University of Technology not far from a wet market where exotic and domesticated live animals were sold as human food fare. How exotic? Consider bats, snakes, rabbits, etcetera. Yes, you name it, they probably sell it.

Initial reports indicate that a bio-chemistry chairman of Harvard University named Dr. Charles Lieber was arrested by federal agents towards the end of January 2020. His expertise was nanoscience. In December, there were 2 Chinese student assistants also arrested by federal agents. It is claimed Lieber was instrumental in setting up the Wuhan laboratory from the period 2011 to 2017. His secret involvement was unreported to Harvard or to the US government. He lied when confronted.

He was paid $50,000 per month and hefty living expenses to share his expertise on nanoscience and biochemistry to China. He was part of China’s aggressive drive to recruit talents from around the world to advance their science and technology to further build their war machinery by stealing them from everywhere else.

Yet the alarm bells weren’t sounded until the middle of January of 2020. By then, the virus from Patient Zero had spread to many parts of the world by infected carriers who travelled to other countries, particularly Milan in Italy where over 100,000 Chinese workers lived and worked in the factories and spread the contagion after the Chinese New Year celebration but not before causing thousands of death in Wuhan itself. The official numbers being touted by China regarding number of infections and deaths should be taken with a smidgen, nope, make that a mountain of

Community Journal

Cathartic pause during coronavirus isolation “THIS CRISIS however, like everything else in the course of human history, SHALL COME TO PASS.” hmmmmm.

Fortunately for the US, travel from China was halted by President Trump by the end of January 2020 and then from Europe and the UK weeks later, bold moves that may have saved millions of coronavirus infections and death.

Time will tell.

For the time being, let the powers that be sort this out. The waters are muddy and a clearer picture will come out in due time.

It seems however that war and the decimation of populations, as envisioned by globalists who want to control human population growth and consumption of the earth’s resources, foremost among whom is Bill Gates and his ilk, know that pandemics are an efficient, nearly bloodless way of achieving their elitist one world view. They will crash economies if they have to. They already have more money than God. A few of these elitist globalists want to play God and get to decide just how many people the earth can and should sustain.

This is the view where abortion is the norm and socialist healthcare death panels decide who gets to live or die among the elderly members of the population. The current case in point is Italian triage where the elderly is left to die in favor of the younger patients because of limited resources and exhausted medical personnel. Climate change is the globalist’s religion and planet earth is his god.

The internet as a tool to gather information is like a sword. It is double-edged. You can use it for good or ill. It is rife with stories, information and disinformation and tons of propaganda. The global blame game is coming up. I hear grumblings as to who should be held to account for this pandemic. It is still early because the virus, scientists claim, has not peaked yet in many places. There will surely be hell to pay for all the destruction wrought, whether deliberate or accidental. Sifting through information or what

passes for it these days needs an industrial strength filter and a good noggin just to sort through them. Forget the media. It cannot be trusted.

Big media, owned just by 7 conglomerates all in alignment with a globalist agenda, have decidedly morphed as the enemy of the people, spinning lies, disinformation and propaganda to push its one world view agenda.

VIEWER BEWARE! The antidote to lies, damned lies and statistics made to lie: Go direct to the source and figure it out yourself. Too busy to do this?

Read or listen to those who have a good grasp and understanding of history and current world events and more importantly, who have no agenda to push.

THIS CRISIS however, like everything else in the course of human history, SHALL COME TO PASS. On a different note, my sister Evelyn texted me this short message below. Consider it a wakeup call. Apparently written by an anonymous writer, it addresses why this thing may be happening.

Perhaps, there IS a much bigger story behind why the world is on a cathartic pause. We are on a standstill and in uncharted territory waiting maybe for a reset, a confrontation, a war or even an earthshaking spiritual revival.

God is renewing the face of the earth.

In any case, I hope this goes viral and makes people think more deeply.

In three short months, just like He did with the plagues of Egypt, God has taken away everything we worship.

God said, “You want to worship athletes, I will shut down stadiums. You want to worship musicians, I will shut down civic centers. You want to worship actors, I will shut down theaters.

You want to worship money, I will shut down the economy and collapse the stock market.

You don’t want to go to church and worship ME, I will make it PAGE 11

Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS In any war, it is best to know one’s enemy well to have a better chance of survival. We must know all we can about our invisible adversary, SARS-CoV2 virus, the cause of the current COVID19 pandemic, in order to defeat this virus which, as of 7:00 AM, Wednesday, April 1st, had infected almost a million and killed more than 50,000 worldwide in 203 countries, 188,881 cases in the USA with 4,066 deaths, 81,554 in China, with 3.312 deaths, and 2,311 in the Philippines, with 96 deaths, and numbers and fatalities are still going up. It is suggested that 30 percent or more of the world population could be infected before this pandemic ends. WHO estimates the average mortality death to be 3.4%, and 15% for those admitted to the hospital.

Viruses are not alive What is a virus? Contrary to conventional knowledge, viruses are not living microorganisms like bacteria, so the virus is not “alive.”

It is actually a protein molecule (DNA) covered by a protective layer of lipid (fat), which when absorbed by the cells of our ocular (eyes), nasal (nose) or buccal (mouth) mucosal lining, “instantly changes its genetic code (mutate) and rapidly converts itself into an aggressor and multiplier cell,” then replicates super fast in a host (in animals, in the case of COVID-19, in bats, which was transmitted to humans in Wuhan, Hubei, China) and massively attack and damage the main target: the lungs (resulting in pneumonia, which is the final killer).

The virus is unable to “survive” on its own, without a host. It is totally dependent, a parasite, which decays on its own outside of a living host. On surfaces, this protein molecule will lose its potential activeness (destroyed) within a period of time (see list below), depending on the material of the surface.

We can destroy and inactivate the molecule by damaging/altering its DNA thru handwashing with foamy soap and water (preferably warm, since it hates temperature beyond 23C or 73F) for at least 20 seconds, and drying our hands well since it loves moisture. It is also destroyed by disinfectants: at least 70% alcohol, diluted

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 2-8, 2020

Know thy enemy: SARS-CoV2 chlorine bleach (5 tbsp per gallon water), likely by UVC light, which damages its DNA to disable replication, by anti-SARS-CoV2 medications (the old anti-malarial drug Hydroxychloroquine, with Azithromycin for the pneumonia) a combo still being clinically tried, and prevented with a vaccine, now being developed.

The foam that forms when we wash our hands with soap and warm water (heat melts fats) cuts, destroys, and dissolves the protective fats around this very fragile virus, breaking and dispersing the protein molecule on its own, inactivated. The same good effect happens when we wash our face or take a shower.

SARS-CoV2 virus on surfaces Recent studies have suggested that SARS-CoV2 virus remains active on various surfaces for different length of time: From the time an infected person coughs or sneezes, the trajectory of the virus-loaded droplets stay in the air for up to 3 hours, and thereafter settle on the ground within about 6-10 feet, depending on the air flow or wind. It is best not to do dusting or shaking clean clothing, which will spread the virus more. Use damp cloth to clean the floor, to limit the virus from flying around.

On copper and wooden surfaces, it stays active for up to 4 hours. On cardboard and paper, this virus could survive up to 24 hours, and about 2-3 days on ATM machines (screen and keypad), likewise on plastic and metal surfaces. It is unclear for porous material, like clothing and textile, but it is suspected that the virus may be absorbed by the fiber and the virus dies more quickly than on hard surfaces.

Since the virus does not survive well when the temperature is above 73F (23C), the summer months in the sun belt States and in other countries, the hot season might mitigate the spread of the virus somewhat. Since SARS-CoV2 virus is new, we still have a lot to learn about it.

New speedy testing At the behest of President Trump, the FDA had fast tracked the approval for countless labs to develop tests for COVID-19. He announced Tuesday that Abbott Lab had developed lightning-fast an accurate instant “point-of-care” molecular test that can be performed in doctor’s offices, hospitals, etc., which will yield positive results in 5 minutes and 13 minutes for

negative test, on the spot. This brilliant test was launched April 1st.

This good news should not make us overly confident and careless.

The mnemonic COVID strategy we coined below is still the best tactic we have against COVID-19 to save ourselves, our loved ones, and the elderly.

UVC light: anti-viral Since UVC light was found to be effective in damaging the DNA of viruses in past MERS/SARS epidemic and pandemic, it is reasonable to suspect that UVC light could also be effective in destroying the SARS-CoV2 virus.

All medical centers have been routinely sterilizing their OR and ICUs, etc. using UVC light for more than a century, after it was invented in 1801. Many have been trying it these days to sterilize the much-needed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for our medical front-liners, like masks, eye wears, gowns, gloves, etc., which are in low supply. In Italy 50 physicians have died from COVID-19, six in the Philippines, and countless around the globe, including China, Spain, Iran, among others.

Caution: UVC light is injurious to the skin (burns and potential skin cancer) and to the eyes (cataract formation). Use only on empty rooms.

HydroxyChloroquine + Azithromax Following President Trump’s request, the FDA has reluctantly allowed the off-label use of Hydroxycholoquine (used for decades for malaria, lupus, arthritis, amebiasis), for trial use for COVID19 patients. Added to treat the COVID-19 pneumonia, is Azithromycin, a previously approved antibiotic. Some initial reports are very encouraging, especially from France. The next question is whether hydroxychloroquine could also be effective for prophylaxis, to prevent infection by this virus, especially those physicians and other front-liners, the unsung heroes putting themselves in harm’s way in this pandemic, who are directly exposed to COVID-19 patients day in and day out, many, like my own 4 children and 3 sons-in-law, treating patients without adequate PPE to protect the Convalescent serum The serum from recovered virus patients in past pandemics, including in the 1918 Spanish Flu that killed about 100 million, MERS, and SARS, showed that their (serum) contained a lot of antibodies PAGE 11

10

april 2-8, 2020 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal

EntErtainmEnt

http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678

New cookbook features 100 classic Filipino recipes for beginners

by Christina

M. Oriel

AJPress

LOOKING to unleash your inner chef and finally master some Filipino dishes during this stayat-home period? There’s a new cookbook with the premise of “easy” savory and sweet recipes from pork sisig to ginataang bilo bilo (rice balls in sweet coconut milk).

“The Easy Filipino Cookbook: 100 Classics Made Simple” — released on March 24 by Rockridge Press — comes from Roline Casper, a Pinay chef who owns Roline’s Uniquely Filipino in Vacaville, California.

“It is meant for the second generation of Filipino Americans who want to learn how to make the dishes they grew up eating [and] people who don’t really know our food but are curious,” Casper told the Asian Journal in an interview ahead of the launch.

“What inspired me was being able to share our culture through this love of food and eating.”

Her title joins the library of Filipino cookbooks we’ve seen in the past two years, such as “The New Filipino Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from around the Globe,” “I am a Filipino And This is How We Cook,” and “The Filipino Instant Pot Cookbook: Classic and Modern Filipino Recipes for Your Electric Pressure Cooker,” to name a few.

The cookbook reflects a com-

Casper makes sisig during a recent cooking demonstration.

pilation of foods Casper grew up eating and learning to cook, as well as the memories of dishes served during family reunions and holidays.

“Even though Filipino cooking draws on influences from across the globe, the heart of Filipino cooking is the family. Each family has its own food culture, traditions, and ways to prepare certain dishes. Food is usually prepared and cooked by the family matriarch, like the lola (grandmother), nanay (mother), or tita (aunt), and passed down through the generations. Each dish is a labor of love and a point of pride. Just A kamayan dinner was held at Roline’s Uniquely Filipino during Vacaville Restaurant Week. like family, the food can be sweet, sour, salty, and, at times, bitter,” she writes in the introduction.

As a child raised by a single working mother in the Philippines, Casper recalled in our interview that she would shadow her grandmother Rosa in the kitchen, Roline Casper holds up a copy of her new book, “The Easy Filipino Cookbook: 100 Classics Made primarily during the days preparSimple,” which was released on March 24.

Photos courtesy of Roline’s Uniquely Filipino ing food in anticipation of relatives coming over. By her teenage time constraints — some can be ing portions. years, her main goal was to one Before diving into the recipes, made under 30 minutes or using day open up a restaurant.

“The Easy Filipino Cookbook” an instant pot to speed up the When she migrated to Califorbegins with an overview of the process. nia, she worked at various hotels Other dishes include a partycuisine’s global influences, how in cities spanning from Sunnyvale the Philippines’ tropical climate sized paella that serves 20; sweet to San Diego and gained experidefined the salty, savory and sour Filipino spaghetti using banana ence in hospitality. Her husband’s flavor profiles, and the variation ketchup for sweetness that is job brought the family back to Casper’s oxtail kare kare from page 112 in At Roline’s Uniquely Filipino in Vacaville, of dishes depending on region popular at birthday parties; laing Northern California, where they (spicy taro leaves in coconut milk); the cookbook.

California, Casper has a halo halo bar, and season. settled in Vacaville. chicken inasal as originated from “The book is very easy for Photography by Iain Bagwell with food with flavors ranging from banana cue to Casper was presented with a people to follow. They’ll find the Bacolod province; embotido styling by Torie Cox / Rockridge Press champorado. business opportunity in 2003 to dishes that are reminiscent of the (steamed meat loaf) with ingreditake over a small grocery store present it. The training continues because nobody had stepped into Philippines and its many differ- ents depending on the occasion; but she declined as she was rais- to help me a lot right now with the that,” she said. ent regions so it’s like traveling ginataang alimango (crab in ing two young children. Six years understanding of what ingrediThe variations include choco- without physically being there,” coconut sauce) that uses spinach later — this time during the reces- ents go together,” she said. “Even late chip cookie dough; banana Casper said. instead of chile pepper leaves sion — the same offering came though I knew how to cook, you cue (caramelized saba banana A particular highlight of the and squash blossoms; and biko around, which she jumped at really need to have the credentials with housemade leche flan and cookbook is a chapter listing (rice cake with coconut curds) and has since turned it into a turo because it’s harder to be acknowl- toasted sweet rice); and cham- ingredients and tools to have on for merienda that doesn’t involve turo restaurant named Roline’s edged if not.” porado (Belgian dark chocolate hand as well as common cooking a 24-hour soaking time for the Uniquely Filipino.

She graduated valedictorian & topped w/ our house-made techniques used. sweet rice.

“A grocery store was challeng- from the school and is a part-time chocolate shell & Himalayan Pink The last section is devoted The recipes are organized by ing because that’s not what I really instructor there. Last February, Salt). course, starting with pulutan (ap- to “staples” that pair well with wanted. But the opportunity was she led a three-hour class on With Casper’s mark in the local petizers) like tokwa’t baboy (fried most Filipino meals, including there and I didn’t want to miss it lumpia making.

Vacaville dining scene and the tofu and pig ears with sweet Chile banana ketchup, atchara (chutso we put in our own money and “Though we’re a casual, turo burgeoning Filipino food move- sauce) or tuna kilawin; then come ney of pickled green papaya, red took that risk,” she said. turo restaurant, what I’ve learned ment, a publisher reached out the rice and noodles, and vegeta- bell peppers, carrots, onions and Eight years later in 2017, Casper in this business is to adapt to with the prospect of releasing ble, meats and seafood entrees ginger) and tomato, onion and fulfilled that aspiration of going to what is needed and to introduce her first cookbook. The process before ending with snacks and salted egg salad. It also ends with culinary school when she enrolled changes every so often,” Casper of putting it together, from writ- desserts. Each entry is introduced a list suggesting what to serve in a 14-month program at Napa said. ing and testing the 100 recipes to with a brief paragraph explaining during holidays and other special Valley Cooking School. On top of Roline’s Uniquely Filipino be- editing, took about a year. gatherings. how it is typically served. running her business, she took gan offering kamayan (communal “Sometimes it felt like I didn’t “I want readers to try someWhile presented as close as classes five days a week, staged feast) dinners by reservation and sleep because I had to work, take possible to the traditional forms, thing new, be adventurous with (unpaid internship) at Michelin- a halo halo bar with multiple care of the family, and do the Casper’s recipes leave room for what they eat, and be openstarred restaurant, SingleThread, flavors beyond its most popular book. It’s really a labor of love. adaptability depending on what minded,” Casper said. “Our food and worked as an extern at Mori- form of shaved ice, evaporated Everything I cook and do is from ingredients are available locally to is a blend of many cultures so I moto in Napa. milk, sweetened beans, jellies and the heart and that’s where home readers and improvisation if they feel they will find something that’s “I did the opposite of business ice cream. is for me,” she said, adding that don’t have access to a Filipino or familiar to them in all the dishes first before going to school. I “For years, I had been thinking it was a challenge for her to pare specialty store. They are also la- and create their own stories eatcame in with a drive to uplift our of doing something with the halo the recipes down for two to three beled depending on dietary needs ing [them] with friends and family food and to learn how to properly halo similar to the boba craze servings as she was used to cater- (e.g. gluten-free and nut-free) and around the dining table.”

PAGE 11

Features

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com

Friends, family celebrate the life...

PAGE 8 events last year to launch the book, bringing people together and advancing the goal of having the group’s diverse voices heard through Filipino cuisine.

In the book, Aglibot shared the recipe for Avocado Mousse with Raspberry Sauce and Lychee Granita, a dessert he created at Yi Cuisine, which was the first upscale Filipino restaurant in Los Angeles when it opened.

The inspiration behind this signature dish was the avocado dessert that Aglibot’s parents used to serve them back in Hawaii, something which he called “a piece of his childhood.”

He also grieved the time when they had to close the restaurant for good.

“But there’s one thing I’m certain of to this day: of all the restaurant’s I’ve opened, Yi Cuisine is the one I’m proudest of,” he said. “I am proud of it not for the accolades it earned, but for what the menu stood for and the story it told. Filipino cuisine, after all, is like the pear shaped avocado. The fact that it is lesser known as a fruit in culinary preparations doesn’t make it any less of a fruit.”

It was at Yi where Aglibot said he completely embraced and promoted his heritage.

Chef Rod at the launching of The New Filipino Kitchen cook book in New York held on March 30, 2019.

AJPress photos by Momar G. Visaya

On the menu then were dishes that highlighted his Filipino background such as chicken adobo, oxtail kare kare, crispy pata using Kurobuta pork served with a complementary vinegar dip enriched with foie gras and his own take on sinigang, using seafood soured with tamarind.

Fellow contributors to “The New Filipino Kitchen” book also honored Aglibot’s memory.

“When I learned he was part of the New Filipino Kitchen Cookbook, I thought how dope it was to be part of a project with someone who did so much for the Filipino food community,” wrote Joanne Boston Kwanhull, who remembers seeing him on TV. “He opened doors for the Filipino food community long before it was the “cool” or

“IG-worthy” thing to do.”

“My memories of you will remain strong, and as nourishing as the lugaw you made for our book launch in Chicago, as delicious as the crab fat aioli you whipped up at my birthday party (to accompany the prawn paste chicken) and sweet like your signature avocado dessert,” said writer Vanessa Hangad, who contributed the recipe of kare-kare which is one of Aglibot’s favorite dishes.

“My deepest condolences to your family & everyone who loves you (there’s so many of us) “You made the world a better place as an internationally renowned (yet down to earth) chef, entrepreneur, trailblazer & friend.”

Byers told the Asian Journal that there are no funeral plans yet.

‘This pandemic has kept my family apart’...

PAGE 8

tribute, sharing a photo of his stepfather and mother.

Santos shared that his mother “Tita” also contracted COVID-19, but hasn’t required hospitalization.

“My mom is also fighting COVID-19. For the time being, she has not required hospitalization,” he said.

He also expressed his pain and frustrations in dealing with the family’s loss during the pandemic.

“The loss of my stepfather is devastating but what has gutted me is that this pandemic has kept my family apart. We were unable to be with him during his last days. I can’t hold my mother as she mourns her husband. I can’t hug my brother as he contem-

plates a world without his father.

I can’t wipe away the tears from my nephews’ eyes as they wonder why their Lolo Sonny isn’t here anymore,” he said.

Santos ended his post by requesting everyone to send prayers for his mother.

“Please continue to pray and send healing energy to my mom.

I hope all of you are staying safe and healthy. Rest In Peace Tito Sonny. I love you,” he said.

Santos was born in the Philippines and moved to Gresham, Oregon with his family at 16. He played Oliver T’sien in the movie adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s “Crazy Rich Asians,” and is also starring in the NBC hit series “Superstore” as a sales associate named Mateo Liwanag.

Cathartic pause during...

PAGE 9 where you can’t go to church.”

“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Maybe we don’t need a vaccine. Maybe we need to take this time of isolation from the distractions of the world and have a personal revival where we focus on the only thing in the world that really matters – JESUS.

Enjoy this forced sabbatical hiatus. It will be for only a short period of time and we will all be back to the rat race. SIGH. It may surprise you what amazing grace it is having precious time in your hands to do as you please, even perhaps, to find the time for a personal revival of our relationship with God. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

Know thy enemy: SARS-CoV2

PAGE 9

that could be transfused to those infected with the virus to help them fight the infection successfully, in an otherwise helpless situation.

The regimen is now used as an adjunct therapy for COVID-19 patients.

ECMO for severe COVID-19 The use of Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenator (heartlung machine used routinely in open-heart surgery) in an option among those with COVID-19 pneumonia that is not responding to standard ventilator, which are in serious short supply, even in the USA. The ECMO acts as an artificial lung to keep the patient’s blood oxygenated. There are indications, restrictions, and limitations of this treatment.

To end COVID-19, practice COVID The best tool we have to end this deadly pandemic faster and sooner is this common sense personal behavioral modification DIY strategy: Fight COVID-19 with COVID: Cover face to scratch, sneeze or cough; Omit non- essential travels; Voluntary quarantine; Intensive handwashing; Distancing.

Potential threat Clinical report from China says the SARS-CoV2 virus was found in the saliva of recovered patients 39 days after the pharyngeal swab was negative and positive in feces up to 13 days afterwards. The question is whether those who had recovered and had tested negative are truly virus-free and non-contagious. The other is, Is the virus also spread by fecal contamination?

Studies are ongoing.

Our unsung heroes While we, who are able to stay home on self-quarantine, are safe, front-liner physicians, nurses, allied healthcare and other hospital personnel, first responders of every kind, put themselves in harm’s way, exposing themselves to the killer virus 24/7, stepping out of their comfort zone in the name of selfless service to their sick fellowmen. Even their families at home are at a higher risk. They are our unsung heroes. At least 50 physi-

cians treating COVID-19 patients in Italy have died from COVID-19, six physicians in the Philippines (the youngest in her mid-30s), and unaccounted numbers in China, Spain, Iran, Korea, and the USA. There is one thing, individually, we can do to help them: STAY OUT OF THE WAY. Stay home and avoid getting infected and spreading it to others, especially to the elderly, majority of them with health issues.

Let us not be the carrier of the virus and the courier of death.

Once again, unless someone at home had tested positive, a clean and well-ventilated home is the safest sanctuary against COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. The young people could also die from COVID-19. The youngest ones who died were ages 12, 17, 24, and 26 years old.

The young man on the beach teeming with people during his summer break two weeks ago saying on TV “It’s my civil right to do what I want with my body and enjoy,” is obviously stupid and a greater threat than the virus to the public and, especially to freedom and democracy. He has the right to kill himself but not others.

Gear up when outside If we have to go out to a grocery store, drug store, or for other essential matter, let us put on gloves, mask, and a cap, observe distancing, and wash our hands properly and frequently. We must not touch the mask, either. Having a healthy dose of paranoia (medical vigilance) during this deadly pandemic is also helpful to protect ourselves and our family. Our invisible enemy is out there killing humans rapidly, including the young. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

As of writing, there are now more than 140,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, with more than 2,000 fatalities and 4,000 recoveries.

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 2-8, 2020

11

Fil-Am director Dean Devlin’s ‘Almost Paradise’...

PAGE 8 visiting years ago. Alex finds himself drawn into cases where he uses his skills as a longtime operative to put away the bad guys that cross his path.

The idea came to Devlin during his honeymoon in Hawaii some 14 years ago when the local news had a story about residents capturing a drug dealer on their own.

“It just got me thinking about island justice, island culture and island spirituality. I always said, ‘I really would like to write something about that,’” Devlin told the Asian Journal. “Over the years, I thought, ‘Why do it in Hawaii?’ I’m half Filipino and I’ve never done anything connected to my own culture so when the idea came to put this story in the Philippines then things started to accelerate quite quickly.”

Beyond the “poverty porn” and other stereotypical notions people may have about the Philippines, Devlin didn’t want to make the storyline about the current political climate and the controversial drug war.

“To be able to bring things from the culture — the looks, the costumes, the traditions — and put that seamlessly in a very American show…one of the goals here is not to say that Filipinos are the other.

The goal is to say Filipinos are us and we’re all part of the same beautiful community,” he said.

As for the challenges that came with filming in the country, Devlin joked, saying “The better question is what wasn’t the challenge?”

His production company, Electric Entertainment, partnered with ABS-CBN and built a soundstage

at Bigfoot Studios in Cebu.

Thankfully, the production had finished and left the Philippines before the government stopped international flights because of the coronavirus outbreak.

“We literally wrapped production 18 hours before they stopped the international flights. It was crazy. It felt like we were on the top of that building in Saigon during the fall of Vietnam trying to get the last helicopter out. But we finished the season,” Devlin said.

The 10-episode series, shot in the island of Cebu, features a predominantly Filipino cast and crew. Actors Samantha Richelle and Arthur Acuña star as detectives Kai Mendoza and Ernesto Alamares, respectively.

When Devlin and Kane took a trip to Manila to scout local talent, Richelle auditioned for the role of Kai Mendoza upon the recommendation of Dela Torre and blew them away.

“In me preparing for the role of Kai, I literally fell in love with her…She’s such a ballsy character, but yet also very sympathetic. It was just amazing to be able to delve into that,” Richelle told the Asian Journal, adding that a week before filming began, she did combat training and learned how to shoot.

“You’ll see in the show, every episode we pushed a little bit farther on [how] she can go as an actor and every time we raised the expectations, Samantha reached it.

This character really develops over the course of the season and this is no easy acting job,” Devlin said.

“She’s really the breakout actor on this show.”

Filmmakers Francis Dela Torre,

Samantha Richelle makes her American TV debut as Kai Mendoza.

Photos courtesy of Electric Entertainment

Hannah Espia, Dan Villegas and Irene Villamor directed several episodes; meanwhile, Pao Orendain served as director of photography and Digo Ricio as production designer.

“This is a very intense American way of doing a TV series…This crew was amazingly responsive because this was not in their comfort zone at all. It’s not the way that they do shows in the Philippines. They were all eager to learn [and]…they all kind of wanted to show what they could do,” Devlin added.

With more Filipino faces on an American network, Devlin sees it as a way to usher in more Filipino representation.

“There’s been a wonderful explosion of diversity in entertainment over the last few years. But the Asian community in general — and the Filipino community in specific — has really been left behind that.

We wanted to be part of the energy that’s correcting that and part of pushing us into the spotlight and saying, ‘Hey, take a look. I think you’re gonna like what you see,’” he said.

12

april 2-8, 2020 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal

http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678