040721 - Southern California Midweek Edition

April 7-9, 2021 Volume 31 - No. 27 • 14 Pages

With anti-Asian attacks, Fil-Ams in LA DATELINE USA Los Gatos police remain vigilant, seek community support looking for suspect FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

by CHRISTINA

who attacked Fil-Am health care worker

POLICE are asking the public for help in its search for a man suspected of attacking a Filipina American medical worker in Los Gatos, California on March 30.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, March 30, around 5 p.m. near Los Gatos Boulevard and Garden Lane, according to the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department.

The 40-year-old Fil-Am, who was wearing medical scrubs, was reportedly walking along the boulevard when she was shoved from behind to the ground unprovoked.

The suspect also allegedly yelled at the victim to “go back to China” before leaving the scene on his bicycle.

“Without provocation, she was shoved from behind, causing her to fall to the ground,” said Police Chief Peter Decena in a video.

“As she was falling, she heard someone say, ‘Go back to (expletive) China,’” he add-

M. ORIEL

AJPress

FOR Myrla Baldonado, daily walks outside have provided some solace during the pandemic lockdown.

But in addition to being vigilant about COVID-19 every time she steps out of her door, she is hyper-aware of

her surroundings, knowing that older Filipino Americans around her age have been targeted across the country.

“I need to get my exercise, but I’ve been torn between going out or just staying and moving around inside,” Baldonado, a lead organizer at the Pil-

ipino Workers Center in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown, told the Asian Journal. “Now when I go out, I watch my back and look at each direction, and really make sure cars stop before crossing the street.”

Debra Romig, who also lives in Downtown LA, echoed Baldonado’s

concerns, referencing the recent attack of Vilma Kari, a 65-year-old Filipina immigrant, who was seen on surveillance footage being kicked and stomped on her way to church in New York.

“That attack on a Filipina was so

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Rock throwing incident reported at LA Historic Filipinotown restaurant

by CHRISTINA

M. ORIEL

AJPress

ANDRE Cadiz was having lunch outside of Dollar Hits in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown on Saturday, April 3 when he heard a man yelling incoherently.

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City of LA launches emergency rental assistance program RENTERS in the City of Los Angeles have until the end of April to apply for the second round of rental assistance.

LA, in partnership with the federal government and the State of California, has created a new emergency rental assistance programto assist low-income renters who have been unable to pay their rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Applications opened on Tuesday, March 30 and will close at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 30.

The city’s 2021 Emergency Rental Assistance program is for LA renters and rental property owners and will be administered by the Housing + Community Investment Department (HCIDLA). The program is providing $235,500,000 in federal and state emergency rental assistance funds to support low income households in paying rent arrears for renters impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is open to all low-income

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Participants, including Filipina American attorney Abigail Zelenski (center) and her 6-year-old daughter (left), flocked to Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley, California on Saturday, April 3 for a Stop Asian Hate rally organized in solidarity by legal and community organizations. .

Contributed photo

Two rocks were reportedly found outside of Dollar Hits on Saturday, April 3.

Photo courtesy of Andre Cadiz

Former PH President Joseph Estrada now on ventilator as pneumonia worsens Jinggoy said Estrada, earlier diagnosed as positive for COVID-19, was placed on a ventilator to improve oxygen delivery as well as to prevent the tiring of his respiratory mechanism.

“My father has always been a fighter and I hope that with the help of your prayers he will win this battle. Please continue praying for his immediate recovery,” Jinggoy said.

Jinggoy earlier reported that Estrada was sedated to lessen his anxiety and transferred to the intensive care unit for closer observation. He said Estrada only needs to be placed on high flow oxygen support and there was no need for him to be put on a ventilator.

His other son, former senator JV Ejercito, said that

by JOSE

RODEL CLAPANO Philstar.com

Former President Joseph Estrada

ManilaTimes.net photo

MANILA — Former President Joseph Estrada has been placed on mechanical ventilation as his pneumonia worsened, according to his son, former Senator Jinggoy Estrada.

In medical bulletin no. 2 on the former Manila mayor’s Facebook account, Jinggoy said the mechanical ventilation is intended to improve the oxygen delivery to Estrada.

“Yesterday, my father’s condition suffered a setback as his pneumonia worsened. Because of this and the resulting increase in oxygen requirement, his doctors decided to place him on mechanical ventilation,” Jinggoy said on April 6.

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Palace eyes modified quarantine in Metro Manila, nearby areas California targets full

government extended the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila and four provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal amid the surge of COVID-19 cases.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

by AJPRESS CALIFORNIA plans to move away from its colorcoded tier system and fully reopen its economy by June 15, depending on vaccine and hospitalization numbers remaining stable.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the target data on Tuesday, April 6 and said the state must meet the criteria of sufficient vaccine supply for residents over the age of 16 who plan to be vaccinated and stable hospitalization rates.

“With more than 20 million vaccines administered across the state, it is time to turn the page on our tier system and begin looking to fully reopen California’s economy,” Newsom said in a statement. “We can now begin planning for our lives post-pandemic. We will need to remain vigilant and continue the practices that

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reopening by June 15

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EXTENDING the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila and four nearby provinces beyond April 11 has been ruled out

by Malacañang in favor of the more lenient modified ECQ (MECQ) to curb the spike in COVID-19 cases in the country.

“I don’t think ECQ for a third week is actually a possibility,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in an interview over ANC’s Headstart on Monday, April 5.

“In fact, based on the model of the DOH (Department of Health), what they recommended was two weeks of ECQ including last week and then we had earlier another week of bubble to

be followed by a week of MECQ,” he added. “That’s the model we’re pursuing, two weeks of ECQ and another week of MECQ.” The spokesman also admitted that the government lacks the funds needed to provide assistance to low-income families affected by the restrictions.

“Well, given what [Budget] Secretary [Wendel] Avisado said that we have no more funds for ayuda (assistance) and Congress currently is on recess ‘no. So in case we need a supplemental budget, we would have to request for a special session,” Roque told ANC. In another interview with CNN Philippines, he noted that a twoweek ECQ followed by a week-long Some police officers man the vicinity of Plaza Miranda in front of Quiapo Church on Tuesday, April 6. The

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2 April 7-9, 2021 • SoCal ASiAN JOUrNAl

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From the Front Page

Rock throwing incident reported at...

PAGE 1

The 26-year-old Filipino American graphic designer, who was sitting facing the restaurant with his back toward the strip mall’s parking lot, chose to ignore the remarks and kept eating.

Then, he heard a loud bang on the window in front of where he was sitting.

A rock that was allegedly thrown by the man narrowly missed Cadiz’s head, he said in Members of the Pilipino Workers Center held a memorial service with other community organizations in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander women on Good Friday, April 2 at Liberty Park in Los Angeles’ Koreatown.

AJPress photos by Christina M. Oriel an interview.

“I jumped out of my seat and then I realized this guy in the parking lot was in a stance that looked like he just threw something,” Cadiz, who was dining PAGE 1 alone with his dog at around 4 p.m., told the Asian Journal. devastating to hear about. Go“There was a mark on the wining outside was a way to not be dow and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, so bored staying inside. But I’m that was a rock that went over my scared to go out now because head.” you can’t help but think about His first instinct was to pull out what if it happens to you or your his phone to record a video, in friends?” Romig told the Asian which he confronts the man and Journal. asks him, “What the (expletive), Asian Americans are quick to bro?” point out that hate against the The man, who Cadiz said was community is not a new occurholding another rock and a pair rence, but recent violence like of scissors, can be heard on the the March 16 shootings that video daring restaurant staff to killed eight people, including Participants attend a vigil honoring AAPI women in LA’s Koreatown on Friday, April 2. six women of Asian descent, has Chinatown that have volunteers States. We see it as a sanctuary “come outside” and “call the brought the issue to a national who can accompany elders or here but we can never tell if the cops.”

During the exchange, Cadiz allevel. people around us might one day those who are vulnerable.”

“It doesn't matter whether it's Stop AAPI Hate, a national attack us like what happened in leged that the man threw another object, which could have been the Chinese, Filipino or Vietnam- reporting center that began last Atlanta.” ese community, we're all expe- spring, received 3,795 firsthand Women are 2.3 times more a small black rock or piece of riencing attacks,” Aquilina Sori- incidents of racism and discrimi- likely to report the incidents ver- charcoal that landed on the table ano Versoza, executive director nation from all 50 states and the sus men. Youths (those up to 17 where he had been sitting.

Some witnesses are heard on of the Pilipino Workers Center, District of Columbia between years old) accounted for 12.6% told the Asian Journal. “But we March 19, 2020 to February 28, of incidents, while 6.2% were ex- camera telling the man to stay have to know that is happening 2021. perienced by individuals 60 years put in the parking lot, but he then and we need to voice it out, so Based on that figure, 503 inci- and older, Stop AAPI Hate found. walked away.

There have been no reports of that means reporting it because dents took place in the first two Santos’ group, which offers if not, it remains invisible.” awareness-raising and preven- injuries from the incident. The months of 2021 alone.

Since the beginning of the panWhile individuals of Chinese tion against crimes like domestic man in the video has not been demic, PWC has received reports descent accounted for 42% of violence and assault, will begin identified, as of this writing.

Cadiz said he did not hear the of its members, who are predom- the reports, other groups like Fil- hosting self-defense training inantly domestic workers, being ipinos (7.9%) have experienced sessions again given the neces- man use any racist language targeted toward Filipinos or Asians, harassed at their workplace or hate too. sity amid the hate incidents. being verbally assaulted and Since the pandemic began, but noted that Saturday’s incident “We’re outraged because blamed for the virus while out in Asians are part of the commu- Santos has connected senior cit- comes amid a string of violent public. nity. Health care workers in the izens to meal and grocery pro- attacks that have been reported The organization is encourag- Filipino community are sticking grams to reduce their time spent by Asian Americans across the ing their members to stick to- their necks out to help with the outside. However, many of the country, with some incidents gogether as many of them walk or public health situation, and yet elders live alone so a virtual sup- ing viral in recent weeks.

“I wondered if it was even take public transportation to and we are the victims. Women are port group helps them deal with worth reporting or if it was rafrom work. usually the first to be attacked,” the isolation.

“If you are able to, move col- Perla Santos, who leads the “It started off as a group of cially motivated,” said Cadiz. lectively and not just by yourself MOTHER Movement, told the close friends and then it ex- “From my perspective, whether as that’s a way to protect,” Soria- Asian Journal. panded to more people,” Santos someone said something racist or no Versoza said. “We’re encourShe added, “This is unaccept- said. “We make sure we keep in not, there’s still violence against aging people to be connected able in a place like this, where to contact with each other and Asians happening here in LA and and communicative with each for many of us immigrants, we know where each other are at all around the country.”

After the incident, Cadiz postother. There are programs like in have a high regard for the United times.” n

With anti-Asian attacks, Fil-Ams in LA...

Photo shows a mark on the window of Historic Filipinotown restaurant Dollar Hits after an unidentified man allegedly threw a rock on Saturday afternoon, April 3.

Photo courtesy of Andre Cadiz

ed the one-minute video on his Instagram account, along with a photo of rocks reportedly found outside the restaurant and another image showing a white mark left on the window.

He sent the photos and videos to the restaurant owner for evidence if a police report is filed.

The Los Angeles Police Department did not respond to the Asian Journal’s request for comment on whether it was investigating the incident, as of press time.

Elvie Chan — who owns Dollar Hits, which specializes in Filipino street food along the 4200 block of Temple Street — told the Asian Journal that she and the staff had not seen the man before and suspected he could be a transient.

She was uncertain whether Saturday’s incident could be classified as a racially motivated attack.

Chan hopes the encounter will not scare customers away from coming to her restaurant, which in addition to having prepared dishes inside, sets up grills outside for customers to cook their

skewers at night until they close at 10 p.m. In the hours following the incident, she said the restaurant had its usual influx of Saturday night customers.

“We want our community to be aware, but to not be scared of supporting Filipino businesses like ours,” Chan told the Asian Journal.

The day after, Cadiz returned with pepper spray and a baseball bat to thank the staff for making sure he was okay.

“We need to really take charge of protecting ourselves because it seems like at this point, we’re not able to count on others to protect our communities and businesses,” he said. “There’s still a stereotype that Asians aren’t going to speak up or fight back so maybe that’s why they’re seen as vulnerable or easy to take advantage of.”

Kimmy Maniquis, the executive director of HiFi’s Search to Involve Pilipino Americans, told the Asian Journal that the nonprofit organization plans to offer online self-defense and Filipino martial arts classes for commu-

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4 April 7-9, 2021 • SoCal ASiAN JOUrNAl

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Fil-Am son of basketball champ Ron Harper declares for NBA Draft seasons, announced his intention on Saturday, April 3, in an InstaFILIPINO American Ron Harp- gram post. er Jr., son of NBA champion Ron “I will be entering my name Harper, has declared for the NBA into the 2021 NBA Draft while Rookie Draft. maintaining my eligibility,” wrote Harper Jr., who has been with the 6’6” winger.

Rutgers University (RU) for three “This has been a life long

by AJPress

Ron Harper Jr.

dream of mine that Rutgers University has put me in the position to chase,” he added.

Harper Jr. was born to Maria Pizzaro, who is Filipina, and the older Harper, who won five championships as a member of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.

The Fil-Am hooper played a vital role for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the 2020 to 2021 United States National Collegiate Athletics Association season, averaging 14.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.

The Scarlet Knights reached the second round of this year’s national championship but lost against the University Houston Cougars.

Harper Jr., in his Instagram post, thanked the people who helped in “shaping” him into the person he is today.

“These past three years have been nothing short of a blessing. Coach Pikiell and his staff took a chance on a kid from Jersey when not many other people would and for that I am extremely grateful. The success I’ve had wouldn’t be possible without the people around me,” he wrote.

“My family, coaches, and teammates push me to become the best version of myself everyday on and off the court. I couldn’t thank them enough for shaping me into the man I am today,” he added.

Harper Jr. concluded his post, saying: “Thank you Rutgers Nation for your support. Go RU.” n

RAINY RIDE. Bikers wear raincoats while plying the Elliptical Road in Quezon City on Monday, April 5. The weather bureau said Luzon and the Visayas will experience isolated rains due to the northeasterly windflow.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

City of LA launches emergency rental...

PAGE 1 renters living in the city, regardless of immigration status.

In order to quality to receive rental assistance, people who live in Los Angeles must have been impacted by the pandemic through unemployment, a reduction in household income or experiencing other financial hardship. Priority will be given to households who have experienced 90 days or more of unemployment.

The renters must have a household income that is at or below 50% of the area median income, which is $39,450 for a single-per-

son household, but priority will be given to households at or below 30% of the area median income, which is $23,700 annually for a single-person household.

Renters who apply to the program have the option of: A cooperative approach between the tenant and landlord in which the landlord will be reimbursed 80% of the eligible renters’ unpaid rent accrued between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021. The landlord must agree to waive the remaining 20% of unpaid rent for that same period of time.

Or if the landlord declines to participate, the eligible renter will receive 25% of the unpaid rent that was accrued between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 as well as financial assistance to pay 25% of up to three months’ future rent from April to June 2021.

City of Los Angeles renters, and landlords applying on behalf of their tenants, are en-

couraged to apply online at the HCIDLA website at: hcidla.lacity. org through April 30.

Applicants with limited online access can call the ERAP Hotline at (833) 373-0587 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the application period. TTY will also be available for persons with hearing or speech impairments.

Applications and phone support will also be available in multiple languages.

Applications received between March 30 and April 9 will be selected through a randomized process to determine the order of review for the first group. Applications received from April 10th through April 30 will be selected through a second randomized process, according to HCIDLA. Those who live outside of LA can apply for assistance through the state’s COVID-19 Rent Relief program by visiting HousingisKey.com or by calling (833) 4302122. (AJPress)

California targets full reopening...

PAGE 1 got us here – wearing masks and getting vaccinated – but the light at the end of this tunnel has never been brighter.”

The state will move away from the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, its tiered system, once the economy fully reopens, but health measures like face coverings and social distancing will remain.

Earlier this week, Los Angeles County relaxed more restrictions as the area moved into the orange tier as part of the state’s reopening blueprint.

Under the second least restrictive phase, bars that don’t serve meals can now reopen outdoors from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. with 8foot distance between tables. Visits are limited to 90 minutes and masks are required except when people are eating or drinking.

Businesses and activities such as movie theaters, restaurants, churches, museums, zoos and aquariums can increase their capacity from 25% to 50%.

Gyms and fitness studios operating indoors can go from 10% to 25% capacity. Cardrooms and family entertainment centers can move indoors at 25% capacity.

Meanwhile, grocery and retail stores can increase capacity to 75%, but LA County Public Health recommends that the stores remain at 50% capacity until April

15 to allow more grocery store workers to get vaccinated.

Hair salons, barbershops and personal care services can increase capacity to 75% with masks required, except for services where customers need to remove their masks.

Despite the rollback on restrictions, county officials urged residents to avoid non-essential travel. Those who are fully vaccinated are at lower risk and may travel with public health precautions in mind.

Non-essential travels who are not fully vaccinated must quarantine for seven full days after travel if they get tested and get a negative COVID-19 test result from a specimen collected 3-5 days after their arrival. They must also quarantine for 10 full days after travel if they did not get tested with a COVID-19 test after their arrival, based on the updated travel advisory.

Newsom’s announcement on Tuesday came as the Golden State was set to reach 20 million vaccine doses administered.

COVID-19 vaccine eligibility expanded to all residents 50 through 64 years old in addition to all other eligible groups at the beginning of April. On April 15, vaccines become available to any resident in Los Angeles County who is 16 and older. n

Los Gatos police looking for...

PAGE 1 ed.

The suspect was described as a white man with tan skin or a lightskinned Hispanic. He was wearing a black or gray bicycle helmet, a dark-colored neck gaiter, a black T-shirt with white lettering on the back, and dark-colored jeans.

Decena noted that the victim was “shaken” but not injured.

The police chief highlighted the importance of reporting hate crimes and incidents to authorities.

“I know from experience that many Asian Americans, and especially our seniors, are often reluctant to report crimes against them.

We need to make sure that our family and our friends understand how important it is to report these incidents,” Decena stressed.

An investigation is ongoing but anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call the police department (408) 354-8600 or email police@losgatosca.gov.

Los Gatos Mayor Marico Sayoc, who is also Fil-Am, told the Asian Journal in an email that she was “heartbroken” to learn there was a hate crime in her own town following incidents reported in other parts of the Bay Area and across the country.

She said the town, which is located in Santa Clara County about an hour outside of San Francisco, is increasing foot and bicycle patrols, training for police officers on hate incidents and crimes,

“upstander” training for community members, and encouraging residents to report any incidents.

“I want everyone to know that we are a town that will not tolerate this hatred not only to the AAPI community but also to our Black, Indigenous, Latinx, LGBTQ+, and other communities,” she said.

The mayor added, “We can not prevent these incidents/crimes; however, we are doing what we can to collectively assure our community that hate is not welcome in Los Gatos and we will prosecute to the full extent of the law.”

Stop AAPI Hate, a national coalition that tracks anti-Asian American discrimination, reported earlier in March that from March 19, 2020 to February 28, 2021, it has received 3,795 firsthand incidents of racism and discrimination from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Of that number, 503 incidents took place in the first two months of 2021 alone.

Verbal harassment (68.1%) and shunning (20.5%), which entails the “deliberate avoidance of Asian Americans,” are the top two types of discrimination reported. Meanwhile, physical assault (11.1%) comprises the third largest category of total incidents.

Businesses were the “primary site” of discrimination (35.4%), followed by public streets (25.3%) and public parks (9.8%). (Ritchel Mendiola/AJPress)

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5

Commonly asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine

by Ethnic

MEdia SErvicES

DR. Dali Fan, Health Science Clinical Professor at UC Davis, is also a volunteer vaccinator at a clinic on the California Northstate University campus in Elk Grove, California. In this FAQ, Dr. Fan addresses the most common questions asked by his patients regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.

Three brands of the vaccine are currently available in the U.S. – the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and the single-shot Johnson and Johnson: all three have similar levels of efficacy.

Q: Where can I get the vaccine? And how do I know if I am eligible?

A: Find out when and where you can get vaccinated by signing up at MyTurn.ca.gov, where information is available in 12 languages. For those without internet access, appointments can be made by calling (833) 422-4255.

The hotline is available in English with third party translators available in more than 250 additional languages. Individuals also can contact their primary care physician, local pharmacy, or local public health department.

Starting today, all California residents over the age of 50 are eligible to get vaccinated. On April 15, eligibility will expand to everyone 16 and older. We

encourage everyone to get vaccinated when it’s your turn with any of the three COVID-19 vaccines available, all of which are safe, effective and have undergone rigorous clinical trials.

Once you are eligible, log into MyTurn.ca.gov to find an available appointment. Appointments fill up quickly, so keep checking back. Vaccine appointments are most plentiful in remote areas, so if you have transportation, check in those areas.

Check with your local health department for mega sites run by the state and FEMA, and pop-up sites run by community health organizations. Kaiser members can schedule an appointment at kp.org. People can also call their family doctors.

The California state COVID information line is: 833-422-4255.

Please note that this service cannot schedule appointments.

Q: What documents do I need?

A: Take your ID card or some form of identification. Vaccine distribution is based on eligibility irrespective of residency or immigration status.

Q: If I get the vaccine, how long will the immunity last?

A: At least 6 months. Longer immunity is likely, but there is no data yet, as the COVID vaccine has not been studied for

longer than that.

Q: Will I need another booster shot later in the year?

A: Most likely not, though scientists are studying the necessity of a booster shot.

Q: Can pregnant women take the vaccine?

A: Yes. The CDC recommends that if you are pregnant, you may choose to be vaccinated when it’s available to you.

Q: What is the effect of the vaccine on the fetus?

A: There is no known effect of the vaccine on the fetus. And there is currently no evidence that antibodies formed from COVID-19 vaccination cause any problem with pregnancy, including the development of the placenta.

People who are trying to become pregnant now or who plan to try in the future should also receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available to them. There is no evidence that fertility problems are a side effect of any vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccines.

There is no routine recommendation for taking a pregnancy test before you get a COVID-19 vaccine.

If you have questions about getting vaccinated, talk with a healthcare provider to help you make an informed decision. n

HOT MEALS FOR FRONT-LINERS. A medical front-liner at the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center in Marikina flashes a thumbs-up as health workers receive hot meals from Gotobox. Boxyard Group of Companies distributes free hot meals as simple way of expressing appreciation to the country’s front-liners as the government extended the strictest enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila and four provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal amid surge of COVID-19.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

Rock throwing incident reported at...

PAGE 2

nity members who want to learn tactics to protect themselves in public.

The organization is also holding virtual spaces with mental

health practitioners to help community members talk about and process the recent anti-Asian hate incidents.

Maniquis reminded the community of resources, such as

bystander trainings and reporting platforms like the county’s 211 hotline or StopAAPIHate. org, which allows individuals to report an incident in English or another language like Tagalog. n

Filipino Americans ask US solons to help Former PH President Joseph Estrada now... expedite delivery of COVID vaccines to PH by nEil

arwin MErcado Inquirer.net

EVEN Filipino-American associations and individuals are banding together to hasten the delivery of American-made vaccines to the Philippines by writing to their state congressmen and senators, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said Tuesday, April 6.

In an interview with INQUIRER. net’s INQside Look, Romualdez said efforts are in place to have the American vaccines delivered to the Philippines at an earlier date—and even the Filipino-American community is contributing by communicating their concern to the lawmakers.

“I am very pleased to let you know that our Filipino-American association and Filipino-Americans here in the United States, regardless of political color or political beliefs, are now banding

together in trying to write to their congressmen and senators in the local communities to be able to [urge] the [U.S.] government to give us this help, this assistance in getting these vaccines earlier because of the critical situation that we have in the Philippines,” Romualdez said.

“We’re working with them and hopefully we will get some good results in the next couple of days or maybe a week from now,” he added.

Romualdez said that since congressmen have a large Filipino-American community in their respective areas, “they would listen to them.”

“Let’s face it, Filipino-Americans in this country are very much respected. Majority of our people are very hardworking. They are very much appreciated by their communities. We have a lot of frontliners,” Romualdez said.

“All these add up to the kind of

PAGE 1 his father was recovering “very well” in the past days before his pneumonia suddenly worsened.

“COVID is unpredictable,” Ejercito said. “Your prayers would mean a lot.”

Estrada, who turns 84 on April 19, was rushed to hospital last

influence that we have with the U.S. government if we just band together,” he added.

The Philippine government and the private sector earlier signed a tripartite agreement with the U.S. drug firm Moderna to secure 20 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccines.

Under the tripartite agreement, the Philippine government PAGE 1 secured 13 million doses of the MECQ may help in bringing down Moderna vaccines while the pri- the nationwide COVID-19 cases to vate sector ordered 7 million dos- around 4,000 a day. es for its workers.

“If we impose another week of Aside from the 20 million doses ECQ, in addition to the bubble and already secured, vaccine czar Car- the one week of ECQ that we’ve lito Galvez Jr. disclosed that the had already, and if we were to imPhilippine government has also pose another week of MECQ, we placed an order for an additional are looking at around 4,000 cas5 million doses of the Moderna es a day, which is a tremendous vaccine. reduction from the 12,000 that The Philippines is likewise ex- we have right now,” explained pecting the delivery of Pfizer-Bi- Roque. oNTech’s vaccine from the World On Saturday, April 3, MalaHealth Organization (WHO)-led cañang announced that Metro COVAX facility. n Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Laguna

week due to COVID-19 infection and severe pneumonia.

“He is being sedated to lessen his anxiety, which may affect his heart and aggravate his condition. He is in stable but guarded condition,” Jinggoy said.

Jinggoy said the Ejercito-Estrada families are thankful to those

who have expressed their support for the former president.

“We request for continued prayers for his speedy recovery,” Jinggoy said.

Jinggoy and his brother JV denounced a fake news report posted on social media that Estrada had died of COVID-19. n

Palace eyes modified quarantine in Metro... and Rizal will remain under ECQ until April 11, following the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

“The IATF recommended the extension of enhanced community quarantine for a minimum of one week in Metro Manila and provinces of Laguna, Bulacan, Cavite, and Rizal,” Roque said in Filipino.

According to him, the enforcement of the “Prevent, Detect, Isolate, Treat and Reintegrate (PDITR)” measures need to be in-

tensified during the ECQ period.

“We are requiring the local governments and our NTF (National Task Force) czars to conduct a daily monitoring in order for us to know the outcome of implementing intensified PDITR,” he added.

Since March, the Philippines has been hitting record high daily COVID-19 cases, with the daily tally even hitting over 15,000 infections on April 2.

To date, there are a total of 812,760 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, with 13,817 fatalities and 646,381 recoveries. n

6 APRIL 7-9, 2021 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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OPINION

Another week of ECQ

FeATUres

WITH fresh COVID cases still rising steadily, breaking new record highs almost with each passing day, the government has decided to extend by another week the enhanced community quarantine in the National Capital Region and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal or NCR-Plus.

The move was expected; the OCTA Research Group and epidemiologists had said it would take at least two weeks for the impact of ECQ, the strictest quarantine status, to be reflected in a slowdown in infections.

OCTA fellows, who had pushed for the ECQ in mid-March amid a spike in infections, warned that the numbers would likely get worse before they get better. The worst projections of OCTA are coming to pass, overwhelming private hospitals. Without ECQ, daily cases could surge to 18,000 to 20,000 by mid-April, OCTA had warned.

Whether the ECQ would be enough to contain the surge remains to be seen. Several local government executives have lamented that the transmission is unusually rapid and widespread, leading to speculation that more infectious variants are fueling the surge. With the Philippine Genome Center able to sequence only 750 specimens every week, the government should be erring on the side of caution and responding as if the variants are the

principal culprits.

The current ECQ is unlike the original last year, with allowances given to keep certain economic sectors going. At the current infection rate and with vaccines scarce, however, even these concessions to the economy may have to be reviewed. Contact tracing has deteriorated, as described by contact tracing czar Benjamin Magalong who has been infected, and testing is still beyond the reach of many.

If the ECQ fails to slow down infections, OCTA has warned that by June 30, some 8.5 million people would have been infected in the NCR, epicenter of the pandemic. Herd immunity would then have been achieved – but at what cost to health and life? Not everyone will survive or have only mild or asymptomatic afflictions. Millions won’t be able to work and the economy will be in even worse shape for a long time. Even as the NCR-Plus enters another week of ECQ, it should review the accompanying protocols and measures to curb transmission. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS DEMOCRACY is the government of the people, by the people, for the people. The laws of the land, therefore, are meant to protect the governed, and not the governor; the citizens and not the public officials who only have the power and the public trust accorded to their office by the citizens.

The will of the people is voiced out through the right of suffrage.

The right to vote freely is the foundation, the cornerstone of democracy.

The right to vote freely is protected by the Constitution, as it should be by federal and state laws. Constitutional Amendments 15th, 19th and 26th, are added onto the highest law of the land to make sure voting rights of U.S. citizens cannot be abridged on account of race, color, previous condition of servitude, sex, or age (18 and older is now the legal age to vote).

The sacred goal of every branch of government — executive, legislative, and judiciary — is to make sure this most sacred right in a democracy is protected and strengthened by each generation so that the will of the people, and not the selfish and twisted personal and political

Commentary

DR. ERICA S. PAN EVERY Californian age 16 and older will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination on April 15.

Vaccination is one of the most important ways to end the COVID-19 pandemic, and I urge everyone to get the vaccine when it’s their turn so they can protect themselves, their loved ones, and our community.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our lives for more than a year, I am encouraged to see the remarkable efforts Californians are making toward ending this pandemic.

For almost three decades, as a physician and an infectious disease specialist, I’ve had the honor and privilege of practicing medicine and working to improve the health and well-being of my patients. As the state’s epidemiologist, I have the responsibility of protecting the public health of 40 million Californians, which is why I believe getting vaccinated is very important.

Californians have access to three life-saving vaccinations

Philstar.com photo

Voter suppression by Republican leaders is a blatant violation of the most important constitutional right of citizens in a democracy

agenda of public officials and their conspirators and enablers that go against what is in the best interest of all citizens, pursuant to the rule of law.

But this is not what is happening now in the United States, especially after the term of the 45th President of the United States Donald J. Trump, who has hijacked the Republican Party, the Good Old Party (GOP), that used to be faithful to and fight for the Constitution and the rule of law, because of his and his cronies’ greed for power.

What have these GOP leaders been doing after the American people voted out Trump and many Republicans in the legislature and state posts? What have they been pushing after counties and states that used to lean Republican have now been leaning Democrat, which lead to the Republicans losing the Presidency and the leadership in both the House and the Senate?

This shift of vote of from red to blue was evidenced in a clean and honest election certified by election officials representing Republicans, Democrats and Independents, affirmed by no less than the Supreme Court of the United States and many lower courts in the judiciary.

These despicable Republicans

who would not respect the will of the people through their sacred votes have decided to change the laws instead, rationalizing this assault on our democracy and our Constitution by lies and conspiracy theories espoused

by Donald Trump who maliciously and falsely claim that the election was stolen from him by massive election fraud, a lie supported by his minions without bases in fact.

As Mother Jones reported, “361 voter suppression bills have already been introduced this year,” and that “Republicans in state legislatures are dramatically escalating their efforts to restrict voting rights.”

A new report by the Brennan Center for Justice revealed that “361 bills to make it harder to vote have been introduced in 47 states in the first three months of this year, overwhelmingly by Republicans. That’s up from 253 restrictive bills tallied as of February 19, an increase of 43% in just over a month.”

The reporting further said: “Five restrictive bills have already been signed into law—in Georgia, Iowa, Arkansas, and Utah. The Georgia law passed last week prohibits giving food and water to voters in line, severely restricts mail ballot drop boxes, allows right-wing

groups to challenge the eligibility of an unlimited number of voters, and gives the GOPcontrolled legislature sweeping new powers over election administration.”

As of press time, there are 55 restrictive bills that are moving through state legislatures in 24 states; 29 have passed at least one legislative chamber.

More details on the voter suppression as reported: “The Texas Senate passed a sweeping bill that bans extended voting hours, prohibits drive-thru voting, closes polling places in minority neighborhoods, and allows partisan poll watchers to record voters who receive help filling out their ballots, greatly increasing the prospect of voter intimidation. The bill is widely viewed as targeting the voting methods used by large Democratic areas like Houston’s Harris County to increase voter turnout in 2020. Lawmakers in Texas (49 bills), Georgia (25 bills), and Arizona (23 bills) have introduced the largest number of restrictive measures this year.”

“Most restrictive bills take aim at absentee voting, while nearly a quarter seek stricter voter ID requirements,” the report reveals. “State lawmakers also aim to make voter registration

harder, expand voter roll purges or adopt flawed practices that would risk improper purges, and cut back on early voting.”

In Arizona, ‘legislation would make it more difficult to receive a mail-in ballot and add new requirements for casting one.

Florida wants to ban all mail ballot drop boxes, which 1.5 million voters used in 2020. Michigan Republicans introduced eight restrictive bills in a single day, including adding new voter ID requirements for mail voting and prohibiting election officials from sending out absentee ballot request forms to voters, the report finds”.

Thankfully there are legislators who push to help more citizens exercise their votes freely, in fulfillment of the Constitutional mandate.

Mother Jones reported: ‘843 bills to expand access to the ballot have also been introduced in 47 states. While most have no chance of becoming law in red states, nine bills have been signed into law this year, mostly in blue states like Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York.”

In Virginia, Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam “signaled his support for a state-level Voting Rights Act, which would make it the first southern state

to adopt protections for voters that the Supreme Court gutted in 2013”.

“At a time when voting rights are under attack across our country, Virginia is expanding access to the ballot box, not restricting it,” he said.

WE, THE PEOPLE, need to speak up and speak out against these rotten politicians who are undermining our power and our rights. They do not deserve the public trust they are abusing for their own selfish agenda. They are not true public servants and must be voted out from the office they hold.

WE, THE PEOPLE, have such power. Let us not abdicate our solemn duty to defend and protect our democracy. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

*** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 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.

Getting vaccinated will help end the pandemic and get us back to the life we miss produced by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. All three vaccines are safe and protective, with only slight differences. All of them have gone through rigorous clinical trials, are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and are proven to provide protection from the virus, particularly from the risks of severe disease, hospitalization, and death.

Californians who are eligible should get any vaccine they can, as soon as they can, no matter the manufacturer.

As state leaders and our community partners work to speed up distribution of COVID-19 vaccines statewide, it feels good to note that, as of late March, more than 17 million doses have been administered, with nearly 6 million Californians fully vaccinated.

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are down throughout our state due to the efforts of Californians to slow the spread, including wearing a mask, remaining 6 feet from those not in our households, and getting the vaccine when it’s our turn.

California is also taking steps to make sure that our most vulnerable communities get vaccinated.

Recently, the California Department of Public Health announced that 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in the state’s hardest-hit communities where transmission rates and disease burden have been the highest. Protecting our most vulnerable communities is not only the right thing to do, but increasing vaccination access to people who have experienced the most infections will also allow all counties to reopen activities and businesses safely while continuing to protect public health.

While we make strides to end the pandemic, we cannot let down our guard. We are seeing increases again in other states and countries. COVID is still prevalent in our communities and its variants continue to threaten the progress we’ve made. We are in the home stretch of this pandemic, but we must continue to protect ourselves and our loved ones until we can get more people vaccinated.

Californians can help slow the spread by remaining vigilant. It’s important to wear properly fitting masks consistently. We need to continue practicing physical distancing with people from outside our households, washing our

In this photo taken last December 18, 2020, LA County Department of Health Services Pharmacist Technician Myca De Los Santos fills vaccination syringes at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at LAC+USC Medical Center.

File photo by Michael Owen Baker/Los Angeles County

hands, and getting vaccinated when it’s our turn so we can return to hugs and social gatherings when it is safer.

Find out when and where you can get vaccinated by signing up at MyTurn.ca.gov, where information is available in 12 languages. For those without internet access, appointments can be made by calling (833) 422-4255.

The hotline is available in English with third party translators available in more than 250 additional

languages. Individuals also can contact their primary care physician, local pharmacy, or local public health department.

Getting the vaccine is free for everyone, even for those without insurance or who are undocumented. With more people vaccinated, we can envision a day when California reaches community immunity and when strict public health measures are no longer necessary. Let’s all continue to remain strong in this

fight to get back to the life and the people we miss for just a little bit longer. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

*** Dr. Erica Pan is the California state epidemiologist and Deputy Director for the Center for Infectious Diseases at the California Department of Public Health.

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

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Dateline PhiliPPines

7

WHO expert in PH to study COVID-19 variants

by Sheila

CriSoStomo Philstar.com

MANILA, — An expert from World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva arrived in the Philippines last week to assess the extent of the new variants of COVID-19 in the country.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire also noted yesterday that the arrival of the expert was at the request of the Philip-

pine government.

“There is one expert from WHO Geneva – and the rest are experts from WHO country office – and they are here specifically because we asked for their help,” she told a press briefing.

Vergeire added the WHO group will look into the effects of the new variants and their respective levels of transmission in the country.

“We also like to have technical

assistance from WHO on how we can better manage, now that we have new variants here,” she said.

She said the expert, who specializes in bio-surveillance, will inform the Philippines on how the sampling for genome sequencing should be improved to get a clearer picture of the new variants.

The expert is expected to stay in the country for about a month. n

PH hopeful of exclusion anew in US piracy list by louella

DeSiDerio Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) is optimistic the Philippines would be kept off the U.S. government’s upcoming counterfeiting and piracy watchlist or the Special 301 report.

“In terms of a general assessment with the upcoming 301, we are optimistic we will remain out of the USTR (Office of U.S. Trade Representative) Special 301 report, particularly because of the inroads and projects we have been undertaking for the past 2020 particularly when it comes to online space. As we all know, trade has gone online. We have also been focusing on that,” Ann Edillon, officer-in-charge director at the IP Enforcement Office of the IPOPHL, said in an online press conference on Monday, April 5.

On the concern raised by the USTR on the use of unlicensed software by the Philippine government, IPOPHL deputy director general Teodoro Pascua said he is hopeful this would no longer be an issue as steps have been taken to address this.

“That mention by the USTR has always been there for the last two years, 2019 and last year, in spite of the fact we have already answered it and structurally, the Philippine government has really put on so many safeguards for keeping the use of software which are genuine within government offices. The government of the Philippines spent practically billions already buying software, original software,” he said.

He also said the IPOPHL is working with the Department of Information and Communications Technology which would be

spearheading an audit of all government offices’ use of licensed software.

“I think eventually in the upcoming USTR, this matter can perhaps be settled already. But what is important is that we are not sitting on comments that may be even against our interest. We are fully working on it. And we thank USTR for calling our attention to it. We’re not perfect but we are always doing what needs to be done when our attention is called,” he said.

The USTR is set to release its annual Special 301 report which identifies countries unable to effectively protect and enforce IP rights, this month.

While the Philippines has not been included in the Special 301 list since 2014, the USTR called on the country to come up with measures to ensure government agencies use only legitimate software in the last two editions of the report.

As the IPOPHL is celebrating National IP month which is focused on activities to enabling micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to integrate IP in their business strategy, IPOPHL director general Rowel Barba said in the same event, the agency would want to see more IP filings being made by these businesses this year.

“Hopefully with all these efforts and with the help of partners, other government agencies like DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) and IP Ambassador RJ Ledesma, we are optimistic we can get more MSMEs to file for their IPs and put IP strategy in their business,” he said.

He is also hopeful the MSMEs would help drive filings back to the pre-pandemic level.

As part of the celebration of the National IP month, he said the IPOPHL is extending the Juana Make a Mark program which waives the trademark application fees for women-led MSMEs in priority sectors identified by the IPOPHL and DTI. “The fourth cycle intends to benefit 1,000 women-led MSMEs more,” Barba said.

So far, the Juana Make a Mark program has enabled 3,000 women to gain greater market competitiveness with the protection of their trademarks.

“With registration, women entrepreneurs could enjoy timebound exclusive rights over their trademarks. This gives them strategic advantage in building their brand and business and the right to prevent others from using their marks for the same or similar goods or services without their authority or consent,” Barba said.

He said IPOPHL would also be pushing MSMEs and independent inventors and artists to explore global opportunities through international filing services and programs.

IPOPHL’s other programs for MSMEs include the online marketplace IP Depot featuring 50 MSMEs with IP products being promoted to potential buyers or investors, as well as free online learning workshops on the IP system.

“This National IP Month we hope we can gather more MSMEs to take advantage of these programs. To this day, there remains low awareness and appreciation among MSMEs of what IP can do for their businesses and for economic, social, cultural and technological development. It’s time to change this culture and mindset,” Barba said. n

PRICE HIKE. An attendant (right) fills up a tricycle with gas while its driver (left) watches at a gas station along Commonwealth Avenue, North Fairview, Quezon City on Tuesday, April 6. After the rollback this Holy Week, oil companies have raised the prices by P0.60 per liter for diesel and P0.05 to P0.10 per liter for gasoline.

PNA photo by Ben Briones

Senators push ‘united stand’, multilateral approach on South China Sea dispute MANILA — Three senators on Tuesday, April 6 said the government must work with other countries in order to effectively stand up to Beijing’s actions in the West Philippine Sea. Tension over the presence of hundreds of Chinese ships in the West Philippine Sea escalated in recent days as its embassy took on both the departments of defense and foreign affairs in a word war.

On Monday, April 5 the Department of Foreign Affairs warned that it would lodge a diplomatic protest for every day China’s ships continue to linger within the Julian Felipe Reef and other areas within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

But Sen. Panfilo Lacson said diplomatic protests would not be enough to derail China, which has repeatedly proven to be unfazed by them. “[P]erhaps China would not be so dismissive if we and our allies, both in the Asia-Pacific and the West, show we can band together to maintain a balance of power in the region, including the West Philippine Sea,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations “should stand together against China’s bullying.” ASEAN’s member

states are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

“We should put our differences aside and work towards the common goal of opposing unfounded and over-ambitious Chinese territorial claims in the region,” Hontiveros added.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, during an interview with DZRH, said the Philippines and other countries with claims in the South China Sea should present a “unified stand” against Beijing’s actions.

In addition to China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei have competing claims in the South China Sea. Long-delayed Code of Conduct pushed Hontiveros also emphasized the need for ASEAN members to persuade China to agree to a consensus on the Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea — a legally binding agreement that has been delayed for years.

“If ASEAN does not adopt a common stand on the South China Sea, we cannot safeguard our shared interests.”

“We have repeatedly called on China to respect our seas, our sovereignty, and our people, but

these have fallen on deaf ears.

China does not want to listen, nor does it want to follow the law, so ASEAN must unite on how to deal with China,” Hontiveros said partially in Filipino.

Talks on the Single Draft Code of Conduct Negotiating Text (SDNT) of ASEAN and China on the South China Sea ground to a halt after the pandemic forced the postponement of meetings between states.

In September 2020, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said he would push to complete the second reading of the SDNT before the Philippines turned over chairmanship of negotiations to Myanmar in 2021.

No update on the status of COC negotiations has been made public since.

Amid its incursions in the West Philippine Sea, the United States, the European Union, Australia, Japan, United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand have called on China to adhere to rules-based order consistent with international law, including the Convention on the Law of the Sea. Beijing has repeatedly scorned such calls from the international community, stressing bilateral approaches to the maritime dispute. (Bella Perez-Rubio/Philstar. com)

8 April 7-9, 2021 • SoCal ASiAN JOUrNAl

Dateline PhiliPPines

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Economic frontliners, poor to get jabs in May

by Catherine

S. Valente ManilaTimes.net

THE government plans to start the vaccination of frontline personnel in essential sectors, uniformed personnel and the poor in May as more vaccines are expected to be shipped to the country, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Tuesday, April 6.

Galvez, chief implementer of the National Task Force Against Covid-19, said the government would recommend to the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (Nitag) to begin the vaccination of the A4 priority group (economic frontliners and uniformed personnel) and A5 (indigents) next month in time for Labor Day. “We are recommending that

by May, we can open up iyong tinatawag natin mga economic frontliners, iyong mga laborers natin, iyong mga tinatawag nating vulnerable laborers (we can start the vaccination of our economic frontliners, our laborers, our vulnerable laborers),” he said.

Galvez said the government wanted to focus its vaccination

EMPLOYMENT

drive in high-risk areas such as the National Capital Region (NCR) and neighboring provinces.

He said the experts recommended such a strategy to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease and achieve herd immunity in the NCR, Regions 3 (Central Luzon) and 4A (Calabarzon), Cebu and Davao, as well as Regions 6 (Western Visayas) and 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula).

“So, they estimated na kapag once nakuha natin iyong 5 million sa Metro Manila, parang nakikita natin iyong mga affected area, sakop na po natin (once we reach 5 million vaccinations in Metro Manila, we will be able to cover the affected areas),” Galvez said.

More than 800,000 Filipinos have already received a Covid-19 vaccine since the mass immunization program kicked off on March 1.

The government aims to conduct up to 1 million vaccinations per week in May and then 2 to 3 million each week in June and July.

2 million The Philippines is set to re-

ceive at least 2 million doses from China’s Sinovac and Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute this month.

Galvez said 1.5 million doses of Sinovac vaccine would arrive next week while 500,000 Gamaleya doses were expected on April 12.

As for the additional donated AstraZeneca vaccine doses under the Covax Facility, Galvez said they were using diplomatic channels to ensure that the country would be able to receive them.

He said the AstraZeneca shots might arrive later this month, citing information from World Health Organization Country Representative Rabindra Abeyasinghe.

“Because of the global vaccine shortage, there will be a delay.

The agreed quantity which was 920,000 vaccine doses will come but because of the shortage, what we have been informed is that we may need to expect the reduced quantity which may come over [in] the next few weeks,” Abeyasinghe told reporters on Monday.

“But eventually as production

EMPLOYMENT

DISPLACED. A woman carries her pet dog as bystanders and residents watch firemen try to put out the blaze that broke out at a residential area along Barcelona St. in Barangay Bahay Toro, Quezon City on Monday, April 5. The woman said she was only able to bring her pet and never got the chance to save her belongings.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

peaks up, we will deliver on the 20 percent of vaccines to cover 20 percent of the population. So, this is the agreement that Covax

has with the Philippine government and we are still committed to do that,” he added.

The Philippines aims to vacci-

EMPLOYMENT

SERVICES

nate up to 70 million people this year. The 854,063 people inoculated so far represents about 1.22 of the target. n

9 The

Asian Journal

mdwk The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 7, 2021

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Wednesday APRIL 7, 2021

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‘Chopped’ champion chef Denevin Miranda on how his Filipino heritage defines culinary style M

by MoMar

G. Visaya / AJPress

EET the new Filipino American chef creating waves in the culinary industry.

His name is Denevin Miranda and his latest claim to fame? He was recently declared as the champion of the Food Network show “Chopped” with its new season focused on “Meat Fight,” a glorious, carnivorous throwdown for gastronomy lovers.

The new episodes focus on pork, beef, goat and bison and for Denevin’s episode, pork was the protein of choice.

The show — which described Denevin, a Chef de Cuisine at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge in New York City as a “classically French-trained with a lot of his flavors rooted in Filipino-style cuisine” — was an epic meat fight among the four chefs highlighting their arsenal of ideas for their dishes.

There are three rounds and one chef is cut, well, “chopped” from the competition in every round. They are each given a mystery box of ingredients that they have to use and highlight in the dishes they create.

For the appetizer round, the chefs had these in their box: pork butt, barbecued spare ribs, Brussels sprouts, and Calvados brandy, and they had 20 minutes to prepare a dish.

“I was looking at all these ingredients and I said, ‘Yeah, I can sisig this,’” Denevin told

the Asian Journal in an interview.

Sisig is a nod to his Filipino heritage which he wanted to highlight. He served the crisped-up pork butt and spare ribs along with Brussels sprouts and apple salad on the side to complement the unctuousness of the sisig.

The dish ended up winning the judges’ praises and called it the best dish in the competition.

Pro football player turned Food Network star Eddie Jackson described Denevin’s sisig as “remarkable” while chef and restaurateur Chris Santos said it was an “absolutely dynamite, a really great dish.”

Their fellow judge, executive chef Amanda Freitag, praised Denevin for his efforts in keeping the pork as the star of what she referred to as a perfectly seasoned dish. “Den-

evin really introduced himself as a very buttoned-up chef who knew how to put flavors together,” Freitag added.

After three grueling rounds, Denevin was the last man standing and was declared the champ, winning a $10,000 grand prize as he dedicated his win to his dad.

Denevin was confident from the get-go, as he went into the competition with a Continued on Page 10

Chef Denevin Miranda shows his seasonal razor clam dish inspired by the kinilaw. On the first few days they offered the dish, he went to the diners who ordered it and asked for feedback. He said the response to the dish was great and they asked him for the inspiration behind it. “I told them it’s actually inspired by a Filipino dish. All the flavors are there.

It’s citrus, coconut and I use fish sauce. I love fish sauce, it’s like my favorite,” he said.

The look of the dish is inspired by the triangle on the Filipino flag.

AJPress photos by Momar G. Visaya

‘Chopped’ champion chef... entertainment Carla keeps it real with Tom

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From Page 9 goal to win it and if he could, promote Filipino cuisine as well. He also said he wanted to make his parents proud, especially his father who has passed away.

By Ronnie CaRRasCo “I knew going in there that ManilaTimes.net I wanted to do something Filipino and show something MOST PARENTS my gento the judges. And sisig is one eration would sure scoff at the of my favorite dishes,” he said. thought of seeing their kids, “Actually, my grandma never most especially their daughcooked it. I was introduced ters, enter into a live-in setup to that when I went to the with their boyfriends. Former Philippines. And you know, matinee idol Rey “PJ” Abelit’s a dramatic dish, because it lana takes exception to this comes out sizzling. Yeah, and old school tradition. it’s like, you know, it’s like you Father to 34-year-old Kacan’t stop eating.” puso actress-daughter Carla, For sisig fans who want to Rey even flashes his thumbstry his winning dish, you’d have up blessing to the latter’s to wait. sharing the same roof with “There’s something I’m Tom Rodriguez, her beau of actually working on translating six and a half years. that dish to one of the dishes It was most especially on my menu,” he shared. “It’s during the onslaught of the not ready yet. We just opened pandemic last year did Carla like, two weeks ago so I defispecifically ask Tom around nitely want to get everything her house. It has since been a established.” “bahay-bahayan” kind of kid He’s looking forward to stuff for both of them, with including the dishes he made Carla doing more frequent on the show in The Osprey’s cooking “para mas makatipchef’s tasting menu. id.”

A tribute to his family Carla’s ultramodern We met with Denevin in feminist lifestyle isn’t exactly his work at 1 Hotel Brooklyn different from Ellen Adarna’s.

Bridge one rainy Sunday mornUntil the death of the lating and had a freewheeling ter’s father about a year or so chat about his win, dreams and ago, Ellen had lived with the aspirations, and growing up as comforting idea that living in a gay Filipino American. with her boyfriend (then John Denevin was born and Lloyd Cruz) was a test if they raised in New York. His dad were actually meant to be life Fernando was from Manila and partners in the future.

Carla Abellana always shares with her YouTube subscribers the realities of her setup with his mom Lilibeth from Tarlac.

Obviously, it wasn’t the now fiancé Tom Rodriguez, even the not-so-perfect moments.

GMA pho It has been a while since he case later on. But at least, it partner? Is her feeling toward visited the Philippines but as celebrities have discovered as was worth the try. Mothering he told host Ted Allen on the Tom beginning to wear thin another means to stay afloat her now-two-year-old child show, he wanted to use his given the number of years of during these tough times Elias Modesto by John Lloyd prize money to bring his husbeing a couple?

— video blogs or simply, is more than anything Ellen Consider Carla’s take, too, band Alex to the country. vlogs. can possibly ask for.

“My family was very rooted on jealousy, ”For me, it’s just Carla’s love-struck folNow, do we see the same in our culture,” he shared. “I a waste of time and energy.” lowers are in for a disapscenario take place in Carla’s was raised in a very Catholic Strangely, not once has pointment though. With her life with Tom? That of havCarla ever been jealous of any way and my grandmother actulive-in partner Tom visibly in ing a Tom Jr. or a mini-Carla ally lived with us, she practigirl, ”Be confident with who the background, Carla hardly ahead of their altar date? cally raised us.” reacts to his intermittent com- you are, that your partner To begin with, in one of The Mirandas moved loves you and that nothing ments let alone acknowledges her latest online interviews, to Long Island because his can come between you.” his presence.

Carla flatly debunked rumors parents felt it was a better Carla is giving women “There are times when I she’s heavy with a child. And environment for Denevin and out there some well-meanget irritated with Tom. I know looks like she’s not about ing general advice to ponder. his brother to grow up in. ready to embrace motherhood it’s not nice that people see He fondly remembers his loMinus the live-in component given the fact that there’s still me that way but I don’t do it la Liberata had a garden in the though. on purpose naman. Ganu’n so much to be accomplished, backyard where she planted all Already engaged on lang talaga ako, and he career-wise. these Asian vegetables.

October 18 last year, it was understands it,” Carla says of Carla seems to be in no In hindsight, it was his only last March 21 when Tom her not-always-lovey-doveyrush as she makes time to first experience in farm-toand Carla posted photos of focus on her pandemic-stalled moments with Tom. table dining as his lola would their engagement on social Is it fair to assume that work. What keeps her spirits just pick the vegetables she media. up though is doing what most Carla is less loving than her needed for whatever dish she was cooking at that time.

At The Osprey, a locallysourced farm-to-table restaurant serving New American cuisine, he is inspired by this memory and he and his team are always looking for the best local produce so they go to the local green markets and try to build relationships with the farmers.

“That really brings me back to like you know, going out in our backyard with my lola picking vegetables, some of the tomatoes that she was growing were so sweet. And I still have that memory kind of in my head, you know? And she’d make beautiful dishes with that, like sinigang. And it’s like, you can’t replicate it,” he shared.

He remembers his lola loved to cook and entertain and on Sundays, there would be families coming together in their home after church, enjoying delicious home-cooked Filipino food.

One distinct memory he has is that of his lola not cutting corners. If she wanted coconut milk, she would go the traditional way and grate and squeeze the coconut herself.

But more than the culinary skills of his lola, it was her strength, resiliency and fortitude that continue to amaze Denevin to this day.

Denevin was in high school when he realized he wanted to be in the culinary industry. He said he was asthmatic growing up so he wasn’t as athletic as he is now. He ended up gravitating towards cooking through his home economics classes and he realized how much he was enjoying it.

His parents told him a story that when he was a toddler, he wouldn’t play with the toys they bought for him but he would crawl over to the kitchen and play with the pots and pans. He remembers sitting on a stool watching his lola prepare their meals from scratch observing her intently as she sliced and diced the ingredients. He would gaze in awe as his lola cooked the meals with love and respect for quality and tradition.

These memories helped him to define the kind of chef that he is today.

“I love to kind of bring that same kind of feeling back with my food like how my grandma and seeing people eat her food, you know, especially like people that she’d bring out from the community that The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 7, 2021

Chef Denevin Miranda

weren’t Filipino,” he said, referring to the neighbors including priests that would get together in their home.

Journey to ‘Chopped’ Some of Denevin’s friends and colleagues have encouraged him to join these reality-based cooking shows on the Food Network or Bravo.

He said he applied to be part of Top Chef before, went through the interview process but had conflict in the scheduling process since he had just accepted a new job in Miami and couldn’t afford to take a couple of months off.

Denevin went to school at the Johnson & Wales University in Miami where he received his degree in culinary arts and decided to stay in the city for a few years. There, he honed his craft working at Setai in Miami Beach, SLS and Mandarin Oriental, cultivating his mastery of classical as well as modernist cooking techniques.

He returned to his birth city of New York because it is such an established culinary destination. “And I wanted to create a name for myself here,” he quipped.

While working at The Osprey one day, he received a call from a casting agency working with the Food Network for Chopped asking him if he’d consider being part of the show. This was around March 2020 and due to COVID-19, it was postponed and pushed back much further.

The production reached out around September to ask if he was still up for it and that they have resumed shooting episodes in Tennessee. They shot the episode around October and it was aired in mid-March.

Denevin said it was a great experience and that he would do it again in a heartbeat, so he could showcase his Filipino heritage and use the platform to promote Filipino cuisine and its flavors.

On the plane en route to Nashville, Denevin thought about the relationship he had with his father Fernando and how he came out to him. His dad succumbed to cancer 11 years ago.

He was both nervous and anxious and his emotions were all bottled up inside. Then he felt a sudden calm and felt his father’s presence and he knew he wanted to tell their story.

“You know, (as a) Filipino American, you see the struggle that your parents felt to come to this country, and to build a life for you here, you don’t want to disappoint. And that was my biggest fear was to be a disappointment,” he shared.

He mustered enough courage and told his father what he was and that the friend he introduced to his parents a few years earlier in Miami was actually his boyfriend (now husband).

“And basically, he was kind of like, ‘I knew that.’ That’s one thing, but when he, you know, what he really wanted to tell me was, ‘That’s not important, I want you to be happy’,” he added.

What Denevin got was more than just acceptance from a father.

“He gave me amazing courage, and he pretty much broke down my insecurities.

You know, to be myself, and he encouraged me to do that.

And I’m glad that I was able to share my story,” he said.

Denevin looked up to the show’s host Ted Allen and while in the show’s shoot, he

Photos from Instagram/@chefdenevin

was grabbed the serendipitous opportunity to thank him for inspiring a young kid to be his true self.

When he was growing up, he considered Allen as an inspiration and he remembers sitting in the living room with his family watching and enjoying Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. It was a special moment and he is happy that the show was able to incorporate parts of that conversation as he came full circle of sorts.

Filipino flavors On The Osprey’s current menu is a razor clam appetizer dish, his homage to the Filipino kinilaw. Denevin’s creativity and artistry are in full display in this beautiful and delicious dish.

On the first few days they offered the dish, he went to the diners who ordered it and asked for feedback. He said the response to the dish was great and they asked him for the inspiration behind it.

“I told them it’s actually inspired by a Filipino dish. All the flavors are there. It’s citrus, coconut and I use fish sauce. I love fish sauce, it’s like my favorite,” he said. Even the main look of the dish is inspired by the triangle on the Philippine flag.

The Osprey serves contemporary American cuisine, inspired by the cultural melting pot and global diversity of New York City’s neighborhoods.

From his perspective as a Filipino-American chef, it could be dishes that are inspired by his roots, as well as dishes based on experiences he had having Jamaican food in Brooklyn, or maybe even a combination of both, using techniques he has learned throughout his career. (He shared that the Rotisserie Half Chicken uses a Caribbean jerk chicken marinade similar to the flavors of adobo.)

He is also working with their corporate mixologists on a cocktail drink that incorporates ube, which he also describes as an adult version of halo-halo. For the summer, there are plans for an outdoor Filipino-inspired New Englandstyle seafood boil inspired by the kamayan or what some people call “boodle fight.”

These are just a couple of the many food experiences that he plans to implement in the hotel’s restaurants and bars and he is thankful that the management has given him this opportunity to cultivate this great culture.

“I’m pragmatic and I’m mostly optimistic,” Denevin said, describing the current situation of the food and beverage industry and where he sees it going. “New York is going to find a new renaissance and as the rent has become much more affordable, it is bringing younger, innovative and creative people to the city.

It’s like a reboot.”

He is excited and looking forward to an almost magical moment as the food scene goes through this transition.

He wants to be that beacon of optimism and show that the players in the industry can pivot and come out stronger than ever.

Denevin also hopes to further bring Filipino food out there and his optimism extends to a possible collaboration with fellow Fil-Am chefs in the city to get the job done and demonstrate the hospitality connection they have.

Dealing with assets omitted from a divorce case Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes YOU and your spouse may have gone through a lengthy and contentious divorce proceeding. This is usually the most difficult period of a person’s life. Finally, time heals all pain. You and your spouse get tired of bickering and being mean to one another that you both decide to compromise on each other’s positions and resolve all issues in your divorce case through settlement. Shortly thereafter, the divorce judgment is finally entered by the Court and you get a sigh of relief. Later you discovery that “Oops!,” your ex-spouse had community asset and/or debt that was left out of the divorce judgment.

This may be a pension, retirement account, a hidden bank account, or a piece of real estate property which was not divided in the judgment. What is one to do in this situation?

The answer can be found in California Family Code §2556.

California Family Code §2556 provides, “In a proceeding for dissolution of marriage, for nullity of marriage, or for legal separation of the parties, the court has con-

tinuing jurisdiction to award community estate assets or community estate liabilities to the parties that have not been previously adjudicated by a judgment in the proceeding.”

Even if the parties did not expressly reserve jurisdiction on that piece of asset, the Court retains the power to divide a specific property if there is a community interest in it.

The Court’s “continuing jurisdiction” over omitted community estate assets or debts is invoked by filing a post judgment Motion, or Request for Order in the divorce case.

Family Code §2556 provides, “A party may file a postjudgment motion or request for order in the proceeding in order to obtain adjudication of any community estate asset or liability omitted or not adjudicated by the judgment.”

The postjudgment partition of the unadjudicated community estate claims is properly entertained by the court even absent an express reservation of jurisdiction in its prior judgment [Marriage of Moore & Ferrie (1993) 14 CA4th 1472, 1483, 18 CR2d 543, 549, fn. 9].

The postjudgment motion is available to any omitted asset or debt not adjudicated by the divorce judgment. However, Family Code §2556 does not extend to division and adjudication of any separate property [Marriage of Klug (2005) 130 CA4th 1389, 1396, 31 CR3d 327, 331–332].

If an asset was partially omitted, the Court can still divide and adjudicate the portion that has been omitted postjudgment under Family Code §2566. Community Property adjudicated under § 2556 shall be divided equally “unless the court finds upon good cause shown that the interests of justice require an unequal division of the asset or liability” (Family Code §2556). *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice.

The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information.

This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Board Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

Why isn’t Empoy sitting pretty?

By Ricky Lo Philstar.com

LIFE has not always been easy for Empoy Marquez.

Until he was tapped as the unlikely leading man of Alessandra de Rossi in the 2017 surprise hit Kita Kita, the boy from Baliuag, Bulacan, shuttled from one supporting role to another, usually as the sidekick of the bida, always one of the groom’s men and never the groom.

“It was unexpected,” Empoy recalled. “As in hindi ko akalain.”

Directed by Ingrid Andrea Bernardo, Kita Kita is about a tour guide (played

by Alessandra) whose world, as described in the synopsis, “in one horrible moment clouds over, taking an unlikely stranger to help her see its beauty again.” The entire film was shot in wintry Sapporo, Japan, and its theme song, Two Less Lonely People, added to the poignancy of the story. Well, we know how the story ends, don’t we?

(Trivia: Empoy is now doing a movie with direk Sigrid, 30 percent of it filmed in Baguio.

Kita Kita/I See You set a trend It took 14 years for Empoy to get the big break that radically changed his life and career.

Philstar.com photo prompting every producer in “I’ve been working since movietown to ride on its popsupporting roles. Ini-enjoy ko 2003 after I won the Mr. ularity by pairing off a pretty lang ang work. Hindi ko nga Suave contest on ABS-CBN,” actress with a “non-looker” feel na artista na ako, eh. I shared Empoy who is under actor and it inspired an Indowould do any kind of work na contract with Cornerstone nesian version titled Cintu Itu binibigay sa akin ng managButa/Love is Blind starring co- while Maja is managed by ers. Sayang ang kita.”

Crown Artists Managemedian Dodit Mulyanto. Kita Now that he’s a star, Emment/CAM (which provides Kita was produced by Spring poy has learned to put value full-service talent and artFilms, owned by Piolo Pason his career (pinahahalagaists management, manages cual and direk Joyce Bernal, han ang trabaho), thankful digital platforms for personwith Viva Films signing in as that producers continue to co-producer after Star Cinema alities, negotiates bookings trust him and give him work. for endorsement, events and begged off.)

“After Kita Kita, maraming various projects). “It was Empoy is starring in a TV5 nabago sa buhay ko. So many made into a movie starring series titled Niña Niño (also changes in my life.” produced by Spring Films) and Vhong Navarro. I was in the Ignored (or overlooked) TV-watchers must be wonder- cast playing a supporting role. before, he has become a fodThat was my first-ever movie.” der for the gossip mill. Like, ing if it’s something like Kita Before that, Empoy was Kita, with Maja Salvador as how come he doesn’t have, earning his keep from odd Empoy’s leading lady. well, “a lovelife?” jobs, starting at a fast-food “Different,” said Empoy “Mayroon bang interjoint before moving to a conwho was talking with Converesado?” he laughed. “Yes, sations on the phone from the venience store and then to I have had three girlfriends. grocery store (on graveyard lock-in set in Quezon ProvOne in high school, one in shift) where he met a friendly ince. “Iba po.” college and a third one who lady ghost behind a soft-drink Directed by Thop Nazais married and is now working counter. reno, the series is about Niña in Singapore. One lasted for “I also worked as a light (Maja) and her brother Niño months, one for more than man. Sumasama ako sa mga (Noel Camia Jr.) who are one year.” friends who were video-shootaccused of something they He has done his obligation ing in events like debuts, didn’t commit and they flee to his siblings, sent them to baptisms, birthdays and wedto Santa Ines, a faraway town school and helped them raise dings.” in the province, where Niña their own families.

No choice, he said. He’s crosses paths with Empoy’s “It’s time naman to attend the eldest among seven character. to myself.” children and he served as the “Kita Kita was a romantic What kind of partner is he main breadwinner. film and Niña Niño is a family looking for?

Did he ever imagine himdrama with a touch of come“Actually,” he said, “durdy,” added Empoy. “I provide self an actor? ing this pandemic it’s hard to It was in school (Baliuag the comic touch (with, among look for one. Mahirap maNorth Central School for others, Moi Bien).” ghanap ng syota,” he laughed elementary and Fernandez The series is good for one again. “Lockdown tayo, eh!

College of Arts and Technolseason (from April to June) Antay-antay na lang kapag ogy where he reached second may dumating.” and Empoy and company year of the Masscom course) have been shuttling between The Miss Right he is where he discovered his Manila and Quezon Provdreaming of is somebody “na knack for comedy. ince (he has time allotted to katulad ko.” Meaning, she “My classmate and I were his Baguio shoot with direk should be “masarap kasama, the comedians in the class.

Ingrid), shooting for three masarap kausap, masarap weeks straight, resting for one Masaya lang. Tawa naman magluto at nakakatawa. ‘Yung week, shooting again for three nang tawa ang mga schoolmai-intindihan ako sa lahat ng mates namin kaya ganado weeks, resting again for one ginagawa ko. Maalaga.” kami.” week... Quite a tough schedIs he hard to understand?

He quit school when she ule but Empoy isn’t complain“Hindi naman. Madali started working. And then he ing and, contrary to the lead akong kausap.” joined the Mr. Suave contest. photo on this page, can’t be Then he laughed and “I didn’t mind playing sitting pretty all the time. laughed.

community 11 Mindfulness as a survival skill The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 7, 2021

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA I NEARLY had a vehicular accident. Operative word: Nearly.

I was minding my business at a traffic stop when the vehicle before me decided to back up because her car was caught in the crosswalk. I then noticed that her white tail lights - a red flag warning me that she had left her car in reverse gear.

Instinctively I knew it was an accident waiting to happen. I was ready with just my senses, reflexes and an annoying horn to blast the danger away. But full disclosure and credit go to my Guardian Angels for the countless times of full protection. It is like being in tune with God’s cosmic script and being on the same page, all the time.

When the lights turned green, true enough, she stepped on the gas and was doing a fast reverse headed to the front of my car. I pounded on my horn and let out the screechiest, loudest, longest annoying honk, enough to scare the daylights out of her. And NO 3-fingered salute! It’s not something I want to give or receive in tenuous situations.

(Part 1 of 2)

“Be present. It is the only thing that matters.”

— Ways of the Peaceful Warrior Besides, my mother and the nuns who taught me will be aghast.

She braked about a hairline away from my car grille — and then froze. She didn’t know what to do and held up the lane longer. I had to hand signal her to go. The cars behind us were blasting away with their horns at being kept waiting, unaware that a chain collision that could involve them, has just been averted.

Whew! That was a close call.

Imagine the hours that would have been lost never to return again if a crash did occur and you are left to tussle with insurance matters.

I don’t know whether she was a young, new driver, on the phone or just preoccupied with something. But when you are behind the wheel, it requires all of the neurons in your brains and all your senses to be engaged in just that one activity. Without it, you can do damage not only to yourself but sadly, to others as well, within your immediate physical orbit. I

kept 3 car lengths as following distance until she turned left onto another street.

These are, indeed, the best of times. These are the worst of times as well. Charles Dickens could have said these words just as fittingly to apply to this crazy world we live in today.

I plead the case for mindfulness for everyone at all times and in all places.

Do you feel incomplete, naked, inept and insecure when you are not tethered electronically to your cellphone or your computer? Do you feel less of a person? Take heart. You are not alone.

(To be continued in next week’s issue…) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

*** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

Kathryn’s ‘most special birthday yet’ in quarantine

By Dana

cRuz Inquirer.net

KATHRYN Bernardo was disappointed at first when her travel plans for her 25th birthday were canceled, but she believes this birthday of hers was still her “most special birthday yet.”

“The plan for my birthday was mag-out-of-town kami with my family and my group of friends para mag-Amazing Race,” she said in her YouTube

vlog today, April 4. (The plan for my birthday was to go out of town with my family and my group of friends for an “Amazing Race”-themed celebration.)

But her first plan got canceled as COVID-19 cases in the country continue to rise, prompting her to think of some other way to celebrate her birthday last March 26.

For her second idea, she also thought of going to Baguio, but with a smaller group of

people and a simpler celebration.

She said she already had everything set for her Baguio trip, from booking cabins to getting a dinner reservation, but had to cancel that too after out-of-town trips from the NCR were recently prohibited anew. She admitted that she was frustrated over not being able to go out of town, and aired out those frustrations on her boyfriend Daniel Padilla.

Continued on Page 12

Baron reveals biggest entertainment regret in life: Mother’s death Luis, Jessy exchange ‘I dos’ before he became ‘clean’

12

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 7, 2021

By Dana

Cruz Inquirer.net

AFTER four years of being together, celebrity couple Luis Manzano and Jessy Mendiola revealed on Sunday, April 4, they have finally tied the knot.

In her official YouTube account, Mendiola uploaded a five-minute video of their intimate wedding ceremony held in The Farm At San Benito in Lipa, Batangas.

Witnessed only by select friends and family members including the actor-host’s parents Edu Manzano and Vilma SantosRecto, as well as Senator Ralph Recto and Ryan Recto, the two exchanged vows in February 21.

The civil rite was officiated by Lipa City Mayor Eric Africa.

In compliance with quarantine protocols, the simple garden ceremony saw Mendiola wearing an ankle-length, long sleeve wedding dress by Patricia Santos, while Manzano donned a pale pink suit by Paulo Lazaro. Their wedding rings were designed by Manila Diamond Studio, the same jeweler that designed the P5 million-engagement ring of the bride.

“As we take this step today, I want to promise you that I will love you each day that comes, even in those days na pareho tayong ‘di kamahal-mahal. I will

By Dana

Cruz Inquirer.net

BARON Geisler turned emotional while talking about his biggest regret in life — that his mom died before he became “clean.”

Geisler recalled being with his mother as she took her last breath, in a conversation with Toni Gonzaga on her YouTube vlog on Sunday, April 4.

“I was preparing to go to a five-day retreat and I was sober for a while. So I went to her room. Nakaputi ako nito, long hair, may bigote (I was wearing a white shirt, long hair, had a mustache),” the actor recounted. “I said, ‘Mom, Baron here. Good boy.

I’m gonna go to this retreat, The celebrity couple tied the knot with an intimate garden ceremony at The Farm at San I’ll see you when I get back.’”

Benito, Lipa, Batangas on Sunday, April 4.

Photo from Instagram/@senorita_jessy He recalled that his mother tried to stand up and I will be there to fight your choose to love. I promise to be battles for you. Today is the be- reach out to him as if she was your rock when you’re weak, ginning of our journey, our lives trying to say something. and to put a smile on your face “Feeling ko, on a happier together. I choose to spend even on the darkest of days,” note, baka sa long hair ko at today and all of my tomorrows Manzano told his bride. with you. I love you, Howhow,” bigote ko, akala niya ako si “We have been through Jesus,” he joked. (I feel like, Mendiola said. so much. So many smiles and on a happier note, maybe Manzano, 39, and Mentears, but I would do it all over because of my hair and diola, 28, confirmed they again if it means leading me mustache she thought I was were dating in 2016. They back to you. Howhow, I will Jesus.) announced their engagement love you every single day of But while he could joke last December 12 and released forever. I love you,” he added. their pre-nuptial videos in Janu- about the event now, he said “I will protect you and I that he felt there was someary. promise that if you grow weak,

the thought that his mother must be proud of the person he is striving to become.

Geisler added that he would often address his mother even after she died.

He also recognized that people would still doubt if he is really going to stay sober. For him, doubters will always be there, but he swore that he is committed to staying sober and for a good reason.

“My recovery is not for Jamie, it’s not for Tali. It’s for me. Because how can I lead a family if I am not ready, if I am not whole?” Geisler explained. He also hopes to become a “respectable man” that his daughter will look up Baron Geisler Photo screengrabbed from to in the future.

Aside from the actor’s Youtube/Celestine Gonzaga-Soriano biggest regret, Geisler and Gonzaga also talked about thing wrong with his mother his issues with anger manageat that time. He said he ment, his family life and his took a penlight, checked his experience with rehabilitamother’s eyes and saw how per pupils slowly dilate as she tion.

Geisler has been open to passed away.

When Geisler talked about talk about his initial denial of battling depression, drug use his mother’s death, he could and alcoholism. Last month, not help but tear up and reveal that it was the moment in an interview with Philippine Daily Inquirer, he said he was of his biggest regret. afraid of going “crazy again” “My dream kasi no’ng and being put in jails and time na ‘yon (during that institutions. He also believes time) was for my mom to see sobriety will lead him and his me clean,” he stated, adding family to more blessings. that he now takes comfort at

Kathryn’s ‘most...

From Page 11 “Initially talaga nalungkot ako because for 2020, hindi na ako naka-celebrate ng birthday ko. Dapat babawiin ko na lang this year but then it didn’t happen,” she said. (Initially, I was really sad because for 2020 I did not get to celebrate my birthday. I was hoping to make up for it this year, but then it did not happen.)

After talking to Padilla about her disappointment, he pointed out that she was not the only person who had to celebrate their birthday in quarantine twice. This led Bernardo to feel a little guilty for only thinking about her birthday celebration.

“Oo nga naman parang ang selfish naman na ang minamind ko lang ‘yong nararamdaman ko,” she said. “Hindi importante kung paano mo cinelebrate yung birthday mo.

What’s important is may mga taong nagmamahal sa’yo ng totoo.”

(It’s true, it is selfish of me to only [think about] what I feel. It’s not important how you celebrate your birthday.

What’s important is there are people who truly love you.)

For her birthday, Bernardo’s friend Ria Atayde sent her a compilation of greet-

Kathryn Bernardo

YouTube screengrab

ings from her celebrity friends like Maymay Entrata, Denise Laurel, Ruffa Gutierrez and Robi Domingo. She was also greeted by her ABS-CBN bosses, namely CEO Carlo Katigbak, chief executive Cory Vidanes and TV production head Laurenti Dyogi.

Reflecting back on her birthday, Bernardo said her celebration was “very simple” but was “really special.”

“Doon ko na-realize na what’s really special about this year is that there are a lot of people who love me and parang wala na akong hihilingin pa,” she stated. (I realized that what’s really special about this year is that there are a lot of people who love me and I cannot wish for anything else.)

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 7, 2021

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T he Asian Jo ur na l M D W K M A G A Z I NE - Apr i l 7 , 2 0 2 1

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