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APRIL 9-15, 2021 Volume 14 - No. 23 • 16 Pages

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Community leaders gather to denounce DATELINE USA continued rise of anti-Asian hate incidents Los Gatos police FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

looking for suspect 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.

by MOMAR

G. VISAYA

AJPress

THE assault on 65-year-old Vilma Kari has caused widespread alarm in New York City as multiple rallies were held over the weekend to denounce the continuing spike of attacks on people of Asian descent.

Brandon Elliot, the 38-year-old homeless man accused of brutally attacking Kari in broad daylight, was formally indicted on

Monday, April 5 as protesters gathered outside the Manhattan Criminal Court to demand an end to anti-Asian hate crimes.

Consul General Elmer Cato issued a statement which was read by Phil Wong, President of the Chinese-American Citizens Alliance of Greater New York at the rally.

“I can see in Vilma the face of my own mother and other elderly Asian women living in New York, who, due to the recent spate of violence against Asians, would not

even want to leave the safety of their homes anymore for fear that they, too, would be violently assaulted,” the statement said.

Cato also mentioned the case of 61-yearold Noel Quintana, who got his face slashed after he was attacked with a box cutter while riding the subway on his way to work.

“These cases hit close to home, since we, Asians, revere our elders. It is part of our DNA to look after our elderly. This is why

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Filipino Americans unpack the mental health toll of recent anti-Asian hate incidents, crimes

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by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

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

“The brutality of the violence stunned all of us, but what was heartbreaking was seeing a witness shutting the door to her need for assistance. Today, we have all shown up here as an affirmation that New Yorkers do stand up for each other. We are upstanders,” said NYC Commission on Human Rights Chair and Commissioner Carmelyn Malalis at the Day of Visibility event in Hell’s Kitchen in response to the recent violent and racist attack on a 65-year-old Filipina Vilma Kari.

Photo courtesy of NYC Commission on Human Rights

Rock throwing incident 17 PH tycoons on Forbes reported at LA Historic 2021 World’s Billionaires List 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.

The 26-year-old Filipino American graphic designer, who was sitting facing

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SEVENTEEN Filipino tycoons have secured their spots on Forbes’ annual list of the wealthiest people in the world.

Forbes on Tuesday, April 6, released its 2021 list of global billionaires, with this year’s roster having a record-breaking 2,755 billionaires, including 493 newcomers.

Trigger warning: this story references reallife experiences with self-harm.

THE recent incidents involving violence and harassment targeting Asian Americans have left the entire community on high alert.

The Asian American community has experienced intensified discrimination, bullying, verbal harassment and physical harm over the past year. However, in the last few weeks, brutal violence and, in many cases, death, have made the threats to the community feel more

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Ex-President Joseph Estrada on ventilator as pneumonia worsens

“The number of billionaires on Forbes’ 35th annual list of the world’s wealthiest exploded to an unprecedented 2,755 — 660 more than a year ago. Altogether they are worth $13.1 trillion, up from $8 trillion on the 2020 list,” the publication said.

“There are a record high

FORMER Philippine President Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada has been placed on a ventilator as his pneumonia due to COVID-19 has worsened.

In a Facebook post, his son, former Senator Jinggoy Estrada, said that the doctors made the recom-

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by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

Former President Joseph Estrada ManilaTimes.net photo

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With anti-Asian attacks, Fil-Ams in LA remain vigilant, seek community support

by Christina

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 Pilipino 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-yearold 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 devastating to hear about. Going outside was a way to not be so bored staying inside. But I’m scared to go out now because you can’t help

but think about what if it happens to you or your friends?” Romig told the Asian Journal.

Asian Americans are quick to point out that hate against the community is not a new occurrence, but recent violence like the March 16 shootings that killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent, has brought the issue to a national level.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s the Chinese, Filipino or Vietnamese community, we’re all experiencing attacks,” Aquilina Soriano Versoza, executive director of the Pilipino Workers Center, told the Asian Journal. “But we have to know that is happening and we need to voice it out, so that means reporting it because if not, it remains invisible.”

Since the beginning of the pandemic, PWC has received reports of its members, who are predominantly domestic workers, being harassed at their workplace or being verbally assaulted and blamed for the virus while out in public.

The organization is encouraging their members to stick together as many of them walk or take public transportation to and from work.

“If you are able to, move collectively and not just by yourself as that’s a way to protect,” Soriano Versoza said. “We’re encouraging people to be connected and communicative

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NYC Commission on Human Rights Chair and Commissioner Carmelyn Malalis said at the event, “As Commissioner for ‪@NYCCHR‪ & as a Filipina American, it’s heartwarming to speak to so many businesses eager to publicly & visibly show support for AAPI communities with the powerful art of multidisciplinary artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya in their windows.” The NYC Commission on Human Rights launched a public awareness campaign last year to combat anti-Asian discrimination, harassment, and bias.

Photo courtesy of NYC Commission on Human Rights

Community leaders gather to denounce...

PAGE 1 Elliot’s violent attack on Vilma had been particularly distressing to all of us. But contrary to what Elliot said, Vilma and the rest of the Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Community belong here,” continued the statement.

Elliot, who was out on lifetime parole for killing his own mother when he was 19 years old, is due back in court on April 21.

According to the authorities, Elliot kicked and stomped on Kari while making anti-Asian statements.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office charged him with three counts of assault as a hate crime.

Elliot was shown “brutally shoving, kicking and stomping the victim after telling her she didn’t belong here,” Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said at a news conference last week.

“This brave woman belongs here. Asian American New Yorkers belong here. Everyone belongs here.”

“Attacks against Asian American New Yorkers are attacks against all New Yorkers. Our office stands against hate in all its forms,” Vance added.

Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Paul McDonnell remanded Elliot to jail without bail last week.

“Like many New Yorkers, I’m grateful that this person is no longer on our streets,” New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang said. “New York City is everyone’s city. The city is for everyone, and there’s no one who should be walking the streets in fear, particularly based upon the way that they look of the color of

their skin.”

Tess dela Cruz, 60, has lived in New York for almost four decades. She told Asian Journal that she has “never been scared all my life” even in those years she worked evening shifts at Mount Sinai and would go home at midnight.

“I would go home 12 midnight, I take the subway, I was never harassed or attacked. Now I look around, I look at the person in front of me beside me, behind me, I don’t take chance,” she said.

In his statement, Consul General Cato urged everyone “not to shut their doors” to victims of hate crimes and encouraged people to call 911 or the Crime Stoppers hotline of the New York City Police Department to report incidents of hate crimes. Filipino victims of hate crimes are also encouraged to get in touch with the Philippine Consulate General.

Doormen fired The doormen of the luxury apartment building who closed the door as Kari was kicked to the ground and repeatedly stomped on have been fired, according to a New York Times report on Tuesday, April 6.

The building’s management told residents in an email that two doormen who were inside the building at the time had not followed “emergency and safety protocols.”

“For this reason, their employment has been terminated, effective immediately,” said the email from Rick Mason, the executive director of management at the Brodsky Organization, which owns the luxury

apartment building.

The video clips prompted an outpouring of criticism from residents who were mostly dismayed that the bystanders did nothing to help Kari.

“It was horrifying seeing this helpless lady being viciously attacked by a man double her size but what bothered me more was that those who could have helped her turned a blind eye and did nothing! That to me was more horrifying,” Vivian Talambiras Cruz, 71, told the Asian Journal.

Kari, who suffered serious injuries including a fractured pelvis and forehead contusions, was discharged from the hospital the following day and is “safe and in good spirits,” her daughter Elizabeth said through the GoFundMe platform.

“I want to start off by saying my mom is humbled by the outpouring of messages and support from not only our friends and family, but from the kind souls all over the world,” Elizabeth wrote.

The online fundraiser has generated almost $250,000 from more than 6,000 donors as of Tuesday, April 6. The page, which had an initial goal of $20,000, has been shared almost 10,000 times.

“There are no words to describe how appreciative we are of your kindness and time. We are blessed and humbled by your uplifting messages and reminded that despite how unique and different we may be from one another, we can still come together just as strong, compassionate, and resilient,” Elizabeth wrote in an update posted on April 4. n

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From the Front Page

Filipino Americans unpack the mental health toll...

PAGE 1 real, as previously reported in the Asian Journal.

In recent days, in Southern California, there were two separate reported incidents of assailants throwing stones at Asian Americans — one on Wednesday, March 31 toward a Korean American family in Fullerton and one on Saturday, April 3 toward Filipino American customers at the popular Filipino restaurant Dollar Hits in the Historic Filipinotown neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Over the weekend on Saturday, April 3, a Chinese American woman named Ke Chieh Meng was stabbed and killed in Riverside while she was walking her dogs in what officials are calling a “random” attack. (Riverside Police, however, don’t suspect the killing was motivated by race.)

As these attacks continue to proliferate across the country at disturbing rates, political leaders, like President Joe Biden, have denounced the attacks and committed to enacting legislative solutions to combat these attacks.

But the damage cannot be undone, and though lawmakers and community leaders scramble to mitigate antiAsian hate and violence, the mental and emotional toll of these attacks is unquantifiable.

“Asians were not only fighting the pandemic but we were fighting racism,” Dr. Carolee Tran, clinical psychologist and instructor at UC Davis, told reporters during a recent press briefing.

“It’s tragic and unacceptable that it took the events of Atlanta to really get the attention of the general public,” Tran said. “When we have these incidents, we watch them on TV, we watch on the news, we feel all these things in our body.”

For decades, the Asian American community has simultaneously grappled with the model minority myth — which posits that intense assimilation with the white majority will make them more acceptable and lead to more upward mobility — and the notion of being the “perpetual foreigner.”

In the Asian American community, talking about things like race and mental health aren’t commonplace — in fact, it’s often discouraged.

According to Mental Health America, Asian Americans

are less likely to seek mental health services than any other racial group in America.

“Awareness of racism and living in a scary atmosphere causes one to be hypervigilant. It affects our prefrontal cortex, the amygdala,” Tran said. “These are the areas of the brain that impact affect and emotions. It can affect people’s concentration, attention, a sense of motivation even. You can feel more fatigue.”

Gilynn Chavez, a 24-yearold Filipina American student at Cal State Long Beach, shared that the recent attacks on Asians have dramatically affected her concentration.

“I can’t even look at the videos without shutting down for the rest of the day,” Chavez told the Asian Journal in a Zoom interview on Thursday, April 1, referencing the extremely graphic video of the Filipina who was attacked in New York City at the end of March.

“The attack itself was hard to look at, but it was made even worse when you see the security guard in the video close the door and not do anything. Who does that? It’s so inhumane,” she said.

Chavez, who was born in California, shared that seeing these videos and reading on these incidents has increased her anxiety. She’s skipped classes and called in sick to work, and she admitted that seeking professional help has not been a priority for her.

“I think the worst are the explicit xenophobic remarks, like when these racists actually tell people to go back to their country,” Chavez said. “It shouldn’t matter, but so many of us [AAPIs] are from here or grew up here; we’re just as American as anyone else. And that really triggers my anger and mood, and I think that [is true] for so many Asians.”

Jen (who asked that her last name be withheld) is a firstgeneration Filipina American living in Arcadia, California and who is now in the process of familiarizing herself with her own mental health — and the collective mental health of the Asian American community — in the wake of these attacks.

“For a long time I think many of us [in the Asian community] have felt that our issues don’t matter to the general public, so it’s been illuminating over the past few weeks that our stories are ac-

tually making it to [the mainstream],” Jen shared with the Asian Journal on Friday, April 2.

Jen, 36, was born in the Philippines but has lived in California since she was 6 years old. The single mother of two daughters, ages 10 and 6, shared that they have experienced microaggressions in their Orange County neighborhood since the beginning of the pandemic.

“As Filipinos, like most other Asian cultures, aren’t really encouraged to talk about mental health, and I think that becomes more extreme when you’re living in America. There’s this intense pressure to save face,” Jen shared.

“And that’s valid, or at the very least, I understand that.

But now we’ve got all these unpacked issues that we’re all trying to navigate.”

Jen shared that learning of these attacks and seeing incidents appear in the news everyday has “diminished” her overall well-being. Like many other Asian Americans, she feels “unsafe” and fears for the safety of her family. But she also feels emboldened to engage in more conversations to help destigmatize mental health within the Asian American community.

“I have a lot of non-Asian friends who have been graciously checking on me, and to be honest, I’m not doing all right. My daughters are starting to take notice, too. I’m afraid to talk to them about these things because they’re so young. But I think it’s an important conversation to have, especially with young people,” Jen added, saying that she wishes that she grew up feeling open to talk about mental and emotional health.

A Filipino and Chinese American who lives in Orange County named David (not his real name) shared with the Asian Journal that the recent attacks have taken a severe toll on his mental health, so much so that “self harm ideations” have sprung up for him.

“I haven’t done anything like that but I’ve thought about it, and that’s scary because I haven’t had a selfharm thought in years,” David shared in a Zoom interview on Monday, March 29.

David said that the incidents that took place in Orange County have leveled up his anxiety and his concern that his parents or someone

else he knows could be the next victim. Like Chavez, David admitted to not feeling motivated to seek professional mental health.

“What people don’t talk about when it comes to therapy or seeing a psychologist or doing anything resembling seeking professional help is how difficult it is to do yourself when you’re currently suffering,” he said. “You can’t just Google ‘therapy’ and immediately make an appointment and have that appointment change your life. All of this takes so much time and energy — time and energy I’m already stretching to do daily tasks.”

Liane Velasco, a Filipino American licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), told the Asian Journal in a phone call that “what lots of people who don’t suffer from major depression don’t understand about things like self-harm or withholding daily tasks is that it is a coping skill.

It’s not healthy, but it is a way to cope.”

“What helps in stopping the behavior is replacing it with something else. For example, if you are cutting yourself in order to cope, you can replace that with something more gentle, like having a hair tie or rubber band around your wrist and lightly stretching it and letting go,” she said.

“When we self-harm, it’s usually to try to feel something, but if we can wean ourselves off slowly, it can help us in the long run and stop those behaviors entirely.”

Velasco recommends that people who may not know where to start when it comes to seeking therapy or psychiatric services to consult with their primary care physician or with their health care group. Virtual therapy options, like BetterHelp that offers sessions only online, have also been a popular therapy option during the pandemic.

Additionally, the Asian Mental Health Collective has a directory of Asian, Pacific Islander, and South Asian American (APISAA) therapists and mental health professionals in all 50 states.

If you or someone you know someone is struggling with suicidal ideations, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline — 800-273-8255 — is available 24 hours a day. For emergencies, always dial 9-11. 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

17 PH tycoons on Forbes...

PAGE 1 493 newcomers to the list — roughly one new billionaire every 17 hours,” it added.

Former lawmaker and property tycoon Manny Villar led the pack of Filipino billionaires on the list, retaining his title as the richest Filipino for the third year in a row.

He placed 352nd worldwide, with a net worth of $7.2 billion (around P349.7 billion) this year.

Villar is the founder and chairman of Vista Land and Lifescapes, the largest home builder in the Philippines. The firm has built about 300,000 homes in more than 140 cities.

He also owns stakes in Golden Bria Holdings, a property and death care company, as well as Vistamalls, a shopping mall operator.

Following Villar was Enrique Razon Jr., chairman of International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI).

Razon ranked 561st in the list with a net worth of $5 billion (around P242.8 billion).

Lucio Tan, founder and chair of the LT Group, is the third richest Filipino, ranking 925th with a net worth of $3.3 billion (about 150.2 billion).

Tied at 1008th are Hans Sy, Herbert Sy, and Andrew Tan with a net worth of $3 billion (about P145.7 billion).

The other Sy siblings, namely Harley Sy, Henry Sy Jr., and Teresita Sy-Coson,

placed 1,174th with a net worth of $2.7 billion (about P131.1 billion).

Elizabeth Sy, on the other hand, ranked 1,299th along with Tony Tan Caktiong and his family, recording a net worth of $2.7 billion (about P131.1 billion).

Below is the complete list of Filipino tycoons included in Forbes’ Billionaires List: 1. Manuel Villar, $7.2 billion 2. Enrique Razón Jr., $5 billion 3. Lucio Tan, $3.3 billion 4. Hans Sy, $3 billion 5. Herbert Sy, $3 billion 6. Andrew Tan, $3 billion 7. Harley Sy, $2.7 billion 8. Henry Sy Jr., $2.7 billion 9. Teresita Sy-Coson, $2.7 billion 10. Elizabeth Sy, $2.4 billion 11. Tony Tan Caktiong, $2.4 billion 12. Ramon Ang, $2.2 billion 13. Inigo Zobel, $1.4 billion 14. Lance Gokongwei, $1.2 billion 15. Roberto Ongpin, $1.2 billion 16. Ricardo Po Sr., $1.1 billion 17. Edgar Sia II, $1.1 billion Amazon’s Jeff Bezos topped this year’s global list, with a net worth of $177 billion. He was followed by Elon Musk ($151 billion), Bernard Arnault ($150 billion), Bill Gates ($124 billion), and Mark Zuckerberg ($97 billion). (AJPress) n

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OPINION

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FEATURES

Another week of ECQ

Philstar.com photo

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

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

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)

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

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 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 PAGE 10

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

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Dateline PhiliPPines

WHO expert in Philippines 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 on Monday, April 5 that the arrival of the expert was at the request of the Philippine 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

Philippines hopeful of exclusion anew in US piracy list

by LoueLLa

DesiDerio Philstar.com

MANILA — 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 per-

fect 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 PAGE 10

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With anti-Asian... Rock throwing incident reported at LA Historic...

PAGE 2 with each other. There are programs like in Chinatown that have volunteers who can accompany elders or those who are vulnerable.”

Stop AAPI Hate, a national reporting center that began last spring, received 3,795 firsthand incidents of racism and discrimination from all 50 states and the District of Columbia between March 19, 2020 to February 28, 2021.

Based on that figure, 503 incidents took place in the first two months of 2021 alone.

While individuals of Chinese descent accounted for 42% of the reports, other groups like Filipinos (7.9%) have experienced hate too.

“We’re outraged because Asians are part of the community. Health care workers in the Filipino community are sticking their necks out to help with the public health situation, and yet we are the victims. Women are usually the first to be attacked,” Perla Santos, who leads the MOTHER Movement, told the Asian Journal.

She added, “This is unacceptable in a place like this, where for many of us immigrants, we have a high regard for the United States. We see it as a sanctuary here but we can never tell if the people around us might one day attack us like what happened in Atlanta.”

Women are 2.3 times more likely to report the incidents versus men. Youths (those up to 17 years old) accounted for 12.6% of incidents, while 6.2% were experienced by individuals 60 years and older, Stop AAPI Hate found.

Santos’ group, which offers awareness-raising and prevention against crimes like domestic violence and assault, will begin hosting self-defense training sessions again given the necessity amid the hate incidents.

Since the pandemic began, Santos has connected senior citizens to meal and grocery programs to reduce their time spent outside. However, many of the elders live alone so a virtual support group helps them deal with the isolation.

“It started off as a group of close friends and then it expanded to more people,” Santos said. “We make sure we keep in to contact with each other and know where each other are at all times.” n

Ex-President Joseph...

PAGE 1 mendation “to improve oxygen delivery” and “prevent the tiring” of his father’s respiratory system.

“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,” the younger Estrada said on Tuesday, April 6.

“This was done to improve oxygen delivery as well as to prevent the tiring of his respiratory mechanism,” he added.

Jinggoy also asked the public to continue praying for his father’s recovery.

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

Estrada’s other son, former Senator JV Ejercito, noted COVID-19’s unpredictability.

“COVID is unpredictable. My dad was recuperating very well the past few days when suddenly it shifted yesterday when his Pneumonia worsened, thus the need to use a ventilator,” he said in a tweet.

Estrada was rushed to the hospital on March 28 and tested positive for COVID-19.

He was said to be in “a stable condition,” but was sedated and moved to the intensive care unit on April 4.

Estrada, 83, served as the country’s president from 1998 to 2001 until he was ousted after a series of protests on EDSA held from January 16 to 20, 2001 amid his trial for plunder charges.

He was convicted of plunder in 2007, but his successor former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo pardoned him.

Estrada also served as mayor of the city of Manila from 2013 to 2019. n

PAGE 1 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 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 alone with his dog at around 4 p.m., told the Asian Journal.

“There was a mark on the window and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, that was a rock that went over my head.”

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

Photo courtesy of Andre Cadiz

His first instinct was to pull out his phone to record a video, in which he confronts the man and asks him, “What the (expletive), bro?”

The man, who Cadiz said was holding another rock and a pair of scissors, can be heard on the video daring restaurant staff to “come outside” and “call the cops.”

During the exchange, Cadiz alleged that the man threw another object, which could have been a small black rock or piece of charcoal that landed on the table where he had been sitting.

Some witnesses are heard on camera telling the man to stay put in the parking lot, but he then walked away.

There have been no reports of injuries from the incident. The man in the video has not been identified, as of this writing.

Cadiz said he did not hear the man use any racist language targeted toward Filipinos or Asians, but noted that Saturday’s incident comes amid a string of violent attacks that have been reported by Asian Americans across the country, with some incidents going viral in recent weeks.

“I wondered if it was even worth reporting or if it was racially motivated,” said Cadiz. “From my perspective, whether someone said something racist or not, there’s still violence against Asians happening here in LA and around the country.”

After the incident, Cadiz posted 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

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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 community 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

Los Gatos police looking for suspect who...

PAGE 1 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 added.

The suspect was described as a white man with tan skin or a light-skinned Hispanic.

He was wearing a black or gray bicycle helmet, a darkcolored 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 antiAsian 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) n

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Filipino Americans ask US solons to Voter suppression by Republican... help expedite delivery of COVID vaccines to the Philippines

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 FilipinoAmericans 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 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 secured 13 million doses of the Moderna vaccines while the private sector ordered 7 million doses for its workers.

Aside from the 20 million doses already secured, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. disclosed that the Philippine government has also placed an order for an additional 5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine.

The Philippines is likewise expecting the delivery of Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine from the World Health Organization (WHO)-led COVAX facility. n

PAGE 5 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 im-

proper 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.

Philippines hopeful of...

PAGE 6 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 time-bound 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

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COMMUNITY Journal

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What are motions to reconsider and reopen?

Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ WHEN a person has been placed in deportation/removal proceedings, they would ordinarily receive a decision from the immigration judge (IJ), or, if they appeal, a decision from the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). If the decision is unfavorable, they possibly could file either a motion to reconsider or a motion to reopen.

What is a motion to reconsider and a motion to reopen? What are the require-

ments? What are the filing deadlines? When are they available?

Motion to reconsider: A motion to reconsider requests “that the original decision [by the IJ or BIA] be re-examined in light of additional legal arguments, a change of law, or an argument or aspect of the case that was overlooked.” In other words, reconsideration of a decision based on legal aspects: overlooked law, new law, additional law, etc. The motion must specify the errors of law or fact in the previous decision, supported by relevant legal authority/caselaw.

A person is ordinarily allowed only one motion to reconsider, which must be filed within 30 days of a fi-

nal administrative order of removal.

Motion to reopen: A motion to reopen is a request to have the proceedings reopened “so that new evidence can be presented and so that a new decision can be entered.” In other words, a motion to reopen is based on new facts coming to light that could have a bearing on the outcome of the case. If those facts existed at the time of the original decision, they would not be considered “new.” For example, an issue in the removal proceedings may have involved “extreme hardship” to certain “qualifying relatives” such as a spouse or parent. Later, that relative came down with a PAGE 12

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FROM KAPAMILYA IN THE U.S. AND IN THE PHILIPPINES ON AN ENCORE EPISODE OF CITIZEN PINOY THIS SUNDAY. Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (left) answers several questions from Kapamilya in California and Pangasinan in the Philippines about their immigration situations. Rio from San Ramon, California (right) asks about her mother’s petition for her two sisters. The petitioner died just as their petition became current. What do they do now? Rachel from Pangasinan, Philippines (center) wants to know if her 10-year-old daughter, who got her U.S. citizenship through her U.S. citizen father, can help her get an immigrant visa? And a person who chose to remain anonymous asks if there is anything she can do to adjust her status. She came to the U.S in the ‘90s with a fake name and a fake U.S. passport. She is now married to a U.S. citizen. Find out the answers to these questions on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” this Sunday, April 11 at 5:30 pm PT (8:30 pm ET thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

(Advertising Supplement)

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april 9-15, 2021 • NEW YOrK aND NEW JErSEY aSiaN JOUrNal

Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS AS of Monday, April 5, 2021, there were 478,884 new cases of COVID 19 increasing the total to 132,432, 231 cases worldwide (population: about 7.858 billion) with 7,404 new deaths, making the total deaths to 2,873.411. In the USA, 500 new deaths that day, with a total of 569,282 mortalities, as the total cases rose to 31.496,976. Brazil had the highest deaths for that day, 1,623, total cases - 13,023,189 (38,233 new cases).

The Philippines had 803,387 total cases and 13.435 deaths, 10 new deaths.

The following day, US had 7,335 new cases and 116 deaths, while the Philippines had 9,373 new cases and 382 new deaths. More than 1/3 of the people in the USA (population: around 332.5 million) have been vaccinated.

The Philippines (population around 110.8 million) started its anti-COVID-19 vaccination March 1, 2021, using Chana’s SinoVac. To contain COVID-19 in the country, foreign citizens are currently not allowed to travel to the Philippines, including Filipinos who are not holders of Philippine passports. Those who are allowed to enter the country must have a hotel reservation for 7 days, for quarantine purposes upon arrival.

CDC COVID-19 Advisory Fully vaccinated (those who completed their shots two weeks prior) are “no longer required to test before or after traveling domestically or internationally from the U.S, unless required to do so by the international destination country, and they no longer have to self-quarantine after returning to the U.S., unless required to do so by a state or local jurisdiction,” according to the updated guideline from the CDC. The rest of the advisory follows: “The agency still recommends that even fully vaccinated travelers wear a mask in public, and take other public health precautions, such as social distancing and avoiding crowds, and practicing hand hygiene,” the rule emphasizes.

“Some travel guidance remains unchanged. CDC still recommends fully vaccinated people have proof of a

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COVID-19 Stats

negative COVID-19 test prior to returning to the U.S., and get tested 3-5 days later.

“Meanwhile, nothing has changed for travelers who are not fully vaccinated.

CDC continues to recommend that not fully vaccinated travelers get a COVID-19 test 1-3 days prior to domestic or international travel, as well as 3-5 days after returning. Those who are not fully vaccinated should continue to self-quarantine for 7 days after travel and a negative test, or 10 days after travel if not tested. CDC also said those who are not fully vaccinated should avoid non-essential domestic travel.”

Fourth wave?

Fearing worsening of the COVID pandemic in the United States and a probable fourth wave as the COVID-19 cases increased by 10 percent and hospitalization to around 4,800 per day on a 7-day average, “CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, her voice shaking, warned of ‘impending doom’ if states continue to relax restrictions, and if Americans continue to increase travel and ignore public health precautions.”

The 4 more common variants of COVID-19 include the UK strain (B.1.1.7), around 2,000 cases found in 45 States so far, also in Denmark and Scandinavia, the South African variety (B.1.351), which emerged in South Africa and found in 14 US States, and the Brazilian variant (P.1) infecting at least 5 cases in Minnesota, Oklahoma, Florida, and Maryland. A US variant, homegrown in California (CAL.,20C), has infected more than 30 percent of entire state by mid-to-late January and more than 40 percent in Southern California.

The importance of following the guidelines, especially with the re-opening of businesses, is even more important today. Masking, social distancing, good hygiene, and avoiding crowds, limiting travels to essential needs, even after vaccination, could help mitigate the labile situation. The significance of this discipline might not be earth-shaking until a loved one is taken away from us because we did not behave accordingly. SARS-CoV2 virus is new and it is mutating to new strains, which could be expected to be more virulent. There are a lot we still do not know about this killer and the available vaccines.

So, it is best to be cautious, or even a bit over-protective, than being arrogant, overly confident and let our guard down, simply because we have been vaccinated. It is now clear worldwide that these vaccines are generally effective (95 percent and greater) and safe, and that mask and social distancing work.

One shot not enough Some people refuse to get the second shot of the 2-dose vaccines (P-BioNT and Moderna), fearing danger from the second dose and thinking one dose confers full protection. That is not true and very dangerous. And a waste of the vaccine. Also, if one was okay after the first does, the second one should also be fine, as statistics today show.

A physician colleague of mine had his first dose of the vaccine, still got COVID19 infection from his son five days post-shot, and died. We do not totally know our enemy, especially the variants and worse strains that might evolve; let’s be wise and stay safe.

Amazing FAR-UVC One of the beneficial sideeffects of the COVID-19 pandemic is the development of antiviral treatments and mitigating technologies that were also found to be useful in the management of other bacterial/viral illnesses, and the discovery of new uses for old medications we have been using for specific conditions for some time. An example of this is the use of UVC light, the conventional form of which has a wavelength of 254 nm. UV radiation was first discovered on February 22, 1801 by Johann Wilhelm Ritter. Subsequently, they were differentiated by wavelength into UVA (315-400 nm), UVB (2870-315 nm), and UVC 100-280 nm).

Dr. David Brenner and his team at Columbia University have developed a technique “that zaps airborne viruses with a narrow-wavelength band of UV light shows promise for curtailing the person-to-person spread of COVID-19 in indoor public places. The technology “uses lamps that emit continuous, low doses of a particular wavelength of ultraviolet light, known as far-UVC (wavelength 222 nm), which can kill viruses and bacteria without harming human skin, eyes and other tissues, PAGE 15

Avoid payment scams while rebuilding your finances OVER the past year, the Coronavirus created financial problems for many people.

Maybe you’re one of them. As you work to regain your financial footing, scammers will continue to try to steer you off course. Here are a few ways to spot, stop, and report payment scams.

Asked to pay with gift cards? Don’t do it. Gift cards are the most common form of payment people use when losing money to scammers. Scammers often pose as legitimate companies, the government, or someone you know. They tell you to pay with a gift card — but only scammers do that. If you share a photo of the back of a gift card or read the numbers to anyone, your money will be gone. If anyone asks for payment by gift card, it’s a scam.

Asked to pay with digital money or cryptocurrency? Think twice. Payments by cryptocurrency are hard to trace and typically can’t

be reversed. Once you pay with cryptocurrency, you likely can only get your money back if the person you paid sends it back. If that person is a scammer, you’ll be out of luck.

Asked to pay by money transfer? Don’t.

Scammers often tell people to send money through money transfer companies like Western Union and MoneyGram, knowing it’s a lot like sending cash. Once you send it, it’s gone.

Typically, there’s no way to reverse the transaction or trace the money. Don’t use money transfer payments with people and companies you don’t know.

Learn more about the financial impact of the Coronavirus. If you or someone you know lost money to a scammer, check out some quick steps to try and recover it. And if you’ve spotted a scam, tell the FTC at ReportFraud. ftc.gov.

(Atty. Sana Chriss/Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC)

What are motions to...

PAGE 11 severe ailment that could affect their hardship. Perhaps the case could be reopened.

Ordinarily, a person may file only one motion to reopen proceedings within 90 days of the date of entry of a final administrative order of removal.

If you are subject to a final order of removal, and now have a new basis or way to legalize your status, or new facts have come to light that could have a bearing on your case, you should consult with an attorney who can evaluate your case and eligibility for a motion to reconsider or reopen. Remember, ordinarily you have only one chance. So, you don’t want to try to do it yourself and have it denied, because then you’ve already used up your one motion. Also, if you are subject to a final order of removal, you cannot file a new adjustment with USCIS, as the Immigration Court, not USCIS, would have ju-

risdiction over the case. You would have to reopen the case.

In addition, even if you are past the 30 or 90-day filing deadlines, in some cases it could be possible to bring a motion to reconsider or reopen beyond those deadlines, such as if you never received notices, the trial attorney agrees to a joint motion, or the judge, on his or her own motion (sua sponte), decides to reopen proceedings.

Moreover, with Biden being elected president, and his efforts to “halt” deportations, have the government once again exercise prosecutorial discretion, and generally be more lenient when it comes to deporting/removing people, you should definitely consider consulting with an attorney to evaluate your options. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 40 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and

New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

Each case is different, and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Fo l l o w u s o n Fa c e b o o k . com/GurfinkelLaw, YouTube: US Immigration TV and Instagram. com/gurfinkellaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

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Baron reveals biggest regret in life: Mother’s death before he became ‘clean’

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, I’ll see you when I get back.’”

He recalled that his mother tried to stand up and reach out to him as if she was trying to say something.

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Baron Geisler Photo screengrabbed from Youtube/Celestine Gonzaga-Soriano

“Feeling ko, on a happier note, baka sa long hair ko at bigote ko, akala niya ako si Jesus,” he joked. (I feel like, on a happier note, maybe because of my hair and mustache she thought I was Jesus.)

But while he could joke about the event now, he said that he felt there was something wrong with his

mother at that time. He said he took a penlight, checked his mother’s eyes and saw how per pupils slowly dilate as she passed away.

When Geisler talked about his mother’s death, he could not help but tear up and reveal that it was the moment of his biggest regret.

“My dream kasi no’ng time na ‘yon (during that time) was for my mom to see me clean,” he stated, adding that he now takes comfort at 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.

PAGE 15

SERVICES

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Miss Eco International 2nd Runner Up Alexandria Kelly from USA, Miss Eco International 2021 Gizzelle Mandy Uys from South Africa, and Miss Eco International 1st Runner Up Kelly Day from the Philippines. Photo from Facebook/@Miss Eco International

PH bet Kelly Day is 1st runner up in Miss Eco International

By Cathrine

Gonzales Inquirer.net

PHILIPPINE candidate Kelly Day was named first runner up in the coronation night of Miss Eco International held in Egypt on Sunday, April 4.

The beauty queen came in second after South Africa’s Gizzelle Mandy Uys who bagged the title.

“Congratulations for our winners of Miss Eco International. Our new queen is Gizzelle Mandy Uys and first runner up Kelly Day from Philippines. Second runner up is Alexandria Kelly from USA. Congratulations all,” read a Facebook post from the pageant’s management.

Earlier at the preliminaries, Day also won the Best National Costume award.

SERVICES

Day, a former member of “It’s Showtime” dance group GirlTrends, won the Miss Eco Philippines title during the Miss World Philippines 2019 pageant.

She was supposed to compete in the 2020 Miss Eco International contest slated in March 2020 in Egypt but this was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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‘Godmother of the Philippine revolution’: The life of Gliceria Marella de Villavicencio as told by her great-great-granddaughter I

by CHRISTINA

M. ORIEL / AJPress

N February 2020, Los Angeles-based social worker Maxie Villavicencio Pulliam took a trip to the Philippines to help with relief operations following the Taal Volcano eruption.

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While in Taal, Batangas, where her mother’s side of the family hails from, Villavicencio Pulliam noticed a main road and a monument dedicated to her greatgreat-grandmother: Gliceria Marella de Villavicencio, an unsung heroine regarded as the “godmother of the Philippine revolutionary forces.”

That moniker was bestowed upon her by General Emilio Aguinaldo on the same day that the Philippine Republic was proclaimed on June 12, 1898.

Growing up, Villavicencio Pulliam never fully grasped why the family’s ancestral home was opened as a museum for the public to visit.

She later uncovered her great-great-grandmother’s storied past and revolutionary ties. Casa Villavicencio was once the secret meeting spot of Filipino revolutionary leaders, such as Andres Bonifacio, General Miguel Malvar and General Eleuterio Marasigan.

“If I don’t know this as her descendant, how much more painful is it to be part of the Taal community and see this name all over the place, but you don’t actually know what she did or who she was?”

Villavicencio Pulliam told the Asian Journal.

For the next year, partly due to more free time on her hands during the pandemic, Villavicencio Pulliam set out to write a book about her great-great-grandmother who financially supported the Filipinos’ fight for freedom PAGE 15

“Fierce Filipina” author Maxie Villavicencio Pulliam poses with a portrait of her great-great-grandmother Gliceria Marella de Villavicencio that was painted by Juan Luna during the Philippine revolution.

Contributed photo

Released in March 2021, “Fierce Filipina” tells the story of Gliceria Marella de Villavicencio, who was named the “Godmother of the Revolutionary Forces” by General Emilio Aguinaldo following the declaration of Philippine Indepdence on June 12, 1898. It is written by Gliceria’s great-great-granddaughter Maxie Villavicencio Pulliam and illustrated by Manila-based artist Jill Arteche.

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Kathryn’s ‘most special ‘Godmother of the Philippine... birthday yet’ in quarantine 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

Kathryn Bernado Photo screengrabbed from Youtube/Kathryn Bernardo

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.

“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 mina-

mind 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 greetings 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.) (by Dana Cruz/Inquirer.net)

Baron reveals biggest...

PAGE 13 “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 to in

the future.

Aside from the actor’s biggest regret, Geisler and Gonzaga also talked about his issues with anger management, his family life and his experience with rehabilitation.

Geisler has been open to talk about his initial denial

COVID-19 Stats...

PAGE 12 as is the problem with conventional UV light.”

“Far-UVC light has the potential to be a ‘game changer,’” said Professor Brenner, “It can be safely used in occupied public spaces, and it kills pathogens in the air before we can breathe them in.”

These Far-UVC lamps could be used like today’s mosquito electric zapper, installed in homes and public places, offices, hotels, dorms, convention centers, sports arena, theaters, res-

taurants, stores, schools, etc., to destroy bacteria and various viruses, including Flu viruses and SARS-CoV2 virus of COVID-19, without health risk to humans, animals, and plants. This will eliminate the need for countless toxic chemicals we currently use to kills microbes.

Progress, indeed! *** The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis,

of battling depression, drug use and alcoholism. Last month, in an interview with Philippine Daily Inquirer, he said he was afraid of going “crazy again” and being put in jails and institutions.

He also believes sobriety will lead him and his family to more blessings. recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.

PAGE 14 from colonial rule.

Because two books on her ancestor were out of print, she used translated letters, interviews from extended family members, and online articles to start drafting a story, and attempted to pitch it to literary agents in the U.S. and two publishing houses in the Philippines.

After experiencing rounds of rejection and writer’s block, Villavicencio Pulliam shelved the project. But it wasn’t until last September when she came across an illustrator’s Instagram page that shared the stories of Filipina figures — and one of the portraits happened to be of Gliceria.

The result is “Fierce Filipina,” an illustrated biography independently published ahead of International Women’s Day 2021 that not only captures Gliceria’s life but also depicts a timeless tale of a heroine’s pursuit for equality and social justice.

Accompanying the words

by Villavicencio Pulliam are vibrant and bold scenes by Manila-based illustrator Jill Arteche.

“My job was getting all the bits and pieces and making it into a book that would make sense for readers,” Villavicencio Pulliam said. “The reason why I decided for it to be an illustrated biography was to make it more exciting, especially for kids, though it’s a pretty high-level book.

But anyone can enjoy it, even if they don’t have children or families of their own yet.”

Unapologetically fierce Gliceria Marella de Villavicencio, known as Aling Eriang, was born on May 13, 1852 to a wealthy family in Taal. Despite her privilege, the book recounts her being friends with house staff and treating them as equals.

At the age of 12, Gliceria enrolled at Santa Catalina College in Intramuros, where she learned the plight of the Filipino people under Spanish colonial rule and began to “think of ways to create change.” However, she received news of her eldest sister’s death and was called back to Taal to manage her family’s estate.

She went on to marry Eulalio Villavicencio, who also came from an affluent background. Together, they lent money to support the revolutionary efforts and offered their home — which Eulalio had given to Gliceria as a wedding gift — as a secret

A monument dedicated to Gliceria Marella de Villavicencio stands in Taal, Batangas, where she lived until her death on September 25, 1929. Photo by Eric Jam via Wikimedia Commons

meeting place for leaders.

Gliceria is said to have lent Jose Rizal P18,000 to publish his novels and La Solidaridad, a newspaper that promoted the Propaganda Movement.

“I think the biggest running theme that I don’t overtly say in the book is that no one questioned her authority.

She did not let her being a woman stop her from being as active as she could have been in the revolution,” Villavicencio Pulliam said.

In exchange for her generosity, Filipino painter and political activist Juan Luna painted portraits of the Villavicencio couple, a tidbit that didn’t make it into the book. A copy of one of Gliceria’s portraits continues to hang in the ancestral home today, and Villavicencio Pulliam is photographed next to it in the author’s note of the book.

Based on the letters, Villavicencio Pulliam recognized Gliceria’s commanding presence and how she did not apologize for staking a claim in the movement.

“It’s not with any hint of arrogance. She approaches everything as a partner and she’s an equal to the other revolutionary leaders. She comes in and doesn’t say, ‘Please let me know if you need help.’ She comes in and says, ‘I will help.’ It seems to be really effective because people also respect her, listen to her, and go to her for guidance,” the author said.

Eulalio was imprisoned in Old Bilibid Prison in Manila

by Spanish colonial authorities for his role in the revolution, but Gliceria refused to reveal secrets in exchange for his release. Her husband was eventually set free a year after, but he died three months later due to his injuries.

She did not let her husband’s death be in vain and notably donated her family’s merchant ship, the SS Bulusan, to carry food, clothing and weapons for Filipino soldiers.

Throughout “Fierce Filipina,” Gliceria is presented with challenges in her pursuit of freedom and defending the country. With artistic license, Villavicencio Pulliam embodies her great-greatgrandmother’s inner strength and captures it in a mantra.

“Her inner voice said: Fierce are those who are brave.

Fierce are those who are strong.

Fierce are those who stand up for what’s right, even when things go wrong.

She knew what she needed to do. She needed to be a Fierce Filipina.”

“That was something I came up with based on some real-life experiences I’ve had as an observer of oppression and injustice. It’s an inner prompting that I feel as a human being but also as her descendant, thinking about what would happen in my body when I know I need to take action regardless of what could be negative consequences afterward,” Villavicencio Pulliam said.

Channeling her great-greatgrandmother’s unwavering spirit, Villavicencio Pulliam is living her legacy through her career as a social worker. She has also been vocal about the ongoing anti-Asian hate and hopes this story can be a lesson in boldly calling for systemic change.

“I am trying to live Gliceria’s legacy through this book by teaching people that we have to follow our hearts and if there’s a cause you’re passionate about and want to be a part of, go for it. If you already feel in your body that something’s not right, how do we approach it in a safe, but effective manner?” she said.

“Fierce Filipina” is available for purchase in North America through Amazon, and is set to be printed and sold in the Philippines in the coming months.

“This story is super relevant in any way that readers can take from it. But let’s not stop at Gliceria’s story with Fierce Filipina. Let’s see what else we can explore and find out there that we could use to amplify us as Filipinos and Filipinas in America,” Villavicencio Pulliam said.

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