APRIL 11-14, 2020 Volume 30 - No. 28 • 2 Sections – 20 Pages
LA County’s stay-at-home order, business closures extended until May 15 Virus cases reach over 8K, with 500 Asians testing positive by AJPRESS
This comes as 18 new deaths and 475 new cases of COVIDLOS ANGELES County officials 19 were reported on Friday. To on Friday, April 10 announced date, 8,430 positive cases and that the stay-at-home order will 241 deaths have been recorded be extended until at least May 15 since early March when the outas new incidences of the novel break first hit the county. “We are announcing an extencoronavirus continue to be resion of our current order to May ported in the region. The previous directive, which 15, 2020 and the extension inwas announced a month ago, cludes a couple new measures,” said LA County Department of was set to expire on April 16.
USA
Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer during the daily briefing on Friday. She reminded that all indoor and outdoor private gatherings and events continue to be prohibited; beaches, parks, trails remain closed; nonessential businesses will continue to be closed. “Not because it isn’t working…It’s because it is working, u PAGE A2
THANK YOU FRONT-LINERS. Los Angeles City Hall lit up in blue on Thursday night, April 9 in honor of health care professionals and other essential workers braving the front lines amid the coronavirus pandemic. LA County has the highest number of positive cases in California, reaching over 8,400 as of Friday. Photo courtesy of the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
Health chief: PH has one of lowest How small Fil-Am businesses are nourishing virus infection rates in the world HOSPITALITY, ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT AND PAN DE SAL
DATELINE front-liners of the coronavirus pandemic LA increases measures on workplace protection for non-medical essential businesses FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
by KLARIZE
MEDENILLA AJPress
Garcetti expresses support for AAPI community, condemns uptick in COVID-19-related discrimination
THE City of Los Angeles has increased worker protections and requirements for “non-medical essential” employees across the city, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced in a press briefing on Tuesday, April 7. Effective Friday, April 10, the new order requires employees at grocery stores, drug stores, restaurants, hotels, taxis and rideshare vehicles, construction sites and other essential businesses to wear cloth-based coverings over their mouths and noses while on the job. Employers are required to provide these coverings or reimburse the cost of these facial coverings which are becoming more readily available. The order also requires that these workplaces u PAGE A5
Fil-Am front-liners in the East Coast perish in fight against coronavirus AMONG the highest number of casualties in this global public health crisis are on the front lines and since the coronavirus outbreak across the globe began, over 100 doctors and nurses around the world have died. In the 10 states covered by the Philippine Consulate General in New York, the reported number is less than 10, according to Consul Arman Talbo who also issued a correction on earlier media reports that said 40 doctors and nurses have died because of COVID-19. The number as of press time stands at 22 deaths in the community and that includes the front-liners. This number only represents the deaths reported to the Consulate by different sources in the community. But because of some restrictions and some deaths have been u PAGE A4
THIS current moment has been described as many things: a chance for selfreflection, a practice of selflessness, a collective meditative mental health reset. And, it is most certainly all those things. But it is also a case study in entrepreneurial spirit and how maintaining a sense of community — even during a period of physical distance — is crucial. Since the threat of the COVID-19 virus ballooned in the last several weeks, hospitals and medical workers have been work-
ing nonstop to treat patients and maintain a productive and healthy workspace. As a response to that, a wide scope of organizations as well as businesses have been putting forth efforts to give back and try to weather through a time of economic precarity. Despite being among the hardest hit during pandemic emergency measures, local Filipino American business owners have begun supporting community frontliners who have had their own lives and jobs flipped upside down since the outbreak. u PAGE A3
by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
THE Philippines reportedly has a “low” number confirmed novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases compared to other countries, according to claims by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. The country’s ratio of COVID-19 infection is two for every one million of the population, the secretary said on Thursday, April 9. “‘Pagka ihahambing po natin ang bilang ng mga may impeksyon sa Pilipinas ay isa po tayo sa may pinakamababa na
bilang, sa 3,764 as of [Thursday]. At ito pong bilang na ito ay lumalabas dalawa ang total case per 1 million population. Isa po tayo sa pinakamababa (If we compare the number of infections in the Philippines, we are one of those with the lowest number, with 3,764 as of Tuesday. This figure shows a total of two cases per 1 million population. We are one of those with the lowest number),” he said. Duque noted that having the lowest number of infections was a result of the preventive measures implemented by President u PAGE A4
440 Filipino seafarers return to the PH those onboard the the Norwegian Pearl, Sky, and Sun cruise ships, the Department of Foreign AROUND 440 Filipino seafar- Affairs (DFA) said in a release. ers who worked on several ships A total of 1,000 overseas Filipino in the United States returned to workers (OFWs) from the U.S. and the Philippines on Friday, April Europe are slated to come home 10 amid the novel coronavirus as part of the DFA’s repatriation efforts. The group will be quaranFil-Am bakery Creme Caramel LA partnered with Kindness + Mischief Coffee to deliver pan de sal and beverages to hospitals, (COVID-19) pandemic. The individuals were among including the Veteran’s Affairs Hospital and Sherman Oaks Hospital. u PAGE A2 by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
Fil-Am supporters lament end of Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign by CHRISTINA
M. ORIEL
AJPress
ADRIEN Salazar knocked on hundreds of doors ahead of the New Hampshire primary and organized #FilipinosforBernie gatherings in Oakland and Los Angeles leading up to Super Tuesday this past March. Salazar was one of the thousands of Filipino Americans across the country who rallied behind Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, actively shared his platform on social media and volunteered for the campaign. The senator’s progressive proposals of Medicare For All, free public college, student debt cancellation, and raising the minimum wage seemed to resonate with them, as noted by Fil-Am supporters — including elected officials — the Asian Journal has interviewed through the primary cycle. The slogan “Not Me, Us,” as well as campaign signs and materials in Tagalog, made them
feel seen and heard. “He made it from the very beginning that a vision for transforming America is what he was about. I was really excited about that. He was a candidate that could potentially do it and get to the root of these problems so that’s why I volunteered for the campaign,” said Salazar, a climate justice advocate based in New York. Jollene Levid, a union organizer for United Teacher Los Angeles, was a Sanders supporter in 2016 and jumped on board from the get-go when he announced his 2020 bid. She spent several days in Las Vegas precinct walking and volunteering during the Nevada caucuses last February. Like Salazar and Levid, #FilipinosforBernie believed in the “political revolution” and did their part in hopes of propelling Sanders to the White House this time around The campaign of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders had signs in various languages, including come November. one in Tagalog, which said “Magkaisa Tayo Para Kay Bernie (Let’s Unite for Bernie).” u PAGE A4 Photo courtesy of Adrien Salazar
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440 Filipino seafarers return to... PAGE A1 t
tined in Manila before they venture off to their respective hometowns. The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles this week also sent off 751 Filipino cruise ship personnel employed by Norwegian Cruise Line, namely the M/S Norwegian Joy, M/S Regent Seven Seas Splendor and
M/S Norwegian Jewel. The crew members completed a mandatory 14-day quarantine onboard the ships and were cleared of any COVID-19 symptoms. The Filipinos were flown out of Los Angeles International Airport on flights arranged and paid for by the cruise company, the Consulate said in a release.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Friday also announced it is ready to help in repatriating displaced OFWs. “Lahat ng ating mga kababayan na nasa abroad kung kinakailangan, iuuwi sila. Repatriation nila, sagot po ‘yan ng programa ng DOLE. ‘Yan po nakasama na sa PHP1.5 billion budget, kasi maliban sa cash assistance na (All of our kababayans abroad, if needed, we will repatriate them. Their repatriation will be shouldered by DOLE’s program. That is covered by the PHP1.5 billion budget, aside from the cash assistance amounting to) USD200 per OFW displaced because of COVID-19, we also take responsibility of repatriating them,” said Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III. Through DOLE’s Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) program, a one-time financial assistance of P10,000 will be given to landbased and sea-based OFWs whose jobs were affected by the pandemic. The aid package for formal sector workers was approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases through Resolution No. 21 issued Monday, April 6, according to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles. “By Monday (April 13), we will remit this amount to our offices abroad where there are OFWs so they can get the more than USD200 cash assistance (P10,000) per overseas worker who were displaced by reason of COVID-19,” Bello said. According to him, over P839 million has been released by the agency to 167,941 formal workers under the COVID Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP). CAMP provides a one-time P5,000 assistance for affected formal workers. Meanwhile, P206 million cash aid has been released to some 118,086 informal workers under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa ating Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD)-Barangay ko, Bahay Ko (BKBK) program by the agency. As reported by the Philippine News Agency, temporary jobs will be given to beneficiaries for 10 days in their barangays. Their compensation will be based on the prevailing minimum wage per region. n
FAITHFUL. There was no mass but a few parishioners managed to pray on Good Friday, April 10 inside the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Cubao in Quezon City. Large gatherings such as mass or any other religious activity during the Holy Week are banned under enhanced community quarantine protocol in Luzon which has been extended until April 30. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler
LA County’s stay-at-home order...
PAGE A1 t we know it’s effective but we still have a way’s to go in order to both protect the lives in our county and to make sure that our health care system remains fully able to service all who need their care,” Ferrer explained. The announcement also came with additional measures for essential services to take effect next Wednesday, April 15 at midnight, which includes the directive that businesses still open must provide employees whose work requires being around other employees and/or the public with cloth face coverings. Businesses must also publicly post how they are implementing cleaning and social distancing requirements in the workplace. Ferrer said that engaging in outdoor activities alone or with household members can continue, as well as leaving homes for essential activities or to go to work that is still open as long as they practice physical distancing and wear cloth face coverings. Of the recents deaths, 10 were over the age of 65, seven people were between the ages of 41 to
65 years old and one individual was between the ages of 18 to 40. Long Beach and Pasadena, which have their own health departments, reported one death each in their cities. “I’m sad to report that 67 people who have passed away from COVID-19 were residents of institutional settings. This includes both skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. This now represents 28% of all of our deaths so more than 1 in 4 people…,” Ferrer said. Testing capacity continues to increase in LA County, with almost 40,700 individuals tested and 15% of people testing positive. This week, the county began releasing a breakdown of cases by race and ethnicity. Latino/ Hispanic and White groups have over 1,000 cases, while there are 526 individuals of Asian descent who have tested positive. The races of nearly 3,500 subjects are still under investigation. In terms of fatalities, 38 Asians have died. The numbers only involve LA County cases, not Long Beach and Pasadena.
Earlier this week, LA Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that free testing in the county would expand beyond the vulnerable groups to consider those who show symptoms of COVID-19. The county now has 13 testing sites. LA County leads with the highest number of cases in the state, which has 19,472 confirmed cases and 541 deaths overall as of Friday. Based on 54% of cases, Asians comprise 13% of cases and 17% of deaths and Native Hawaiians/ Pacific Islanders are 2% of cases and 0.7% of deaths, according to the state Department of Public Health. Local health departments have reported 2,024 confirmed positive cases in health care workers — this includes on-the-job exposures, and other exposures, such as travel and close family contact. Approximately, 185,300 tests have been conducted across the state as of Thursday. At least 172,076 results have been received and another 13,200 are pending. n
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How small Fil-Am businesses are nourishing... PAGE A1 t
One of the first businesses to initiate the trend of giving back to front-liners was The Park’s Finest, whose owners Johneric and Christine Concordia started the “Feed the Frontliners” project that raised more than $20,000 to deliver meals to medical workers, firefighters and police officers. Since then, other Filipino business owners have taken it upon themselves to have similar efforts. As Fil-Am business owners, folks like Kristine de la Cruz of the bakery Créme Caramel in Sherman Oaks and Monique “Mo” Maravilla of Kindness & Mischief Coffee in Highland Park are profoundly aware of the workload and risk these medical front-liners put themselves through every day. De la Cruz first realized the gravity of this new normal when she heard that a friend’s cousin passed away in the Philippines from the virus. And, she knew that those who are on the front lines of the crisis, many of whom are Filipino, are in need of support from other members of the community. “That brings the reality [of the situation] to the forefront,” de la Cruz told the Asian Journal in a recent Zoom interview. “When on the surface, all I’m doing is trying to maintain my business but anything we could do to help the community is like the cherry on top. We all have family that are nurses and it’s their job to keep people alive and they just have to go through so much on the daily, and that’s escalated so much since this outbreak.” Once they both realized that the COVID-19 outbreak would both be a detriment to the medical workforce as well as small businesses, de La Cruz and Maravilla conjured up a way to give back to these essential workers as well as keep their businesses from shuttering. Through their connections with various nurses, they were able to secure relationships with various hospitals in the area, and so far, they have provided food and coffee to Sherman Oaks Hospital, Kaiser Permanente in Panorama City, Providence St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Veterans Affairs Hospital in Greater LA, Glendale Adventist and Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. (Both Maravilla and de La Cruz also plan to cater to hospitals in the Orange County area.) Throughout the week, Créme
Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. Department of Defense personnel load new cots for delivery to the Philippines Office of Civil Defense. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Manila
US donates Balikatan beds to Philippines’ patients, health workers by Patricia Lourdes Philstar.com
Together with several Fil-Am businesses, Lokels Only is donating a meal care package to health care workers with every $8 donation.
Caramel donates 10 boxes of their signature pan de sal pastries and Kindness and Mischief donates 10 boxes of coffee to each hospital, and currently, they are accepting donations from the public to keep the project going. In addition to these deliveries and donations to front-liners, Maravilla has also temporarily converted her brick and mortar store in Highland Park into a pantry, selling food staples like rice, flour, yeast, beans, and other goods as a way to keep the business on its toes as well as provide a necessary nutrition resource for the community. “It’s so gratifying to be able to give people that,” Maravilla told the Asian Journal, noting that she hopes that this side project could provide the community an alternative food resource amid the massive panic buying that has emptied out grocery store shelves. “When people buy these pantry items, they’re just so thankful,” Maravilla added. “When I see that, it makes me want to continue to provide these items because I don’t want anyone else’s lives to be even harder.” And Maravilla and de la Cruz
Johneric and Christine Concordia of the Park’s Finest in Historic Filipinotown bring their specialty bbq and sides to local hospitals. The restaurant launched the “Feed the Frontliners” project, which raised over $20,000 by the end of March to help sustain their business as well as deliver meals to those on the front lines, including hospital workers, police officers and firefighters.
aren’t the only business owners giving back to the community. Mike Alcantara of the platformbuilding collective Lokels Only began collaborating with various vendors that were hit by the new safety measures to provide care packages to medical work-
u PAGE A4
Viray
THE United States government donated “nearly 1,300” new folding beds initially intended for its joint military exercise with the Philippines, to form part of the country’s coronavirus disease2019 (COVID-19) response. Broken down, the U.S. Embassy said “more than 1,100” cots were donated through the Office of Civil Defense, which was tasked by President Duterte to consolidate donations for COVID-19 contingency programs. The balance of 150 went to the state-run Philippine General Hospital to be used by healthcare
workers. PGH was designated by the health department as a hospital for caring of COVID-19 patients. “I’m pleased to be able to hand over these new cots, on behalf of the U.S. government, to our Philippine partners. We stand together with the Philippines, as both of our nations work to save lives and protect our people in the fight against COVID-19,” ambassador Sung Kim said in a statement on Friday. The embassy said Kim turned over the folding beds to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and civil defense administrator Ricardo Jalad. The latest assistance came on
top of $4 million, or nearly P204 million, in health assistance given earlier by the U.S. to address the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, which has so far infected 4,076 people, 203 of whom died as of Thursday afternoon. The threat of COVID-19 spread halted what could be the Philippines’ last joint military training— known as Balikatan— with the U.S. after President Duterte unilaterally abrogated the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between Manila and Washington last February. Unless otherwise replaced with another pact or renegotiated, VFA will cease to operate by Au-
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How small Fil-Am businesses are nourishing...
PAGE A3 t ers as well as anyone with little to no access to food and nutrition. So far, Lokels Only is working with 11 local vendors to prepare these care packages “We have to make the best and utilize our platform for everybody who’s involved so why not partake in also donating to the frontlines and people at risk or people who can’t get meals who are affected by the economy right now,” Alcantara shared with the Asian Journal in a phone interview. The project began as a call to social media for individual donations of $8: one donation means one meal to go out to someone who needs it. This opened the floodgates with hospitals, shelters and other community organizers looking to get involved in the project. The efforts of Lokels Only has amounted in about 130 meals donated thus far and as the outbreak continues to upend people’s lives, Alcantara is looking to continue the project to ensure that they are taking care of as
many front-liners as possible. Aside from fostering a collaborative charity effort, Alcantara also noted that by giving back in all the possible ways people can, it cultivates positivity in a time where news headlines and death tolls can strip all sense of hope. “For us, our mission has always been about community, from day 1,” Alcantara shared. “We have to persevere, and we have to show that the situation is not gonna get the best of us and we’ve also got to figure it out in the right way. We’ve got to find some footing to stand on, which gives us normalcy. We’re still continuing to have that slice of life.” The ways in which Maravilla, de la Cruz, and Alcantara have maximized their resources and energy is indicative of the entrepreneurial spirit that feels almost inherent within the Filipino immigrant identity. Both business owners acknowledged the determination ingrained within second-generation FilAms stemmed from generations past.
In many ways, Filipinos were built to withstand adversity and to optimize the moment in order to breakthrough. De La Cruz and Maravilla pointed out two important moments in their careers as small business owners: for de La Cruz it was in late 2018 during a tumultuous transition period in her business and for Maravilla, it was the struggles she faced during her first year as a business owner. Both acknowledged that after those difficulties, they feel like they and their businesses could weather anything, including this current outbreak. “For anyone who is going through anything, whether it’s all of us going through these dark times together or anyone going through some real struggles, there is an end to it. There’s an eventual end and this, what we’re going through, is not going to be life for us for the rest of time,” de la Cruz said. “There’s going to be an end, and once that happens, we’ll be ready and we just need to keep on going.” n
Fil-Am front-liners in the East Coast perish...
PAGE A1 t unreported, it is hard to get an accurate figure. Dr. Leo dela Cruz, CarePoint (Christ) Hospital (Jersey City Among the doctors who have perished due to the coronavirus is Dr. Leo dela Cruz, a physician from Jersey City. He treated COVID-19 patients at CarePoint Hospital (formerly Christ Hospital) in Jersey City. died on Tuesday at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, New Jersey. Dela Cruz, a geriatric psychiatrist, has been a low-key member in the community. He was a board member of Jersey Citybased community organization Pan American Concerned Citizens Action League (PACCAL). Araceli Buendia Ilagan, Jackson Memorial Hospital (Miami, FL) Araceli Buendia Ilagan, a 63year-old ICU nurse, was the first Filipino American nurse reported to die from complications of COVID-19. She worked at Jackson Memorial Hospital for 33 years, treating some of the hospital’s most critically ill patients. She started developing the symptoms on March 24, while working a shift. Three days later, she died. “During her long and storied career, she also mentored and trained other nurses, and was a champion for the profession,” a statement released by JMH said. “As we battle this global public health crisis, caregivers throughout the world are bravely serving on the frontlines, often putting their patients’ lives before theirs. These medical professionals — people like Araceli — are the true heroes, and we salute them all.” Daisy Doronila, Hudson County Jail (Kearny, NJ) Daisy Doronila, a nurse at the Hudson County jail in Kearny died on Sunday, April 5 of complications related to the coronavirus. Doronila worked at the county jail for more than two decades. She was initially diagnosed by her private doctor with strep throat and was admitted to a hospital later on after developing fever and dry cough. Eight days later, she was on a ventilator fighting for her life, her daughter posted on Facebook. A single mom who lived in Nutley, Doronila recently celebrated her 60th birthday. In a tweet, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy honored Doronila for her service to the state as “she gave tirelessly to her family
Araceli Buendia Ilagan
Daisy Doronila
Divina ‘Debbie’ Accad
Noel Sinkiat
and community.” Divinia ‘Debbie’ Accad, Detroit VA Medical Center (Detroit, MI) Divinia Accad, a long-time nurse at the VA’s John D. Dingell Medical Center in Detroit, died Monday, April 6 of complications related to COVID-19. The 72-year old nurse was hospitalized with pneumonia and spent 11 days at a Taylor hospital before she died. Her son Mark Accad said he hopes her death raises awareness of the risks that health care workers face during the pandemic. “She sacrificed her life for our troops. I want my mom to be known for what she did,” Accad told the Free Press. Noel Sinkiat, Howard University Hospital (Washington, D.C) Noel Sinkiat was a year away from retirement from his job at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C, where he had worked for 41 years. The 64-year-old Sinkiat is the second known Fil-Am nurse in the U.S. and the first member of the 155,000-member of National Nurses United to fall victim to the coronavirus. “It was so fast,” Lourdes Gerardo, Sinkiat’s wife, told the Washington Post. The couple had just returned from a trip to the Philippines where they celebrated a reunion with classmates from his high school. He went back to work
Dr. Leon Dela Cruz
and did his usual 12-hour shift at Howard. Sinkiat began experiencing flu-like symptoms on March 22, which he initially thought was his allergies acting up. He went to an urgent care facility near their home in Olney, Maryland where he was tested for COVID-19 his wife told The Post. The result came back positive after he died. His wife brought him to a hospital on March 27, with his health rapidly deteriorating. Doctors had to intubate him within an hour, his heart failed and they could not resuscitate him, according to SF Gate. (Momar G. Visaya/AJPress)
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Fil-Am supporters lament end of Bernie... PAGE A1 t But that was until Wednesday, April 8 when the senator announced that he would be suspending his presidential campaign, just shy of four months before the Democratic National Convention in August. “My reaction to Bernie suspending his campaign was sadness. Bernie was the last presidential candidate of any party that was pushing for real relief (money) for people today, health care for all, immigrant justice, [and] canceling student debt,” Levid said. “We are in crisis and the one candidate that reflected and fought for our needs ended his bid. It matters what arenas of power our needs are being echoed in.” Sanders — whose early momentum appeared to put him on track to secure the party’s nomination — acknowledged in his remarks that he trails behind former Vice President Joe Biden by some 300 delegates and that the “path toward victory is virtually impossible.” For Michael Milan, a regional director for the California Democratic Party based in the Coachella Valley, the progressive lawmaker seemed “the most aligned to the priorities of Filipino Americans in 2020.” “This movement was not about Senator Sanders. It was about all of us moving the progressive needle left. I do personally believe that [he] was entirely a viable candidate, especially in light of how well he performed in very large states with considerable Filipino American populations like Nevada and California, and that his campaign could be taken seriously. With the political climate today, he could have made a run for the presidency and won,” Milan said. Despite triumphing in major states like Nevada, California, Utah and Colorado and grabbing a significant share of the delegate pool, the senator’s news came as the coronavirus pandemic has pushed back upcoming primaries contests and continues to upend
the daily lives of Americans. “I could not in good conscience continue to mount a campaign that cannot not win and which would interfere with the important work required by all of us in this difficult hour,” Sanders added. Stephanie Quilao, a 2016 California delegate for Sanders who runs the Twitter account @ Bern_Identity with over 36,000 followers, wrote a thread about why the senator garnered support from voters like her across the country. “Berners, I know a lot of you look to me for comfort with pep talks but [to be honest] today I don’t have it,” she wrote on Wednesday.” But what I do have is acknowledgment — a recognition that you’re feeling a spectrum of emotion right now from sadness and heartbreak to rage and even apathy.” Quilao continued, “For many, Bernie was the first politician in our life where we not just got politically involved, we got emotionally involved. It was the first time we put our heart + soul into a campaign that was beyond the candidate and about a cause for the higher good of ALL.” Sanders’ exit now leaves Biden as the presumptive Democratic nominee, whom the senator regarded as “a very decent man who I will work with to move our progressive ideas forward.” With Sanders remaining on the ballot in forthcoming primary contests, including New York, many supporters plan to still vote for him to get more delegates ahead of the party convention. This will give the ability to “exert significant influence over the party platform and other functions,” the senator said. Christine Reinheimer, a Pinay supporter from Missouri, said that the senator’s exit felt like a loss but her “admiration for him continues.” She said she will vote blue in November nevertheless for the bigger goal of defeating President Donald Trump.
“I am still planning on voting against Trump, but it feels like choosing the lesser evil. The future still seems bleak either way and I hope we can find more stability someday where we actually want the best for each other without animosity,” Reinheimer said. Salazar said he will join fellow supporters in calling on Biden to appeal to more progressive voters and bring in the issues that drew them to Sanders’ campaign in the first place. It’s a start from Biden as he announced proposals on Thursday to lower Medicare eligibility to age 60 and forgives student debt for low-income and middle-class families. “There is a lot of momentum from organizations and individuals who supported Bernie to call on Joe Biden to take on the strong progressive policies that Bernie was advocating for,” Salazar said. “I think Joe Biden is going to need the progressive base to win in November…because if he doesn’t do that, he’s not going to win.” In addition to the progressive values, Milan said the vice president’s campaign should recognize the strength of the Fil-Am electorate and include what is most pressing for them. “It is important that Biden is open to including the Filipino American voice in the greater conversation. He’s got to make sure that our perspective is considered in the platform if he wants to capture our votes and support,” Milan said. But for some supporters like Levid, they recognize that they can’t rely solely on the country’s top seat for these changes. “Bernie suspended his campaign mere days ago and so much organizing for the issues he stands for continues…The organizing has not and will not stop,” Levid said. “Our needs won’t be fulfilled in the presidential arena. It was never ours to begin with. We will continue to carve out our own.” n
Health chief: PH has one of lowest virus ...
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Adrien Salazar (center) was joined by fellow supporters during a #FilipinosforBernie grassroots event in Oakland ahead of Super Tuesday last March. Contributed photo
Darrick V. Tan, Esq. Licensed in California for over 17 years Licensed in Nevada for over 12 years* UCLA, Bachelor of Arts, Political Science with Cum Laude honors Southwestern University Law School, Juris Doctor Admitted to U.S. District Court, Central District of California Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association Member, Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles Former Member, Board of Governors, Philippine American Bar Association *Inactive
PAGE A1 t Rodrigo Duterte. “Ito ay nagsasalamin ng mga desisyon na ginawa ng ating mahal na Pangulo. Ito ‘yung ating absolute travel restriction na binaba ng ating Pangulo doon sa mga manggalgaling sa bansang China noong Pebrero. Pangalawa ay ang lockdown o enhanced community quarantine (This reflects the decisive measures ordered by the President, which is the absolute travel restriction to China and the enhanced community quarantine imposed over Luzon),” he said. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire previously said that the country’s testing capacity must first stabilize before the “true picture” of the COVID-19 pandemic could be determined. As of April 7, there are at least 10 laboratories nationwide capable of conducting coronavirus tests, and at least 69 more labs
Workers install beds at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, which was converted into a quarantine facility. The center can house 294 COVID-19 patients. ManilaTimes.net photo by Michelle Alquinto
are being prepared to fully handle tests. Mass testing is expected to begin on April 14, however the DOH stressed that mass testing would still be for patients under investigation, symptomatic persons under monitoring, and high-risk
patients, such as health workers, pregnant women, and those with other medical conditions (e.g. cancer and diabetes). As of press time, the number of COVID-19 cases in the country has reached 4,195, with 221 fatalities and 140 recoveries. n
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Google report shows how Filipinos LA increases measures on workplace protection... practiced social distancing measures PAGE A1 t
by ChristiA
MArie Inquirer.net
rAMos
WITH the entire Luzon placed under quarantine to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Google has released a report showing how Filipinos responded to the social distancing guidelines issued by the government. Google said it prepared its COVID-19 Community Mobility Report to help the public as well as health officials “understand responses to social distancing guidance related to COVID-19.” The company, however, stressed that its report should not be used for medical diagnostic, prognostic, or treatment purposes. According to Google’s report, Filipinos have reduced their trips to places like restaurants, cafes, shopping centers, theme parks, museums, libraries, and movie theaters by 81 percent. Filipinos have also cut back on trips to public transport hubs such as subway, bus, and train stations by 82 percent. The Google report, which was released on March 29, also showed that Filipinos have reduced trips to grocery stores and pharmacy by more than half or by 59 percent.
This trips include going to grocery markets, food warehouses, farmers markets, specialty food shops, drug stores, and pharmacies. Trips to places like national parks, public beaches, marinas, dog parks, plazas, and public gardens have also been reduced by 59 percent. Filipinos, meanwhile, have reduced trips to workplaces by 54 percent. The report from Google also showed an increase of mobility in places of residence which increased by 26 percent. “These reports show how visits and length of stay at different places change compared to a baseline. We calculate these changes using the same kind of aggregated and anonymized data used to show popular times for places in Google Maps,” Google said in its report. The report used aggregated, anonymized data to chart movement trends over time by geography, across different high-level categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential, according to Google. Monitored by Google for the report were mobility trends for the
said locations from February 16 to March 29, 2020. “We calculate these insights based on data from users who have opted-in to Location History for their Google Account, so the data represents a sample of our users. As with all samples, this may or may not represent the exact behavior of a wider population,” Google explained. It stressed that the report was developed while adhering to stringent privacy protocols and policies. “People who have Location History turned on can choose to turn it off at any time from their Google Account and can always delete Location History data directly from their Timeline,” the company added. Google, however, did not indicate the specific locations covered by the report. President Rodrigo Duterte earlier placed the entire Luzon under an enhanced community quarantine as the number of COVID-19 cases in the country continued to increase. The quarantine became effective on March 17. Under the enhanced community quarantine, which was extended until April 30, mass transport systems and non-essential travel
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Twitter suspends accounts defending Duterte’s COVID-19 response – report by Krissy
AguilAr Inquirer.net
TWITTER has suspended accounts defending President Rodrigo Duterte under hashtags in support of the government’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response. “Hundreds of accounts” were in violation of the social media platform’s manipulation and spam policies, according to a report from The Washington Post on Thursday, April 9. Quoting Twitter, the report
said behaviors that violate Twitter’s rules on spam include posting “duplicate” content across multiple accounts, creating multiple accounts and sending large numbers of unsolicited replies or mentions. Under Twitter’s rules and policies on platform manipulation and spam, it is said that the platform may not be used if it is “intended to artificially amplify or suppress information or engage in behavior that manipulates or disrupts people’s experience.”
This policy prohibits misleading others by “operating fake accounts” which engage in “spamming, abusive or disruptive behavior.” Several hashtags in support and of dissent to the President recently climbed the top trending topics on Twitter Philippines following his late night public addresses on COVID19. These include #OustDuterte, #IStandWithThePresident, #ICantStandThePresident and #OursDuterte. n
US donates Balikatan beds to Philippines’...
PAGE A3 t nancial assistance from the U.S. gust when the 180-day period of in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, data showed. notification would have expired. The U.S. also provided fiAmong its Southeast Asian neighbors, the Philippines re- nancial assistance to Camboceived the largest amount of fi- dia worth $2 million, Indonesia
($2.3 million), Laos (nearly $2 million), Myanmar ($3.8 million), Thailand ($1.2 million) and Vietnam (nearly $3 million) to support their fight against the deadly virus. n
provide a “clean and sanitary restroom” and allow workers to wash their hands every 30 minutes as well as proper physical distancing measures that protect workers, employers, and customers. Customers, notably, are now required to also wear face coverings when they enter these businesses, Garcetti added. “If you’re shopping for groceries, picking up your prescription or visiting any other essential business you will need to cover your face, and if you’re not covering your face by Friday morning an essential business can refuse you service,” he said in his Tuesday address. The mayor also pointed out the massive community efforts among hospitals to ensure that more hospital beds, ventilators, and drive-thru testing are available to Angelenos. Garcetti noted that, if Los Angeles were an independent state, the City of LA would be ranked fourth in the number of tests provided per capita just behind New York, Louisiana and Washington. But LA County would be “in the middle of that pack” and vowed to increase the number of testing available throughout the county. “We still have a way to walk together, and I need your help. We need every community to understand that this will affect you. To every person, even if you’re young, this will find you and kill you or a loved one, and no matter what community you live in or come from, this is a threat to you,” Garcetti added. Condemning anti-Asian racism Throughout this crisis, LA Mayor Eric Garcetti has made it his sole duty to help Angelenos adjust to this new normal, delivering virtual daily updates and pontificating on the importance of solidarity among all the communities within LA County. The disturbing reports of increased discrimination and harassment towards members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community have underscored the overall tension and fragility of this outbreak as well as the lack of knowledge many have about how viruses are spread. The COVID-19 virus was named so because it was first identified in December 2019 in the Hubei region of China and has since spread to nearly every continent, upending society on a literally global level. Viral videos and police reports have shown that AAPIs have been beaten, spat at, verbally harassed
and shut out of businesses as a response to the virus Because of its known roots in China, and United States’ history of discriminating against the AAPI community during public health crises, more members of the AAPI community have been targeted in acts of discrimination, and there is a credible link between the usage of popular misnomers like “Chinese virus” and the rise anti-Asian sentiments. In response to the rise of antiAsian sentiments, Garcetti affirmed the fear AAPIs may be
facing during this time and encouraged all victims to report all instances of discrimination to the LA Police Department. “Report these hate crimes because they are crimes, and there is no place in our city for discrimination,” Garcetti said. “This is a virus, this is a health crisis. It could start anywhere in the world, and it doesn’t matter where it started. What matters is that it is now across the world and we are all fighting it and fighting it together.” (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)
A6 APRIL 11-14, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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O PINION New heroes
FEATURES
WE honor the heroes of Bataan and World War II today as the country wages a new war that is creating a new breed of heroes. In the last stand of the defenders of Bataan, selflessness and service to the nation marked the actions of the heroes who are being honored today, Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor. In this period of a killer pandemic, Filipinos feel pride in seeing thousands of people on the frontlines of a war against an unseen enemy, the coronavirus disease 2019. The courage and determination are there, despite awareness that COVID-19 is highly contagious and there is still no vaccine or cure. Doctors, nurses and other health professionals account for an inordinate number of people who have succumbed to COVID-19 in this country, and those who are infected or are suspected to have the coronavirus. Yet they continue to soldier on, despite the inadequacy of personal protective equipment, the long work hours, and the harrowing presence of the sick and the dying in their midst. Also in the COVID-19 frontlines are the uniformed personnel who are entrusted with the complex task of enforcing the enhanced community quarantine. The men and women of the police and military carry out their often thankless duties
with even less personal protective equipment than the health workers; many of them have since fallen ill. The nation honors the heroes of Bataan through this annual remembrance. We can honor the frontline heroes of the pandemic not just by extolling them on multimedia and through music, but by donating what we can to give them better protection, and by sparing them from discrimination and harassment. The best way to honor the new heroes is by helping to ensure that this public health crisis ends as soon as possible. This requires staying at home as much as possible, wearing protective masks and observing physical distancing, and cooperating with other measures to contain the pandemic. People have lost jobs and livelihoods due to the COVID-19 threat; personal sacrifices during the quarantine can be considered as heroic deeds. There is a hero within each of us, ready to sacrifice so the nation can heal as one. (Philstar.com)
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
The origin, meaning and tradition of Easter: What is the significance of this holiday to you?
The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS FOR us Catholic Christians, Easter means the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after His agony and death in the cross — the fulfillment of the prophecy in the scriptures that the Messiah will come and live among us — the Son of the living God who would be the savior of man from sins. This religious tradition is very much alive in the Filipino culture, so much so that the Holy Week — or Semana Santa as we know it back home — has been one of the most important time of the year when we are called to reflect on the life and passion and resurrection of Jesus, and renew our covenant with Him in faith by repenting our sins and living a new life following God’s Way, Truth and Light as exemplified by Jesus’ life and teachings on earth. Encyclopedia Britannica says “the English word Easter, which parallels the German word Ostern, is of uncertain origin. One view, expounded by the Venerable Bede in the 8th century, was that it derived from Eostre, or Eostrae, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring
and fertility.” Meanwhile, he Latin and Greek Pascha (“Passover”) provides the root for Pâques, the French word for Easter. As we know as Christians, Easter follows Lent, which the Britannica defines as the 40-day period (not counting Sundays) before Easter, which is traditionally observed by acts of penance and fasting. “Easter is immediately preceded by Holy Week, which includes Maundy Thursday, the commemoration of Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples; Good Friday, the day of his crucifixion; and Holy Saturday, the transition between Crucifixion and Resurrection.” If you are familiar with the Filipino tradition of “salubong,” then you will be able to relate this to the liturgical timing of Easter, which “comes after the Great Vigil — originally observed sometime between sunset on Easter Saturday and sunrise on Easter Sunday. Later it would be celebrated in Western churches on Saturday evening, then on Saturday afternoon, and finally on Sunday morning.” The Britannica says, “that practice may derive from the Gospel narrative of Jesus’ Resurrection,
which states that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb “while it was still dark” (John 20:1) or as dawn was breaking (Matthew 28:1 and Luke 24:1). It is a service of jubilation that takes place as the sun rises to dispel the darkness. The early Sunday morning for us in the Motherland, at the dawning of the new day, is when the image of the risen Christ meets with the image of the Blessed Mother Mary (“salubong” or to meet or come together), following two separate processions that culminate in Church. Church bells toll, people are awakened and join in the prayers and processions. Other traditions outside of the Christian experience include the Easter bunny and Easter eggs. So if we look at all these symbols, they all lead to the celebration of a new life — dawn, resurrection, new life; Easter being celebrated in spring which follows the dead of winter, new life; Easter eggs = new life; Easter bunny = prolific, brings forth new life. What is the significance of Easter to our everyday life, especially during these troubled times we all live in? Pope Francis shared prayers
Think positive
Street Talk GREG B. MACABENTA HOPEFULLY, none of our readers is positive for COVID-19. Nonetheless, I suggest that each one of us should think positively — meaning, we should consider ourselves positive for the disease. If that doesn’t make sense, believe me, it’s one effective way to prevent the spread of COVID-19. If we consider ourselves as possible carriers of the virus, this will remind us to strictly observe social distancing, and thus prevent us from infecting others, in case we are actually infected but are unaware of it (asymptomatic). This also prevents those who are positive, from passing on the virus to us. The coronavirus is like a mole, an undercover spy, in a high-security facility. No one knows who the mole is, although it is apparent that there is a security leak and it is being caused by someone. How to expose the mole? In a real-life spy search, as a first step, you should consider everyone a suspect. Then, you pretend to confide a “top secret information” (actually, a red herring) to one suspect. You then whisper a different version of the “secret” to a second suspect — and still another version to a third suspect
— and so on. At the end of this process, you will have confided a different version of the ostensibly top-secret information to each of several suspects. You can then easily trace the source of a specific variation of the information, should there be a leak. The mole can be identified through the process of elimination. Unfortunately, identifying a COVID-19 carrier is different from exposing a spy because, in this case, until testing is conducted, everyone should be considered a suspected carrier, including yourself. Thus, it is best to “think positive.” In other words, to consider yourself positive for the virus. This is important because the two deadly characteristics of COVID-19 are its high transmissibility (it is highly infectious), and the seemingly mild symptoms that are initially apparent (like the symptoms of an ordinary cold or cough or even the flu). Note, however, that being infected with COVID-19 is not necessarily a death sentence. In fact, the majority of those infected recover. That’s the good news. The bad news is that because the incubation period of the virus can vary from a few days to two weeks, you could, in fact, be a carrier without ever being aware of it. You could also unknowingly pass it on to someone else. What could also happen is that,
when your pulmonary system has already been overrun by the virus, it could be too late. You may have already infected others before you can be quarantined. Tragically, those you infect could be people you love. To minimize the possibility of any of this happening, it is best to think positive. The sick joke is that COVID19 is a “democratic disease.” It is non-discriminatory, it does not distinguish between rich or poor, male or female, young or old, famous or a mere face in the crowd. Such lofty personalities as Prince Charles of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Monaco have been found positive, as well as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson; Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; Hollywood superstar Tom Hanks; and CNN host-commentator Chris Cuomo, younger brother of New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo. It was initially reported that the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the virus mainly because, like an old jalopy, older people are no longer in tip-top condition and are not as resistant to illness as the young. However, reports from New York City, which has become the epicenter of COVID19, reveal that more than half of the thousands found positive are from 18 to 49 years old. In fact,
and messages that may help us toward our “new life” in Jesus Christ. “It is not the time of your judgement, but of our judgement: a time to choose what matters and what passes away, a time to separate what is necessary from what is not. It is a time to get our lives back on track with regard to you, Lord, and to others.” “Jesus tells us: ‘I am the resurrection and the life’... have faith. Amid grief, continue to have faith, even when it seems that death has won. Let the Word of God restore life where there is death”. “The Lord does justice for the innocent woman, forgives the sinner, condemns the corrupt ones, helps the hypocrites convert themselves. Each of us has our own story, our own sins. Let us look at the Lord who does justice, but who is also extremely merciful. “ “When we stand before the crucified Jesus, we see the depth of His love, which restores our dignity and sustains us.” “‘If you remain in my Word, you will indeed be my disciples’(Jn 8:31). The disciple is someone who is free because he or she remains in the Lord. To remain in
the Lord means allowing oneself to be guided by the Holy Spirit.” “May our Christian existence be like that of our father Abraham: aware of having been chosen, joyful in moving toward a promise, and faithful in fulfilling the covenant.” “This astonishes us: God saved us by taking upon himself all the punishment of our sins. Without complaining, but with the humility, patience and obedience of a servant, and purely out of love.” “The Father upheld Jesus in his service. He did not take away the evil that crushed him, but rather strengthened him in his suffering so that our evil could be overcome by good, by a love that loves to the very end.” “Jesus experienced total abandonment in a situation he had never before experienced in order to be one with us in everything. He did it for me, for you, to say to us: ‘Do not be afraid, you are not alone. I experienced all your desolation in order to be ever close to you.’” “God saved us by serving us. We often think we are the ones who serve God. No, he is the one who freely chose to serve us, for he loved us first. It is difficult to
love and not be loved in return. And it is even more difficult to serve if we do not let ourselves be served by God.” “The tragedy we are experiencing summons us to take seriously the things that are serious, and not to be caught up in those that matter less; to rediscover that life is of no use if not used to serve others. For life is measured by love.” “Gaze upon the outstretched arms of Christ crucified, let yourself be saved over and over again.” “By ourselves, we cannot remove the dust that sullies our hearts. Only Jesus, who knows and loves our heart, can heal it. #Lent is a time of healing.” HE IS RISEN! Let us rise in God’s love. HAPPY EASTER! ***
in the U.S., an infant was among the recent fatalities. And athletes, like NBA star Kevin Durant, have been found positive. Health care workers, particularly doctors and nurses, have also been infected — and hundreds have died. In an earlier column, I pointed out that Filipino doctors and nurses are on the coronavirus frontlines in large numbers, the Philippines being one of the world’s main exporters of healthcare professionals. Policemen and members of the military have been among the first responders to the coronavirus pandemic around the world, and this includes the Philippines. They have been tasked with ensuring public compliance with national lockdowns and social distancing directives. However, many of them have been sent to the frontlines without the necessary protective gear. I, frankly, fear for the members of the Philippine National Police and other public servants whose responsibility is the safety of the citizenry, even while they themselves are exposed to the disease. I also fear for their families whom they could infect. Now, at the risk of sounding flippant, I should point out that there are certain “positive” aspects of the pandemic. And I really mean positive, as in, something beneficial resulting from this crisis. I understand that the horrible Manila traffic problem, which authorities had given up trying
to solve, has practically vanished. This has also resulted in cleaner air in Metro Manila, as it has been noted in other smog-afflicted cities of the world, like Los Angeles and New York. A nephew posted on Facebook video footage of him driving up EDSA at a fast clip. The last time I visited Manila, my driver and I were literally crawling along EDSA. As a member of the executive committee of one of the largest Filipino-owned supermarket chains in the U.S. and Canada, I noted the consensus that the pandemic may have significantly changed the buying habits of consumers — a trend that forwardlooking businesspeople should prepare for. I was impressed with the proactive way that the company’s management has responded to these changes. Amazon, which risked billions of dollars on the concept of online retail marketing, has benefited greatly from the pandemic. The traditional brick-and-mortar retail outlets have had to take notice, much more than they did during the holiday season, when Amazon took away a lot of sales from them. The COVID-19 crisis has made the importance of online selling a stark reality. Home deliveries of meals and groceries by restaurants and supermarkets, a relatively new concept in technologically advanced America, may have become a permanent service offering as a result of the pandemic.
My grandchildren, most of whom are in the grades, have also begun to adjust to online learning because schools have remained closed in the U.S. And Facetime has also made bonding with the kids possible in spite of the forced isolation. Of course, this has also exposed a digital divide in America, with poorer families being unable to afford computers and Wi-Fi connections. This digital divide is probably more acutely experienced in the Philippines. Finally, some friends have observed that the work-from-home regimen in Manila has resulted in husbands getting to know their families again, especially their children. While this situation does not necessarily apply in the U.S., where husbands usually go home early and spend time with their wives, or risk a divorce. Pinoy husbands are notorious for hanging out with the barkada (friends) after office hours and enjoying “one for the road” — that, aside from maintaining a second or even a third family. The lockdown decreed by the Philippine government has resulted in a virtual “house arrest” for erstwhile gallivanting Pinoy husbands, resulting in family bonding. In this connection, a friend jestingly asked, “What about those who have more than one house?” My response: “Ask Erap.” (gregmacabenta@hotmail. com)
Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos.
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 11-14, 2020
Dateline PhiliPPines
Año urges Filipinos to reflect on helping in fight vs COVID-19 by Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
The Philippine Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Friday, April 10, urged Filipinos to reflect on how they can help the government in addressing the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country. “Let this Lenten Season be a time for us to reflect on how we can all be part of the solution and what we can do, in our own little ways, to help the frontliners and the government alleviate the plight of those who are most affected by COVID-19,” said Interior Secretary eduardo Año. he added, “May this season also be a time for gratitude as we seek God’s special protection and guidance for our frontline workers who are risking their safety, health and their very lives to tend to the sick, maintain law, and ensure that food reaches our communities.” Año also urged everyone to pray for national and local government officials, especially barangay chairpersons, as well as COVID-19 patients. “Let us also pray for our national and local government offi-
A PROMISE TO GOD. Black Nazarene devotees flock outside the Quiapo Church on Quezon Boulevard in Manila on Good Friday (April 10, 2020). This, despite having an extended enhanced community quarantine in Luzon to stop the spread of COVID-19. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon
cials, especially our punong barangays (village chiefs), that they may address this crisis with urgency, wisdom, and compassion in the service of the people,” he said. “Ipanalangin po natin na kanilang malagpasan ang hamon na ito at ang kanilang lubusang paggaling (Let us pray for them to overcome this ordeal and for their quick recovery),” he added. Año expressed his hope that the country will rise again after
its fight with COVID-19. “In this Lenten Season and amid this ordeal will rise the distinct Filipino faith, the indomitable devotion of a nation that has weathered countless disasters with vigilance and prayer as their weapon,” he said. “We are easter people. Let us continue to have faith that this too shall pass as we look forward to a new beginning with renewed dedication, love, and commitment for our country and our people,” he added. n
World Bank extends fresh $500-M to Philippines’ crisis response by PRinz
Magtulis Philstar.com
MANILA — The World Bank has added to the Philippines’ fund pool to counter the impact of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) on the economy after the agency approved a $500-million loan to the government. In a statement, the Washingtonbased lender said the amount is a “risk management development policy loan,” which is primarily intended to help member countries cope with natural disasters, but can otherwise be used for other purposes. In this case, Manila’s latest loan, apart from strengthening disaster resiliency, is targeted to
“also support the urgent needs created by the COVID-19 crisis,” the lender said. “Natural disasters and pandemics disproportionately hurt poor families and communities. enhancing risk management and the capacity to address these challenges can help ensure that the Philippines can sustain progress in poverty reduction,” Achim Fock World Bank’s acting country director, said in the statement. The loan will be handed on a single tranche and payable for 29 years, with additional grace period of 10 and a half years. It will be charged an interest, although information on charges remain unclear. Loan negotiations started as
early as February, shortly after the Taal Volcano erupted in late January. This marked the third time the government tapped this type of financing from the World Bank, after 2012 and 2015. The last availment in 2015 was partly used to fund the reconstruction of areas damaged by typhoon Yolanda late in 2013. According to the World Bank, the new loan will also support key programs in disaster rehabilitation for both national and local governments. Planning and analysis for upcoming disasters can also be funded, including strengthening foundations of government buildings.
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A april 11-14, 2020 • la WEEKEND aSiaN JOUrNal
Dateline PhiliPPines
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Philippines early to adopt travel ban, lockdown but not first to do so
MANILA — In a televised meeting announced Wednesday, April 8 and aired past midnight on Thursday, government officials praised their own efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic, including travel bans and a “community quarantine” that is now also referred to as a lockdown. Saying he had not been a “Johnny-come-lately” in addressing the threat posed by COVID-19—at the time called 2019-nCoV—President Rodrigo Duterte highlighted the community quarantine of the National Capital Region and later of all of Luzon to show that the government had been on top of the situation from the start. “Ako ang pinakaunang lahat nag-lockdown kasi nasusundan ko na ang istorya,” he said. (I was the first among many SWAB BOOTH. Dr. Mary Kathleen Bartolome-Juangco (inside the booth), Quezon City General Hospital (QCGH) ENT chief, demonstrates some of the basic functions of the COVID-19 swab booth at the Quezon City General Hospital compound on Wednesday, April 8. A swab booth is to impose a lockdown because I used to take specimen to lessen the exposure of healthcare workers to droplets from people infected with the virus. It will also reduce the was following the story.) need for personal protective equipment. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler Duterte said he had studied different sources of information, including Facebook, to keep abreast of the developments on the pandemic. ‘Lockdowns’ elsewhere by ritchel Mendiola formal workers sector as pre- OFWs program, a program The quarantine in Hubei provAJPress sented are hereby approved,” that aims to provide relief to ince in China, which was in place since January 23, was lifted this THE Philippine Department he announced Tuesday, April migrant workers. DOLE said that the addi- week. of Labor and Employment will 7. In the Southeast Asian re“For this purpose, the IATF tional P5 billion it requested gion, Malaysia has been under be receiving P5 billion in additional funding for programs supports the approval and will help more workers af- a “Movement Control Order” restricting people to their homes designed to help formal sec- immediate release of the fected by the pandemic. Previously, the agency ex- since March 18 and Thailand betor workers affected by the requested budget by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) Department of Labor and pressed hope that it can pro- gan implementing a 10 p.m.-4 a.m. curfew only on April 3. Employment amounting to vide cash aid to more than pandemic. Indonesia declared a pub350,000 formal and informal lic health emergency on March The aid package for formal P5 billion,” he added. The additional fund will be sector workers by utilizing 31 and has issued an order for sector workers was approved by the Inter-Agency Task for DOLE’s COVID-19 Ad- the P1.5 billion budget ear- “large-scale social distancing,” Force (IATF) on the Manage- justment Measures Program lier allocated for CAMP and the Jakarta Post reports while Vietnam has implemented a twoment of Emerging Infectious (CAMP), a one-time P5,000 TUPAD. week ban on non-essential activi“Provided that the benefi- ties starting April 1. Diseases through Resolution assistance for affected formal Laos announced its own lockNo. 21 issued Monday, April workers; Tulong Panghanap- ciaries of the aforementioned 6, according to Cabinet Sec- buhay sa ating Displaced/ shall be separate and distinct down on March 29. In Europe, Italy announced a Disadvantaged Workers (TU- from those already covered retary Karlo Nograles. lockdown on March 9 and Spain “The recommendations of PAD), an emergency employ- by social amelioration pro- issued a “general confinement the Department of Labor and ment program for displaced grams by other agencies of order” on March 14, Deutshe Employment for the social workers; and the Abot Kamay the national government,” Welle reports. France announced “a strict naamelioration program for the ang Pagtulong (AKAP) sa Nograles said. n tionwide lockdown on March 17, banning all public gatherings and telling residents to stay inside except for grocery shopping and other essential tasks,” DW also as well as access to essential ser- we don’t recommend using this reports. A similar ban has been PAGE A5 t vices,” Google said. data to compare changes between in place in Belgium since March have been suspended. “Location accuracy and the un- countries, or between regions 18. “We include categories that are derstanding of categorized places with different characteristics,” it Philippines’ travel ban useful to social distancing efforts varies from region to region, so added. n Peace advisor Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the National Action Plan against COVID-19, added: “Nakita natin na maganda ang naging desisyon ng ating mahal na Pangulo na tayo ang pinakauna na nagkaroon ng tinatawag nating ‘yung travel ban sa mga bansa na nagkaroon ng COVID cases.” (We see that our beloved president’s decision to be the first to implement a travel ban on nations that have had COVID cases was a good one) Galvez said that the Philippines is reaping the good results of that “hard decision, desperate decision.” But the Philippines was not the
IATF approves release of P5 billion aid for workers
Google report shows how Filipinos...
first to do so and calls for a travel ban had been mounting even before the government announced a ban, which initially only covered travelers from Wuhan City and Hubei province, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak at the time. Timeline of the Philippines’ travel ban • January 22: Rep. Rozzano Rufino Biazon (Muntinlupa) asks the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines to suspend direct flights from Wuhan, China to Kalibo, Aklan. On the said day, the new pathogen had infected at least 315 people and had killed at least six. • January 23: The central China province of Hubei, where COVID-19 ground zero Wuhan City is located, is placed on lockdown. This effectively suspends flights and trains into and out of the city. • On the same day, the Civil Aeronautics Board says it would suspend all flights to and from Wuhan. • January 24: Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval says the bureau “has been denying applications for [visas upon arrival] for tour groups who will be flying in from Wuhan, following the announcement of the Civil Aeronautics Board to suspend all direct flights from Wuhan to the Philippines.” VUA is a privilege for easier into the Philippines by tour groups and chartered flights. • January 28: The Bureau of Immigration says it will suspend the issuance of visa upon arrival granted to Chinese tourists, in an effort to “slow down the influx of group tours.” • Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente however said that there was otherwise no order barring Chinese nationals from entering the country. • January 30: Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the Philippines can ban flights from China, “because of the safety of our countrymen,” but would not do so yet. • “Unang-una, wala tayong iba-ban, hindi naman sila darating (In the first place, there is nobody to ban because they will not be arriving),” he said in the briefing. • January 31: Panelo announces that the Philippines is imposing a travel ban on Chinese nationals coming from Hubei and other places in China with COVID-19 cases. • “Upon the recommendation of [Health] Secretary Francisco Duque, the President has issued a travel ban to Chinese nationals coming from the Hubei province of China where the nCoV originated, as well as in other places in China where there is a spread of the disease,” he says in a statement. • On the same day, the Health department announces the first COVID-19 case in the country—a 38-year-old Chinese woman who arrived from Wuhan City on January 21.
• February 2: The Philippines expands travel ban to mainland China and its special administrative regions Hong Kong and Macau. The Philippines’ travel ban on China and its SARs briefly included Taiwan but the government has since reversed that decision. The ban on travel to China by Overseas Filipino Workers and students has also been relaxed. Marshall Islands was the first to close its borders US-based global think tank Council of Foreign Relations listed the Republic of Marshall Islands as the first country to impose an entry ban on travelers from China. In a release dated January 24, the Ministry of Health and Human Services of the Republic of the Marshall Islands said travelers coming from, and transiting through, China “must spend at least 14 days in a country not affected” by COVID-19. If the traveler arrives in the Republic within the 14 days, entry will be denied. “No exceptions.” A report from Reuters said North Korea closed off its borders from its neighbor China on January 25. Hong Kong closed its borders to residents of and travelers from Hubei province on January 27. The ban did not cover Hong Kong residents. Singapore imposes travel ban on January 29 Singapore’s Ministry of Health said that effective noon of January 29, “all new visitors with recent Hubei travel history within the last 14 days, or those with [People’s Republic of China] passports issued in Hubei, will not be allowed entry into Singapore, or transit through Singapore.” Singapore later expanded the ban to cover all new visitors with recent travel history to mainland China in the last 14 days at noon of February 1. Although it closed its borders early, Singapore only went into a lockdown this week after a jump in new infections in recent days. “Authorities previously resisted the kind of draconian measures seen in worse-hit countries – but have now ordered the closure of all businesses deemed non-essential as well as schools, and have asked people to stay home,” The New Straits Times reports. Several countries also imposed travel bans on January 30, according to the Council of Foreign Relations. These are Afghanistan, Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago. The Philippines meanwhile said it would ban the entry of Chinese nationals from Hubei province and other COVID-19 hit areas in China on January 31. There are currently 3,870 COVID-19 infections in the country. The fatality count stands at 182, while 96 patients have so far recovered. The government is eyeing the conduct of mass testing on April 14. (Kristine Joy Patag/Philstar. com)
Absent gov’t support, coronavirus seen to put 40% of new poor in East Asia and Pacific by Prinz
Magtulis Philstar.com
MANILA — Without social aid, the economic slump from the coronavirus global pandemic would likely wipe out three decades of gains in fighting poverty, with nearly half of new poor people coming from East Asia and the Pacific, a new study showed. The region, which includes the Philippines, could host “40% of the new poor” in a scenario of per capita income declining 5% and poverty threshold of $5.5 earnings a day, a working paper written for the Japan-based United Nations University said. In absolute values, that would mean an additional 97.6 million people sliding down back to poverty this year from 2018 levels, an indication of the scale of damage the health crisis poses on developing countries where healthcare systems come under strain from a rise in infections. “While these welfare impacts of COVID-19 pandemic could be overestimated, there is no doubt that the real outcomes will be dramatic across developing countries,” the 14-page paper authored by Andy Sumner, Chris Hoy and Eduardo Ortiz-Juarez stated.
The Philippines, specifically, is not expected to reach upper-middle income status this year, with economic managers resigned to a likelihood of a gross domestic product (GDP) contraction ranging from 0.6% estimated by the National Economic and Development Authority and a higher 1% by the finance department. The study used scenarios of 5%, 10% and 20% drop in per capita income, particularly showing that the deeper the economic plunge, the bigger the number of poor people across continents. The same was true as the poverty threshold rises from $1.9 a day to $5.5, putting a greater number of people at risk of turning poor with depreciated incomes. For instance, from 97.6 million new poor people in East Asia and the Pacific at 10% decrease in consumption, the number would more than double to 218.6 million under a 20% slump, the study showed. At the global level, the study said the spread of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), and the halt on consumption activity it brings, create a “real challenge” to economies in ending poverty by 2030 as targeted un-
der the UN Sustainable Development Goals. “Focusing on a contraction per capita income or consumption of 10%, poverty headcount rates could increase for the first time since 1990 in East Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean and South Asia...,” the study stated. The same level of consumption decline would “erase the progress” of Sub-Saharan Africa in eradicating extreme poverty in recent years. As it is, the region still suffers from “already high poverty levels.” While painting a bleak outlook, the study was clear that it did not take into account government interventions to “mitigate” the impact of the outbreak on the poor, and therefore can lower anticipated poverty levels as a result of COVID-19 disruptions. More than monetary incomes however, the study said greater ramifications are expected on human indicators such as infant and maternal mortality, as well as malnourishment. “The severity of effects will depend on how long the pandemic lasts, and on how the national governments and international community reacts,” it said. n
World Bank extends fresh $500-M... PAGE A7 t
The funds may also finance cash subsidies to the poor. “The World Bank has expressed its solidarity with the people of the Philippines and is working closely with the authorities to support action to address the unfolding COVID-19 emergency through financial support and just-in-time
technical assistance,” the lender said. The latest cash from the World Bank comes on top of its $100million loan to the health department last month for COVID-19 response. The loans form part of the agency’s $14-billion “fasttrack package” for developing countries fighting the global pan-
demic. The credit will also form part of the P1.1 trillion the Duterte government is currently raising to fund COVID-19 contingency programs. Excluding the latest World Bank loan, the sources of a total of P625.39 billion had been identified, including bond issuances and loans. n
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DOJ: Only disciplinary proceedings vs LGU officials halted, NBI probes will continue
MORE AID. A village personnel checks the name of the recipient of food aid from the government in Barangay Sacred Heart, Quezon City on Thursday, April 9. The continious food donation was due to the extended implementation of the enhanced community quarantine up to April 30. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler
Coronavirus survivors donate blood plasma to PGH MANILA — Three Filipinos who survived the coronavirus disease donated blood plasma to the Philippine General Hospital in a bid to help severely ill patients recover from the illness. Three “brave and healthy” COVID-19 survivors donated blood on Thursday, April 9, during the country’s commemoration of the Day of Valor, PGH spokesperson Jonas Del Rosario said on a Facebook post Friday, April 10. “They rose above the stigma and showed the world that their plasma is a gift of life,” he said. Currently, there is no vaccine and specific medicine to prevent or treat COVID-19. But experts have pointed to the potential benefits of plasma—a blood fluid—from recovered COVID19 patients who have developed antibodies to the virus enabling the body’s defenses to attack it. Convalescent plasma has also proven effective in small studies to treat infectious diseases including Ebola and SARS. PGH recently urged individuals who have been cleared of the
“Brave and healthy” COVID-19 survivors donated blood on Thursday, April 9, during the country’s commemoration of the Day of Valor. Photo courtesy of Jonas Del Rosario
illness to donate blood to help patients in severe condition. Those who want to donate blood may contact 155-200. The Philippines has so far reported 4,076 cases—207 of whom have died. At total of 124 people have recovered from the illness. (Gaea Katreena Cabico/ Philstar.com with report from Agence France-Presse)
Catholics, Muslims join in prayer vs pandemic MANILA — The nationwide observance of Holy Wednesday was not what Filipinos have been used to, but amid a lingering health crisis, its aim could not have been more timely: solidarity. Various religious groups across the country united in an online inter-faith prayer for health workers and other frontliners and for the healing of the nation from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Before the prayer proper, dubbed “Buklurang Panalangin ng Pagkakaisa Para Sugpuin ang COVID-19,” a Qur’an and a Bible were displayed on a podium, followed by church bells simultaneously pealing nationwide. A Facebook page, Dominus Est., said chaplains, priests, pastors and Ai’mah of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) also joined in the pealing of bells and in the prayers. Live-streamed on the official Facebook page of government-
run PTV starting at 3 p.m. yesterday, the inter-faith prayer saw a Muslim imam, a Catholic priest, a Protestant and an Aglipayan, among others, reading their respective prayers. Shortly after reading verses in the Qur’an and in the Bible, representatives from various groups read prayers for healthcare frontliners, for the Philippine National Police (PNP) and AFP, and for those afflicted with COVID-19. The groups comprising various religions prayed for the safety of the frontliners – to spare them from getting infected with the coronavirus and to give them knowledge and wisdom to come up with the treatment for COVID-19. The groups also prayed to spare from harm and to protect PNP, AFP and other security officers working double time in maintaining peace and order in the country amid the extended enhanced community quarantine. (Philstar.com)
First Philippine satellite signs off by Janvic
Mateo Philstar.com
THE first Filipino-built satellite has finally reentered the Earth’s atmosphere, officially ending its mission that has gone way beyond its original life expectancy. Initially expected to stay in orbit only for two years, Diwata-1 – the first microsatellite designed and developed by Filipinos – was launched into space in March 2016. It stayed in orbit for four years, sending back satellite images used for assessing impact of disasters, monitoring vegetation and bodies of water and observing weather patterns. On Monday, Diwata-1 was located close to the widely accepted boundary between outer space and the Earth’s atmosphere, according to the STAMINA4Space Program of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). At this point, it said the chances of successfully establishing contact with Diwata-1 are extremely low. “This, therefore, marks the official end of the mission lifetime of Diwata-1,” said the group. “Welcome back home!” Weighing 50 kilos, the microsatellite contains a wide field camera, a middle field camera, a high precision telescope and spaceborne multispectral imager. It was designed and built by a team of Filipino engineers with the support of Japan’s Tohoku University and Hokkaido University. The STAMINA4Space Program
Diwata-1 starts its four-year journey in this photo taken by astronaut Tim Peake in 2016. Ariston Gonzalez, satellite research and development engineer at the Department of Science and Technology, shared the image on Facebook on Monday, April 6. Philstar.com photo
said Diwata-1 has opened horizons of space to the Philippines. In 2018, the Philippines launched into space a second microsatellite named Diwata-2 and a smaller “nano” cube satellite named Maya-1. Last year, President Duterte signed a law creating the Philippine Space Agency. The DOST, in partnership with University of the Philippines, also opened a special nanosatellite engineering track for Master of Science and Master of Engineering programs to capacitate local researchers in satellite engineering. Major activities in the program would include the local development of cube satellites similar to Maya-1, space environment testing at Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan and the launch of the satellites via the International Space Station. n
MANILA — The National Bureau of Investigation will continue its probe into local government officials who may have violated the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said. This was after President Rodrigo Duterte suspended disciplinary proceedings against government officials amid the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine. Administrative Order No. 29 dated April 7 states that the suspension applies to all appeals, petitions for review, and administrative disciplinary cases filed against governors and members of the sangguniang panlalawigan, mayors, vice mayors, and members of the sangguniang panlungsod and presidential appointees. But Guevarra explained that the NBI is conducting investigations into matters that are criminal in nature, and not disciplinary cases where it has no jurisdiction. “The NBI is not engaged in disciplinary actions against government officials. Its mandate is to investigate crimes,” he said in a message to reporters. “The Bayanihan law... specifically directs the Department of the Interior and Local Government to file administrative cases, and the DOJ to investigate (through the NBI) and prosecute local government officials who wilfully violate or contravene
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra Philstar.com photo
the mandatory provisions of the Bayanihan law,” he added. Disciplinary proceedings halted In his order, Duterte noted that the mobility of people has been heavily restricted because of the quarantine, which took effect last March 17 and is supposed to end on April 30. “The reglementary periods for the commencement of appeals, petitions for review, and administrative disciplinary cases, filing of pleadings, appearances, motions, notices, and all other papers shall be deemed interrupted during the entire duration of the ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) until the
lifting thereof,” the order read. It however does not apply to urgent cases that are “necessary to enable the government to act expeditiously on matters affecting the current public health emergency.” NBI investigations On March 31, NBI Director Eric Distor mobilized bureau agents to look into possible violations of the Bayanihan law or RA 11469 committed by LGU officials. This was after Duterte told Congress in his weekly report that the “NBI is investigating and filing charges against local government officials who wilfully disregard, contravene, or violate national guidelines on community quarantine.” Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto is one of the local government officials facing a fact-finding probe by the bureau. NBI wrote to Sotto and asked him to explain “alleged violation of Section 6(a) of the Republic Act 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. (e.g. continuous tricycle operation).” But Sotto already said on March 19 that the Pasig local government will comply with national directives which include suspension of mass transportation across Luzon. RA 11469, meanwhile, was signed into law on March 24. Sotto filed his reply to the NBI on Tuesday, April 7. (Kristine Joy Patag/Philstar.com)
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New hope for maintaining status when attorney messed up Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ ON April 2, 2020, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that if an alien failed to maintain lawful status (or went out of status) as a result of his or her attorney messing up and missing a filing deadline or providing wrong advice, there could still be hope or relief for that alien: “When a non-citizen’s failure to maintain lawful status results from her reasonable reliance on the assistance of counsel, nothing more is needed to show that the failure [to maintain lawful status] has occurred “through no fault of [her] own.” In that particular case, an alien’s attorney had failed to properly file the paperwork necessary to obtain an extension of her lawful H-1B immigration status. As a result, the alien became “out of status.” When she later applied for a green card and adjustment of status, her adjustment application was denied because she had been out of status for more than 180 days when she filed her adjustment application. She tried to argue that she was entitled to relief because the statute provides that a person could still be eligible for adjustment if the failure to maintain status was “through no fault of his own or for technical reasons.” In her case, it was not her fault that her attorney missed a filing deadline and/or did not properly file the extension. She was placed in removal/
deportation proceedings, and both the immigration judge and BIA upheld the USCIS’s denial of her adjustment application, concluding that her attorney missing a deadline did not excuse her going out of status. The Ninth Circuit reversed, concluding that an attorney missing a deadline, or failing to properly file an extension or other application, resulting in the alien going out of status, definitely constitutes the person going out of status “through no fault of her own.” As a result, she was eligible to adjust status. I know there are many people who desperately tried to maintain status, but a previous attorney messed up, and either did not file an extension, petition, or application on time, or they filed the paperwork and it was rejected after the deadline because they did not include all the necessary forms. As a result of the attorney’s acts or omissions, the alien fell out of status. My office has handled several similar cases in the past, which were fortunately approved. In one case, an attorney was supposed to file an extension for an H-1B visa holder, along with his H-4 wife. The attorney filed an extension only for the H-1B visa holder and forgot about the wife. Therefore, she went out of status. We were able to get her extension granted, showing her failure to maintain status was “through no fault of her own.” In a different case, an attorney’s incorrect advice resulted in the client going out of status, and his adjustment was denied. Again, we sought reconsideration, arguing that it was through no fault of the alien that he went out of status, and were able to get the case approved.
Looking back, we were able to accomplish this without the alien being put in removal, BIA appeals, or 9th Circuit petitions, as happened in this published opinion. While I am not “guaranteeing” success or results in your case, this Ninth Circuit decision clearly and indisputably establishes there could be hope for a person who went out of status because their prior attorney messed up. If that’s the case, you may want to consult with a different attorney, who can evaluate your situation, and see if you meet the requirements for relief, by demonstrating your failure to maintain status was through no fault of your own. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw and Twitter @GurfinkelLaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES
AJPress illustration by Godwin Gasacao
How Fil-Am families are celebrating Easter despite social distancing By AJPress
THE major holiday of the spring season is this Sunday, April 12, marking the end of Holy Week (Mahal na Araw). But instead of heading to church, participating in a neighborhood egg hunt or having a large fiesta with relatives, Filipino American families are navigating how to celebrate Easter in this era of social distancing. Here are some ways to keep the holiday spirit alive while in the comfort of your home. Get festive around the house By now, most families have been sheltered at home for several weeks and cabin fever may start to settle in. However, little touches to decorate a liv(Advertising Supplement) ing space could do the trick in
Jennifer Estacio’s young daughter poses in front of a homemade Easter background for photos. Contributed photo
getting the family into holiday mode. “I’ve set up an Easter backdrop so we will play dress up and put on our Sunday Easter attire to take pictures. Also, [we’ll be] putting up any Easter decor around the house to feel festive,” said Jennifer Estacio, who runs the family-friendly Instagram account @Flippfamily.
Livestream a church service A majority of Fil-Ams are of the Catholic faith, but in-person masses have been suspended since stay-at-home orders have taken effect. Pope Francis is set to observe Easter morning mass alone at 11 a.m. Rome time, which will be broadcasted on Facebook. Throughout this Holy Week, priests around the U.S. have been using technology to broadcast their masses as well as to reach out to parishioners through phone calls, email or social media. “Right now, participating in a livestream is the way many people are staying in touch with a church during this time,” Auxiliary Bishop Alex Aclan of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles said. PAGE B2
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Heartthrobs give Holy Week inspiration by
MaaN D’ asis PaMaraN Philstar.com
WHILE many influencers are promoting themselves and brands, some celebrities are using their platform for a higher calling. These include A-listers who took the road less travelled to promote faith as a way of finding a deeper meaning. On their social media, fans of these hot celebrities not only get a glimpse of their glammed up photo shoots and off-cam pursuits; they also get a dose of prayers, reflections and testimonies on affirming life, family and faith. This Holy Week, Philstar. com lists down some “hot� male celebrities who are making Christianity “cool.� Daniel Maritz An international and TV commercial model from the elite Boss Models Johannesburg, Daniel was featured in GQ and FHM and had modelled for Huawei, Samsung, Polo, Giordano, Speedo, Charriol, Pierre Cardin and Sketchers, among others. With both Psychology and Theology degrees, Daniel is an influencer who runs the Youtube accounts DLM Model Lifestyle, where he gives tips for modelling; and DLM Christian Lifestyle, where he walks the talk on living the faith while working in the fashion industry. Justin Bieber We watched this young pop star transition from teenybopper to a man on a mission. After a personal crisis, he turned into a Hillsong ministry for guidance and has since used his music to share the Good News, including a track titled “Life is Worth Living,� and has led worship events at Coachella. Justin’s birth inspired the short film “Crescendo,� as Bieber’s mom used to have an unwanted pregnancy in bearing Justin at the age of 17 and had to live in welfare as an out-ofschool youth. In a Rolling Stone interview, Bieber revealed that he is prolife. He and his wife Hailey Baldwin said they committed to abstain from sex before tying the knot, and the young couple has been sharing testimonies of their marriage. Chris Pratt In the Marvel universe, Star Lord he may be, but Chris Pratt
Alden Richards Photo from Instagram/@aldenrichards02
Justin Bieber Photo from Instagram/@justinbieber
Fr. Tito Caluag holds a recollection over video call with celebrity couples Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo, and JC Intal and Bianca Gonzalez. Image: screengrab via Facebook/@dzmmteleradyo
Jesse and Christian
Photo from Instagram/@perkinstwins
Pinoy celebrities turn to the internet to observe Holy Week at home by
NiĂąa V. GuNo Inquirer.net
run until April 11. Fr. Tito Caluag holds a recollection over video call with celebrity couples Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo, and JC Intal and Bianca Gonzalez. Actress Kim Chiu meanwhile shared on Instagram Stories that she attended a retreat Thursday afternoon through the Facebook Live broadcast of St. John Bosco Parish in Makati. The church will also have an online retreat on Good Friday and Holy Saturday. “Let us all pray for the world’s healing and Lord’s forgiveness,� Chiu encouraged. TV host Joey de Leon and his family led the prayers in the Way of the Cross on the “Eat Bulaga!�
Facebook page Wednesday night. He has also been on a virtual Visita Iglesia on Instagram by posting pictures of churches he has been to in previous trips. Music, too, is a form of prayer, and singer Jona performed the worship song “Oceans� by Hillsong United for Star Magic’s YouTube channel. Rica Peralejo meanwhile has a Lent workbook for those who want to reflect on their own, which can be downloaded on her blog. With or without the internet, certainly one can find solemnity as parts of the world come to a standstill during the coronavirus pandemic.
LIKE many Filipinos, celebrities have sought new ways to observe Holy Week during the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). Stars such as Judy Ann Santos, Kim Chiu and Joey de Leon are among those who have turned to the internet to practice their faith this Maundy Thursday. Santos and her husband Ryan Agoncillo, as well as TV host BiChris Pratt Mark Wahlberg anca Gonzalez and PBA player JC Photo from Instagram/@prattprattpratt Photo from Instagram/@markwahlberg Intal, participated through video call in an online recollection led professes faith in The Lord. In eration (Hall of Fame) Award by Fr. Tito Caluag on Thursday his wedding announcement at the 2018 MTV Movie and TV morning. The recollections, with Katherine Schwarzeneg- Awards, Chris shared his “Nine aired on ABS-CBN channels, will ger, he posted on Instagram, important life rules,â€? including “We became husband and wife “God is real. God loves you. God in front of God, our families wants the best for you. Believe and those we love. We feel so that. I doâ€? and “Learn to pray. blessed to begin this new chap- It’s easy, and it’s so good for your soul.â€? ter of our lives.â€? PAGE B1 Mark Wahlberg Pratt said that he received “People still want to see their This hunk, known for his priest even if not in person.â€? the gift of faith outside a convenience store in his wayward start as a rapper and underwear Bishop Aclan reminded famiyouth, when an evangelist ap- model for Calvin Klein, has lies to remember the meaning proached their group of friends become very outspoken about of Easter — the suffering and and said, “I stopped because his Catholic faith through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He Jesus told me to stop and talk to years. added that Jesus’ experiences In a recent interview to proyou. He said to tell you you’re “Easter for us is always a destined for great things.â€? He mote his Netflix action movie moment of celebration, as we has since became a Christian, “Spenser Confidential,â€? he told all know it’s the most important after which, Chris headed into Today that he has a strict daily holiday in Christianity,â€? Bishop routine that always kicks off Aclan said. “Now we are not an acting career. After receiving his Gen PAGE B4 able to celebrate like we’re used to but what I would like people to remember‌is that it doesn’t change the fact that Jesus died for us and for our sins. We should really look at this occasion as something that’s very important to us that calls for a celebration safely in our homes in whatever way we can.â€? By Grace O Easter mass at various parishes will go proceed virtually An excellent source of vitamin C as well on their respective websites or as pantothenic acid, copper, vitamin A, Facebook pages. The Cathedral Ă€ EHU SRWDVVLXP ELRWLQ DQG YLWDPLQ % of Our Lady of the Angels in Olivia Reyes’ daughters Alex and Cara color eggs made out of paper towels. Contributed photo Downtown LA will livestream grapefruit is also a good source of dietary its 10 a.m. mass on Sunday. Ă€ EHU 7KH SLQN UHG RU UXE\ YDULHWLHV FRQWDLQ Carson’s St. Philomena Church the carotenoid phytonutrient lycopene, in Carson will have a bilingual mass at 11 a.m. Incarnation ZKLFK LV IRXQG WR EH D PRUH SRZHUIXO Church in Glendale, California antioxidant than other carotenoids such as will be airing its masses at 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. EHWD FDURWHQH DQG UHVHDUFK KDV VXJJHVWHG “On Easter Sunday, we’re LW PD\ VLJQLĂ€ FDQWO\ UHGXFH ULVN RI VWURNH asking parishioners to display a Studies have also indicated that people with cross with flowers in their home Honey-Lime Dressing and share a meal to celebrate the D GLHW KLJK LQ O\FRSHQH KDYH D ORZHU ULVN RI (see below) to taste. resurrection of Christ,â€? Fr. Rodel FHUWDLQ FDQFHUV SDUWLFXODUO\ SURVWDWH FDQFHU Balagtas of Incarnation Church 1. Wash and stem the spinach *UDSHIUXLW LV LQ VHDVRQ IURP 6HSWHPEHU said.
How Fil-Am families are celebrating...
Grapefruit Is an Age-Defying Hero
leaves and place in a bowl. WR $SULO WKRXJK LW¡V DYDLODEOH LQ SURGXFH 2. Add the grapefruit, walnuts, and GHSDUWPHQWV DOO \HDU apricots.
6SLQDFK FRQWDLQV LURQ DV ZHOO DV DJH GHI\LQJ DQWLR[LGDQWV <RX FDQ XVH SLQN or white grapefruit in this salad, and if you use whole segments of the grapefruit, \RX¡OO DOVR DGG Ă&#x20AC; EHU 7KH FDQGLHG ZDOQXWV DQG GULHG DSULFRWV EDODQFH WKH DFLGLW\ RI WKH grapefruit and increase the antioxidants in WKLV GLVK *UDFH¡V +RQH\ /LPH 'UHVVLQJ SHUIHFWO\ FRPSOLPHQWV WKH PHOORZ Ă DYRU RI WKH VSLQDFK
Spinach and Grapefruit Salad
3. Toss with Tangy Ginger Dressing to taste.
Honey-Lime Dressing YIELDS about 1/4 cup Ingredients
1 1/2 Tbs. lime juice (about 1 lime) 1 1/2 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 1 minced garlic clove 1/2 tsp. chili powder
SERVES 2 Ingredients
1 bunch or 1 bag spinach leaves 1 whole grapefruit, segmented Âź cup candied walnuts Âź cup dried apricots
Sea salt to taste
Directions Combine all the ingredients in a @Ÿ shake until well blended.
ABOUT GRACE O
GRACE O is the creator of FoodTrients, a unique program for optimizing wellness and longevity. She is the author of two award-winning cookbooksâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;The Age Gracefully Cookbook and The Age Beautifully Cookbook, which recently won Gourmandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Best in the Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Award for Innovation. She is a fusion chef with a mission to deliver delicious recipes built on a foundation of anti-aging science and her 20 years in the healthcare industry. Visit FoodTrients.com to learn more. Email us at info@FoodTrients.com
Cook together or order from a local restaurant After mass, families typically convene for a feast, which features staples like a baked ham, lechon, pancit, lumpia and paella with meat and shrimp. For dessert, expect Filipino fruit salad, leche flan, and kakanin (a tray of sweets made of sticky rice). While you may not have to cook up a storm for 10 or more guests this year, preparing dishes in smaller batches could be a great bonding experience for the whole family. Check out Fil-Am cookbooks like â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Am a Filipino: And This Is How We Cook,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Filipino Instant Pot Cookbookâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Easy Filipino Cookbook: 100 Classics Made Simple,â&#x20AC;? the latter two especially if you want to save some time. Another fun Easter activity many families partake in is decorating sugar cookies in shapes that represent the holiday, such as an egg, bunny or cross. If cooking is not an option, consider supporting a local small business! Many Fil-Am restaurants have been offering take-out or no-contact delivery since dining in is prohibited for the time being. Get resourceful Continuing the beloved Easter traditions doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean you have
Estacio and her son paint eggs cut from construction paper.
to brave the outside and head to the store. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve run out of eggs and dye, you can instead turn to household items already available. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This year, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re truly thanking our parents and grandparents for teaching us how to make sure â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nothing is sayangâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (nothing is wasted) by using some resourcefulness and creativity,â&#x20AC;? said Olivia Reyes, co-founder of Manila Oriental, an online gift shop with Reyes said that her family will be making â&#x20AC;&#x153;eggsâ&#x20AC;? out of paper towels. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll color the eggs with markers, and then spray them with water and dry them for a bright tie-dye effect. After, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be creating obstacle courses throughout the house for the egg hunt on Sunday. Estacio added that clay eggs can be made with extra baking ingredients. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With flour, food coloring, salt and water you can make your own clay at home to shape into eggs or coasters and make designs with toothpicks! Last tip, repurpose plastic eggs! I saved some plastic eggs last year so I will be using those again for our egg hunt,â&#x20AC;? she said.
Should the weather be nice on Easter Sunday, having an egg hunt in your own background is another option as well. Unfortunately going to a nearby park wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be an alternative as many cities in California, including Los Angeles, are closing down public parks to avoid large gatherings. Connect virtually with family and friends Despite staying in and being apart from extended family and friends, Easter can go on thanks to video conferencing tools like Zoom or Google Hangout. Though separated by a screen, families can still â&#x20AC;&#x153;dineâ&#x20AC;? together or partake in games. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Adapting to the times, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be holding a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;video game egg huntâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; through Zoom for our preschool-aged kids and their older cousins,â&#x20AC;? Reyes added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Each household will take turns to virtually hunt for eggs through voice commands, like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Go left! Jump to the right. Look under the couch, please!â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The kids will get as many coins as they find eggs this year, as well as baskets filled with homemade goods such as play-doh and cookies to decorate.â&#x20AC;?
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Arnold Clavio & Ali Sotto as media front-liners by Ricky Lo Philstar.com
LIKE the other front-liners (health-care workers, security guards, barangay officials, et al), they also take risks oftentimes at the expense of their loved ones. It’s a task that they have to do fair weather or foul, come hell or high water. Cliché, yes, but true. The objective is to deliver t he stor ies, especially updates on the raging virus, right into your sala. They are the media frontliners, among them Arnold Clavio and Ali Sotto, two anchors of GM A News T V ’s R adyo Na, TV Pa. Some media guys have opted to do remote broadcasti ng (i ncludi ng CNN’s Ch r is Cuomo who is doing it direct from the basement of his home ). But Arnold and Ali do it the normal way — straight from the GMA Studio. How is your daily routine? Arnold Clavio: Kahit temporarily off the air ang Unang Hirit, nagigising pa rin ako ng 4 a.m. every morning. Yun na ang body clock ko siguro. Then, I say a little prayer, “Thank you Lord. I am still alive.” Kasi with so many deat hs around t he world with COVID-19, mapapaisip ka, why am I still alive and COVID-free? Maybe God has a bigger plan for me. And I am willing to obey Him. Prayer of St. Francis, “Make me an instrument of your love.” Anyway, may radio duty ako for now. I have a solo program sa Super Radyo DZBB 8-9 am. Monday to Friday. May segment ako na Finding Mayor. Hinahanap ko ang mga local official na nawawala in the midst of this crisis. Then Ali will join me from 9 to 10 a.m. Ali Sotto: These days, even before my alarm goes off at 4 a.m., I get up from a restless sleep, trying to quell the fear and wor r y we all feel t hese days. To q uiet t he demons, while the house is still dark a nd q u iet, I pray a nd of fer t he day to God . O n ly t hen am I ready to overcome t he pressure of the workday. The level of diff iculty and sheer volume of issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic add to the challenge. Even after the program ends at 10 a.m., the
Arnold and Ali risk life and limb, just like the rest of front-liners, to deliver the news right into your sala. GMA photo
work goes on because one has to be continuously wired to the news updates. How far is your home from the GMA studio and how do you get to work? Arnold: Malapit lang, mga 10-minute drive. A l i : I d r i ve to wor k , my 40-minute commute cut down to 20 because there’s hardly any traffic. It feels so surreal driving through makeshift barricades and checkpoints — like scenes from a sci-fi movie. Aside from you, who else and how many are on board? Arnold: Yung mga ‘senior anchor’ lang ang naka-home quarantine dahil v ulnerable sila sa COVID (Mike Enriquez, Jimmy Gil, Long Tall Howard). Kaya naghahati kami sa morning slot nina Melo del Prado, Joel Reyes Zobel, Weng dela Peñ a , O r l y Tr i n i d ad , K i k o Flores and Rowena Salvacion. A l i : T he s en ior a nc hor s (like Mike Enriquez and Don Manolo Favis) have been enjoined to stay home. The music a nd showbi z enter ta i n ment programs have been temporarily halted to give way to the special coverage of COVID-19. There are others who have also opted to just stay home. What kind of protection do you observe (I notice that you and Ali don’t wear face masks while on air)? Arnold: Bago ako mag-onair, naka-N95 mask ako. Kaya
lang we need to remove it kasi di kami maiintindihan sa ere. Regular naman dini-disinfect yung microphone, table and console namin. May suot din ako na v i r us sh ield and we practice physical distancing. Ali: We don’t wear masks while we are on air since we are about three meters apart anyway. I make sure that the microphone has been disinfected, and there’s alcohol and hand sanitizers nearby. I don’t linger at the station. Soon after the show ends, I get in the car and leave. (For Arnold) Do you have enough episodes of your Tonight show to replay during this crisis? Arnold: We have. Naabutan nga ng enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) yung aming anniversary episode. Ten years na kami. Inuuna lang namin yung most viewed episodes. Pati sa Alisto, meron pa naman. How do you protect and keep yourself fit during this crisis (medications, food rationed by station, meds, exercise, sleep) for you to be up to the challenge of the job? Arnold: I am diabetic. So I’m also vulnerable. Thankful lang ako dahil temporarily off the air din ang Saksi so I have enough sleep for now (seven to eight hours) daily. Tuloy yung maintenance ko for my blood PAGE B5
THREE DIVINE SIGNS GUIDED FAMILY TO HUMANITARIAN REVALIDATION APPROVAL. Nanay Beatriz petitioned her sons Romeo (left) and Mario (not in photo) back in 1994, and when she became a U.S. citizen, the category was updated from single child to married (F-3). However, Nanay Beatriz was diagnosed with late stage cancer, and her final wish was that her daughter, Juliet (3rd from left), make sure that her brothers make it to the U.S. by retaining leading U.S. immigration attorney MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL (right). The devout Juliet prayed for three signs to know how she should proceed, since after her mother died, the petition for her brothers “died” with her. And the signs came while Juliet was watching an episode of Citizen Pinoy. Find out what these three signs were, and see how the power of prayer and a dedicated team at the Law Offices of Michael J. Gurfinkel were able to make Nanay Beatriz’ final wish come true on an encore episode of CITIZEN PINOY – on Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)
Bravo, Bela and other home quarantine stories by
Ronnie caRRasco ManilaTimes.net
IF WE understood right, Bela Padilla’s online fund drive intended to help Metro Manilabased informal workers affected by the enhanced community quarantine was just the first wave of her efforts. The 28-year old Viva Artist Agency talent and Kapamilya actress set up the “Pagkain Para sa Pinoy” page on March 15, three days after Metro Manila was virtually placed on lockdown to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Her original target was to raise P1 million until end of March, which she wanted evenly split among the cities and one municipality in Metro Manilla. Informal workers include street vendors who have no means to make a living for the duration of the quarantine. By Day 2 of her fund drive Bela already reached her goal, with an excess of P300,000. The next day, she received an anonymous call with a P2-milion donation. Having made a total of P3.3 PAGE B5
Bela Padilla is getting ready for a second wave of helping out Metro Manila-based informal workers amid the continued lockdown from the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo courtesy of the Philippine Army
GMA Network’s ‘Sarap Di’ba’ with Carmina Villaroel and her twins Mavy and Cassy Legazpi continues to bring on family fun and laughter every morning. GMA photo
B4 APRIL 11-14, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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Heartthrobs give Holy Week...
PAGE B2 with prayer. “I don’t take a day off from getting on my hands and my knees and reading my prayer book and my daily devotionals and, first of all, expressing the gratitude that I have for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon me.” Among the things he prays for is help to be the best husband and father he can be, along with special intentions for
people who need help, whether it is someone he knows or someone whose story he read about in the paper. The actor was the host of the 2015 World Meeting of Families in the US. He and his wife Rhea uploaded an Instagram post to commemorate Palm Sunday, saying, “We still have faith, we have each other, so let’s stay strong.” Jim Caviezel From starring in “The Count
of Monte Cristo” to the “Thin Red Line,” Caviezel had the privilege of portraying none other than Jesus Himself, in Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” in 2004, where he was struck by actual lightning during the Sermon on the Mount scene. He is set to reprise the role in “The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection,” set for release in 2021. In between, he played St. Luke in the 2018 film, “Paul, Apostle of Christ.” A Catholic, Jim said that his faith motivates him in his acting career and that the sporty St. John Paul II had inspired him. As an outspoken pro-life actor, he and his wife adopted children with disabilities. Perkins Twins Jesse and Christian Perkins first came into public view in a Fil-Am TV show that was supposed to feature them as athletes. Spying a guitar in the house, the host requested them to sing, and Philippine social media soon took notice of the good-looking musical duo, which led them to come to the country and try their luck in local showbiz. Their 2018 launching movie “Kaibigan” was centered around good values, and their Instagram account is full of musical performances inspired by Bible quotes. “Kaibigan” features Christian artists including Stephen Baldwin, the father of Hailey Baldwin. “Kaibigan” will be shown on GMA on Good Friday at 3 p.m. Alden Richards Voted as “Sexiest Man in the Philippines” in 2018 and 2019, Alden shared about his faith at the 2017 Philippine Conference on New Evangelization. “My faith is one of the things that keeps me grounded, that keeps me sane. Faith is a way of life… my purpose in living,” he said in a talk-show session with then Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle. Alden includes praise and worship songs in his albums, including Hillsong Worship’s “Christ is Enough.” Together with other stars of the “Eat Bulaga” segment “Kalyeserye,” Alden was recognized at the Catholic Social Media Awards in 2015. In 2018, he tweeted, “A new beginning… please read the Bible every day.”
MOONLIGHTING
Safer at home
by MYLAH DE
LEON
WE’RE all at home now, but the moment is not a finale. This isn’t one day and it won’t be one week, but nobody knows how much longer it will last. The ordinary irritations of life in a closed quarter with other human beings are magnified when there is nothing else going on. In my home, we get up, eat breakfast, walk the dog, feed the cat, watch TV read, and go to sleep. Repeat. How long has this been? It seems at least a month. In a world turned head over heels by the new coronavirus, it is an opportunity to go inside ourselves and think about the most important things we could be doing. As we hear people say, it is an act of God and now to protect us, we’re asked to lock ourselves and shoot our lives down. There is now the ever-growing weight of the broader threat to public health, the upheaval of normalcy and the dreaded uncertainty as a silent killer marches around the world — even while we think we have our tool kit for what to do — but nothing prepares you for the magnitude as enormous as this! There is growing evidence that people can be contagion for 48 hours without symptoms and the virus can be suspended in aerosol for, wearing masks is recommended outdoors as well as indoors. When Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti does his daily briefing ballet of approaching the microphone to answer questions and step away, they are trying to maintain a safe distance from one another and even the microphone, using sanitizer before and after their regular briefings and wearing masks. My home is like a Picasso painting, but each day when I wake up, I feel like we’re here for a reason and it is another day to
The author wears a mask and stays 6 feet distance for a glimpse of a fellow human.
lead my herd to do the best we can. We put our best foot forward and go through the day with grace knowing that outside there are people who are tired, sad and anxious. But all of us are going to get through this and there will be
like there had been an evacuation order and everyone but the destitute get their memos. These times are deeply unfair to those struggling with shelter and food. I wonder what would become of those homeless who are also the children of God. They who are in an endless struggle, just to survive a day. By struggle, I mean crippling, brickon-the-chest, in an array of misery reduced to an end of a corner. I am staying off social media where rumor and half facts light fires and anxiety. I just turned it off and I feel better. I no longer wonder, even as I dearly hoped, whether there will be a better way to fade by the time it was ready to fade. As we confront a terrifying and invisible menace, the bright side, if there is one, is that when this period of forced acceptance is finally over, it will seem to have gone by in a blink. ***
“There is now the ever-growing weight of the broader threat to public health, the upheaval of normalcy and the dreaded uncertainty as a silent killer marches around the world — even while we think we have our tool kit for what to do — but nothing prepares you for the magnitude as enormous as this!”
another side, and when that time comes, we’ll be able to celebrate it together. I like my herd — a daughter and three grandchildren ages 21, 10 and 8. I like them better than anyone else in the world, their wild oscillations but even ordinary circumstances, collectively they can be on my last nerves. But I am committed to them, though I realize commit is a dangerous word as one is committed to an insane asylum. E-mail Mylah at moonlightingmdl@aol. Normally crowded streets look com.
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B
The main attraction in Dayanara Torres is now cancer-free, Maine’s soothing new single wants to visit Philippines by
by Jan
Milo Severo Philstar.com
MISS Universe 1993 Dayanara Torres announced recently that she is now cancer-free. In an Instagram Live with friend Pops Fernandez, Dayanara said she has beaten melanoma or skin cancer. “I had Melanoma cancer and it was found out last year. I started treatment for a year and I thank the Lord and everyone for all the prayers. It’s amazing, the amount of love, support, and prayers that I received,” Dayanara said. “Last week, on Monday, I had my last test and everything was negative. I’m done with treatment, it took me a year and then now for the next two years, I’m going to be doing tests every three months just to be safe,” she added. Last February 2019, the Puerto Rican singer and beauty queen revealed that she was diagnosed with skin cancer. Dayanara, who has been popular in the Philippines for passing her crown to Sushmita Sen of India during the Miss Universe pageant held in Manila in 1994, said she misses the Philippines and she wanted to visit soon. “I’d love to visit the Philippines... it’s one of those things that’s always at the back of my
Inquirer.net
THE year 2020 will be remembered as an annus horribilis for the global community. But it’s been particularly daunting for Filipinos, who had to endure a series of shockingly calamitous events that included volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and an increasingly murky political climate. Seizing the crown—pun intended—from every source of misfortune that came before it is the COVID-19 pandemic, whose arrival has single-handedly upended life as we know it. Perfect tune So, people have been needing sources of comfort at a time characterized by distress, ambiguity and isolation. This probably explains why music aficionados, as noted by Spotify early this week, are opting to add more “chill” songs to their playlist these days—to help keep levels of stress and anxiety at bay. Maine Mendoza has the perDayanara Torres
mind that I have to go back and this crisis happens, and it makes me realize that if you want to do something, do it. As soon as this is over, I definitely need to go back. I miss everybody,” Dayanara said.
Photo from Instagram/@dayanarapr
Dayanara became an actress in the country and was paired with her ex-boyfriend Aga Muhlach in several movies. She was also a pioneer host of ABS-CBN’s Sunday variety show “ASAP.”
Ethel gone from Twitter? Calls @IamEthylGabison ‘fake account’ by Cha lino Inquirer.net
COMEDIENNE Ethel Booba (real name: Ethyl Gabison) disowned the Twitter account @ IamEthylGabison via her Instagram account last Wednesday, April 8, calling it “fake.” Booba appealed to the account to “stop using [her] name.” The account has also been deactivated from the platform as of this writing. However, some netizens questioned the comedienne’s retraction, citing different interviews in which Booba allegedly claimed ownership of the account and its tweets. The Twitter account with the mentioned handle was a staunch critic of the administration and was known for its funny takes on social and political issues. Last November, the account gave its two cents on the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games’ controversial P50 million cauldron by joking that it would be worth its cost if corrupt officials were used to fuel it. The account @IamEthylGabison also took a jab at current Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) deputy administrator Mocha Uson on several occasions, some dating as far back as 2016. One of the account’s most recent interactions with Uson was when it defended Mayor Vico Sotto from a post published in the “Mocha Uson Blog” Facebook page. Booba’s supposed fake account told Uson that it was better to “act cute than to be dumb,” after the blog’s post called out Sotto for his tricycle
Ethel Booba Photo from Instagram/@ethelbooba
initiative in Pasig City during the enhanced community quarantine. Several Twitter users questioned Booba’s disappearance from the platform and claimed that Booba acknowledged the account in her previous television appearances. A snippet of the TV show “ P a r e n g P a r tn e r s,” h o s ted by Anthony Taberna, showed Booba saying that she was most active on her Twitter account
compared with her other social media pages. A closeup look on Booba while she was using her phone also showed her using the Twitter account with the handle @IamEthylGabison, as seen on @kaeofficial’s Twitter post today April 10. In the interview with Taberna, Booba revealed that before she posts her opinions on Twitter, she “brainstorms” her ideas with her friends and advisers. “Now I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a PR team behind the account,” the netizen who uploaded the video said. “[But] her pretending like she only learned about the account yesterday is very fishy.” When Booba became a guest on the noontime TV show “It’s Showtime,” the comedienne reacted to some of her tweets during one of its segments. Booba said that the account had a lot of handlers but she did compose some of the tweets published in the account, a portion of which was uploaded on ABS-CBN It’s Showtime’s YouTube channel on Nov. 15, 2019. A Twitter user @Riyeeeelz also uploaded the video on the platform today, questioning why Booba said the account was fake if she claimed being an admin of the account. The now deactivated Twitter page posted personal updates related to Booba as well. Last February, @IamEthylGabison announced that Booba gave birth to her baby daughter. This March, the account also formally introduced baby Michaela by showing the baby’s face on the page.
Arnold Clavio & Ali Sotto...
PAGE B3 sugar. May Vitamin C. Done immune booster injection na rin. Regular din akong nilalagyan ng wife ko ng “essential oil” and will join her sa yoga niya one of t hese days. Licensed yoga instructor kasi yun. And a lot of walking sa bahay. A lso, to keep my v iewers and followers updated, I have a “cooking show” called Kusina ni Igan sa aking Instagram (@ akosiigan) at Facebook (@Arnold iGan Clavio). Mga lutong bahay ni Pepper Bae w it h a twist. Simple. Masarap. Madaling lutuin. Spin-off sa segment ko sa Unang Hirit (UH). Plan ko rin simulan ang YouTube account. It’s a new experience and I enjoy it a lot with due respect sa ating magagaling na chef. But I am doing it para mag-entertain ang mga kababayan natin na naka-lockdown sa bahay at sa mga iniidolo nating frontliners. Daming oras!
Ali: I have a Power Plate, an elliptical trainer and a recumbent bike at home, so that’s how I do my cardio these days. Sometimes, I even join an online retro dance class with my zumba instructor Yoko. While I do take vitamin and mineral supplements, I prefer getting my nutrition from fresh fruits and vegetables, and we are lucky to have a stand still selling near our village. I haven’t been able to do my groceries since the ECQ began because the queues are so long! It’s a good thing that our subdivision has a great Viber chat group where you can source a l most a ny t h i ng you need. Un less I am engrossed in a K-drama I can’t let go of, I am able to get the required six to eight hours of sleep. ( For A r nold ) Do es you r experience in covering crisis situations (Tacloban flooding, etc.) help in coping with the
current situation? Arnold: More than 30 years na ako sa industry as a journalist, I can say yes it helps. But R icky this is a different bat t le. I nv i si ble at wa lang pinipili. Yung ibang calamities ay may limited time kaya madali tayong makabangon. Typhoon, isang araw lang dadaan. Flashf lood, after a few days huhupa. Earthquake, seconds lang alam mo na ang damage. Volcanic eruptions, confined and contained ang epekto. But COV ID-19? Our world stops. Our lives, tumigil. Uncertainty is around us. Walang assurance if this will end on April 14. Only God knows and only Him can cure us. So, let us take this lockdown as an opportunity to be a better person. Let us bring back humanit y. Can I share what Mother Teresa said? “A life not lived for others is not a life,” she said.
Bravo, Bela and other... PAGE B3 million (supposedly P200,000 per city), Bela opted to spend it as follows: P1-million worth of relief goods sent to Caritas Manila; another portion for those based in Quezon City and Pasay; and yet another chunk for those
rito P. aSilo
in Manila and Makati (this third leg mobilized with the company of some members of the Philippine Army). Earlier, heard that Bela already closed the page after it had served its purpose. But with a sizeable excess, the actress
is mulling over another wave. Indeed, one does not have to be in government to be able to extend help to those who badly need it. All it takes is a good heart, tenacity and a sense of resourcefulness. Bravo, Bela!
Maine Mendoza in the music video of her latest song.
fect tune to provide musical succor to people whose frayed nerves need a little soothing. As with “Imagine You and Me,” her self-penned 2016 debut single (cowritten with Vic Sotto), Maine’s pipes may not be steely enough to pull off arena-style ballads but, as proven by the new single recorded in collaboration with electropop-rock quartet Gracenote, she possesses a soothing and serviceable voice that is easy on the ears. “Parang Kailan Lang” is a dreamy tune that is served well by a supple rendition that suits the singer-actress’ range and fits
Inquirer.net photo
her personality to a T. Rendered with wistful longing and palpable regret, the song brims with nostalgia as Maine mulls over a once-reassuring relationship that ended up losing its magic: “Bakit nga ba tayo nagbago?/ Nakasanayan ay biglang naglaho/ Nakalimutan nang lahat ng pangako/ At binaon na lang sa kahapon.” If “Imagine” had its occasional moments of shaky vocals, “Parang Kailan Lang” shows how much of Maine’s confidence as a performer has eventually grown by leaps and bounds since the “AlDub” heyday.
Ellen sets record straight on alleged showbiz comeback by Jan
Milo Severo Philstar.com
MODEL-actress Ellen Adarna will not be back in the showbiz limelight very soon as she will spend the next years of her life being a full-time mom to Elias. In an interview with RX93.1 over the weekend, Ellen said she’s not closing her doors to the showbiz industry, but will not be back for the next seven years. “No, no. I don’t want to say, like, forever, right? But definitely, not in the next seven years,” Ellen stressed. “I want to be with my son in his formative years. I’m a very hands-on mom,” she added. Ellen gave birth to Elias, her son with on-leave Kapamilya actor John Lloyd Cruz, in June 2008. The interview, however, didn’t discuss Ellen’s relation-
Ellen Adarna
ABS-CBN photo
ship with John Lloyd amid reports that the two have split up. Recently, Ellen revealed her experience of dealing with depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder in the last three years. In her Instagram story, she
revealed that she underwent mental training to deal with her problem. “I went to therapy. I had two psychiatrists. I did counselling and a lot of talking... yes, I was on medications. I was on a lot of tranquilizers,” Ellen said in the video. The sexy model added that she had panic attacks. “My panic attacks were really, really bad to the point that my body would shake and then I’d puke. It was so weird. And you know at that time, I didn’t know what it was because I never had anxiety that serious. At first I thought I was gonna die because everything was getting hard, my muscles were getting so stiff and I felt like I couldn’t breathe,” she said. “So that was my anxiety, and then I was just also very sad. I was in a very dark place for two years, almost three years,” she confessed.
B APRIL 11-14, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
Tapat Sa Batas Atty. RheA SAmSon IPINAHAYAG ng USCIS noong Abril 1, 2020 na ang mga H-1B cap-subject petition para sa fiscal year (FY) 2021 na napili sa mga nag-electronic registration ay maaari nang i-file. Kasama sa H-1B cap-subject petition ang mga visa numbers na may “statutory cap” na 65,000 na empleyado bawat FY, pati na rin ang karagdagang 20,000 “master’s exemption” visa numbers para sa mga dayuhang empleyadong may master’s degree o mas mataas pa sa master’s degree mula sa mga kwalipikadong colegio o unibersidad sa U.S. Dahil sa implementasyon ngayong FY 2021 ng H1B registration process para sa H-1B cap-subject petitions, ang petitioner ay eligible lamang mag-file ng H-1B petition kung ang petitioner ay nag-electronic registration ng beneficiary sa H-1B registration process at ang registration ay napili ng USCIS sa pamamagitan ng random selection process. Ang USCIS ay
EMPLOYMENT
Community Journal
H-1B cap petitions may be filed as of April 1 magbibigay ng registration selection notice kung saan nakalagay ang panahon kung kailan dapat mai-file ang H-1B Petition, na hindi bababa sa 90 araw. Walang online filing ng mga H-1B Petition kaya’t ang mga ito ay kailangang ipadala sa USCIS sa pamamagitan ng USPS, Fedex o UPS. Kailangang kasama sa H-1B Petition ang kopya ng registration selection notice. Ang H-1B Petitioners ay kailangan pa ring magpakita ng eligibility para sa approval ng H-1B Petition mula sa filing hanggang sa ito ay madesisyonan ng USCIS. Ang selection sa H-1B registration process ay nagbibigay lamang ng eligibility sa filing ng H-1B Petition. Hindi ibig sabihin na ang mga napili sa electronic registration ay maaprubahan na ng USCIS. Para masabing ang trabaho ay isang specialty occupation, kailangangang ipakita ng U.S. employer na ang trabaho ay pumapasok sa isa sa apat na criteria na ito: (1) ang bachelor’s degree, o mas mataas na degree, o katumbas ng degree na ito, ang karaniwang minimum requirement
para matanggap sa posisyong ito; (2) ang degree requirement ay karaniwan sa industriya para sa magkatulad na posisyon at magkatulad na kumpanya. Maaari rin ipakita ng U.S. employer na ang partikular na posisyon ay kakaiba at mahirap, kaya’t kinakailangan ang isang empleyadong may bachelor’s degree o mas mataas na degree, o katumbas ng degree na ito; (3) ang U.S. employer ay karaniwang nangangailangan ng may degree para sa posisyon; o (4) ang katangian ng katungkulan para sa trabaho ay napaka-dalubhasa at mahirap kaya’t ang kaalaman na kailangan para magawa ang mga katungkulan sa trabaho ay karaniwang kabakas sa pagkamit ng bachelor’s degree o mas mataas na degree. Ang dayuhang empleyado naman ay kailangang may kalidad para magtrabaho sa specialty occupation dahil siya ay mayroong bachelor’s degree or mas mataas na degree, o katumbas ng degree na ito, sa specialty occupation. Mapapatunayan ang kalidad ng dayuhang empleyado sa pama-
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Debt Relief
Atty. LAwRence yAng BOTH Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 trustees are now implementing the new procedure required by the U.S. Trustee for social distancing to avoid spreading the virus. The lockdown and social distancing certainly make a lot of sense. Wearing face masks also makes a lot of sense. I now ask clients to wear a mask and gloves when they see me. I also wear face/mask and gloves and keep the 6 feet distance. I mean, this is just plain common sense. Whoever said that face masks were useless against the virus must not be thinking right. Even surgeons wear face masks during surgery to protect both the surgeon and the patient. This is nothing new. About two months ago, my friend from Asia was visiting the White House and was wearing a face mask. Security guards asked him twice if he was sick and told him that he should only wear a face mask if he was sick. His reply was that he was healthy but precisely wore a face mask because he was afraid of
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How new bankruptcy telephonic hearings work getting infected. So there you go. In Asia, wearing a face mask is normal even just to protect from air pollution. If you cough or sneeze while wearing a face mask, the mask prevents the saliva droplets from spreading around. At the same time, my own face mask will protect me from inhaling the saliva droplets from your cough or sneeze. So this is double protection for all parties. Telephonic hearing process Going back to the bankruptcy trustee telephonic hearings, this is how it works. When the case is filed, the normal notice of case commencement is sent out indicating the case number, the date of the hearing, the name of the trustee, the name of the Judge, and the venue for the hearing(s). There are other information as to who can attend the hearings, the deadlines for filing objections and adversaries. The next notice that is sent is information on how to use telephonic appearance for the hearings. Debtors are instructed to send to the trustee copies of govern-
EMPLOYMENT
ment-issued identification such as driver’s license or passport, and acceptable evidence of social security number such as the SS card or W-2 at least a week before the hearing. Further, the notice states the check-in telephone number of the trustee and the debtor participant code. So, this works like a virtual hearing without appearing before the trustee physically. Jesus died on Holy Friday for us April 10 was Holy Friday. This is when Jesus was crucified and died on the cross on Mt. Calvary. He died for our sins, so that we may have a chance to enter heaven for eternity. The problem is all the Catholic churches have been closed to the public for the last three weeks. Closure is a necessity to help contain the spread of the virus. This virus has really emphasized our mortality. We all die. The only question is when. There are no exceptions. Life is indeed so fragile. An invisible virus can take our life away in a matter of days.
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Community Journal
Protecting the ‘employee’ status of gig workers during COVID-19 INSTACART is one of the largest grocery delivery services in the United States. Instacart allows its customers to shop their local grocery using a mobile app or the website. The virtual shopping cart is filled out by an Instacart worker, called a “personal shopper,” who goes out to buy the groceries at the grocery store and then delivers them to the customers. Instacart does not sell groceries itself. It partners with many local supermarkets, specialty shops, pharmacies, and even membership-only stores like Costco. Kyra Groves, Catherine Hammons, Timothy Pierce, Javier Cortez, and Donna Burks worked as “personal shoppers” for Instacart in California. They sued Instacart, through its corporate entity, Maplebear Inc., for alleged violations of California’s wage laws. The workers claimed that they worked full service for Instacart, which controls the means and manner of how the shoppers performed their jobs. However, Instacart misclassified them as independent contractors and denied them status as employees. As independent contractors, the workers were paid less than the minimum wage, were not paid overtime, and were not reimbursed for business expenses. Like Uber, Lyft, and Doordash – companies that argue they are not employers since they simply created a software application to connect persons who provide services with those who need them – Instacart denied that its
Minding Your Finances Atty. rAymonD BUlAon THE dangerous coronavirus has brought the economy to a screeching halt. With no work and no paychecks, millions of homeowners are now wondering how they’re going to be able to keep their homes. It’s beginning to feel like 2008 all over again. If there’s any comfort in all this madness, everyone is in the same boat. For this reason, the government has quickly stepped in to impose a 60-day suspension
Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. workers were misclassified. However, instead of continuing to litigate the case, the parties agreed to settle and award the workers $10,965,000 in damages. Under the terms of the settlement, defendants agreed to improve the shoppers’ conditions of work. In California, Assembly Bill 5 came into effect this year. Assembly Bill 5 was signed into law to deter businesses from engaging in misclassification of independent contractors. The new law states that a person providing labor or services for remuneration shall be considered an employee rather than an independent contractor unless the hiring entity demonstrates that: • the person is free from the control and direction of the hiring entity in connection with the performance of the work; • the person performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business; and • the person is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation or business. It is important for workers to be correctly classified as employees and not as ICs. ICs are not entitled to minimum wage, to overtime pay for working more than 8 hours per
day or 40 hours per week. Without employee status, they are denied reimbursement for business expenses, and workers’ compensation coverage, and denied protection from unlawful discrimination and harassment. They are not entitled to additional benefits that employees receive such as sick pay, health insurance, retirement and profitsharing plans. In this time of pandemic, the harm of misclassification is all too real. Workers who should have been classified as employees cannot get immediate sick leave and other benefits that are allowed to employees. Those who need to care for sick family members who otherwise would have the right to take leaves granted to them as employees are not able to do so. For a lot of workers, they, like the Instacart shoppers, have to litigate in court and claim their rightful status as employees protected by law. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost. You can contact the office at (818) 2910088 or visit www.joesayaslaw.com. [C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is an experienced trial attorney who has successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is a Presidential Awardee for Outstanding Filipino Overseas.] (Advertising Supplement)
Can’t pay your mortgage during the COVID-19 crisis? of all foreclosures and evictions if you have an FHA loan. Loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will also get the same treatment and may be further extended as the government finds necessary while monitoring the current crisis. To find out if your loan is backed by Fannie or Freddie, you can go to their website to look it up. The protection has been extended to California homeowners with an existing foreclosure or eviction for at least 60 days. The governor may also extend that
at any time. The important thing to know is that if your mortgage payments are suspended, this doesn’t mean that you get to live in your house for free for all the months that you are skipping the payments. At some point, you will have to make up these missed payments through a repayment plan or maybe apply for modification to restructure your loan. This is all new and anything can change at any time. If you remember back in 2008 when we had the last recession,
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 11-14, 2020
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Maximizing recovery in personal injury cases
DEAR Attorney Tan, I was driving home and was at a complete stop when another driver rear ended my car. I was not feeling well after the accident, as my back seemed very tight and stiff. I took some days off from work. After a week, I contacted the other driver’s insurance to report the claim. The insurance adjuster for the other driver said they would fix my car, and offered me $500.00 for my injuries. Is that enough? I do not know where to go from here. –K.K. Dear K.K., The first step is to make sure that any injuries that you have suffered in the accident are examined and treated. You can recover treatment costs since they are considered “economic damages” that you suffered due to the accident. You can also recover for time away from work as “economic damages,” even if you used paid time off or sick leave. The term “economic damages” means “objectively verifiable monetary losses including medical expenses, loss of earnings, burial costs, loss of use of property, costs of repair or replacement, costs of obtaining substitute domestic services, loss of employment and loss of business or employment opportunities.” Civil Code Section 1431.2(b)(1). A person’s claim for economic damages apart from medical expenses are often overlooked and not pursued by persons who settle their accident cases on their own, or with the assistance of
Barrister’s Corner Atty. kenneth UrSUA reyeS THE fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic has wreaked havoc on our economy. As a consequence of shutting down the global economy, businesses are forced to lay off a lot of workers. If you have an existing child support or spousal support obligation (court order) and you are laid off from your job causing a major loss of income, you may want to consider modifying your existing child and spousal support order. You are not automatically relieved from your obligation to pay a court ordered child and spousal support just because you were laid off from
PSD LAYOUT 1/2 HBW
Legal Advice Atty. DArriCk tAn inexperienced counsel. Loss of earnings are often a significant part of an injured person’s claim for economic damages. Damages are recoverable for both past and future lost earnings. To recover for past lost earnings, a person must prove the amount of income or earnings that he/she has lost to date. To recover damages for future earnings, a person must prove the amount of income or earnings that he/she will be reasonably certain to lose in the future as a result of the injury. CACI No. 3903C. How are past lost earnings proven? Medical records, which show the doctor authorizing a release from work or giving instructions to restrict work activities, can support the time taken off from work due to the injury. For those selfemployed, medical providers typically do not provide a release from work; however, medical records should record work restrictions placed by the medical provider. After showing that the time off was justified, the next step is to value the lost earnings. A letter from a person’s employer that outlines the amount of time that one has lost as a result of his/her injury, the loss of benefits, and the rate of
pay during the time of loss is evidence of the value of one’s loss of earnings claim. Other supporting documents include pay stubs, time cards, and tax returns. The monetary value of sick leave and vacation time that are used due to the injury are also recoverable. For those self-employed, earnings history as reflected by tax returns and profit and loss statements can help prove the value of lost earnings. Similar supporting documentation must be presented for future lost earnings. Apart from economic damages, you can recover “general damages,” which are damages for the pain, suffering, and inconvenience due to the accident. If you were suffered injury in an auto accident or someone’s premises, please contact our office to discuss your case. To maximize monetary recovery, it is important to have the assistance of an experienced attorney in presenting your personal injury claim. *** Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to practice law in California and Nevada. Mr. Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southwestern University School of Law. He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philippine American Bar Association (PABA). LAW OFFICES OF DARRICK V. TAN, 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Tel: 323-639-0277. Email: info@dtanlaw.com (Advertising Supplement)
Should you modify your child and spousal support obligation if you lose your job? your job. Some people have a mistaken belief that just because they lost their job, they are automatically off the hook from paying support. This is not the case. The support order remains in place until it is modified by a new support order. You will need to immediately file a Request for Order (motion) with the Court to modify the existing support order when there is a substantial change in your circumstance such as a loss of income. The support orders are generally based on the parties’ financial situation and custody arrangements at the time of the settlement
or trial. If your income has gone down substantially from the time that the child or spousal support determination, you may be able to file a modification of your support obligation. Losing a job or having less income constitutes a material change of circumstances that would allow the court to modify down your support obligations. Child support in California is based on a guideline formula. One of the factors that is considered in the guideline formula is your gross income. Usually the court would look at several months or even an average of the last 12
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B APRIL 11-14, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
The Prophetic Voice reVerend rodel G. BAlAGtAS HAPPY Easter! This year’s celebration of Holy Week and Easter is unprecedented for all of us Christians, for we could not gather as a community to hold masses and services in our churches. It’s because of coronavirus pandemic that prohibited us from any public gatherings. Indeed, COVID-19 interrupted Lenten, Holy Week, and Easter celebrations all over the world, including those with Pope Francis in Rome. The most poignant image of the Holy Father was seeing him walk alone towards the empty St. Peter’s Basilica to give us his Urbi et Orbi blessing. As I reflect on this global crisis of our times, I ask myself, how will the next generations of people learn about us? Will they learn that we survived this painful test of time? Will they see us as a generation that remained stead-
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The cross of COVID-19 Should you modify your child and spousal...
fast, courageous, and hopeful despite this pandemic? Will they know the importance of nations working together to fight this unforeseen enemy—this deadly virus—to prevent more death of millions of people? Will we inspire and encourage them to face their particular challenges? It has been painful to go through this crisis. We’ve lost sleep and suffered anxiety. Fear keeps lurking in our minds as we hear tragic news on television about the multiplying cases of people infected with the coronavirus and those who perished. The virus has isolated us in our homes for weeks now, has made us physically distant from another, and has threatened a scary economic recession. We would often tell each other, “We’ll get through this pandemic.” It’s true. God will help us. We’re not sure why he is allowing this pandemic to happen, but in his providential plan, he has reasons that later on, we will know. Moreover, we need to trust in God who says in the Scriptures, “He is not the God of the dead, but the living.” (Mark 12:27)
So is undergoing this overwhelming crisis a curse or a privilege for us in this generation? I would say that it is a privilege if we see it as a moment to make radical changes in the way we relate to one another as a global community. It’s a blessing if it is transforming our cities, towns, churches, and homes to become better places and institutions of love, care, compassion, kindness, justice, and peace. In the light of the Gospel, this cross will turn into a blessing if we carry it with love, care, kindness, and compassion to others. We salute all our front-liners during this pandemic: the doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and other caregivers. We also appreciate the hard work of the janitors, grocery workers, truck drivers, garbage collectors, and all who provide us with our essential needs. May this Easter bless us with hope in the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ! Amen. *** Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.
About the Families First Coronavirus Response Act Part 2 of 2
PRESIDENT Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act on March 18 to provide paid leave for workers and tax credits for small and midsize businesses to recover the cost of providing Coronavirus-related leaves. A recent IRS new release identified new credits for paid sick leave and child care. Paid sick leave credit For an employee who is unable to work because of Coronavirus quarantine or self-quarantine or has Coronavirus symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis, eligible employers may receive a refundable sick leave credit for sick leave at the employee’s regular rate of pay, up to $511 per day and $5,110 in the aggregate, for a total of 10 days. For an employee who is caring for someone with Coronavirus, or is caring for a child because the child’s school or child care facility is closed, or the child care provider is unavailable due to the Coronavirus, eligible employers may claim a credit for two-thirds of the employee’s regular rate of pay, up to $200 per day and $2,000 in the aggregate, for up to 10 days. Eligible employers are entitled to an additional tax
Tax & Stock Tips Victor Sy,
cPA, MBA (retired)
credit determined based on costs to maintain health insurance coverage for the eligible employee during the leave period. Child care leave credit An employee who is unable to work because of a need to care for a child whose school or childcare facility is closed or whose childcare provider is unavailable due to the Coronavirus, eligible employers may receive a refundable childcare leave credit. This credit is equal to two-thirds of the employee’s regular pay, capped at $200 per day or $10,000 in the aggregate. Up to 10 weeks of qualifying leave can be counted towards the childcare leave credit. Eligible employers are entitled to an additional tax credit determined based on costs to maintain health insurance coverage for the eligible employee during the leave period.
Tax withholdings can be retained to pay for providing paid leaves Employers who are required to withhold and remit federal income taxes and the employees’ share of Social Security and Medicare taxes will be able to retain an amount of the payroll taxes equal to the amount of qualifying sick and childcare leave that they paid. If there are not sufficient payroll taxes to cover the cost of qualified sick and childcare leave paid, employers will be able file a request for an accelerated payment from the IRS. The IRS expects to process these requests in two weeks or less. *** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV - Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation. *** He retired after 50 years of defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He published a book on “How to Avoid or Survive IRS Audits.” Readers may email tax questions to vicsy@live.com.
H-1B cap petitions may be filed...
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magitan ng pagpapakita na siya ay: (1) may bachelor’s degree o mas mataas na degree na kailangan para sa specialty occupation, na galing sa isang accredited na unibersidad sa U.S.; (2) may foreign degree na napatunayang katumbas ng U.S. degree; (3) may unrestricted state license, registration o certification para magpractice ng specialty occupation sa lugar ng trabaho; o (4) may edukasyon, dalubhasang pagsasanay, at/o may progresibong karanasan sa trabaho, na tinuturing na katumbas ng U.S. bachelor’s degree o mas mataas na degree. USCIS announced on April 1, 2020 that H-1B cap-subject petitions for fiscal year (FY) 2021 may already be filed based on a valid selected registration. This includes the H1B visa numbers subject to the “statutory cap” of 65,000 workers per fiscal year, as well as the 20,000 additional “master’s exemption” visa numbers for foreign workers with a master’s degree or a higher degree from a qualified U.S. college or university. Based on the implementation this FY 2021 of the H1B registration process for H1B cap-subject petitions, a petitioner is only eligible to file an H-1B petition if they electronically registered the beneficiary in the H-1B registration process and USCIS selected the registration submitted for the beneficiary through the random selection process. The relevant registration selection notice given
by USCIS will indicate the period within which the H-1B Petition must be filed. This period will be at least 90 days. As online filing of H-1B Petitions is not available, the H-1B Petitions must be mailed to USCIS. The H-1B Petition must include a copy of the printed registration selection notice. Petitioners filing the H-1B capsubject petitions must still establish eligibility for approval at the time the H-1B petition is filed and through adjudication. Selection in the registration process only pertains to eligibility to file the H-1B cap-subject petition for FY 2021. The H1b visa category applies to alien workers who wish to perform services in a specialty occupation. The job must meet the following criteria to qualify as a specialty occupation: (1) bachelor’s or higher degree or its equivalent is normally the minimum entry requirement for the position; (2) the degree requirement for the job is common to the industry or the job is so complex and unique that it can be performed only by an individual with a degree; (3) the employer normally requires a degree or its equivalent for the position; (4) the nature of the specific duties is so specialized and complex that the knowledge required to perform the duties is usually associated with the attainment of a bachelor’s or higher degree. For the alien worker to qualify to accept a job offer in a specialty occupation, the alien worker must meet the following criteria: (1) have completed a U.S. bachelor’s
degree or higher degree required by the specialty occupation from an accredited college or university; (2) hold a foreign degree that is the equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree or a higher degree in the specialty occupation; (3) hold an unrestricted state license, registration or certification which authorizes the alien worker to fully practice the specialty occupation and be engaged in that specialty in the state of intended employment; (4) have education, training or progressively responsible experience in the specialty that is equivalent to the completion of such a degree, and have recognition of expertise in the specialty through progressively responsible positions directly related to the specialty. *** ATTY. RHEA SAMSON is the principal of SAMSON LAW FIRM, P.C. She has been a member of the State Bar of California for over 15 years and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines for over 20 years. Atty. Samson received her Legal Management degree from the Ateneo de Manila University and her Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo Law School. She was a Professor for over 10 years, teaching Obligations and Contracts, Labor Laws and Social Legislation and Taxation Law. Atty Samson is the author of The Law on Obligations and Contracts (2016), Working with Labor Laws-Revised Edition (2014) and Working with Labor Laws (2005). SAMSON LAW FIRM, P.C., 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1710, Los Angeles, CA 90010; Phone: (213) 274-4561; Email: info@samsonlawfirmpc.com. (Advertising Supplement)
How new bankruptcy telephonic... PAGE B6 t
Can you buy your way out of mortality for $1 billion? Nope. How about for $1 trillion? Nope. How about all the money in the world? Nope. So, here we are with our frail bodies and our mortality. Since we are all going to die at some time, isn’t it better to be at least to a point of human certainty to have an idea where we are going to when we die? Isn’t it better to go to heaven and spend eternity there with a loving God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit enjoying peace, love and joy with our loved ones, without having to worry about some invisible virus or mortality again? I mean, better than spending eternity getting burned in hell with Lucifer, and a bunch of ugly demons who are devouring your soul? This is a no brainer. So, believe in Jesus Christ as your savior, because
there is no other way to God the Father, except through his Son, Jesus Christ. It doesn’t cost you anything, not even a penny to believe in Jesus, but He is our gateway to heaven. It’s OK to use credit cards during this pandemic No matter how dreadful and horrible this virus is, this too will pass. The sun still rises at dawn. Spring comes after winter. If you need money right now while waiting for unemployment checks and the stimulus checks, go ahead and use your credit cards and credit lines to tide you over in the meantime if you’ve lost your job. Under the totality of circumstances standard to determine dischargeability of debt, the use of credit cards for emergencies is considered reasonable. Therefore, the use of credit cards to ride this pandemic will be considered dischargeable.
Of course, there still has to be intent to repay, and the intent to repay is presumed from the return of jobs when America is open for business again, “with a bang.” 6 feet apart is much better than 6 feet under So, remember social distancing is 6 feet apart because it’s better than being buried 6 feet under. For vacation, decide between spending time in your living room, or your dining room. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation, and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement)
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months income. If your average income has decreased, you may be able to modify your child support to a lower amount. Bear in mind that there are other factors that come in the equation such as the amount of actual timeshare you spend with your child and the income of the other parent. If the other parent’s income has gone down, this may adversely affect your child support obligation. Also bear in mind that any unemployment benefits that you may be receiving will be considered as income available for support in the child support guideline calculation. Spousal support may also be modified unless you stipulated in a divorce judgment that it is non-modifiable. However, spousal support are usually calculated differently than guideline. The court will look at other factors in deciding whether to modify this. Those factors are listed in family code section 4320. If you are unemployed, the other party may be expected to try to impute income on you. However in light of the recent cases in California, they would have to prove that you had the ability and the
opportunity to obtain employment. The Court will also look at the efforts you are making in trying to secure new employment under the current job market environment. If your income has gone down due to job lay off or unemployment, or if your hours were cut, it may be possible to modify both your child support and spousal support obligation. Without modifying the order, the current order will continue to be in effect and the same amount will accrue regardless of whether your income declined or your spouse income increased. It is important to file a post judgment request for order to modify support as soon as your financial situation changes. Failing to immediately modify your child and spousal support obligation and not paying them would result to your support obligation accumulating as child and spousal support arrears. The supported spouse is entitled to the statutory interest on any unpaid support arrears. If the County Child Support Service Department is involved in enforcing the support, CSSD may suspend your passport, divers license, garnish your bank accounts, and intercept any
tax refunds due you by the federal or state government. *** 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 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@ kenryeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com (Advertising Supplement)
Can’t pay your mortgage during COVID-19... PAGE B7 t
the government came up with the HAMP Program (Making Home Affordable) under the Obama administration and laws were passed to help struggling homeowners keep their homes. I can only hope that the government will do the same thing this time and come up with an even better program. In California, while no court order is needed to foreclose on your home, it will still take approximately four months for the lender to sell your property once they initiate foreclosure proceedings. And since everyone is on lockdown at the moment, this may even take longer. But this doesn’t mean that you can just stop paying your mortgage payments without communicating with your lender. The best thing for you to do right now is to call them and then follow up with a letter reiterating the details of your phone conversation. Send your letter via USPS Priority Mail with keep a copy of the letter and proof of mailing as
you may need these later on. If you are calling your lender for assistance, be prepared to provide evidence that your inability to make the mortgage payments is due to the coronavirus. In other words, the bank is not just going to help you just because you asked for it unless you can prove financial hardship. If there was ever a time to be proactive in dealing with your debts, this is the time. This is a scary time for everyone, and it is easy to be overwhelmed with anxiety and worries about your finances and how you would be able to meet even your family’s basic needs. While creditors have legal remedies to sue, obtain judgments, garnish wages, repossess and foreclose, all these may take time but it doesn’t mean that you don’t need to act quickly to avoid the ugly legal consequences that may be waiting for you down the road if things get worse. Prioritize food and medicine expenses while also planning
how to deal with debts that must be paid in order to avoid losing property that you own (example: car, home or other real property. While you may not be working at the moment (which could mean that creditors will not be in a hurry to sue if they can’t garnish wages), they will be able to do so once you start getting a paycheck again. So, the time to plan is now, not later, if you believe that your income or assets may be later at risk. NOTE: Due to the current lockdown order caused by COVID-19, I am offering free phone consultations to anyone who needs help in dealing with their debt problems. *** None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped thousands of clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call Ray Bulaon Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1 (866) 477-7772. (Advertising Supplement)
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 11-14, 2020
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B10 APRIL 11-14, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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