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APRIL 16-22, 2020

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

Volume 31 - No. 15 • 12 Pages

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

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

DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Duterte asks public for ‘discipline’ in following quarantine rules Armed Forces, police have been enforcing quarantine measures since March

by FRANCO LUNA Philstar.com

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, April 16 ordered the police and the military to prepare to enforce physical distancing guidelines amid the enhanced community quarantine

prompted by the novel coronavirus outbreak.

This, despite security forces already manning quarantine checkpoints since mid-March.The interagency task force on COVID-19 also said over the weekend that military and police teams will be sent to public markets to prevent crowding.

“I’m just asking for your discipline. If you don’t

believe me, the military and the police will take over. I am ordering the police and military now to be ready. They will enforce social distancing and the curfew,” he said in Filipino in his livestreamed public address Tuesday night.

“It will be like martial law. You choose,” he said.

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Jorel Alfonso (left) with his wife Ashling and their three children ages 12, 10 and 5.

Photo courtesy of Alfonso family

Fil-Am father, 38, who died of COVID-19 laid to rest A FILIPINO American father of three from the Inland Empire was laid to rest on Wednesday, April 15, a week after succumbing to complications related to the novel coronavirus.

Jorel Alfonso, 38, died of COVID-19 on April 7, according to his family. A resident of Eastvale in Riverside County, he is survived by his wife Ashling and their three young children ages 12, 10 and 5.

With social distancing measures still in place, families around the country have been prevented from organizing proper ceremonies for their departed loved ones.

Only one individual could attend Alfonso’s

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US senators slam China for South China Sea actions during pandemic

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III

Inquirer.net photo

AMID SENATORS’ CALL FOR THE DOH SECRETARY’S IMMEDIATE RESIGNATION

Duque to ‘stay put’ as health chief

by KRISSY

AGUILAR Inquirer.net

SEVERAL United States senators recently slammed China’s actions in the South China Sea as the world focuses on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The most recent actions by the Asian country include the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat by a Chinese coast guard vessel near Paracel Islands earlier this month and the deployment of military aircraft.

“The reports of a Chinese Coast Guard vessel sinking a Vietnamese fishing vessel and China’s other activities on illegally reclaimed features in the South China Sea are deeply concerning,” said Republican Senator Jim Risch, chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign

MANILA — Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III will “stay put”.

This was the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte as senators called for the resignation of the country’s health chief over alleged dismal handling of the COVID19 epidemic.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea confirmed on Thursday, April 16 in a message to reporters that: “Yes. The President has made a decision for Health Secretary Duque to stay put,” Medialdea said.

“He also expressed his appreciation for the Senators’ gesture in giving him the opportunity to weigh his options on the performance [of] his SOH,” he added.

Duterte expects Duque to work harder amid senators’ calls for his resignation, Medialdea also said.

“Secretary Duque was made aware of the sentiments of the Senators and the President expects him to work even harder to set aside any doubts on his capacity and sincerity to serve the public during these difficult times,” he said.

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DIFFERENT MISSION. Manila policemen and personnel of the city health department prepare to pick up residents in Tondo, Manila exposed to COVID-infected persons. Suspected virus carriers were taken to a facility in Delpan where they will be tested and placed under quarantine.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Mike Alquinto

NEDA chief: Another quarantine extension ‘difficult’ to sustain

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE National Economic and Development Authority Secretary on Thursday, April 16, said that sustaining another extension for the enhanced community quarantine enforced in Luzon will be difficult.

President Rodrigo Duterte in March placed Luzon under quarantine to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country. It was supposed to

end on April 14, but was recently extended until April 30.

In an interview with DZMM, NEDA chief Ernesto Pernia said: “Mahirap na siguro. Marami na nagsabi na kailangan may partial opening na (It’s difficult. A lot of people are saying that a partial opening is needed). Dapat lang may (There should be a) precaution against the resurgence or the relapse of people who had been cured or who were able to avoid the COVID-positive situation.”

“This has happened already in

China, in Wuhan because when they lifted the lockdown, may mga relapses sila. Even Singapore also is suffering from relapse and Korea so we have to be careful about opening up (and) lifting the quarantine in some areas,” he added.

Pernia noted the country’s economic growth rate for 2020 is expected to take a hit due to the pandemic.

“The worst case scenario siguro is between (negative) one per-

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ASEAN urged to collaborate amid COVID-19 crisis DFA repatriates

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, April 14, called for the cooperation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in light of the novel coronavirus pandemic that has killed thousands of people and forced the lockdowns of major cities globally.

“To effectively overcome the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, ASEAN must collaborate and coordinate within our region and beyond,” he said in his speech during the special virtual summit on the COVID-19 outbreak.

This year’s ASEAN summit was chaired by Vietnamese Prime Min-

ister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

According to Duterte, the COVID-19 is an “unprecedented, devastating, and unfolding catastrophe” that is “upending the totality of our way of life.”

“This virus threatens to exact the highest tolls – on our peoples and our economies. We are forced to impose drastic measures to address this pandemic,” he said.

“These immediate responses, while necessary, could drive our societies and the larger international community further apart.

And yet, an effective, strategic response requires that we come together and cooperate even more,” he added.

Duterte noted that health care

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354 seafarers from US

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

VIRTUAL SUMMIT. President Rodrigo Duterte joins other leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries, the Republic of Korea, People’s Republic of China and Japan during the special ASEAN Plus Three Summit on COVID-19 video conference at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang on Tuesday, April 14.

Malacañang photo by Ace Morandante

OVER 300 Filipino workers from Miami, Florida returned to the Philippines on Wednesday, April 15 as part of the Department of Foreign Affairs’ repatriation program.

The latest batch of 354 seafarers came from cruise ships operated by Carnival Cruises and composed of 76 crew members of MV Ecstasy, 104 of MV Dream, 49 of MV Glory and 125 of MV Sunshine. They arrived on a chartered Qatar Airways flight (QR 7485) earlier on Wednesday.

According to the agency, all the seafarers underwent thorough mandatory health inspection by the Department of Health - Bureau of Quarantine upon disembarkation. They will also be subjected to a 14-day facility quarantine in predetermined hotels approved by the DOH. The repatriation program was a coordinated effort of the DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (OUMWA), the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC, DOH, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), with the

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april 16-22, 2020 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal

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

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 16-22, 2020

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

From The FronT Page

Duterte asks public for...

PAGE 1 He acknowledged later in his speech, though, that the lockdown of Luzon—a measure since adopted by local governments in the Visayas and Mindanao—is “a cruel action by the government” as he reminded authorities that people have to go out to find food and other necessities for their families.

“Whatever we do here, there has to be humanity in it. It’s just a matter of enforcing the law,” he added later on.

As he has done in previous addresses even before the COVID19 outbreak, Duterte also took the opportunity to lash out at critics and the Left.

“For the sake of the country, I will identify Filipinos who can do nothing but criticize. All politics, the prettyboys. They don’t even do anything. Full of corruption,” he said.

“By the time elections come, I’ll tell you who you should choose. It’s obvious who they are anyway. What have you done for the country except for talk and criticize?”

Duterte’s endorsement—and his rants against candidates he said should not be elected—saw his political allies handily winning the May 2019 senatorial elections.

The administration PDP-Laban, though, has since seen a series of defections at the House of Representatives, a common phenomenon during the latter part of a president’s term.

President Rodrigo Duterte

Malacañang photo by Ace Morandante

‘Cure possible within days’ The chief executive said the lockdown may be lifted soon, adding a cure could be on its way in a matter of days, though he did not mention where that would come from.

“We might see a cure in a few days. Once they perfect it and they are ready to market the medicine, I will lift immediately.

Not a single moment of delay, because I am also tired,” he said.

“In the fullness of God’s time, the antibodies and vaccines will come,” the president also said.

At Tuesday night’s Special ASEAN Summit, President Duterte told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that the Philippines is ready to participate in clinical trials of a Japanmade drug, Avigan, as a possible novel coronavirus (COVID-19) treatment.

Earlier Thursday, the Palace also said it hopes China would

prioritize the Philippines if it develops a vaccine for the pandemic.

Hospitals warned against rejecting patients Duterte again warned hospitals against rejecting patients, even going as far as threatening them with shutdown.

“Nine hospitals refused to accept patients. Therefore, I am asking the Department of Health to start the investigation. I’m sorry, but there are rules to follow. You’re a hospital. You are the sanctuary of the sick. You do not choose the ailment of the patient,” he said.

“That is your problem. You are a hospital. If you can’t be a hospital, I might as well just close you down.”

The Department of Health on Thursday afternoon recorded an additional 207 cases of COVID19, driving the official tally to 5,660. n

the late envoy.

“The DFA may have lost a dedicated servant but her legacy continues,” the agency said.

The remains were immediately brought to a crematorium in Pasay City after the ceremony.

Catalla passed away on April 2. She was the first Philippine ambassador in active service to die of COVID-19.

The DFA recorded 32 new cases of COVID-19 among overseas Filipinos, bringing the total number to 736.

“Today, a total of 32 new confirmed Covid-19 cases, six new recoveries, and no new deaths have been recorded among overseas Filipinos across the Ameri-

cas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and Middle East/Africa,” said DFA Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez.

The agency also said that 426 are currently undergoing treatment while 88 have died and 222 have recovered.

Meñez assured that DFA will continue to assist overseas Filipinos who may require help during the pandemic “Today also marks the 16th consecutive day of DFA’s repatriation efforts since the COVID-19 outbreak. The DFA will tirelessly carry on with its commitment to assist our nationals abroad who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. n

DFA repatriates 354 seafarers...

PAGE 1

assistance of the United Philippine Lines (UPL).

Nearly 15,000 overseas Filipinos have been brought back to the Philippines since the novel coronavirus pandemic began.

DFA brings home body of envoy who died of COVID-19 The DFA also brought home the remains of the late Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Bernardita Catalla, who succumbed to COVID-19, this afternoon.

Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), led by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr., together with the next-of-kin of Ambassador Catalla, paid their last respects to

US senators slam China for South China Sea...

PAGE 1 Relations Committee.

“These are just the latest examples of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) blatant intimidation of its neighbors to assert its excessive maritime claims.

The CCP is undermining regional stability at a time when the international community should be coming together to combat the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.

Meanwhile, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), a committee member, noted the discrepancy between the Chinese coast guard’s duty and actions.

“At a time when the international community should be working together to face a common foe, China’s continued divisive and aggressive behavior in the South China Sea is deplorable. The first duty of any coast guard is to guarantee safety at sea – not to contribute to lawlessness and danger,” he said.

“The Chinese coast guard’s culpability in the collision and sinking of a Vietnamese fishing vessel is unambiguous, and constitutes unsafe and unacceptable maritime behavior, deserving of condemnation,” he added.

Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) echoed their sentiments, condemning China’s actions, as well.

“I condemn in the strongest terms China’s sinking of a Vietnamese vessel in the South China Sea,” he said.

He added, “This is a flagrant violation of international law and comes at a time when nations around the world are focused on combating the COVID-19 scourge that spread in part due to the Chinese Communist Party’s cover-up and negligence.”

Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), meanwhile, assured that the U.S. government will not turn a blind eye to China’s military activities.

“As authoritarians exploit the pandemic to erode rule of law, we must continue to call out Beijing’s efforts to assert unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea,” he said.

“The United States will not turn a blind eye to military coercion of Southeast Asian countries. Like the rest of the world, the Indo-Pacific is focused on fighting the coronavirus, but the United States must continue to assist our regional partners and

allies in defending their freedom of navigation, the free flow of commerce, and adherence to international agreements in the face of Chinese aggression during this pandemic,” he added.

The Vietnam foreign ministry on April 3 said it filed a diplomatic protest before the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi over the incident that saw a Chinese coast guard vessel ramming and sinking a

fishing boat QNg 90617 carrying eight fishermen.

“The above-mentioned Chinese vessel’s act violates Viet Nam’s sovereignty over the Paracel Islands, causes property losses and endangers the lives, safety and legitimate interests of the Vietnamese fishermen,” said the Vietnamese foreign ministry in a statement. (Ritchel Mendiola/AJPress)

april 16-22, 2020 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal

ASEAN urged to collaborate amid...

Dateline USa

PAGE 1 systems are under stress as the number of COVID-19 cases rise, which is causing a shortage of vital medicine and medical equipment and supplies.

“We need to boost production and facilitate intra-ASEAN trade of these life-saving necessities,” he said.

He also urged the ASEAN to take the necessary steps to ensure food security as governments impose lockdowns to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

“Our most urgent priority is ensuring sufficient supply of rice for our people. ASEAN must remain open for trade, crisis or no crisis, as no country can stand alone. Let us, therefore, ensure the supply chain connectivity and the smooth flow of goods within our region,” he said.

“Food security is key in main-

taining socio-economic and political stability, especially at a time of great difficulty for our people. We can ignore this only at our own risk,” Duterte added.

The president also called for the support of research and development initiatives in developing a vaccine, noting that lockdowns have staggering socio-economic implications for various nations.

“Without a vaccine or a cure, we can only delay the spread of the disease. But containment, in whatever form and degree, will have staggering socio-economic implications for all of us. It is therefore imperative that we support vaccine and research and development initiatives,” he said.

“We should fast-track cooperation with our dialogue partners in this area. For its part, the Philippines is ready to join solidarity with clinical trials for COVID-19

treatment,” Duterte added.

Furthermore, he urged the ASEAN to “be ready for future outbreaks,” warning that COVID-19 would not be the last pandemic.

“COVID-19 will not be the last pandemic the world will face.

We have to be ready for future outbreaks. We therefore have to improve and expand existing ASEAN’s mechanisms to cover public health emergencies,” he said.

Duterte then welcomed Thailand’s proposal to establish a COVID-19 ASEAN response fund and expressed gratitude toward Brunei and Singapore for providing assistance to the Philippines.

“We can only be truly safe if we defeat this virus everywhere. Let us therefore strengthen our networks of solidarity and cooperation. Let us surmount this crisis together,” he said. n

PAGE 1 Senators sought Duque’s “immediate resignation” over his performance in managing the novel coronavirus disease crisis.

Under Senate Resolution No. 362, 14 senators cited Duque’s “failure of leadership, negligence, lack of foresight, and inefficiency in the performance of his mandate as the secretary of the Department of Health (DOH) resulting in poor planning delayed response, lack of transparency, and misguided and flip-flopping

policies and measures in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic that endangered and continues to endanger the lives of our healthcare professionals, other frontliners, and the Filipino people.”

Duque said he will answer all allegations in “due time.”

He vowed to work with other frontliners in fighting against COVID-19.

“We will answer these allegations in due time, but right now, we will continue to be in the trenches with our health care

workers and frontliners. Let us work as a team, as one country fighting for the health and safety of all. I will continue to serve the country to the best of my abilities.

Magtulungan po tayo,” Duque said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque earlier distanced Malacañang from calls asking for Duque’s resignation. Roque also said the President continues to have trust and confidence in his Cabinet members. n

Duque to ‘stay put’ as health...

NEDA chief: Another quarantine...

PAGE 1 cent and zero. The more upbeat scenario would be a growth rate of between one percent to two percent,” he said.

Cabinet Secretary and Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Spokesperson Karlo Nograles, for his part, said the government is already fine-tuning its “gameplan” after the quarantine ends.

He did not say, however, if there are plans to extend quarantine again.

Pernia, who earlier proposed a “modified lockdown,” lobbied for the partial opening of certain industries such as personal services that offer haircut, laundry, and housecleaning amid the pandemic.

“Maraming mga kailangan na hindi naman talaga vitally necessary pero kailangan din po for more comfortable living. Ganoon

siguro yung graduation ng opening (These are not vitally necessary but we also need them for comfortable living. That could be the graduation of opening),” he said.

Año hopeful for a decrease in new COVID-19 cases As the quarantine in Luzon nears its end, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año expressed hope that there would be a significant decline in the number of COVID19 cases in the country.

According to him, the Philippines could have recorded 50,000 cases with 7,000 deaths had it not been for the quarantine extension, ultimately deeming the move to be effective.

Año also said that the government is targeting to conduct 8,000 COVID-19 tests per day by the end of April.

He added that the IATF is

studying how businesses would be gradually opened once the quarantine ends.

“So pinag-aaralan natin kung gaano karaming workforce ang puwede natin payagan, gradual, unti-unti, hanggang mag-normalize. (We are studying how many workers would be gradually allowed to go to work until the situation becomes normal),” he said.

“So rest assured, ang gagawin naming recommendation sa Pangulo ay itong mas makabubuti sa ating bansa at sa ating mga kababayan (Rest assured that our recommendation to the President would be for the good of the country and our countrymen),” Año added.

As of writing, there are 5,660 cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines, with 362 fatalities and 435 recoveries. n

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

Jorel Alfonso (far right) is survived by his wife Ashling, three children, sister Jennifer (3rd from left) and her family, parents Jessie and Lydia, and younger brother Justin and sister-in-law Cherrie.

Fil-Am father, 38, who died of COVID-19...

PAGE 1

burial so the family selected his younger brother, Justin.

“This is the hardest time in my life, despite experiencing some of the darkest days in the past,” Justin Alfonso told the Asian Journal in a phone interview.

“Nobody should ever have to see their sibling get buried.”

Despite their five-year age difference, Justin said they bonded over cars, fantasy basketball, and collecting sneakers. He regarded his older brother as his confidant and the “closest person” in his life aside from his wife. Before stay-at-home orders hit Southern California, Alfonso was the best man at Justin’s wedding in February.

“I always looked up to my brother and would emulate his personality growing up,” Justin said. “But as I got older, I started seeing that he wanted to hang out, be my friend and even learn from me and we started becoming each other.”

Alfonso’s immediate family and select friends held an in-person private viewing on Tuesday, and then live streamed a ceremony with prayers and eulogies.

Later in the evening, dozens joined a virtual memorial service on Zoom.

The Fil-Am father first reported that he had a fever on March 18 and self-isolated at home. It then became a cough and mild shortness of breath, but he still told family members that he felt fine and maintained a positive mindset that he could beat the virus.

Six days later following his doctor’s order, Alfonso drove himself to Kaiser Riverside and thought he would still be able to go home that same day. He ended up being kept overnight for further examination and the

next morning, he texted his family the result of the test by saying, “positive” for COVID-19. He was shortly sedated and intubated.

That led Justin to begin thinking of a contingency plan to take in his nephews and niece if his sister-in-law also got sick. They all tested negative.

“I was worried one of the kids would get it and then that would be another issue,” he said. “You think the worst is your brother getting it? No, the worst is a whole family getting it.”

For the next two weeks, the older Alfonso stayed in the hospital and couldn’t be visited by his family. He showed some progress as hospital staff said he was on the road to recovery.

However, Alfonso, who was borderline pre-diabetic, had a drop in blood pressure and his organs began to fail. About four hours later on April 7, the family was notified of his death, Justin said.

“We didn’t really get to say goodbye because my brother was confident that he would see us again,” the younger Alfonso said, adding that when he picked up his brother’s car from the hospital a few days ago, “He still had food in there. He didn’t think he was going to have to be there for a long time.”

Alfonso, who grew up in Long Beach, settled in Eastvale in his adult years and established his young family there. He was a logistics and operations manager for a pharmaceutical company in Orange County for almost two decades.

He was an active member of his local community, from a food group that would try new local restaurants to the neighborhood crime watch. Over the years, he would volunteer to take photos for families during Christmas-

time.

Thousands of condolences and memories have been shared on social media by friends and those who had a chance to cross paths with Alfonso. Many recalled his warmth and ability to connect with others.

“What has helped me and my parents the most has been people sharing their stories,” Justin said. “It can be hard listening sometimes because I think about him, but the positive stories have made me laugh and smile. I love hearing how he was helpful and impactful in other people’s lives.”

A GoFundMe page for his children’s education and other necessities has raised over $83,000 to date. A Meal Train has also been set up to deliver meals to their home through April.

In addition to his wife, three children and younger brother, Alfonso is survived by his parents, Jessie and Lydia, and sister Jennifer.

The family wishes to focus on the lighthearted stories and memories of Alfonso, but they also want his case to be a wakeup call that COVID-19 does not discriminate based on age or ethnicity and that the 1.5% mortality rate should not be taken lightly.

“All it takes is that 1.5% chance and it could be you or your family who are affected,” Justin said. “So if I could go back and say, ‘Are we taking the smallest chance?’ The answer’s no.

It’s not worth risking your life by going to a friend’s house or the grocery store. The conversation going on in every community and household is that if we get it, we’d be okay. That’s not true because my brother died. Don’t wait until you’re that 1.5%.”

(Christina M. Oriel/AJPress)

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 16-22, 2020

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

D ateline PhiliPPines Duterte appeals to health workers to stay in PH

COVID-19 task force assures enough supply amid Luzon-wide quarantine

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

Medical workers are urged to stay in the Philippines as the country continues to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, President Rodrigo duterte said on Monday, april 13.

The president appealed to health care professionals to remain in the country because of the shortage of personnel, but admitted that he cannot blame them if they want to seek better pay abroad.

“Kung gusto ninyong kayong mga nurse na Pilipino, gusto ninyong magsilbi sa ibang bayan, sa ibang tao, okay lang sa akin (If Filipino nurses want to serve another country, other people, that’s okay with me),” he said.

He continued, “ito lang tandaan mo, pagdating ng panahon kung maghirap kami, hindi natin alam ngayon eh pa-increase nang increase, first wave pa ito (But you must remember that there will be a time that we may suffer. The cases are increasing. it’s just the first wave).” duterte also expressed his disagreement with Foreign affairs Secretary Teodoro locsin Jr.’s view that health workers with contracts cannot be prevented from leaving. “i’d like to take the opposite view that itong ganito sa ordinaryong — ordinary times, talagang hindi kayo mapigilan at walang makasabi sa inyo umalis kayo o huwag kayong umalis, tanggap kayo, magpirma ka ng kontrata (I’d like to take the opposite view.

In ordinary times, you cannot be stopped. No one can tell you to leave or not to leave, stay and sign a contract),” he said.

“Pero alam mo during an emergency ‘yung sa ibang bansa — gaya ng china, ‘pag sinabi ng china para, para. ‘Pag sinabi ng china bukas, bukas (But you know during an emergency, other countries like China, when China says stop, they stop. When China says open, then they open),” he added. duterte clarified that the Philippines is under a democracy so he can’t command Filipinos to follow strict rules unlike china, which is a communist regime. “it is a communist regime, it demands total obedience.

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

The 55 new recruits, which were seen to boost the Army’s medical response capability, will serve as staff nurses in quarantine sites and Army facilities which included the Army Wellness Center, Rizal Medical Complex and the Army General Hospital. New nurses recruited by the Philippine Army would be deployed to support the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Photo courtesy of the Philippine Army

Hindi ka pwede magsabi ‘ay, hindi-hindi.’ Huli ka. dito, ‘di ko pwede magawa niyan kasi demokrasya, papasok ang human rights (It is a communist regime it demands total obedience. You can’t disagree. You’ll get arrested. Here, I can’t do that because it’s a democracy and there are human rights),” he said. in March, the Philippine Overseas employment administration approved the resolution to suspend sending Filipino health care workers abroad until the current crisis is over.

Signed by POea Governing Board chairman and department of labor and employment (dOle) Secretary Silvestre Bello iii, the resolution calls for prioritizing the “human resource allocation for the national health care system at the time of the national state emergency.” among the professions temporarily barred from leaving the country are medical doctors/physicians, nurses, microbiologists, medical biologists, medical technologists, clinical analysts, and respiratory therapists.

Pharmacists, laboratory technicians, X-ray/radiologic technicians, nursing assistants/aides, operators of medical equipment, supervisors of health services and personal care and repairmen of medical-hospital equipment are also included.

However, the inter-agency

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

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

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

MAIL BALLOT DROP-OFF LOCATIONS FOR THE JUNE 9, 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION, CLARK COUNTY, NV THROUGH JUNE 5 (FRIDAY) (Only the Clark County Election Dept. will be available on May 25, Memorial Day)

Through June 5, if you wish to drop-off your own voted mail ballot in-person, you may do so ONLY at the places listed below at the times indicated.

DROP-OFF LOCATIONS THROUGH JUNE 5 (FRIDAY)

DATES AND HOURS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DROP-OFF LOCATIONS ON JUNE 9 PRIMARY ELECTION DAY, OPEN 7:00 A.M. TO 7:00 P.M. CLARK COUNTY ELECTION DEPARTMENT, 965 Trade Dr., North Las Vegas

*SAHARA WEST LIBRARY, 9600 W. Sahara Ave. *SILVER MESA RECREATION CENTER, 4025 Allen Ln. *VETERANS MEMORIAL LEISURE CENTER, 101 N. Pavilion Center Dr.

BUNKERVILLE COMMUNITY CENTER, 200 W. Virgin St., Bunkerville

*WALNUT COMMUNITY CENTER, 3075 N. Walnut Rd.

CLARK COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS – LOGANDALE, 1301 Whipple Ave., Logandale

*WHITNEY RECREATION CENTER, 5712 E. Missouri Ave.

INDIAN SPRINGS COMMUNITY CENTER, 715 W. Gretta Lane, Indian Springs

*WINDMILL LIBRARY, 7060 W. Windmill Ln.

LAUGHLIN LIBRARY, 2840 S. Needles Highway, Laughlin

*SEARCHLIGHT COMMUNITY CENTER, 200 Michael Wendell Way, Searchlight

MOAPA COMMUNITY CENTER, 1340 E. Highway 168, Moapa MOAPA TRIBAL ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, 1 Lincoln St., Moapa MOAPA VALLEY COMMUNITY CENTER – OVERTON, 300 N. Moapa Blvd., Overton SANDY VALLEY COMMUNITY CENTER, 650 W. Quartz Ave., Sandy Valley *BOB PRICE RECREATION CENTER, 2050 Bonnie Ln. *DESERT BREEZE COMMUNITY CENTER, 8275 Spring Mountain Rd. *DR. WILLIAM U. PEARSON COMMUNITY CENTER, 1625 W. Carey Ave. *ENTERPRISE LIBRARY, 25 E. Shelbourne Ave. *HOLLYWOOD RECREATION CENTER, 1650 S. Hollywood Blvd. *MOUNTAIN CREST COMMUNITY CENTER, 4701 N. Durango Dr. *PARADISE RECREATION CENTER, 4775 S. McLeod *PASEO VERDE LIBRARY, 280 S. Green Valley Pkwy.

DATED March 31, 2020

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

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

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

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

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

NORTH LAS VEGAS CITY CLERK, City Hall, 8th Floor, 2250 Las Vegas Bl. North, N. Las Vegas 8:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. *Date and locations updated from previous publications.

JOSEPH P. GLORIA Registrar of Voters

THe Philippine government on Wednesday, april 15, assured the public that there are enough supplies of power, water, rice, and food while luzon is under an enhanced community quarantine to prevent the further spread of the novel coronavirus (cOVid-19) in the country. cabinet Secretary and inter-agency Task Force (iaTF) Spokesperson Karlo Nograles cited a report by the department of energy, saying that there is enough power supply in luzon as it has an available capacity of 11,795 megawatts.

“For the power demands in luzon, the department of energy reports that we have an available capacity of 11,795 MW, which is greater than the actual peak demand of 7,323 MW in luzon,” he noted.

“This means we currently have an excess capacity of 4,742 MW. lubos din ang suplay natin ng kuryente [rito] po sa luzon

(We have enough power supply here in Luzon),” he added.

Nograles also said that three million poor consumers of electric cooperatives nationwide will be receiving relief through the Pantawid liwanag program led by the Philippine Rural electric cooperatives association inc.

“To our countrymen who consume less than 50 kilowatt per hour or the lifeline consumers of electric cooperatives here in luzon and also in Visayas and Mindanao — apart from the one-month grace period in the payment of power bills — your consumption for the March to april billing period will be for free,” he said.

For luzon’s water supply, the Task Force spokesman said the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) has given the full water allocation of 46 cubic meters per second to the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) from the angat dam until april 30 to ensure the continuous supply of water in Metro Manila.

“We can be sure that the sup-

ply of water here in NcR (National capital Region) would be continuous while we are in the midst of the enhanced community quarantine,” Nograles said.

He also guaranteed that there is sufficient food supply in luzon. likewise, Trade Secretary Ramon lopez echoed this sentiment.

“Sa pagkain ho, wala tayong problema. in fact, mga 80 to 90 percent ang production capacity [natin] (We have no problem in food supply. In fact, we have about 80 to 90 percent production capacity),” he said.

Meanwhile, National Food authority (NFa) administrator Judy carol dansal assured rice supply will not be an issue.

“Hindi lang sapat, sobra (We have more than enough),” she said.

80,000 sacks of rice from ilocos, cagayan, and central luzon have been distributed to caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela by the agriculture department. n

Task Force (iaTF) on emerging infectious diseases recommended to partially lift the deployment ban as well as exempt health care workers with signed overseas employment contracts as of March 8.

“Those without contracts or those without perfected contracts, they are covered by the temporary deployment ban,” said cabinet Secretary and iaTF spokesman Karlo Nograles on Tuesday, april 14. duterte also blamed the United States for recruiting medical workers to address its cOVid-19 emergency. “america is part of the problem of the Filipinos now. Many of them have been infected.

Many have died. They are calling on just about anyone... They ask nurses to go to the embassy, they will process the visa for one day and tomorrow you can leave,” he said.

“The problem with americans, you could have relied on your own human resource... Now you are reducing the human resources of the Philippines. Soon, we will experience a shortage,” he added. “We are nervous here because we cannot match the offer... i understand that it’s about self-preservation. So they need to work. There are jobs in america so they go there.” as of writing, there are 5,453 confirmed cOVid-19 cases in NO CROWDING. With policemen manning the entrance and exit points of the Blumentritt market in Manila, shoppers observe physical distancing. Officials also adopted new rules wherein Manila residents are allowed from 5 a.m. to 12 noon, non-residents can shop from 12 the Philippines, with 349 deaths noon to 4 p.m. and wholesale buyers from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Enrique Agcaoili and 353 recoveries. n

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

JOSEPH P. GLORIA Registrar of Voters

PUB: April 2, 9, and 16, 2020 Las Vegas Asian Journal

6

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

APRIL 16-22, 2020 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL

OPINION

Deployment ban

FEATURES

EVEN before the coronavirus disease 2019 pestilence arrived in the Philippines, the country already suffered from a shortage of approximately 290,000 health workers. This is according to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, which has banned the deployment abroad of health workers while the country is battling the COVID-19 pandemic. The POEA reported that last year, about 13,000 health professionals left the country for jobs overseas.

Critics have decried the POEA ban as unconstitutional. Proponents, on the other hand, said such moves are allowed under a state of public health emergency and the special powers granted by Congress to President Duterte to contain the unprecedented pandemic. Other proponents have taken a different tack, appealing to the patriotism of health workers in fighting the highly contagious and deadly disease. Hundreds of health workers have answered the call.

Hailed as heroes of the pandemic, the plight of health workers should prompt a review of government policies toward this sector. Before the arrival of COVID-19, nurses in both government and private health facilities had been pushing for better compensation. Some private hospitals even charge nurses for the privilege of working

and getting the required residency for overseas deployment. Poor compensation – in some cases even lower than the minimum wage – has driven nurses to work instead in business process outsourcing or to find jobs overseas.

As of Tuesday last week, COVID-19 had reportedly killed 21 doctors in the Philippines, accounting for a significantly high percentage of the total deaths nationwide, now at over 300. Nurses and other health professionals are also among the COVID-19 fatalities. The pandemic is showing the nation the importance of this sector not only for public health but also for the economic health of the country.

The government is reviewing the POEA’s suspension of overseas deployment of health workers. Even with the deployment ban, going to the emy is best done voluntarily. If only a few answer frontlines of a battle against a deadly, unseen en- the call, the government – and the nation – should

Editorial

review the possible reasons, and find ways to address them. (Philstar.com)

Trump claims total authority and wants to open America on May 1 contrary to advice from health officials in America and governors’ safety assessment TOTAL AUTHORITY is what President Donald Trump now claims in relaxing the social distancing and other safety measures in place and in pushing to reopen the United States for business on May 1, despite the statement of health officials that this is premature, and that the United States isn’t there yet.

Why? Trump wants and needs the U.S. economy to boom because he needs it for his re-election bid, never mind what the facts say. It is all about the numbers. His numbers. Not the number of coronavirus cases, not the death toll, not the wide-scale testing still needed to isolate those who are infected, not the scientific clinical trials needed for drugs to be approved by the FDA. It is all about his ratings.

As of press time Tuesday, April 14, the total number of coronavirus cases in the United States has recorded more than 594,207 with a death toll of more than 25,402.

Governors likewise rebuked Trump and said they would not follow him if he mandates that their states relax social distancing measures and open for business by May 1 because they are duty-bound to protect their constituents’ lives and safety.

Georgetown University Law Professor Neal K. Katyal rebuked Trump’s claim, writing in the New York Times, “Our Constitution was designed to reject such arrogation of power. Separation of powers and federalism aren’t fusty concepts designed to please rebellious aristocrats; they are the living embodiment of our founders’ desire to divide and check power — not vest “total” “authority” in one person, no matter how wise that person may be.”

EVERY one of us is affected by this global pandemic. But it is a fact that we suffer differently and that some people are suffering more or are more exposed to risks.

These are the people who have very little in life even before the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019. They include those whose livelihoods have been disrupted, and those who lost their sources of income and have nothing left except to rely on relief goods and government dole-outs.

Also affected because of being more at risk are those who are immuno-compromised and those who work on the frontlines, from the medical personnel who risk their lives as they stare face to face with the disease to those working in the essential sectors that remained open if only to give us a semblance of normalcy — the staff of drugstores, groceries and supermarkets; the janitors, drivers and delivery personnel; and those who work at the checkpoints, including village and other local government workers.

But, certainly, the ones who bear the brunt of the disease the most are those who are confirmed to have been infected by it; those who are suspected and are in constant monitoring, waiting for their test results; and their relatives and loved ones. It is simply unfathom-

as possible. Social distancing has been working to save lives and prevent our health system from being overburdened which could lead to more cases, more hospitalization, more deaths.

Trump also criticized scientific models for inflating the threat of the virus, going back to his previous contention of downplaying the threat of the virus, without tying it to the success of social distancing efforts in mitigating the spread of the virus.

In an interview on CNN on Tuesday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said, “If he ordered me to reopen in a way that would endanger the public health of the people of my state, I wouldn’t do it”.

Cuomo “And we would have a constitutional challenge between the state and the federal government, and that would go into the courts.

And that would be the worst possible thing he could do at this moment, would be to act dictatorial and to act in a partisan, divisive way.”

Meanwhile, California Gov. Gavin Newsom released a list of six benchmarks the state must meet before it can begin relaxing strict social distancing mandates: • The ability to monitor and protect our communities through testing, contact tracing, isolating, and supporting those who are positive or exposed; • The ability to prevent infection in people who are at risk for more severe COVID-19; • The ability of the hospital and health systems

to handle surges; • The ability to develop therapeutics to meet the demand; • The ability for businesses, schools, and child care facilities to support physical distancing; and • The ability to determine when to reinstitute certain measures, such as the stay-at-home orders, if necessary.

After denigrating journalists who question his assertion of “total authority,” following the backlash of his claims on Monday from governors, constitutional experts, and the American people, Trump retreated and changed the tune on Tuesday’s news briefing.

He said governors can seek his help when they are ready to open their economy, a power he need not give to them because the governors already have this authority.

AND THEN, he attacked a new bogeyman, blaming the World Health Organization to shift the focus of the discussion and deflect from the reason the virus has spread in America. Let us leave this issue for another day.

FIGHT, Americans fight! Be relentless. Do not give in to helplessness under the bullying tactic of this president. Speak up and speak out! Our lives depend on our voice! *** 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.

How to fight and win over this pandemic

Commentary

ANTONIO P. CONTRERAS

What is paradoxical about Trump’s claim is that he had not The Fil-Am been on board in implementing a nationwide social distancing Perspective and other safety measures, and said he would leave that to the governors in compliance with the Constitution.

This, after downplaying the GEL SANTOS-RELOS threat of the pandemic, calling it a hoax, and not doing any concrete measures to mitigate the spread in February and early March despite warnings from experts since January.

California became the first state to implement statewide “stay at home” and “shelter in place” safety measures, followed by New York and other states, and not surprising to note that those states who voted for Trump did not get on board.

It was only after this that Trump supported the social distancing measures but has been pushing the business as usual in the U.S. in time for Easter, calling for people to flock to churches for mass, despite the upward trajectory of cases and deaths in the nation.

As the social distancing and other safety measures helped toward “flattening the curve” and mitigating the spread of the virus, Trump then started patting his back for his handling of this pandemic.

And yet, he again started criticizing governors for their overly restrictive social distancing measures, for allegedly overstating their needs for ventilators and other medical equipment — a proactive measure to prepare for the worst in order to save as many lives

able to even imagine the pain felt by those who are left behind by patients who succumbed to the disease and who were denied the last chance to hug and kiss them goodbye.

It is, therefore, because of them that we need to call out several kinds of people for their callousness and insensitivity.

There are those who fail to exercise empathy. These are the people who allow their fears and biases to get hold of the better of them, and make them act inhumanely against the vulnerable, the afflicted and their families, and those at the frontlines. These are the people who now shun their neighbors who work at the frontlines, or are persons under monitoring or investigation, or even those who are recovering, to the point of setting up barricades and denying them entry to their homes. The house of one family affected by the disease was even stoned. Medical frontliners suffer the brunt of the persecution. A nurse’s face was doused by a chemical disinfectant and an ambulance driver was shot by a prejudiced neighbor. An infected patient was bullied by her neighborhood association. But what was worse is when a rural health unit in a town in Camarines Sur became the agent for inflicting prejudice on their own kind when it publicized the names and addresses of health workers from their town who work at the Bicol Medical Center in Naga City, thereby stigmatizing and offering

them up for discrimination.

And then we have those who use their privileges to sequester limited resources and those who hoard more than they need.

These include not only ordinary citizens driven by fear and anxiety, but also politicians and public officials who take advantage of their positions to corner relief goods or prioritize their own relatives and friends over those who are truly in need and are more deserving. We all collectively expressed outrage when high-ranking public officials jumped the queue for testing, at a time when these resources were in limited supply.

We also have people who use the pandemic as a reason for them to claim privileges that they do not deserve. There are people who are not as stressed and don’t need special care and attention.

For someone to feign or fake a suffering just to enjoy a benefit or a privilege is simply unforgivable. Indeed, there is reason to feel empathy for everyone, considering that we are all exposed and are potential targets. But for someone to demand special treatment that is undeserved by using the pandemic as an excuse deserves condemnation. Included in this, for example, are students and employees who are not as challenged and who are relatively more comfortable yet would demand from their schools and employers benefits and privileges, which could either stress the already strained resources of the

A police officer checks the body temperature of motorists passing through the Novaliches proper entry point on Friday, April 10 on Quirino Highway, Quezon City. The measure is part of the extended enhanced community quarantine in Luzon. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

latter, or would be unfair to those who are really in need of special treatment and consideration.

And, finally, there are those who are in the habit of peddling fakery and lies on social media to whip up undue hysteria. What we need in order to defeat this virus at the moment is to stick to facts and to have faith in science. We do not and cannot abdicate our duty to call out the government for its flaws and shortcomings.

But when we do this, it is important to avoid sensationalism and fear-mongering.

Unfortunately, there are people who are not as prudent in

sharing information, particularly when they see it to be consistent with their preferred narratives.

Thus, even without verifying the veracity of the information, they share and make the material viral, not knowing that it can create panic and hysteria. Wrong or embellished information can create either a false sense of security or an unwarranted sense of fear. We all live in uncertain times. And while it is important to check the government’s failures, nerves are already frayed enough. People are already stressed and afraid and it doesn’t help if we either feed people with exaggerated

information or falsely give people hope based on something that is not scientific or vetted.

There is a war out there. If we cannot be at the frontlines, let us all just be enablers. And we cannot do this if we persecute the frontliners and the sick. We cannot be enablers if we use our position, our fears and the pandemic as a basis to obtain undeserved privileges. We cannot win this war if we base our choices on lies and distortions.

We cannot allow the virus to win over us. And it definitely will, if we will all be acting selfishly and irrationally. (ManilaTimes.net)

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

ROGER LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board

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Dateline PhiliPPines

Philippines stands by WHO

by Alexis

RomeRo Philstar.com

MALACAñANg stood by the World Health Organization (WHO), which is facing a significant funding cut after United States (US) President Donald Trump withheld money from the international body because of its supposed biased for China.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said without the WHO, no one would have coordinated international response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has infected two million people worldwide, more than 5,000 of them in the Philippines.

“It’s not for the Philippine president to tell other presidents what to do. But we support the WHO,” Roque said at a press briefing.

“It is important to give funding to the WHO. As far as the Philippines is concerned, we stand committed to the WHO and we will give our contribution when the need arises,” he added.

Roque expressed hope that other countries would continue cooperating with the WHO as the world wrestles with COVID19.

Earlier, Trump announced that he would put a very powerful hold on” funding to WHO,

which he described as “very China-centric.” He said the WHO, whose biggest funding source is the US, relied too much on reports from China, where the virus originated. Trump said the US would find other ways to work with other nations to combat COVID-19 if the WHO cannot be trusted to provide accurate information about the pandemic.

Trump’s move has drawn sharp rebuke from health experts and international groups, with the United Nations saying it’s not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of WHO and other groups fighting the virus. n

‘No boxing plans at the moment’ – Pacquiao

by Josef

RAmos ManilaTimes.net

FIgHTINg senator Manny Pacquiao’s boxing match this year was pushed to the sidelines because of the country’s continuing bout against the deadly coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Originally planning to enter the ring in July this year, the 41-year-old reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) Super welterweight titleholder said he hung up his gloves for the meantime since there were many Filipinos who were starving right now.

“Walang boxing muna (No boxing matches for now),” Pacquiao told The Manila Times in a phone interview.

“Sa ngayon, wala pa akong plano sa boxing kasi busy ako sa pagpaplano kung paano makakatulong sa mga kababayan nating nagugutom, paano makapag-ambag ng tulong (For now, I don’t have any plans of boxing because I’m busy planning on how to help our starving countrymen in my small own way),” the senator added.

Pacquiao, with 39 knockouts and a win-loss-draw record of 62-7-2, was planning to fight in July against either welterweight American warriors Mikey garcia

or Danny garcia or American reigning World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. Even Pacquiao’s ex-sparring partner, Amir Khan, expressed his desire to fight his farewell bout with the fighting senator.

But sporting events across the globe have been suspended or postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, obligating Pacquiao to metaphorically take off his gloves and put on his barong or suit for now.

Most countries, including the United States, have been in total lockdown while the Philippines continues to be under “extended enhanced community quarantine” until April 30.

“Saka natin pagusapan ‘yan ‘pag na solved na ‘yang pandemic problem (Let’s postpone talk (about boxing) till the pandemic problem is solved),” added Pacquiao, who assured everyone that he will not lose his fighting form.

“Hindi naman; lagi nga ako nagla-live sa training ko. Nagjajogging ako palagi, shadow boxing, treadmill at iba pa (I don’t think (I’ll lose fighting form); as you can see on Facebook live, I’m always training. I jog, shadow box and run the tread-

mill, among other things),” said Pacquiao.

When asked about the fulfilment of Khan’s retirement wish, Pacquiao replied that it would depend on how negotiations go.

“Depende siguro. Wala pang pag-uusap. Hindi ko pa iniisip yung fight, eh. Yung fight muna sa pandemic at Covid. Maraming nagugutom (It depends, I suppose. There haven’t been any negotiations. I’m not thinking about the fight yet. Let’s concern ourselves first with the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and mass starvation (due to the ‘extended extreme community quarantine’),” the senator stressed.

He said he doesn’t feel that anything would be amiss if ever he would fight Khan, his friend and former sparring partner.

“Marami naman akong nakalaban na naka-sparring ko.

Pag-fight, fight naman sa ring ‘yan (I’ve battled against a lot of fighters who were previously my sparmates. What happens in the ring, stays in the ring),” explained Pacquiao, citing the event involving his former foe, Jessie Vargas, in Las Vegas, Nevada last Nov. 5, 2016.

He defeated Vargas by unanimous decision. n

DOJ summons Pimentel

by JomAR

CAnlAs ManilaTimes.net

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday, April 15 has summoned Sen. Aquilino Martin “Koko” Pimentel III for violating quarantine protocols while he was being tested for the coronavirus disease.

In a text message, Prosecutor general Benedicto Malcontento said Assistant State Prosecutor Wendell Bendoval had issued a subpoena to Pimentel and ordered the conduct of a preliminary investigation against the former senate president.

Pimentel was also ordered by the Justice department to submit his counter-affidavit to refute the charges made against him.

The DoJ also ordered the complainant, former University of

Makati College of Law dean Rico Quicho, to appear and present his evidence against Pimentel.

The preliminary investigation was set on May 20.

Pimentel said he would allow his lawyers to “do what is necessary.”

The senator provoked outrage on social media as well as from the leadership of the Makati Medical Center (MMC) on March 24 for accompanying his wife, Kathryna, who was about to give birth despite being a carrier of the new coronavirus.

The senator said he only learned that he tested positive for the coronavirus when he was already at the hospital.

S&R Supermarket also confirmed Pimentel went to its BgC branch.

Quicho claimed that Pimentel

Sen. Koko Pimentel ManilaTimes.net file photo

committed several violations, which includes his failure to disclose his status of health.

The National Bureau of Investigation is also conducting a separate criminal probe against Pimentel. n

e. GonzAles ManilaTimes.net

THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday, April 15 slashed its economic growth projection for the Philippines this year to 0.6 percent on weaker demand and supply disruptions caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic but expects a rebound next year.

This comes after INg Bank Manila also trimmed its growth outlook for the country to 3.5 percent as it sees the worldwide health crisis affecting consumption.

In its “World Economic Update” report, the Washington, D.C.-based multilateral lender said the figure was a downward revision from its earlier forecast of 6.3 percent.

In an emailed message to reporters, IMF Resident Representative Yongzheng Yang said the latest outlook “is mostly attributable to supply disruptions related to Covid-19 and weaker demand in the Philippines’ major trading partners.”

“Tighter global financial conditions, weaker public confidence and lower remittances are also expected to weigh on private consumption and investment,” he warned.

The IMF’s projection falls below last year’s gross domestic product (gDP) expansion of 5.9 percent and the 6.5- to 7.5-percent growth target of the government this year. If correct, the figure would be the slowest since the 1.1-percent expansion in 2009.

The revised forecast is also lower than the Asian Development Bank’s 2 percent, Moody’s Investors Service’s 2.5 percent,

the World Bank’s 3.0 percent; Fitch Solutions’ 4.0 percent and S&P global Ratings’ 4.2 percent.

Despite this, the IMF forecasts the the country’s economy to recover next year and grow to 7.6 percent.

“The negative impacts of Covid-19 are expected to be partially offset by policy support.

The virus outbreak is assumed to peak in the second quarter of 2020, leading to a gradual recovery in the second half of the year. Real gDP growth is expected to rebound to 7.6 percent in 2021 from 0.6 percent in 2020,” Yang said.

“Policies at the moment should focus on both protecting public health and putting people back to work, but getting the virus under control is, if anything, a prerequisite to saving livelihoods,” he added.

“By acting forcefully now with strong actions to stop the spread of infections, complemented by strong economic policy actions to support people and businesses, the crisis can be ended sooner with less human and economic cost.”

Meanwhile, the IMF projected the country’s inflation to settle at 1.7 percent in 2020 and 2.9 percent in 2021, and the unemployment rate to reach 6.2 percent this year and 5.3 percent in the next.

‘Whittled down’ In a report on Monday night, INg Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Antonio Mapa said the lender “whittled down our forecast to 3.5 percent for 2020” from the 6.5 percent it had pegged at the start of the year.

The newest projection is lower than the Union Bank of

the Philippines’ 5.4 percent and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.’s below 6.0 percent, but higher than ANZ Research’s 1.2 percent and Nomura’s 1.6 percent.

Covid-19, Mapa noted, changed “the equation for the Philippine economy, knocking out heavyweight household consumption…and negating the boon of remittances with the virus in almost every continent on the planet.”

The enhanced communitu quarantine (ECQ) the government imposed on Luzon last month — and set to be lifted on April 30 — sidelined the country’s once-robust consumption and limited 65 percent of the economy to food and other essentials, according to him.

“Frozen cash flows may lead to a contraction in investment activity, with both consumer and business sentiment expected to enter a tailspin once the quarantine is lifted,” Mapa said.

He also said net trade was also likely to remain weakened as global demand sags with the world dealing with the pandemic.

While ruling out the possibility of a recession, the local unit of the Amsterdam-based bank sees a sharp deceleration in the country’s growth momentum in the second quarter. going forward, Mapa said economic recovery would be shaped by “how long the ECQ measures will be in place, and how hefty a fiscal punch will be rolled out to support the economy.” “government spending will need to offset foregone income from the private sector and ‘ambitious’ should be the peg they set for themselves,” he added. n

Senators: Probe delayed ID program

SENATE President Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday, April 15 sought an inquiry on the apparent delay in the implementation of the P25billion national identification (ID) system.

The senators filed Senate Resolution 352 seeking an investigation on the status of the implementation of the national ID system amid problems being encountered in the distribution of cash aid.

Under Republic Act (RA) 11469 or the “Bayanihan to Heal As One Act,” over 18 million low-income families will receive P5,000 to P8,000 to help them cope with the enhanced community quarantine to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

Sotto and Lacson batted for the probe “with the end view of

ensuring its prompt and its fullscale implementation to achieve its intended purpose.”

“Marami pala sa public na hindi alam na matagal na naming naipasa ang national ID system (Many Filipinos are not aware that we already passed the national ID system law a long time ago),” Sotto said in a text message.

He said an investigation would be conducted once Congress resumes session on May 4. Among those who will be invited as resource persons are officials from the National Economic Development Authority and Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The Senate chief also said “other executive offices involved and service providers from the private sector who have already proposed quick and reliable pro-

cesses” would also be invited.

RA 11055 or the “Philippine Identification System Act” was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte on Aug. 6, 2018.

Its implementing rules and regulations (IRR) were approved on Oct. 5, 2018.

“Even prior to its approval, a budget of P2 billion was allocated for the national ID system under the 2018 budget of the Philippine Statistics Authority as the lead implementing agency of the program,” Sotto and Lacson said.

The entire budget for the program amounts to P25 billion.

“Almost two years from its enactment into law and the approval of its IRR, there seems to be no significant headway on its implementation,” Lacson said.

(ManilaTimes.net)

Not ‘healing’: Satellite photos suggest pollution turned Manila Bay turquoise

by GAeA

KAtReenA Philstar.com

CAbiCo

MANILA — The abrupt change in the color of Manila Bay’s surface last March could be attributed to high water pollution, an analysis of satellite images showed.

Last month, photos and videos that showed Manila Bay’s waters turning turquoise went viral, with social media users attributing the change in color to the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.

But researchers from the Department of Science and Technology’s Sustained Support for Local Space Technology and Applications Mastery, Innovation and Advancement (STAMINA4Space) program said the turquoise waters of Manila Bay may suggest pollution.

Using satellite images from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3, the researchers observed “relatively high” chlorophyll-a concentration and turbidity values in Manila Bay as early as March 23, with turbidity levels doubling up by March 25.

High water turbidity could indicate high water pollution, while chlorophyll-a concentration suggests algal abundance.

“Since chlorophyll-a levels did not increase significantly around Manila Bay, the change of water color could not be attributed to al-

The usual brackish water of Manila Bay turned turquoise in March, which some social media users attributed to lower human activity due to quarantine measures.

Philstar.com photo by KJ Rosales

gal bloom,” the researchers said.

Pollution ‘hotspots’ The STAMINA4Space researchers identified Pasig River and Bacoor Bay as “hotspots,” saying waters from these areas might have influenced the waters of Manila Bay depending on the direction of wind and the circulation of water.

“Pollutants from aquaculture, industry and commercial establishments contribute to the turbid waters of Bacoor Bay, while collective wastes from residential, commercial and industrial industries negatively impact the water quality of Pasig River,” the researchers said.

It was only on March 28 that sig-

nificant decrease in chlorophyll-a and turbidity was observed.

Fishers group PAMALAKAYA earlier said that pollutant materials might have been dumped in Manila Bay. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources launched an investigation into the sudden color change of the bay’s water.

Non-profit ocean conservation organization Oceana said Manila Bay is a principal fishing ground for sardines, mackerel, mullet, threadfin, bream, squid, blue crab, round scad and fusilier The rehabilitation of Manila Bay kicked off on January 23 last year. n

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IMF cuts PH growth forecast to 0.6%

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VEGAS&STYLE Journal

‘Superstore’ actor Nico Santos on queer Filipino roles: ‘I don’t feel like I’m being pigeonholed at all’

By Christina

M. Oriel

AJPress

IN a season five episode of NBC sitcom “Superstore,” Cloud 9 employees Mateo (Nico Santos) and Marcus (Jon Barinholtz) get into a heated argument in Tagalog, surprising many Filipino viewers to hear the language on American television.

Mateo: “Tarantado ka talaga!”

Marcus: “Narinig ko ‘yon, gago!”

Mateo: “Kapal ng mukha mo, alam kong ikaw kumuha ng gamit ko, tumigil ka na!”

This episode marked the second time Mateo had a scene speaking in his native tongue.

Marcus’ character moved in with Mateo’s family and has started to pick up on the culture, which led Santos to suggest to producers that the two characters should have a scene fighting in Tagalog.

“I never know if they’re actually listening to suggestions, but when we went to the table read, there was that scene,” Santos

told the Asian Journal in a recent interview. “The [writers] worked with me on how to execute it. A lot of people who saw that scene made comparisons to a teleserye (soap opera).”

Since 2015, the 41-year-old actor has portrayed Mateo Liwanag, a gay, undocumented Filipino sales associate at the fictional big-box store Cloud 9 in St. Louis, Missouri.

Santos was born in Manila and lived in Dasmariñas Village until the age of 16 when he and his brother went to live with their father in Gresham, Oregon, a small city outside of Portland.

Back in the Philippines, Santos said he was a “huge dork” who loved comic books and Dungeons & Dragons. Migrating abroad was an opportunity to “reinvent” himself, which he did by joining his school’s drama club.

“I was like one of two other Filipinos in my high school. A lot of the people there didn’t know what to make of me. They would say, ‘Your last name is Mexican, but I don’t understand why you

look Chinese’…They just didn’t know what a Filipino was. I got involved with theatre and choir and that gave me a community to be a part of,” he recalled.

As most Filipino children can attest to, having the conversation to pursue the arts is not an easy feat; though his parents threw their support once he was adamant that he wouldn’t be pursuing a traditional career. Santos went on to study acting at a state university, where a teacher told him he would never strike it big in the industry.

In his early adult years, he moved to San Francisco and worked at luxury retail stores. He attended open mic nights and immediately “got hooked.”

“I would say that it wasn’t until I started stand-up comedy that it was the fire underneath me and made me really pursue a career in entertainment,” Santos said.

What drew him to comedy was that there aren’t ridiculous standards of physical appearance. It matters how funny you are and how the audience reacts.

“I could draw from my own experience and make it relatable.

I could be myself on stage and talk about myself and my experience as an immigrant, Filipino and a queer person,” he said.

His first shot at television came in 2012 when he made regular appearances on late-night talk show “Chelsea Lately.” He ventured into comedy acting, with guest roles on “2 Broke Girls” and “Mulaney,” and a small part in the movie “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2.”

Some three years later, Santos’ agents emailed him about a new NBC project created by Justin Spitzer and the potential role of Mateo, which was originally written as a straight Latino male, not a queer Filipino.

What drew him to the show was Mateo’s hyper-competitiveness and drive to get ahead.

“As an immigrant, we know that feeling all too well of wanting to be an overachiever and make something of yourself in this country, so that really spoke to me,” Santos said, adding that Mateo also sounded like “a lot of the bitchy

Since 2015, Santos has played Mateo, a gay, undocumented Filipino store associate who is sassy and overly competitive.

Photo by Evans Vestal Ward/NBC

queens” he used to work with during his retail days.

He continued, “I knew this person. I could play this person, not as a straight Latino like it was written, but I could tailor it to somebody that I recognize as myself. I tweaked it and they liked my interpretation. ‘Superstore’ is my first big break.”

From the beginning, Mateo has delivered quick, sarcastic one-liners, and is a determined employee who cares about succeeding in his job. By the second season, it is revealed that Mateo’s character is undocumented, and during the season four finale, he is arrested and detained by ICE. Playing an undocumented Filipino on network TV has been personal for Santos, drawing from the stories of family members and friends who came to the United States without papers.

“A lot of Filipinos who are living in America know, either people from their own family or somebody through however degrees of separation, who’s undocumented,” Santos said. “It is something that’s a very relatable experience for not only Filipinos, but for anybody in America. People in America underestimate the amount of undocumented immigrants that are present in the country [who] run and make this country work.”

Though it’s a comedy, “Superstore” tackles the serious issues of the moment, whether it’s Mateo’s immigration status, the rights of workers at the big-box store, equal pay or the environmental impact of shopping.

“Real comedy has to stem from truth. Our cast is one of the most diverse casts on television and if you look at our cast, that’s what PAGE 11

‘The Revelation’: Ethel bares truth behind ‘charot’ Twitter account

by Jan

MilO severO Philstar.com

COMEDIAN Ethel Booba finally explained the “true story” behind the controversial Twitter account that she disowned recently.

In her YouTube channel, in her latest video blog (vlog) titled “The Revelation,” Ethel claimed she had no direct contact to the owner of her namesake Twitter account with 1.3 million followers. “‘Di ko nga alam ‘yong pagmumukha niya,” Ethel said in the vlog.

She, however, admitted that she gave jokes to be tweeted, but later felt bad when the user started to tweet about politics.

Ethel clarified that she used to have a Twitter account with the name @iamrealgabisonethyl but deleted it because Twitter is not good for her.

“Hindi maganda ang Twitter world para sa ‘kin. Parang nakakabad vibes siya. So tinanggal ko ‘yon,” she said.

In 2016, Ethel said the fake user followed her siblings and friends on Twitter. Ethel checked the account and noticed that the user was posting what she posted on her Facebook account.

“Tinignan ko. Tapos ‘pag tingin ko, ay kinokopya lang niya ‘yong mga pinopost ko sa Facebook.

Nilalagay niya sa Twitter. Kuhangkuha niya ako talaga. The way na pagsasalita ko,” she said.

“Natuwa naman ako kasi maganda naman. Binasa ko lahat ‘yon, OK naman. Hindi naman nakakaharm sa ibang tao. Puro mga quotes. Nakakatawa lang,” she added.

Ethel first approved what the user was posting because it felt good.

“Maganda nga ‘yong flow ng mga tweets na nakakatawa lang.

So hinayaan ko lang. Ay may admin ako, nakalibre ako, ‘yong iba nga nagbabayad ng admin,” she said.

The Twitter account was even approached by Viva for her “Charotism” book launch last 2016.

“Kailangan kong angkinin kasi ginagaya lang niya ako. Nagfifeed ako ng iti-tweet niya kaya nakakatawa,” she said.

But recently, Ethel noticed that the account has been posting political posts against the current administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, so she told the user to stop posting about politics.

“Nung pumasok ‘yong 2019, parang iba na ‘yong flow. Puro politika nang politika lang siya,” she said.

Ethel Booba

Philstar.com photo

“Nagmessage pa ako niyan eh. ‘Sabihan mo nga ‘yan na ‘wag mangingialam ng tungkol sa pulitika at wala naman akong kahilig-hilig diyan. E ‘di dapat kumandidato na ako. Dami kong followers baka nanalo pa’,” she added.

Ethel said that she decided to report the fake user when the user tweeted about tax.

“Kaya ko pinareport ito dahil below the belt ‘yong mga tweet.

‘Yong tinweet niya na ‘Nagbabayad naman tayo ng tax, bakit kailangan mag-ambag?’ May nagsend sa akin ng gan’un. Sabi ko, ‘Ha, ano na naman ang pinagiingay niya?’” she said.

“Kaya nga nabwisit talaga, nanggigil ako eh. Kasi bakit mag-iingay ng ganun lalo na sa sitwasyon natin ngayon. May pandemic tayo na nangyayari sa buong mundo,” she added.

The comedian also clarified that she is actually a supporter of the Duterte administration.

“Sa mga nagtatanong kung Dilawan o ano, ako, makakapagtransparent ako. Sinuportahan ko ‘yang pangulo natin. Tsaka dati kahit noon pa sa Davao, magsama kami doon sa campaign. Binoto ko nga ‘yong tao eh,” she said.

“Dapat ngayon hindi Duterte or Dilawan. Dapat magkaisa tayo. Kasi hindi natin alam kung (katapusan) na ng mundo. Dapat magtulong-tulong tayo,” she added.

She also has a message to the fake user: “Ano ba naman ‘yan?

Bakit hinaluan mo ng pulitiko ‘yong Twitter? Dati OK lang eh.

Katuwaan lang eh. Malay ko ba na lolobo at lolobo ng gan’un ‘yong mga followers niyan.”

“Ginagamit mo ako kasi ano?

Dahil ako ‘to. Mas mapapansin ang mga tweets eh. May sarili ka palang hinaing. Ba’t kailangan mo ako gamitin?”

Community Journal

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

Island Pacific supermarket launches ‘stay home, stay safe’ campaign AMID the coronavirus pandemic, Island Pacific has made the health and safety of its customers, employees, and community its top priority.

Island Pacific Supermarket has launched its “Stay Home, Stay Safe” campaign by becoming the first Filipino supermarket chain to provide online shopping with same-day grocery delivery in the United States.

By shopping at Island Pacific Online, everything that you can find in an Island Pacific Supermarket will be available at your fingertips. You will be able to shop a wide array of groceries, fruits, vegetables, and prepared foods Island Pacific is known for. The full-service meat and seafood department will also be available online where you can request your meat and seafood prepared just the way you want it! Even free fish frying is available in Island Pacific Online Grocery. With this amazing service, you can order ahead and skip the long lines in the supermarket.

When you shop at Island Pacific online, you will have your own personal shopper who is an expert in picking the best meat, seafood, and produce for your household. All throughout the shopping process, your shopper will be connected with you from the time you place the order, while your order is being picked, and when your order is being delivered.

The supermarket has created a contactless delivery option to promote social distancing and to curtail the spread of the virus. Groceries can be left at your door saving you from making a trip to the supermarket.

In the spirit of the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Campaign, shoppers no longer need to inside a location — Island Pacific will directly be available in your home.

Some members of our community get deterred from shopping online due to the high costs of service fees, which can run up to 5% of total receipt, and the high cost of delivery fees.

Island Pacific founder, Nino Jeff Lim, has always emphasized the importance of serv-

ing the community before any profit objectives. In this spirit, during the duration of the company’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” campaign Island Pacific will be waiving all service fees when customers enter promo code “BAYANIHAN” before checking out.

The word “bayanihan” refers to the Filipino spirit of emphasizing the importance of communal unity to achieve a common goal. Island Pacific is also constantly exploring ways to lower the delivery cost charged by 3rd party providers.

The supermarket has recently engaged Postmates since they have the largest network and have the most competitive

delivery rates to support our deliveries.

Please tag @islandpacificmarket so that Island Pacific can share all your experiences and how communities are staying home and staying safe!

We are all in this together, in the spirit of #bayanihan, let us show the indomitable resiliency of our people especially in times of crisis.

Island Pacific is a supermarket chain dedicated to promoting Filipino Food and Seafood to the rest of the world. It is headquartered in Walnut, California and currently has 16 supermarket branches serving communities in California and Las Vegas.

(Advertising Supplement)

Fighting COVID-19 with C-O-V-I-D Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS THE curve is starting to flatten.

A major factor that has reduced the viral spread, the infections, and hospitalizations is people’s final compliance with the behavioral modification recommended by the medical authorities, which is encapsulated in this acronym: • Cover face to scratch, sneeze or cough • Omit non-essential travels • Voluntary quarantine • Intensive hand washing • Distancing is now social In dealing with infectious diseases, discipline is essential, or even existential. As COVID-19 has taught us, it could be a matter of life and death. This is a DIY common sense strategy basically saying “get out of the war zone to avoid bullets and bombs.” No brainer! Wisdom and discipline are still the most effective weapons in avoiding any infectious diseases, preventing spread, and reducing risk of death.

Studies have shown that a mask alone does not provide effective protection against any virus for the wearer. Social distancing (at least 6 feet away), on top of using a mask properly (one that covers the nose and mouth as snugly as possible) affords much better protection both for the person and those around. Doubling the mask, or with coffee filter under the mask, is even better; even homemade ones, using tightly knit cloth material (the less sunlight going thru it, the better), in double or triple layers. Plastic face cover or large clear plastic goggles, even over prescription glasses, are very useful protective gear, combined with a cap, mask, and gloves.

Mask and gloves may be washed with hydrogen peroxide or UVC sterilization lamp.

Civil rights during a war?

Remember those students on spring break in the Florida beaches who challenged the “stay home” advice, claiming they had civil rights to do what they wanted to do with their body and to enjoy as they wish? Some of them had tested positive for COVID-19. Also, if some people want to risk their life, they have the right to (even to kill themselves), but they have no right to cause harm or death to

others, especially the most vulnerable ones.

Last Saturday, a struggling man was hauled off, literally carried out of a bus by several police officers in Philadelphia for refusing to wear a mask which was mandated in that city. These are the people with twisted thinking who are responsible for the massive spread of the COVID-19 infection – now at more than 2 million and 125,000 deaths around the world, and counting.

Had everyone followed the doit-yourself C-O-V-I-D strategy and stayed home (for those who could) since the first week of March, the mitigation of the spread would have been curtailed to about half of what it is today. Indeed, common sense dictates that to save lives during a deadly pandemic like COVID-19, all of us have to do our share in society and sacrifice some of our liberties that get in the way of fighting and defeating a vicious killer/enemy. During a war, a lot of sacrifices must be made to achieve triumph.

Treatment controversy While it is ideal to have a randomized, double-blind clinical studies on drugs and an approval from the FDA, some treatments’ urgent use are recommended in the absence of any proven effective drug against COVID-19 and vaccines (which are a year-and-a-half or two away). This is a global emergency and time is of the essence.

Patients die by the hundreds each day. Since hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, and zinc are all FDAapproved drugs for decades now, and the foreign trials revealed they could save lives, it makes sense to try this regimen on an emergency situation, which has infected more than 2 million around the globe.

Hydroxychloroquine was, in fact, used during the MERS and SARS pandemic, and the mother compound, quinine, was used in the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic that killed about 500,000 million, about one-third of the world population then. Some antiviral drugs like remdesivir and favipiravir are also being tried in various nations today. In the absence of a definitive cure, it is logical to try reasonable drugs in our armamentarium to save lives. More than 70 vaccines are being studied right now.

Azithro…doxy…metformin wonders Together with the popular versatile 84-year-old anti-malaria, anti-lupus drug hydroxychloroquine and zinc, azithromycin, an antibiotic approved in 1991, is used to treat the bacterial complication of pneumonia, which is the

final killer of COVID-19 patients.

The lungs become inflamed, then scar and stiffen, and stop allowing oxygen transfer, causing the shortness of breath that starts as mild, then progressing to very severe, necessitating the aid of a ventilator. When the damage affects most of the lungs, even the ventilator is unable to provide oxygen and the patient expires.

The less known good sideeffect of azithromycin and another antibiotic, doxycycline, is their ability to inhibit protein synthesis, which then disables viral replication. This inability to replicate itself will deactivate and destroy the virus. Washing hands with warm water and foamy soap destroys the protective fat around the virus, leading to its deactivation and destruction. This virus, SARS-CoV2, which causes COVID-19, is actually very easy to destroy, as virulent and deadly as it is. But our attack against it should be early, pro-active, and pre-emptive.

A side note: Azithromycin, doxycycline, even metformin (for diabetes), have properties that inhibit mitochondrial activities, thus acting as anti-cancer and also prevents cancer metastases (spread). With those same properties, these three drugs could also destroy senescent (senile) cells and act as anti-aging agents.

Anti-SARS-CoV2 agents We have received several questions as to which disinfectants are effective against the virus causing this pandemic. The SARS-CoV2 virus, as we stated earlier, is easily destroyed by foamy soap and warm water. For countertops, desks, cellphones, tablets, etc., isopropyl alcohol of at least 70 percent (91% is better, even as on-the-go hand-sanitizer), 3% hydrogen peroxide, and chlorine preparation (spray, wipes) are all effective. If needed, a mixture of 2 tablespoons of chlorine bleach added to 1 quart water or 5 tablespoons (1/3 cup) of bleach in one gallon water is useful against SARS-CoV2 virus. After applying any of these solutions for cleaning, make sure you wash your hands with water thoroughly. None of these are for body application.

There are many other formulated brands of disinfectants on the market.

Contrary to fake news, alcoholic beverages and most hand sanitizers are ineffective for viruses since the common ones have lower than 75% alcohol contents. Kitchen vinegar, usuPAGE 11

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 16-22, 2020

10

april 16-22, 2020 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal

Features

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Dinosaurs & Roses launches ‘Stay-at-Home’ t-shirt Cox awards $35,000 in diversity scholarships to 10 graduating seniors campaign to raise fund for community affected by COVID-19 Cox Las Vegas has distributed $35,000 in diversity scholarships to 10 college-bound, high school seniors as part of its annual Cox Diversity Scholarship program in partnership with the Public Education Foundation and Southern Nevada-based diverse organizations.

Since 2014, Cox has presented $245,000 in Cox Diversity Scholarships to graduating seniors in Clark County, including $3,500 each to the following 2020 scholarship recipients: • oluwatosin Diyan, College of Southern NV High School East Campus Cox and Urban Chamber of Commerce Diversity Scholarship • Alexa Fouts-Fahd, Del Sol Academy of the Performing Arts Cox and Girls on the Run Diversity Scholarship • Jose Guerrero, Spring Valley High School Cox and Chicanos Por La Causa Diversity Scholarship • Nicola Lai, West Career & Technical Academy (WCTA) Cox and oCA Diversity Scholarship • Christian Lainez-Artiga, East Career and Technical Academy (ECTA) Cox and Nevada Hispanic Business Group Diversity Scholarship • Caitleen Navarro, Southwest Career & Technical Academy (SWCTA) Cox and Asian Community Development Council Diversity Scholarship • Dylan Phung, Coronado High School Cox and The LGBTQ Center of Southern NV Diversity Scholarship • Celeste Taylor, College of Southern NV High School East Campus Cox and Lambda Business Association Diversity Scholarship • Camille Thevenot, Las Vegas Academy of the Arts (LVA) Cox and Junior League of Las Vegas Diversity Scholarship • Alisha Williams, CimarronMemorial High School Cox and Las Vegas Urban League Diversity Scholarship “our partnerships with nonprofit diverse organizations enable us to create moments of true human connection, said Michael F. Bolognini, Cox Las Vegas vice president and market leader. “These relationships are

Caitleen Navarro ACDC

BEGINNING April, Las Vegasbased non-profit and thrift store, Dinosaurs & Roses, launched a new campaign to help raise much needed funds for the Souther Nevada community affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

While the thrift shop, located at 5220 West Carleston Boulevard, was shut down under state-mandated social distancing guidelines, the staff at Dinosaurs & Roses are currently unable to assist people who rely on donations from clothing to home and school supplies.

IN an effort to continue its mission of helping the community, the organization is asking the public to donate $20 in exchange for a specially-designed “Stay Home for Nevada” t-shirt. The shirts are being produced by one person in a safe environment.

Proceeds from the campaign will aid clients referred by the following agencies: - Las Vegas Recovery Center - Department of Welfare - Help of Souther Nevada - East Valley Family Services - Care of Souther Nevada - Boys Town - Rape Crisis Center

- NV 211 Ever since Dinosaurs & Roses opened its doors in 2010, the thrift store carries a wide range of brand new and gently used items donated by the community and major corporations. Every Monday and Tuesday, the store opened for low-income families and those in need due to crisis. These families may shop for what they need, with dignity, for free.

In addition to its community outreach programs, Dinosaurs &

Roses also supports a scholarship program which has raised over $4 million to send students to private institutions through special programs.

Dinosaurs & Roses is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to community outreach. Please visit dinosaursandroses.org to find our more about the impact of its work across Southern Nevada. You may also call them at (702) 277-3752.

We are all in this together. Stay home for Nevada and America!

The Bayanihan Project launches Meals for Front-liners program THE Bayanihan Project’s Meals for Front Liners Program has gotten off to a great start! on Monday, April 6, seven volunteers delivered 130 lunches from Teriyaki Madness to the heroic nurses and staff at University Medical Center. This was just the first of many deliveries in what will be an ongoing effort to support our community’s selfless frontline responders throughout the CoVID-19 crisis. “our front liners are so important to the community, especially in times of crisis,” says Luz Micabalo, president of the Philippine American Charity Foundation, one of the groups helping to fund the program. “It’s important to recogOCA and Cox Diversity Scholarship - Nicola Lai nize them for their courageous and a natural extension of our world- proudly serve six million homes challenging work.”

The volunteers assisting in the class network, which enable us and businesses across 18 states. to make connections to home, We’re dedicated to empowering work, school, services, friends others to build a better future and celebrate diverse products, and family.” people, suppliers, communities About Cox Communications Cox Communications is com- and the characteristics that makes mitted to creating meaningful each one unique. Cox Communimoments of human connection cations is the largest division of through broadband applications Cox Enterprises, a family-owned and services. The largest private business founded in 1898 by Govtelecom company in America, we ernor James M. Cox.

distribution were Frank and Minda Banaria, Gloria T. Caoile, Leo and Amie Belmonte, Resty Lopez, and Cynthia Deriquito. They met at Teriyaki Madness – equipped with gloves, masks, long-sleeved shirts, and lotions – and kept social distancing in mind while sorting the bowls and packing boxes. After loading the meals into a van, they drove in a motorcade to UMC, where the delivery went smoothly; lead beneficiaries sent workers to claim their boxes at the main entrance. one of the medical workers made sure to tell the volunteers that everyone upstairs was excited!

“It’s a very tough time for medical workers right now,” says Doris Bauer, president of the Philippine Nurses Association-NV, another group backing Meals for Front

Liners. “Feeling the community’s support is reinvigorating.”

“Hearing their grateful responses when told of this program, was heartwarming,” exclaimed Minda Banaria, Co-Chair of this program.

The Meals for Front Liners Program was created under the Bayanihan Project to show our appreciation for those who provide essential services and to let them know that their sacrifices do not go unnoticed. In order to continue the program delivering lunches to frontline responders as they bravely fight for our community, the Bayanihan Project is currently accepting donations as well as working with local business and organizations.

Donations to: NaFFAA-NV CoVID 19 Po Box60961 Las Vegas, NV 89160. (Gloria T. Caoile)

Silver State Health Insurance Exchange extends exceptional circumstance special enrolment period on Nevada Health Link

Consumers now have until May 15 to purchase Qualified Health Plans

CARSoN City — The Silver State Health Insurance Exchange (Exchange), the state agency that connects Nevadans to qualified health plans through the online State Based Exchange (SBE), known as Nevada Health Link, extends its limited-time Exceptional Circumstance Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for qualified Nevadans who missed the open Enrollment Period (oEP). The SEP, originally introduced in response to Governor Sisolak’s March 12th Emergency Declaration, was initially offered through April 15 and now runs through May 15, giving eligible individuals 30 additional days to enroll in a qualified health plan through the SBE platform, Nevada Health Link. Consumers who enroll on or before April 30 will have coverage effective May 1, 2020. Consumers who enroll May 1-15 will have coverage effective June 1, 2020.

“CoVID-19 does not discriminate. Anyone, regardless of age, income or health can become infected,” said Gov. Steve Sisolak.

“If you or your family don’t have health insurance, now is the time to get it. Don’t wait for a health crisis, particularly this one, to affect you personally. Take advantage of this opportunity to enroll in a plan for which you may even qualify for subsidies. There is no time like the present.”

Nevada Health Link’s qualified health plans cover the ten essential health benefits mandated by the Affordable Care Act, including but not limited to pre-existing conditions. This includes emergency and ambulatory services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, prescription drugs, lab services and mental health services, to name a few. Consumers should know that care related to CoVID19 is covered by all plans offered through Nevada Health Link. Nevada Health Link is the only place Nevadans can access subsidies to help offset the costs of insurance, and over 80 percent of consumers who purchase a plan are eligible for financial assistance.

“Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures like Nevada Health Link’s exceptional circumstance special enrollment period, and everyone who is un-

insured or didn’t obtain coverage during the normal open enrollment period should jump now at the opportunity to get health insurance,” said Dr. Florence Jameson, chair of the board for Silver State Health Insurance Exchange. “As a longtime practicing Nevada physician, I have treated patients from all walks of life and know first-hand the value of insurance, which becomes glaringly more evident during a pandemic like the novel Coronavirus. With the uncertainty that comes with this virus, we encourage all uninsured Nevadans to explore one of the plans offered on Nevada Health Link to not only prevent possible financial burden, but more importantly to ensure a higher quality of care if it is needed.”

Individuals seeking a special enrollment are encouraged to contact the Customer Assistance Call Center between 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday at 1-800-5472927; TTY: 711. The Call Center will continue to offer extended weekend hours on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. PST. The Exchange recommends working with a certified broker or navigator to enroll in the SEP. Nevada Health Link offers language assistance and if you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a disability, accommodations are provided at no cost.

“Gov. Sisolak has encouraged everyone to continue to ‘Stay Home for Nevada,’ so we are extending our Special Enrollment Period to allow uninsured and underinsured Nevadans extra time to purchase comprehensive insurance plans on Nevada Health Link,” said Executive Director for Silver State Health Insurance Exchange, Heather Korublic.“ As experts anticipate the number of positive CoVID-19 cases in our state to soon reach its peak, we want to remind Nevadans of the critical importance of protecting themselves and their families from financial ruin if a medical issue or accident occurs, especially during these uncertain times. Peace of mind to have your health needs taken care of is invaluable, and Nevada Health Link is here and ready to help you secure a healthcare plan for you and your family.”

Korbulic credits the flexibility to

extend Nevada Health Link’s SEP as one of the many advantages of operating as a State Based Exchange. The Exchange completed the transition away from the federal health insurance marketplace, HealthCare.gov, last fall and has since had full autonomy and access to all its functions, eligibility, and data.

Korbulic also wants to remind Nevadans to be extra mindful of insurance-related fraud since there has been an increase in fraudulent activity involving sales of CoVID19 specific health coverage. “As the coronavirus crisis rages, fraudulent actors are preying on the vulnerable to sell unnecessary insurance or inferior insurance products. This is the last thing Nevada families should have to worry about right now. We have a network of more than 750 licensed brokers and eight certified navigator organizations statewide available to assist Nevada residents in evaluating their needs and determining the best course of action to finding comprehensive coverage during these difficult times. Most importantly, all plans offered through Nevada Health Link are comprehensive and cover all care related to CoVID-19.”

Nevada Health Link wants to clarify that insurance is NoT required to be tested for CoVID-19; and the emergency regulation signed by the Governor provides that there is no cost to consumers for medical services related to testing for CoVID-19. Nevada Health Link also recommends consumers who are having a hard time paying their monthly premiums to contact their health insurance carrier directly rather than canceling their health insurance plans. Consumers who recently lost their job or had a change in income may be eligible to receive more subsidy assistance to help pay for their health plans.

Nevada Health Link reminds Nevada residents who experience other qualifying events, such as marriage, birth of a child, moving, loss of health insurance, or Medicaid denial are also eligible to shop for a qualified health plan.

Learn more on our website: https:// www.nevadahealthlink.com/sep or in Spanish: https://www.nevadahealthlink.com/sepes.

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

Features

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 16-22, 2020

11

‘Superstore’ actor Nico Santos on queer...

PAGE 8 America looks like…,” Santos said.

“We should be addressing issues and topics that affect those people who are everyday Americans. It’s been a joy and privilege to be able to do a show as silly as ‘Superstore’ gets sometimes but still be able to maintain truth and speak power to those topics.”

“Superstore” — which also stars America Ferrera, Ben Feldman and Lauren Ash — wraps up its fifth season this month.

“In this industry, you never know how long things last. The fact that we are going into season six is a miracle because shows don’t last as long anymore. I’m fortunate to be able to work with these people for that long,” Santos said.

The sitcom has been renewed for a sixth season, though production has been put on hold for now.

In the meantime, Santos recommended that this is the time for people to watch the show if they haven’t already.

Santos said he hasn’t seen any materials for future episodes yet, but hopes that more Filipino characters can be introduced.

“I’m hoping in the future that we’ll be able to draw from a larger pool of Filipino actors because we do want to cast authentically,” Santos said. “If the show had existed 10 years ago in Hollywood, they would have just gotten any Asian person and made them Filipino. We want Filipino actors playing Filipino parts.”

The role garnered him a Critics’ Choice Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series two years in a row. It also

comes at a time when more Filipino/a faces are on network TV and are part of a show’s main cast.

In addition to Santos on-screen, Manny Jacinto has been on NBC’s “The Good Place,” but the series ended in January, while Conrad Ricamora is wrapping up his role as Oliver Hampton in the sixth and final season of ABC’s “How to Get Away With Murder.”

Apart from his television career, Santos is eyeing more roles to flex his acting chops, especially in movies. His high-profile shot at the big screen was Oliver T’sien in the 2018 blockbuster hit, “Crazy Rich Asians.”

It was a lot of pressure to bring Oliver — the “rainbow sheep of the family” — to life as he is a beloved character in Kevin Kwan’s book trilogy, as well as work alongside big names like Michelle Yeoh, he said.

“I worked on the voice for a really long time because… when I start developing characters, the voice is the first thing I develop,” Santos said.

“Making that movie was so much fun, getting to go back to Asia because I hadn’t been back to the Philippines in like 21 years. I hope that we get to do the sequels soon and would love to get back together with the rest of the cast.”

Whatever future projects come Santos’ way, he is not afraid of being typecast as a queer Asian man and getting those parts.

“It’s so hard to work in this industry period and it’s so hard to reach this level of work. For me, I don’t feel like I’m being pigeonholed at all. I’m actually only interested in playing parts that look like

me, that speak like me, and that speak to my experience. I don’t feel like I’m being stifled as an actor by not exploring ‘other types of characters,’” Santos said.

Beyond the diversity and accuracy of Asian Americans on screen, Santos is also championing the nuances of the LGBT experience, especially for those who are people of color.

“If I just have a career playing those types of characters, I will be more than happy because it’s like there’s so few and far between so you have to relish them when you do,” Santos said.

Aside from the current pandemic postponing Santos’ work, it has affected him on a personal level as his stepfather Sonny — a “kind, caring man” who greeted others with smile and laughter — died of COVID-19 at the end of March.

His mother also tested positive, but has since recovered.

Because of social distancing measures, the family hasn’t been able to hold a celebration of life for Sonny.

“It still doesn’t feel real…It comes in waves. I don’t have a lot of experience with grief. There are days when I wake up and forget what happened. It’s hard but right now, you take it day by day…or even it’s like hour by hour,” Santos explained.

What’s been comforting him is the art of comedy and humor.

“That’s how I deal with tragedy. That’s how I deal and cope, through laughter. If I didn’t have a chance to escape into some humor, I definitely would have spiraled into a much darker place,” he said.

Fighting COVID-19 with...

PAGE 9 ally 5 %, is useful for regular cleaning at home as antibacterial, antiviral and anti-calcium, but there is no evidence it is effective against SARS-CoV2 virus.

WARNING: Beware of fraudulent claims and scammers peddling false cures.

Convalescent plasma The use of inactivated convalescent plasma (ICP) obtained from the blood donated by patients who have recovered from COVID19 was found to be effective in patients in China, as reported by a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Two hundred milliliters of the ICP was infused to patients with severe

COVID-19 and “all symptoms in all patients disappeared or largely improved within 1 to 3 days. Viral load was undetectable within 7 days in seven patients who’d had viremia. There were no serious adverse reactions.” A modern version of this regimen used in the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic is being utilized today with great success.

The statistical curve is starting to flatten, but we cannot let our guard down yet. We do not know who among the millions of untested individuals are positive and infectious. After another 4 weeks, they would either be well or be symptomatic. Then we will know and continue our vigilance,

together with the authorities, till COVID-19 completely disappears, albeit reinfection/resurgence is possible.

Let’s pray and have more patience and endurance. This, too, shall pass. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

Hearts Alive Village becomes disaster food distribution center LAS VEGAS — Hearts Alive Village has expanded their Kendall’s Kupboard pet food bank to become the Disaster Distribution Center for the state of Nevada, thanks to food donations from GreaterGood.org and a grant for space and equipment from the Dave and Cheryl Duffield Foundation.

This local distribution of pet food is part of a multi-million dollar nationwide donation effort that GreaterGood.org is executing to help pet communities across the United States impacted most by the coronavirus outbreak. “The COVID-19 pandemic is creating an unprecedented animal sheltering crisis, while also affecting pet parents,” said Liz Baker, CEO for GreaterGood.org.

Pictographics, a local business that has supported Hearts Alive Village since the beginning donated space for storage until the rescue can take possession of a warehouse currently in negotiation. On April 8th, the first delivery arrived with 19 pallets (approximately 37,000 lbs.) of food. Local nonprofits, including Street Dogz, Homeward Bound, Animal Network, and Animal Help Alliance, have already received approximately 10,000 lbs. of food and more are being contacted now to assess their needs.

“We thank The Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation for recognizing the long term need in our community and helping to fund such an important program for the next year.” said Christy Stevens, Executive Director of Hearts Alive Village. “At a time when many families are financially insecure, this distribution center will help ensure no animal is surrendered

due to a lack of food during these difficult months,” shared Sara and Claire.

Individuals can enroll to receive pet food through at www.

HeartsAliveVillage.org. An appointment will be scheduled and “drive thru” distribution will protect staff, volunteers, and recipients. The website will include information for those who also want to support the program with food or monetary donation.

Hearts Alive Village is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) located in the heart of Las Vegas, Nevada, founded in 2013 out of an intense need to help save dogs and cats that were losing their lives in an overcrowded shelter system. We provide medical treatment, a safe and comfortable place to heal, and adoption services with a passion for senior pet placement at two centrally located facilities. Our mission is to secure loving and stable homes for dogs and cats at risk of being lost in the shelter system. For more information, to make a donation, adopt, or volunteer, please call 702-5950644, or visit HeartsAliveVillage.

org. Follow us on Instagram @ heartsaliveanimalrescue and Facebook at Hearts Alive Village Las Vegas.

The Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation is a private charitable foundation based in Incline Village, Nevada. The Duffields are the founders of Maddie’s Fund, a leading animal welfare foundation dedicated to revolutionizing the status and well-being of companion animals. The Duffields are long-time benefactors of companion animal causes, education initiatives, and veteran programs.

They thoughtfully honor the spirit of their dog Maddie in their philanthropy pursuits to thank her for her love and companionship.

GreaterGood.org is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that works to improve the health and wellbeing of people, pets, and the planet. Over the last 12 years, GreaterGood.org has given over $250 million in cash and in-kind grants to over 3,000 charitable partners worldwide. To learn more, visit GreaterGood.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

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april 16-22, 2020 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal

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