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APRIL 23-29, 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. 16 • 12 Pages

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

Trump’s executive order suspending green DATELINE USA cards exempts immigrants already in US Governor Sisolak announces framework FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Asian American groups condemn the new immigration restrictions

to reopen Nevada

by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

NEVADA Governor Steve Sisolak this week announced the framework the state will use as it begins to roll back restrictions and re-open.

The governor laid out the plans on Tuesday, April 21 during a press conference where he was joined by state officials and experts.

“Before we get to the first phase of our reopening plan, we must make sure we meet criteria set out by the federal government and our team of Nevada experts,” Sisolak said.

“We are actively monitoring the criteria now, and once we have cleared this stage, we can begin the the first phase of getting back to business in Nevada.”

The criteria the state will look at includes: • A consistent and sustainable downward trajectory of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations over a 14-day period measured by a decrease in the trend of COVID-19 hospitalizations; and a decline in percentage of people testing positive • Healthcare and Public Health Systems

SOME 48 hours after tweeting that he would temporarily curb United States immigration during the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump on Wednesday, April 22 signed an executive order suspending the issuance of green cards, the diversity visa lottery and certain family reunification pro-

grams.

The executive order was borne from a confusing message the president sent via his active Twitter account in which he said he would sign “an executive order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!” This was met with confusion from administration officials who then scrambled to organize and draft the order.

After two days of uncertainty regarding what the

order will actually pertain, it was made clear from various White House officials and eventually Trump himself that the order is focused on family-based immigration or, which he and his administration have disparagingly called it, “chain-based migration.”

It will take place for at least 60 days, and it does not apply to immigrants who are already in the U.S. or people seeking temporary working and stu-

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Fil-Am NYPD detective, film director, doctor among latest virus casualties THE Filipino community in New York continues to mourn the loss of some community members to complications arising from the coronavirus infection. New York City has more than 130,000 as of press time, roughly about 17.5 percent of the 830,000 reported cases in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

For the past few weeks, we have documented the deaths of front-liners, from doctors to nurses to heath aides. This week, we are looking into the lives of an occupational therapist who was also a filmmaker, a New York Police Department detective, a doctor, and a couple married for 44 years.

Gerry Balasta (New York City) On March 15, Gerry Balasta posted on his Facebook wall the story of Penn Baluyut’s brother, one of the earliest deaths caused by the coronavirus.

“My friends and colleagues, Please stay safe everyone. Something to ponder in these difficult times as this gets so real so quick and very

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque takes a COVID-19 swab test at the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) during the opening of its testing center on Tuesday, April 21 in Mandaluyong City.

ManilaTimes.net photo by John Orven Verdote

Experts: Actual COVID-19 cases in the PH around 9,000

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

PH files 2 diplomatic protests vs China

by RITCHEL

RESEARCHERS from the University of the Philippines are claiming that the actual number of novel coronavirus cases in the country is higher than the current official tally reported by the Department of Health.

In a study published on Wednesday, April 22, the U.P. Team found that there is no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 infection rates are higher with age.

“On the other hand, data from other countries suggest a percentage of the cases carry SARS-Cov2 virus but are either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic. This is more prevalent for those in the younger age group who are healthier and do not have health issues,” the report read.

It added, “This then suggests that the number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines is much higher, due not

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FRONT-LINERS TOO. Workers from power utilities such as the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) are considered front-liners too as they perform maintenance work at a 105-foot-tall pole along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City on Thursday, April 23. Meralco assures consumers of no power interruptions during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

MENDIOLA AJPress

Two diplomatic protests have been filed against China for violating international law and Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Wednesday, April 22.

The actions come after China pointed a radar gun at a Philippine Navy ship near Rizal Reef in the Kalayaan Island Group and claimed some Philippine terriForeign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. tories — namely, the one in the Philstar.com photo Paracels and one in the Spratlys

Duterte offers P10M reward to Filipino who can discover COVID-19 vaccine

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

President Rodrigo Duterte

Malacañang photo by Ace Morandante

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte is willing to give P10 million in reward money to any Filipino citizen who can find a cure for the novel coronavirus.

“Because COVID-19 is public enemy number one not only in the Philippines, but also in the whole world, the President is announcing that he will give a reward of up to P10 million to any Filipino who can discover a vaccine against COVID-19,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque announced at a press briefing on Tuesday, April 21.

He added that Duterte will also offer a “substantial grant” to the laboratories of the University of

the Philippines and the Philippine General Hospital for vaccine development.

The Philippine General Hospital, one of the main referral hospitals for COVID-19 patients, has also asked those who have recovered from the disease for blood donations to be used in finding a cure.

Scientists are checking if they can use the antibodies developed by a recovered COVID-19 patient to help those who are still struggling with the disease to combat it, according to CNN Philippines.

Among the recovered patients who have donated are Philippine Senators Sonny Angara and Migz Zubiri.

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— as part of the local government in Sansha City, located in the southern island of Hainan.

“We worked on this the whole day. And that is all that will be said on it because diplomatic notes are strictly confidential between the two states parties.

Period,” said Locsin in a tweet.

“I expect that no one else in the government will comment on it because they are not competent to do it. Only the President himself can reveal these notes of his alter ego the Secretary of Foreign Affairs and rule thereon,” he added.

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US to provide $5.3-M to PH’s fight vs coronavirus

by AJPRESS THE United States government is slated to provide an additional $5.3-million (P269-million) in health assistance to the Philippines as it continues to grapple with the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The U.S. Embassy in Manila said on Wednesday, April 22 that the aid builds on the previous $4 million the country has provided to the Philippines.

The announcement comes after Trump reportedly called President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday night, April 19 to discuss how the

two countries could collaborate on efforts to contain COVID-19.

“Both leaders agreed to continue working together as longtime allies to defeat the pandemic, save lives, and restore global economic strength,” the embassy added.

Trump also offered his condolences for 11 Filipino soldiers who were recently killed in a clash with the Abu Sayyaf group in Patikul, Sulu, according to the U.S. Embassy.

“The two leaders also discussed how the United States and the Philippines can continue building upon the string and en-

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april 23-29, 2020 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal

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

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 23-29, 2020

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From The FronT Page

US to provide $5.3-M to PH’s fight vs...

PAGE 1 during economic, cultural and security ties binding the two nations,” it said.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday, April 20 said the call between the two leaders lasted 18 minutes.

“It was cordial and it was about bilateral collaboration on COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) but beyond that, I have no authority to divulge any further details,” Roque added.

Citing Executive Order No. 2 of the Freedom of Information program, Roque said that diplomatic communication is exempted and that the content of the call cannot be disclosed.

“We have notes and transcripts WINDOW HOURS. Police and barangay personnel strictly enforce the “window hours” for going out in Barangay Tatalon along Kaliraya Street but even that po hindi pupuweand Araneta Avenue, Quezon City on Thursday, April 23. According to the Quezon City government, residents are allowed to leave their homes deng inanunsyo sa publiko (canfor essential errands from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. as part of the quarantine measures.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon not be announced to the public).

Trump’s executive order suspending...

PAGE 1 dent visas. Those who work in pandemic industries like health care, agriculture and food processing are also exempt from this order.

The order also does not apply to spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens, members of the U.S. Armed Forces (and their spouses and children), those with special immigrant visas for Iraqi and Afghan nationals who’ve worked for the U.S. government, or anyone entering the country for reasons related to law enforcement.

Those who are affected include foreign nationals who are seeking to legally migrate to the U.S. However, as previously mentioned in the Asian Journal, the order does little to change current laws established during the earlier days of the pandemic.

In March, the State Department and immigration officials already temporarily suspended visa services, refugee admissions and imposed strict border restrictions following the COVID19 outbreak.

The executive order — which the administration claims was designed to protect American workers — comes at a time when 26 million Americans have filed for unemployment.

“This order will ensure that unemployed Americans of all backgrounds will be first in line for jobs as our economy reopens,”

the president said on Wednesday during one of the White House’s daily briefings. “Crucially, we’ll also preserve our health care resources for American patients.”

But as the pandemic rages on and continues to impact nearly every key industry and aspect of daily life, this order halts the plans of tens of thousands of families seeking to reunite. The Migration Policy Institutes estimates that the temporary order would prevent some 52,000 people from getting green cards during the 60-day period.

Notably, family reunification programs and petitioning are cornerstones for mixed-status families, especially within the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community. Though the Trump administration has framed the executive order as a safeguard for the American workforce, many saw the move as an extension of Trump’s anti-immigrant policies.

“It really seems like an attempt for Trump to move ahead an agenda where he’s trying to create immigrants as a reason for any kind of economic problem that we have here in the United States,” Aquilina Soriano-Versoza, executive director of the Pilipino Workers Center, told the LAist.

In regards to the exemption of health care workers — who have been on the front lines of

this pandemic — Soriano-Versoza said that the executive order largely lacked humanity, saying, “Unfortunately, it’s looking at immigrants as just, ‘How can they serve a very specific need?’ instead of as whole people.”

After the reports of increased hate and violence against the API community following the COVID19 outbreak, API legal and civil rights organization Asian Americans Advancing Justice - LA believes this executive order furthers the “acts of hate” against Asians and Asian Americans.

Calling out senior White House advisor Steven Miller, who has orchestrated much of the president’s stringent immigration platform, Advancing Justice - LA wrote in a statement, “Trump’s new immigration ban is an attempt to distract from his failed response to COVID-19 and manipulates the pandemic to justify his and Steven Miller’s white nationalist agenda.”

“Congress designed our immigration system around the value that families deserve to be together, and family-based immigration is responsible for many of the strong, vibrant, and diverse Asian American communities today,” the organization wrote.

“As 92% of Asian Americans are immigrants or children of immigrants, Asian American communities will be greatly impacted by this ban.” n

Experts: Actual COVID-19 cases...

PAGE 1

only to under-reporting, but also to asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic cases. A rough estimate of the number of true COVID-19 cases in the Philippines based on percentages of asymptomatic cases is 9,000.”

The researchers stressed the importance of mass testing, saying that mass testing and tracking of cases will help give a more accurate value for the number of COVID-19 cases as well as identify the silent spreaders.

“Mass randomized testing and contact tracing will help determine the actual number of cases, including asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic cases, and will help control the spread of COVID19 by identifying and tracking the silent spreaders of the disease,” they said in the report.

The U.P. Team also recommended the extension of the enhanced community quarantine enforced in Luzon.

“One possible scenario caused by lifting the ECQ prematurely shows a surge in deaths from 650 to 3,800 and in the number of COVID-19 cases from 10,000 to 80,000 by May 31, 2020,” the experts said.

As of writing, there are a total of 6,981 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, with 462 fatalities and 722 recoveries. n

Humihingi po ako ng inyong pagiintindi (I am asking for your understanding),” he said.

Despite Duterte’s move to end the 20-year Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), the relationship between the two countries continues to be cordial. The Philippine president previously praised Trump and said he deserved to be re-elected this November.

According to the U.S. Agency

for International Development (USAID), the additional aid is for supporting the Philippines’ laboratory systems, intensifying case-finding and event-based surveillance, fortifying systems to prevent and control infections, expanding risk communication, and supporting Filipino and international technical experts to enhance response and preparedness. n

Dateline USa

april 23-29, 2020 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal

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DFA repatriates 867 Filipinos from US Fil-Am NYPD detective, film director, doctor...

by Ritchel

Mendiola

AJPress

OVER 800 seafarers from the United States returned to the Philippines early this week, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Monday, April 20.

With the arrival of 867 more Filipinos from several Floridabased cruise ships, the agency has repatriated close to 18,000 overseas Filipino workers amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“This is the third straight week since the DFA facilitated the series of repatriations that followed the catastrophic economic impact wrought by the COVID-19 global pandemic,” the DFA said.

Composed of seafarers from ships Norwegian Pearl, Sky, Star, Sun, and Escape, the latest batch was assisted by the DFA through the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C, together with its partner agencies the De-

partment of Health, the Bureau of Immigration, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Department of Transportation (DOTr), and local manning agency (LMA) CF Sharp.

The repatriates underwent mandatory inspection and appropriate protocols supervised by the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ). They will also undergo quarantine in BOQ-designated facilities.

The two chartered flights that landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 on Monday morning were paid

by Norwegian Cruise Lines, the ships’ mother company. Meanwhile, CF Sharp shouldered the costs for the onward transportation and quarantine facility.

As of writing, the DFA has reported 94 new cases of COVID-19 among Filipinos abroad, bringing the official tally to 1,084.

“Following an increase in re-

ports of confirmed cases over the past days, today the DFA reports that the total number of Filipinos abroad infected by COVID-19 has breached the 1,000-mark with 94 new cases from the Americas, Europe, and the Asia Pacific,” DFA Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez said Tuesday, April 21.

“Based on the updated figures, the rate of new recoveries and new deaths as of today are at 2.28% and 6.99%, respectively,” he said.

The death toll has climbed to 153, while 269 Filipinos have recovered and have been discharged.

“The DFA, through its embassies and consulates, remains committed to supporting global and national efforts against COVID-19 by monitoring the status of our people abroad, providing assistance whenever possible, and helping those who wish to be repatriated in this time of the pandemic,” Meñez said. n

Governor Sisolak announces framework...

PAGE 1 should be able to maintain hospital capacity without crisis standards of care, have a sufficient public health workforce capacity between the local and state health departments to conduct case contact tracing (detect, test, trace, isolate), have the expanded ability for healthcare

providers to administer tests for symptomatic patients, and have sufficient laboratory testing capacity to process COVID-19 testing samples • A sustained ability to protect vulnerable populations, meaning that outbreaks are successfully contained and closed in special settings like health facilities and

nursing homes • Confirm protective measures are in place before moving to the first phase.

The governor also announced that K-12 schools across the state will remain close and continue distance learning through the rest of the academic year. (AJPress)

Duterte offers P10M reward to Filipino who...

PAGE 1 Duterte earlier said he will only lift the enhanced community quarantine enforced in Luzon to help contain the spread of COVID-19 once a cure has been discovered.

As of writing, there are a total of 6,710 confirmed cases of CO-

VID-19 in the country, with 446 fatalities and 693 recoveries.

Of the health care professionals, 1,602 have been infected with the disease — 422 are workers and 386 are nurses. Medical and radiological technologists as well as nursing assistants have been also infected.

The World Health Organization has described the situation as “worrisome” as 13% of the cases in the country are health care workers when the average for medical workers infected with COVID-19 in the Western Pacific region is only 2 to 3%. n

PAGE 1 close to home,” he wrote. “This is so tragic and kindly share if you can, I’m not able to tag everyone.

Please be careful and take care.

All the best, and we will make it through this.”

Exactly a month after he wrote it, Balasta died. He was 49 years old.

A registered Occupational Therapist, Balasta is also an entrepreneur and a filmmaker, among other things. He is the CEO of Wonderful Beginnings NY, which specializes in early childhood and early intervention program for children from birth to 3 years old and beyond and he was looking forward to going full blast this year.

He is also a film enthusiast and made a film, The Mountain Thief, which made the filmfest circuit a decade ago. Among the festivals where Balasta’s film screened was the D.C. Asian Pacific American Film Festival, where he received the 2010 George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award.

Balasta co-founded the International Film Festival Manhattan (IFFM) with his friend and colleague Luis Pedron.

“He was supportive to me, and his family, his film community, [the] Filipino community in NY and the Philippines and medical community as an OT,” Pedron told the Asian Journal. “He was always thinking of how he can help and how he can make a difference.

Marami siyang natulungan.”

Pedron recalled meeting Balasta more than ten years ago in community events in the city.

Their love for film bonded them.

About 12 years we met throughout different Filipino events but we spoke about filmmaking during an IFP (Independent Feature Project) event at FIT in Manhattan,” Pedron said.

Raymond Abear (New York

Dr. Tomas Pattugalan

NYPD Detective Raymond Abear

City) Det. Raymond Abear was one of the two NYPD officers who died on April 13 due to the coronavirus.

He was 43 years old and is survived by his wife, their 2-year-old son and 5-month-old daughter “He had this amazing ability to make you feel connected,” Det. Kevin Fulham told CBS News.

“Before I walked through the door, I just heard this voice, and that’s what he was. He was loud and he was funny.”

Abear, who has been with the NYPD for 19 years, was the first person Det. Fulham met at the Queens Special Victims Division.

He’s one of at least 32 members of the NYPD to die from COVID-19. According to the NYPD, 4,435 of its members have tested positive for the virus since the outbreak began.

Abear’s cousin Maricel Evasco posted her own tribute on her Facebook wall. She called Abear a loving uncle to her kids.

“His loss is so painful. I think about him in my sleep,” she wrote. “Like his dad, my Tito Boy, Raydil was one of the most genuinely caring relative in our large clan. We always knew he got our backs.”

The Detectives Endowment

Association, the second largest labor union in the New York City Police Department, uploaded a video that showed the transport of Abear’s body from the hospital to the funeral parlor in Staten Island.

The video’s caption read, “Today, with masks on our faces, the DEA and hundreds of our brothers and sisters in blue lined up to salute hero Detective Raymond Abear — another tragic loss due to COVID-19. Honoring fallen Finest is a tradition unstoppable by any force. Our responsibility does not stop there as we vow to never forget Raymond, and forever be here for his loving family. Please keep them all in your prayers.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise funds for Abear’s wife and two small children.

Dr. Tomas Pattugalan, Private Practice (Queens, NY) Dr. Tomas Pattugalan, 70, a primary care physician in Queens fought the war against coronavirus. He passed away on March 29, 2020 in the emergency department at Nassau University Medical Center.

“It is with profound sadness that I announce the death of our colleague, Tomas Pattugalan, u PAGE 7

PH files 2 diplomatic protests...

PAGE 1 Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, for his part, directed the Philippine Navy to give him a detailed briefing on the radar gun incident.

“As announced by Secretary Locsin, the Department of Foreign Affairs filed a diplomatic protest, which was received by the Chinese embassy today, 22 April,” he said.

Meanwhile, former Foreign

Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario pointed out that China has been relentless in exploiting the coronavirus pandemic through acts like ramming and sinking a Vietnamese fishing boat in South China Sea on April 3 and establishing two research stations in its artificial islands in Fiery Cross and Subi reefs.

The Philippines, as well as Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan, are all locked in a ter-

ritorial conflict with China over the South China Sea. The 2016 decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague declared that China’s sweeping claims over almost the entire South China Sea have no legal basis.

However, China continues to disregard the landmark ruling, insisting that it has “indisputable” and “historical” claims over nearly the entire waters. n Gerry Balasta

Susana, 64, and Alfredo Pabatao, 68, of Palisades Park, are among those in New Jersey who contracted coronavirus and later died. The couple died four days apart.

Photo courtesy of Sheryl Pabatao

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 23-29, 2020

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

Dateline PhiliPPines

64% job loss reported in Metro

by Divina

nova Joy DEla ManilaTimes.net

cruz

ALMOST two-thirds of families in Metro Manila have been hit by job losses during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) implemented by the government to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), a survey found.

The survey, conducted by PUBLiCUS Asia, Inc. and VOX Opinion Research, in partnership with Lightspeed Research/Kantar (Singapore), showed that 64 percent of the 1,000 respondents had household members who lost their jobs because of the ECQ. The respondents of the online

survey that ran from April 13 to 18 were all residents of Metro Manila, aged 18 to 70.

PUBLiCUS Executive Director and spokesman Aureli Sinsuat said the data suggest a “strong negative correlation between income and the likelihood or incidence of job loss.”

Sinsuat added that 78.12 percent of respondents from poor households, with a monthly income of P9,520, reported that at least one member of their household was displaced. Meanwhile, only one-third or 33 percent of the respondents from rich households, earning more than P190,400 monthly, had reported job loss in their families.

Job losses were also high in families with monthly income range of P19,520 to P19,040 (72.47 percent); P19,040 to P38,080 (64.73 percent); P38,080 to P66,640 (55 percent); P66,640 to P114,240 (52.34 percent); and P114,240 to P190,400 (52.63 percent).

“The high incidence of job loss among low income households is likely due to the fact that members of these households often work blue collar jobs in industries such as construction, manufacturing, public transportation, and retail services, or they could be informal sector workers. They can’t work from home under the ECQ,” Sinsuat said. n

Earth Day: Address climate change or face another COVID-like crisis

by ElizabEth

MarcElo Philstar.com

MANILA — Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu on Wednesday. A[ril 22, called for “concerted action” from public and private sectors to address climate change, stressing that the country must not wait for perennial environmental problems to peak and endanger lives as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is doing.

“In both COVID 19 and climate change, our survival is at stake.

The urgency of the need for concerted and comprehensive action, without waiting for the problem to peak or to impact millions more of people, is the same,” Cimatu said in a statement as the world celebrated Earth Day with the theme Climate Action.

Cimatu said the health and economic impacts of the COVID19 pandemic is a bitter reminder of how global problems like the climate change can “bring about destruction and chaos to any nation.”

COVID-19 has so far infected around 2.5 million people worldwide, claiming the lives of more than 165,000.

“On the one hand, with COVID19, we are faced with immediate gripping fear of losing more lives; on the other hand, with climate change, we are faced with rising sea levels, saline intrusion into aquifers, droughts, floods and the results will impact billions of people, as well as biodiversity,” Cimatu said.

Cimatu said that unlike the uncertainties of how long COVID-19 will persist and how many more lives will be lost, climate change can be addressed through efficient mitigation and adaptation programs.

“For climate change mitigation and adaptation, our responses may be less drastic, as they generally require only lifestyle changes. But we must invest in and institute the necessary concerted reforms speedily and extensively, before it becomes too late,” Cimatu said.

“This Earth Day 2020, let us

look beyond COVID-19. With the help of the mass media, let us challenge all nations, including ours, to take decisive climate action. After all, this has long been overdue,” he added.

In a separate statement, fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) stressed the importance of protecting the West Philippine Sea from China’s “opportunistic” reclamation activities.

“As the theme for Earth Day 2020 is climate action, Pamalakaya asserted the significance of protecting the West Philippine Sea, especially its marine resources, as China’s cost to coral reefs due to its reclamation activities is estimated at P33 billion per year,” the group said.

Pamalakaya said around 40,000 acres of reefs were destroyed in the course of Chinese reclamation, “affecting not only marine life, but also the livelihood of Filipino fisherfolk.”

Pamalakaya specifically slammed China’s construction of research stations in Kagitingan (Fiery Cross) and Zamora (Subi) reefs, both part of the Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea. China has also earned the ire of Vietnam after announcing that it would be setting up two administrative districts in the South China Sea – the Nansha District in Spratlys and Xisha District in Paracel Islands, where Vietnam has been upholding its sovereign claim.

Meanwhile, environmental group Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) urged Filipinos to continue safeguarding the environment from large-scale mining operations.

ATM pointed out that various environmental groups and scientists have linked the emergence of the COVID-19 virus to the destruction of forests and essential ecosystems.

“The continued destruction of forests has led to the rise of temperatures, which in turn causes wildlife to change their eating and behavioral patterns. These behavioral changes lead to mutations that contribute to the rise of new diseases such as COVID-

19,” ATM said.

Bishop’s call An official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) called on the Filipino people to expand the COVID-19 narrative beyond health and economic crisis as the country joined the Earth Day celebration yesterday.

“We must look at environmental destruction as the root cause of the global pandemic. Humans take wildlife out of their natural habitats and exploit finite resources,” Fr. Edwin Gariguez, executive secretary of the National Secretariat for Social Action of the CBCP said.

“Human activities – destructive extraction, coal projects, large-scale logging, mono-cropping plantation, among others – destroy biodiversity as if we are not part of it,” he added.

As the country struggles to make it through the pandemic, Gariguez said COVID-19 does not only call for a deep social and structural conversion, but also for intimate ecological conversion and change in how people treat the environment.

‘Celebrate at home’ In the City of San Fernando, DENR officials in Central Luzon have urged and challenged the public to celebrate Earth Day at home.

Don Guevarra, DENR information officer in the region, told The STAR the public can celebrate Earth Day without going outside their houses due to the pandemic by adopting environment-friendly practices at home.

“We can do these eco-friendly tasks at home like stopping the use of plastic, waste segregation and water and electricity conservation,” Guevarra noted.

He added that the public can also practice eco-brick making, home gardening and composting which are environment friendly and can help ease the impact and boredom of staying at home with the implementation of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine and make Earth Day celebration an everyday event. n

Hospital groups rate DOH coronavirus response ‘10/10’, rally behind Duque by ratziEl

san Juan

Philstar.com

MANILA — Four major hospital organizations in the Philippines on Tuesday, April 21 defended Health Secretary Francisco Duque III against calls for his resignation over the Department of Health’s COVID-19 response.

Last week, a majority of senators filed a resolution urging for Duque’s immediate resignation for “failure of leadership, negligence, lack of foresight, and inefficiency in the performance of his mandate...resulting in poor planning, delayed response, lack of transparency, and misguided and flip-flopping policies and measures in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.”

However, the Philippine Medical Association, Philippine Hospital Association, Private Hospital Association of the Philippines, and the Philippine College of Hospital Administrators said in a collective statement that the DOH has handled the coronavirus crisis “given what is available and its limited resources at the moment,” rating the department’s containment efforts a perfect 10 out of 10. “[We] understand the exasperation of the senators and probably some others as well in the quest for an end to the COVID-19 crisis. The health of the nation is at stake if everything goes not well in addressing the present situation,” read the statement released Tuesday evening.

“It is thus but natural for everyone to look up to the [DOH] headed by its secretary for answers and solutions to this pandemic” The hospital groups told the public that much remains to be understood about the coronavirus and that Duque’s decisions involve the “sum of all efforts of the private and government experts.”.

“Experts in our Associations composed of known epidemiologists, microbiologists, virologists, infectious disease specialists, and still others, are in constant communication with one another on how this menace is going to be defeated. Every minute, all data, both local and international are gathered and collated,” read the statement.

“There are more than a thousand points that are too technical to explain but suffice it to say that defeating the COVID-19 virus is not that simple as it is thought.”

However, the statement did not specifically address any of the accusations thrown against Duque.

Among the health secretary’s alleged lapses, as stated in Senate Resolution 362, are his warning against imposing a flight ban between the Philippines and China, delayed contact tracing efforts, neglecting to alert the medical community and the public about COVID-19 patients admitted in local health facilities, information gaps, failing to supply frontline healthcare workers with personal protective equip-

EGGS ON WHEELS. Two vendors sell fresh eggs in their pushcarts along Quirino Highway in Novaliches, Quezon City on Thursday, April 23.

According to them, they sell fresh eggs to various villages so that residents will not have to go out of their homes to buy food amid the Covid-19 crisis.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

World Bank approves $100-M loan for PH COVID response by anna lEah

GonzalEs ManilaTimes.net

THE World Bank has approved a $100 million loan for the Philippines’ Covid-19 Emergency Response Project to help meet urgent healthcare needs and bolster the country’s public health preparedness.

The World Bank said the project, which will be implemented by the Department of Health (DOH), will help strengthen the delivery system for critical medical services.

The project will focus on providing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as goggles, gloves, gowns; drugs such as antivirals, antibiotics and essential medicines; and medical supplies and equipment and devices such as mechanical ventilators, cardiac monitors, portable x-ray machines; laboratory equipment and test kits.

It will also support the necessary logistics and supply chains to help ensure that the equipment will reach frontline health facilities without delay.

Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines patrol the streets of Barangay 178 in Pasay City on Wednesday to help barangay officials control the number of people on the streets during the enhanced community quarantine.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Gerard Seguia

“Boosting the country’s capacity to respond to Covid-19 will save lives,” Achim Fock, World Bank Acting Country Director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand, said.

“The government has taken

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

NOTICE TO ELECTORS OF CLOSE OF REGISTRATION FOR ALL-MAIL PRIMARY ELECTION TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY JUNE 9, 2020 IBINIBIGAY ANG ABISONG ITO na ang Tagapagtala ng mga Botante ng Lalawigan ng Clark, Nevada, ay magsasagawa ng pagpaparehistro ng mga karapat-dapat na mga manghahalal para sa Pangkalahatang Koreo na Pangunahing Halalan na gaganapin sa Martes, Ika-9 ng Hunyo, 2020.

Sino man ang karapat-dapat na manghahalal na ang pangalan ay hindi nakikita sa opisyal na talaan ng pagpapatala ay maaaring humiling para sa pagpaparehistro sa pamamagitan ng koreo o online sa paraan na pinagtibay ng batas ayon sa mga huling araw na nakatala sa ibaba..

Ang mga huling araw upang isapanahon ang iyong umiiral na pagpaparehistro ng botante sa pamamagitan ng koreo o online sa oras para sa Ika-9 ng Hunyo, 2020, Pangunahing Halalan at makakatanggap pa rin ng isang pangkaraniwang koreong balota ay nasa ibaba. Pagkatapos lumipas ang mga petsang iyon, ang mga botante na ninanais na gumawa ng mga pagbabago sa kanilang impormasyon ng pagpaparehistro ay kinakailangang gawin sa pamamagitan ng magkaparehong araw ng pagsasaahanon na pamamaraan, alinman sa online o sa personal, at sila ay maaari lamang bumoto ng isang papel na pansamantalang koreong balota ng personal sa Lalawigan ng Clark Kagawaran ng Halalan. Kami ay mahigpit na naghihikayat sa iyo na gumawa ng kahit anung kinakailangang pagsasapanahon sa lalong madaling panahon upang ikaw ay makaiwas ng pagpunta sa Tanggapan ng Kagawaran ng Halalan. Tingnan ang bahagi ng “Pagsasapanahon ng Iyong Umiiral na Pagpaparehistro” para sa karagdagang impormasyon.

2020 PANGKALAHATANG KOREO NA PANGUNAHING HALALAN MGA HULING ARAW AT ORAS NANG PAGPAPAREHISTRO NG BOTANTE Pamamaraan ng Pagpaparehistro Ipadala sa pamamgitang ng koreo ang iyong aplikasyon ng pagpaparehistro ng botante sa: Lalawigan ng Clark Sentro ng Halalan 965 Trade Drive, Suite A North Las Vegas, NV

Online lamang www.registertovotenv.gov

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III Philstar.com photo

ment, and the slow accreditation of testing centers.

“The use of the testing kits, rtPCR tests and antibody-testing results are just as deceiving as how the treacherous virus presents itself, but in the long run we will corner this virus and place it to its final resting place and this is when the vaccine will become available in a year at least,” read the statement.

Malacañang earlier vouched for Duque in light of demands for his resignation.

“As I have been repeatedly saying in the past, every Cabinet member serves at the pleasure of the President and until they are fired by the President, the President continues to have full trust and confidence in them,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said at a press briefing. n

quick and decisive action in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and the World Bank is proud to support its efforts.

Right now, no other investment offers greater return,” Fock added. n

Petsa

Oras

Martes, Ika-12 ng Mayo

8 n.u. – 5 n.h.

Miyerkules, Ika-13 ng Mayo hanggang Huwebes, Ika-4 ng Hunyo 24 oras hanggang 11:59 n.g. sa Ika-4 ng Hunyo

Ang Nevada at batas na pederal ay inaatasan ang mga unang beses na nagpaparehistro na magbigay ng isang pagkilala na numero (Nevada lisensya sa pagmamananeho o ang huling apat na numero ng kanilang social security na numero). Kung ito ay hindi nagtugma sa talaan na pinapanatili ng Kagawaran ng Sasakyan o Social Security Administration, ang nagpaparehistro ay kinakailangang magpakita ng pagkakakilanlan bago bigyan ng pahintulot na bumoto. Mga uri ng umiiral at wastong pagkakakilanlan kabilang ang Nevada Lisensya sa Pagmamaneho, Nevada Pagkakakilanlan na Kard, Pagkakakilanlan na Kard ng Militar, O isang kopya ng kasalukuyang pahayag ng kagamitan, pahayag ng bangko, tseke para sa sweldo, o kasulatan na ibinigay ng isang sangay ng pamahalaan, na nakatala ang pangalan ng nagparehistro, at direksiyon ng tirahan. Ang mg taong ito ay nabigyan ng pahayag sa pamamagitan ng koreo sa pangangailangan na ito.

PAGSASAPANAHON NG IYONG UMIIRAL NA PAGPAPAREHISTRO Pagsasapanahon sa Pamamagitan ng Online: Kung hindi ka maaaring magsapanahon ng iyong umiiral na pagpaparehistro ng botante sa pamamagitan ng koreo sa Ika-12 ng Mayo, 2020, ikaw ay maaari pa rin magsapanahon sa website ng Kalihim ng Estado sa www.registertovotenv.gov hanggang Ika-4 ng Hunyo, 2020 (Huwebes).

Ika-13 ng Mayo hanggang Ika-21 ng Mayo: Kung isinapanahon mo ang iyong pagpaparehistro sa pamamagitan ng online sa pagitan ng Ika-13 ng Mayo (Miyerkles) at Ika-21 ng Mayo, 2020, (Huwebes), sa loob ng isang linggo ikaw ay makakatanggap ng isang pangkaraniwang koreong balota kasama ang naisapanahon mo’ng pangalan, presinto, partido, at iba pa, gaya ng naaangkop.

May 22 to June 4: Kung isinapanahon mo ang iyong pagpaparehistro sa online sa pagitan ng Ika-22 ng Mayo (Biyenes) at Ika-4 ng Hunyo, 2020, (Huwebes), ikaw ay maaari lamang bumoto ng isang papel na PANSAMANTALANG KOREO NA BALOTA NG PERSONAL SA LALAWIGAN NG CLARK KAGAWARAN NG HALALAN, NA KAILANGAN MO’NG IBIGAY KAAGAD-AGAD. Ang direksiyon ay 965 Trade Dr., Suite F, North Las Vegas, NV. Hindi mo maaaring dalahin ang iyong balota papalabas ng gusali. Ang iyong papel na pansamantalang koreo na balota ay magkakaroon ng lahat ng labanan at kandidato na mayroon sa isang pangkaraniwang balota. Ito ay naiiba mula sa pangkaraniwang balota na mabibilang lamang pagkatapos ng pagpapatunay na: (a) Ikaw at karapat-dapat na bumoto ng isang balota sa kasalukuyang halalan; (b) Ikaw ay hindi bumoto ng higit sa isang balota sa magkaparehong halalan; (c) Ikaw ay nagpakita ng katanggap-tanggap na pagkakakilanlan nuong ikaw ay bumoto; at (d) KUNG kinakailangan, ikaw ay nagbigay ng katanggap-tanggap na pagpapatunay ng paninirahan.

NAPETSAHAN APRIL 14, 2020

JOSEPH P. GLORIA Tagapagtala ng mga Botante

PUB: Ika-23, 30 ng Abril at Ika-07, 14 ng Mayo, 2020 Las Vegas Asian Journal

6

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

APRIL 23-29, 2020 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL

FEATURES

OPINION

No room for thievery

THERE are complaints about favoritism in the selection of beneficiaries and in prioritizing the areas for distribution of aid. There are reports of assistance being diverted for personal use, and of relief items such as rice being replaced with cheaper varieties.

Personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development were supposed to be in charge of directly handing out financial and other forms of assistance to people who are suffering from the economic impact of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 or coronavirus disease 2019. But because of the inadequacy of DSWD manpower, the task has been largely relegated to local governments and barangay offices.

Amid the complaints about anomalies in aid distribution, the Office of the Ombudsman has warned barangay personnel that there will be an audit of the utilization of over P200 billion in COVID-related assistance funds and relief goods provided under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act or Republic Act 11469.

Apart from facing penalties provided under RA 11469, those who misuse the COVID funds will face charges for violating laws against graft and plunder, the ombudsman warned.

Allegations of wrongdoing in aid distribution are

on top of continuing complaints about barangay personnel, together with some police officers, going overboard in punishing people who violate quarantine rules.

In several areas, local executives and barangay officials who like playing god have also imposed narrow window hours – apart from the nighttime curfew hours – for going to markets and drug stores even in areas that are not under extreme lockdown. This has effectively promoted crowding and difficulty in observing physical distancing. Yesterday, the Department of the Interior and Local Government ordered local executives to stop imposing such window hours. The DILG should see to it that its order is followed, with penalties imposed for defiance.

Amid complaints about officials pocketing COVID funds, there is a sound proposal for the publication of the names of aid beneficiaries, in platforms that can report complaints, even anonymously. be accessed by the public for verification of identities Life under quarantine is arduous enough without and qualifications for emergency aid. The govern- people being victimized by abusive and crooked ment must also provide hotlines where people can public officials. Revenue collection has also been

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS WE are in a war against the coronavirus infection.

After bragging he is a “wartime president,” we would think President Donald Trump would finally unite the country in leading us all, regardless of political affiliation, race, age, gender, income, and immigration status toward safety and to mitigate the spread of this pandemic.

But instead, Trump has again pushed to irresponsibly re-open the United States for business, despite serious warnings from scientists, health officials and experts, many governors and mayors that “we are not there yet” and that relaxing the social distancing safety measures would put the lives and safety of the American people at risk.

More ominous is a dire warning from the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that “There’s a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through.”

CDC Director Robert Redfield said in an interview with The Washington Post, “We’re going to have the flu epidemic and the

Philstar.com photo

badly hit by the quarantine, and every centavo of that P200-billion COVID relief fund must be utilized judiciously. There is no room for thievery in this pandemic. (Philstar.com)

CDC director warns of deadlier second virus wave this winter as many GOP-led states open despite uptick in cases

coronavirus epidemic at the same time.”

In the report, Redfield explained that having two simultaneous respiratory outbreaks would put unimaginable strain on the health-care system. The COVID-19 pandemic alone has overwhelmed hospitals, and contrary to the claims of the Trump administration, the United States has concerning shortages in test kits, ventilators, hospitals beds, ICU, and even protective equipment for health-care workers, who have already killed so many of our front liners in the line of duty.

As of press time on Tuesday, April 21, COVID-19 has killed more than 44,000 Americans and infected more than 816,240 people. Many parts of the country continue to report a record number of deaths and infection cases.

Globally, total cases have topped 2.5 million, with a nearly 176,000 death toll.

This is the reality we are now facing and yet, Trump has been encouraging people from different Republican-led states to protest against the social distancing, stay-at-home and shelter-in-place safety measures.

Trump even praised these protestors for their “patriotism,”

saying they love this country and want to go back to work. He has been encouraging and inciting protesting people to defy the safety orders of the governors, which the demonstrators say violated their “civil rights” — eating out in restaurants, getting tattoos, chilling in the bars, getting their hair and nails done, working out in the gym, attending concerts, partying, etc.

CEOs have also been pressuring Trump about their businesses’ growing losses, leading them to fire or furlough workers and causing an uptick in the unemployment rate, and investors selling their shares in the stock market has lowered the GDP. These are “numbers” Trump has been obsessed with and critical to his re-election.

Trump himself has been complaining how the social distancing measures have prevented him from holding his campaign rallies, which he boasted had been attended by hundreds of thousands of American people, the numbers of which he claims the world has never seen before.

Another important number for Trump: crowd size and ratings!

Therefore, the president has been using the taxpayer-funded coronavirus daily briefings to

rewrite history about his inaction for two months after he was warned about the possible threat of the pandemic by our own intelligence agencies. He has called COVID-19 a hoax and accused the Democrats of using it to kick him out of office. He has taken advantage of the briefings to spread lies, confusing the American people with his “doublespeak” to give him political cover.

And even after the coronavirus has progressed to be a pandemic, killing so many Americans, Trump remained fixated on his ratings and his need to be praised by the governors before he starts heeding their call for help from the federal government. Further, he has directed coronavirus stimulus funds to give more money to rich corporations instead of ordinary hardworking Americans.

Trump also announced Tuesday that he will stop immigration to the United States for 60 days, explaining that this freeze will block green card recipients from moving to the country but allow temporary workers to arrive.

Trump regurgitated his demonizing claims against immigrants.

As the Post reported, Trump decreed late Monday that he “wanted to protect the country from the

threat of foreigners bringing the virus to U.S. shores and to stem the economic crash the pandemic has triggered — and he retweeted the same post Tuesday, in one measure of his enthusiasm for the plan.”

WE ARE IN A WAR. And yet this president continues to divide the nation and has been riding on and enflaming the frustrations of the people to demand the relaxation of social distancing and force their local government officials to open for business — all because of his personal and political motives.

This is a betrayal of the oath he took as president of the United States: to protect the people’s safety and lives. More Americans have been killed by this war against the coronavirus more than any other war before!

This is selfish. This is short-sided. This is electioneering. This is criminal. This is immoral.

We are in a war and our first goal is to keep our people safe and alive. But this president, who has put the blame to all but himself, continues to pull the country into his quagmire, stirred by his own greed for power and money more than anything else.

This is not a Democrat argument. This is a fight for our life.

Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele called out Trump for defending those protesting stay-athome orders to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Steele pointed out that those protestors “aren’t just putting their own lives at risk, they’re also endangering the lives of vulnerable people around them.”

“Go to work and die?” he asked in a report by MSNBC. “Go to work and get sick? What is the point of that?”

He continued, “And if you weigh your job greater than you weigh your grandparents’ lives or your children’s lives or your own life, maybe that’s your individual choice, but that’s not something that I’m willing to take a risk with my life on.”

WHAT is more important to you? Money and “civil liberties” or your life and the lives and safety of your family and country? *** 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.

Las Vegas’ essential workers The front line against COVID-19 in deserve a living wage the US: APA and Filipino nurses

SEEING the insensitive article recently published by the Las Vegas Review- Letter Journal took me back to to the my childhood and watching my mother struggle Editor to feed our family of three on a minimum wage job.

The circumstances sur- EVELYN RAFAEL rounding her having to stop being a stay at home mom to having to go stock shelves in the middle of the night, come home get my sister and me ready for school, then go leave and work as a cashier, bore some semblance to the situation that many are facing now.

In the wake of the 2007 recession in Las Vegas, my mom no longer had the luxury of staying home and had to work to get us out of the financial hole we found ourselves in after we had lost our home.

My mother is what solely kept our household afloat. Now, minimum wage workers are what is keeping our society afloat. Without them working countless hours, every single day we would be lost. Not only did minimum wage workers deserve a raise back in 2007 when my mom was working tirelessly so that she could keep a roof over our heads, and food in our stomachs, but now more than ever do these essential workers deserve to earn a liveable wage.

The editorial thoughtlessly stated that “Seventy-five cents an hour may not sound like much — to someone who’s never had to make payroll.” But it’s obvious that the authors are ignorant to the struggles of those

working minimum wage jobs where seventy-five cents often means the difference between being able to pay rent and afford food to feed your family, or having to choose between the two and figure out how to keep your family fed, and with a roof over their heads. The essential workers providing us with the services we need to continue living a relatively normal life do not deserve to be having to stretch $8.25 an hour to make all of their ends meet. They should be making at the very least $12 an hour. It is understandable to worry about the small businesses who may struggle to pay their workers a liveable wage, but that is why it is an incremental wage increase, so all Nevadans, business owners, and members of the workforce alike are able to pay/earn a liveable wage.

With the COVID-19 crisis upon us, as stated in the editorial, “A whole lot of Nevadans are finding out that the true minimum wage is $0 an hour.” Everyone reentering the workforce is going to need that extra seventy-five cents when applying it to all the bills they’ve missed. But also so that they can spend money and increase consumer spending so that money can be injected back into our economy and so Nevada can come out of this crisis stronger than ever before. ***

Evelyn Rafael is an Organizing Fellow with One APIA Nevada, and an undergraduate student at the University of Nevada Las Vegas majoring in biochemistry.

Commentary

LISA NOETH ASIAN American Pacific Islander (AAPI) doctors, nurses, and health care workers alike are now at the front line against the deadly COVID19 pandemic in the United States.

The rapidly growing number of COVID-19 cases continue affect the most vulnerable populations, as the U.S. faces a shortage of health care professionals, especially nurses.

If you were recently hospitalized, you will notice that the nurses are largely Filipino. In an attempt to bridge the shortage of nurses, nursing programs in the Philippines emulate the nursing education in the United States dating back to the 1970s. As an English speaking country, the Philippines became the melting pot for training future foreign educated healthcare professionals.

Filipino nurses all have the American Dream embedded in them to immigrate to the United States, in order to go after opportunities to make their lives better for themselves and

their families in the United States and back home in the Philippines.

If you were recently hospitalized, you will notice that your nurses are Filipino.

Like many Filipino American nurses, my mom immigrated from the Philippines and worked as a nurse in New York City for more than 40 years. Many Filipino American nurses across the U.S. are now risking their lives to care for their patients.

I’ve read firsthand stories from Facebook posts from members of my Filipino church community, BLD, (Bukas Loob sa Diyo) from New Jersey and New York, who are Filipino American nurses. They are tirelessly working long 12-16 hour shifts to provide adequate care to patients diagnosed with COVID19. My Filipino friends, who are nurses, have been actively vocal about communicating through social media for the U.S. general public to stay home, the importance of hand washing, and wearing protective masks while outside.

Moreover, health care professionals, including nurses, sacrifice moments of hugging their children back at home after a long shift as one of the preventative measures to minimize the risk of exposing their families to the deadly COVID-19.

Mirroring Republican principles,

Filipino core values deeply instilled followed my mom and many Filipino Americans nurses over here in the U.S., including compassion, hard work, respect towards our elders, and most importantly our Catholic faith. President Trump and his administration listened to the concerns of the health care community by increasing the production of masks and gear from companies in various industry to counteract the shortage of protective supplies.

Through President Trump’s leadership during the pandemic, he is also developing policies in place to provide adequate compensation for healthcare professionals through hazard pay.

We have to express our heartfelt gratitude and thank our fellow courageous AAPI health care workers, including Filipino American nurses.

Let’s continue to Keep America Great as we unite together as a nation of opportunity the AAPI community. *** A tenacious leader and entrepreneur, Lisa Noeth started her content writing business, LM Noeth Solutions, in 2018. She graduated from New York University’s Masters of Science in Global Affairs in 2016 and is currently an aspiring political commentator/journalist. Lisa is on a mission to unite all millennial Republicans across Nevada as the chairwoman for the Young Republicans of Southern Nevada.

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

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Dateline PhiliPPines

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 23-29, 2020

China commends PH response to pandemic

by BernaDette

tamayo ManilaTimes.net

STRICTER QUARANTINE MEASURE. Uniformed personnel guard the entrance/exit in Barangay Maricaban, Pasay City on Wednesday, April 22. Military personnel were tasked to assist barangays in implementing stricter quarantine measures including social distancing due to increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Palace to foreigners: Follow quarantine rules or leave

THE 10 Chinese medical experts who assessed the Philippines’ response to the pandemic believe that the country took “prompt and strong measures” to control the spread of COVID-19.

The Chinese embassy in Manila said the team left Manila after releasing its findings and recommendations “on how the Philippines can better deal with the COVID-19.”

Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian said the experts worked round the clock to support the Philippines’ efforts to fight the contagion.

Huang said on Facebook the team believes “the Philippine government has taken prompt and strong prevention and control measures against the epidemic, which have been widely supported by the general public and are producing effective results.”

The team also offered suggestions on improving diagnosis and treatment capabilities, building more medical and quarantine sites, and tracing the source of all suspected cas-

parently agitated” policemen entered the compound “without some form or warrant or authorization” and shouted at residents who were lounging at a pool and garden area.

However, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Archie Gamboa said the officers only made “an ordinary police response” to the supposed lockdown breach.

Foreigners living in the building have threatened to file charges against the police officers. PAGE 4 (ManilaTimes.net) MD,” said Harry S. Jacob, MD, Chief Executive Medical Officer of Primary PartnerCare. “Dr Pattugalan loved and cared for his patients, truly exemplifying the

by Divina nova Joy Dela Cruz and the number of respondents PUBliCUS Executive Director profession of medicine, and the ManilaTimes.net per city was distributed propor- and Spokesman Aureli Sinsuat critical role of primary care in our tionally based on official popula- said. country.”

PASIG City garnered the high- tion data.

The lowest approval rat“Being a doctor was not a job est approval rating among local Pasig City got the highest ap- ings were recorded in las Piñas for Tomas, it was a calling and a government units (lGUs) in the proval of its residents at 84.74 City (13.04 percent), Malabon profession. He loved being a docNational Capital Region (NCR) percent. Approval ratings were City (21.43 percent), Quezon City tor.” Dr. Jacob stated. in terms of performance during also high in Valenzuela City (81.25 (21. 93 percent) and Parañaque The front line, private practice the coronavirus disease 2019 percent), Marikina City (80 per- City (23.08 percent). doctors are silently fighting this (COVID-19) pandemic, a survey cent) and Manila (73.19 percent).

Overall, 43.7 percent of all the war with little recognition or supfound.

The mayors of the top-ranked respondents approved of the port. He continued to see patients The independent noncommis- lGUs are Victor Maria Regis performance of their respective in his Queens practice up until sioned survey conducted by PU- Sotto (Pasig), Rexlon Gatchal- lGUs, 33.2 percent disapproved mid March when he converted to BliCUS Asia Inc. and VOX Opin- ian (Valenzuela), Marcelino Te- and 23.1 percent neither ap- telehealth. ion Research, in partnership with odoro (Marikina) and Francis- proved nor disapproved.

Alfredo & Susana Pabatao lightspeed Research/Kantar (Sin- co Domagoso (Manila). Their Meanwhile, 84 percent of (Palisades Park, NJ) gapore), asked an online panel names were not listed on the sur- the respondents said they had Alfredo & Susana Pabatao, consisting of 1,000 respondents vey questionnaire answered by received food assistance from both health care workers and to rate the performance of their respondents. their respective lGUs, while only married for 44 years, died four respective mayors and city gov“The four mayors and city 20.8 percent received cash aid. days apart in the same hospital ernments. governments with the highest Among the type of assistance pre- in New Jersey.

The respondents of the survey approval ratings in the NCR Co- ferred by the respondents from On March 26, Alfredo sucthat run from April 13 to 18 were vid-19 Survey have received sig- their lGUs were food and water cumbed to COVID19 at the age of all residents of Metro Manila, nificant positive media coverage (94.3 percent) money (93.5 per- 68. His wife Susana, 64, died four aged 18 to 70. They were chosen and kudos from netizens for their cent), medicine (92.4 percent) and days later. They were both admitfrom a pool of 100,000 panelists proactive anti-Covid-19 policies,” free testing kits (89.9 percent). n ted to the Hackensack Meridian MAlACAñANG on Thursday, April 23 said foreigners who refuse to follow the guidelines for the luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) are free to leave the country.

Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. stressed that President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive on the implementation of the ECQ does not exempt anyone.

“Kung ayaw niyo pong tumupad diyan, lalung-lalo na yung mga dayuhan, umalis na po kayo

ng Pilipinas (If you don’t want to follow the guidelines, especially the foreigners, then leave the Philippines). You are free to go,” he added.

Roque made the statement following reports that foreigners living at the Pacific Plaza Towers in Taguig City were violating quarantine protocols to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease.

The management of Pacific Plaza Towers Condominium Corp earlier said armed and “ap-

Pasig approval rating highest in NCR – survey

es, he said.

“China firmly believes that under the leadership of President [Rodrigo] Duterte, the Philippine government and people will overcome the epidemic at the earliest,” the ambassador said.

“China will continue to provide support and assistance to the best of our ability to the Philippines, and stand together with the Philippine government and people to jointly tackle the challenges and tide over the difficulties,” he added.

Huang said the team was among the first three teams sent by the Chinese government to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member-countries. “Most of the team members have had frontline experience to fight against the epidemic,” he said.

The team met with officials of the Department of Health (DoH), staff of the Incident Command System and officers of the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific to exchange experience and practice, to further improve the Philippines’ prevention and control policies, and to enhance the diagnosis, treatment

and executive ability.

It visited more than 10 frontline medical agencies, such as the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and lung Center of the Philippines, and met with public health officials and professionals.

It also “shared with the Philippine side their rich clinical experience and diagnosis and treatment methods and in particular the protection measures for the medical staff,” Huang said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said the team shared technical advice on Covid-19 prevention and control, and exchanged medical experiences with their Filipino counterparts.

“The best practices shared by the experts gave the opportunity for Filipino and Chinese health professionals to share valuable information in the global fight against Covid-19,” the DFA said.

They presented video lectures on epidemic prevention and personal protection.

“More than 50,000 people at the peak joined the online lecture, covering not only luzon but also the Visayas and Mindanao,” it said. n

NYPD detective, film director, doctor among...

Health Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, where Alfredo worked for 18 years as a transport aide. Susana worked as an assistant nurse at a nursing home.

“They are wonderful, dedicated, medical front liners, amazing grandparents, loving parents, caring siblings, extraordinary Tita and Tito, exceptional friends, coworkers and colleagues,” their youngest daughter, Sheryl Pabatao, wrote on their GoFundMe page.

“They were everyone’s shoulder to cry on, lean on and even just someone to listen to.”

Sheryl started a GoFundMe page for her parents’ funeral and memorial expenses, saying that the sudden death of their parents has taken a toll on their family mentally, emotionally and financially.

In a moving tribute to her father, Sheryl said that Alfredo had the most vibrant attitude: he was always optimistic, always smiling and telling jokes. He was nurturing and welcoming to his family, colleagues, coworkers, family friends and relatives.

“He was hardworking and had

an incredible work ethic. But of all the roles he fulfilled throughout his lifetime, the most important one was being Dad. He never failed or disappointed us. He’s a hand to hold when everything is uncertain. He stays with you to your lowest point of your life and will pick you up over and over with unconditional love. This virus will never define him nor defeat him. He was a true warrior,” she wrote.

“It breaks my heart twice to write another obituary for my mom just a couple of days apart from my dad’s passing. My mom Susana Pabatao lived her life full of compassion,” Sheryl wrote.

“She genuinely loved her job, she took care of the elderly with her whole heart. She’s the one that’s there to hold their hands and consoled them when their own family doesn’t show up.”

Sheryl hopes to be able to ho honor their last wishes and bring their ashes back home to the Philippines. She and her siblings are also planning to start a nonprofit foundation or scholarship that will cater to low-income families. n

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april 23-29, 2020 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal

Journal Remembering Leila Benitez-McCollum, the first lady of Philippine TV

By MoMar

G. Visaya

in the Fil-Am community, told the Asian Journal that she spoke LEILA Benitez-McCollum, Phil- with Benitez the night before she ippine television and radio legend, died.

“She was a bit lethargic and passed away on April 8 due to complications from the corona- spoke about going to the airport virus disease. Her niece, Vivian to go home to Pagsanjan,” Cruz Talambiras Cruz, an active leader shared. “She has many beautiful AJPress

Leila Benitez McCollum with her sons Gerry, Gil & Martin.

Contributed photo

memories of Pagsanjan as I do, especially the times we spent at their house by the river which still stands today, a bit dilapidated but nevertheless our memories of that house live in our hearts.”

The 89-year-old icon rose to fame in the Philippines back in the 1950s as one of the hosts of the variety show “Student Canteen,” which began as a radio show and eventually transformed into a television program to discover new singers.

In a career spanning almost two decades, she was called the “First Lady of Philippine Television” and became a household name as her star continued to shine until the early 1970s.

Benitez was brought to Mt. Sinai Hospital in Manhattan eight days prior to her passing because she was unable to eat for a few days and her doctor suggested bringing her so they could check the best options for her, like a feeding tube, if it was necessary. She was tested positive of the virus shortly after being moved to the hospital from a rehabilitation clinic.

Before they ended what would be their last phone conversation, Cruz asked her if she had a special craving for food and she told me her she was tired because she hasn’t eaten and they could talk again “tomorrow” and ended with their usual exchange of “I love you.”

“Sadly, that tomorrow never came,” Cruz lamented. “Gerry (Benitez’s son) called me in the morning saying that the doctor called to say she was unresponsive and in the afternoon, he called to say she passed on. It was a blessing that she was unconscious so that she didn’t feel the pain and not be aware that she was alone at the end.”

Cruz considered her Tita Lei as her second mother. Her grandfather Cirilo and Benitez’s mother Enday were siblings.

Benitez left behind her three sons Gerry and Gil from first husband Gerardo Roses, and Martin from second husband Mervyn Simpson, and four grandchildren.

She and her third husband Donald McCollum were married for 38 Leila Benitez McCollum with her niece, Vivian Talambiras Cruz.

Leila with Vivian’s son, Francis

Leila with niece Vivian at a Fiesta in America Empowerment Awards a few years ago.

years, until his death in 2015.

Aside from “Student Canteen,” which in its heyday became the biggest daytime program of its era, Benitez also hosted a couple of television shows, including “Darigold Jamboree” and “The Leila Benitez Celebrity Hour.”

As a child growing up in Batangas, Cruz vividly remembers watching her Tita Lei in “Student Canteen.”

“Often times my classmates

would excitedly tell me ‘Oh your Tita Leila mentioned your family in her program,’” she shared. “We spent many unforgettable moments at their Pagsanjan house by the river and their mansion in Cubao.”

Benitez, who graduated from Georgetown University, was in the United States when Martial Law was declared in 1972. She decided to stay and later landed PAGE 11

Isabelle creates ‘animated book’ to explain pandemic to son

by Christina

alpad ManilaTimes.net

MODEL-actress and first-time mom Isabelle Daza found a creative way to explain the COVID19 pandemic to her two-year-old son Balthazar, and consequently to other little ones as well.

On April 20, Daza published “Tralala the Tiger” on her Instagram account (@isabelledaza) where she wrote, “So I created a story to help explain to my son what is going on with the current Covid-19 pandemic. This is what I call an animated book.”

Also available in full Filipino narration, “Ang Tigreng Si Tralala,” the video runs for three minutes and 40 seconds.

The story begins with Tralala and her animal friends from school—Ellie the Elephant, Gerry the Giraffe and Frankie the Fox —happily doing their daily activities—singing, drawing and playing. Suddenly, their parents tell them they can no longer go to

school or go out of the house because of a “lockdown,” at which point Daza talks about the virus and the do’s and don’ts to help stop people from getting sick.

Daza also explained the terms “home quarantine” and “physical distancing” in the simplest of ways.

Her animated characters assured kids that the lockdown is temporary.

She acknowledged friends and family members who helped her with the digital book: Tristan Yapchiongco for the animation; artist Jewies Art Space for the illustration; Joe Daza Puyat for sound for design; Billie Puyat Murga for fact checking and gathering; and author Nina Daza Puyat for the Filipino translation.

The daughter of Miss Universe 1969 Gloria Diaz, Daza married French businessman Andrien Semblat in September 2016 and gave birth to Baltie in April 2018.

Isabelle Daza with husband Adrien Semblat and their son Balthazae Photo from Instagram/@isabelledaza

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

I was minding my business at a traffic stop when the vehicle before me decided to back up because her car was caught in the crosswalk. I then noticed her white backlights were lit indicating that she had left her car in reverse gear.

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

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

She braked about a hairline away from my car grille — and then froze. She didn’t know what to do and held up the lane longer.

I had to hand signal her to go.

The cars behind us were blasting away with their horns at being kept waiting, unaware that a chain collision that could involve them, has just been averted.

Whew! That was a close call.

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

I don’t know whether she was a young, new driver, on the phone or just preoccupied with something. But when you are behind the wheel, it requires all of the neurons in your brains and all your senses to be engaged in just that one activity. Without it, you can do damage not only to yourself but sadly, to others as well, within your immediate physical orbit. I kept 3 car lengths as following distance until she turned left onto another street.

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

I would like to plead the case

Mindfulness as a survival skill in today’s tech crazy world “Be present. It is the only thing that matters.”

— Ways of the Peaceful Warrior for mindfulness for everyone at all times and in all places.

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

The advances in communication technology have created a world where we can send and receive information at breakneck speed. The thoughts, the images of anyone, from kings to paupers, from the most profound to the most profane, from the wisest to the most foolish, from the most beautiful to the most horrific, once formed, can be transmitted to billions of people around the electronically wired community.

Just like the common cold, thoughts and images “go viral…” The power of a message is now measured by the number of tweets, hits and views it gets.

Many are choosing to live in virtual reality rather than in the real world believing they can safely hide behind a cloak of anonymity.

Disabuse yourself of the idea.

No one remains anonymous for long. No one in the internet is sacrosanct. Everyone is fair game.

These thoughts and images go around fast just like the weather patterns that change and swirl around the globe. And just like the weather, our cultural world is being shaped by our collective thoughts within the structure and framework of the technologically wired environment we live in today.

Do we then damn technology because of the potent power it helps wield over us? Certainly NOT! It would be a big mistake to blame technology for our present woes. Just like fire and electricity and practically all of man’s tools and inventions through the ages, technology is a double-edged sword. It can enhance human life or it can destroy just as well.

The fault, dear tech user, is not in our stars but in OURSELVES. It is how we define our relationship to technology and use it in our daily lives.

We can be the boss of it. Or if we lose control, we can let our-

Sharon honors all Darnas fighting COVID-19

by Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

“MEGASTAR” Sharon Cuneta recently paid tribute to the actresses who played superheroes onscreen and are now helping the public battle the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.

In her Instagram account, Sharon posted the photos of Darna actresses Angel Locsin, Marian Rivera, Regine Velasquez, Vilma Santos and “Krystala” Judy Ann Santos.

“Your two Darnas love you, our FRONTLINERS! Maraming salamat po!” Sharon captioned the photo of her with Angel, who spearheads a project providing tents as temporary shelters for COVID-19 frontliners.

The “Megastar” also saluted Marian, who is helping the frontliners with her home-cooked meals.

“Heto pa ang isa niyong Darna! Nagluluto at nagpapack ng menudo and rice for our Frontliners! Inaanak ko pa sa Kasal yan!,” Sharon said of Marian.

“At heto pa isang Darna! Ang kapatid ko, my NANA! Tatahi-tahimik lang yan pero may tents din siyang nabigay sa cause ni Darna Angel. At sinama pa si DING na itago na lang natin sa initials na Ogie Alcasid! Hahaha! Mabuhay ang mga DARNA!!! MABUHAY ANG FRONTLINERS!!!” Sharon said about Regine.

Community Journal

Although Judy Ann has not yet played Darna, Sharon also extended her gratitude for Judy Ann, who has been cooking meals for frontliners.

“Heto pa ang isang super heroine na Pinay! Huwag kalilimutan ang kalde-kaldero kung magluto ng adobo at kung anoano pa para sa ating minamahal na mga Frontliners - ang orig. kong kapatid na si Judai - Ms. Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo! Kahit bumabagsak na sa pagod, kundi nagluluto at nagbubuhat ng kalderong giant, gumagawa naman ng acrylic masks! Mabuhay ka, KRYSTALA!!!” Sharon wrote.

Sharon also posted the photo of Vilma wearing the iconic Darna costume, saying that Vilma is her first Darna.

“May mga nauna nang Darna sa kanya. Pero SIYA ang Darna na kinalakihan at minahal ko.

Napakablessed ko lang minahal din niya ako! Di ko akalain maging artista rin ako at makilala at maging kaibigan ko ang isa sa pinaka-iidolo ko. Napakalayo mo man dalawin at makita ngayon Ate Vi ko (dahil matrapik! Pagdating ko sayo baka nakapagbirthday na ako ng dalawa!), ikaw ang orig kong Darna,” Sharon said.

“I miss and love you, Ate! Alam ko busy ka sa pagtulong kahit di nakikita kasi ganun ka din eh!

Please keep safe and healthy.

God bless you and the family always! Hope to see you soon!”

Different Darnas have come together to help COVID-19 front-liners.

Photo from Instagram/@reallysharoncuneta

selves be obsessed by technology and all its bells and whistles. It can wreak havoc on our souls, our persona and ultimately our lives if we use it as a tool to enable a hubristic tendency among many people today who think the world revolves around them and who then count their worthiness with the number of likes they get from their posts.

How do we know if technology has us wrapped around its little keypads? It is easy enough to selfdiagnose this condition.

Observe if you cross streets and railroad tracks with your phones tethered to your ears. Note if you like taking selfies even in dangerous places. See if you become unhinged because you forgot or lost your phone. If so, break the habit. If not, you as a specie will disappear just like the dodo bird who has become so stupid that it has foolishly lost its instinct to danger.

When we are no longer mindful of our present conditions and depend on technology overly much to do the thinking for us, then we are truly in deep doodoo.

PAGE 10

Health@Heart PhiliP S. ChuA, Md, FACS, FPCS THE international medical community is still examining, observing, and learning about this novelCorona virus, SARSCov-2 virus, the cause of COVID-19. Since it is new, the virus, which belongs to the family of Corona viruses, is still posing a great challenge to the scientific world and all peoples around the globe.

The first case Since the very first case, a 55year-old man infected in Wuhan (the city where a biolab is working on various viruses), Hubei, China, on November 17, 2019, as reported by South China Morning Post, the actual confirmed case of the nCorona infection was of an elderly man with Alzheimer’s who was homebound and whose symptoms started December 1, 2019. He had not been to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, according to the January 2020 issue of The Lancet. China first reported the Wuhan nCorona outbreak on December 30, 2019. The duplicity and delay have killed thousands of lives around the globe, courtesy of socialism. This would not have happened in a free and democratic society.

Wuhan COVID-19 deaths up by 50% As of April 17, Chinese officials have reported a 50% increase in the Wuhan city death toll from COVID-19, raising it to 3,869, from 2,579, an increase of 1,290

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 23-29, 2020

More on COVID-19

due to an overwhelmed system which delayed reporting, including those who died at home that were previously unreported. Current cases in the U.S. is greater than 810,000, with more 45,000 deaths; China is around 83,000, with about 4,700 deaths; Philippines, about 6,700, and around 450 deaths. The global total is higher than 2.6 million, with about 190,000 deaths, in 210 countries.

First case by country China reported its first case on January 2, 2020; Thailand, January 13; Japan, January 16; South Korea and the USA, January 20; Taiwan, January 21; Hong Kong, Macau, January 22; Singapore, Vietnam, January 23; France, Nepal, January 24; Australia, Canada, Malaysia, January 25; Cambodia, Germany, Sri Lanka, January 27; Finland, United Arab Emirates, January 29; India, Italy, Philippines, January 30; Russia, Spain, Sweden, United kingdom, January 31.

Most infectious Those persons exposed to the SARS-CoV2 virus and are carriers are most infectious a day or two before symptoms appear. This makes the virus quite treacherous, and because of its virulence – it is rapidly transmitted exponentially to people within 6 feet of each other. The virus could remain floating in the air for up to 7.5 hours, and travel more than 12 feet, compared to about 3 hours (6 feet) in the previous SARS-CoV1 of 2002, which also started in China (Guangdong province). This is where staying home, social distancing, wearing a cap, well-fitted mask (N-95 of

possible, with an added layer of coffee filter or cloth or paper), goggles over glasses, and gloves are vital. It is best to avoid touching public doorknobs, doors, handrails, and other surfaces in public with bare hands. Gloves, once used, must be considered contaminated and cannot be used to touch the face either. Gloves must be washed with soap and water also, just like hands.

SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces Studies have shown that this virus (which is not a living microbe but a protein molecule covered by a protective layer of fat like other viruses) stays active on various surfaces for a different length of time. On metals, glass, ceramics, paper, wood – active up to 5 days; on plastic, stainless steel – up to 3 days; on cardboard (shipping boxes) – up to 24 hours; on aluminum – up to 8 hours; and on copper – up to 4 hours.

Virus spread by shoes Swab testing of floors shows that the shoes of hospital personnel and others spread the contamination with SARS-CoV2 virus on the floor. The tests revealed 100% positivity on the pharmacy floor where there are no COVID19 patients, 35% in ICU, 12.5% in the general wards, 45% in COVID-19 patient’s room, and 36% near air outlets. One of the 8 tests was positive in the doctors’ clinic. This virus can spread 13 feet through the air and carried on shoes, per CDC report, as confirmed by the tests above.

Mail and packages It is best not to handle mail or packages with bare hands. We PAGE 10

10

Features

april 23-29, 2020 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal

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The exquisite bliss of solitude according to Cherie

by PAblo

A. tARimAn Philstar.com

McDonald’s celebrates health care workers and first responders with free ‘thank you meals’ Frontline heroes can enjoy free meals at participating U.S. McDonald’s restaurants

IN appreciation for the healthcare workers, police officers, firefighters and paramedics who are committed to our health and safety, McDonald’s will offer free Thank You Meals*, between Wednesday, April 22 and Tuesday, May 5, as a token of appreciation for their selfless service.

While the majority of America is staying home, McDonald’s has remained open, with our franchisees and hardworking restaurant employees serving hot meals to communities who need quick and affordable options, especially those on the frontlines such as healthcare workers and first responders. The company is grateful for the ongoing dedication and commitment of McDonald’s employees who enable McDonald’s to stay open to serve our communities during these challenging times.

Each Thank You Meal will be available at no charge via drive thru or carry out at participating McDonald’s restaurants nationwide through May 5. The Thank You Meal, available during breakfast, lunch or dinner, will feature a choice of sandwiches, drinks, and a side featuring small World Famous Fries or a Hash Brown, along with a note of appreciation.

It will be served in McDonald’s iconic Happy Meal box, in the hopes of bringing a smile along with delicious food.

“We have been inspired by the way our franchisees have been going above and beyond to support their local communities throughout this trying time,” said Joe Erlinger, President, McDonald’s USA. “I couldn’t be more proud of how our company, franchisees and supplier partners have come together to give back to those who are working tirelessly for our country. That is truly our McDonald’s system at its best.”

Day or night, these frontline heroes can simply show their work badge, or be in uniform, to receive one of the below Thank You Meal options: Breakfast A choice of an Egg McMuffin ®, Chicken McGriddles® or a Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit.

All options come with any size

soft drink, tea or hot coffee and a Hash Brown.

Lunch and Dinner A choice of a Double Cheeseb u r g e r, 6 - P i e c e C h i c k e n McNuggets® or a Filet-O-Fish® will be offered. All options come with any size soft drink, tea or hot coffee and small fries.

Serving these brave men and women would not be possible without McDonald’s dedicated and unwavering restaurant employees, who are also doing their part to help during this time.

McDonald’s employees are the heart of the business, and their health and safety has been, and will continue to be, the company’s top priority. McDonald’s has implemented nearly 50 new safety measures to ensure the well-being of its employees, and is continuing to explore additional safety steps in accordance with guidance issued by local and national health authorities including the CDC. “Emergency physicians and other health care workers on the frontlines are spending hours a day on their feet, often missing meals in their efforts to care for their patients,” said Dr. William Jaquis, President of American College of Emergency Physicians.

“McDonald’s Thank You Meal is a much appreciated gesture for those risking their lives each day to take a break with a hot meal amidst the turbulence.”

During past times of national crisis, McDonald’s has helped and served communities in need, from donating funds to disaster relief efforts to providing food for those impacted by natural disasters. McDonald’s commitment to feeding the nation’s healthcare workers and first responders throughout the current pandemic is a continuation of that dedication. Additionally, McDonald’s local franchises have also been working throughout this crisis to support the thousands of communities their restaurants call home.

“Our restaurants have always been a place for the community to come together and share everyday feel-good moments with family, friends and neighbors,” said Vicki Chancellor, an Atlanta-based

Owner/Operator and chair of McDonald’s Operator’s National Advertising Committee. “And, now during times like this, it’s more important than ever for our restaurants to continue to serve and help the communities that have supported us for so long.”

Nearly all McDonald’s U.S. restaurants remain open and are offering convenient and contactless ways for customers to enjoy McDonald’s favorites through drive thru, carry out, McDelivery, and mobile order & pay with our app. *Thank You Meals offered at participating US McDonald’s 4/22/20 through 5/5/20. Valid ID required. Limit one per person per day. Menu options may vary by restaurant. Visit McDonalds. com for more details.

McDonald’s approach to challenging situations is guided by our belief that we are all in this together, and our system has come together in extraordinary ways to help each other, our customers and the communities we serve. In the U.S. we remain committed to leading by example as an organization, which is why we’ve donated $3.1 million in food to support local communities, made commitments to support truck drivers across the country, donated 1 million N95 masks to Chicago and the state of Illinois and donated $1 million to the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund to ensure nonprofits in our home state have the supplies they need during this time. McDonald’s has always been a home base for our communities, and we’re proud to provide calm and comfort to them throughout this crisis. We are here to serve.

McDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to nearly 25 million customers every day.

Ninety-five percent of McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. restaurants are owned and operated by independent local business owners. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds. com, or follow us on Twitter @ McDonalds and Facebook. www. facebook.com/mcdonalds.

(Advertising Supplement)

Rhian on quarantine life: You don’t know what you have until it’s gone

by Rito

P. Asilo Inquirer.net

DESPITE our years of experience as a writer and editor, the task of interviewing Tinseltown’s most popular celebrities hasn’t always been a walk in the park for us.

As we quickly realized 25 years ago (when we began contributing articles to the Saturday Special section of the Inquirer), eloquence doesn’t always come with beauty, or even talent. For the most part, that’s OK—after all, you can’t have everything.

But Rhian Ramos is the stellar exception that proves the desultory rule—as her answers in this interview demonstrate.

We’ve not really had a lot of chats with the Kapuso network’s strikingly lovely actress. But the few times we did, those interviews—whether for prearranged one-on-one talks or during chance meetings at the airport in between flights—always proved more than satisfying. They’re never “time-wasters.”

Spurring a significant part of Rhian’s candor is a witty mind that puts a lot of thought into any question thrown her way, regardless of the lightness or urgency of the topic.

Rhian, after all, isn’t just intelligent—unlike many celebrities we’ve met through the years who utilize their “intelligence” to evade sensitive questions. So, we always tell GMA 7’s Corporate Communications why Rhian remains to be one of our favorite interviews: Her answers are never boring nor generic.

In this quick Q&A, we asked how quarantine life has been treating Rhian more than a month after the lockdown began: How has this period of isola-

CHERIE Gil spent a quiet New Year alone in Manila but when Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash, she decided to head back to New York to see her family.

She planned to stay for a week but extended it to a couple of weeks. “I haven’t seen them for almost seven months and I realized that life is so fleeting. It was time well spent with them and much needed.”

Before the prolonged quarantine, she was supposed to start taping for a soap with GMA and a role in a new Mike de Leon project. Then she flew back to Manila just in time when the threat of COVID-19 became too real to be ignored. Her maid had to go back to her family.

Then she found herself alone.

She had to keep the house, do the cooking herself, and found more time to reflect. Going through Photo from Instagram/@macherieamour the past chapters of her life, she Cherie Gil thought it was like rewinding a where she played Maria Callas in ing to myself. I do daily chores movie in her mind. two memorable Manila revivals my helper used to do. I do it “I think I went as far as my in 2008 and 2010. now for myself. That is a part of childhood! The memories just self-care, too. I do it to honor the flashed through differently on a Some years back, she person- hard work she has given me for daily basis.” ally saw the playwright in the 10 years, but now she had to be Then it dawned on her that this commemoration ceremony in a with her family. Now I appreciate crisis was one good way of going New York university where her her more than ever. I lived away back to ourselves. “This is what daughter, Bianca, (also into the- for 12 years and I had to do it for this is all about and what it’s ater) graduated. “He was almost my family and children. Why not meant to be — to reassess our- 90 by then and on a wheelchair for myself, too? I’ve begun to selves, our values, our actions, with an oxygen tank attached. learn to cook different recipes. our connections and our behav- The man, the artist, the creator One of these days when things iors in life and to others. A time of amazing stories and complex go back to normal, I can expertly to reflect on all that matters and characters has lived a fulfilled, cook for my children and a few what doesn’t. Sometimes, I won- amazing life. I would imagine very good friends. I am actually der if the past is more important that he probably didn’t mind enjoying it. More than ever, I than the future and then real- moving on this way, as dramatic have become more connected to izing, that now is the only thing as his plays. It made his passing my truth than to my ego which that we can control.” away even more poignant and used to take center stage in my Before the enhanced quaran- connected to one of the most ter- daily grind as an actress and betine, she headed to a Batangas rifying and uncertain periods in ing a public persona. Finally, I town by the sea and renewed her our history. He has given us so don’t care what clothes I wear. I ties with Mother Earth by doing much in his long full life. And look at my closet and tell myself, some gardening with her friend. now, with all due respect, he de- ‘What the hell am I gonna do “I was at the beach and I can’t serves to rest in peace.” with all these shoes and clothes tell you how fortunate I was to be The exquisite bliss of solitude now?’ They don’t matter at all there with two of my good lady also dawned on her. “I am cher- anymore. I can only cherish mofriends. We decided to be proac- ishing it all. I finally hear the ments, memories, pictures and tive. We built a veggie garden at birds chirping on my eight-floor writings and books that are closthe back of the house. We were balcony in this concrete jungle est to my heart. And the fact that starting a new project that kept called Metro Manila. I never even I and my family are well, healthy me hopeful each morning, some- took the time to listen till now. and breathing.” thing that mattered, and watch The lessons? It’s clearly knowing True, she has started to chergrow. A symbol of hope. I believe that life is just so fleeting. That ish and value the peace and strongly that this may very well we can be sucked out from this solitude of not being watched, be the ‘new normal’ — going earth anytime and for whatever judged and trying to be more back to basics and being food se- reason. To seize every moment is than herself. Many times in her cure and self-sufficient.” what I have learned. Not to think solitude, she has listened to a Then, the bad news filtered things too much. To be in the video of Beethoven’s 9th Symback to her about friends and moment of what our true human phony as played by members of colleagues hit by the virus. The natures are called for.” the Rotterdam Philharmonic. death of playwright Terrence But alone in a house and doGetting the message of hope of McNally due to COVID-19 hit her ing the daily chores by herself the music, she can hardly wait to hard. MacNally was the author of was also another source of self- take the first plane to New York the acclaimed play, Master Class, awakening. “I have been tend- to be with her children.

Mindfulness as a survival skill in...

PAGE 9 People have become so preoccupied and distracted by the mind boggling possibilities presented by multitasking that is engendered by a tech-enhanced way of life, that they tend to forget what is important and what truly matters.

How badly can it get? There are horror stories of mindless idiocy.

Countless car accidents borne of texting while driving, are a testament to the tragic loss of mindfulness and by extension, common sense, among us earthlings.

Witness the number of news items about overly busy working parents, juggling balls of parenthood and a career and who forget that they have babies strapped in car seats in the back of their cars

leaving them to die in the heat of the sun. It is a sad commentary that while we have all the technological aids at our disposal to make our lives better, we fail to use them appropriately.

How do we detox? Try going tech free at designated times or for long stretches of time without having to check your phone or your computer for messages that you feel compelled to respond to ASAP. As I have said in another article championing the cause of living mindfully in the moment, “Log off and enjoy your hot chocolate.”

Unless your work involves saving lives, taking a vacation from technology may prove to offer a higher quality of life. Eventually, as we learn to synch and balance

our lives with our tech tool, it will be an obedient dog serving us as its master.

Think of the perks. We get to appreciate the present moment and appreciate and deeply love the people we are with right then and there. We get to “Carpe Diem” and experience JOY in real time. We get to open our eyes and our hearts to the beauty and infinite majesty of just breathing and knowing LIFE IS GOOD – so good you can feel it in your bones.

Best of all, we get to reserve the eminent right to remain ESSENTIALLY HUMAN. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

More on COVID-19

Rhian Ramos

tion changed you and your view of life?

You know how they say, “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone”? Now, I’m not just grateful for the little things—I long for them!

Earlier today, I went outside to sit under the sun, which I haven’t done in a month. A woman from our building’s staff politely asked me to go back to my unit. I nodded, then cried a little, and went back in. She must’ve thought I was nuts!

What do you like about it? And what’s frustrating?

I’ve always liked being alone.

Given choices, I would probably live my life similarly to quaran-

Photo from Instagram/@whianwamos

tine even. I also like that it makes you more creative with how you show love to the people you care about, like ordering food and supplies, and sending them to their homes.

But it’s hard living in the city and not being able to go outside, feel the sun, or grass on your feet. I miss that.

What do you look forward to doing when the enhanced community quarantine is over?

Working out with a group, hugging my mom and sister … just hugs, in general. Also, shaking people’s hands, the beach hopefully, seeing certain people I work with (my second family)— and [wearing] heels!

PAGE 9 do not know if the mail carrier or handlers are carriers of the virus, so it is safer to leave those items in your garage for at least 24 hours. After handling them, wash hands with warm water and foamy soap, which washes away the protective fatty layer around the protein molecule and destroys the virus. This virus is also deactivated by a temperature of 133F or 56.1C. Hospitals, clinics, and some people use UV-C light to destroy the virus. After using disinfectants, wash hands thoroughly, especially for chlorine-based cleaners. The old faithful hydrogen peroxide also destroys the SARS-CoV2 virus. And so with 75% to 91% alcohol, Lysol, and Clorox. Again: foamy soap suds and water demolishes the virus!

C-19 worse than the flu This season, more than 39 million Americans will be infected with the flu, compared to about 810,000 COVID-19 patients so far, with nearly 45,000 deaths in the U.S. The estimated deaths from flu this year will be around 59,000 in the United States. The death rate for flu is 0.1%, while for COVID-19 it is 2-3%. Those with high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, have about 6% higher risk. COVID-19 is evidently deadlier.

Recovered, re-tested positive On April 17, 2020, 163 fully recovered COVID-19 patients in South Korea have tested positive

again. After flattening the curve and feeling some relief, this country is now concerned about the relapse, which doubled from 74 on April 9, following recovery of 7,829 patients, 2% of whom are now back to isolation. These patients were supposed to have antibodies in them, so re-infection from a new carrier is ruled most improbable. The WHO is investigating. In the meantime, recovered patients are advised to stay home for an additional 2 weeks for extended monitoring.

In view of the possibility of resurgence (or re-infection?), even among those who have recovered, it appears we have to continue our proactive and preemptive strategy to avoid COVID-19, even after this pandemic has subsided for at least for a couple of months thereafter. This goes with frequent handwashing, personal hygiene, a bit of social distancing, and even a bit of paranoia (medical vigilance), which are also good to avoid other infections.

Deaths among our healthcare heroes Many physicians, nurses, allied healthcare personnel and other front-liners in this war against COVID-19, with courage and compassion, braved the battlefield, many unprotected because of shortage in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) a couple of weeks ago, and sacrificed their (and their family’s) safety and lives to save the lives of others.

In Italy, as of the end of March, there were 61 physicians and countless nurses and other caretakers who died of COVID-19 and around 17,000 healthcare providers who had tested positive. Some of them were retired physicians who volunteered.

China has 198 physician-deaths (ages between 20 and 90), and in the Philippines almost 20 physicians. In the U.S., more than 9,200 health workers have tested positive, with 27 deaths, but officials say the accurate figures could be higher. We do not have the data for the other 207 countries. When the global statistics are finally available, it is certain that the death toll among these selfless and dedicated superhumans on the front line of this war would be in the thousands.

They and their colleagues who survived and are today in harm’s way, honorably serving, are all our unsung heroes, whose selfless sacrifices will forever inspire the world and be admired with eternal gratitude. *** 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

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

KEEPING FAMILIES CLOSE, ONE STEP AT A TIME

Features

16th annual run-in’ for the house goes virtual Ronald Mcdonald House Charities (RMHC) of Greater las Vegas hosted our 16th annual Runnin’ for the House 5K Run & Fun Walk on Saturday, april 18th. due to recent concerns surrounding the CoVId-19 situation, the 2020 event was held virtually for the first time!

Twenty-five teams and more than 750 participants completed the 5K run or one mile walk wherever and whenever they wanted this past weekend. We received word of people rocking the socks in nearly every corner of the las Vegas valley, and we even had folks complete the event in Canada, north dakota, Iowa, and Illinois! Participants posted their run videos and pictures all weekend long in a virtual Facebook group page and on social media using the hashtag #RockTheSocks. and Ronald Mcdonald even made a special guest appearance in a few videos created to cheer on the participants from afar.

“We really didn’t know what to expect when we had to make the tough decision to transition the Run to a virtual event,” said alyson McCarthy, CEo of Ronald Mcdonald House Charities of Greater las Vegas. “But the level of enthusiasm, participation and financial support ended up being more than we ever dreamed possible!”

RMHC raised more than $81,000 from the virtual event.

Sponsors of the event include Mcdonald’s, lexus of las Vegas, The Cosmopolitan, UFC, nV Energy, Clark County Credit Union, Johnstone Supply, Willow Springs dental, 93.1 The

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 23-29, 2020

11

Luis shares how he adjusts to ‘new normal’

WITH his pedigree in the entertainment world, and his wide reach in touching lives of viewers since first stepping in the limelight as a VJ in “MYX” and a host in “aSaP,” luis Manzano has since been the default premiere male presenter on aBS-CBn in hosting reality programs and game shows.

His many accolades and successes are indeed glimmering, while his charm is forever endearing. But while we would appreciate him in the spotlight, with his gregarious and boisterous world surrounding him — how does a muted lifestyle constrained in his Greenmeadows home amid the current Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) affected him?

“To some degree, I’m a loner so it medyo works for me despite what people see on TV. But at the same time it’s sad honestly,” luis admits in an exclusive interview through an online video chat.

But luis stressed that while he may have found difficulty in adjusting to his alone time during the quarantine, he knows his conditions are a blessing compared to conditions being faced by people who need to work amidst the CoVId-19 crisis.

“We see people by the streets having to work. our front-liners risking their lives while saving others. I am fortunate and I thank God every night for keeping us safe at home,” luis noted.

and in adjusting to his “new normal,” luis shared how he is coping, spending the entire day and keeping himself productive at home. luis still keeps himself busy around the house—even if it isn’t much of a variety. “Basically, it’s workout, eat, watch TV, get ready for bed,” luis revealed.

He also detailed his other activities that keeps him busy during the lockdown. “It’s a bunch of TV, a bunch of news. I’m trying to pick up a new skill. Sulitin natin ito. If it’s something like learning a new language, something about business or stocks,” luis pointed out.

But above all, aside from still enjoying family ties through convenient innovation, the ECQ is an opportunity for introspection and reflection.

“It gives us time with our thoughts. It gives us time with the Supreme Being. Para sa akin, pagka ganitong nasa bahay ka lang when everything is a bit more quiet than usual, it gives you a nice conversation with God. That’s the way I see it. When everything slows down, mas masarap pakinggan ang mensahe sa yo ng diyos.”

These realizations certainly affect his outlook in life.

“I appreciate everything more,” luis declared. “You get to appreciate the smaller things in life and you realize you appreciate something no matter how minute or

Luis Manzao

ABS-CBN photo

grand it will be. We always tend to appreciate something grand.

But sa akin, there is more magic, there’s so much more love and appreciation with the minute details.” luis, who turned 39 while the ECQ is still in effect on april 21, looks forward to spending a postbirthday bash with family and friends in Batangas when a possible “relaxed” quarantine happens, aside from resuming his deep passion for diving.

ECQ might be constraining and limiting, but this necessary action certainly does not prevent us from taking advantage of the technology to strengthen ties with family and loved ones, learn new things reflect and ponder on life decisions.

Remembering Leila Benitez-McCollum...

PAGE 8 a job as a news anchor of the Voice of america, a program under the U.S. Information agency Mountain and Real 103.9 with providing a “home-away-from- broadcast across the asia Pacific iHeartMedia. Funds raised from home” for families that travel to Region. this event stay locally to benefit las Vegas for their children to among the most precious memRMHC® and our mission of receive critical medical care. ories Cruz treasures fondly happened in her Tita lei and Uncle don’s place in Manhattan, among them special holiday celebrations like Thanksgiving, Christmas and birthdays. “as an adult living in new York, Tita lei took it upon herself to take care of some of my needs. When I gave birth, it was Tita lei and Uncle don who picked me up from the hospital with my newborn son, Francis,” Cruz shared. “I had German measles on my first trimester and the doctor recommended abortion which I refused. I hid it from my parents but somehow when I was about to give birth they found out and my mom’s blood pressure was so high and when Tita leila found out, she picked me up from [the] hospital.”

Leila with her sons Gerry, Gil & Martin

It didn’t end there because when Francis was baptized, Benitez also became his ninang or godmother.

“She insisted on hosting the reception at their beautiful Beresford place by Central Park. She cooked dinuguan among other

Photos courtesy of Vivian Talambiras Cruz

dishes. She was a great cook!,” Cruz exclaimed.

There are no services scheduled at this time but the family is planning a memorial service and a celebration of her life with family and friends will be held at a later date.

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april 23-29, 2020 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal

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