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Several Bay Area counties to ease certain DATELINE USA rules as shelter-in-place orders extended ‘He was the ultimate father FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

figure’: Fil-Am engineer, father of 2 dies from COVID-19 after 3 weeks in the hospital

ANGELO and Marilou Cortes planned to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary with a trip to Europe in June. However, the coronavirus took Angelo’s life, and along with it, their travel plans.

Cortes, a 58-yearAngelo Cortes, an engineer, husband old design engineer and father of 2, died of COVID-19 in and father of two from Whittier, California on April 10, three La Habra, California, weeks after being admitted to the died on April 10 from hospital. complications related Photo courtesy of the Cortes family to COVID-19. “My dad was the most amazing husband to my mom. He was her rock and best friend. It’s u PAGE 2

California insurance commissioner orders auto insurance refunds, discusses workers comp for immigrants during pandemic WHEN the coronavirus pandemic turned daily life on its head, it caught Americans off-guard with little time to sort out finances.

As the number of cases and deaths continues to mount, the likelihood of lockdown measures lifting and the return to normal life gets further u PAGE 4

Orders in effect until May 31

by AJPRESS SEVEN Bay Area jurisdictions announced this week that they will begin easing restrictions on certain activities, as shelter-in-place orders have been extended until 31.

The counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara as well as the City of Berkeley, an independent public health jurisdiction, announced on Wednesday, April 28 that all construction projects, certain businesses that operate primarily outdoors, and some outdoor activities “will be allowed to resume with specific conditions.�

The relaxed order will take effect starting May 4

in the counties.

This comes after the same Public Health Officers of the counties as well as the City of Berkeley announced on Monday, April 27 that the shelter-inplace orders have been extended until May 31 to continue slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus. The areas have been under these restrictions since mid-March.

All real estate transactions will also now be able to resume, but with continued restrictions on open houses and limitations on in-person viewings. Any employee allowed to return to work at a facility can also access childcare programs that can operate.

Certain outdoor businesses will get the green light to re-open, and people can visit those businesses to perform work or obtain goods, services,

or supplies. This includes wholesale and retail nurseries, landscapers, gardeners, and other businesses that primarily provide outdoor services as set forth in the order.

Outdoor businesses do not include restaurants, cafes or bars, regardless of whether they have outdoor seating.

Other activities that can resume under the new order include residential moves and the use of certain shared outdoor recreational facilities that were previously ordered closed, like skate parks, but not others that involve shared equipment or physical contact.

This initial, measured easing of some restrictions is designed to set the stage for a gradual resumption of activity and prevent rapid, exponential growth u PAGE 2

UN calls out PH’s ‘highly militarized’ lockdown response

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE United Nations this week raised concern over the “toxic lockdown culture� that several countries have adopted as they fight the coronavirus pandemic, citing the Philippines’ “highly militarized response� to violators of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

UN High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet on Monday, April 27 noted that 120,000 Filipinos have been arrested for violating the curfew imposed under Luzon’s lockdown.

The emergency powers “should not be a weapon governments can wield to

u PAGE 2

RELIEF OPERATION. San Juan City residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic receive sacks of rice donated by a private foundation on Wednesday, April 29.

Presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said the poor should be allowed to go back to work because they are “somehow resilient to the virus� and those who are sick should be separated from the healthy through isolation. Concepcion said in an online seminar that he talked to those involved in relief operations in poor communities about infection rates where they bring aid. They were “unanimous in saying that it’s very minimal,� he said.

Inquirer.net photo by Grig Montegrande

Members of Congress detail legislative solutions Duterte offers P20M reward to any Filipino who to anti-Asian bigotry amid COVID-19 pandemic develops respirator for COVID-19 patients Over 1,000 incidents of hatereported in LA and OC

by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

AS hate crimes, harassment and other forms of bigotry against the Asian American community are on the rise due to the ballooning coronavirus pandemic, lawmakers, advocacy organizations and government agencies are working toward tangible solutions to support victims and prevent attacks.

During a recent town hall meeting on Facebook Live, U.S. Rep. Gil Cisneros (D-39th District) invited fellow U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-27th District) and various Los Angeles and Orange County-based community and

government leaders to share stories of the anti-Asian bigotry unfolding across the Southland, which is home to one of the largest Asian communities in the country.

To understand the scope of the situation, Chu shared the efforts of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), of which she is the chairwoman, to encourage other members of Congress to stop the use of the “China virus� misnomer and to only spread accurate information about the virus. “One of the first things we knew we had to do was to educate our own colleagues in the House and the Senate because I

Over 200 new cases of Filipinos positive with COVID-19 globally

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

MORE than 200 overseas Filipinos have tested positive for the novel coronavirus this week, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said.

The latest numbers on Tuesday, April 28 revealed that there

are 209 new cases of COVID-19 among Filipinos abroad, bringing the total to 1,604.

The department noted that this is the largest single day increase of confirmed cases in the past month.

Meanwhile, there are now 419 recoveries and 189 fatalities. u PAGE 3

felt that they were not aware of how extensive the [anti-Asian] hate crimes and incidents have gotten,� Chu shared in the Facebook Live town hall on Monday, April 27.

As previously reported in the Asian Journal, Chu praised the joint resolutions introduced by Asian American Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Mazie Hirono (D-HO) and Rep. Grace Meng (DNY), denouncing the anti-Asian sentiment quickly percolating across the country and the rise in hate crimes against the Asian community, as detailed in an intelligence report from the FBI. u PAGE 2

president has put up a P20 million reward to any Filipino who can create a local respirator that PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte would outlast the life of the pais willing to give a P20 million tient. This is a result of the shortreward to any Filipino who can age of respirators),� he said in a develop a durable respirator that virtual press briefing.

Duterte on Friday, April 24 will be used to help patients who contracted the novel coronavirus, MalacaĂąang said on Tuesday, April 28.

According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, the respirators should “outlast� the lives of the patients. “Nagbigay ng pabuya ang presidente ng P20 million para sa sinumang Pilipino na makakabuo ng local respirator na sabi niya ay would outlast the life of the patient. Ito po ay may kaku!.$2%7 " 3(). langan talaga sa respirators (The

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

also raised the reward money for anyone who develops a vaccine against COVID-19, saying it can go as high as P100 million. “I am raising the bounty to P50 million because it is a collegial thing,� the president said in his u PAGE 3

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MAY 1-7, 2020 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

From the Front Page

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‘He was the ultimate father figure: Fil-Am...

PAGE 1 very tough on her. Their relationhip definitely inspired me,” his daughter Angelica Cortes, 26, told the Asian Journal.

When Angelo Cortes would come home from work, he gave his wife, daughter, and son Sean his undivided attention.

“He was the ultimate father figure to us. He did a good job separating work from home. We didn’t really know much about his job and what he did because when he would come home, he would change gears into being a dad and a husband,” Angelica said.

Angelica — a registered nurse at PIH Health Whittier Hospital, where her father eventually spent three weeks as a patient — kept a timeline of his illness that began on March 13 when he first complained about itchiness on his chest and what could be perceived as a cold or seasonal allergies.

As this was around the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in Southern California, Angelica and Marilou, a nurse educator at the same Whittier hospital, advised Cortes to wear a face mask and they would observe his symptoms.

By the following day, Cortes developed a fever and persistent cough so they isolated him in a separate bedroom. When his temperature wouldn’t go down — with the highest being 101.6°F — his primary doctor prescribed him with azithromycin, an antibiotic also known as Z-Pak, but he wasn’t improving, which sig-

Angelo Cortes (2nd from right) is survived by his son Sean, wife Marilou, and daughter Angelica.

Photos courtesy of the Cortes family

naled that his condition wasn’t a bacterial infection.

Three days later, the family took Cortes to urgent care, where he underwent an X-ray exam that showed evidence of bronchitis.

But, he wasn’t qualified to get tested for COVID-19 so he was sent home and continued to be in isolation.

“At that point, my mom and I were like, ‘You know what? This might be the coronavirus’,” Angelica said. “Even though they’re saying it’s bronchitis, it can be the start of it.”

By March 19, Cortes started breathing faster and was brought to the emergency room, where he was swabbed and tested negative for respiratory syncytial virus. A chest X-ray then revealed that he had pneumonia, which led to his admission that same day to the

respiratory floor of PIH Health Hospital. Still, he did not qualify for a COVID-19 test.

A doctor then ordered a test privately and sent it to a lab but didn’t receive the results until a week later.

“On Sunday the 22nd, my dad was intubated before he got his results back,” Angelica said. “But based on his scans, like the CT of the chest, it pretty much showed severe viral pneumonia and it showed ground glass opacities so that’s why the doctors kind of knew it was COVID-19 or they were leaning more towards it based on the findings.”

Doctors intubated Cortes early on to save his lungs. In the next three weeks, his liver, lungs and kidneys started to fail, and he received daily dialysis.

Each day was a “rollercoaster of emotions,” Angelica recounted, as the family got regular updates from the hospital. Though they were not able to directly communicate with Cortes anymore, Angelica said that he could still hear and respond to verbal cues by squeezing the nurses’ hands so she would tell them to relay messages that his family loved him.

“It was definitely a hard three weeks not being able to talk or be with him. But what I actually did was text his phone every single day. I feel like that kind of helped me,” she said.

Days before Cortes ultimately passed, there was a glimmer of hope that he could be discharged as he showed signs of improvement. But another CT scan of his brain illustrated that he had multiple strokes and hemorrhaging.

“At that point, the intensivist came to the conclusion that he was essentially brain dead or very close to it. Considering the u PAGE 3

AID FOR SOLO PARENTS. Residents of Barangay Nagkaisang Nayon in Novaliches, Quezon City submit requirements to be certified as solo parents on Monday, April 27. Under the city government’s Kalingang QC program, solo parents, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, tricycle, jeepney, and taxi drivers, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers who were not included in the national government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP) will receive P2,000 financial assistance.

Photo courtesy of Christelle S. Reyes

Members of Congress detail legislative solutions...

PAGE 1 In the town hall, Cisneros invited two constituents of the 39th District who’ve been victims of hate incidents during the COVID19 outbreak. In the diverse district that stretches from Fullerton and Buena Park to La Habra and Chino Hills, 29% of its constituents are Asian.

Chu also shared two bills that are currently being authored to combat anti-Asian hate. HR 3545, the No Hate Act was introduced

by U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), which Chu said would “correct deficiency in the FBI hate crime reporting which is very flawed because there’s no incentive for states to actually submit credible hate crime reports.”

That bill would also establish grants for state-run hate crime hotlines and to help law enforcement impose community service and other programs for those convicted of a hate crime.

The second bill, HR 6577, was introduced by Filipino American U.S. Rep T.J. Cox (D-21st District of CA) and, if passed, would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to “carry out a national awareness campaign to increase factual awareness and knowledge of COVID-19” which would include “countering antiAsian stigma related to the virus,”

Chu said.

The usage of the names “China virus” and “Wuhan virus” has been widely condemned by both public health officials and Asian American advocacy groups because it perpetuates blame toward the Chinese community (and, by association, the greater Asian community).

Executive Director of the civil rights and legal organization Asian Americans Advancing Justice - LA Stewart Kwoh shared that the uptick of anti-Asian bigotry will likely continue due to the mounting U.S. cases and deaths associated with the virus.

Introducing a three-pronged approach to the situation: fight the racism through communityled campaigns, uplift the role of Asian American frontliners and to learn from Asian countries that have successfully mitigated the diseases spread in their societies.

Kwoh noted the importance of a solidarity campaign and to garner as much support from local leaders to combat the rise in hate incidents against Asians and Asian Americans.

The Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON), a coalition of local community organizations that advocates for the Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, has been on the front

lines of combating anti-Asian hate since the virus’s arrival to the U.S. A3PCON has worked with various human rights commissions and local leaders to help understand the full scope of the antiAsian hate incidents and crimes propping up. It also launched Stop AAPI Hate, a website where people can report microaggressions, bullying, harassment and hate speech or violence.

Since it went live on March 19, the tracker has compiled more than 1,500 incidents that occurred across 45 states.

Manjusha Kulkarni, the executive director of A3PCON, said in the town hall that the incidents involve a variety of incidents including verbal harassment (which comprises of two-thirds of all the incidents reported), workplace discrimination, refusal of service in businesses and physical assault.

Additionally, Kulkarni noted that 44% of the incidents are taking place at businesses like grocery stores and pharmacies and 9% of the victims were elderly individuals.

“We know that this has got to be a concerted effort of all of our organizations if we’re going to get through this together as a greater community,” Kulkarni said. n

UN calls out PH’s ‘highly militarized’ lockdown...

PAGE 1 quash dissent, control the population, and even perpetuate their time in power,” she said.

“Shooting, detaining, or abusing someone for breaking a curfew because they are desperately searching for food is clearly an unacceptable and unlawful response. So is making it difficult or dangerous for a woman to get to hospital to give birth. In some cases, people are dying because of the inappropriate application of measures that have been supposedly put in place to save them,” Bachelet added.

The UN has reportedly received reports of the disproportionate use of force by security officers, particularly in poor and informal settlements.

“Rubber bullets, tear gas, water guns and whips have been used to enforce social distancing in shopping lines…and outside their homes,” the high commissioner said.

Earlier this week, lockdown enforcers were caught on camera beating a fish vendor with a rattan stick for allegedly not wearing a face mask. Last week, a military personnel was shot

dead by a cop manning a community quarantine checkpoint in Quezon City.

“They should only use force when strictly necessary, and lethal force can only be used when there is an imminent risk to life,” Bachelet said.

“If the rule of law is not upheld, then the public health emergency risks becoming a human rights disaster, with negative effects that will long outlast the pandemic itself,” she added.

So far, 136,517 lockdown violators have been recorded by the Philippine National Police. n

Several Bay Area counties to ease certain rules...

PAGE 1 of cases that could overwhelm hospitals for a particular jurisdiction or the region as a whole.

“This impact of the virus has been hard for many of us, but we are now on a path for steady progress, which now allows some low-risk activities to return,” said Dr. Lisa B. Hernandez, Health Officer for the City of Berkeley.

“This virus is still in our communities. We need everyone to shelter-in-place apart from the few exceptions – and wear a face covering when out.”

San Mateo County’s order differs from the orders in other counties by restricting outdoor recreation to within 10 miles of a person’s residence. This restriction applies not only to San Mateo County residents but also to residents of other counties who wish to travel to San Mateo County for outdoor recreation.

Residents of other counties are not prohibited from entering San Mateo County for other activities allowed by the order, but this provision, which is consistent with the State order, does prohibit those living more than 10 miles from San Mateo County from traveling to San Mateo County for recreation.

In addition in San Mateo County, beach parking lots and adjacent parking areas must remain closed to the public for beach access, and local authorities are encouraged to close or prohibit parking in areas adjacent to beaches as necessary to prevent crowds that cannot feasibly comply with the requirements of the order.

The Health Officers of the seven jurisdictions released indicators that will be used to measure progress in containing the virus: • Whether the total number of

cases in the community is flat or decreasing; • Whether the number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 is flat or decreasing; • Whether there is an adequate supply of personal protective equipment for all health care workers; • Whether we are meeting the need for testing, especially for persons in vulnerable populations or those in high-risk settings or occupations; and • Whether we have the capacity to investigate all COVID-19 cases and trace all of their contacts, isolating those who test positive and quarantining the people who may have been exposed.

There are 7,273 confirmed cases and 266 deaths in the seven jurisdictions, as of April 28. On March 15, when the first order took effect, there were only 258 confirmed cases and 4 deaths. n

(650) 689-5160 • http://www.asianjournal.com

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 1-7, 2020

More than 1,300 PH PH health care workers infected with virus SF closes Golden Gate Park’s JFK Drive, McLaren Park’s

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

OVER 1,300 health care workers in the Philippines have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to the Department of Health.

The latest figures on Tuesday, April 28 show that 1,336 health care professionals have contracted COVID-19.

Of the infected, 493 doctors, 507 nurses, 74 nursing assistants, 47 medical technologists, 28 radio technologists, 11 midwives and 11 respiratory therapists and 165 are other healthcare workers like dentists, barangay healthcare

workers, and administrative aids.

Twenty-nine medical workers have succumbed to the disease, according to DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire in an online press briefing.

As of April 27, personal protective equipment (PPE) have been delivered to hospitals and healthcare facilities by the DOH nationwide.

These include 270,320 coveralls, 1,667,090 face masks, 301,300 gloves, 154,075 gowns, 137,675 kN95 masks, 83,680 N95 masks, 39,292 face shields, 358,200 head caps, 2,392 thermal scanners, 144,903 goggles, 30 non-invasive ventilators and two

sanitation tents.

Among the facilities that received them are the Unihealth Parañaque, Parañaque Hospital and Medical Center, World Trade Center Quarantine Facility, Rizal Coliseum Quarantine Facility, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology National Headquarters Quezon City, Ninoy Aquino Stadium Quarantine Facility, CHD1 San Fernando La Union, CHD2 Tuguegarao Cagayan Valley, and the Philippine Air Force 505 Wing Villamor Airbase Pasay City.

Vergeire also noted that 84,738 unique individual tests have been recorded by the country’s COVID19 testing laboratories. n

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor London N. Breed on Monday, April 27 announced that beginning Tuesday, April 28 at 6:00am, a portion of John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park and John F. Shelley Drive in John McLaren Park will be closed to vehicles 24 hours per day throughout the duration of San Francisco’s Stay Home Order, which will soon be extended through May. The street closures are intended to ensure there is enough space for people who choose to exercise in Golden Gate Park and McLaren Park to maintain required physical distancing.

“We know that people need to go outside, whether to get exercise or just clear their head, and closing JFK and Shelley Drive to cars will make it easier for people who choose to leave their home to stay six feet apart from others,” said Mayor Breed. “That said, we all need to work together to keep slowing the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

Everyone must continue to stay home as much as possible and follow all public health recommendations.”

“Getting outdoors supports our physical and mental health,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, Director of Health. “We need to continue to do it safely. Springtime weather ManilaTimes.net file photo and our extended Stay Home Order make it tempting to gather outdoors, but to protect each other from the coronavirus we mind me that although he is no need to keep up San Francisco’s longer here with us, we will still good work: staying 6 feet away be okay.” (Christina M. Oriel/AJ- from anyone outside our households and covering our faces.”

Press) n

US embassy cancels visa interviews services as soon as possible but are unable to provide a specific date at this time,” U.S. embassy THE United States embassy in spokesman Heather Fabrikant Manila has canceled all immigrant said on Sunday, April 26. and nonimmigrant visa interviews Fabrikant said after the lifting scheduled through May 31 after of ECQ in Metro Manila, “all afthe enhanced community quaran- fected applicants should reschedtine (ECQ) was extended to May ule their visa interviews through 15. the embassy call center at +632The quarantine was set to end 77928988 or through the online on April 30, but President Rodrigo appointment system at ustravelDuterte ordered an extension to docs.com/ph. allow the Department of Health “There is no fee to change an and local government units to appointment and visa application conduct mass testing for the coro- fees are valid for one year in the navirus disease 2019. country where the fee was paid,” “We will resume routine visa she added. n

by BeRnadette

taMayo ManilaTimes.net

‘He was the ultimate father figure: Fil-Am...

PAGE 2

multiple organ failure, we just all decided that it was best to call it there,” Cortes’ son Sean, 28, said.

A neurologist took another look at Cortes to exhaust all options and do more tests, which showed that he had no brain activity. This last word confirmed that it was time for Angelica and Sean to say goodbye to their father.

On the day Cortes was taken off the ventilator, the family was allowed into the hospital and see him from the glass outside of his room. Many families who have lost loved ones to the pandemic have not been able to have this final moment because of strict distancing measures.

The family does not know how or where Cortes contracted COVID-19 as he was working and doing other daily activities up until the first sign of sickness on March 13. But they speculate that his history of childhood asthma and hypertension could have contributed to the severity of his case.

Apart from the usual guidelines of wearing a face mask and washing hands, Cortes’ family said it’s important to be aware of the main symptoms of COVID-19 to spot if a relative may be infected.

“Acting fast can save a lot of lives or at least give your loved one time to fight,” Sean said.

“That’s what we’re most appreciated of with my dad because the doctors and nurses bought him so much time.”

Cortes, who was born in Mandaue City, Philippines, came to the United States in 1973 at the age of 10. He went on to study mechanical engineering from Cal State Long Beach and worked for a company that designed commercial kitchen equipment until his death.

Both Angelica and Sean said they want Cortes to be remembered as someone who kept a smile on his face and was a jokester. He rarely got upset and when he did, they knew it must be something serious.

He took an interest in his children’s activities and would watch their games or dance performances no matter how far the drive. It got to the point when they told him that he didn’t have to watch every show.

“We’ve been trying to think about my dad’s main hobbies and really what we can remember was that he spent so much time on my sister and myself. For every extracurricular activity we were part of, he participated in,” Sean, a computer programmer, said.

Sean and Angelica were active in their high school’s Filipino cultural club and said that their father volunteered to host weekend rehearsals at their home and helped with designing props and costumes for the annual show.

Cortes was also an avid Lakers fan and liked recreational cycling and fixing things around the house.

A GoFundMe page set up by Angelica’s co-workers to help with expenses has raised over $43,000 to date. Despite not being able to grieve with relatives and friends, the messages, cards, flowers and food that people have sent are giving Cortes’ family some ease that they are not alone.

“At first, we felt like we were alone, but we know that we have literally hundreds of people supporting us during this time,” Angelica said. “At the same time what also kind of brings us comfort is knowing that we’re not going through this alone. There are so many other families that are going through the same situation.”

Once stay-at-home orders are lifted, Cortes’ family is planning to have a proper memorial for him so extended family can join.

In addition to his wife and children, Cortes is survived by his father, Felix Cortes; brothers, Jessie “Nilo” Cortes and Felix “Jun” Cortes Jr.; and sisters Frances Impert, Janet Gutierrez and Susan Alday. He was predeceased by his mother Angeles in 2013.

It’s been two weeks since Cortes’ passing but his children continue to hear his laugh and his daily encouragements, including “You can do it, Aiks,” referring to his nickname for Angelica.

“He would say this almost every day, but multiple times in the morning on days I had work since he knew how stressful some of my shifts could get,” Angelica said. “My dad passing is another one of those obstacles thrown at me in life, and I can still hear him saying ‘You can do it, Aiks!’ to re-

Over 200 new cases of Filipinos...

PAGE 1 Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez noted that the newly reported cases from the Americas and Europe also raised the number of countries with Filipino COVID-19 patients to 46. It was previously 44.

“The DFA personnel in our foreign service posts remain

steadfast in partnering with local health authorities and agencies in ensuring adherence of our people with preventive measures against (the) COVID-19 pandemic, and commit to tirelessly attending to the needs of our people affected by this pandemic, whenever possible,” Meñez said. n

Duterte offers P20M reward...

PAGE 1 address.

“Baka sa ligaya ko, another P50 million, kung maligaya ako masyado (If I’m too happy I might add another P50 million),” he added.

Initially, the reward money was P10 million.

“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,” Roque said on April 21.

Duterte also offered a “substantial grant” to the laboratories of the University of the Philippines and the Philippine General

President Rodrigo Duterte Malacañang photo

Hospital for vaccine development.

As of writing, there are 8,212 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, with 558 fatalities and 1,023 recoveries. n

Shelley Drive to vehicles to support physical distancing The San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department will close JFK Drive to vehicular traffic from Kezar Drive to Transverse Drive until the Stay Home Order is lifted. This street closure is the same as the regular Sunday street closure in Golden Gate Park. Shelley Drive in McLaren Park will be closed to vehicular traffic for the duration of the Stay Home Order. The gates at Cambridge and Mansell Streets will be locked, closing the entire Shelley Drive loop to vehicles.

While the street closures are intended to increase space for people to get outside, the Department of Public Health and the Recreation and Parks Department remind the public that park users must practice social distancing. People over 60 years of age and/or people who have underlying health conditions, and people who are sick should not leave their homes.

“Now more than ever, San Franciscans are relying on our parks and urban trails to relieve stress and give a sense of familiarity during this unprecedented time,” said Phil Ginsburg, General Manager of San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department. “Parks aren’t a luxury; they are a necessity.”

For more information on how the Stay Home Order has affected San Francisco parks, go to: https://sfrecpark.org.

Last week, Mayor Breed and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) announced the Slow Streets program to limit through traffic on

select streets. Slow Streets are intended to provide a network of streets that prioritize walking and biking for essential trips while still allowing local vehicle traffic. Please visit sfmta.com/COVID19 for a map of candidate Slow Streets, updated Muni service, and the latest agency updates.

“The Stay Home Order has created a more urgent need for San Franciscans to walk and bike for essential trips,” said Jeffrey Tumlin, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “It’s critical to expand our network of streets prioritizing the appropriate space for some of our most vulnerable road users.”

People engaged in the essential activities described in the order must practice the following to avoid getting sick and to prevent the spread of COVID-19: • Stay at least 6 feet away from other people when on essential outings such as grocery shopping, riding public transit to an essential job, or walking your dog.

• Face coverings are not required for outdoor exercise, such as walking, hiking, bicycling, or running. However, anyone exercising should have a face covering with them and readily accessible, even if they’re not wearing it at that moment.

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

• Cover your cough or sneeze.

• Avoid touching your face.

• Do not shake hands.

• Keep common spaces clean u PAGE 4

MAY 1-7, 2020 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

D ateline PhiliPPines Cayetano, other solons propose ‘new

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

normal’ bill amid COVID-19 pandemic

MANILA — Eight lawmakers, led by House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, filed on Tuesday, April 28 a proposed measure to define the “new normal” in this time of COVID-19 pandemic.

The congressmen filed “The New Normal for the Workplaces and Public Spaces Act of 2020” that seeks to define standards of our way of living following the coronavirus outbreak that infected millions globally.

“The foreseeable re-opening of workplaces and businesses and the resumption of economic activity halted during the period of community quarantine cannot, however, simply proceed as if things can still go back to ‘normal,’” the solons noted.

The following practices are among those that shall be done in the “new normal,” under the proposed measure: • Wearing of masks of public places and workplaces shall be mandatory. Failure to do so will be penalized with a P1,000 fine or 1-day mandatory community service.

• Physical and social distancing measures shall be practiced which means maintaining at least one but preferable two meters between individuals in all public places.

• There will be mandatory temperature checks in all enclosed and semi-closed areas, including open areas where two or more people are gathered.

• For transportation, operation of motorcycle taxis are suspended and “contact-less” payment mechanisms shall be conducted.

• “Green lanes” shall be designated in roads, avenues, highways

and other transport infrastructure networks for healthcare, emergency, peace and order and supply-chain vehicles.

• Subject to consultation with the Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education, classes and school activies shall remain suspended “without prejudice to academic freedom.”

The bill notes that no student shall be penalized for inability to participate in online means of learning due to connectivity or gadget issues.

• Commercial, industrial and other forms of businesses that operating within local government unit jurisdiction shall be asked to submit a “New Normal Workforce and Workplace Management Plan.

• This will include mechanisms for employees showing symptoms or infected with COVID-19.

• Resumption of food services may start with take-out/delivery service and “gradually re-introduce dine-ins” which will also be contactless service. Buffets and salad bar service is temporarily discontinued.

• For commercial stores and centers, a maximum number of people inside the store/shop/center/mall shall be established.

• In offices in buildings, number of people using the elevator at a time shall be limited and physical meetings are discouraged. Online/livestream methods of communication shall be implemented.

• For salons, parlors or spas, where person-to-person contact is unavoidable, use of face mask and gloves shall be mandatory.

• The Philippine Statistics Authority is directed to speed up and

fully implement the Philippine Identification System Act. • The Department of Trade and Industry in coordination with Department of Information and Communications and Technology shall establish a program for small and medium enterprise for e-commerce activities.

If passed into law, it shall take effect immediately upon publication in Official Gazette or in at least two newspapers.

It shall expire after a threeyear period since its effectivity or “sooner upon official declaration of the President of the Philippines issued by upon recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging and Infectious Diseases.”

Other congressmen who filed the bill are: • Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte • Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda • Deputy Speaker Paolo Duterte • House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez • Rep. Eric Yap (ACT-SIS partylist) • Rep. Mike Defensor (Anakalusugan party-list) • Rep. Jonathan Sy-Alvarado (Bulacan) Metro Manila and some localities deemed “high risk” remain under Enhanced Community Quarantine until May 15, while areas considered moderate and low-risk in the spread of the new pathogen will be placed under general community quarantine on May 1. (Kristine Joy Patag with reports from Edu Punay/Philstar. com) n

Rodrigo Duterte ordered an extension to allow the Department of Health and local government units to conduct mass testing for the coronavirus disease 2019.

“We will resume routine visa services as soon as possible but are unable to provide a specific date at this time,” U.S. embassy spokesman Heather Fabrikant said on Sunday, April 26.

Fabrikant said after the lifting

of ECQ in Metro Manila, “all af- The medical team sent by China was comprised of 10 infectious disease prevention and control, clinic treatment, and laboratory testing experts fected applicants should resched- worked with the Department of Health for 15 days to “exchange medical treatment experiences with their Filipino counterparts.”

Photo courtesy of DFA ule their visa interviews through the embassy call center at +632charter reads: “The State shall of international law as well as the

by Franco Luna 77928988 or through the online Philstar.com pursue an independent foreign country’s sovereignty. appointment system at ustravelpolicy. In its relations with other ‘Mutual support’ docs.com/ph.

MANILA — Amid news of Chi- states the paramount considerIn an earlier statement, Chinese “There is no fee to change an nese structures still being built in ation shall be national sovereign- Ambassador to the Philippines appointment and visa application the West Philippine Sea, Malaca- ty, territorial integrity, national Huang Xilian said that China and fees are valid for one year in the ñang on Tuesday, April 28 said it interest, and the right to self-de- the Philippines had long been country where the fee was paid,” disagreed with the notion that Bei- termination.” mutually supporting each other she added. n ‘Leave China alone,’ top diplo- throughout the coronavirus panjing was using the smokescreen of the global pandemic to forward its mat says demic.

Even Foreign Affairs Secretary, goals in the disputed waters.

“We will continue to help and In a press briefing on Tuesday Teodoro Locsin, felt the need to support each other in the fight afternoon, presidential spokes- speak up in defense of China, cit- against COVID-19 so as to estab“We are monitoring the situa- person Harry Roque said that the ing the medical supplies donated lish a solid partnership of mutual tion on the ground on a daily basis administration would still defend by the regional giant on his per- support between China and the sonal Twitter account, which he Philippines,” he said. in order to make immediate nec- its sovereign rights.

“We do not agree with that con- typically uses to release official The envoy did not mention essary security adjustments in any Beijing’s new structures in Philarea where any increase of ECQ clusion,” Roque said. “The cur- statements.

“Leave the Chinese embassy ippine-claimed territories in his violators were monitored,” Elea- rent policy is we will defend our national territory and sovereign in Manila alone. It never made a statement. zar said in a statement. connection between medical help In 2016, the Permanent Court Violators in private vehicles rights.”

On April 23, he also said that the and legal claim,” the country’s top of Arbitration in The Hague ruled were not spared from the HPG’s government “hoped” that Beijing diplomat tweeted. in favor of the Philippines and “intensified” operations.

“China’s anti-COVID assistance contended that there is no basis Eleazar said the HPG had po- would make good on its promise licemen on motorcycles “to chase to cease its reclamation activities. has been impeccable and cannot for Beijing’s nine-dash line claim, Roque previously referred to be accused of being covert. Covid/ which covers a large part of the private vehicles” violating the China as the Philippines’ BFF or covert. Get the play on words?” he South China Sea, in international quarantine. added. law—a ruling that China has reIn line with the directive of PNP best friend forever.

The pronouncements of fused to acknowledge.

China’s state-run media agenchief Archie Gamboa to arrest and President Rodrigo Duterte has charge lockdown violators, Elea- cies have reported that govern- Roque and Locsin come on the zar said t from Friday to Saturday, ment-funded arms established re- heels of two diplomatic protests said that he already brought up 3,299 violators were either arrest- search stations on Fiery Cross filed against China for its vessel’s the arbitral ruling in a meeting (Kagitingan) and Subi Reefs in pointing of a radar gun at a Philip- with Chinese President Xi Jinping, ed or fined. n Spratly Islands, both of which are pine Navy ship and for its declara- but also said later on that the Philin territories claimed by the Phil- tion of Philippine territory as part ippines cannot risk the possibility of Hainan province. ippines. of war with China by forcing the Both instances are violations issue. n Article 2, Section of the nation’s

‘TORCH’ OF LEARNING. Taguig City Mayor Lino Cayetano leads the launching of the Taguig Online Resources for Continuing Education at Home (TORCH) Program at Senator Renato “Compañero” Cayetano Memorial Science and Technology High School (SRCCMSTHS) at the BCDA Pamayanang Diego Silang Village in Barangay Ususan, Taguig City on Monday, April 27. The program’s components seek to provide training for teachers, open campus for professionals, an online resource hub for seniors, and a resource page for businesses, to help them prepare for the transition to the new norm and make the city’s services more accessible.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Palace does ‘not agree’ that China is taking advantage of COVID-19 pandemic

US embassy cancels visa interviews

by Bernadete

tamayo ManilaTimes.net

THE United States embassy in Manila has canceled all immigrant and nonimmigrant visa interviews scheduled through May 31 after the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was extended to May 15.

The quarantine was set to end on April 30, but President

PNP: Fewer people violating quarantine

said. The following day, there were just eight apprehensions.

On April 23, only 1,585 violators THE deployment of elite police were caught across the nation, units helped in reducing the num- mostly in Luzon “where most SAF ber of violators of the enhanced commandos and soldiers were decommunity quarantine (ECQ) in ployed,” Eleazar said.

Luzon, the Philippine National PoPolice caught 2,313 violators on lice (PNP) said on Sunday, April April 22. Two days later, the fig26. ure dropped to 1,488 but rose to LtGen. Guillermo Eleazar, com- 1,811 on April 25. mander of the Joint Task Force CoEleazar emphasized that the vid Shield, said the people began number of quarantine violators no to seriously observe the lockdown longer breached the 2,000 mark, beginning April 21, when troops compared to the earlier days of from the PNP Special Action Force the lockdown, when it reached as (SAF) were assigned to check- high as 8,000. points in the quarantine areas.

He also credited the Highway On that day alone, 3,314 viola- Patrol Group (HPG) and soldiers tors were rounded up, Eleazar for the decline. by dempsey

reyes ManilaTimes.net

PH government to push for immediate establishment of Department of OFWs California insurance commissioner orders...

DISMAYED by continuous abuses of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), President Rodrigo Roa Duterte said he will work for the speedy passage of the Department of Overseas Filipino Workers, which will ban recruitment of OFWs abroad and will put Philippine-based recruitment agencies under strict government regulation.

During the Araw ng Pasasalamat sa OFWs held in Camp Aguinaldo, the president instructed Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III for the establishment of the Department of OFWs, which the president said must be implemented by December this year.

Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, who was also present during the event Friday, said he has filed a proposal for the creation of such department, one of his campaign pledges during the last midterm elections.

“Kaya apurahin ko ‘yang Department of OFW,” President Duterte said in his speech. “Bawal na ang recruitment sa abroad…sa labas.

Kung gusto nila, diyan sila maglagay ng mesa. So under the supervision of government at walang horrendous charges.”

“By December… buong Pilipinas ‘to. Bawal na ‘yang recruitment diyan sa labas…napunta ka

doon. Doon ka makipag-deal, may listahan doon, mamili ka na lang kung sinong gusto mo,” he added.

President Duterte stressed that he has the power to create such mechanism to prevent abuses of Filipino workers abroad.

He warned unscrupulous recruitment agencies saying, “Kaya kayong mga recruitment, bilang talaga ang araw ninyo. ‘Pag hindi ko kayo nadala sa usapan na maganda, brasohan tayo. ‘Pag nagbrasohan tayo, kayo ang matatalo.

Sigurado ‘yan.”

President Duterte also promised OFWs to designate police attachés to countries with huge population of Filipino workers. OFWs can approach the police attachés whenever they encounter abuses or security concerns abroad.

“The police attaché will connect you to…dito sa Pilipinas kung ano ang problema. And they will be trained to help you in legal matters of how to do it in the meantime that you are not here to solve the problem,” he explained.

The chief executive also vowed to equip a hospital intended for OFWs located in Nueva Ecija with state-of-the-art medical equipment such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans.

“Karamihan kayo mga nurse,

you will have the MRI, CT scan, and… Just like what I did to the military hospitals,” he told the OFWs. Providing livelihood to returning OFWs is also a priority for the Duterte administration.

“Equally important is the availability of livelihood and entrepreneurship opportunities for returning OFWs. Meron tayo. MSMEs,” he said.

“Tuturuan kayo. Or if you want a new skill na ‘yung mabili, magtraining kayo dito kay Sid [Lapeña]. Libre ‘yan.”

One of the highlights of the event was the signing of a memorandum of agreement between government agencies for the welfare and protection of OFWs. Among the agencies involved were the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda).

The Araw ng Pasasalamat sa OFWs is a joint initiative of the Duterte Diehard Supporters (DDS) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) through the PNP Global Police Community Relations Program. (PNA) n

PAGE 1 and further away. But community leaders, local and state lawmakers and advocacy groups are working to make sure Californians don’t come out of this pandemic in financial ruin.

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has ordered automobile insurance companies in the Golden State to proffer refunds to consumers, many of whom are not driving.

“With Californians driving fewer miles and many businesses closed due to the COVID-19 emergency, consumers need relief from premiums that no longer reflect their present-day risk of accident or loss. Today’s mandatory action will put money back in people’s pockets when they need it most,” Lara said in a press briefing with ethnic media outlets on Wednesday, April 22.

The order to refund premiums to drivers was announced on April 13, and Lara’s office recommended that the refunds take place for April and possibly May due to the recent extension of local and state stay-at-home and social distancing orders. Lara recommended a 50% to 70% refund on auto insurance premium costs as well as a 60-day grace period for premium payments.

Some auto insurance companies have offered refunds of up to 20%, but Lara believes that is not asked questions about the order mayoral-declarations-regarding- enough given the diminished risk covid-19. at SF.gov/coronavirus. of automobile accidents.

For more information, you can Other Public Health Orders Another element of Lara’s orand recommendations from DPH also call 311. For official updates, der involves extending coverage can be found at sfdph.org/dph/ sign up for the City’s alert service: to delivery workers and couriers alerts/coronavirus.asp. Mayoral text COVID19SF to 888-777.

— such as those who work for (From SF Mayor’s Press Of- grocery, food delivery and candeclarations regarding COVID19 can be found at sfmayor.org/ fice) n nabis delivery apps — of which

SF closes Golden Gate Park’s JFK...

PAGE 3 to help maintain a healthy environment for you and others. Frequently touched surfaces should be cleaned regularly with disinfecting sprays, wipes or common household cleaning products.

Find the answers to frequently

many make deliveries with their personal cars.

Usually, auto insurance does not apply to the commercial use of personal cars, but this comes during a time when more people are ordering food, groceries and other goods via delivery.

The insurance commissioner further encouraged individuals who’ve lost their jobs to ask for a delay in the payments of premiums from their auto insurers for up to two months, noting that people can call his office to get help with making these calls. (The office of the insurance commissioner can be reached at 1-800927-4357.)

Lara said that his office has extended this option to other forms of insurance such as workers compensation insurance since workers of several industries have been out of work since the emergency declarations.

As the son of undocumented parents, Lara also acknowledged at the briefing the particular struggle undocumented immigrants are going through at this time. He said, now more than ever, undocumented workers must be protected, especially those working in essential industries like fruit production, delivery services and health care.

About 10% of California’s workforce is undocumented, according to data from the Public Policy Institute of California; and, Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties have the highest concentration of undocumented workers.

“The broader community is finally realizing how essential they are,” Lara noted. “Our immigrant communities bear the brunt of

this pandemic and this historic situation, and the irony is that finally the broader society is understanding that immigrants and the work that immigrants are doing are essential services.”

Lara said that immigrant workers who are still working during the pandemic should apply for workers compensation if they become infected with the COVID-19 virus while working.

“As we continue to figure how we survive as a community, we have to make sure our immigrants are protected,” he said, praising California’s long-standing efforts to protect undocumented immigrants. “We have demonstrated in our state that the sky doesn’t fall and nothing [bad] happens when we incorporate everyone in our economy.”

Undocumented workers were exempt from the one-time $1,200 stimulus check from the federal government, but this month, California became the first state to provide a financial relief package for undocumented workers. CA Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a $125 million stimulus package specifically for the state’s 1.75 million undocumented workers.

In a pointed message to President Donald Trump — who, earlier this week signed an executive order suspending certain immigration channels during the pandemic — Lara said, “we’ve demonstrated that our economy has grown and continues to thrive as the fifth largest economy in the world by incorporating our immigrant communities, and I think other states are catching on to that.” (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress) n

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 1-7, 2020

6

MAY 1-7, 2020 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

OPINION

FEATURES

Waiting for the national ID

PILOT testing began in September last year, and all Filipinos living in the country were originally scheduled to start registering this July for the Philippine Identification System.

PhilSys is the first-ever national ID system to be implemented in the country. Rights advocates had expressed concern over privacy breaches, particularly because the system will record every transaction using the ID card. Supporters of the program point out that those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear, and that the information contained in the cards are already in the databases of various government agencies.

Concerns were also raised about possible data breaches and inaccuracies as well as duplication, identity theft and other cyber crimes in the implementation of PhilSys. The Philippine Statistics Authority, in tandem with the Department of Information and Communications Technology, exerted effort to address such concerns.

The first phase of the program involves demographic and biometric recording. The pilot test for the program, to initially cover select beneficiaries, is supposed to run from September 2019 to June 2021.

Mass registration can then proceed until mid-2022.

Now, amid the confusion and complaints over the distribution of the multibillion-peso social amelioration program for the coronavirus disease

2019 pandemic, there are people who want the national ID fully implemented ASAP. A national ID would have facilitated the targeted distribution of aid, starting with the hardest-hit impoverished households. The ID system can also allow direct payouts to beneficiaries, bypassing epal politicians who may take credit for dole-outs of tax money.

Resources for the cash aid are limited, especially with revenue sources drastically reduced by pandemic quarantine measures. Distribution of the limited funds requires efficient prioritization of beneficiaries. Instead, there have been complaints of barangay officials playing favorites and giving the cash aid to friends and supporters, and bypassing needy households.

There is no way the PhilSys can be rolled out fully for the ongoing community quarantines. But this crisis is expected to linger for many more months, until a COVID vaccine or cure becomes commercially available. Millions of Filipinos will continue to need assistance in the near future. The national ID program can still be speeded up and used to make life easier in this pandemic. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

Pope Francis warns of a deadlier virus spreading: selfish indifference The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS THE coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 213,824 people in the world, and has changed life as we knew it before its spread was initially reported in January 2020.

In an effort to stop the spread of the virus, many governments around the world have enforced lockdowns, quarantines and shelter-in-place orders, forcing many businesses, schools, and public services to close and mandating people to stay-athome or work from home, while most have to be laid off or be furloughed for an indefinite period of time.

The pandemic also affects not just the economy of every family, every city, every nation, but of the whole world in this interrelated global community.

These social distancing safety measures have totally shaken and threatened the basic needs of many families, disrupting schools, and livelihoods. For a privileged few, the effect was not as ominous — it is just an

Babe’s Eye View BABE ROMUALDEZ NEVER in the history of the world since 1918 did we ever see a highly contagious virus like this. Some historians are even likening this pandemic to a World War, where the enemy is unseen yet deadly, with 210 countries and territories or even more now affected.

The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic infected 500 million people (representing about a quarter of the global population then) with fatalities estimated at 50 million. The pandemic lasted for two-and-a-half years, with the impact so devastating.

There was no flu vaccine and no medication then to treat the secondary infections that came with the disease.

This COVID-19 is expected to be around for sometime until a vaccine or a cure is found.

If only China had reported the new coronavirus outbreak early enough, things might have been different. Today, the actual number of infections and deaths is still relatively unknown with a number of countries still unable

inconvenience from not getting their hair or nails done, not being able to shop, not being able to eat out, party, or travel, and for most, boredom. All of these to save lives.

Amid the anxieties and challenges to our comfort zone coming from the many layers of uncertainty, some people have been protesting against social distance safety measures, focusing on financial losses, downplaying the threat to life of the pandemic, thereby forcing the community to be more vulnerable just so these people may be able to “go back to normal” despite the reality that the threat to life remains.

We have become stubborn and demand to have our “civil liberties” back, forgetting that we are in a war -- war against the invisible but fatal common enemy, and that during wartime, we give up most of these civil liberties because our primary goal as one nation, as one world, is to LIVE. We forget that while we have rights and liberties, our liberty ends when we encroach in the rights of other people.

This is what is happening right now. We become blind to the fact that not complying to social distance safety measures mean we encroach on the

rights of other people to be safe and alive, just because we allow our selfishness to determine that these so-called “rights” are more important than the rights of others to be safe and to live during this war against the pandemic.

Many forget that we are in this together and that not acting as one just impedes our healing, prolonging our agony and pain when the virus spread resurges. This disregard causes us to focus on what is good for us and us alone, forgetting the rest of our people, when in fact, the affliction and infirmity of one become an affliction and infirmity of all during a pandemic. In the end, we all lose the battle because we fail to think beyond our own needs, wants, and interest.

Pope Francis calls this the “virus of selfish indifference.”

“Now, while we are looking forward to a slow and arduous recovery from the pandemic, there is a danger that we will forget those who are left behind. The risk is that we may then be struck by an even worse virus, that of selfish indifference. A virus spread by the thought that life is better if it is better for me, and that everything will be fine if it is fine for me. It begins there and

Pope Francis

ends up selecting one person over another, discarding the poor, and sacrificing those left behind on the altar of progress.

The present pandemic, however, reminds us that there are no differences or borders between

Philstar.com photo

those who suffer. We are all frail, all equal, all precious.” *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different

platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@ icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.

Relos.

The race for a COVID-19 vaccine

to detect infections or even report casualties.

The United States has been severely affected by this pandemic with over 925,000 infected and about 60,000 deaths projected so far. The US is now on top of the race to find the vaccine and is undoubtedly one of the most advanced in the field of biotechnology. A number of molecular biologists and scientists have been working tirelessly to find the vaccine for COVID-19.

Other developed countries like Japan, the UK, France and Germany are also racing to find a cure for COVID-19, with 70 potential vaccines currently under development. The number one ally of the United States, Israel – also recognized as a world leader in biotechnology – has made a lot of headway in discovering a cure for the coronavirus.

The US Patent and Trademark Office has granted a Tel Aviv University professor a patent for technology that could develop a COVID-19 vaccine in a matter of months. By reconstructing the Receptor Binding Motif or RBM (called the “Achilles heel”) of SARS-CoV-2 or the new coronavirus, the body’s

immune system can learn how to block the virus from target cells. While vaccines normally go through a long process to secure approval, the US FDA can authorize the use of an experimental drug in emergency situations like this COVID-19 pandemic.

A coronavirus drug by Israel biotech company Pluristem Therapeutics is also being tested in the US, with promising results as seven patients experiencing respiratory and multi-organ failure survived after receiving the medication. Pluristem uses allogeneic placental expanded (PLX) cell therapy that can reverse the overactivation of the immune system which causes the body to attack its own organs – resulting in death among many critical coronavirus patients.

PLX cells work by secreting therapeutic proteins that help the body regenerate and reduce inflammation. With the technology, a single placenta can treat over 20,000 people, the company said.

In the Philippines, President Duterte has offered P50 million to any Filipino who could develop a vaccine against COVID-19.

This is not farfetched, because

we have a number of Filipino medical scientists that are also working on finding a cure.

Having good international relations nowadays counts more than ever, with many countries collaborating today in finding a cure for COVID-19. Our alliances with developed countries such as the United States, Israel and many others are key because in the end, cooperation is critical in this warlike battle.

The United States has allocated an additional $5.3 million (P269 million) in health and humanitarian assistance to help the Philippines fight the pandemic. The call of President Trump to President Duterte was important, with the two leaders committed to continue working together in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

Our relationship with Israel is now at its best most especially because during the Nazi regime in Germany, President Quezon welcomed Jews fleeing from the Holocaust to the Philippines when other nations closed their doors. The Jewish people are forever grateful for that gesture. I’m also very pleased to have developed good relations with the AmericanJewish community in Washing-

ton, D.C. President Duterte’s state visit to Israel, the first and only Filipino president to do so, has made an impact in our relationship. We can count on Israel in many ways to help if and when they develop a cure for COVID-19.

While we try to minimize our casualties, imposing lockdowns is very difficult because of the big population especially in the metropolis where people live side by side, making it extremely difficult to impose social distancing. Senator Bong Go’s “Balik Probinsiya” proposal encouraging people to go back to their provinces is a good idea to help disperse the population in the very congested Metro Manila. As Bong Go pointed out, the congestion in Metro Manila will more likely spread the virus which is exactly what happened in Singapore on the second virus wave where immigrant workers lived in a dorm-like area.

Government financial assistance to people and businesses as an incentive to relocate to the provinces might even be what we need in the long term to bring progress to the countryside as more jobs will be created from micro, small or me-

Photo by Vincent Ghilione on Unsplash

dium enterprises. During times like this, we need to look for innovative and creative solutions.

Let’s all pray that a vaccine will be developed sooner than later. We all know it’s the only final solution to this horrific plague. More than anything else, we should all do our best and be cooperative. When all is said and done, it will ultimately be our faith in God that will pull us through. (Philstar.com)

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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Immigration Corner

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • MAy 1-7, 2020

May 2020 priority dates The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows: Application Filing Date

Visa Issuance Date

June 01, 2011

September 01, 2010

March 01, 2020

Current

(2B) Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years old or older) of green card holders

February 01, 2011

June 01, 2010

Third Preference

Married sons and daughters of US Citizens

August 22, 2001

November 15, 2000

Fourth Preference

Brothers and sisters of US Citizens

June 01, 2001

October 01, 2000

LABOR CERTIFICATION:

Application Filing Date

Visa Issuance Date

Second Preference Advanced Degree (Masters)

Current

Current

FAMILY CATEGORY:

Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date lisqted below.

If your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have to wait until it becomes current again.

Beginning in October 2015, the format of the Visa Bulletin changed, in that a new column was added, called the “Application Filing Date.”

If a person’s priority date is earlier than the Application Filing Date, they can already file for adjustment of status and work authorization (provided they are otherwise eligible and USCIS indicates on its website it will use the Application Filing Date for that month). This could allow people to obtain work authorization much sooner than before, where they had to wait for the priority date to be current (in the Visa Issuance or Final Action Date column) in order to both file for adjustment and be eligible for a green card. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an

First Preference

Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens (over 21 years of age)

(2A) Spouse and Second Preference minor children (below 21 years old) of green card holders

Third Preference

Professional/ Skilled Workers

April 01, 2019

January 01, 2017

Other Workers

Non-Skilled Workers

April 01, 2019

January 01, 2017

attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York.

All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information a n d o p i n i o n s c o n t a i n e d h e r e i n (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and reenactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or

legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook. com/GurfinkelLaw and Twitter @ GurfinkelLaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES

(Advertising Supplement)

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE SUSPECTED OF FRAUD IS SAVED BY “ATTORNEY-OF-LAST-HOPE” ON CITIZEN PINOY. For Randa (left) and Phey (center), it was love at first sight when they met. They were in previous marriages that ended in divorce. U.S. citizen Randa petitioned Phey, but they were suspected of fraud. It did not help that Randa’s first marriage was also suspected of being a fixed one. After working with a paralegal and two other attorneys, who told the couple their case was hopeless (and they could even go to jail, and/or get deported), Randa and Phey decided to consult with leading U.S. Immigration Attorney MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL. The couple admired the confidence and honesty of Atty. Gurfinkel. His thorough analysis and preparations for the case assured Randa and Phey that they were in good hands. Watch how true love wins the day on an all-new episode of CITIZEN PINOY – on Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)

Same-sex couple faces suspicions of a fixed marriage, but love conquers all, on a new Citizen Pinoy this Sunday WHEN U.S. citizen Randa met Phey for the first time, it was as if Cupid shot an arrow straight through their hearts, and they fell in love.

Phey had been married to an opposite-sex spouse in 2002, with whom she had three children. She came to the U.S.

as a tourist in 2014, and later realized that she would be able to provide a better future for her children if she stayed on.

Phey took odd jobs here and there. She eventually divorced her husband in 2016.

Randa was previously married to a same-sex spouse and

when Randa petitioned her spouse they were suspected of marriage fraud. They ended up in divorce in 2017. Shortly after, Randa and Phey got married, after having known each other for some time.

Being an ardent viewer of Citizen Pinoy, Phey believed

she learned a lot from the TV show and could work on their documents on her own. Then, she hired a paralegal. When her case did not pan out, the couple worked with two more lawyers, both of whom gave up – one lawyer even said the couple could go to jail, and

that Phey could get deported.

Frustrated and worried, Randa finally decided to not just watch the show on TV but should consult with the “Attorney of Last Hope” – Michael J. Gurfinkel. Atty. Gurfinkel was straightforward and worked on putting all documents to-

gether and establishing proof that the marriages were real.

See how love conquers all, with the help of the Law Offices of Michael J. Gurfinkel, on a brand-new episode of CITIZEN PINOY – on Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC.

(Advertising Supplement)

8

May 1-7, 2020 • NORCaL aSIaN JOURNaL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

Friday, May 1, 2020

OMETHING

ILIPINO

Father of Fil-Am actor Darren Criss passes away F

by Ritchel

Mendiola / AJPress

ILIPINO American actor Darren Criss is mourning the loss of his father, Charles William “Bill” Criss, who passed away from a rare heart condition on Monday, April 27. He was 78.

7 Mile re-opens for take-out and delivery service on Wednesday, April 29.

Historic Filipina-owned Bay Area restaurant reopens for business By

aJPRess

LOCATED along Bayshore Boulevard in Brisbane, California is a restaurant with a 162-year history that includes surviving the 1906 earthquake, the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak and the Great Depression in the 30s.

7 Mile House has been owned

by Filipina American Vanessa Garcia since 2004, becoming a bustling popular dining and entertainment venue known for its comfort dishes, including sizzling sisig, a pulled pork adobo sandwich, and fish and chips dipped in San Miguel beer.

Following the Bay Area’s shelter in place orders, Garcia temporarily closed 7 Mile House, putting the health of employees and families first.

“After this is over, things won’t immediately go back to ‘the way they were.’ We are faced with the grim reality that the future of the hospitality and entertainment industry has been turned upside down with its guts ripped apart and no one knows what the future looks like,” Garcia wrote on the 7 Mile House website.

However, inspired by the resilience of the owners before her, she has re-opened the restaurant for take-out and delivery on Wednesday, April 29.

“But as I scramble to find our place in this virus-plagued society, I cannot help but think of 7 Mile’s 162-year-old past,” she said, adding “I know little of their struggles, but I do know one thing: that 7 Mile House is a story of resilience and that’s not about to end now.”

Starting this week, 7 Mile

7 Mile House owner Vanessa Garcia

The restaurant’s signature sisig dish

House will begin operating Wednesday to Sunday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. with a majority of the menu still available so diners can still enjoy their sisig, ube cheesecake and a glass of the famous 7 Mile Mango Margarita at home.

Additionally, bottled sauces and essential grocery items like milk and eggs are being sold.

The restaurant plans to offer meal kits, family platters, and frozen packages of its top sellers, lumpia, adobo and sisig.

To limit the spread and ensure cleanliness, it has put certain measures in place, including minimal contact curbside pickup, no-walk up orders and no service if a customer doesn’t have a mask.

In addition to ordering online at 7MileHouse.com, delivery is available on GrubHub and Uber Eats. The restaurant is also selling gift cards and social distancing t-shirts and has set up a GoFundMe that will go toward operating costs.

The former “Glee” actor took to Instagram to confirm the news.

“Bill Criss has left the building. After many years of coping with a rare heart condition which, true to his form, very few would have even been aware of he finally checked out peacefully yesterday morning, surrounded by his loved ones,” he shared on Monday.

In the same post, Darren paid tribute to his father.

“Dad lived an extraordinary life. Anyone who ever met Bill Criss adored him instantly. He could talk to anyone about anything. Well-read and well-traveled, he made a world a better place wherever he went. He was as deliriously charming as he was relentlessly selfless; always putting other people first, making anybody who ever got in a conversation with him genuinely feel like they were the most incredible person in the room,” he wrote.

“And although he would have been the first to gracefully protest it, the simple truth is that he was in fact, every inch the exemplary man: a devoted husband, an outstanding father, a loving grandparent. He lived his days the same way he loved his friends and family with an unwavering sense of composure, compassion, generosity, and humility,” he added.

Darren said he wanted to be just like his father, who was a true gentleman and a constant source of joy and inspiration for him.

“I’ve spent most of my life trying to be like him, wanting to see and do all the incredible things he did and I’m so grateful he was around to see me actually pull a few off. He was there for all the greatest moments of my life, which of course, he always dressed up for. His kind, blue eyes, big laugh, and infamous warm smile could not have been a better representation of who he was to his core,” he said.

“I cherished him every day, and will forever,” he continued.

Bill is survived by his Cebua- In a series of photos on his Instagram, Darren shared memories with his late father Bill Criss. Also na wife, Cerina, and two sons, included in the photos are Darren’s Filipina mom Cerina, and brother Charles.

Photos from Instagram/@darrencriss Charles and Darren.

Sharon gets ‘Crash Landing’ surprise from hubby Kiko for anniversary By

KatRina hallaRe Philstar.com

Francisco Martin sings for “American Idol” judges from inside his home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Photo courtesy of ABC

Fil-Am singer vies for top 10 spot in ‘American Idol’ with Katy Perry song By

niña V. Guno Inquirer.net

FRANCISCO Martin impressed judges as he fought to be a top 10 contestant Sunday, April 26, on “American Idol.”

The top 20 participants of the reality singing competition are all filming from home amid the coronavirus disease (COVID19) pandemic.

Martin, a Filipino college student in California, chose to perform the 2010 pop hit “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry, who happens to be a judge on the reality singing competition.

His acoustic rendition got

praises from judges Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, who all viewed the song choice as a risk.

“What a dice roll to do that song. Good for you because it really worked,” Perry said.

She did give some pointers to work on: “I would’ve liked to see you come down just a little bit and bring it back to that sultry ‘Teenage Dream’ subtle part, but that’s just me being overly critical of a song I’ve sung tens of thousands of times.”

“But you did it real justice, good job,” she concluded.

Bryan admitted he was nervous for Martin. “I was like please

do not let this kid cover a Katy song and mess it up.”

“You didn’t man, you made it you, and you just have the magic. And I’m jealous,” he quipped.

Richie too commended the cover: “You turned it into your song, you made it your song.”

Martin and other contestants can receive votes through the American Idol app or website, or by texting the contestant’s number to 21523. Martin is contestant number 12.

Audience votes will determine the 10 who will advance to the next round, and the result will be announced next week.

SENATOR Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan spent the most of the quarantine period getting creative in greeting his wife, the Megastar Sharon Cuneta, on the celebration of their 24th wedding anniversary Tuesday, April 28.

And what better way to do it than cashing in on Cuneta’s love affair with K-drama.

On Twitter, Pangilinan edited his and Cuneta’s faces to appear like they are the lead roles in the hit K-drama series “Crash Landing on You,” apparently the megastar’s favorite.

Pangilinan even called himself “Captain Ki,” a humorous take on the series’ lead role, North Korean officer Ri Jeonghyuk, played by Hyun Bin. Meanwhile, Cuneta was “Shari,” a play on her name and that of the lead female character, South Korean heiress Yoon Se-ri, portrayed by Son Ye-jin.

“Happy 24th Wedding Anniversary, to my Sweetheart! I love you dearly Hahaha!” the senator said.

And it appears that Cuneta appreciated her husband’s efforts, as she shared the greet-

Senator Kiko Pangilinan edited his and Cuneta’s faces to appear like they are the lead roles in the hit K-drama series “Crash Landing on You,” apparently the megastar’s favorite.

Photos from Twitter/@kikopangilinan

ing in an Instagram post.

“Itong asawa ko alam niya si Hyun Bin ang labs ko ngayon kaya sa aming 24th wedding anniversary eto ang message niya sa akin!” Cuneta said.

(My husband knows that Hyun Bin is my love right now,

that’s why on our 24th wedding anniversary, this was his message!)

Her husband was not done with his surprises, as Pangilinan also gave Cuneta a container full of “chicharon bulakPAGE 9

(650) 689-5160 • http://www.asianjournal.com

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • MAy 1-7, 2020

Debunking COVID-19 myths Health@Heart PhiliP S. ChuA, Md, FACS, FPCS WITH novelty comes misinterpretation, misinformation, and myths rapidly disseminated via social media around the globe. This is what is happening with the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV2 virus, the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic that has infected more than 3 million and killed greater than 230,000 in 210 countries around the world – more than a million in the U.S., with about 60,000 deaths; and almost 8,000 cases and nearly 550 deaths in the Philippines. From the emails we received from our readers, here are some of them. Accurate information is a must for survival, especially during a pandemic.

Viruses are alive No. Viruses are not living microbes, unlike bacteria which are alive. Viruses are protein molecules surrounded by a protective layer of lipid (fats), which enables them to merge with cells and be transmissible and infective. When the protective envelope around them is damaged (as in handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds), they are unable to replicate and cause infection, and are subsequently destroyed. Viruses need a host, like humans, to survive.

Novel coronavirus in Wuhan was from bats False. It had been officially ruled out that the nCorona virus (SARS-CoV2) did not originate from bats or snakes sold in a seafood market in Wuhan, China but possibly from a biolab working on viruses located a few kilometers away. The circumstances surrounding the Wuhan outbreak, which is now a pandemic victimizing 210 countries around the world, is being investigated. In the meantime, lawsuits have been filed in 7 states and also in the UK against China seeking damages for injuries, deaths, and economic losses caused

by COVID-19, courtesy of the recklessness, deceit, duplicity, and irresponsibility of the Communist Party in Wuhan.

Other states and countries are expected to follow suit.

Feeling well means no COVID-19 Wrong. Unless one has tested negative for COVID19, anyone, especially those who go out in public without cap, protective goggles, mask, gloves, without distancing, are possible carriers of the virus because it takes about 2 weeks for symptoms to appear, and in a few cases up to 19 days. So, feeling well alone is not a guarantee, unless one has self-quarantined for at least 2-3 weeks without falling ill. Therefore, a person exposed should be considered infected, an ignorant carrier, and thus potentially a geometric/exponential spreader of the virus unknowingly.

Hand sanitizers are effective Hand sanitizers, to be effective, must contain at least 70% alcohol. If soap and water or peroxide or bleach solution are not available, any hand sanitiz-

er may be used at that moment, followed by handwashing with soap and water soonest thereafter. Drying hands very well is vital. The use of moisturizers (with simethicone) helps protect the skin further against the virus and also for skin health and comfort.

Masks only protect others While masks (even the N95 primarily for healthcare providers) protect others if worn by someone who is infected and a carrier of the virus or who is sick by lessening transmission, it also protects the healthy wearer. Imagine ten people, half wearing masks and the others without, being sprayed with dust or flour or red powder. Those wearing a mask would obviously have much less powder on their face compared to those not wearing one, whose faces would be full of the powder. It is a medical fact that even the N95 mask is not 100% protective or preventive, but both versions of the masks minimize the spread both ways, albeit perhaps not totally equal in extent. Together with frequent handwashing, using a cap, gloves, social distancing (staying home if possible), the use of a mask when going out (properly, tight-fitting, covering the nose and the mouth) and not touching it even with the gloved hands are protective measures, second to self-quarantine with non-infected people at home.

Staying home is 100% safe The home is like a gated, screened, protective fort in a jungle with countless man-eating animals roaming around, hungry, looking for a prey; or a bunker during a war, where bullets and bombs are bursting in the air outside. This analogy magnifies how vital the home is during this COVID-19 pandemic that kills people of any age, even children, but especially the elderly. But, the home is ONLY totally safe IF everyone strictly follows the guidelines below, with wisdom, discipline, and with a bit of what I term as healthy paranoia (medical vigilance). The home is the safest place to be during an outbreak, an epidemic or a pandemic.

But if anyone at home violates any of those preventive measures, then that individual could get infected and spread it to everyone at home, like a massive fire inside a cage. We are reposting this acronym, Fight COVID-19 with C-O-V-I-D: Cover face to scratch, sneeze or cough; Omit non-essential travels; Voluntary quarantine; Intensive handwashing; Distancing is now social. The effectiveness of this C-O-V-I-D strategy in minimizing spread of the virus has been proven around the world, starting from China, to South Korea, to the Philippines, to the U.S., and even to Italy, where the curve has started to flatten.

Tea tree oil is effective against SARS-CoV2 virus While tea tree oil is reportedly used for herpes simplex virus, it is not effective against this virus that is causing the COVID-19 pandemic. Other items advertised as useful against this virus, which are totally a scam, include herbs, coconut and all other oils, pomegranates and other fruits and vegetables, Noni, SuperBeets, turmeric, curcumin,

curry, garlic, peppers, steroids, anesthetic agents, etc.

There is no food, drug, potion or lotion that has been proven to prevent or cure COVID-19.

NONE so far, not even vaccines, which are being developed and still a couple of years away. While fruits, vegetables and supplements, like vitamins D3, C, B-Complex, Zinc, etc., help boost the immune system none of them can prevent or cure COVID-19. Various drugs, including anti-malarial, anti-lupus drug hydroxychloroquine, developed after WWII, are still being clinically tested, in combination (a trio) with antibiotic Azithromycin and Zinc.

Vinegar is a COVID-19 disinfectant While 5% kitchen vinegar (acetic acid) can destroy some bacteria and some viruses on surfaces, there is no evidence it destroys SARS-CoV2 virus.

Vinegar is also damaging when used to clean electric iron, electronic screens, countertops, floorings, dishwashers, and other appliances.

Peroxide is useless for COVID-19 According to CDC, hydrogen peroxide, a common household agent today, discovered in 1818, is an effective disinfectant against coronaviruses like the SARS-CoV2. Peroxide had been used effectively to disinfect masks, gloves, etc. for re-use when the supply of PPE was low, and useful at home to disinfect (3% undiluted spray) various surfaces, leaving it on for one minute against bacteria and the COVID-19 virus and 6-8 minutes for rhinoviruses.

Peroxide 3% or diluted with water may be used for gargling, but not to be swallowed or its vapor inhaled because it is toxic to the stomach and to the lungs.

Stay-home policy is a civil rights violation The government, during war or an epidemic or pandemic, has the constitutional right, obligation, and power to issue, declare, mandate any policy or measure during a national (international) emergency to protect its citizens. Societal/community rights supersedes and outweighs individual civil liberties when personal behaviors or actions of individuals jeopardize others. Those who do not follow the national guidelines to minimize the spread of killer SARS-CoV2, and are even now staging protests in various cities, have the right to expose themselves to the virus and get infected or even kill themselves, but they do not have the right to infect and kill others. Their twisted thinking and selfishness, a major factor why COVID-19 has spread so much and infected and killed so many, would also prolong this deadly pandemic whose curve is just beginning to flatten. Let’s safeguard the civil rights of the people who are following the medical guidelines and sacrificing to protect themselves, their loved ones, and society as a whole. ***

Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.

JC posts photos of daughter for the first time By izA iglesiAs ManilaTimes.net

ACTOR JC Santos definitely sent out a lot of good vibes via Instagram on Monday night when he posted pictures of his daughter River Altheia for the first time.

“Happy 2nd month to my funny little cream puff! PS As soon as the mall opens, I promise I will buy you a dress. Para di ka na mapagkamalang boy,” the doting dad captioned his post on Instagram Monday night.

On March 24, Santos introduced his first born with non-showbiz partner Shyleena Herrera on the social media platform but Baby River’s face was partly hidden.

This time, Santos went all out sharing a series of solo photos and posts, “#HomeQuarantine #DaddyDuties Afternoon probinsya air for my little sunshine. Be safe everybody. May this break be a good opportunity for you to take good care of your family. God bless us all!”

The 31-year-old Santos secretly married Herrera in September 2019 and only revealed that he had tied the knot in January 2020 during the grand me-

JC Santos with daughter River

dia conference of the film “On Vodka, Beers, and Regrets,” costarring Bela Padilla.

The Viva Films production was the first Filipino movie to show this year and one of the last few movies that enjoyed screenings before the COVID19 pandemic.

Photo from Instagram/@j.c.santos

Santos said then that it was only after the wedding that he and his pregnant wife found out they had been blessed with a baby girl. The couple welcomed River Altheia following month.

In a previous interview with Star Cinema, Santos shared he PAGE 10

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA WHAT does it cost to be kind to others?

We often think that being kind costs us something — whether it is time, money, connections or any of what we consider to be our personal resources becoming depleted.

Being kind does not diminish us. On the contrary, it adds a certain glow to our persona.

We become conduits or pipelines of that continuous downpour of silent, mostly invisible graces from above.

Have we ever thought at all about the physical and psychological benefits of acts of kindness that flow right back to us?

It’s one of those mysteries of the amazing human body and of life itself.

Recent medical studies indicate that both the giving and receiving of kindness have positive effects on a person’s well being. It helps produce oxytocin, a naturally occurring hormone in the human body that boosts our immune system and causes other good residual effects on blood pressure and the body’s general homeostatic balance. In women, it has positive effects on childbirth and lactation. Studies now seem to prove that it can help in autism and the ability to handle social anxieties.

Another feel-good substance called endorphins is produced in the human body by laughter and exercise. Acts of kindness, specially the pure ones, those that are done without an agenda, any thought of payback or return, can produce the substance as well.

Endorphins running in our bloodstream is good for the heart and the mind as it counteracts the effects of free

The power of kindness “Kind people are the best kind of people.” radicals wreaking havoc in our bodies as we go through the ravages of the aging process.

It does not mean however, that kindness and endorphins insure us against aging. It just means that we can be happy and perhaps, even content over the long haul.

It just means that the residual effects of habitual kindness can substantially slow down the aging process along with a good diet, and regular age -appropriate exercise.

Of course, wisely steering clear of moving vehicles, toxic relationships and such known elective, addictive poisons such as cigarettes, drugs and alcohol can enhance the quality of one’s life. One should steer clear of vanity-based, habitual body enhancements like plastic surgery, botox and specially tattoos. These indicate destructive self-obsession that disables a person from showing kindness to others.

In the same way joy shows in our faces specially in our eyes, so does GRIEF. Sorrow and pain can become deeply etched and alas, no amount of plastic surgery can erase it.

Those of us who live in big cities and are subject to the stresses of the fast pace and killer demands of modern life to “perform and deliver” in our home and work environments are more than likely to suffer from diseases and infections.

It’s the curse of big city living and the rat race.

Because of such demands that can exceed individual human capacities, many feel exhausted and cannot think beyond their personal needs and wants.

Remember too that this technological age has spawned the “Selfies Generation.” The

trend these days in social media is to focus on the self. Many are becoming stars in their deluded minds and in the web firmament thinking that the number of “likes” they get is proof positive of their popularity and social status.

The result is that many are becoming hardwired and laser focused on just their individual images to the exclusion of others. This self-obsession—today’s equivalent of the biblical golden calf of idolatry—strangely leads to depression.

Those who have seen the light, however, and have decided that kindness is beneficial to others and inadvertently, to themselves, practice it quite naturally, most times, without fanfare. After all, genuine kindness is often quiet.

But when acts of kindness captured on video do go viral because a disinterested third party uploaded the clip on the internet and is viewed by millions around the world, this becomes a teachable moment when kindness gets amplified with the ripple effect.

Kindness without an agenda can inspire others to be kind to the people in their immediate spheres of influence. Kindness, like the coronavirus, can be truly contagious. Unlike this deadly strain though, kindness like God’s sunlight is good all around.

Go natural whenever possible. LAUGHTER, EXERCISE and KINDNESS, often at little or no cost, can go a long way in achieving that wonderful state of “happily ever after.” *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

How Rocco shows his gratitude to front-liners By

AllAn PolicArPio Inquirer.net

DRIVEN by a sense of duty as a Navy reservist, actor Rocco Nacino spent his 33rd birthday last month assisting and distributing essential goods to military personnel manning checkpoints around the metro.

“I really felt I had to do something. It all started with my desire to show my gratitude and appreciation for the men and women assigned at checkpoints. I wanted to share with them the smile I had on my special day,” Rocco told the Inquirer in a recent interview.

Being out on the field amid the COVID-19 pandemic was an eye-opener for the Kapuso star—an experience that gave him a better idea about the front-liners’ working conditions and the sacrifices they’re compelled to make.

“Getting up early, going out to work, and realizing you can get exposed to the virus and risk being infected is hard to do,” he said. “These men and women have families, but they can’t be with their loved ones, because there’s a possibility that they’re carrying the virus.”

For Rocco, a third class petty officer for the Navy’s reserve force, being given an opportunity to perform his responsibilities was incredibly fulfilling.

“It reminded me why I joined the Philippine Navy—to serve our country and its people in times of need,” said Rocco, who also had taken part in various relief drives, and donated personal protective equipment to hospitals.

Aside from being a reservist, Rocco is also a registered nurse. And the actor has nothing but admiration for all the hard work medical professionals do day in and day out.

“I salute them for their efforts and strength; and for continuing to be lifesavers, despite the fact that the virus has taken the lives of many medical professionals. They’re true heroes in this time of crisis,” pointed out Rocco, who earned his master’s degree in nursing—with honors—in 2017.

Rocco Nacino

As such, it’s important, Rocco said, to shower them with support even in our own little ways.

“With all the donation drives and campaigns that we’re already doing, we have somehow contributed to the needs of our front-liners. The best we can do is to show our support online, from the safety of our homes, to help keep their morale high,” he said.

The mere act of taking extra precautions is already a big help.

“The principle of ‘prevention rather than treatment’ is my play every day,” Rocco said. “I do my best to disinfect whatever item I suspect may be contaminated. I do extra research for updates while staying safe at home.”

When he’s not on the field or joining charity efforts, Rocco uses social media as a tool to inspire by holding Bible readings with his Instagram followers.

“I didn’t expect it to reach a wide audience, but I’m sure it will mean a lot to at least one person listening; to a person in need of a good read or a reminder that things will eventually get better. We all need that spark of hope nowadays,” he said.

One of Rocco’s goals for

Photo from Instagram/@nacinorocoo

2020 is moving into his new, dream home in Antipolo City.

But that remains to be seen, now that the enhanced community quarantine in high-risk areas, which includes Metro Manila and Rizal province, has just been extended to May 15.

“There are things that still need to be done, but the workers can’t go to the site to finish whatever they have to do.

I was looking forward to finally moving there,” he said.

Rocco, who’s part of the local adaptation of the militarythemed Korean drama series “Descendants of the Sun,” admitted that there are workrelated things that he has been starting to miss. “I miss working on the set, the late nights, and the daily grind,” he said.

“Still, I appreciate the extra time I have now.”

While he’s optimistic that the country will be able to overcome the ongoing health crisis, Rocco expects that there will be some changes in people’s way of life afterwards.

“The best thing about Filipinos is that, even during tough times, we find a way to rise above difficulties together,” he said. “Tapings will be different from now on, and I believe everyone will be extra hardworking since we’ve all missed our daily grind.”

Sharon gets ‘Crash Landing’ surprise...

PAGE 8 lak,” instead of a bouquet of roses.

“Sabi ko, ANG SAYA-SAYA KO! PINAKAGUSTO KONG BULAKLAK ITO SA LAHAT NG BULAKLAK NA BINIGAY NIYA SA AKIN! Every year ito

na lang sana! Hahahahahaha!” the actress joked.

(I told him I was very happy! This is my favorite of all the flower that he has given me! I hope this is what I get every year!)

Pangilinan and Cuneta tied

the knot in April 1996. They have two daughters, singer Frankie and Miel, as well as an adopted son, Miguel. The senator is also a stepfather to KC Concepcion, who is Cuneta’s daughter with actor Gabby Concepcion.

10

May 1-7, 2020 • NORCaL aSIaN JOURNaL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

celebrity world

By Ferdie Villar SUPERSTAR Nora Aunor, who now resides in the Philippines, will celebrate her 67th birthday on Thursday, May 21.

La Aunor, internationally known as the one and only Superstar of the Philippine silver screen, was born in Iriga, Camarines Sur. She was the grand champion of the Darigold Jamboree Singing Contest and represented her province in the Tawag ng Tanghalan Grand National Finals in 1967.

Nora started her movie/singing career under Tower Productions and Tower Records owned by movie producer and director Artemio Marquez.

In 1971, she was crowned as the first ever Box Office Queen, an award given to the female actor with the highest box office record for the year given out by the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation. Nora has won the award five times, including in 1973 when she starred in the film “Erap is My Guy” with another movie icon Joseph Estrada, who would later on become Philippine president and mayor of Manila.

Aunor is a multi-awarded actress having won Best Actress trophies in movies and television from many Philippine award-giving bodies – the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts & Sciences (FAMAS) Awards (5), Gawad Urian (7), PMPC Star Awards (8), Metro Manila Film Festival (8), Luna (known before as FAP) Awards (4), and Young Critics Circle (5).

Internationally, she has picked up wins in the Cairo International Film Festival, Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Asian Film Awards, Sakhalin International Film Festival and St. Tropez International Film Festival, among others.

In 2015, Nora was conferred the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ (CCP) Gawad Para sa Sining for her work in film and broadcast arts. This is the highest award that the CCP gives out in different categories.

Nora is currently one of the stars in the TV series “Bilangin ang Bituin sa Langit,” which is based on the 1989 film of the

same title.

Other celebrants for this merry month of May are: May 2: The late internationally-known and multi-awarded actor Eddie Garcia; May 3: Dancing With The Stars two-time winner Cheryl Burke, Ely-Lyn Beauty Salon owner Lynda Elvinia who is also a talented ballroom dancer; May 4: Vicky Garcia, a wellloved Registered Nurse of Sequioa Hospital and San Mateo General Hospital; May 7: Daly City religious leader Brenda Padilla, San Francisco fashion designer Patricia Valera; May 10: Filipino and international singing sensation Jake Cyrus (known as Charice Pempengco before his gender transition); May 11: Multi-awarded actress Judy Ann Santos, World of Life at Assembly of Christ administrative officer Tingting Villar Apolinario; May 12: San Jose singer/ songwriter J.D. Charisma, veteran actress and Los Angeles resident Mila del Sol, San Mateo Home Care nursing supervisor Gloria Nielsen, Manteca painter Jessie Marinas; May 13: Handsome and multiawarded actor Paolo Avelino, entertainment/concert producer Maribeth Ugalde of Rodeo (California), South city community leader Marc Garvida Jr.; May 14: Former Philippine Department of Tourism Director Rene de los Santos; May 15: GMA Pinoy TV’s Jennylyn Mercado, Dionisia Pacquiao (mother of boxing champ and Senator Manny Pacquiao) who turns 71 years old; May 16: Kapuso Channel actor Dennis Trillo, Teayana Orence (daughter of Ozelle Orence of San Francisco); May 17: Gerry Sy, co-owner of Saint Francis Square Shopping Center in Daly City; May 19: Teenage singer Eren Padilla; May 20: Former Miss Uni-

One and only Philippine cinema Superstar Nora Aunor turns 67 on May 21

verse 1st runner-up Miriam Quimbao (1999); May 23: Actor-singer Sam Milby of Star Cinema; May 24: Dr. Renato (Butch) Calip, a well-liked dentist in Daly City and owner of a nursing school in Manila; May 25: Young coloratura soprano Amber Paterson of Milpitas, San Mateo religious leader Nenia Iboleon Zarasora, former Mrs. Ilocano Region Maxie Dandoy; May 26: Former Mrs. WorldUSA winner Zeny Lutao Sarmiento of Concord; May 27: Global Head, Corporate Affairs & PR for ABS-CBN Philippine entertainment Superstar Nora Aunor is shown in photo above with beauty impresario Ferdie Global Nerissa Fernandez; Kapamilya Channel 2 actress Judy Ann Santos-AgVillar. Both are May birthday celebrants – La Aunor celebrates her 67th birthday on May 21, while Villar May 28: Divine Diva of the celebrates his 83rd birthday on May 30. oncillo celebrates her birthday on Monday, May 11.

Philippine music industry Zsa Zsa Padilla, Santo Niño de Praga devotee/Antioch religious leader Pacita Rodriguez; May 30: This is my very own natal day – I will be celebrating my lucky 83rd birthday with the best of health and colorful blessings from the Lord Almighty; multi-awarded actor Ricky Davao, Place One Travel Agency president Conrad Camilosa, successful building contractor Orly Buena; May 31: South San Francisco real estate executive Cora Manuel Garvida.

To all May celebrants, a very Rene de los Santos, former Tourism Director for the Philippine Department of Happy Birthday!!!

Tingting Villar Apolinario, administrative officer of Life at Assembly of Christ, celebrates her birthday on Monday, May 11.

Nerissa Fernandez, Global Head for ABS-CBN Global’s Corporate Affairs & PR division, as well as Regional Head for ABS-CBN International’s (North & Latin America) Corporate Affairs & PR department, celebrates her birthday on Wednesday, May 27.

San Jose singer/songwriter J.D. Charisma celebrates his 25th birthday on Tuesday, May 12.

Tourism at the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, celebrates his birthday on Thursday, May 14.

South San Francisco real estate agent Cora Manuel Garvida celebrates her birthday on Sunday, May 31.

Daly City religious leader Brenda Padilla celebrates her birthday on Thursday, May 7.

Join in a virtual celebration of Asian New funding for coronavirus Pacific American Heritage Month SBA loans attracts scammers All May, SF cultural organizations highlight unique achievements of APA community through art, food, film, performances, and more – online!

SAN FRANCISCO – The month of May is nationally celebrated as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cultural organizations across the city of San Francisco have moved their diverse APA Heritage month activities online.

With the challenges posed by the pandemic and the rise in anti-Asian political targeting and violence, APA Heritage month is a critical opportunity to showcase the impact and importance of APA accomplishments and to celebrate a community whose many contributions have shaped the spirit of the Bay Area – and the nation – for generations.

The programs of this coordinated community celebration are offered by the APA Heritage Foundation, the Asian Art Museum, the Center for Asian American Media, and the San Francisco Public Library.

Please see the following for programming highlights and outreach information.

Key Resources, Programs, and Initiatives: APA Heritage Foundation – apasf.org Contact: Claudine Cheng, claudine@claudinecheng.com The APA Heritage Foundation coordinates San Francisco’s annual official celebration of APA Heritage Month in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office. This year’s highlights include: • Online Celebration Guide, featuring links to key celebration programs in the city May 8 – APA Town Hall with Mayor London Breed #APAVoices – Share a 30second video message about the experience of being Asian/ Pacific Islander American during this historic moment of pandemic.

• Weekly Social Media Celebration Themes: Week of May 7: #AsianFoodToGo – Support neighborhood restaurants with takeout Week of May 14: #APACares - Stories from the healthcare frontline

Week of May 21: #APATalentShow – Cultural performances Week of May 28: #APAHeritageMonth – Inspirational messages from community leaders Asian Art Museum – asianart.org Contact: Zac Rose, zrose@ asianart.org Visit the museum’s #MuseumFromHome webpage to sign up for activities and discover new ways to engage digitally with Asian art and culture.

May 7 – Ensemble Mik Nawooj: live “meta-music” with a hip-hop orchestra May 14 – Writing the Storm: Poetry in Upheaval Writing Workshop with Jason Bayani May 21 – Zen and SelfCultivation with Rev. Takafumi Kawakami from Kyoto, Japan May 28 – Acting, Healing, Learning: Artist Talk with Chanel Miller, Jas Charanjiva, Jenifer K Wofford with Head of Contemporary Art, MC’d by curator Abby Chen Center for Asian American Media – caamedia.org Contact: Masashi Niwano, mniwano@caamedia.org CAAMFest, the largest showcase of international

Asian and Asian American film, will be conducted virtually May 13-May 22.

May 11 & May 12: PBS will premiere “Asian Americans,” a major five-part documentary coproduced by CAAM on the history and experience of Asian Americans. A number of major historical events featured took place in San Francisco.

San Francisco Public Library – sfpl.org Contact: Jaime Wong, jaime.wong@sfpl.org Check out the “virtual library” events calendar to participate.

May 7 – Book Club: World Literature: The Box Man by Kobo Abe May 21 – APIA Hoopla Digital Book Club a city-wide read, The Mountains Sing by Nguyên Phan Quê May 14 – APIA Author Panel; Joy Ma (The Deoliwallahs: The True Story of the 1962 Chinese-Indian Internment), Katya Cengel (Exiled: From the Killing Fields of Cambodia to California and Back), Sieu Sean Do (A Cloak of Good Fortune: A Cambodian Boy’s Journey From Paradise Through A Kingdom of Terror).

(From Asian Art Museum)

All May, SF cultural organizations highlight unique achievements of APA community through art, food, film, performances, and more – online!

IF you’re a business owner, you may be planning to apply for a loan through the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) or Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program.

These programs recently got hundreds of billions of dollars in new funding. But, while you’re focused on getting a loan, scammers may be focused on you: hoping to trick you into giving them sensitive business information, like your bank account numbers, employees’ Social Security numbers, and even your money.

Here are some “dos” and “don’ts” to help you stay clear of scammers as you apply for a small business loan.

DO: • Get information about SBA loans directly from the SBA’s website: sba.gov/coronavirus.

• Once on that page, go to “Funding Options” (htt ps: // w w w.sba.gov/f und i ngprograms/ loans/coronavirusrelief-options) and follow the instructions.

• Find more information about the PPP and EIDL programs at the U.S. Treasury Department’s website (https:// home.treasur y.gov/policy-issues /cares /assistancefor-small-businesses).

DON’T: • Don’t pay in advance for information. All the information from the SBA is free

at sba.gov/coronavirus.

• Don’t pay in advance for a government loan. You don’t have to pay up front to get an SBA loan.

• Don’t give your information to someone who calls, emails, or texts you out of the blue. The SBA won’t call unsolicited to find out information about you or your business, or to ask you to apply for a loan. The SBA is not going to send you emails or text messages asking for sensitive information. If you get an email or text like this (see https://www.ftc.gov/ tips-advice/ business-center/ small-businesses/cybersecurity/phishing for examples), delete it. It’s a scam.

• Don’t apply for a loan without verifying the lender. Only SBA-authorized lenders can provide PPP

loans, and other loans may be available through SBA directly. To find an SBA-authorized lender in your area, use this SBA tool, https://www. sba.gov/paycheckprotection / find.

• Don’t click on links or reply to emails or text messages from someone you don’t know. If you click on the links, you could download malware to your computer or device or be connected to a scammer or hacker.

Warn your staff, too, to be alert for spoofed emails and bogus calls. And, if you or your employees spot a scam, please let us know at ftc.gov/ complaint.

(From Federal Trade Commission) (by Rosario Méndez / Attorney, Division of Consumer and Business Education/FTC)

JC posts photos of...

PAGE 9 had known Herrera since high school and courted her even when they were teenagers.

“2019 is the best year for me sa lahat. Sobrang thankful ako kay Lord na lahat ng pangarap ko, lahat ng dasal ko natupad pati ‘yung sa career.

Pero bukod doon sa career ko actually, ‘yung crush ko noong high school na na-basted ako 15 years ago, nagkita kami ulit at

hindi ko na siya pinakawalan,” he said.

“Siyempre nag-hang out kami for a few months, [then] sinabi ko na agad sa parents niya na ‘I wanna marry your daughter.’ Sinabi ko na agad sa kapatid niya. And nalaman na nila and nag-propose ako and we got married. And now we have a new beautiful girl,” he added.

Santos was a breakout star

in the Nadine Lustre and James Reid-starrer “Till I Met You.” He earned major billing thereafter in the blockbuster hit“100 Tula Para Kay Stella” (2017), followed by”Mr. & Mrs. Cruz” (2018), “The Day After Valentine’s” (2018), “Open” (2019).

He was also part of the Metro Manila Film Festival 2019 top grosser “Miracle in Cell No. 7.”

Santos was a theater actor before becoming a movie star.

(650) 689-5160 • http://www.asianjournal.com

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • MAy 1-7, 2020

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May 1-7, 2020 • NORCaL aSIaN JOURNaL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160