050323 - Southern California Midweek Edition

US lawmakers renew bipartisan bill to quickly reunify Filipino WWII vets’ families

WASHINGTON – A group of lawmakers has reintroduced a bipartisan bill to speed up the visa process for children of Filipino World War II veterans.

The Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act was reintroduced April 25 by Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Representatives Ed Case (D, HI-1) and Jen Kiggans (R, VA-2) to exempt the sons and daughters of Filipino WWII veterans from numerical limitations on immigrant visas.

The law would benefit thousands of people, including those already waiting in the visa application queue.

“Filipino soldiers served our country with honor and bravery during World War II. But for too long, they’ve been denied many of

Marcos wants closer ties with US

by KRISTINA MARALIT ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sought a stronger alliance with the U.S. when he met President Joe Biden on Monday, May 1.

Marcos pointed to escalating tensions in the Asia-Pacific and how vital U.S. assistance is on resolving the differences. He cited America's role in maintaining peace, stability and development in the region.

"We need to find ways to strengthen our

alliances and our partnership in the face of the new economy that we are facing post-pandemic," he said in his opening statement, adding that current geopolitical issues put the Philippines in "arguably the most complicated geopolitical situation in the world right now."

Because of this, it is "only natural" for the country to "look to its sole treaty partner in the world, to strengthen and to redefine the relationship" of the Philippines and the United States amid the volatile situation "around the South China Sea and the Asia-Pacific and Indo-

Pacific region."

"We have many things that are new that need to be assessed and again our role as partners in the world ... in our worldview of what we are hoping for the future of peace, not only in the Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific region but in the whole world," the Chief Executive said.

In response, Biden reiterated his government remains "iron-clad in our commitment to the defense of the Philippines, including the South China Sea and we're gonna continue  PAGE 2

by DAPHNE GALVEZ Inquirer.net

WASHINGTON D.C. — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday, May 1 expressed hope that overseas Filipinos residing in the U.S. would come home “for good and retire in a much better Philippines.”

He issued the remark during a meeting with the Filipino community here, saying he hopes to welcome them back to the Philippines “sooner or later.” “Sooner or later, we will be able to welcome you back home to the Philippines, especially those who have reacquired their Filipino citizenship,” Marcos said in his speech.

TWO measures now making their way through the State Assembly aim to improve how California draws new district maps to ensure more participatory elections.

By some accounts, California’s independent redistricting commission (IRC) has set the gold standard for fair elections, wresting control of legislative mapmaking from the archetypal smoke-filled backroom dealmakers who’ve made an art of keeping power to themselves.

But recent examples point to the need for more and better reforms to ensure the state’s elections are open to all.

In Los Angeles, leaked reports of city councilmembers’ racist comments amid redistricting discussions last year exposed how the system still works there. In San Mateo County, the most recent round of redistricting found the Board of Supervisors voting to preserve the status quo even

IATF to Marcos: No need to bring back mask mandate, other COVID-19 curbs

by GAEA KATREENA CABICO Philstar.com

MANILA — The Philippines does not need to bring back its mask mandate and other pandemic restrictions even as COVID-19 cases continue to increase, the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases said in recommendations to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. Marcos said Sunday, April 30 that the

US sending ‘ rst-of-its-kind’ trade mission to Philippines

by ALEXIS ROMERO Philstar.com

WASHINGTON – U.S. President Joe Biden is sending a “first of its kind” trade and investment mission to the Philippines to boost the investments of American firms in the country’s innovation economy and its clean energy and food security initiatives.

“We’re going to announce today that I’m sending a firstof-its-kind presidential trade and investment mission to the Philippines,” Biden told President Marcos during their bilateral meeting at the White House Oval Office on Monday, May 1.

A fact sheet released by the

White House after the meeting indicated the sending of a trade and investment mission to the Philippines is among the new arrangements and initiatives that aim to “expand on the historic momentum” in the relations between Manila and Washington.

“The Presidential Trade and Investment Mission will feature the highest caliber of U.S. business leaders,” it added. The arrangements and initiatives were placed under different categories, namely, economic cooperation, where the sending of the trade and investment mission belongs; U.S.-Philippines alliance,

“It’s my hope that some of you will come home for good and retire in a much better Philippines — a Philippines with better airports, Philippines with better roads, better airports, better internet, better governance. ‘Yun ang aking pinapangarap (That’s what I am dreaming of). And that’s why that is what my administration is

US Embassy alerts citizens on rise of diphtheria cases in PH

government

might consider making the wearing of face masks mandatory again if recommended by health authorities.

"We already recommended to the Office of the President, based on agreements coming from IATF discussions, that we don’t need to bring back the mandates," Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire, who recommends wearing masks

by BERNADETTE TAMAYO ManilaTimes.net

THE United States Embassy in Manila has alerted American citizens in the Philippines on the reported rise of diphtheria cases nationwide.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Level 2 travel health notice on May 1 after "several

regions" reported an increase in the number of people infected with the disease. "Vaccination is essential to protect against diphtheria and anyone traveling to affected areas should be up to date with their diphtheria vaccines," the embassy said. It also advised U.S. citizens in the country to "avoid contact with persons with symptoms of

Toward a more perfect union — California aims higher to ensure voting rights

Marcos hopes Filipinos in US come home ‘for good in much better PH’

ALLIANCE. Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and U.S. President Joe Biden meet at the White House on Monday, May 1. Marcos said his

the Philippines and the U.S. Malacanang

Marcos wants closer ties...

[supporting] the Philippines' military modernization."

"Our countries not only share strong partnership. We share deep friendship, one that has been enriched by millions of Filipino Americans and the communities all across the United States," the American leader stated.

Biden also noted the U.S.' unwavering commitment to "tackle climate change, workers' rights, rule of law and economic cooperation" with the Philippines.

Monday's face-to-face was the second high-level meeting between the two presidents. Their first meeting took place at the sidelines of the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly in September 2022 in New York.

Marcos is on a four-day trip that follows last week's state visit to Washington by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and a White House meeting in January between Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Biden greeted Marcos in the Oval Office. A senior U.S. official said the Marcos visit — which began with a military honor guard outside the White House — was the first "at this level and intensity" between the two countries for decades.

"It is clear that we're in a deeply consequential period in terms of our Indo-Pacific engagements," the official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Alarm bells are ringing for Washington and its Asian allies as China moves ever more confidently to assert claims to sovereignty over almost the whole South China Sea, ignoring an international ruling that this has no legal basis.

The stand-off, combined with constant saber-rattling over Taiwan — the democratically run island that Beijing claims but Washington vows to help defend — has prompted the Biden administration to rapidly bolster its military capabilities.

The Philippines, which lies close to key sea lanes and Taiwan, is of particular interest.

Marcos signaled as he left for Washington that he is wary of being caught between the superpowers, telling reporters, "We will not allow the Philippines to be used as a staging post for any kind of military action."

This month, however, the Philippines identified four military bases — in addition to five existing sites — where U.S. forces will be given access, including one located near the tense Spratly Islands.

The two allies also carried out their largest-ever military maneuvers in recent weeks. That has alarmed China, which accuses Washington of trying to drive a wedge between Beijing and Manila.

In a reminder of how diplomatic tensions can quickly echo in the real world, a Chinese ship on April 23 narrowly missed colliding with a much smaller Philippine Coast Guard vessel in the Spratly Islands. The focus of talks between Biden and Yoon last week was on another regional flashpoint: nuclear-armed, communist North Korea.

Expressing disappointment that China has not done more to rein in North Korea, U.S. officials announced that a U.S. nuclear submarine would make a visit to South Korea soon — the first in decades.

During Kishida's visit, Biden also underlined the U.S. treaty

commitment to defend Japan. Tokyo, meanwhile, is on a shopping spree to buy an arsenal of U.S.-made Tomahawk missiles.

The senior official briefing journalists ahead of Marcos' visit said Manila is also "looking for reassurance and a strong desire to maintain peace and stability in this complex period.

"Recent events have caused much greater focus in both capitals on taking the necessary steps to up our game, to improve engagement on the security side between the United States and the Philippines." Although giving few details, the official said new "bilateral defense guidelines" would see "a series of steps to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines modernization."

In an acknowledgment of Philippine sensitivities about the U.S. troop presence, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the sites slated to be used by the United States remain part of the Filipino military and "every single step of the way will be done in complete coordination."

"It's about our ability to be better allies to one another and meet our commitments to each other," he added.

The shifting geostrategic situation in the Asia-Pacific region will be a major topic when Biden visits Japan for a G7 meeting later in the month.

The U.S. official said Biden would also meet separately during that trip in a trilateral format with the leaders of Japan and South Korea. Biden then heads to Australia for a session of the Quad group: Australia, India, Japan and the United States. (With reports from Agence France-Presse)

US Embassy alerts citizens on rise of...

diphtheria" particularly fever and sore throat.

Diphtheria is "a serious infection caused by

strains of bacteria called Corynebacterium diphtheriae that make toxins. It can lead to difficulty breathing, heart rhythm problems, and even

death," according to the CDC website. It recommends "vaccines for infants, children, teens, and adults to prevent diphtheria." g

Marcos hopes Filipinos in US come home...

working for,” he added.

The President also urged them to encourage their children and grandchildren to visit the Philippines to see the richness of Philippine culture and history.

“Let them see for themselves what the Philippines is about, what is our culture, what is our history. I’m sure the first and second and third generation Filipino-Americans are more than happy to learn about their proud Philippine ancestry,” Marcos said.

He also thanked overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) for their significant contributions to the growth of the economy through remittances and credited them for “keeping the Philippines afloat” during the pandemic.

“Noong pandemya ay ang bumuhay talaga sa ekonomiya ng Pilipinas ay ang mga OFW. Kung hindi po sa inyo ay siguro mas nahirapan po na makabangon ang Pilipinas, kaya’t ulit maraming, maraming salamat sa inyo,” he said.

(During the pandemic, the lifeblood of the Philippine economy was the OFWs. If it were not for you, we would have suffered more, and it would have been more difficult to recover.)

The Chief Executive also mentioned his recent meeting with U.S. President Joseph Biden, whom he thanked for

accommodating Filipinos and providing opportunities for them to thrive.

"Kasama ko po ang ating mga miyembro ng Gabinete upang ipagtibay ang ating pagkakaibigan sa Amerika, United States at saka ng Pilipinas… Malaking bahagi doon sa usapan namin ay nagpasalamat naman ako sa kanila dahil sa dami ng Pilipino na nandito sa Amerika, na nandito sa U.S. ay lahat naman naging maganda ang buhay at… tinanggap kaagad ng ating mga kaibigang taga-U.S.,” the President said.

(I am with Cabinet members to further strengthen the alliance of the U.S. and the Philippines. A big part of our discussion was my thankfulness to the U.S. because

they allowed Filipinos to live here and have a good life.)

“Kaya naman nagkaroon kayo ng magandang hanapbuhay. Nagkaroon kayo ng magandang pagkakataon para tulungan ang inyong mga pamilya, para tulungan ang inyong mga community, para tulungan ang inyong bansa sa Pilipinas,” the President added.

(That’s why you had an opportunity to help your families and communities, as well as the Philippines.)

Marcos reassured OFWs of the government’s sustained efforts to make the Philippines better and vowed to boost the quality of jobs so that time will come when Filipinos would no longer have to go abroad out of necessity.g

MEETING WITH FILIPINO COMMUNITY. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. met with the Filipino American community in Washington, DC as part of his five-day official visit to the United States. Marcos thanked Filipinos in the U.S. for all the help they send back home especially in times of calamity and disaster. Marcos also recognized their contribution in the

US sending ‘first-of-its-kind’ trade...

education and people-to-people ties, advancing respect for human rights, collaboration on clean energy and environmental protection and supporting resilient and healthy communities.

“President Biden intends to dispatch a Presidential Trade and Investment Mission to the Philippines on his behalf – the first mission of its kind – to enhance U.S. companies’ investment in the Philippines’ innovation economy, its clean energy transition and critical minerals sector, and the food security of its people,” the White House said.

Another initiative under economic cooperation is the bringing of the IndoPacific Business Forum to the Philippines.

The White House said the U.S. and the Philippines would co-host the 6th annual IndoPacific Business Forum in Manila, pending congressional notification.

Sponsored by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, the event has been described as “the U.S.’s marquee annual commercial event in the region” that convenes the highest level of public and private sector leaders to review policy developments, announce new investments and identify new commercial partnerships.

It is expected to take place in spring of 2024.

“The forum will strengthen the Philippines’ position as a key hub for regional supply chains and high-quality investment,” the

White House said. The U.S. also aims to establish a brick-and-mortar Open RAN Interoperability Lab in Manila, pending congressional notification. The White House said the lab would provide hands-on training to current and aspiring 5G professionals and an opportunity for vendors and operators deploying Open RAN to teach and educate local engineers how to design, build and operate these open, secure and interoperable networks. Infrastructure

Another initiative under economic cooperation is investing in sustainable, highquality infrastructure, including a plan by the U.S. Agency for International Development to launch a new partnership to scale up infrastructure development in the Philippines and support the building of high-quality railways, ports and transport systems.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency is also expected to launch throughout the year sustainable infrastructure activities that seek to leverage over $3 billion in public and private financing to strengthen the Philippines’ critical mineral supply chains, advance smart grid technologies and clean energy solutions, promote secure 5G deployment, strengthen airport security and maritime safety and support health care infrastructure across the Philippines.

The Philippines and the U.S. also aim to expand their air connectivity and modernize their bilateral aviation relationship.

IATF to Marcos: No need to bring back...

Aeronautical authorities from the two countries will formalize a technical aviation dialogue at the upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Transportation Ministerial Meeting in Detroit to enhance policy and regulatory alignment to modernize their air transportation agreement.

Manila and Washington also seek to enhance bilateral cooperation on space situational awareness and the use of space for maritime domain awareness, including through the first-ever U.S.-Philippines Civil Space Dialogue, the White House said.

“The countries will collaborate on the use of space-based technology in the areas of disaster management and emergency response, health care, mapping of resources and accessibility, pollution monitoring, deforestation, land use and infrastructure planning and maritime awareness,” it added.

Marcos and Biden also welcomed the strengthening of bilateral cooperation on the Landsat program, including the possibility of the Philippines downloading imagery directly from Landsat satellites to its ground stations.

Climate change

In a joint statement, Marcos and Biden vowed to undertake urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, noting that the Philippines is vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which “poses an existential threat to the

What Filipinos need, according to Vergeire, is to increase their risk tolerance against COVID-19. "We need to learn how to protect ourselves and our families," the health official said.

"Let’s choose to wear masks when we go to high-risk areas, enclosed spaces with poor ventilation. Especially those who are unvaccinated, senior citizens, people with comorbidities, those who are immunocompromised and pregnant women, let’s choose to wear masks," she added.

Vergeire also called on the public to get vaccinated and boosted to increase their protection against the virus.

In September last year, Marcos made the wearing of face masks outdoors optional. He signed an executive order the next month

making the wearing of masks indoors voluntary, except in health care facilities and public transportation.

The DOH had argued against lifting the mask mandate in late 2022, saying it was too soon to do so even if cases were down.

Admissions remain low

COVID-19 cases in the Philippines are on the rise, with the DOH reporting 4,456 new infections in the past week. The daily average—637 cases—last week increased by 42% from the figure logged from April 17 to 23.

Vergeire emphasized the uptick does not translate to more hospital admissions, severe and critical cases, and deaths. Healthcare utilization rates also remain low.

"We cannot have that kind of low tolerance that when cases increase, we suddenly have a

US lawmakers renew bipartisan bill to quickly...

the rights and benefits they deserve, including the ability to reunify with their families in the U.S.,” Senator Hirono said in a press release. More than 260,000 Filipino soldiers fought under the American flag from 1941 to 1946 when the Philippines was a U.S. colony. In 1990 former President George H. W. Bush granted U.S. citizenship to about 26,000 of them.

However, the law did not grant citizenship or residency to the veterans’ children. To this day, Filipino applicants must wait nearly 20 years before their applications are considered.

In 2016, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services implemented the Filipino WWII Veterans Parole program to reunite veterans with their families. However, the extensive delays are leaving applicants without certainty as dozens of the surviving veterans are now over 100 years old. The new legislation would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act, providing a permanent solution for WWII veterans who were naturalized under the 1990 law or other specified laws.

"To express our gratitude to the brave Filipino service members who fought for our nation in WWII, we should do what is right and fair for our veterans and their family members,” Senator Lisa Murkowski said in a press release. “This bill will reunite mothers and fathers with their children, and honor the service of Filipino veterans who served under the American flag.”

“I’m proud to reintroduce the Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act to reunite these veterans with their loved ones,” Hirono added. “I will continue working to support Filipino veterans, their families, and all veterans in Hawaii and across our country.”

Hirono has been leading the bipartisan Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act since 2013. She also led the introduction of the Filipino American History Month (FAHM) Resolution recognizing October as FAHM and celebrating the heritage and contributions of Filipino Americans.

Due to her years of advocacy, Congress finally awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award from the U.S. government, to Filipino WWII veterans in October 2017, after the Filipino community’s decades of fighting for the veterans’ recognition. (Inquirer.net)

knee-jerk reaction to bring back masking or impose lockdowns. We cannot do these backand-forth policies because we have to balance this with our economy," Vergeire said.

The Philippines has confirmed over four million COVID-19 infections, with more than 66,000 deaths, since the pandemic began in early 2020. g

LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (LACMTA) INVITATION FOR BID

LACMTA will receive bids for OP106753 - USG & EAST POR-

TAL WINDOW WASHING & EXTERIOR PRESSURE WASHING SERVICES at the 9th Floor Receptionist Desk, Vendor/Contract Management Department, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

A Pre-Bid conference will be held on Friday, May 5, 2023, 2:00 p.m., at One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012, Virtual Meeting: Online. This project is a Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Set-Aside contract. To participate in this IFB, bidders must be SBE certified with LACMTA prior to proposal due date. For information on the Set-Aside program, visit: https://business.metro.net/ VendorPortal/faces/home1/certifications

All Bids must be submitted on forms furnished by LACMTA, and must be filed at the reception desk, 9th floor, V/CM Department, on or before 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, at which time bids will be opened and publicly read. Bids received later than the above date and time will be rejected and returned to the bidder unopened. Each bid must be sealed and marked Bid No. OP106753.

For a copy of the Proposal/Bid specification visit our Solicitation Page on our Vendor Portal at https://business.metro.net or for further information email Ricardo Narvaez at narvaezr@metro. net.

U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden welcome President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza AranetaMarcos at the White House in Washington D.C. on Monday, May 1. Philstar.com photo by KJ Rosales

PAGE 4

US joins calls for justice for slain Filipino labor organizer

by Cristina Chi Philstar.com

MANILA — In a rare move, the United States government has joined local and international human rights groups in their calls for justice for slain trade unionist Alex Dolorosa, saying that local authorities should bring to account perpetrators responsible for his death.

“We extend our condolences to Dolorosa’s family and friends, as well as the greater international labor union and LGBTQI+ communities who loved him,” the White House said in a statement Sunday evening.

This is as the Department of Justice (DOJ) begins its investigation into the killing of

Dolorosa after it ordered the National Bureau of Investigation on April 27 to conduct its probe into his death. The DOJ is also coordinating with the local government of Bacolod City and the Philippine National Police to collect further information on the case.

“We welcome the Philippine government’s condemnation of the attack and its commitment to thoroughly investigate and to hold the perpetrators accountable,” the White House said.

“We join with the Philippine government in underscoring that impunity is unacceptable,” it added.

The Communications Workers of America has also said that the

murder of Dolorosa—who led union organizing efforts among BPO employees in Bacolod— solidifies the Philippines’ reputation as one of the deadliest countries in the world for worker organizers.

Dolorosa, a unionist and a paralegal with the BPO Industry Employee Network based in Bacolod, was found dead in the capital last week with multiple stab wounds on his body.

The Human Rights Watch, which has also condemned Dolorosa’s death, has pointed out that “government authorities have targeted [BIEN] for surveillance and red-tagging,” urging authorities to take this into consideration when investigating the case.

Following Dolorosa's death and calls from rights groups to safeguard the lives of workers in the country, the Commission on Human Rights has also called on the government to create stronger measures in upholding the rights of workers and union members in the country.

The House of Representatives of the United States in 2022 agreed on an amendment to a defense spending measure blocking aid, including equipment and training, to the Philippine National Police until the Philippines is deemed to have met basic human rights standards. (With reports by Xave

Toward a more perfect union — California...

PAGE 1

after hearing its own advisory committee suggest needed changes.

In the Central Valley, a steady, unrelenting campaign led by the county’s League of Women Voters and the Dolores Huerta Foundation pressured the Tulare County Board of Supervisors to finally draw fairer maps for the 65% Latino population previously excluded from the halls of power almost completely.

Building on the Fair Maps Act

At a recent press conference hosted by California Common Cause to discuss two measures currently grinding their way through the state Assembly, AB 764 and AB 1248, speakers shared these and other stories to demonstrate the ongoing need to improve and expand the state’s redistricting process.

“We have got to institutionalize protection so that communities don’t have to fight tooth and nail for their rights,” said Dora Rose, deputy director of the California League of Women Voters, one of the sponsors of the two bills. “We’ve got to build on the success of the Fair Maps Act.”

“Otherwise, we end up with older white people in charge, who just don’t reflect the Latino people, the API people, the Indigenous people, the Black people, the youth, that together make up the majority of our vote,” Rose said.

California passed the Fair Maps Act (AB 849) in 2019 to strengthen earlier legislation in 2008 and 2010 that led to the IRC’s formation and its initial implementation following the 2010 Census.

Closing loopholes in the redistricting process

But the FMA had “a huge loophole,” said Jonathan Mehta Stein, of California Common Cause: It failed to specifically address incumbent protection.

AB 764 closes that, banning drawing districts “for the purpose of favoring or discriminating against an incumbent or political candidate.”

It goes on to spell out specific, uniform and prioritized criteria for how district boundaries are to be determined up and down the state and compels local IRCs to issue reports explaining their ultimate decisions.

AB 764 also mandates set numbers of public hearings and workshops for the process, including provisions on timing, accessibility and noticing. It requires that draft maps be unveiled in time for the public to effectively respond and clarifies the legal process for resolving disputes.

AB 1248 orders that any county, city, school district or community college district serving more than 300,000 people must establish an IRC by the time the next batch of population data from the U.S. Census comes in to set the redistricting process in motion, as it does every 10 years at the beginning of the decade.

If the jurisdiction fails to form a committee, the legislation provides guidelines on how to meet the requirement.

This will bring into the fold 17 California counties that do

not currently have IRCs (five already do), plus the cities of Anaheim, Bakersfield, Fresno, Irvine, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Ana and Stockton, 20 school districts and many community college districts, too. It specifies standards for appointments to the commissions such as residency qualifications and an ability to be impartial, as well as prohibitions, for instance, against doing redistricting work outside of public view.

Along with Rose and Stein at the briefing were representatives of the Asian Law Caucus, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California and the ACLU, all of which were primary sponsors of one or both of the measures.

Maps designed to protect incumbents

Also on hand was Nicolas Heidorn, whose report, “The Promise of Fair Maps,” published earlier this year, studied the successes and shortcomings of the Fair Maps Act in the subsequent redistricting process. Heidorn’s findings, Stein said, were foundational in the drafting of the two measures currently under review.

He wrote that the FMA improved the transparency of and public participation in the 2020 redistricting cycle, with some jurisdictions surpassing its requirements.

“The FMA was broadly successful in promoting a more transparent and participatory local redistricting process” and producing maps that better reflect the state’s diverse communities, the report found. But it also noted “ambiguities, loopholes, and deficiencies in the legislation that undermined the law’s important goals and were often exploited to protect incumbents.”

“In many jurisdictions, incumbency protection proved to be the overriding criterion for how maps were drawn.”

“This is a statewide problem that demands statewide solutions,” Stein said.

AB 764 and AB 1248, sponsored by Assemblyman Isaac G. Bryan, D-Culver City, and Senator Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, both cleared the Assembly’s Local Government committee on April 26 and will now be taken up by the Appropriations committee. If approved there, they’ll go to the full Assembly for a vote, and then have to repeat that process through the State Senate before arriving on Gov. Newsom’s desk. (Mark Hedin/Ethnic Media Services)

US sending ‘first-of-its...

PAGE 3

world.”

“They resolve to expand collaboration on renewable energy production to accelerate the clean energy transition while bringing down energy costs and expanding energy access for families,” the statement read.

The two countries also intend to pursue an “ambitious” program of cooperation on wind, solar and geothermal energy, while enhancing cooperation on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the waste, road and shipping sectors.

Marcos and Biden also agreed to expand cooperation on environmental protection, including enhanced domain awareness, marine conservation and protecting coastal areas from environmental degradation. They also pledged to promote increased cooperation and knowledge sharing through the Science and Technology Agreement. The two leaders also emphasized the importance of strong democratic institutions,

rule of law and respect for human rights, including freedom of expression, press and association and countering any form of violence in society.

They also welcomed the establishment of a bilateral labor working group as part of the U.S.Philippines Trade and Investment Framework Agreement and recognized the people-to-people ties between their countries as “an indispensable pillar” of their partnership.

The two leaders cited the service and sacrifice of Filipinos in World War II, and the contributions of Filipino Americans frontliners to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Looking to the future, President Biden and President Marcos express the utmost confidence that the special ties between their nations and their people will only grow stronger with time, as the United States and the Philippines continue to realize their shared vision of partnership, peace and prosperity,” the joint statement read. g

Gregorio and Kaycee Valmonte)

Alex Dolorosa

Contributed photo

LECHON FIESTA. Residents of Barangay Kaunlaran, Quezon City cook lechon for the Planas-Panopio Festival on Monday, May 1 to honor their patron Saint Joseph the Worker. Looking on is Barangay Captain Christopher Dong Cheng. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

Consortium submits bid to upgrade NAIA

A CONSORTIUM led by seven Filipino conglomerates and a U.S.-based airport operator has submitted an unsolicited offer to upgrade the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for more than P100 billion.

In a statement, the Manila International Airport Consortium (MIAC) — comprised of Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp., Asia's Emerging Dragon Corp., Alliance Global-Infracorp Development Inc., Filinvest Development Corp., JG Summit Infrastructure Holdings Corp., and Global Infrastructure Partners — said the unsolicited proposal aimed to rehabilitate and upgrade the NAIA to meet growing air traffic demand.

DOTr not ruling out sabotage in latest NAIA power outage

by James Relativo Philstar.com

MANILA — The Department of Transportation is considering the possibility that the power outage on Monday, May 1 at Ninoy Aquino International Airport's Terminal 3 was intentional because of the timing.

Multiple flights were either cancelled or delayed last Monday during the International Workers' Day due to a power outage, stalling thousands of passengers in the process. Power distributor Meralco earlier said that the problem points to a "main circuit breaker problem."

"Because this is the second time that it happened on a long weekend, I think you cannot really discount the possibility of having somebody do it to embarrass the government, or to prove that they have something that we should give into," said Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista in an interview by CNN Philippines this Tuesday, may 2. The last incident was on New Year's Day when the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines' air traffic management system went

offline because of a power outage.

"We're not discounting the possibility that there might be a sabotage. I hope it's not. That's the reason why we asked the other agencies to join us."

A joint committee of the DOTr, Office of Transport Security, Manila International Airport Authority and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency will meet to "determine the real cause" behind the problem.

They will be joined by the National Bureau of Investigation and Philippine National Police. For now, the transport official claims that there is in fact "no circuit breaker problem," and that "it's not a regular fault that entered the system of NAIATerminal 3."

"In fact, there are a lot of angles that were considered by NICA yesterday. But of course I do not want to preempt them. So we'll just wait for the result of their investigations," Bautista said.

"Well, I think some [of the theories considered] are serious. But I really want just them to look at it."

'Haven't we learnt from the past?'

Senators were annoyed by the situation on Monday, asking airport authorities if they even picked up any lesson from the last major mess at NAIA at the start of 2023. The last glitch was also due to a power outage.

"Unfortunately, we are starting to sound like a broken record when we say that the steps being taken to improve our airport and our Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines are disappointing," said Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva on Monday.

"Definitely, we cannot let the concerned government authorities escape accountability for this."

Sen. Grace Poe, chair of the public services committee, for her part said that the disruptive failure again caused grave inconvenience to travelers, hinting that DOTr and airport authorities "had not learned from the earlier fiasco."

Businessman Manny V. Pangilinan, who also chairs Meralco, shared his experience regarding the issue last January when he was on his way to the Philippines from Tokyo. He was

The over P100-billion offer includes an upfront payment to the government and committed investments in new facilities and technology.

"We are ready to put our combined resources forward in partnering with the government on this massive undertaking," MIAC director and Alliance Global CEO Kevin Tan said in the statement, adding that "our consortium brings unrivalled expertise, proven solutions and extensive capital."

"As the only large-scale operating gateway airport to the Philippines, the modernization and long-term sustainability of NAIA is a critical development priority for both the country's public and private sectors," he added.

Fellow MIAC director Josephine Gotianun Yap, president and CEO of Filinvest, said, "We want the first thing that locals and foreigners alike see, when they arrive in the Philippines, to be a source of pride for all Filipinos."

"The consortium is confident that with additional financial resources as well as operating process and technology improvements, NAIA can help achieve that vision," she added.

The consortium said the upgrade will allow the NAIA to serve up to 62.5 million passengers per annum (MPPA)

by 2028, more than double the current design capacity of 31 MPPA. Passenger traffic already reached 48 MPPA in 2019, it noted, underscoring the need to upgrade the airport to meet growing demand.

"We envision a truly worldclass airport befitting the beauty of the Philippines: one where congestion, reliability issues, and unpleasant passenger experiences will become things of the past," Tan said.

In 2018, the NAIA Consortium — composed of the same seven conglomerates and including Metro Pacific Investments Corp. — submitted an unsolicited proposal to rehabilitate the airport for P102 billion.

The deal, however, did not push through despite two years of negotiations over unresolved issues and concerns over the financial viability of the project amid the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Megawide Construction Corp. and partner Indiabased GMR Infrastructure Ltd. also submitted a proposal to rehabilitate and upgrade the NAIA for $3 billion with a contract period of 18 years.

The Marcos administration has expressed willingness to entertain new proposals for the multibillion-peso rehabilitation and upgrade of the NAIA.

The project aims to alleviate worsening air traffic congestion at the Philippines' main gateway and resolve capacity constraints by reconfiguring and renovating the airport's facilities and enhancing operation and maintenance.

The rehabilitation project also aims to broaden the NAIA's role as a key economic and tourism driver for Metro Manila and the entire country, deliver capital infrastructure investments to improve the airport's efficiency, and increase its capacity to meet growing passenger demand in the Philippines and the AsiaPacific region.

The Department of Transportation last week signed three transaction advisory service agreements with the Asian Development Bank to expedite the privatization of the operations and maintenance of the NAIA and the development of two major railway projects. (ManilaTimes.net)

Outage again at the NAIA

DURING another long weekend, on another start of the month, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport was hit by another power outage. Lasting nearly eight hours, the outage hit the NAIA Terminal 3 early on Monday, May 1 stranding thousands of passengers as dozens of flights were canceled or delayed.

As of Monday night, May 1, initial inspection indicated that the outage was due to faulty electrical wiring or a short circuit. The outage occurred exactly five months after another power-related problem shut down not just the entire NAIA but also Philippine airspace. This was on Jan. 1 this year, when a circuit breaker that failed to work caused two uninterruptible power supply units of the NAIA’s Communications, Navigation and Surveillance / Air Traffic Management System to bog down. With the UPS unable to come on stream when needed, the CNS / ATM was paralyzed.

Over 300 flights were disrupted and about 65,000 travelers were stranded at the NAIA for over nine hours before the system came back to life and flights gradually resumed. New UPS units have since been procured. A promise to make heads roll after an investigation is completed, however, has not materialized.

In September last year, a problem at the terminal’s power substation resulted in an hours-long outage that delayed at least 31 flights as airlines shifted to manual check-in and immigration processing slowed down. At the

Commentary

ANTONIO P. CONTRERAS

AT the outset, and lest people misconstrue my point, it should be stressed that citizens have the right to express their dissatisfaction with the government. Freedom of speech is a fundamental right accorded to us by the Constitution. It is an inherent element of any democratic system.

Yet, many people seem to focus too much on their individual rights, or the benefit of their own groups, without thinking about their responsibilities to the greater community and society. Worse, they delude themselves into thinking, or even intentionally appropriate the line of reasoning, that they are doing this to advance some collective good.

Democracy is not just about freedoms and rights. It is also about our duties. Many people forget that while citizens are sovereign, a responsible and rational exercise of our political rights is also fundamental in a democracy. A representative democracy such

Commentary

THE role of labor in the factors of production has been historically valued as the most crucial. This is because the generation of goods and services is paramount along with land, capital and entrepreneurship. This is not because of any Marxist paradigm, but this is essentially due to the fact that labor is humanity. Will labor, therefore, in the Philippines experience a golden age soon?

We are a country which prides itself on having closelyknit families. A nation that is supposed to treat our workers as members of an extended family where everyone is regarded as an important part of a big clan. But we are aware that in most instances, this claim is farthest from the truth. Our workers, especially in the blue-collar category, hardly enjoy the full benefits

time, airport and transport officials vowed to address the problem to prevent its repeat.

In April 2016, the NAIA-3 was also hit by a five-hour outage that was blamed on one broken power generator. Power transmission had tripped briefly in the airport area in Pasay City. Power was restored within less than a minute, but electricity failed to kick in at the NAIA 3 because one of the 10 generators meant to service the main building did not work. This weekend outage canceled 82 domestic flights and delayed 79 international and local flights. The fiasco contributed to perceptions of incompetence on the part of the Aquino administration, with the general elections just weeks away.

This was seven years ago. Will NAIA officials ever grasp the critical importance of uninterrupted electricity supply in the country’s premier gateway? There wasn’t even a weather disturbance that might have affected the power supply at the NAIA 3 on Monday. Transport officials said they were not ruling out sabotage. Whatever the reason, it must be determined quickly so that it can be addressed ASAP. (Philstar.com)

Too much complaining

as ours depends not only on the robustness of our democratic rituals such as elections, but on the quality of our participation in it, either indirectly when we vote, or more directly when we engage in political discourse, or take part in political activities.

Unfortunately, most citizens would rather defer to the actions of their elected representatives and those these officials appoint, instead of actively participating in politics. While our voter turnout is relatively high, the quality of the exercise of these rights is undermined not only by candidates who run not on the basis of platforms, but largely riding on the power of optics and narratives. More fatal to the pursuance of highquality democracy is the fact that this kind of politics of image instead of substance is enabled by voter behavior.

People vote less on the basis of the idea of a common good, but more on preferences that are formed from biases and even blind loyalties. We turn our politicians into brands to whom we have been fixated to patronize regardless of their performance, or the service they offer.

And later, a huge number of

voters would, after the regular periodic rituals of elections, retreat into states of passivity and detachment, unless something personal hit them that they would demand action from the government. Only a small minority would actively participate in political activity beyond voting during elections. But this was before the birth of social media, where people did not have access to platforms where they could express their views. The era of social media has reframed the way people do politics. While it certainly amplified the role of optics and narratives, it also amplified political noise. The noisy minority effectively found an avenue to project their voices, and this created a mirage of a groundswell of opinion that, without social media, would have been drowned by the apathy of the greater number of people.

Social media has become an effective avenue to make politics accessible. However, it also became the launching pad for the propagation and growth of a kind of politics that is driven by hatred and fear. Social media traffic is characterized by people who

become peddlers of anger and intrigue, who feed the gripes of the minority, even if it means spreading lies, misinformation and disinformation. It became worse when what used to be a vocation that would require dedication, where activists are committed to a cause, the monetization of social media engagements has produced a new breed of noisemakers.

These are in the form of social media vloggers who turned political commentary into an income-generating commodity. They effectively become merchants of discord, anger and fear.

And thus, we end up with a highly toxic political landscape, where what can be seen, heard and read in social media is dominated by rants and complaints, giving the impression of an utter system failure and a government at the precipice of collapse. This, however, does not add up when results of scientific surveys reveal a government earning high trust, approval and satisfaction ratings from four out of five Filipinos.

The voice of the noisy minority, those driven by blind loyalties and who thrive on intrigue and discord, and whose politics

subsists on anger and fear, take control, and are in command of the production of political discourse that we mistake to be the pulse of the masses. Yet, it is all a mirage. Unfortunately, their noisy voices are the ones that are picked up not only by mainstream media, but also by politicians who either fear them, or suck up to them to advance their political careers.

It is in this political landscape that our policy decisions are now directed by a noisy minority, and where government initiatives sink or swim on the basis of the decibel of their noise. We saw the initiative of modernizing our jeepneys being tanked not on the basis of reason but on the basis of accommodating sectoral interests over the greater good of protecting human and environmental health. I have my own issues with the move to replace our carbon-emitting jeepneys, but these are more on issues of unaffordability as well as the unimaginative design of turning what used to be a cultural icon into a boring box-like contraption. But what we got instead is the more convenient and populist response of shelving

the proposal until further discussion, which in our political discourse could mean putting it on hold forever.

Then we have the SIM card registration initiative, which is a rational response to the increasing incidence of fraud using unregistered mobile devices. Again, because of internet-generated noise, the government caved, and gave fraudsters a reprieve.

What we end up with is not the image of a government that is responding to people's concerns and advancing public good, but a political culture that unleashes internet anger and fear being spoiled by a government that bows to their noise, and turns public good into a negotiable, fluid and uncertain construct. We now have turned public interest away from a landscape dominated by reason and informed decisions, into one that is overwhelmed by internet noise. We are turning our democracy into a noisy marketplace of rants and complaints. (ManilaTimes.net) * * *

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

Will there be a golden age for Philippine labor?

of the wealth that they help create.

Construction workers of our modern highways and bridges could not afford to acquire and drive their own vehicles. Even the cost of commuting through public utility vehicles devours a big portion of their wages. Those who participate in building condominiums and other mixed developments of lush villages could not aspire to live in any of these units. In fact, many of them are informal settlers who struggle daily and could only hope that their children, perhaps through the leveraged power of education, could someday uplift their plight. Servers in plush restaurants have to deal with daily hunger pangs hidden in the extravagance around them and the need to sneak in the nearby jollijeeps. This is the paradox amidst our society. And every 1st of May, we celebrate labor.

Or, more importantly, we recognize their sacrifices and renew our commitment for an inclusive growth where almost

everyone will benefit from a robust economy.

Labor is trapped in a vicious cycle of near poverty. To become laborers basically means that you have to tirelessly endure the idiom of making both ends meet. To many, this is a skill. To some, it’s almost a curse.

According to official reports in 2022, our service sector is the largest at 59.6 percent of our labor force. They are the nurses, teachers, tourism workers, food servers, kitchen crew, drivers, hotel staff, delivery guys and millions more who are oftentimes faceless in the huge world that struggles for survival.

The agricultural sector has 24.1 percent of the more than 50 million Filipinos in the labor force. In our country, working in the farms is almost synonymous to being perpetually unsecured, despite the patriotic role of providing food for almost everyone. Farmers have the lowest income at less than P10,000 monthly. No

wonder the poverty-stricken rural areas are the bastion of restlessness and rebellion in our modern history. Their children could hardly finish their education, and their chance of a better future dims by the day because of the continuing decline in agricultural productivity and competitiveness. To worsen their situation, their homes and communities are the most susceptible to the onslaught of natural calamities such as tropical typhoons and floods.

Meanwhile, the 16.3 percent industrial workers have to endure a similar dilemma of being content or not, because they are physically experiencing the trappings and tastes of modern manufacturing in the metropolis, yet they don’t have enough to fully capture the complete benefits that those in the higher ladder of the enterprises enjoy.

They are the most vulnerable to problems on childcare, lack of pay and incentives, poor access to good

education, fertility issues, discrimination, pension reforms and other legitimate concerns that overwhelm the entire system.

The whole labor sector is regularly challenged also by global recession, high interest rates and, in several cases, the financial crisis in other parts of the globe. Such external challenges aggravate the conditions of labor.

Roadmap for possible collective success for labor.

The issues hounding our labor force will not be resolved if the conditions that fundamentally define our economy are basically the same. Meaning, we must ensure the needed structural solutions that will boost our business enterprises, bring in more capital especially from foreign direct investments, create more jobs that will actually pay more also, attract modern technologies and encourage visitors who will see the potential of our country to host a vibrant business environment.

Again, this will mean revisiting the prohibitive provisions of our Constitution and regulations on foreign capital, establishing a permanent ease of doing business in the Philippines office, making the cost of electricity lower and stable, controlling the abuses in many local government units who prey on legitimate businesses, providing a strong sense of security and provide no room for criminality, digitalize and further modernize our processes in government and maintain education as the best bridge of labor in crossing to a much better world.

So, will there be a golden age for Philippine labor? As the economists would answer, it depends. Meaning, this will depend on external dynamics outside of labor itself. (Philstar.com)

* * *

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

Metro Manila subway seen as crucial in improving Filipinos’ lives

MANILA — Billed as a notably faster and more accessible transportation system, the Metro Manila Subway Project is expected to improve the lives of many Filipinos in most parts of the Greater Manila, including the highly urbanized Quezon City.

Construction of two more underground subway stations in Quezon Avenue and East Avenue is now ongoing after the Department of Transportation (DOTr) held a groundbreaking ceremony attended by contractors and government officials.

Quezon City 1st District Rep. Arjo Atayde, who attended the groundbreaking event, lauded the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for accelerating the subway’s construction.

“This project will improve the lives of the residents not only in Quezon City, but all over the NCR [National Capital Region],” Atayde said. “It will also help ease the traffic in Metro Manila. So it’s admirable to see the start of this project.”

Although the DOTr’s target

finish and start of the full operation of the two subway train stations — Quezon Avenue and East Avenue — is still in 2028, the neophyte lawmaker said the project is “worth the wait.”

“It will give the commuters the convenience and the comfort aside from the job opportunities that it will bring,” the 32-yearold freshman lawmaker added. “I know it’s going to be sustainable, accessible and safe for our daily commuters.”

According to the DOTr, the subway can accommodate around 519,000 passengers daily.

The agency previously cited various reports claiming that traveling from Valenzuela City to Ninoy Aquino International Airport — approximately 33.1 kilometers — would be trimmed to 45 minutes by train across 17 stations.

The regular travel time by car is one hour and 38 minutes.

The entire subway will interlink with various railway systems such as the Light Rail Transit (LRT) 1, MRT 3, MRT 7 and the Grand Common station. The LRT

Senators renew call for virology institute

Arcturus.

by Paolo romero Philstar.com

2 at the Anonas Station will also be connected at the subway. It will joined also with two stations of the North to South rail.

Atade said the 3.1-kilometer tunnel railway and two underground stations will help commuters to travel fast to Quezon City’s central business districts, government offices and private offices, which is beneficial to the district’s economic progress.

“What can I say for? Quezon City’s economy will continuously progress and grow once this project becomes operational in 2028,” Atayde said, a member of 16 committees in the congress, including Metro Manila Development and Appropriations.

Quezon City, under the leadership of Mayor Joy Belmonte, was awarded the Most Competitive Highly Urbanized City in the country by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) during its 10th Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) Awarding ceremony last October. (Philstar.com)

‘Help achieve justice, TikTok wisely,’ new lawyers told at oath-taking

by Kristine Joy Patag Philstar.com

MANILA — The Philippines on Tuesday, May 2 welcomed nearly 4,000 new lawyers as they took their oath before the Supreme Court en banc, sitting in a special session.

Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, 2022 Bar chairperson, moved to petition for the admission of the successful examinees. Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo approved their admission.

A total of 3,992 examinees passed the 2022 Bar exams, yielding a passing rate of 43.37%.

The new lawyers recited the new oath—and is the first batch to do so—that was approved under the recently launched Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability that updated the guide of the conduct and ethics of lawyers across the country.

Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen earlier said the lawyer’s oath was updated to include the most important duty of their profession, which he said, is "to do justice or to even ensure access to justice."

Message to new lawyers

Caguioa started his message by asking the examinees to remember those who stood by them until they reached this stage.

Caguioa then reminded the Bar passers that the practice of law "is not so much winning, as if that’s the only way to go, rather it is achieving justice in a way

that is beneficial to all."

The Bar chair stressed that in their practice, both parties represent people with stories too and they must thread gently and compassionately.

"Good lawyers must also be true to themselves as to others and in that honesty, navigate legal problems with creativity, innovation and a healthy imagination of how a resolution can help all," he said, adding that their courage must be "fueled by love of country, of the law, of others."

The Bar chair, in his message, also recognized the 24 examiners, top law schools with highest passing percentage and the top 30 passers. He also thanked the deans of the schools that served as local testing centers in last year's exams, and the SC offices that made its conduct a success.

The 2022 Bar examination was held in four days, within a two-week period in November.

This was the second localized— held in 14 testing centers across the country—and digitized examinations.

Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, who will serve as the chairperson of the next Bar exams, also delivered an inspirational message and told the new lawyers that the membership in the Bar is not a self-centered occupation, and that their success is not measured on money or fame or awards.

"In truth, the true golden laurel rests in the lives and livelihood that were secured rights that were protected, the injustices that were rectified and justice that was served," he continued. Hernando also reminded them to use social media responsibility, guide of which has been included in the CPRA. "Be careful what you click. TikTok wisely. Keep a clean profile. Call out improprieties in Facebook pages and lawyer groups," the justice said. g

DOTr not ruling out sabotage in latest...

three hours into the flight but had to return to Haneda, calling it " hours of useless flying" and a "horrendous" loss to tourism and business.

Additional generators sought

Bautista is now mulling for additional generator systems within NAIA, especially that a lack of airconditioning during the power outage made the ordeal worse health-wise especially for the elderly.

"One of the problems is that there are areas in the airport

where the temperature is quite warm because the existing power provided by the generator is not enough to support the whole operations of terminal 3," he said.

"We need to acquire more generators so that we can support the 100% power requirement of our Terminal 3... You know this terminal is a 25-year-old terminal."

The DOTr says that terminal upgrades should really be prioritized by the government after this mishap. It could be remembered that NAIA was

MANILA — Senators renewed their call for the passage of a bill seeking to put up a national virology institute to boost local vaccine development and protect the country from pandemics.

The senators made the call amid the observance of World Immunization Week from April 24 to 30 and the recent increase in COVID-19 cases.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, who authored Senate Bill 941 or the proposed Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines (VIP) Act of 2022, said the COVID-19 pandemic should be a wake-up call for the country, which had to scramble for vaccines.

The bill seeks to create the VIP to serve as the premier research and development institute in the field of virology, encompassing all areas of study of viruses and viral diseases in plants, animals and humans.

Other senators who filed similar bills are Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri (SB 599), Senate President Pro Tempore Loren

Legarda (SB 489), Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva (SB 1322), Cynthia Villar (SB 1928), Lito Lapid (SB 1890), Raffy Tulfo (SB 1818), Robin Padilla (SB 1363), Joseph Victor Ejercito (SB 1161), Mark Villar (SB 1130), Bong Revilla (SB 981), Jinggoy Estrada (SB 281) and Bong Go (SB 196).

Bivalent vaccine deal

Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Leachon, a former adviser to a government COVID task force, said President Marcos should try to secure a supply deal for bivalent COVID-19 vaccines when he meets with United States President Joe Biden in Washington.

Leachon also warned that the positivity rate will continue to rise if the public does not adhere to the minimum public health standards, especially the mandatory wearing of face masks.

“Bivalent vaccines should be part of the long-term strategy.

President Marcos should be able to discuss this matter with US President Joe Biden in the President’s visit to the US,”

Leachon said.

He said the bivalent vaccines will be able to address the old Wuhan strain and the new subvariants like

Options?

Leachon also said the Food and Drug Administration should approve the certificate of product registration so those willing to be inoculated with this new vaccine will have access to it, like in the US.

He said while he respects DOH policies, the agency “should not turn a blind eye to the fact that mandatory face masks is the only option we have, given the low booster rate that we have as we open the economy.”

“People need definitive solutions. We can’t control mobility. But we can wear face masks conveniently to protect the people,” he said.

He said the public must remain vigilant as “complacency hurts or even kills, especially in vulnerable patients.”

“Perhaps the mild symptoms and low hospitalization rate may not be compelling reasons, but a sick workforce might affect productivity in the long run. The quality of life of people will be affected. Long COVID patients will be another problem moving forward,” he said. g

tagged as the "worst business class airport in the world" by an international study published last May 2022. It was likewse ranked as the third "most stressful airport in Asia and Oceania" last November by travel blog Hawaiian Islands. NAIA-3 was only partially opened last July 22 after being originally scheduled to operate in 2002 due to a legal dispute between the state and Philippine International Air Terminals Co. Inc. over the build-operatetransfer contract. g

Supreme Court Clerk of Court En Banc Marife M. Lomibao-Cuevas, a lawyer, administers the Lawyer’s Oath to the successful Bar 2022 passers. Philstar.com photo

Asian

Barbie, David thankful for each other

By CharMie Joy Pagulong Philstar.com

BARBIE Forteza and David Licauco have so many things to be thankful for because of their popular loveteam, also known as BarDa and Maria Clara at Ibarra’s FiLay.

“One of the reasons I’m thankful for because of BarDa is I gained a friend (in David),” declared Barbie during a recent thanksgiving dinner with fans. The STAR had a quick chat with Barbie and David at the event hosted by Universal Records Philippines to celebrate the success of the official music video for Ben&Ben’s cover of The Way You Look at Me featuring the Kapuso love team.

The music video, which now has over 1.4 million views on YouTube, also had the special participation of Shuvee Etrata and Christian Bautista, the original singer of the song. To recall, it was Christian’s first single and hit song that enjoyed airplay in other Southeast Asian countries.

“I can really say that David is really a true friend and we helped each other. And parehas kaming nagiging ‘power back’ ng isa’t isa. Kapag medyo pagod na yung isa di ba. Nakakatuwa lang to work someone like David. He understands his co-actor. Most of all, maalaga siya sa leading lady niya,” continued Barbie.

David, who could be seen hugging Barbie from behind, shared that he is also “thankful for Barbie.” He echoed what Barbie said and added, “Siyempre with the personality of Barbie, parang aalagan mo talaga.

Barbie asked, “Why?”

The actor, who’s been dubbed Pambansang Ginoo, responded, “It just comes natural, I guess. Again, I wanna thank all our supporters.” He mentioned the BarDa, FiLay and their respective fan bases.

“Lahat sila nandiyan. Every single day, (they are) like tweeting us (and) creating TikTok videos for us. I’m just really, really thankful for that. So don’t worry, gagalingan pa namin to serve as an inspiration, hopefully to everybody,” he added.

Regarding their summer plans, both stated that they will just be busy working. The onscreen partners will soon release their first movie together, That Kind of Love, which they are currently filming, and an upcoming GMA 7 teleserye titled Pulang Araw

David confirmed that their trip to Vienna in Austria will push through, although he didn’t give clear details on what project they will have that trip for.

“You know what, they (fans) thought that trip to Vienna did not push through because of me,” Barbie told David. “Nagagalit sila kasi ako daw dahilan kung bakit hindi natuloy yung Vienna.”

David came to Barbie’s defense, saying, “Tuloy yung Vienna. Actually, mauuna kami dun ni Barbie. Joke lang. Tuloy na tuloy yung Vienna.”

The happy fans at the event teased them. Barbie confirmed, “Yes and please watch out for other details.”

The Kapuso actress offered Yeng Constantino’s track Chinito as her theme song for David, while the latter dedicated Bakit Hindi Ka Crush Ng Crush Mo by Zia Quizon to Barbie.

“Joke lang,” David was quick to add and the two broke into laughter.

Barbie gamely remarked, “May kanta bang ganun? Yun po ang first single ni David Licauco under Universal Records.”

David recently signed a contract with Universal Records as their newest artist. Does Barbie also have plans of further exploring her musical side and be a recording artist as well? “I think for now full support muna ako kay David because (I’m) so proud of him as a recording artist,” she said.

In 2013, Barbie released a self-titled album under MCA Records with Meron Ba as carrier single.

During the program, the fans were thrilled as they got to interact and play games with their favorite stars. The pair also reenacted some scenes from The Way You Look at Me music video. But the highlight of the event was when they acted out a marriage proposal as their alternate ending to the music video.

David got down on one knee, brought out a ring and asked, “Binibining Klay (Barbie’s character in Maria Clara at Ibarra), maari mo ba akong pakasalan?”

Barbie whispered something to David before she said yes. They hugged with David giving Barbie a forehead kiss, an act that brought so much more kilig to the giggling audience in the already romantic evening.

Dolly attributes success to hard work and timing

By Boy aBunda Philstar.com

BEFORE Dolly de Leon became famous that she is today, she went through many failures, rejections and hardships that could easily weaken one’s spirit. Dolly was first to admit that her life’s obstacles were then too tough for her to handle but she chose not to give up.

Dolly created a lot of buzz in Hollywood for her brilliant acting performance in Triangle of Sadness. She’s the firstever Filipino actress to be nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globes and at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in the same category.

Film critics also showered Dolly with praise for her effective acting. Moreover, Dolly received more nominations from international award-giving bodies.

“I’ve become a happier person. I was really down in the dumps before any of this happened. I was really in a bad, dark place before,” Dolly disclosed when we had our one-on-one interview in Fast Talk With Boy Abunda. As she looked back on what she had been through, the actress cited the importance of treating everyone with kindness.

“What I also learned about this whole thing is that we always have to be kind to everyone we encounter, and that’s basically it,” she said.

“You’re right about that gap between what happened before and who I am now. There is a gap there and there is a transition that happens. And through that transition, the biggest thing I learned is that, buti na lang I was kind to everyone I had known before,” she added.

Dolly also noticed the big change in the way she’s being treated by people. “The big difference is people who have not been so kind suddenly are so kind now.”

Nevertheless, Dolly assured

Dolly, who received multiple nominations for her performance in Triangle of Sadness, shows her moments of frustration and rejection can serve as motivation for young actors not to lose hope and to just keep on working hard until they succeed. Photo from Instagram/@dollydeleon that nothing has ever changed in the way she deals with people.

“I treat them with kindness. Kung pinili nilang maging mean or snubbish before, hindi ko sila gagayahin,” she shared.

“The only way to lead is by example di ba it’s walking the talk. I can’t say, ‘Treat people with kindness,’ tapos hindi ako kind.” She continued, “So, it doesn’t matter who you are, kahit nga sinong taong talagang badtrip na badtrip ako or hindi ko talaga type, I still treat them with kindness.”

Her moments of frustration and rejection can serve as motivation for young actors not to lose hope and to just keep on working hard until they succeed.

Naranasan ko na pong mag-audition (sa) cattle call. ‘Pag sinabing cattle call, lahat ng artista nandun, 300 actors nandun. Ibig sabihin nun maraming roles ang kailangan kaya maraming pinapapunta na hindi ako pumasa,” Dolly recalled.

She, too, had been rejected many times during auditions for theater plays and “I also experienced auditioning for local film festivals and I didn’t pass.” “But it didn’t mean that I gave up. Of course, I felt sad but that didn’t stop me. It should never stop you. And

don’t be discouraged. Don’t ever think na, ‘Ay, hindi ako pumasa sa audition na ito, wala na akong pag-asa. No. We must go on and on. Laban lang ng laban and keep going to every audition,” she remarked. In the life of an actor, rejections are inevitable. One must learn how to accept failures because “the success rate in auditions is really low. Rejection is part of our job. That’s the sad thing of being an actor. We have to learn to accept it and live with it,” stressed Dolly, who apart from being an actress, is also an acting coach.

In the midst of her hardships, Dolly was supported by fellow actress and dear friend Eugene Domingo, especially when she experienced some financial struggles.

“Uge (Eugene) and I have known each other since we were young, teenagers pa kami. We were together in UP theater arts so barkada na kami n’yan,” she recalled.

“At the time when I was going through really hard times, Kuya Boy, because there were really times when I had no way to pay for the electric bill, when my child had to stop schooling because I could not pay for the tuition, a lot of friends came to support me and Uge (was) one of them.”

Continued on Page 9

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concert to remember: ‘The Champions’ with Joel Sebag live at Pechanga Resort

Casino, May 21

IT’S a night to remember!

Three seasonal top Filipino singers dubbed as ‘The Champions’ along with Joel Sebag, a renowned singer cum pianist, will perform on stage live at Pechanga Resort Casino on May 21, Sunday at 6 p.m.

Pechanga Resort Casino, conveniently located off Highway I-15 in Temecula Valley, Southern California wine county, is well-known for hosting only the best and the brightest Filipino entertainers and performers aimed to provide the ultimate experience, especially to its Filipino-American patrons.

Mark your calendars as wholesome live entertainment will come straight from multifaceted artists and singers in the likes of Klarisse De Guzman, Marcelito Pomoy, Mitoy Yonting, and Sebag.

Klarisse, a composer, host and judge of “Tawag ng Tanghalan,” a local (Philippine) show, also rose to prominence when she capped first place during the initial season of the famed Voice of the Philippines in 2013. She later on placed third in another reality singing competition, “Your Face Sounds Familiar,” in 2021.

Internationally recognized Marcelito Pomoy, known for his ability to sing in tenor and soprano, was the grand winner in the second season of “Pilipinas Got Talent.”

He took part later on in “America’s Got Talent: The Champions,” finishing fourth overall.

Popularly named ‘Mitoy’, Michael Yonting carved his career in various capacities as

a singer, comedian, actor, and lead vocalist for his band, “The Draybers,” where he rose to fame after bagging the title in the first season of “The Voice of the Philippines” in 2013. This catapulted his career and he became part of the Philippine Ballet Theatre’s two-night concert.

Inspired by the ‘transforming power of God’s grace that continues to manifest

in his life and gospel songs, Joel Sebag, a physical therapist who graduated from Boston University, has been a wellknown pianist since the age of 7, and his passion for music exemplifies his love as a true believer of the Lord. He went as far as Eureka Springs, Arizona and Kimberting City, Missouri to perform live with other inspirational piano concert bands.

Liza talks about Philippine love teams

What are you waiting for?

This event only happens once in a lifetime! Get your tickets now from the Pechanga Box Office, or by calling 888-810-8871, or visit www.pechnga.com.

Pechanga Summit features a 40,000-square foot area for entertainers, concerts, live sporting events, trade shows, weddings, or any large groups to book. In total, Pechanga now offers 274,500 square feet of indoor/outdoor contemporary meeting and event space, which significantly enhanced the amenities, space and visibility of Pechanga’s event offerings.

Pechanga Resort Casino offers one of the largest and most expansive resort/ casino experiences anywhere in the United States. Voted the number one casino in the country by USA Today and rated a Four Diamond property by AAA since 2002, Pechanga Resort Casino provides an unparalleled getaway, whether for the day or for an extended luxury stay. Offering 5,400 of the hottest slots, 152 table games, a 1,100 room and suite hotel, dining, luxury spa, and golf at Journey at Pechanga, Pechanga Resort Casino features a destination that meets and exceeds the needs of its guests and the community. Pechanga Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians. For more information, call toll free (877) 711-2946 or visit www. pechanga.com. Follow Pechanga Resort Casino on Facebook and on Twitter @ PechangaCasino.

(Advertising Supplement)

By Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

LIZA Soberano got candid about love teams in the Philippines, revealing how this phenomenon persists and the expectations actors need to meet.

During her interview with BTOB’s Peniel and Ashley Choi for the “Get Real” podcast, Liza said love teams in the country are expected to be “reel and real.”

“In the Philippines, there’s this huge phenomenon called love teams. It’s when they put two actors together and they become like ‘Brangelina.’ They ship you. But in this scenario, we’re supposed to be reel and real. We are supposed to be a real couple on and off cam. We only work with each other throughout our whole career,” she said.

“In love teams, you’re expected to be with just that one person throughout your career and in your personal life. People don’t want to see you aside any other male actor or any other male in general,” she added.

Liza was part of LizQuen, the love team name of hers and real-life boyfriend Enrique Gil. The couple was considered as one of the more popular love teams in the country in the 2010s, alongside their contemporaries, Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla or KathNiel, and James Reid and Nadine Lustre a.k.a JaDine.

Like KathNiel and JaDine, LizQuen also headlined some of ABS-CBN’s nightly dramas and movies released by the studio’s film outfit Star Cinema. Their breakout

love team pairing was “Forevermore” aired as a nightly family romance drama from 2014 to 2015. It was followed by other TV series that included “Dolce Amore” and “Bagani.” On the big screen, they starred in “Just The Way You Are,” “My Ex and Whys” and “Alone/Together.”

The actress also shared how love teams are made.

“What happens in the beginning of your career is they kind of test you. They put you in a project together where you guys aren’t necessarily the leads. It’s kind of like a chemistry test. If it becomes popular among the viewers, they put you in your own movie or TV show. If that really takes off, you become

Liza Soberano uploads a heartfelt vlog days after her social media accounts were wiped out. Photo from Instagram/@

Barbie Forteza and David Licauco are featured in the music video of Ben&Ben’s cover of the Christian Bautista hit song The Way You Look at Me under Universal Records Philippines.

Lea Salonga begins rehearsal for Broadway musical ‘Here Lies Love’

By JAn Milo seveRo Philstar.com

BROADWAY star Lea Salonga has began rehearsing for the musical “Here Lies Love.”

In her Instagram account, Lea posted a photo of her with the cast of the Broadway musical.

“First day of @herelieslovebway rehearsals! The first ALL-FILIPINO company on Broadway! What a way to kick off #AAPIHeritageMonth2023!!” Lea wrote in the caption.

“Here Lies Love” is the first musical on Broadway about the Philippines. All of the leading roles are mostly Filipinos.

Lea said joining the musical is very special to her.

“Number one, as a Filipino artist, I am incredibly excited that audiences will finally get to see on Broadway this beautiful, impactful and important musical,” she said.

“Two, I get to go back to the Broadway Theatre which is where I made my own Broadway debut over 30 years ago, which is wild for me to think about. So, it’s a really sweet, full-circle moment,” she added.

Apart from Lea, other Filipino cast members are Melody Butiu, Moses Villarama, Jasmine Forsberg, Reanne Acasio, Jaygee Macapugay, Julia Abueva, Renée Albulario, Aaron Alcaraz,

Liza talks about Philippine love...

From Page 8

a love team. You get shipped really hard. Once you’re in a love team, you star in project after project together,” she said.

Liza also said revealed that love teams are not allowed to talk if they are dating in real life for fans to be more into them.

“The thing is in the beginning of your love team, too, you’re not allowed to say

that you are dating because you want to keep the fans kind of hungry for you guys to actually be dating. It helps with the projects because they are always excited,” she said.

“Whenever we do interviews going into the projects, they are always asking whether we are officially dating already or not. It becomes this whole thing where your career and

Jodi on her ‘historic’ project, completing her bucket list

By Rito P. Asilo Inquirer.net

JODI Sta. Maria says she doesn’t always agree with the decisions her screen characters make — and that’s when she’s able to put her experience and time-honed empathy to good use.

your personal life — the line between the two gets blurred. People just don’t know what reality is,” she added.

Liza also said that love teams are the only way to be a popular celebrity in the Philippines if someone’s not a singer. “In the Philippines the only way to become a big star really — if you’re not a singer, if you’re an actor — is to be in a love team,” she said.

Dolly attributes success...

From Page 8

She went on to tell that Eugene provided for her son’s educational needs and it all the more made their friendship stronger.

“She paid for my son’s tuition for three years. She never left even if she reached that superstardom level already,” she said. “She was always a friend. She was always Uge, as we know her.

“So, totoong kaibigan ang tingin ko talaga sa kanya at ang laking tulong n’ya sa akin nito, itong buong thing na nangyayari sa akin kasi kumbaga dinaanan na n’ya ito kaya binigyan n’ya ko ng tips,” Dolly shared, referring to the

accolades she received for her performance in Triangle of Sadness. I asked Dolly how much of who she is today is luck? How much of that is timing and how much of that is talent and hard work?

“I would say that hard work is 90 percent, timing is probably 10 percent. Luck has nothing to do with it. I worked really hard to become the actor that I am today,” she replied.

“It was a lot of hard work and timing also. Timing in terms of ‘yung mga bata, they are now more conscious of being more inclusive and accepting of all kinds of stories,” she added.

“When you embark on a certain role, you have to learn everything about the person you’re playing,” the 40-year-old actress told us during our quick one-on-one chat after she and her son, Thirdy Lacson, were launched recently as Chowking’s latest endorsers. “What is her background? How does she think? What are her choices in life? What motivates her? What are her major concerns and the ‘hugots’ that keep her awake at night? “The answers to those questions help me justify the hard decisions a character makes. It may be something that I wouldn’t personally do, but that’s how I understand her motives and actions. Nabibigyan ako ng kakaibang perspective on the different issues we face on a daily basis.”

The aforementioned insightful answer was how the lovely actress explained to us when we asked her if she ever takes away life lessons from her characters.

Versatile actress

But it also probably explains why Jodi is always convincing in any role she’s tasked to bring to life, whether she’s playing the adorable Maya in “Be Careful with My Heart,” the vengeful Amor in “Pangako Sa ‘Yo,” the hunted nun Lourdes in “Aparisyon,” careerwoman Trisha in “Labyu with an Accent,” or Dr. Jill Ilustre in “The Broken Marriage Vow,” for which she won a best actress award at the Asian Academy Creative Awards in December last year.

Clad in a red outfit that showed off her enviable whistlebait figure, Jodi was truly a sight to behold as she took part not just in games, but also in

explaining the fast-food chain’s “enhanced” products.

More than that, Jodi was also the picture of a contented actress and mother who’s grateful for the blessings that continue to come her way — like the upcoming series “Unbreak My Heart,” her reunion project with Richard Yap.

More opportunities

“When I was offered ‘Unbreak My Heart,’ which was shot in Switzerland, my first reaction was, ‘This is surreal! Is this really happening?’ Never did I imagine that a project like this—the first coproduction between rivals, ABS-CBN and GMA Network—would happen in this lifetime… and I am grateful to be a part of it!

Dati kasi, para silang dalawang nag-uumpugang bato. Pero parang biglang nawala ang network war when the collaboration happened— and that’s great for the industry. That’s why I keep describing it as ‘historic’—because it’s a first in Philippine TV. More than the partnership, it provides different opportunities to people from both camps.

“I then realized that when

the shutdown [of ABS-CBN] happened, this was what was unearthed… the treasure that was hidden in the dark! After going through a dark period in our lives, it’s part of the inspiring payoff.”

After realizing so many of her dreams, we asked Jodi what other items are left unticked on her bucket list—as an actress and as a person.

“I want to star in a Hollywood film!” Jodi said with a shy smile. “Medyo nahihiya pa daw, ‘no (laughs)? But I am ambitious… I’m driven by goals that keep me in fighting form. The goals that I pursue and the steps I take to realize them keep me going.

“So I dream that it’ll happen one day. If it doesn’t, that’s OK too. What’s even more important for me is that I’m able to leave a good legacy as an actress.

“Meanwhile, as a person, I love to travel. This year, I’ll see if I can tick off another item on my bucket list… and that is to travel to Antarctica! Look, I’ve already been to the other six continents… sa Antarctica na lang hindi (laughs). So, I just want to complete all seven.”

Jodi Sta. Maria at the launch. Inquirer.net

Multi-awarded singer-actress Lea Salonga Photo from Instagram/@msleasalonga

Carol Angeli, Nathan Angelo, Kristina Doucette, Roy Flores, Timothy Matthew Flores, Sarah Kay, Jeigh Madjus, Aaron “AJ” Mercado, Geena Quintos, Shea Renne, and Angelo Soriano. The show will premiere on June 17.

Client with $1-M disaster loan and multiple outlets files Chapter 7

Debt Relief

THE client has been in business since 2014. It has multiple outlets, more than 15 in the Southland. Some outlets are profitable, some break even, and some lose a little money, but on net basis, the business is profitable.

When things were good, it had 30 employees. Then the pandemic came into our lives and things were never the same again for client. In 2020, the first year of the pandemic, all outlets were losing money. Stockholders put in another $300,000 of capital but that was not enough to keep the business afloat. So, when the PPP loans became available, client applied and obtained an approval for a $1M disaster loan within a few days.

The $1M went into client’s checking account. Client is a C corporation with three stockholders. The entire $1M loan proceeds went to pay salaries and wages and some

rent. But even with the disaster loan, client lost $500,000 in 2020.

In 2021, the client started closing the retail outlets one by one, starting with the ones losing the most money, to cut down drastically on expenses. But even as expenses were being cut, revenues were way below pre-pandemic levels. So, 2021 was also a banner year for losses for client. In 2022, only three outlets remained, but all three were still losing money. Stockholders could not agree to put in more capital so by the end of 2022, client decided to stop operations completely.

In 2023, the stockholders decided that client should file for Chapter 7 liquidation as it looked like there was no way for revenues to get back to pre-pandemic levels. Even Bed, Bath and Beyond, which had 300 outlets nationwide decided last week to file for Chapter 7 liquidation.

The U.S. economy, as some pundits observe, is on its way to a recession, hopefully a mild one. The Feds keep increasing benchmark interest rate to tame inflation to achieve a soft landing for the economy without recession.

Will a domestic violence finding affect my claim for sole or joint custody of our children?

The unjust Russian invasion of Ukraine, now on month 15, is a hot war that seems intractable. Kudos to the brave and heroic Ukrainians who are fighting for the very soul of their country and people. This war has debilitated the entire global economy and has spiked food prices everywhere as Ukraine is the major supplier of wheat to the world. Maybe China can broker an end to this war sooner than later. Xi Jin Ping has Putin’s ear and Zelinsky is open to help from China to end the war.

If you have too much debt and need relief, please set an appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally.

* * * Disclaimer: None of the foregoing is considered legal advice for anyone. There is absolutely no attorney client relationship established by reading this article.

* * *

Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California.  Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement)

Historic Filipino American Friendship Monument celebrates its one year anniversary

MEMBERS and friends of the Filipino American Business Association of Glendale (FABAG-GLAC) gathered to celebrate the One Year Anniversary of the Historic “FILIPINO AMERICAN FRIENDSHIP MONUMENT”, a community-based and supported project by this non profit organization!

During the short program, FABAG Past President Edith M. Fuentes gave a brief history of how the project evolved from being a dream, to reality and now, part of history.  She mentioned that this project symbolizes 3 of the many reasons:

1- A TRIBUTE - Remembering and in Honor of one of the Founders and Past Presidents of FABAG, Ruby De Vera (RIP) and a Thank You to all Past Presidents.

2- To COMMEMORATE - FABAG’s more than 30 years of community service and collaboration with the City, businesses and inter-cultural relations among the many ethnic groups.

3- In GRATITUDE and FRIENDSHIP - To the City of Glendale and its residents, for many years of unwavering help and support, for warmly welcoming us, and to this day - fully embracing our Filipino heritage and culture.

LA Philippine Consul General Edgar Badajos said - “I am more than elated to have joined the Fil-Am community in the City of Glendale on the 1st year anniversary of the Filipino-American Friendship Monument, the first of its kind in the city of Glendale and probably in the rest of Southern California.

Some may say, this monument is a mute witness to the great relationship that exists between our two countries and peoples. But, I say, it is an eloquent proof of the great strides we have made in advancing our mutually beneficial relationship though the years.

Just as this monument is made of granite, a strong material that can last several lifetimes, so is the Philippine-American friendship founded on a strong footing that is guaranteed to last for many years to come.”

The Friendship Monument project was spearheaded by Past Presidents Edith M. Fuentes and Ruby De Vera. (Ruby passed away during the pandemic). This monument is now a part of Filipino American heritage and history, not only in Glendale and LA County, but in the State of California.

Joining the celebration were - LA Philippine Consul General Edgar Badajos, State Senator Anthony Portantino, Glendale Mayor Daniel Brotman, Councilmembers Elen Asatryan, Paula Devine, and Ardy Ardashes Kassakhian. Also present were  Cogressman Adam Schiff’s Field Rep. Michael Aguilera-Gaudette, Assembymember Laura Friedman’s Rep. Christopher Khachadour, Senator Portantino’s Field Rep. Erica Nam, Glendale YMCA Pres. and CEO George Saikali, Consulate’s Elvis Tamayo and Celebrate YOUniqueness member Nora

Yacoubian.

The Monument Donors and Supporters (now called Friends of FABAG-GLAC) came again to have their pictures taken with the Monument and celebrate history. Family and Friends joined FABAG Officers and Board Members - Marlene Cagatao, Marnie Lacsamana, Celia Diaz Defato, Rose Linda Gonzales, Olivia Lopez, Gloria Morelos, Nelly Neri Aquino, Cora Aragon Soriano, LolitaLolita Bandong, Ami Bautista, Jo Solomonson, Editha Maniquis Fuentes and many more. (Contributed by Edith Fuentes)

AN action under the DVPA (Domestic Violence Protection Act) seeking a restraining order often is necessary to protect parties from abuse or domestic violence perpetrated by the other spouse or significant other. At times, it is effective in preventing harm to one of the parties. At the same time, this process is sometimes abused by family law litigants as a strategy for obtaining an advantage in a child custody case. The basis for this is the presumption against sole or joint custody under California family code section 3044. California Family Code Section 3044 (a) provides “Upon a finding by the court that a party seeking custody of a child has perpetrated domestic violence against the other party seeking custody of the child or against the child or the child’s siblings within the previous five years, there is a rebuttable presumption that an award of sole or joint physical or legal custody of a child to a person who has perpetrated domestic violence is detrimental to the best interest of the child, pursuant to Section 3011. This presumption may only be rebutted by a preponderance of the evidence.

In determining whether the presumption in family code 3044(a) has been overcome, the court shall consider all of the following factors:(1)

Whether the perpetrator of domestic violence has demonstrated that giving sole or joint physical or legal custody of a child to the perpetrator is in the best interest of the child. In determining the best interest of the child, the preference for frequent and continuing contact with both parents, as set forth in subdivision (b) of Section 3020, or with the noncustodial parent, as set forth in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 3040, may not be used torebut the presumption, in whole or in part.(2)

Whether the perpetrator has successfully completed a batterer’s treatment program that meets the criteria outlined in subdivision (c) of Section 1203.097 of the Penal Code.

(3) Whether the perpetrator has successfully completed a program of alcohol or drug

abuse counseling if the court determines that counseling is appropriate. (4) Whether the perpetrator has successfully completed a parenting class if the court determines the class to be appropriate. (5) Whether the perpetrator is on probation or parole, and whether he or she has complied with the terms and conditions of probation or parole. (6) Whether the perpetrator is restrained by a protective order or restraining order, and whether he or she has complied with its terms and conditions. (7) Whether the perpetrator of domestic violence has committed any further acts of domestic violence.

A person has “perpetrated domestic violence” when he or she is found by the court to have intentionally or recklessly caused or attempted to cause bodily injury, or sexual assault, or to have placed a person in reasonable apprehension of imminent serious bodily injury to that person or to another, or to have engaged in any behavior involving, but not limited to, threatening, striking, harassing, destroying personal property or disturbing the peace of another, for which a court may issue an ex parte order pursuant to Section 6320 to protect the other party seeking custody of the child or to protect the child and the child’s siblings.The requirement of a finding by the court shall be satisfied by, among other things, and not limited to, evidence that a party seeking custody has been convicted within the previous five years, after a trial or a plea of guilty or no contest, of any crime against the other party that comes within the definition of domestic violence contained in Section 6211 and of abuse contained in Section 6203, including, but not limited to, a crime described in subdivision (e) of Section 243 of, or Section 261,262, 273.5, 422, or 646.9 of, the Penal Code.The requirement of a finding by the court shall also be satisfied if any court, whether that court hears or has heard the child custody proceedings or not, has made a finding pursuant to subdivision (a) based on conduct occurring within the previous five years.

In Christina L v. Chauncey B, 229 Cal. App 4th 731 (2014),the Court of appeal held that because a Domestic Violence restraining order must be based on a finding that the party being restrained committed one or more acts of domestic abuse, a finding

of domestic abuse sufficient to support a DVPA restraining order necessarily triggers the rebuttable statutory presumption that an award of sole or joint physical or legal custody of a child to a person who has perpetrated domestic violence is detrimental to the best interest of the child. Cal. Fam. Code §§ 3044. The presumption that an award of sole or joint physical or legal custody of a child to a person who has perpetrated domestic violence is detrimental to the best interest of the child changes the burden of persuasion, but may be overcome by a preponderance of the evidence showing that it is in the child’s best interest to grant joint or sole custody to the offending parent. Cal. Fam. Code § 3044. In that case, the father had a history of perpetrating domestic violence against the mother. Domestic Violence restraining orders has been issued multiple times over the years including within the last 5 years. The trial court ignored both the existing restraining order, the legal effect of such a judicial finding, and failed to apply the family code 3044 presumption and instead awarded joint custody to father. The Court of appeal reversed and remanded the case back to the trial court. (copyright 7/7/15).

* * *

Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice.  The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information.  This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed.  The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you.  This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC  This article is not a solicitation.

* * * Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@ gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com. (Advertising Supplement)

Is Maricel afraid of losing her popularity?

By Ronnie CaRRasCo iii ManilaTimes.net

IN between jobs for the most part last year, Maricel Soriano discovered she could divert her time to what seems every celebrity these days has practically ventured into: vlogging. In one of her most recent vlogs, the country’s Diamond Star had as guest her niece Meryll Soriano, daughter of her sister Bek-Bek.

The episode had them both in the living room presumably of Maricel’s residence. Clad in all white (top and pants), the mag-tita chose a topic that centered on questions they haven’t dared ask each other.

Supposedly no-holdsbarred, there was one question by Meryll which her aunt dodged. “Tita, what do you think was your greatest mistake in life?” Meryll probed.

If people knew Maricel well enough, she’d probably shoot the question to herself even before Meryll could. And if we’ve known her since time immemorial, Maricel wouldn’t mince words she’d answer it right away and hit the nail in the head.

No beating around the bush. But no, Maricel opted to politely excuse herself, Marami pero hindi ko puwedeng sabihin. Kumbaga, sa atin-atin na lang ‘yon, pero ikaw ang nakakaalam kung ano ‘yon.” At that juncture, I wanted to discontinue my vlog watching simply because it wasn’t how I perceived Maricel to be: brutally frank yet forthright.

In my mind I was hoping Maricel would make it up given Meryll’s succeeding questions. I was convincing myself that

the actress would be able to acquit herself.

After all, the reason why I stayed glued and all ears to that particular episode was my sheer curiosity about what else I didn’t know about or was not familiar with Maricel. Then came Meryll’s inquiry, “Takot ka bang malaos?

Again, I was silently coaxing myself that I wasn’t watching a Q & A portion of a beauty contest aimed to measure a candidate’s wit or intelligence, or lack of it.

Maricel fired, “Hindi, hindi ako natatakot malaos.” She qualified her curt reply by sharing a valuable lesson she has learned from the elderly.

“Kasi, noong bata ako palibhasa meron akong ‘Dumbo ears,’ naririnig ko at nasasagap ko sa mga matatanda na may katapusan ang lahat. As in kung sikat ka man ngayon, magpasalamat ka. Kung hindi ka na sikat, ibigay mo na sa iba kasi lipas na ang panahon mo. ‘Ika nga share it with others.”

Only then was I able to heave a relieving sigh even if Maricel could have churned out an answer straight from her heart. She sounded a bit too showbizzy, bereft of honesty. Totally unfair as it could be, I couldn’t help but imagine if it were her archrival Sharon Cuneta who was asked the same question.

But of course, no two people are alike. But if there was one good point in that particular episode – at least as far as her diehard fans are concerned – it was Maricel’s frenzied announcement of her TV comeback. She gushed, “Excited na akong bumalik sa pag-arte! Para kasing may nagsasabing, ‘Go, Mary...go, Mary!’ It’s been a while nga naman since I had a regular TV show.”

On purpose, I had to terminate my vlog watching after that portion as I refused to further subject myself to disappointment.

Good thing, it was Maricel who admitted on her vlog that she doesn’t read showbiz stuff so as not to get affected if she gets negatively written about.

Well, that sounded another dishonest line. Meanwhile, if there’s one thing I’m excited about is Maricel’s doing a vlog with Villma Santos who accepted the former’s invite to do a collab with alacrity.

The two were present at the recent first ever FDCP’s Sining ng Parangal, of which Vilma was one of the seven awardees. Vilma, however, told Maricel she earlier made a promise to Sharon Cuneta, Naka-commit din kasi ako sa kanya pero sure na ‘yung sa atin.”

Here’s looking forward to the Edu Manzano’s exes’ collab minus the disappointment.

Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes

Barrister’s Corner

‘Diamond Star’ Maricel Soriano

Photo from Instagram/@

The Friendship Monument standing firm and tall in front of the Glendale Adult Recreation Center.

LA Philippine Consul General Edgar Badajos giving his greetings and congratulatory remarks.

cake and song for ConGen Badajos with Senator Portantino, Mayor Brotman, Councilmember Devine and FABAG