050620 - Southern California Midweek Edition

May 6-8, 2020 Volume 30 - No. 35 • 2 Sections - 14 Page

DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Fil-Am retail businesses in California weigh reopening under ‘new normal’

by CHRISTINA

M. ORIEL

AJPress

AS California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a plan this week to begin loosening some restrictions, Filipino American business owners whose retail stores have been closed for the past two months are mulling whether to reopen under new modifications.

Newsom on Monday, May 4 unveiled stage two of

reopening lower-risk workplaces — which were previously deemed non-essential — with certain measures, including masks for employees, and curbside pickup and physical distancing for customers, as early as Friday.

“We’re not going back to normal,” said Newsom in his daily remarks on Tuesday, talking about the next phase. ”It’s a new normal with adaptations and modifi-

Fil-Am Snapchat co-founder donates $5 million to fund more ‘Angeleno Cards’ for low-income residents

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International flights into PH suspended until May 8

Bobby Murphy, the Fil-Am co-founder of Snapchat

THE Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles will now be able to distribute more Angeleno Cards to struggling families thanks to a $5 million donation from Filipino American tech entrepreneur Bobby Murphy, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Angeleno Cards, which were first unveiled on April 13, are prepaid debit cards specifically for lower-income Angelenos who were financially hit the hardest by the coronavirus pandemic, as previously reported in the Asian Journal.

The first application period of the Ange-

cations, until we get to immunity and a vaccine.”

Among the businesses he referenced that can start to open their doors are florists and stores that sell books, clothing and sporting goods.

Pamela Augustus, co-owner of Cerritos Florist in Cerritos, California, closed the store in early March following Los Angeles County’s “safer at home” order

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

FRONT-LINERS. Medical technologists of the Philippine Coast Guard help each other wear personal protective equipment (PPE) during the opening of the swabbing facility at the Palacio De Maynila on Roxas Boulevard in Manila on Tuesday, May 5. The medical front-liners will man the swab testing booth.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

ALL international flights to and from the Philippines will remain suspended until May 8, following the approval of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

However, official flights, emergency flights, cargo ambulance and medical supply flights, weather mitigation flights, maintenance flights, and international flights for stranded foreign nationals are exempted from the suspension order, Malacañang clarified on Tuesday, May 5.

The Philippines on Sunday, May 3 suspended all the inbound international passenger and commercial flights in and out of the country to further stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said it has already issued a Notice to Airmen to suspend all inbound international passenger and commercial flights up to 8 a.m. of May 10, following the order of Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the National Task Force COVID-19.

“This decision is meant to decongest our quarantine

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Pope Francis promotes Cardinal Tagle to rank of cardinal-bishop This National Nurses Week, remember the Filipino and Fil-Am nurses providing care and risking their lives daily

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

FILIPINO Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle has been promoted

by Pope Francis to the rank of cardinal-bishop, the highest position within the Church’s College of Cardinals.

The Catholic Church on Friday, May 1, announced that the Pope elevated the rank of the former archbishop of Manila.

“The appointment was made in an audience granted to Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, Substitute for General Affairs for the Secretariat of State, on 14

April 2020,” the Vatican press said.

“In naming Cardinal Tagle to the Order of Bishops, Pope Francis made him equal in all respects to those Cardinals with suburbicarian Churches,” it added.

Tagle has been serving as Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples since February, replacing Cardinal Fernando Filoni.

Before the Pope appointed him to the role in Vatican City, Tagle was the 32nd Archbishop of Manila from 2011 to 2020.

by MOMAR

G. VISAYA AND CHRISTINA M. ORIEL AJPress

IN honor of the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the World Health Organization declared 2020 as the “International Year of the Nurse and Midwife.”

The American Nurses Assou PAGE A5 ciation followed suit by adopting the same observance for this year. Wednesday, May 6 marks National Nurses Day, the annual celebration for the nearly 4 million nurses providing care across the United States, comprising the largest health care occupation.

Typically, the day kicks off the week-long National Nurses Week until May 12, but the ANA expanded it to a celebration for the entire month of May with four themes celebrated by week: selfcare, recognition, professional development and community engagement.

With the coronavirus pandemic, the tireless work that nurses do has been placed under the spotlight and along with it, the rightful recognition that has earlier eluded the profession.

For the over four million Filipinos living in the U.S., annual Former DOT Secretary Ramon this Jimenez The ABS-CBN main building in Quezon City is draped in the network’s colors. observance has also been about Photo courtesy of DOT Inquirer.net photo

Former tourism chief behind Philippine gov’t orders ABS-CBN shutdown successful ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ campaign dies at 64

Pope Francis with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle

by MOMAR

G. VISAYA

AJPress

THE Philippines’ largest broadcast network stopped its operations on Tuesday, May 5 to comply with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC)’s cease and desist order due to the expiration of its congressional franchise.

ABS-CBN went off air after the broadcast of its primetime news program “TV Patrol” on Tuesday night around 8 p.m. Manila time.

The order directed ABS-CBN to shut down its various TV and radio broadcasting stations nationwide “absent a valid Congressional Franchise as required by law.”

Republic Act No. 7966, which granted the network a 25-year

CBCP photo

franchise to operate TV and radio broadcasting stations expired on May 4, 2020.

ABS-CBN in a statement said that millions of Filipinos will lose their source of news and information “when people need crucial and timely information as the nation deals with the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The network also cited that the order was issued despite the assurance that a provisional authority will be issued pending the renewal of its broadcast license.

“We trust that the government will decide on our franchise with the best interest of the Filipino people in mind, recognizing ABSCBN’s role and efforts in providing

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by AJPRESS

Araceli Buendia Ilagan, 63, (top) and Noel Sinkiat, 64, (bottom) were the first two reported Filipino American nurse fatalities on March 27.

recognizing a part of Filipino American culture and the professional contributions many Filipi-

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From the Front Page

LEARNING AT HOME. Elementary pupil Kylie Nicole Cariño answers a question at the online learning platform DepEd Commons in her smartphone at their residence in Kamuning, Quezon City on Monday, May 4. The DepEd Commons platform contains online review materials and Open Educational Resources authored by public school teachers who are subject matter experts to ensure continued learning as schools remain physically closed due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

Fil-Am retail businesses in...

PAGE A1 and because floral suppliers had to suspend operations also.

Ahead of the governor’s announcement on Monday, the store decided it would briefly reopen this weekend to fulfill orders for Mother’s Day, one of its busiest days of the year.

Augustus and co-owner Vivian Delpilar have set plans to take phone orders, prohibit customers from physically browsing inside the store, and have curbside pickup or delivery options.

However, the challenges they anticipate are older customers who may not be keen on placing phone or online orders and prefer coming to the location, as well as the sparse supply of flowers this year.

“Our older customers are used to walking into the shop, being able to look at the flowers and placing an order,” she told the Asian Journal. “There are two things going on right now. Number one, we can’t have anyone in the shop and two, our flower selection is a little different and limited because it’s based on what we can get our hands on.”

After this weekend, the flower shop will decide how it will operate moving forward as customers are now getting used to current physical distancing measures and

contactless delivery.

“Even if businesses are reopening, everyone is still wondering how to navigate this new normal,” Augustus said.

In Los Angeles’ Atwater Village neighborhood, Rheena Mae Bartolome has rented a brick and mortar space for her line, MaeMae Jewelry, for the past four years.

She closed its doors on March 14 and furloughed all seven employees, who worked on-site to craft the jewelry by hand.

The pandemic also affected her inventory in some 300 retailers, which include spas, yoga studios and boutiques, nationwide that carry her pieces.

“The magic of MaeMae was coming in, talking, and hugging...

If I have to talk to [customers] 10 feet away, the experience is not the same,” Bartolome told the Asian Journal, adding that it wouldn’t be feasible to cap the store at two customers and then have to sanitize products each time.

While her landlord has been accommodating with later rent payments and as she waits to hear back about her Paycheck Protection Program application, Bartolome has “no immediate plans” to reopen her doors and is leaning toward going completely online, which she said is more “flexible.”

In the past month and a half, the line has experienced a significant increase in online sales but the downsides are that she has to make the jewelry by herself with no additional help and the profits wouldn’t be enough to cover rent for the coming months.

“I don’t know what the future holds but I can be excited, though...As an entrepreneur, I think this is when grit and resilience come in and make your brain creative in different ways.

It’s definitely happening for us,” Bartolome said.

Arkipelago Books, a bookstore in San Francisco’s SOMA Pilipinas, has seen about a 70% increase in online sales, especially in cookbooks and titles geared toward children and Filipino history, since closing its physical space in early March.

“Currently, we are shipping out from the shop and will continue to do so for at least a couple weeks more to safeguard the health of our families,” co-owner Golda Sargento told the Asian Journal.

This phase, which is the second of four, of California’s reopening will not include malls, offices or sit-down service in restaurants.

A more detailed guide will be released by the governor later this week. n

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Dateline USa

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International flights into PH suspended...

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facilities to protect our people by preventing the further spread of COVID-19 and also ensure that our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are well taken care of when they arrive from abroad,” Galvez said.

About 20,000 overseas Filipino workers have been repatriated back to the Philippines and are undergoing mandatory quarantine in Metro Manila.

“The new flight restriction is only temporary and will be implemented for one week to give the government the opportunity to decongest the quarantine facilities

in Metro Manila,” Galvez added.

Nine international airports in the country were covered by the notice: Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Davao International Airport, Clark International Airport, Iloilo International Airport, Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Zamboanga International Airport, Kalibo International Airport, Laoag International Airport and Puerto Princesa International Airport.

The Department of Transportation, in a statement, said: “The move is deemed necessary in order to ensure that our country will not experience a second

wave of the COVID-19 pandemic due to the increasing number of international passenger arrivals.

It should be noted that most of our repatriated citizens are coming from countries which experienced [a] significant COVID-19 outbreak.”

“It will also allow the government’s frontline agencies that are tasked to contain the spread of COVID-19 to upgrade their testing and screening protocols, and expand the existing quarantine and treatment facilities and ensure a more comfortable quarantine arrangement for our repatriated kababayans,” it added. n

Philippine gov’t orders ABS-CBN...

PAGE A1 the latest news and information during these challenging times,” the ABS-CBN Corp. statement read.

Malacanang also issued its own statement regarding the NTC’s cease and desist order, saying that ABS-CBN has the right to “exhaust all legal remedies available to it.”

“President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, as a matter of record, accepted the apology of the network and left its fate to both houses of Congress.

Let the public be informed that broadcast franchises are within the authority of Congress,” the statement said.

The Palace thanked the network for its “services to the Filipino nation and people especially in this time of COVID-19” but said its continued operation “is entirely with the NTC’s decision.”

NTC Deputy Commissioner Edgardo Cabarios told CNN Philippines said they had studied the issue very carefully and that they do “not have any other options in the commission but to comply with Section 1 of Act 3846.”

“We commiserate with ABSCBN but we have to implement the law, we have to comply with the law whether it is harsh or not, ” Cabarios said.

Republic Act 3846, also known as “An act providing the regulation of radio stations and radio communications in the Philippine Islands…” was enacted on August 10, 1963.

The Section 1 that Cabarios referred to is about the need to obtain a franchise from the Philippine Legislature for a person, firm or company to construct, install, establish, or operate a radio station within the Philippine Islands.

The order covers 42 television stations across the country, 10 digital broadcast channels, 18 FM stations and 5 AM stations, including the flagship stations Channel 2 and DZMM radio.

Reactions Multiple groups have expressed their indignation through social media and via statements released immediately after the network went off air.

In a tweet, Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch (HRW) said, “The Philippines government shows how little it cares about quality information reaching its people during the COVID-19 crisis as it shuts down ABS-CBN network. This is a disaster on top of a disaster.”

The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) said it condemns the NTC’s order to shut down the stations of ABS-CBN and calls the move “a case of political harassment.”

“The order threatens press freedom at a time when the public needs an unfettered press the most,” the statement read. “As the Philippines reels from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, ABS-CBN’s critical eye is needed now more than ever to help inform the public.”

FOCAP is also urging Congress to independently act on pending measures seeking to renew ABSCBN’s franchise.

“Our lawmakers must tackle these measures as soon as possible, and uphold the freedom of the press that the 1987 Constitution guarantees,” they said.

Several groups from the academe and business sector have also issued statements denouncing the closure.

“Now that ABS-CBN is out of

the airwaves, and for the second time since Martial Law, there is no more denying that the Duterte regime will stop at nothing, even amid a national emergency and a crippling lockdown, to crush dissent and stifle a free and independent media,” said a statement from University of Santo Tomas journalism educators.

University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication decried the NTC action, saying that a free press is needed “to serve as a faithful chronicler of events, a platform for the diversity of voices to be heard, and more importantly, the public’s watchdog of inept, abusive and corrupt governance.”

“Again, the current administration demonstrates the lengths it will go to silence critical media voices,” the statement further read.

The Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), an organization composed of almost 800 chief executives of Philippine companies, called Tuesday, May 5 “a sad day for media freedom and the thousands of people and their families who will be adversely affected by the closure of ABSCBN.” “We in MAP had fervently hoped that this day would never come as we, together with other business organizations, strongly urged Congress to consider in a timely and judicious manner the renewal of ABS CBN’s broadcasting franchise,” Francis Lim, MAP president said in a statement.

The network, however, reassured global Filipinos that it will continue programming under its international arm channel The Filipino Channel (TFC) on cable and satellite, IPTV and TFC online. n

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This National Nurses Week, remember the...

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nos have made to the country’s health care system by tending to patients from the beginning to end of life.

Roughly 200,000 nurses in the U.S. are of Filipino descent — all familiar with ironed scrubs, matching clogs or nursing shoes, baon (packed lunch) preparations, and long 12-hour shifts.

In California alone, 20.3% of the state’s registered nurses identify as Filipino. On the opposite coast, one in four Filipinos in the New York-New Jersey region works in the health care industry.

How Filipinos came to be represented in the U.S. nursing pool dates back to the early 1900s as American nursing programs were established in the Philippines.

“This Americanized nursing curriculum inadvertently prepared them to work in the United States. They were trained, oftentimes, in English instruction.

Even their early nursing licensure examinations had an English language component,” said Catherine Ceniza Choy, an ethnic studies professor at UC Berkeley and author of “Empire of Care” (2003).

Then, the first batch of government-sponsored scholars arrived in the United States through the Pensionado Act of 1903. Upon graduating, many students went back to the Philippines to work and to help establish nursing schools. Many others remained in the U.S., where they eventually became the first generation of Fil-Am nurses. Some of those who stayed for employment established the Philippine Nurses Association of New York in 1928.

In the 20th century, the Exchange Visitor Program of 1948 and the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 allowed Filipino nurses and other professionals to come to the U.S. and fill the country’s shortage of nurses, Choy said.

It’s not uncommon to see nursing become a multi-generational profession for many Filipino families, as Filipino Americans born in the U.S. have followed the footsteps of their parents or extended relatives.

Through the month of May, the Asian Journal honors the countless Filipino and Fil-Am nurses who have been tasked with fighting this pandemic and continue to keep the nation’s hospitals and clinics running smoothly.

We also remember those who showed up to work, or came out of retirement, and have died on the front lines due to COVID-19 since March. Here are their stories of selflessness and passion to improve the well-being and health of others.

Araceli Buendia Ilagan, Jackson Memorial Hospital (Miami, FL) Araceli Buendia Ilagan was the first Filipino American nurse reported to die from complications of COVID-19 on March 27. The 63-year-old worked at Jackson Memorial Hospital’s intensive care unit for 33 years, treating some of the hospital’s most critically ill patients.

She started developing the symptoms on March 24, while working a shift. Three days later, she died.

“During her long and storied career, she also mentored and trained other nurses, and was a champion for the profession,” a statement released by the hospital said. “As we battle this global public health crisis, caregivers throughout the world are bravely serving on the frontlines, often putting their patients’ lives before theirs. These medical professionals — people like Araceli — are the true heroes, and we salute them all.”

Noel Sinkiat, Howard University Hospital (Washington, DC) Noel Sinkiat, 64, was a year away from retirement after working at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C for the last 41 years. On March 27, he became the second known Fil-Am nurse in the U.S. and the first of the 155,000-member of National Nurses United to fall victim to the coronavirus.

Sinkiat and his wife Lourdes Gerardo had returned from a trip to the Philippines where they celebrated a reunion with his high school classmates. He went back to work and did his usual 12hour shift at Howard. He began experiencing flu-like symptoms on March 22, which he initially thought were his allergies acting up.

He visited an urgent care facility near their home in Olney, Maryland, where he was tested for COVID-19, Gerardo told The Washington Post. The result came back positive after he died.

His wife brought him to a hospital on March 27, with his health rapidly deteriorating. Doctors had to intubate him within an hour, his heart failed and they could not resuscitate him.

Rosary Celaya Castro-Olega, retired RN/volunteer (Los Angeles, CA) Born and raised in Los Angeles, Rosary Celaya Castro-Olega received a bachelor of science

Rosary Celaya Castro-Olega, 63

Susan Sisgundo, 50

in nursing and entered the field in 1980. The registered nurse worked for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for 37 years and retired in 2017, according to her obituary.

Following retirement, she continued to perform her duties as a traveling nurse, spent time with family, and traveled.

With the onset of the coronavirus, Castro-Olega rejoined the front lines and volunteered in LA County. In mid-March, she exhibited symptoms associated with COVID-19 and tested positive.

She was hooked up to a ventilator in the ICU at the Panorama City Medical Center and died on March 29 at the age of 63, the New York Times reported.

Castro-Olega is survived by husband Mario, her three daughters, Tiffany, Tatiana, and Trisha, and her two brothers and three sisters.

Divina “Debbie” Accad, Detroit VA Medical Center (Detroit, MI)

had planned to celebrate with her family in Bicol.

“Susan was a valued and friendly coworker. She was a team player; always willing to work day time, night time, overtime, and weekends. She always went out of her way to greet people. We can all still hear and see her frequent laugh and smile, and appreciate her efforts to connect with everyone. She was a trusted confidant that could protect a friendship, keep a secret, and honor a debt,” her co-workers wrote on a GoFundMe page they organized to raise funds to help send Sisgundo back to the Philippines.

Ali Dennis Guillermo, Long Island Community Hospital (East Patchogue, New York)

Originally from Alimodian, Philippines, Divina “Debbie” Accad was a long-time nurse at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center in Detroit, Michigan.

The 72-year-old nurse, who was set to retire in April, was hospitalized with pneumonia and spent 11 days at a Taylor area hospital before she died on March 30, becoming the first health care worker fatality in Detroit. Her son Mark Accad, one of four children, said he hopes his mother’s death raises awareness of the risks that health care workers face during the pandemic.

“She sacrificed her life for our troops. I want my mom to be known for what she did,” Mark told the Free Press.

Nicanor Baltazar, Long Island Care Center (Flushing, NY) Nicanor “Nick” Baltazar dedicated 40 years of his life to nursing — 30 of those in the United States. The Fil-Am nurse worked at Long Island Care Center for 15 years, and 2020 would have been his fifth year as the director of nursing, according to the New York State Nurses Association.

Baltazar, who died from COVID-19 on March 31, leaves behind his wife Grace, also an RN, and his daughter Abigail, who just graduated with her bachelor of science in nursing.

Daisy Doronila, Hudson County Correctional Facility (Kearny, NJ)

Daisy Doronila, a nurse at the Hudson County Correctional Facility for over two decades, died on April 5 of complications related to COVID-19.

She was initially diagnosed by her private doctor with strep throat and was admitted to a hospital later on after developing a fever and dry cough. Eight days later, she was on a ventilator fighting for her life, her daughter Denise posted on Facebook.

A single mom who lived in Nutley, Doronila recently celebrated her 60th birthday. In a tweet, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy honored Doronila for her service to the state as “she gave tirelessly to her family and community.” Denise plans to fulfill her mother’s wishes by laying her to rest alongside her parents in the Philippines.

Susan Sisgundo, Bellevue Hospital (New York City) Since 2014, Susan Sisgundo had been working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan and caring for newborn babies.

After an eight-day battle with COVID-19, she died at Queens Hospital on April 8, a month before her 51st birthday, which she

Ali Guillermo came to New York in 2004 to seek a better life for his family and spent his American career at Long Island Community Hospital.

Guillermo, an intensive care unit nurse who also helped in the emergency room, fell sick with COVID-19 in mid-March and was hospitalized for two weeks. On April 8, he died in the ICU of the same hospital where he cared for many patients and helped save many lives. The 44-year-old nurse leaves behind his wife Romielyn and children, Denice, Ali and Aljon.

“His expertise as an ICU, stepdown, medical-surgical and emergency room RN was exceptional for he’d always be willing to help and assist the team whenever and wherever. He’d make the busiest work nights lighter with his jokes and songs,” wrote colleague Carmelo Espiritu in a GoFundMe page for the family.

Felicisimo “Tom” Omaña Luna, Trinitas Regional Medical Center (Elizabeth, New Jersey)

Felicisimo “Tom” Luna, from Pasig City, Philippines, earned a degree in medical technology from the University of Santo Tomas in 1978 and migrated to the United States in 1986. He worked several jobs before working as a licensed medical technologist in the Bronx. He did not enter the nursing profession until the early 2000s when he studied at a local community college in New Jersey and passed his nursing board exam. He later attained a bachelor’s degree in nursing at The College of St. Elizabeth in 2016.

Luna was a dedicated registered nurse in the Emergency Department at Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where he worked long hours. He prided himself on never being sick a day in his life, according to his obituary, but he died from COVID-19 on April 9 at the age of 62.

Luna, who was a devoted member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo-Church of Christ, is survived by his wife, Enriqueta, of 26 years, children, Gabrielle, Gracielle Dane and Giselle.

Ernesto “Audie” DeLeon, Bellevue Hospital (New York City)

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This National Nurses Week, remember the... Pope Francis promotes Cardinal Tagle to...

PAGE A4 Marlino Cagas, Harlem HospiKnown by colleagues as Audie, tal (New York City) Ernesto DeLeon diligently worked at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan for three decades and most recently was head nurse of telemetry. On April 13, the Baguio City native succumbed to his 13-day infection with COVID-19.

Claire Martinez, a colleague, remembered the 61-year-old nurse as a mentor to other nurses and hospital staff. “He was an immensely kind soul with a humble demeanor. He will always be dearly loved by his friends who have become family, his co-workers, and relatives,” she said.

Estelita Atienza Solomon, retired from Wyckoff Heights Medical Center (Brooklyn, NY) A native of the Philippines, Marlino Cagas joined the Harlem Hospital staff as a pharmacy technician. At the age of 60, Cagas embarked on a nursing career at the hospital and started at the bedside in 2018.

He died on April 20 and is survived by two sisters in New York and other siblings in the Philippines. Colleagues released white balloons into the sky to honor his memory.

Celia Yap-Banago, Research Medical Center (Kansas City, Estelita Atienza Solomon, a 72- Missouri) year-old nurse who retired from Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn, died of COVID-19 on April 10. Solomon lost her husband Antonio to the virus two weeks prior to her death, while her daughter Catherine has been recovering. She is also survived by her daughter EmyLou and three grandchildren.

Born in San Luis, Batangas, Solomon — nicknamed Estie — started her 39-year nursing career in her home country before migrating to the United States in 1973, where she spent two years At the end of April, colleagues at Indian River Memorial Hospital at the Research Medical Center in Vero Beach, Florida. She came in Kansas City, Missouri were set to New York in 1976 and landed to celebrate Celia Yap-Banago’s a job at the Brooklyn hospital. retirement after a nearly 40-year She was promoted to head nurse career at the hospital. The 69of the telemetry unit and served year-old nurse, who had previthat position until her retirement ously expressed concern over the in 2012. hospital’s preparedness for COVKnown for her encouraging ID-19, treated an infected patient attitude and selflessness, Solo- in mid-March. mon was laid to rest on April 28 Yap-Banago began showat Mount St. Mary’s Cemetery in ing symptoms on March 23 and Flushing, New York. tested positive for the disease, Celia Lardizabal Marcos, CHA prompting her to self-isolate at Hollywood Presbyterian Medi- home for two and a half weeks. cal Center (Los Angeles, CA) Because she did not experience shortness of breath, the nurse did not seek medical attention. She died at home on April 21 after her son Jhulan found her unresponsive.

A vigil was held at the hospital two days after her passing to remember her dedication to the field and to shed light on the lack of protection for critical workers.

Jhulan said, “You’re either not smart to be in this job for 40 years or you are so compassionate and selfless that you dedicate your Trained as a nurse in the Phil- entire life to helping others.” ippines, Celia Lardizabal Marcos Manny Carrillo, The Plaza Reemigrated to the United States in hab and Nursing Center (Bronx, 2001 and settled in Los Angeles. NY) Three years later, she became a telemetry charge nurse at CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center.

Marcos, 61, was one of three nurses who responded after a suspected coronavirus patient went into cardiac arrest on April 3. Only wearing a surgical mask, she intubated the patient. Three days later, she had a headache, body aches and difficulty breathing.

Her symptoms worsened, and she was admitted on April 15 to the hospital where she had worked for 16 years. Two days later, she went into cardiac arrest and died, becoming the first Manny Carrillo, originally from fatality for the SEIU Local 121RN, Quezon City in the Philippines, which represents 9,000 RN memwas an infection control nurse bers in Southern California. Her at the Plaza Rehab and Nursing case highlights the dire need for Center in New York. personal protective equipment A resident of Teaneck New Jerfor front-liners. sey, Carrillo spent six weeks fightMarcos is survived by sons ing COVID-19 and died on April Donald and John, who both re23. He is survived by his wife and member their mother for her gentheir three adult children. erosity and how she put the wellJoyce Pacubas-Le Blanc, Unibeing of others first. They plan to versity of Illinois at Chicago honor her wishes to be cremated Medical Center (Chicago, IL) and buried in her hometown of Tagudin, Ilocos Sur, alongside her parents.

Domingo Victorio “Victor” Sison, Complete Care at Hamilton Plaza (Passaic, New Jersey)

Joyce Pacubas-Le Blanc, who served in the neuroscience intensive care unit at the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center, had spent over 30 years in the nursing profession. Thirteen days after testing positive for COVID19, she died from the disease on April 23 at the age of 53, becoming the first nurse fatality at the Victor Sison, 64, was assistant University of Illinois Hospital and director of nursing at Complete Health Systems. She is rememCare at Hamilton Plaza, a nursing bered by colleagues for being home in Passaic, New Jersey. He crafty and lending supplies and was planning to retire in the com- equipment to her fellow nurses. ing year.

“She did not necessarily give A front liner who fought CO- physical hugs, rather it was a hug VID-19 until his last breath, Sison for the soul, a nurse’s soul. She died on April 18. He leaves be- was always ready to say somehind his wife Antonia and sons, thing soothing to all the new Paulo and Dominic. nurses or soon-to-be nurses. Or

she would feed them or provide whatever they needed. Joyce had the ability to hone in on what someone needed and then give…generously,” co-worker and friend Eileen Fajardo-Furlin wrote on the Illinois Nurses Association website.

Pacubas-Le Blanc is survived by her husband Lawrence and two sons, Lawrence Jr. and Derek.

Romeo Agtarap, NewYorkPresbyterian (New York City)

PAGE A1 He is also the president of Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of 165 national Catholic relief and development agencies, since 2015.

According to the Pontificio Collegio Filippino, the home of Filipino priests in Rome, Tagle is the first Filipino to be named cardinal-bishop.

The College of Cardinals are divided into three orders: cardinal-deacons, who are often called “the pope’s cabinet;” cardinal-priests, who are working

in dioceses all over the world; and cardinal-bishops, who are holding jurisdiction over a church in a suburb of Rome, while working in departments of the Roman Curia, the central administration of the church.

“Traditionally, six cardinal bishops from the Latin Church are appointed as titular bishops of Rome’s ancient suburbicarian sees. Eastern Catholic patriarchs who are cardinals are also cardinal-bishops,” the Catholic News Agency explained.

However, Pope Francis broke

tradition in June 2018, expanding the number of cardinalbishops beyond six.

“Tagle was not assigned a suburbicarian see. Instead, Pope Francis issued a rescript giving the Filipino cardinal the same status as other cardinalbishops,” it added.

Tagle is now among the 14 cardinal-bishops who are assigned to the Vatican, and are consulted by the Pope anytime individually or as a group, with regards to any question in the Church. n

Fil-Am Snapchat co-founder donates $5 million to...

Romeo Agtarap retired last year after working in the adult emergency department of New York Presbyterian / Columbia University Medical Center in Manhattan for 20 years. However, the profession called him back as the hospital was in need of nurses when the coronavirus outbreak hit the city. On April 24, the 63-year-old RN died from the virus.

His colleagues remember his wit and the way he loved to make them laugh, according to the New York State Nurses Association.

“He was an incredible soul and human being who devoted his life to saving others. He radiated love, kindness and joy and had a spirit full of enthusiasm that was hard to match. His smile, his compassion and his generosity towards loved ones and strangers [were] what made him special,” his colleagues wrote in a GoFundMe page.

Maria Guia Cabillon, Kings County Hospital (Brooklyn, NY)

Fondly called “Mama Guia,” Maria Guia Cabillon, 63, brought her motherly instinct to the nursing profession in which she devoted over 30 years of her life.

As the head nurse of the department of emergency medicine at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, Cabillon directed the department and took younger nurses under her wing, mentoring and guiding them to be the best nurses possible. She would often feed co-workers and wouldn’t take “no” for an answer if they declined.

“Mama Gui gave herself to everyone without asking for anything in return. She’s a giver and I’d say she is the epitome of what a giver is,” Shane DeGracia, a coworker for six and a half years, told the Asian Journal.

Cabillon had plans to retire, but continued to serve on the front lines. After almost a month of battling COVID-19, Cabillon died on April 26, becoming the first staff fatality in the department. She is survived by her husband, four daughters and two grandkids.

Krist Angielen Guzman (Chicago, IL)

Krist Angielen Guzman, 35, followed her passion and worked on the front lines at a hospital in Chicago. She died on May 2 from COVID-19, leaving behind her husband Omar and their three young children, ages 6 and 5 years and 4 months old.

“Krist set the bar for exceeding expectations as a life-long learner, a loyal and honest friend, and a strong and fierce nurturer.

She made her parents proud when she made the decision to settle in Chicago as she pursued her dreams of becoming a nurse.

She was a front-liner who treated all her patients and colleagues with respect and dignity,” said the description of a fundraiser for Guzman’s family.

If you would like to add a FilAm nurse colleague or loved one to this list, please email editor@ asianjournalinc.com. n

PAGE A1 leno Cards, April 14-16, drew thousands of applicants and the cards ran out quickly, Garcetti said on Monday. The website where residents applied for the cards crashed the morning the program went online, the city reported.

It is unclear when the new round of Angeleno Cards will be available, but the mayor added that the donation from Murphy and his wife will be able to fund

20,000 more cards. The grants provided by the Angeleno Card program range from $700, $1,100 or $1,500 depending on the overall household income and size.

Murphy, 31, is the son of a Filipina immigrant mother and a United States-born father. In 2011, Murphy, along with fellow Stanford University student Evan Spiegel, founded Snapchat, the popular imagesharing app. According to

Forbes magazine, Murphy’s net worth is $3.6 billion as of 2020.

In order to qualify for a grant, recipients must live in the city of LA, have a family income level that falls below the federal poverty line before the COVID19 pandemic and have experienced a significant economic loss — a 50% loss in overall household income, for example — due to the crisis. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

A6 MAY 6-8, 2020 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797

OPINION

Pandemic of misinformation WORLD Press Freedom Day was marked on May 3 amid the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Various sectors have warned that the COVID19 crisis has also given rise to what United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described as “a second pandemic of misinformation, from harmful health advice to wild conspiracy theories.”

The press, Guterres notes, “provides the antidote: verified, scientific, fact-based news and analysis.” A more accurate statement is that the press strives to provide that antidote, while pursuing the theme of World Press Freedom Day 2020: “Journalism without fear or favor.”

This mission is not as simple as it sounds. The Philippines should know: it has consistently ranked among the most dangerous and stressful places in the world for media workers. The restoration of democracy in 1986 did not put an end to the murder and harassment of journalists in this country, with the weakness of the criminal justice system allowing perpetrators to get away with permanently silencing the press. Since the UN General Assembly proclaimed World Press Freedom Day in 1993,

FEATURES

Philippine journalists continued to be subjected to threats, harassment and outright murder.

The sub-themes of the special day resonate with members of the Philippine press: the safety of both male and female media workers as well as gender equality in all aspects of mass media, and the pursuit of independent and professional journalism free from political and commercial influence.

These days, Filipino journalists must also contend with laws against cyber libel and trolls unleashed by public officials who have no tolerance for criticism.

These are on top of traditional libel laws, wherein litigation costs can lead to the bankruptcy of smaller media outfits, and official resistance to the passage of a Freedom of Information Act. While governments are reminded about their commitments to press freedom, journalists are also reminded about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. Media licentiousness weakens the credibility of the press.

Unlike anonymous commentators on social media, members of so-called legacy media are prop- journalism, putting greater pressure on the need for erly identified and can be held accountable for their accurate, fair and fearless reporting and analysis.

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

This is of utmost importance especially in this confusing period of a deadly pandemic. (Philstar.com)

PH government’s shutdown of ABS-CBN: Déjà vu of martial law’s chilling effect on a free, independent press

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS IN THE TIME when the global community is attacked by the coronavirus pandemic — an invisible enemy that has killed more than 251,580 people and infected over 3,584,174 — we would think the leaders of the world would unite us all together. With the help and strength of different societal institutions, humankind could win over this invisible enemy and save as many lives as possible.

Unfortunately, that is not what we are seeing right now, here in the United States and back home in the Philippines, when personal and partisan interests take precedence over true genuine public and humanitarian service.

On Tuesday, May 5, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) of the Philippines issued a cease and desist order that prohibits ABS-CBN from continuing its broadcast operations effective immediately. The shutdown covers five AM stations, including DZMM, 18 FM stations and 42 TV stations, including Channels 2 and 23.

This was yet another tactical move of Philippine Solicitor General Jose Calida, whose perfect sense of timing was pointed out

by CBS News.

As journalists marked World Press Freedom Day, Calida threatened to charge regulators at the NTC with graft. NTC officials have said they had no choice but to follow the law.

Calida had also filed a case in February asking the Supreme Court to revoke the operating franchise of ABS-CBN and its

subsidiary ahead of the franchise expiration, for allegedly abusing its franchises and violating a constitutional prohibition on foreign investment in Philippine media.

ABS-CBN denied the allegations in public statements on Calida’s quo warrant petition and in a sworn testimony during a Senate hearing.

As TIME reported, the NTC’s order “caused shock and confusion among lawmakers because the agency’s top officials had agreed to grant a temporary operating license to ABS-CBN while Congress weighs its franchise renewal.”

“Rep. Franz Alvarez, who heads the congressional committee on legislative franchises, told ABS-CBN that he was surprised that the commission backtracked on its pledge. Many senators and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra have agreed that the broadcaster could operate with a temporary license pending renewal of its franchise. Alvarez added that the company’s franchise renewal application would remain active, and the network said it will pursue efforts to reopen.”

CBS News reported that pursuant to Philippine laws, “Congress has sole authority in the Philippines to grant broadcast licenses, but lawmakers in the Lower House, who are overwhelmingly allied with President Rodrigo Duterte, have declined to act on bills seeking the renewal of ABS-CBN’s permit. Duterte has repeatedly stated his disdain for the network and the family who own it.”

Reporting on this news, the Washington Post said, “Presi-

dent Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly threatened to close down the network in the past. His office denied that he had a hand in the order, saying the decision was entirely up to the commission.”

CBS News added that “Media organizations [like the Kapisanan ng mag Broadcaster ng Pilipinas] and press freedom advocates call the order for ABS-CBN to stop broadcasting an attack not only on the company, but on freedom of speech and the country’s fragile democracy.”

KBP is a self-regulatory body founded in 1973 that provides its members broadcasting standards to promote professional and ethical standards in Philippine radio and television broadcasting.

In a statement, KBP said as reported by ABS-CBN News online: “ABS-CBN is performing a valuable service to the public in the midst of a public service emergency not only by providing important news and information to keep the public safe and prevent the spread of the coronavirus but also in giving the public much relief from the mental and emotional pressures of quarantine by continuing to broadcast its entertainment programs.”

“Without warning, both the public and the government are deprived of that service. It creates an unnecessary distraction for both government and the private sector from focusing on saving lives and keeping people safe,” it added.

“The KBP urged the government to allow the country’s largest entertainment and media conglomerate to operate under

Post COVID travel

Demand and Supply BOO CHANCO WITH our children based abroad, we always look forward to the annual trip to the U.S. for the Christmas holidays. But this year, we plan to stay home.

For one thing, I don’t even know if we will be able to travel by December. The U.S. still has a ban on foreigners entering the country, and who knows when that will be lifted.

With social distancing and other health safety rules on flights, how much additional will a trans-Pacific ticket cost?

The tourism industry is probably the worst affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 crisis. Worldwide lockdowns and border closures have placed the industry on life support.

For now, no one knows when the tourism industry can start opening up. Not unless you are in China. In an effort to show the world they are back to normal, hordes of Chi-

nese tourists were shown crowding the Great Wall.

I read an article on Vox online that quoted Rafat Ali, chief executive and founder of travel industry news publication Skift, saying that “It’s going to take so long for the demand to even come close to what it was.”

With virtually all travel halted, and new government regulations still being formulated, recovery will take time. Ali told Vox he is expecting air travel to return to early 2020 levels in five years, taking into account that the airline industry took three years to recover post-9/11, and two years to return to pre-2008 revenues after the recession.

Our local airlines have made an appeal to government for financial assistance. But they have to fall in line because COVID nearly emptied government coffers and there are other urgent priorities that are matters of life and death to more Filipinos.

That’s the worry of Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo Puyat. The industry looks up to her to help get their businesses quickly going

again. Yet, she knows travel will not revert to normal right away, even if the quarantine is lifted.

Some LGUs will not yet be open even to domestic visitors. International travel might not yet happen within the year as we await the lifting of travel restrictions imposed by many nations. That’s because the virus threat remains until we get a good vaccine.

Expectedly, if you are an investor in a tourism development in Bohol, Boracay or Palawan, you would be anxious to start earning enough to pay debt amortizations and keep staff on payroll. Unfortunately, it is not realistic to even think that is possible at this point.

To the credit of Sec Puyat, she is keeping the fires burning by keeping a strong top of mind presence for the Philippines as a tourist destination.

There is a current DOT campaign on social media that encourages future tourists to dream of all the wonderful places here while on lockdown and wake up to the possibility the dream becomes reality soon.

Beyond that, the tourism sec-

‘equitable remedy’ while the company’s franchise bills [remain] pending.”

The self-regulatory media organization also called on Congress to expedite deliberation on ABS-CBN’s franchise bills that have languished at the House of Representatives.“The decision is unfair not only to the network and the thousands who depend on the network for their livelihood but, even more important, to the millions of people served by the network through its broadcasting activities.”

The KBP public statement also pointed out how unfair the NTC’s decision has been not only to the network and the thousands who depend on the network for their livelihood but, even more important, to the millions of people served by the network through its broadcasting activities.

ABS-CBN President Carlo Katigbak appealed to people to let their feelings on the closure be “felt, expressed and heard” for the benefit of the network’s more than 11,000 employees and millions of Filipinos who he said need the network’s services “specially now in the worst time of sickness and hunger,” TIME reported.

CBS News reported, that “ABSCBN is not the first news organization to be on the receiving end of pressure from Duterte’s government. Maria Ressa, who was a correspondent for CNN International and now runs the Manila-based online news service Rappler, is facing close to a dozen court cases.”

This report was in corroborated by TIME: “At least two other media organizations, including

a leading newspaper, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, have come under attack from Duterte for critical reporting. The government separately accused an online news organization, Rappler, of violating the ban on foreign ownership and sought its closure.

Rappler denied the allegation and continues to operate.”

ABS-CBN has been fearless in its news reporting in fulfillment of its role as “watchdog” of the government, holding elected officials accountable even during the Marcos dictatorship. The network was shut down and its broadcast headquarter was claimed by the Philippine government from the Lopez Family when Marcos declared martial law in 1972.

The Lopez family was able to reclaim ownership and operation of the broadcasting network after Marcos was deposed by People Power in 1986.

In response to the order of the NTC, , the network issued a statement saying: “Millions of Filipinos will lose their source of news and entertainment when ABS-CBN is ordered to go off-air on TV and radio tonight (5 May 2020) when people need crucial and timely information as the nation deals with the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is in compliance with the cease and desist order issued by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) today that prohibits ABS-CBN from continuing its broadcast operations effective immediately.

Despite Senate Resolution No. 40, the House of Representatives’ committee on legislative franchises’ letter, the guidance of the De-

partment of Justice, and the sworn statement of NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba, the NTC did not grant ABS-CBN a provisional authority to operate while its franchise renewal remains pending in Congress.

In an interview with DZMM last week, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano even gave an assurance that there is no move to shut down the network.

ABS-CBN has been providing comprehensive news coverage on the public health crisis and working with local governments and the private sector in providing food and basic goods for those in need through its ‘Pantawid ng Pag-ibig’ campaign. To date, it has delivered over P300 million worth of goods for the benefit of over 600,000 families affected by the enhanced community quarantine.

We trust that the government will decide on our franchise with the best interest of the Filipino people in mind, recognizing ABSCBN’s role and efforts in providing the latest news and information during these challenging times.

ABS-CBN remains committed to being in the service of the Filipino and we will find ways to continue providing meaningful service to them.” ***

retary’s work is to prepare the industry during this business lull to meet the requirements of a post COVID new normal.

For example, once people get the nerve to travel again, they will be very paranoid about health concerns. I will be.

Are the hotels and tourism-related establishments following strict protocols for sanitation or disinfection of accommodation, tourism transport services, and other tourism-related services to include restaurants, and spas?

Top international and local tourism establishments are now testing new procedures designed to win confidence of guests.

For instance, Inc, an online business site, reports: “Daily housekeeping services likely won’t be available. Some guests, like the ones at the Four Seasons in New York City, are given separate bags to place their dirty towels, dirty linens, and garbage in. Guests then let the front desk know when they are ready to have their bags collected, avoiding contact between employees and guests.

“Once guests check-out, rooms are left empty for 24 hours until a sanitation crew in hazmat suits can disinfect. Once the room has

been cleaned, the rooms are left empty for another 24 hours. Then, staff wearing PPE’s can get the room ready for the next guest.”

Such a procedure sounds too paranoid, but may be a necessary confidence builder until the virus is under control. Here, we should look at how to uphold health standards in a cost-effective way.

DOT must get industry agreement on what the new standards will be not just for hotel room sanitation, but also for capacity limits for tourism transportation, restaurants, tourist spots, such as parks and museums, and meeting conventions to ensure social distancing.

Industry experts say technology will be a key tool in the revival of travel, with electronic passports and IDs, boarding passes, medical screening, and robot cleaners being deployed widely to limit physical contact between people and surfaces. These will all cost money that cannot all be passed on to tourists without causing a drop in visitor numbers.

There are other realities in the new normal that stakeholders must remember in setting their expectations. The most basic is: people will have less money to do

non-essential travel in the foreseeable future. At the most, they might travel close to home, some place they can drive to.

With the social distancing requirement of keeping the middle seat vacant, even budget airline fares may go up 50 percent or more. The increased cost of travel will most certainly impact on the industry’s prospects.

New government rules are also a disincentive for travelers. The mandated two-week quarantines on arrival or reentry could become permanent until a vaccine is available. People with limited vacation time will just avoid crossing international borders.

Technology that saved the day for many corporations during the lockdowns will likely become the norm. This means virtual meeting technology like Zoom will make the need for business travel questionable.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the travel industry will not soon “revert to normal” as we used to know it. Industry stakeholders must now creatively think of how to survive the new normal.

In that endeavor DOT must be seen as their ally. They are in this together. (Philstar.com)

Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community.

You may contact her through email at gelrelos@ icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.

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

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Meals over video chat, self-care rituals: Fil-Am moms share how they’ll spend Mother’s Day at home by

AJPress

THIS Sunday, May 10 marks Mother’s Day — another major holiday that families will have to celebrate while sheltering in place and social distancing.

While treating mom to a dine-in meal at her favorite restaurant or going to a church service may not be viable options, the Asian Journal asked Pinay moms and their children around the country how they’ll be spending their special day this year.

Schedule a video chat with loved ones For family members who live in different cities or are quarantining apart, a group video call is one of the easiest ways to mimic a large festivity. The options to host this are aplenty, whether it’s Facebook Messenger, Zoom, FaceTime, Skype or Google Hangouts.

Digital communication is how Amira Allah Arcangel of Jersey City, New Jersey has been keeping in touch with and parenting her daughter Aylah in Manila from afar.

“We will spend it as always via Facebook messenger talking about anything under the sun,” Arcangel said. “Since I am thousands away from my daughter and [the] time difference is an issue, as a Mother, I have to be flexible. I always check her in the morning before going to work, if she has eaten dinner, done with homework and ask how her day was with friends. Then while at work before going home, my alarm at 5:30 p.m. EST is to wake my daughter up at 6:30 a.m. Manila time so she will get ready for school...My motherhood has been virtual for the past 10 years. My daughter even told me, ‘Ma, LDR couples will get jealous at us, we have been talking for 8 hours now.’ Talking to my daughter online keeps me stay connected with her as if she is just [in the] next room.”

Paloma Concordia, a public

relations professional and mother of four in Daly City, California, said she’ll be watching a movie with food and a cocktail in hand with other mom friends, thanks to the “Netflix Party” extension on Google Chrome.

For Sara Meredith, who runs skincare brand Kaya Essentials in Los Angeles, honoring her mom has been a virtual celebration for the past decade as her parents live in Kuwait. Each year, she schedules a video call with her mother Rhiza and cooks her favorite Filipino dish.

“I would make my favorite Filipino dish that my mom cooks for me, sinigang na baboy (pork in sour tamarind soup). Although I have the recipe written down, I still like to call her and go through it with her because it makes her feel special, needed, and like she’s taking care of me,” Meredith said. “Even though — [and] maybe this is kind of typical of Filipino moms — she doesn’t say that, but I know she feels it.”

Make a meal together Ria Pretekin, a mother of two in Chicago, said her family has to forgo their annual tradition of having afternoon tea at a hotel, but they will be having a brunch meal at home. Fortunately, her parents live at their house so they can all celebrate together and have a Zoom call with her sister’s family as well.

“We’ve been craving Filipino treats but they’re pretty hard to come by where we live so we’ve been learning how to bake in quarantine. We’ve learned how to make our own pan de sal and it has been such a nice family activity to make something from scratch together,” said Pretekin.

For those in Los Angeles, Kristine de la Cruz of Créme Caramel LA has partnered with coffee shop Kindness & Mischief and online retail store Manila Oriental to develop a “Mother’s Day Cupcake Kit” that gives

Cupcake Kit

Baby Bibingka at Tatang in North Hollywood

Paloma Concordia from Daly City, California and her four children

top right caption Amira Allah Arcangel facetimes with daughter, Aylah

Julie Cruz, founder of FilAm Fam and her family in Los Angeles

For Ria Pretkin (far right), a Chicago mom of two, Mother’s Day will include a brunch with her parents and a Zoom call with her sister’s family

Grace Labaguis with hubsand Ron and children Jericho and Marc

families an interactive, yet easy way to make treats at home.

Each $45 kit includes three ube and three vanilla cupcakes, two piping bags with vanilla mascarpone buttercream and Belgium chocolate frosting and sprinkles, plus 1 16oz Oat Chai and 1 16oz Oat Matcha from Kindness & Mischief Coffee and a mug from Manila Oriental that says “tulog kain tae.” $5 of each purchase will go toward the bake shop’s Pandesal for Health Heroes donations.

Order from a local restaurant Too tired to cook or craving a particular dish? Let a local restaurant take care of your dining needs!

In Los Angeles, Filipino restaurant La Rose Cafe is offering a $150 meal good for up to five people, featuring eight savory dishes like seafood paella and Cebu lechon plus a dessert choice. Tatang in North Hollywood is offering a $70 “Mama Bundle” with lumpia, chicken sisig, bistek, salad and an assorted tray of small bibingkas for dessert.

There are several eateries in the Bay Area to choose from, such as 7 Mile House, a local Pinay and family owned restaurant in Brisbane, which is now reopened. The restaurant has savory comfort dishes, desserts like the ube cheesecake, and a long list of cocktails for takeout or delivery. Little Skillet in

San Francisco’s SOMA Pilipinas district has family meal boxes for up to four people, with options like its famous fried chicken or cajun crispy catfish with a choice of three sides and one dessert.

Make time for self-care Many families have been holed up at home for over two months since stay-at-home orders were put in place. In addition to work and other household tasks, mothers have taken on an additional role as a teacher because classes have moved online. Taking a moment for one’s self and putting individual needs first are definitely welcomed, even if you can’t book a service at your usual salon or spa.

“Our labors are an incredible expression of love, though we need to remember that it’s necessary to make time to love ourselves too. It’s important for our families to remember this, and give us the love and support to breathe. This weekend, our advice goes out to the gift-givers, to those wondering what mom really wants. Let ‘tulog (sleep), kain (eat), tae (poop)’ be your guide. Let mom sleep in (or even just stay in bed to hide out for an extra hour). Feed her a meal she didn’t have to think about, cook or bake, and celebrate her with cupcakes and coffee. And finally, let her poop in peace. Oh, and don’t forget to say thank you,” said Olivia Reyes, co-founder of Manila Oriental.

For Menchu Sanchez of Secaucus, New Jersey, self-care is about “taking time to rest, sleep and pray a lot for the healing of the whole world” and “doing self pedi and mani, like I am in a real salon.”

She maximizes the time she has at home by doing chores, and recently, she brought out an old sewing machine and she has been making cloth face masks and shields for neighbors and friends.

Grace Labaguis, a marketing consultant and mother of two sons in Jersey City, New Jersey, said that “me time” for her has been rediscovering an old hobby, whether that’s baking, writing, reading or playing an instrument.

“Two weeks ago, I saw my keyboard that’s been sitting in our attic for many years. I got so excited that I immediately asked my boys to set it up for me,” Labaguis said. “I tried playing my piano piece back in grade school and was surprised that I still know the exact keys, but not the title of the song. I’m now thinking of getting a piano refresher course online.”

Julie Cruz, a mother of three young children in Pasadena, California, said keeping a list of one’s favorite self-care rituals is a good reminder.

“Take the time to reflect on what self-care activities re-energize you and make a list of them.

Keep the list visible — either post it in your bathroom and

Ledy Almadin and her two daughters

Menchu Sanchez and husband Judith with children Michelle and Jude

Sara Meredith and her mom, Rhiza, who lives in Dubai

glance at it while you brush your teeth and/or keep a list in your daily planner where you can easily refer to it. The point is to keep it top-of-mind and easily reference your go-to options when you need to recharge,” said Cruz, who runs FilAm Fam, an organization that teaches the next generation about Filipino heritage.

Arcangel said that self-care for her is also giving back to others by checking in on relatives and friends and see if they need anything. “‘Virtual moms’ like me take time for myself by keeping myself healthy physically by doing home exercises, home cooking, cleaning and volunteering in the

community,” she said. “I always send photos to my daughter of my daily activities.”

Self-care can also mean delegating and asking for help from your support system.

“Do what works for you.

Don’t feel pressured to do it all because it’s an impossible task to work from home, assist your kids with distance learning, keep the house clean, and still find time for yourself. My tip for selfcare would be to ask for help from your partner or parents if you can and be specific about what you need,” Pretekin said.

Safely go outside and enjoy nature The weather in many cities Continued on Page 5

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 6, 2020

Sylvia, husband reunite with family after beating COVID-19

By Ryan

aRcadio Inquirer.net

Francisco Martin

Photo from Instagram/@franciscomartinmusic

Fil-Am Francisco Martin makes it to ‘American Idol’ Top 11

By Ritchel

mendiola AJPress

FILIPINO American singer Francisco Martin on Sunday, May 3, made it to the Top 11 of “American Idol” Season 18, earning a spot after his rendition of James Arthur’s “Falling Like The Stars.”

He took to Instagram to express his gratitude for everyone who supported him.

“I just made top 10 and I feel speechless to be honest. I actually didn’t think I was gonna make it. I was super scared at the end. I was shaking, my legs were quivering. I am just

super grateful,” he said.

“Thank you guys for voting for me, for voting me in. I am just super grateful. I can’t talk right now. I am still in awe.

Thank you guys so much,” Martin added.

Martin, who sang from home due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, brought judge Katy Perry to tears.

“When you sang those lines about having four kids and then one on each knee, I was like — yeah sure it was hormones, but it was believability too. It was real believability and I felt it,” she said.

Judge Luke Bryan, meanwhile, described Martin as “a diamond in the rough.”

“You really know how to get all the emotions out of a song. If I was a little more hormonal, I’d be crying right now,” he said.

On the other hand, judge Lionel Richie commended Martin’s confidence.

“Halfway through that song, I just saw you fly out of that nervousness and give us exactly what you’re all about which is true talent,” he noted.

Martin is currently vying for a spot in the top 7 of “American Idol” Season 18.

US documentary shines spotlight on Fil-Am Green

By JeRemiah

m. Sevilla

ManilaTimes.net

FILIPINO American combo guard Jalen Green, the top high school prospect in the United States, and his team Prolific Prep are the subject of a 14-episode online documentary series made by sports media company Overtime and aired through its YouTube channel.

Titled “Superteam: Prolific Prep,” the documentary highlights the ups and downs of the 2019-2020 basketball season of the 18-year-old Green and the California-based Prolific Prep of Napa Christian High School.

The 18-year-old Green made history when he decided to skip college to become the first player to sign up for the National Basketball Association’s professional pathway program via the NBA GLeague.

The unicorn, as Green is dubbed, is the No. 1 prospect in the ESPN 100 Class of 2020, a five-star recruit in various rating bodies and a member of the McDonald’s All-American. The 2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup Most Valuable Player is projected to be an early pick in the NBA Draft 2021.

Green, whose mother Bree traces her Filipino roots to Ilocos Sur, was the main man

in the documentary’s first two episodes aired on April 27 and on May 4 (Manila time).

The documentary, aired weekly, features off-court stories about Green, as well as of fellow prospect Nimari Burnett and the team as a whole, as their goal to go undefeated in the latest season turned into a 31-3 win-loss record and a breakthrough title in the Grind Session Championship.

“It showcases the team’s triumphs and tribulations, the wins and the losses, but most importantly, as they come together as one,” said Overtime in a statement.

The 6-foot-5 Green deContinued on Page 4

SYLVIA Sanchez and her husband Art Atayde have finally reunited with their children after recovering from COVID-19. The couple confirmed they tested positive for the coronavirus on March 31.

“After [one] month [and] [nine] days, we can now hug, kiss, play, and eat together [with] our kids,” Sanchez said on her Instagram page yesterday, May 3. She posted a series of photos of her and her husband hugging and enjoying a meal with their children, Arjo, Ria, Gela and Xavi.

“Tandang tanda ko yong Sylvia Sanchez and her husband Art Atayde have finally reunited with their children after recovering pakiramdam ko na di namin from COVID-19. The couple confirmed they tested positive for the coronavirus on March 31.

Continued on Page 4 Photo from Instagram/@sylviasanchez_a

entertainment The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 6, 2020

Asian Smokers’ Quitline (ASQ) still operates during COVID-19 outbreak Quit smoking while staying at home

FOR many of us, the coronavirus means staying at home for an extended period of time. While it may be disappointing to hear that events are being cancelled, these measures are necessary to help slow down the spread of the outbreak. At the same time, being at home gives us a chance to make some positive changes, whether it is starting an exercise routine, eating healthier, or resting more. If you smoke or vape, one of the most important and timely changes you can make is to quit.

According to the US Surgeon General’s Report, smoking weakens the immune system and makes it harder for the body to fight off disease. There are more than 7000 chemicals in a cigarette, 70 of which can cause cancer. The smoke from a cigarette or aerosol from vaping attacks the upper respiratory system, one of the same things the Coro-

navirus does. For someone whose respiratory system is already compromised from smoking or vaping, they may experience more serious COVID-19 symptoms should they contract the virus.

Currently, there is no guaranteed treatment or vaccine for COVID-19. One important way to fight back is to build up the immune system by getting plenty of sleep, regularly exercising, managing stress and staying hydrated. Quitting smoking and vaping is another way to bolster the immune system.

Using telephone counseling alone or in combination with FDA-approved quit aids increases the chance of quitting for good.

During these challenging times it feels like the pause bottom has been pressed.

But the Asian Smoker’s Quitline (ASQ) is still up and running. We are here to support smokers and vapers, their friends and family, community partners, and

healthcare professionals.

Please give us a call at [insert a specific quitline #]or go to our website [insert specific quitline website] to register.

Quitting smoking and vaping is hard. But the key is to never ever give up . ASQ provides a free two-week supply of nicotine patches to eligible smokers along with the encouragement and strategies to support quit attempts. We also provide help to tobacco users who have quit but are struggling to stay quit. ASQ operates Monday through Friday, 7am to 9pm Pacific Time (10am – Midnight Eastern Time). To enroll, call or register online today!

Mandarin & Cantonese 1-800-838-8917 www.asq-chinese.org Korean 1-800-556-5564 www.asq-korean.org Vietnamese 1-800-778-8440 www.asq-viet.org

Sylvia, husband reunite...

From Page 3 pwedeng malapitan, mayakap o mahalikan ang mga anak namin,” she recalled. “Ang lungkot! Napakalungkot.”

(I remember the feeling of not being able to come near, hug or kiss our children. It was so sad! Very sad.)

Sanchez then expressed how it crushed her heart whenever she thought how it was possible she and Atayde could infect their children at the time.

“Yan ang pinaka kinakatakutan ko habang nakikipaglaban kami mag asawa sa [COVID-19],” she added.

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“[Yan] ang pinagdarasal ko araw araw sa hospital bed ko na sana wag mangyari.”

(That was my greatest fear while my husband and I were fighting COVID-19. That was what I prayed for every day in the hospital bed, that it may not happen.)

Sylvia said that she and Art are finally well as they are reunited with their kids, weeks after they started receiving treatment in a hospital.

“Finally, nayakap na namin mga anak namin kaninang lunch. Yahoooo!!!” the happy mother said. “Ang sarap

Are your debt problems putting your family’s welfare at risk?

Minding Your Finances Atty. RAymond BulAon ARE you worried about not being able to take care of your family’s needs because of your debt problems? No one ever wants to be in this situation, but I see it every day in my work as a bankruptcy attorney.

When you are overwhelmed with debt problems, the situation becomes even more challenging when you have a family that are counting on you for financial support. Your paycheck may not even be enough to pay for basic living expenses like mortgage payments or rent, food, clothing, etc., let alone pay your monthly debt obligations.

When you have to choose between paying your debts and meeting your family’s financial needs, that’s when you have a dilemma in your hands. You want to do the right thing by meeting your financial obligations, but you also realize that you need to put family first before anything else.

A lot of people wait too long to take action when they have bill collectors pursuing

them. For a while, they ignore the phone calls and the letters, thinking that somehow their creditors will just give up and go away. Well, they may for a while but when collection efforts become more serious, you can get hit with a lawsuit. Once a lawsuit becomes a judgment, the creditor can then garnish your wages or levy on your bank accounts.

With the pandemic causing massive layoffs and shutting down businesses, people who were already struggling with debt before the lock down are in an even worse situation because they barely have enough income to pay for basic needs (assuming they are even getting some type of assistance such as unemployment benefits), let alone pay their debts. Although lenders may be allowing some temporary suspension of payments during this crisis, it is just a matter of time before all the missed payments become due.

If you have debts in collection, don’t bury your head in the sand pretending that these debts don’t exist, or you may be caught totally unprepared for the consequences. I am saying this so that you can at least find out what your options are before it’s too late if your debt problems are putting your family’s welfare at risk. You owe it to them and yourself to protect

your income and everything that you’ve worked so hard for.

A lot of families in debt are unable to save even a small amount of money every month because all of their disposable income is used to pay their debts. They have zero savings, and so this forces them to borrow even more just to meet any unexpected emergencies.

Of course, this makes their situation worse because they are already overextended as it is, and they just keep on piling more debt that they cannot repay. It’s a vicious cycle and at some point, they will no longer be able to borrow and will be forced to file bankruptcy.

If any of the above speaks to your current situation and you don’t know what to do, I can help you figure out the best solution for your situation. For a free attorney consultation, please call Toll-Free 1-866-4777772. I have offices in Glendale, Cerritos and Valencia. ***NOTE: Due to Covid-19, I am currently offering consultations via phone or video. Please call the office to schedule your appointment with me. ***

None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped thousands of clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call Ray Bulaon Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1 (866) 477-7772.

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US documentary shines...

From Page 3 cided to skip college to play for a G-League team made for elite high school players. sarap ng pakiramdam!! Ang He is reportedly set to receive saya, saya.” $500,000 (P25 million) during (Finally, we were able to the five-month season of the hug our kids during lunch a NBA’s developmental league. while ago. Yahoo! It felt so “A lot of opportunities good! It was so much fun.) came, but the ultimate end She then thanked all her goal is to get to the NBA. That fans and colleagues who being said, I decided to partner prayed for their recovery.

“But most of all, thank you with the NBA G-League’s new to all the frontliners that took team for elite players,” Green announced through a video on care of us and to those who his Instagram account midway continue to fight for everythrough April. one,” Sanchez stressed.

“I have a goal to get to the “Ngayon,” she said, “haharapin namin ang buhay ulit NBA, and I know it’s not going to be easy. I know I’m going to nang magkakasama.” (Now, have to work for it,” he said in we will face life together a recent interview on NBA TV’s Prolific Prep’s Jalen Green dribbles against La Lumiere during a high school basketball game at the again.)

“GameTime.”

Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Photo from Instagram/@jalen

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Family law issues during the COVID-19 pandemic

can support an entire family.

Effect of COVID-19 “Stay at Home Order” on Custody Orders The stay at home order issued by both the City of Los Angeles and later the State Atty. Kenneth of California has stirred a lot UrsUA reyes of confusion among divorced parents who share custody of THE COVID-19 Pandemic their children. Stay at home has changed our lives almost orders have required California overnight. Not only has it residents to remain at home, changed our lives in terms of except if they need to go out our daily routine, jobs, lifestyle, for essential needs such as for but also our relationship with groceries, medication or health our family members under the care appointments. People can’t Stay at Home orders in place in go into work unless they are major cities such as Los Angeles, in certain essential jobs. The Divorce caused by Financial stay-home orders restrict travel and Emotional Stress for unapproved purposes. As a China is a few months ahead result, divorced parents didn’t of the US in terms of the impact know if they were allowed to of this pandemic on families. travel to bring their children Statistics show that the number back and forth to the other of couples filing for divorce in parent during visitation schedChina is reportedly way up after ules. There is confusion about long periods of COVID 19-relat- whether the stay-at-home order ed confinement. This gives us a trumped the custody order glimpse of the months to come or whether the court order after the stay at home order has trumped the stay-at-home order. been lifted.

Custody and visitation The rapid spread of the coorders are not affected by stay rona virus has destabilized every at home orders or other order household particularly those of restricting movement issued by parents. The closure of schools a governmental entity that arises and child-care facilities has from the COVID-19 pandemic. created challenges for scores The stay at home order does of parents who must figure out not change the existing parenthow to keep their children safe child custody orders that may while continuing to work from be in place. Just the fear of panhome. The current situation has demic is not enough to warrant posed significant challenge to keeping a child from seeing the parents with existing custody other parent. If there is an actual orders. Many parents are atthreat of harm to the child, the tempting to renegotiate the Los Angeles Superior Court terms of the existing custody is available for ex parte emerorders at a moment when emo- gency RFO to address these tions run high and the Courts issues. However, parents should are closed for most hearings. attempt to work together first Most families have roles to to come up with some kind play for each member of the of temporary agreement that household such as the parents works for both the parents and getting up and going to work or for the kids that accommodates the child being in school. When the problems caused by the these roles are radically changed pandemic and modify temporarin a time that we’re all feeling ily the existing custody orders incredibly stretched emotionally as a solution to the current creates major stress on famienvironment. For example, if lies. As a result of this stress, exercising the father’s alternate marriages may fracture and weekend visitation exposes the may result to divorce because child to other members of the the coronavirus crisis is causing father’s new household, perhaps many families to experience job the parents can temporarily loss from the massive layoffs agree to a virtual visitations caused by the shutdown of the such as zoom video conferenceconomy. Financial stress is ing, face time, and other apps always one of the big stressors available that allows the father that lead to divorce. Parents are to see the child and interact the trying to figure out how they child without exposing the child

Barrister’s Corner

to the risk of contagion. The Los Angeles Superior Court has been continuing most hearings except for emergency hearings.

It would serve the parties best to co-parent and work out a temporary custody agreement which can be turned into a temporary court order.

Domestic Violence during Stay at Home Order Many domestic violence victims live with their abusers and are now being forced to isolate with their abusers.

Victims may have also lost their source of income and are having a harder time connecting with their support systems such as the victim’s family. Leaving their situation is much more difficult during the pandemic. COVID19 stay at home order in Los Angeles means victims might be stuck with their abusers.

Victims might also be losing their job and income. For the most vulnerable people in the community, stay at home order is the same as putting them in a cage with a dangerous creature.

Even though there may be an increase in domestic violence during this period, neither law enforcement nor the family courts may hear about the domestic violence and abuse because it is usually the community that reports these incidents when children go to school, when people see their friends, when people are in a situation where other people see what’s going on. Now, teachers, childcare providers and, friends are physically cut off from the people and children they normally are in contact with daily.

In addition, seeing businesses shuttered and paychecks halted has put intense pressure and hardship on a growing number of people and families who are becoming increasingly depressed. Many are self-medicating at home with drugs and alcohol. Add to that scenario the school closures and children and spouses sheltering together at home can create an extremely hostile, even dangerous, environment for many families. It is therefore important for victims to call the police or avail of the Family Courts by filing an application for a restraining order and a kick out order against the perpetrator. The Los Angeles Superior Court is available during this pandemic to issue such

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 6, 2020

Meals over video chat, self-care...

From Page 2 on Sunday is projected to be warm and perfect for a day outside, but local governments are closing down parks and other areas to prevent large crowds gathering. However, there are some other options to spend time outside as a family.

“Go to your local farmers market and have the kids choose flowers (or a new plant) for you, it’s always a nice touch to have fresh flowers in the home (not just on Mother’s Day!), and the kids will love the experience. You could even make it a learning moment and find out the names of the flowers they picked,” Concordia said.

Cruz said she and her husband have started a “merienda and tea time ritual” with the kids and hope to make that into a Mother’s Day tradition.

“In these past weeks, we’ve been itching to pitch a tent somewhere, have a picnic and let the kids run around. Unfortunately, it has yet to happen when factoring in the logistics plus our depleted energy levels as a result of caring for three young children 24/7,” Cruz said. “This emergency orders to protect the victims of domestic violence. *** 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, P.C. 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, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com (Advertising Supplement)

Mother’s Day, we’ll likely set out an elevated version or our usual merienda and tea time — as a picnic, with flowers, candles and jazz music playing in the background.”

For Ledy Almadin, a mother of two adult daughters in Summit, New Jersey, going out for

a walk nearby will be a way to unwind on Sunday.

“Time for myself since I can’t go to a spa or salon to treat myself is to [go for] a walk at our local hiking trail since this is the only recreation outside without any physical contact,” Almadin said.

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