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MAY 20-26, 2022 Volume 15 - No.28 • 16 Pages

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DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

With cases and hospitalizations increasing, LA County residents encouraged to layer safety protections WITH the highly infectious BA.2 subvariant and sub-lineages fueling case and hospitalization increases, Los Angeles County residents are encouraged to layer safety protections such as masking, testing, and staying away from others when sick.

For the week ending April 23, Omicron once again accounted for 100% of all positive cases that were sequenced, with the BA.2 lineage and sub-lineages accounting for about 97% of these positive sequenced specimens in LA County.

Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO

Winning president, vice president may be proclaimed by May 25

by CECILLE

SUERTE Philstar.com

FELIPE

MANILA — The proclamation of the winning president and vice presidential candidates can be done immediately or no later than May 25 as the Senate and the House of Representatives sitting jointly as the National Board of

Canvassers see no major issues hampering the canvassing, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said on Saturday, May 14.

In an interview over dwIZ, Zubiri said an early proclamation would allow the senators to continue their legislative work and pass some local bills under the 18th Congress.

“I feel the proclamation can be expedited.

by MOMAR

 PAGE 7

G. VISAYA

AJPress

OUTGOING PRESIDENT. President Rodrigo Duterte salutes to the Regimental Commander while onboard the command car in the trooping-the-line ceremony during the Philippine Military Academy commencement exercises at the Fajardo Grandstand, Borromeo Field in Fort Gen. Gregorio H. del Pilar, Baguio City on Sunday, May 15.

Malacañang photo

Comelec: Nothing wrong Over 3M Filipinos based with winning candidates abroad went back home taking oath before June 30 because of COVID

MANILA — The Commission on Elections clarified that candidates may take oaths even before the end of June as long as they officially assume their respective positions by 12:01 p.m. on June 30.

In a press briefing held Tuesday afternoon, May 17, Comelec Commissioner George Garcia explained that there have been other elected officials who held their oath taking even before

 PAGE 2

New York City enters ‘high’ COVID-19 alert level

 PAGE 4

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte Philstar.com photo

If I have my way, we will proclaim the new president and vice president in the afternoon.

But we will allow time for our colleagues both in the majority and the minority to give their privilege speeches, and eventually we will proclaim. Maybe the latest is May 25,” he said.

Zubiri expressed belief that there would be

MANILA — Over 3.11 million Filipinos previously based abroad have come home because of the pandemic as of May 13, more than the 1.77 million estimated number of overseas Filipino workers in 2020 reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

According to the Task Group on Management of Returning Overseas Filipinos, nearly 2.067 million of the 3.11 million were previously OFWs, while 724,361 were non-OFWs and 313,205 were listed as foreign nationals.

“A total of 6,523 deceased

 PAGE 2

THE New York City Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene on Monday, May 16 issued an advisory strongly recommending that all New Yorkers wear masks in all indoor public settings as the city approaches the ‘high’ alert level.

NYC health officials are asking individuals, regardless of vaccination status or past COVID-19 infection, to wear a mask at all times when indoors and in a public setting, including at groceries, building lobbies, offices, stores, and other common or shared spaces where individuals may interact such as restrooms, hallways, elevators, and meeting rooms.

A high alert level means that there is high

 PAGE 4

Senate to receive 3 neophyte, 5 returning, 4 reelectionist senators

by NEIL

ARWIN MERCADO Inquirer.net

MANILA — Twelve winning senatorial candidates were proclaimed Wednesday, May 18 and will be part of the Senate for the next six years.

The winning candidates were proclaimed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), which sits as the National Board of Canvassers, at the Philippine International Convention

Center in Pasay City.

Neophyte senators The halls of the Senate will welcome three newbie senators— Senators Robin Padilla, Raffy Tulfo, and Mark Villar.

Despite his neophyte status, Padilla topped the senatorial race this year after garnering more than 26.6 million votes. He is over 2.4 million votes ahead of the second-ranking senator in the senatorial race.

 PAGE 4

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Petition to reverse Comelec decision on Marcos’ disqualification case reaches SC

by TeTch

Torres-Tupas Inquirer.net

VAX FOR THE YOUNG. Pediatric vaccinees line up during the rollout of vaccination for children aged 5 to 11 years old at the South Garden Homes Covered Court, Barangay Salitran 3, Dasmarinas City, Cavite on Tuesday, May 17. Health personnel also vaccinated adults in the barangay because there were still residents who have yet to get inoculated against COVID-19.

PNA photo by Gil Calinga

Over 3M Filipinos based...

PAGE 1 returning overseas Filipinos had arrived in the country from July 7, 2020 to May 14, 2022.

Of which, 640 died due to COVID-19,” the task group said in its report dated May 14.

The pandemic brought the world to a halt in the first half of 2020, pushing OFWs and other overseas Filipinos to either seek refuge in their host countries or be repatriated.

As of Monday, May 16, reported COVID-19 infections have ballooned to 521.476 million across the world according to Johns Hopkins University data. In the Philippines, COVID cases have already reached 3.68 million.

The task group also reported that 32,594

of the returning overseas Filipinos tested positive for the virus during their quarantine upon arrival. Only 50 remain admitted at 11 quarantine facilities, while 32,515 have since recovered. The death toll stands at 29.

Meanwhile, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration has also reportedly given COVID-19 assistance to OFWs by helping 802,538 to return to their home regions.

Another 829,067 availed of “OFW Kalinga,” which is a program for repatriated OFWs. Nearly 1.024 million OFWs, meanwhile, have availed of the One-Stop-Shop for the Management of Returning Overseas Filipinos “Balik Probinsya and Uwian Na” program. g

MANILA — Civic leaders on Tuesday, May 17 have asked the Supreme Court to stop the Senate and House of Representatives from canvassing the votes cast for former senator and presumptive president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. The prayer for a restraining order was contained in a petition to reverse the decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) dismissing the bid to cancel Marcos’ certificate of candidacy (COC).

“The injunctive relief sought is clearly urgent.

Petitioners respectfully ask this Court to act without any delay in considering this application,” the petition stated.

The petitioners were referring to the Comelec’s January 17 resolution and Comelec’s en banc ruling

dated May 10.

The Senate and House of Representatives will convene on May 23 to canvass the votes cast for President and Vice President.

‘Only remedy available’ In their petition before the high court, the petitioners said: “A temporary restraining order is the only remedy available to enjoin and restrain the Congress of the Philippines from rendering this Petition moot and, in the event this Court rules in favor of the petitioners, allowing a candidacy that should never have been to ripen into a presidency of an ineligible candidate.”

If the SC would grant their petition for a restraining order, they said it can exclude only the votes cast for Marcos Jr., leaving the unaffected votes for the other candidates.

“It is not petitioners’ desire to impede the Congress of the Philippines

from performing its constitutional duty; it is rather petitioners’ desire to ensure that Congress, in performing this duty, does not end up performing it in vain,” petitioners said.

The case A complaint was filed against Marcos before a Quezon City court for violating the National Internal Revenue Code.

Specifically, Marcos was sued for breaching the 1977 Internal Revenue Code as he failed to file income tax returns (ITRs) from 1982 to 1985 and did not pay the income taxes due.

In 1995, the Quezon City court found Marcos guilty and imposed nine years imprisonment as a penalty.

The court also directed Marcos to pay a fine for his failure to file his ITRs and pay the taxes due. The case was elevated to the Court of Appeals.

Two years later, the Court of Appeals affirmed the

u PAGE 10

Winning president, vice president may...

PAGE 1 no major issues or motions to be raised during the canvassing, considering the wide leads of presumptive president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and presumptive vice president Sara Duterte-Carpio over their rivals in the race.

As of May 16, partial and unofficial counting of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) indicated that Marcos garnered more than 31 million votes as against the over 14.8 million votes for Vice President Leni Robredo.

In the vice presidential race, Duterte-Carpio got over 31.5 million votes as of Monday afternoon, compared to Sen. Francis Pangilinan’s more than 9.2 million votes.

Zubiri said session is set to resume on May 23 with the Senate’s approval of the resolution convening the National Board of Canvassers with Senate President Vicente Sotto III and seven senators to represent the Senate.

To represent the chamber, aside from Zubiri, are Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, Grace Poe, Aquilino Pimentel III, Pia Cayetano, Imee Marcos and Francis Tolentino.

The two chambers will

PPCRV volunteers count votes in the partial unofficial tally in the Quadricentennial Pavillion, UST, May 11. Bongbong Marcos Jr. leads the polls.

Philstar.com by Jazmin Tabuena

check the certificates of canvass submitted manually to the Senate and electronically to the House.

“We will convene by May 24…if they match and no other differences or erasure, we will canvas immediately and proclaim the elected president and vice president,” Zubiri added.

“I’m confident that in this case, with the huge mandate given to the president and vice president, the margin from the second, third and fourth are so wide, no one will ask too many questions,” he added.

He, however, stressed

that motions would still be entertained during the canvassing.

Zubiri declined to comment on the possible choices for the next Senate president, saying they would rather focus on the tasks left for the current congress, which adjourns on June 3.

The reelectionist senator ranked eighth in the Senate race, as of Sunday, May 15.

“In the meantime, there is still much work to be done.

We are still in the middle of a pandemic and we must focus our energy on current challenges the country is facing,” Zubiri pointed out. g

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From the Front Page

With cases and... New York City enters ‘high’ COVID-19 alert level...

PAGE 1 While BA.2, excluding BA.2.12.1, continues to be the predominant subvariant, accounting for about 85% of positive sequenced specimens, LA County is seeing slight upticks in the more transmissible sub-lineage, BA.2.12.1, with about 12% of positive sequenced samples identified as BA.2.12.1 for the week ending April 23. For the week ending April 23, 9.1% of sequenced samples were identified as sublineages, BA.2.3 or BA.2.3x, thought to be more infectious than BA.2. The CDC estimated that, for the week ending May 7, BA.2 accounted for 56% of sequenced samples and BA.2.12.1 accounted for an increasing proportion of sequenced specimens in the U.S.: 43%, compared to 37% for the prior week.

With these highly infectious subvariants and sub-lineages in circulation, cases continue to increase in LA County.

The average number of daily new cases reported over the last seven days increased to 2,944 compared to the 1,071 reported one month ago, an increase of 175%.

The higher case numbers are beginning to translate to small increases in hospitalizations, as they typically follow case increases. Over the last seven days, the average number of hospitalized cases per day was 288, an increase of 14% from one month ago when the average number of hospitalized cases per day was 253.

Fortunately, deaths, which typically lag hospitalizations by several weeks, remain stable and decreased from one month ago. Deaths decreased to an average of six deaths reported per day this past week, a 45% decrease from one month ago when an average of 11 deaths were reported per day.

“As always, we extend our deepest sympathies to everyone mourning the loss of a loved one from COVID,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health. “With the proliferation of highly infectious sub-lineages of Omicron, it is easier for infected individuals to unknowingly pass along the virus, resulting in many of us experiencing more spread associated with our gatherings and travel.

And while it is reassuring to note the relatively low rates of hospitalizations and deaths, getting infected for many is still very risky and something to be avoided wherever possible.

As has been true throughout the pandemic, keeping others safe often requires that many of us align with sensible safety measures. For those who aren’t particularly concerned about their own health or that of their family members, we ask that you please be mindful of the cumulative risks faced by many in the workforce, at our schools, and in congregate living facilities. With good access to many tools that help us layer in protection for those most vulnerable, we hope that more individuals will take the step of putting back on well-fitting, high filtration masks when using public transit and in transportation hubs, indoor spaces at schools and congregate living facilities, and when inside stores and workplaces. This would give us a chance at slowing down spread while we continue to increase the numbers of residents and workers up to date with their vaccinations since vaccines give us the most protection from severe illness and death.”

On Monday, May 16, Public Health reported 15 additional deaths and 3,489 new positive cases Saturday, 2,707 new cases Sunday and 1,941 new cases today. The number of cases and deaths are likely to reflect reporting delays over the weekend. Of the 15 new deaths reported since Saturday, one person was between the ages of 30-49, one person was between the ages of 50-64, five people were between the ages of 65-79, and seven people were aged 80 years or older. Of the 15 newly reported deaths, all had underlying health conditions. Information on the one death reported by the city of Long Beach is available at longbeach.gov. longbeach.gov. To date, the total number of deaths in LA County is 32,037.

Public Health has reported a total of 2,915,694 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County. The positivity rate is 2.6%.

There are 312 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized.

Testing results are available for more than 11,936,751 individuals, with 22% of people testing positive.g

PAGE 1 community spread, putting substantial pressure on the health care system as case and hospitalization rates escalate.

These heightened precautions will help slow the spread of COVID-19 and keep more New Yorkers out of the hospital while community spread remains high.

The World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have also advised all individuals to take measures to reduce their risk of COVID-19, especially the Delta and Omicron variants and subvariants, including proven

public health and social measures such as wearing well-fitting masks, hand hygiene, physical distancing, improving ventilation of indoor spaces, avoiding crowded spaces, and getting vaccinated.

The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene also urges all residents to use high-quality masks such as KN95 and KF94 masks and N95 respirators.

Their advisory further notes that individuals at high risk of severe illness – those who are over 65 or who are unvaccinated –should avoid crowded settings and limit get-togethers

In addition, the advisory notes that the impact of COVID-19 transmission is higher in settings with a high number of unvaccinated people.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Monday, May 16 said that the city is not ready to reinstate its indoor mask mandate, saying that he is watching the situation closely.

“We’re not at the point of doing anything other than urging New Yorkers while you’re indoors in large set-in social settings. We’re not going to panic. We’re going to continue to be prepared,” Adams said. g

Senate to receive 3 neophyte, 5...

PAGE 1 Padilla earlier said he will push for the country’s shift to federalism.

Tulfo, a known broadcaster, placed third in the senatorial race after securing over 23.3 million votes. Tulfo consistently topped pre-election voter preference surveys.

Now an elected senator, Tulfo said he intends to join the majority bloc to give him better chances of pushing for his advocacies that would benefit Filipinos.

Villar, who formerly served as public works secretary under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, joins his mother—Senator Cynthia Villar—in the Senate.

He placed sixth in the senatorial race after garnering more than 19.4 million votes. During his campaign, Villar has been vocal about continuing the government’s Build, Build, Build infrastructure program.

Returning senators Meanwhile, five former senators are making a

“Magic 12” in the May 2022 senatorial polls.

comeback.

From serving as the Antique’s representative over the past three years, Loren Legarda returns to the Senate after placing second and garnering more than 24.2 million votes.

Legarda served in the Senate from 1998 to 2004 and from 2007 to 2019.

Another senator making a comeback is Sorsogon Governor Francis “Chiz” Escudero who placed fifth

PAHIYAS FESTIVAL. Tourists take photos of decorated houses during the Pahiyas Festival in Lucban in Quezon Province on Sunday, May 15. The festivities are the Philippines’ best-known harvest festivals to honor San Isidro Labrador, the patron of farmers.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

with over 20.2 million votes.

Escudero served as representative of Sorsogon’s 1st District from 1998 to 2007 and was the House Minority Leader from 2004 to 2007. His senatorial bid in 2007 was successful and he served as a senator until 2019 before vying for Sorsogon’s gubernatorial post.

Former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano also returns to the Senate as he joins his older sister, Senator Pia Cayetano.

The younger Cayetano was first elected as senator in 2007. In 2016, he decided to run for vice president alongside then Davao City mayor Duterte. He lost in the vice presidential race and returned to the Senate.

However, his senatorial term was cut short after he was appointed by Duterte as secretary of foreign affairs in 2017. In 2019, he was elected as Taguig-Pateros representative and served as House Speaker until his ouster in October 2020.

After their unsuccessful

Inquirer graphics

senatorial bid in 2019, halfbrothers JV Ejercito and Jinggoy Estrada will reenter Senate after placing 10th and 12th, respectively.

Ejercito served as senator from 2013 to 2019 while Estrada was a part of the Senate from 2004 to 2016.

Reelectionist senators Four senators who sought re-election succeeded and will have another term of six years.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian placed fourth after getting more than 20.6 million votes.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri placed eight (18.7 million votes), Senator Joel Villanueva placed ninth (18.4 million votes), and Senator Risa Hontiveros placed 11th (15.4 million votes).

Zubiri, Gatchalian, and Villanueva were a part of the majority bloc in the 18th Congress. Hontiveros is the sole member of the minority who will return to the Senate. g

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 20-26, 2022

OPINION

FEATURES

A continuing war

5

THE spokesperson for the Philippine National Police dismissed the words as hyperbole. With President Duterte, however, warnings to kill Meeting with some Cabinet members last Wednesday night, May 11, Duterte again defended his brutal war on drugs, and said that before stepping down on June 30, he wanted to see three or five more drug lords fight it out with the police and be killed.

Duterte was borne to power on an anticrime platform, memorably promising to end the drug menace in six months. Six years later, with over 6,000 drug suspects killed in police anti-narcotics operations, the President himself has admitted that he has yet to fulfill his promise. Throughout his bloody campaign against drugs, shabu continued to be smuggled into the country by the ton.

Despite a possible investigation by the International Criminal Court, the President says he has no regrets and sees no reason to apologize for his methods in fighting the drug menace. At the start of his presidency, he had said that the involvement even of local government executives, police generals

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS IF we think that the U.S. and Philippine elections were the worst times we as citizens of both countries would have to endure, the lowest pit our people could find ourselves in, the May 9, 2022 Philippine elections was a sober and

and barangay officials complicated efforts to fight the drug menace. Several local government officials and dozens of barangay captains were among those killed in his

war.

In his speech, he noted that the lieutenants of slain drug lords simply took over the lucrative operations. He expressed hope that the incoming administration would continue his war on drugs. Being a former city prosecutor, he also offered to provide legal assistance to law enforcers who are sued for carrying out the campaign against illegal drugs.

It is unclear if the incoming Marcos administration will have the same brutal approach to the drug menace. The persistence of the problem shows that the drug killings have not provided sufficient shock and awe to deter drug dealers from engaging in one of the most lucrative although illegal enterprises.

President Duterte’s war has also been deficient in addressing the other major aspect

Philstar.com

of the illegal drug scourge: the demand. This is a far more complex element that calls for a multipronged approach involving families, the community, schools, civil society and

the religious sector. Perhaps the incoming administration will have a deeper grasp of the problem, and a better tack in addressing both supply and demand. (Philstar.com)

Where do you stand? Christian love, forgiveness and justice in the age of fake news, disinformation and deceit scary reminder that the worst is upon us: the regime of deposed President Ferdinand Marcos and the outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte lives on in their children at the same time, along with an ever growing list of political dynasties and convicted plunderers and abusers of power in Philippine history.

The recent election in the Philippines had left us all so exhausted and exasperated with the division we have found ourselves in – them vs us, red vs pink – which sadly made us feel, at some point, “Mahirap mahalin ang kapwa Pilipino”, “Mahirap maipagmalaki na ako ay isang Pilipino”.

But we press on, move

forward, hoping against all odds that somehow the majority of us would prove that in the end we will prove them all wrong, and that majority of us will decisively choose the truth over lies, the good versus evil, the greater good of all over personal interests.

Our natural human reaction is to hate and curse

those who chose the lies, the evil, and the personal interests, but then again, we needed the divine grace to realize that they, too, – most of our kababayans – were victimized and robbed of the truth and the facts they needed to make informed and conscientious decisions.

How do we heal as a nation? How do we go back

to our core values and come together as one people?

How do we hold on to our faith, our concept and belief of what is good and bad in us and in other people? How do we raise our children in this age of lies and disinformation when the world we are raising them in appears to reward these and PAGE 10

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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Starfleet Innotech leadership mobilizes across North America with strategic meetings in US, Canada STARFLEET Innotech, Inc. (OTC Pink: SFIO) (“SFIO” or “The Company”) capped off the first leg of its United States roadshow with a successful showing at the Planet MicroCap conference in Las Vegas, Nevada and strategic meetings with Silicon Valley partners in Palo Alto, California. Towards the end of the month, executives from the global conglomerate will be congregating in New York to cement the agreements necessary to establish a more concrete presence in the U.S. “While we already have a presence in the United States through our office, key personnel, and strategic partners, our showcase in Las Vegas formally kicks off the next phase of our growth as a conglomerate,” said Santiago Arnaiz, General Manager of Communications at SFIO. “We recognize the crucial role that North America plays as fertile grounds to stage our global expansion. There are incredibly exciting projects being launched across the SFIO ecosystem – in the Philippines, Dubai, Malaysia,

and beyond – all vital parts of our growth journey. Our job here in the U.S. is to find partners interested in joining us on that journey. The reception so far has been promising.”

As a global investment holding company, SFIO is focused on innovation through disruptive collaborations across its three key industries: Food and Beverage (F&B), Real Estate, and Technology. This translates to making strategic investments in high-growth businesses and building synergies across its diverse portfolio in order to provide maximum shareholder value.

SFIO currently maintains offices across New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, and the United States. Over the next few months, the SFIO team will be mobilizing across North America, building on its momentum in Las Vegas and San Francisco towards establishing a more concrete presence in the region.

Recently, both Arnaiz and

Chief Investor Officer Richard De Lima presented SFIO at the Planet MicroCap showcase to an audience of investors, fund managers, and family offices.

In Toronto, CEO Jeths Lacson mobilized a signed partnership with the company’s Canadian distributor for Gorgeous Coffee and Epiphany Manuka Honey products. Under this agreement, the company’s F&B products will be made available for purchase online through Amazon, and eventually through major retail outlets across North America.

Meanwhile, Chief Technology Officer Richard Prodigalidad met with technology partners in San Francisco and Palo Alto, including biotech wearable developer NeuroSky. Wearables developed by NeuroSky are set to be integrated into SFIO’s real estate projects under the Moraya brand of wellness-oriented, tech-enabled townships.

Deployed through Project Fort, a community health dashboard service and subsidiary of SFIO, these wearables will gather the data necessary to pioneer entirely

new approaches to proactive community care.

In addition to ecosystem partners, Prodigalidad secured commitments to connect the increasing demand for tech talent across Silicon Valley with highlyskilled developers and designers based in the Philippines – positioning SFIO as the central hub in a global innovation ecosystem. More details on this new initiative will be shared in the months to come.

“The work continues in connecting with investors and other growth enablers to take SFIO to the next level. We have a full lineup of meetings over the next few weeks, ranging from exploratory chats, followup sessions stemming from our recent participation at Planet MicroCap, and deep-dives into partnership agreements,” said Arnaiz. “It was exciting to get to sit down with our partners in Silicon Valley to kick off our cocreation efforts in technology.

I’m looking forward to doing the same in New York, representing our businesses like Epiphany Cafe

with potential F&B partners.”

Among these potential partners are major distributors, retail stores, manufacturers, and cafe franchises – with whom SFIO hopes to bring its F&B businesses like Epiphany Cafe and Gorgeous Coffee into the country. To support these growth efforts, the company will be engaging with a U.S.-focused IR firm to bolster its traction in this crucial market.

“Our goal at SFIO is to bridge promising businesses from emerging economies with crucial growth enablers, many of which are based in the United States,” said Arnaiz. “Over the last year or so, we’ve been hard at work championing those promising businesses. Now we’re shifting our focus to the U.S., to build the other side of that global infrastructure.

While here, we’ll be looking to accomplish three things: strike strategic partnerships with institutional players, increase visibility on our global businesses, and gather the resources we need to get Starfleet soaring.”

(Advertising Supplement)

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 20-26, 2022

Dateline PhiliPPines

Arroyo endorses Romualdez as Speaker of 19th Congress

by Daphne

Galvez Inquirer.net

MANILA — Former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has endorsed Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez to be the Speaker of the incoming 19th Congress.

In a statement on Saturday, May 14, Arroyo, who also served as Speaker of the House in the 17th Congress, said she and Romualdez have worked together “for decades” “to serve the Filipino people.”

“Majority Leader Martin Romualdez and I have been working together for decades in a joint effort to do our best to serve the Filipino people. Since 2010, our partnership involved our service as fellow members of the House of Representatives,” she said.

The former president, who ran unopposed and was reelected as representative of the 2nd District of

Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez

Inquirer.net file photo

Pampanga in the 2022 elections, urged Lakas-CMD members to also support Romualdez.

“I will be returning to the House on June 30, 2022. I would therefore like to advise the members of the Lakas-CMD that I am throwing my support for Majority Leader

Martin Romualdez to be elected as House Speaker in the next Congress. I urge all members of our party to do the same,” she said.

Arroyo had endorsed the candidacy of presumptive president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his running mate, presumptive vice president Sara Duterte-Carpio. She is the chairman emeritus of the LAKAS-CMD party where Romualdez is the president.

Duterte-Carpio ran for the vice presidency under the banner of LAKASCMD. Romualdez, a cousin of Marcos Jr. and the campaign manager of Duterte-Carpio, ran unopposed and was reelected as representative of the 1st District of Leyte in the 2022 polls.

It will be his fifth term as representative of his district.

The National Unity Party earlier endorsed Romualdez to be the next Speaker. g

Philippines bucks Russia’s global isolation, backs China as mediator by pia lee-BraGo Philstar.com

MANILA — The Philippines believes that the global isolation of Russia will serve only to dilute the three major resolutions that have already established the illegality and indecency of the latter’s attack on Ukraine, as Manila voiced support for China as a “credible” mediator in the conflict.

“Singling out a state for global isolation has not served the international

community. Do we want another North Korea, next door to North Korea, but spanning 11 time zones and swimming in oil and floating on gas? It wouldn’t be, as the USSR was once dismissed, Upper Volta with missiles,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said at a meeting with United States President Joseph Biden Jr. on regional and global issues during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-US Special Summit in Washington last Saturday,

May 14.

Locsin was referring to the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

The Philippines’ top diplomat stated that the indecency of the Russian attack on Ukraine, the brutality of its methods and the deliberate targeting of the softest targets – children and mothers – prompted the Philippines to cast in the United Nations the first vote condemning the Russian aggression, its vote deploring the humanitarian

crises created and its vote to suspend Russian membership in the UN Human Rights Council.

“A credible mediator may be needed. I can think of no other than China whose strength and success, even in these worst of times, qualifies it for the respect of the United States and Russia,” Locsin said.

He noted that he sees the important role that China alone can fill in the current crisis on the other side of the world. g

Senate to prioritize admin agenda that will benefit Filipinos MANILA – Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said he would lead the formation of a majority bloc in the 24-member Senate to help pursue the legislative agenda of presumptive President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. Zubiri said on Tuesday, May 17 that they are looking forward to working productively with the new administration for the good of the people even as other senators vowed to stay independent amid an impending “supermajority” in the 19th Congress.

“By tradition, we in the working majority will decide and elect the officers and leadership in due time. This will be done in a democratic manner, based

on qualifications and values that will uphold the traditions of the Senate as an institution,” Zubiri said in a statement.

Senator Sonny Angara said they belong to different political parties with different principles, ideologies, and advocacies.

“I think the 18th Congress provides a good model for the upcoming 19th Congress in terms of work ethic, leadership, productivity. Debates were long and robust but much legislation was passed to help our countrymen during a very tough time in our history.

The Senate helped the President and his administration help our countrymen in their time of need with expanded and unprecedented aid programs,” Angara said in a statement.

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said he will always respect the decision of the majority and will continue to work “silently” for the interest of the Filipinos.

“Pwede po sigurong tabihan ko si (I can stay close to) [Senator] Lito Lapid,” he said in jest in an interview.

Go said there is nothing wrong with speaking up if something is wrong or supporting the government if it is doing the right thing.

“Ang makikinabang po dito ang mga Pilipino. ‘Yung mga mahihirap, ma-iahon lang po natin. Magtulungan lang po tayo (The one who should always benefit are the Filipinos. The poor ones, let’s help them. Let’s just help each other),” he said.

(PNA)

7

PH confirms local transmission of new Omicron variant by reD

MenDoza ManilaTimes.net

THE Philippines has confirmed the local transmission of the BA.2.12.1 sublineage of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 with three new cases detected in Iloilo City, the Department of Health said.

In a briefing on Tuesday, March 17, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the local transmissions meant that there are linked cases but most of the cases are sourced within the country and is different from community transmission, where cases are unlinked.

Based on initial studies, BA.2.12.1 is more transmissible than the Omicron variant and is now the main cause of surges in Canada and the United States.

The three cases were composed of one returning Filipino from the U.S. and two local cases.

The returning Filipino and a local case were fully vaccinated, while the other local case is still being verified.

The country reported its first detection of the variant last Friday, May 13 with two local cases in the National Capital Region and 11 cases from a cruise ship in Palawan. g

Comelec: Nothing...

PAGE 1 the supposed inauguration provided under the 1987 Constitution.

“I will not answer specifically as regards to the vice president-elect taking her oath in advance… but I just want to cite an example, there have been many instances where winning congressmen, senators immediately conduct their oath taking before a notary public, a judge, or a barangay captain right after their proclamation,” Garcia said in a mix of English and Filipino.

He said this is common practice among winning local candidates, as some of them would want to celebrate already. However, Garcia clarified that their oath should be what is stated under the constitution. “[The] formal oath can happen later so it may be possible that you can take your oath now and then you’ll have another oath later. There is no prohibition that you will have several oaths,” Garcia said.

This comes after Davao city mayor and presumptive vice president-elect Sara Duterte-Carpio has expressed intent to hold her

inauguration earlier than the end-June proclamation.

Duterte-Carpio said she is hoping to take oath in Davao city on June 19. She says she also wanted to attend the oath taking of running mate presidential-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. Over on Twitter, columnist Manuel Quezon III pointed out that Duterte-Carpio will be taking her oath before the president-elect on June 30. “She is expected to be with the President-elect,” Quezon said.

While the official canvassing for the president and vice president will begin once Congress resumes session next week, the partial and unofficial tally of this year’s national elections shows Duterte-Carpio and Marcos Jr. leading by a wide margin.

Duterte-Carpio leads by over 22 million votes with 31.561 million versus Sen. Francis Pangilinan with 9.232 million votes.

Meanwhile, Marcos.

Jr. leads with over 16 million votes, garnering 31.104 million versus Vice President Leni Robredo with 14.822 million.

(Philstar.com)

8

MAY 20-26, 2022 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

Pahrump project to bring first major harness racing track in state By realTor FelY QUiTeviS-BaTeMan

A PROPOSED plan to build a mega-entertainment facility on more than 400 acres of open farmland northern Pahrump will bring the first pari-mutuel harness racing track in Nevada.

According to an article in the

Nye County commissioners recently listened to initial plans laid out by project developers who will bring pari-mutuel racing and a mega-entertainment facility to Pahrump.

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman (extreme right) poses with Nye County commissioners in photo above, including Commissioners Bruce Jabbour and Donna Cox.

Pahrump Valley Times, the project will include a 40,0000-square-foot resort casino centered around a 7/8-mile track, with stables for 280 racing horses, plus amenities like restaurants, shopping facilities campgrounds, a water park, batting cages, movie theater and parking for vehicles and RVs (recreational vehicles).

It has been presented to Nye County commissioners by the

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman (center) with Nye County Commissioner Leo Blundo (left), who has endorsed the megaentertainment facility that includes the harness racing track, and Lia Roberts (right), who is her GOP mentor.

Nevada Standardbred Association Inc., which was formed a few years back, counting horse trainers and caretakers and other parties as its founding members.

The association’s goal is to bring harness racing to the state, and it sees Pahrump as key to its plan.

This plan is expected to bring some 200 jobs to the area – horse trainers, vets and techs, groundskeepers, ticket vendors and hospitality workers.

There is no timeline yet for the project as there are quite a number of hurdles to go through and permits to secure, but the cost is expected to be in the millions.

Funding is largely being raised, according to the article, by the Western Saddlebred Alliance Inc. If the project does go through, racing at the 7/8-mile track will run from late October to May should a conditional approval be granted by the Nevada Racing Commission.

Twelve live races a day during the season can be seen via two weekly meets, and the races will be simulcast internationally from Pahrump.

The opportunity to establish such a project in the area would be a boon to the economy, the people and tourism. Aside from bringing

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman occasionally drives through the northern and southern areas of Pahrump to see the progress going on in the town.

in visitors who will watch the live harness races, the facilities would feature a training and education center that could host community events like 4-H or Future Farmers of America or other organizations.

Even a festival is a possibility at the project’s site, and could be scheduled around Nevada Day long weekend.

Visitors, per people attached to the project, could also be drawn to hotels, restaurants and other area attractions.

Per the article, the project’s

developers have anticipated any concerns attached to the project, including research on track surfaces to help reduce the threats of dust and erosion, looking at sound barriers to help curb noise from the track, keeping lighting limited after 10 p.m., and efficient usage and conservation of resources.

Water rights come with the land, and a state-of-the-art reclamation process will be designed to help efficiency and conservation efforts.

PAGE 9

(212) 655-5426 • http://www.asianjournal.com

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 20-26, 2022

Pahrump project to bring first...

Affordable Housing for Rent SCHOLES SENIOR HOUSING 44 NEWLY CONSTRUCTED UNITS AT 64 SCHOLES STREET, BROOKLYN, NY EAST WILLIAMSBURG

Amenities: on-site resident manager, energy-efficient appliances, airconditioning, smart controls for heating/cooling, common area Wifi, High-speed internet, cable or satellite TV, online options for leasing, paying rent, and making maintenance requests, recreation/fitness center, storage area, bicycle storage, community facility, outdoor recreation, security cameras, intercom device, elevator, accessible entrance, and laundry room.

Transit: G/M/J/L, B43, B48, B60 No fee to apply • No broker’s fee • Smoke-free building • More information: www.progressivemgmt.net and NYHousingSearch.gov This building is being constructed through the Low-Income Housing Credit Program (LIHC) of the New York State Homes and Community Renewal and the Inclusionary Housing Program of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

Who Should Apply?

Individuals or households, where at least one member is at least 62 years old upon initial occupancy and meets the income and household size requirements listed in the table below may apply. Qualified applicants will be required to meet additional selection criteria. Applicants who live in New York City receive a general preference for apartments.

A percentage of units is set aside for: - Mobility–disabled applicants (5%) - Vision/Hearing–disabled applicants (2%) • Preference for a percentage of units goes to: - Residents of BROOKLYN COMMUNITY BOARD 5 (50%) - Municipal employees (5%)

AVAILABLE UNITS AND INCOME REQUIREMENTS Unit Size

Studio

60% AREA MEDIAN INCOME (AMI) UNITS

PAGE 8 A manure-processing facility in the site will also help deter flies and pests, and will make the project more sustainable, according to developers.

According to article, Nye County commissioners have reacted favorably to the initial plans laid out to them by the project’s developers.

This certainly is a welcome development for Pahrumpians, as this is a major opportunity for the area given that there is a dearth of horse racing tracks in the western part of the United States. Plus, for a gambling capital like the state of Nevada, it has no major presence in horse racing, although horse racing can be seen across screens from inside the major casinos in the state. A track in Pahrump could certainly add a feather to its cap, elevate the state’s horse industry, and place horse-racing – the pari-mutuel kind – within people’s fingertips and see it happen before their eyes, considering that Pahrump is only 62 miles west of Las Vegas.

That Pahrump is being considered for this project over other areas in the state is indeed a testament to how the town has grown from its humble beginnings.

With Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch also located in Pahrump, that would mean two major racetracks in the town and more business for the area.

Of course, there are many things to get done before the project comes to fruition, and that will include input from the community. That the developers are focused on sustainability, conservation and efficient use of resources bodes well for them. Indeed, the state has made a name for itself in these areas – and major projects in the

9

Monthly Rent1

Units Available

$1,041

44

→

House-hold Size2

Annual Household Income3

1 person

$ 38,263 - $ 56,040

2 people

$ 38,263 - $ 64,080

Minimum – Maximum4

Rent includes gas for heating. Tenant responsible for electricity.

Household size includes everyone who will live with you, including parents and children. Subject to occupancy criteria.

Household earnings includes salary, hourly wages, tips, Social Security, child support, and other income. Income guidelines subject to change.

4 Minimum income listed may not apply to applicants with Section 8 or other qualifying rental subsidies. Asset limits also apply.

1 2 3

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman helps those who need business financing, including loans for small businesses. For more information, call (702) 5384948 or send email to fely@precious-properties.com.

state need to address these concerns well enough in order to gain passage for their developments.

News of this project creates more excitement for Pahrump. And as more developments get planned for the area, it will add more stature for the town and keep it on top of everyone’s mind.

Now is the time to look for opportunities in Pahrump and neighboring areas – while prices are more affordable and before the market skyrockets. I can help you, my kababayans,

look for the best real estate and properties in Pahrump and beyond, whether as an investment, as a retirement place, or simply your new home.

My company, Precious Properties, is a full-service company that has been serving its clientele since 1992. You can reach me at 775-513-8447, 805-5592476 and 702-538-4948 for more information. We have investors who buy houses in California and Nevada for cash and quick escrow in as short as 7 days.

COOLING DOWN. A group of teenagers enjoys getting drenched under the rain on Salvia Street in Barangay Kaligayahan, Novaliches-Fairview in Quezon City on Tuesday, May 17. The frequent rains have been a welcome occurrence during the summer months.

PNA photo by Oliver Marquez

How Do You Apply?

Apply online or through mail. To apply online, please go to https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/.

To request an application by mail, send a self-addressed envelope to: Scholes Senior Housing, 1044 Northern Blvd. – 2nd Fl, Roslyn, NY 11576. Only send one application per development. Do not submit duplicate applications. Do not apply online and also send in a paper application. Applicants who submit more than one application may be disqualified.

When is the Deadline?

Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than June 21, 2022. Late applications will not be considered.

What Happens After You Submit an Application?

After the deadline, applications are selected for review through a lottery process. If yours is selected and you appear to qualify, you will be invited to submit documents to continue the process of determining your eligibility. Applicants are usually contacted from 2 to 10 months after the application deadline. You will be asked to submit documents that verify your household size, identity of members of your household, and your household income.

Español

Presente una solicitud en línea en https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. Para recibir una traducción de español de este anuncio y la solicitud impresa, envíe un sobre con la dirección a: Scholes Senior Housing, 1044 Northern Blvd.-2nd Fl, Roslyn, NY 11576. En el reverso del sobre, escriba en inglés la palabra “SPANISH.” Las solicitudes se deben enviar en línea o con sello postal antes de 21 de julio 2022.

简体中文

访问https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/ 在线申请。如要获取本广告及书面申请表的简体中 文版，请将您的回邮信封寄送至：Scholes Senior Housing, 1044 Northern Blvd. – 2nd Fl, Roslyn, NY 11576. 信封背面请用英语注明“CHINESE”。必须在以下日期之前在线提交申请或邮寄书面申请 2022 年 6月21日

Русский

Чтобы подать заявление через интернет, зайдите на сайт: https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. Для получения данного объявления и заявления на русском языке отправьте конверт с обратным адресом по адресу Scholes Senior Housing, 1044 Northern Blvd. – 2nd Fl, Roslyn, NY 115761 На задней стороне конверта напишите слово “RUSSIAN” на английском языке. Заявки должны быть поданы онлайн или отправлены по почте (согласно дате на почтовом штемпеле) не позднее 21 июнь 2022.

한국어

https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/ 에서 온라인으로 신청하십시오. 이 광고문과 신청서에 대한 한 국어 번역본을 받아보시려면 반송용 봉투를 Scholes Senior Housing, 1044 Northern Blvd.-2nd Fl, Roslyn, NY 11576으로 보내주십시오. 봉투 뒷면에 “KOREAN” 이라고 영어로 적어주십시오. 2022 년6월21일 까지 온라인 신청서를 제출하거나 소인이 찍힌 신청서를 보내야 합니다.

Kreyòl Ayisyien

Aplike sou entènèt sou sitwèb https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. Pou resevwa yon tradiksyon anons sa a nan lang Kreyòl Ayisyen ak aplikasyon an sou papye, voye anvlòp ki gen adrès pou retounen li nan: Scholes Senior Housing, 1044 Northern Blvd.-2nd Fl., Roslyn, NY 11576. Nan dèyè anvlòp la, ekri mo “HATIAN CREOLE” an Anglè. Ou dwe remèt aplikasyon yo sou entènèt oswa ou dwe tenbre yo anvan dat jen 21, 2022.

‫رعلاةيب‬

‫ ينورتكلإلا عقوملا ىلع تنرتنإلا قيرط نع بلطب مدقت‬https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. ‫لوصحلل‬ ‫يقرولا بلطلا جذومنلو نالعإلا اذهل ةيبرعلا ةغللاب ةمجرت ىلع‬، ‫ىلإ كناونعو كمسا لمحي فورظم لسرأ‬: Scholes Senior Housing, 1044 Northern Blvd.-2nd Fl., Roslyn, NY 11576. ‫فورظملل ةيفلخلا ةهجلا ىلع‬، ‫ةغللاب بتكا‬ ‫“ ةملك ةيزيلجنإلا‬ARABIC”. ‫وينوي لبق ديربلا متخب اهمتخ وأ تنرتنإلا قيرط نع تابلطلا جذامن لاسرإ بجي‬، 2022 21 .

Governor Kathy Hochul • Mayor Eric Adams • HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrion Jr. • HCR Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas

10

MAY 20-26, 2022 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

Where do you stand...

PAGE 5 demonize the truth warriors?

I want to share this Open penned by Christina Astorga, a former faculty member of Ateneo de Manila University and order chair of the Theology Department of Christian University founded on the principle espoused by St. Ignatius: to educate its students to be “Man for Others” for the “Greater Glory of God”.

May it help us all reconcile the conflicting values we now face as a nation: A RESPONSE TO NIKKO BUENDIA’S OPEN LETTER TO THE ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY Dear Nikko, I am a former faculty of the Ateneo de Manila University, and former Chair of the Theology Department. I am not responding to you on behalf of the Ateneo de Manila University, but as a Filipino citizen and as an educator.

I would be the first one to tell my students to stand up for the truth, to speak the truth, but always in love. “Veritas in Caritate” — truth in love. And if what you said about how they behaved towards others of opposite belief is true, then I would agree that they should be reminded of speaking truth in love.

VP Leni has always reminded her supporters of relating with those with opposite belief with respect. She says that we focus on actions, not on persons. To condemn lies, defamations, fake news, but not to attack and bully persons.

If the students have failed in love, then they must be reprimanded, reminded, be told to do better next time.

But we were young once, and we know how our passions can be combustible, when our outrage can get the better of us.

But between those without any moral outrage over the Marcos atrocities, and those with moral outrage that may have gone over the top, I will go for the latter than for the former.

You have spoken about our students’ failure in love, but I speak about your failure in truth.

Your letter is a subterfuge of historical revisionism. You implied that Ateneo de Manila is teaching their own “version of truth” as if it is not the OBJECTIVE TRUTH, BASED ON EVIDENCE UPON EVIDENCE, that the Marcoses plundered the country, left it in shambles, and while they live extremely extravagant and opulent lives on STOLEN MONEY, thousands are eating “pagpag” from the garbage. We still have to recover the accumulated plunder of $10 billion (U.S. dollars) and much of that must have been used for the massive hakot and vote buying in the last election, caught and recorded in many videos.

Imelda has been convicted of 7 counts of plunder, and while she lives like a queen in her mansion, Leila de Lima, who has been proven innocent by her own accusers, is still languishing in prison.

The Marcoses have still to pay the gov’t 203 billion in estate tax debt! They regard themselves as above the law.

They steal flagrantly, tell lies to our faces, fail to pay their taxes repeatedly, violate electoral laws blatantly, because they think of themselves as the untouchables.

They are not accountable to anyone, not even to the law of the land.

The Marcoses have refused to apologize or even acknowledge the abuses against human rights during Martial law.

They, with Duterte’s approval, buried Marcos, Sr. the plunderer and human rights criminal, among our heroes, shaming our honorable past.

They are being held in contempt by a U.S. court for “contumacious conduct causing direct harm to a class of human rights victims, amounting to 353 million dollars.” Held in contempt by the court, they would be put behind bars, if they step on U.S. soil.

They have built the largest machinery of historical revisionism, fake history, and fake news to glorify the martial law regime as the golden age of the Philippines.

They used this same machinery to perpetuate fake news about VP Leni, to assassinate her character, rendering her as a victim of the largest disinformation never seen in this country.

You criticized Ateneo de Manila University for failing to stand for the weak and downtrodden. That is the last thing to say of the University, even if their students may have been intolerant of the position taken by the CDE classes, who were the easy prey of the Marcos’ machinery of lies.

But have you condemned the plunder of the Marcoses of the money that was meant for the alleviation of poverty in our country?

Have you considered that it is they who have no heart for the weak and downtrodden, who look upon them only as votes to buy to keep them in power?

And have you thought that it is you, and people like you, who support the Marcoses, who are in collusion with them, who keep our people, poor and downtrodden?

You write and I quote, “your partisan stance has encouraged young impressionable minds to blindly take your ‘cause’ against the ‘enemy’.”

History has many instances that the youth are the easiest to be molded into a terrifying mob. And it is apparent what you… along with other Catholic institutions… are building.

This road will not lead to heaven.

Truth is not partisan, but it is not neutral.

Neutrality in the face of truth is collusion with lies and falsehood.

The Catholic Church has taken a stance against the Marcos atrocities, for it is a stance for truth and justice; it is a stance for the poor and downtrodden, who are victims of their abuses. Had it played neutral, it could have stood against the very heart of the gospel.

The truth is under attack, now more than ever, and it is Ateneo’s obligation and that of all institutions of learning, to protect the truth.

If truth is not protected, and we live on lies and falsehoods, we will not only be on the road that leads to heaven, we will create hell on earth.

I praise our young for fighting for the truth, for putting themselves on the line for what they believe; for the moral outrage they have shown against lies and injustices.

They are the warriors of truth at the frontline of the battle – brave, unyielding, indomitable. I salute them. But I exhort them once again to speak truth in love – “Veritas in Caritate.”

VP Leni has shown us what it means to fight in the spirit of radical love. In her speech in the thanksgiving rally, she said that she is launching the Angat Buhay, the largest volunteer network in the country this July.

She said that “tutulungan natin ang lahat.

Wala tayong pipiliin na kulay.”

When people accuse the pink movement of self-righteousness, of the “holier-than-thou,”

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

Petition to reverse Comelec decision...

PAGE 2 lower court’s ruling and ordered Marcos to pay the deficiency income taxes due with interest, a total of P36,000 fine for non-filing of income tax returns from 1982 to 1985.

Marcos took the case to the Supreme Court but eventually withdrew it, making the decision of the Court of Appeals final and executory.

2022 presidential elections Marcos filed his COC to run for president in the 2022 elections. In his COC, he declared that he is eligible to run for President of the Philippines and he answered “no” to the question if he has been found liable for any offense, which carries the penalty of perpetual disqualification to hold public office.”

Last January, the Comelec dismissed the petition to cancel Marcos’ COC, saying the Court of Appeals affirmed Marcos’ conviction to file income tax returns but not for failure to pay taxes.

The Comelec also said that the Court of Appeals did not specifically mention that Marcos is perpetually disqualified from holding public office.

The Comelec added that the 1977 Internal Revenue Code does not require mandatory prison time and does not impose automatic perpetual disqualification to hold public office for offenders.

The Comelec en banc affirmed the January ruling of a poll body division, prompting petitioners to take the case to the Supreme Court.

Arguments before the Supreme Court The petitioners said Comelec committed grave

abuse of discretion when it refused to cancel Marcos’ COC, which is actually void from the beginning.

“With Marcos, Jr.’s void COC, the eligible candidate with the next highest number of votes should be proclaimed,” read the petition.

The petitioners also asserted that the Comelec has excluded Marcos from the coverage of the 1977 tax code. They explained that the Court of Appeals did not explicitly mention that Marcos is perpetually disqualified from holding public office “because the Court of Appeals did not have to do so.”

Section 286 of the Tax Code states that “any person convicted of a crime penalized by this (NIRC) Code shall, in addition to being liable for the payment of the tax… if he is a public officer or employee…he shall be dismissed from the public service and perpetually disqualified from holding any public office, to vote, and to participate in any election.”

“Thus, by operation of law, and regardless of whether such disqualification was expressly directed in the judgment of conviction, the consequence of perpetual disqualification is deemed imposed upon the final conviction of Respondent Marcos Jr.,” the petitioners said.

The petitioners also cited the case of Romeo Jalosjos Sr., where a high court ruling states that disqualification under the law “is deemed part of the final judgment of conviction.

In fact, perpetual special disqualification takes effect immediately once the judgment of conviction

of the disconnect with the least in society, the best argument to that accusation is VP Leni and her embodiment of radical love for the poorest of the poor.

The image of VP Leni climbing mountains, crossing rivers, riding bancas and motorcycles, to reach our people at the laylayan, the least among us, and the opposite of the Marcoses among the elite in society, the oligarchs in their palatial homes and mansions, and at Amanpulo.

I exhort our students, to be inspired by VP Leni, and to become more and more like her, as bridges of love, solidarity, and compassion.

But radical love must be rooted in truth and justice. Love that is not rooted in truth is false sentimentalism.

Love that is not founded on justice is collusion with injustice.

I read a quote which spoke powerfully to

becomes final.”

On the question of whether Marcos was a public officer or not when the supposed tax offense was committed, Comelec’s 2nd division said Marcos was not. This was later affirmed by the Comelec en banc.

The Comelec’s decision in January cited the case of Republic vs. Sandiganbayan as its basis for saying that Marcos was no longer a public officer upon his departure for Hawaii in 1986, the last day for him to file the ITR for the taxable year 1985.

Comelec said Marcos’ departure is deemed as an abandonment of his post as governor of Ilocos Norte.

But the petitioners asserted that the same ruling mentioned Provisional Constitution which provides that “all elective and appointive officials and employees under the 1973 Constitution shall continue in the office until otherwise provided by proclamation or executive order…”

Besides, the petitioners added, Marcos himself did not deny the allegation that he was a public officer during the questioned year.

SC action The high court is currently on a decision-writing break but under its rules, the case will be raffled to a justicein-charge.

The justice-in-charge can recommend to the Chief Justice an action on the petition specifically on the plea for a temporary restraining order.

If approved, a restraining order may be issued.

However, it would immediately be subject to confirmation by the Court en banc (full court). If confirmed, the restraining order will be enforced. g

me. “I fight against you, because I am fighting for you, and for us.”

Is this self-righteousness or holier-thanthou? It is, if it is not based on genuine truth and justice. *** 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. *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989. She was a news anchor, TV host and radio commentator and public service host for ABS- CBN and DZMM. She is now working on her advocacies independently, serving the Filipino audience using different media platforms. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.

Also on Twitter, Instagram: Gel Santos Relos

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 20-26, 2022

COMMUNITY JOURNAL

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Husband and wife are finally reunited in America after 32 years, on this success story on Citizen Pinoy BETH was petitioned as “single” by her U.S. citizen father in 1988. At her Embassy interview, visas were already available for “married” children. The consul advised her to marry Benjamin, her live-in partner, so she could add him to her petition and bring him and their children along with her.

She followed the consul’s advice and married Benjamin. Unfortunately, the Embassy made a mistake and issued her visa as “single” (F-1), instead of married (F-3), preventing her husband from immigrating, and her naturalization application being denied.

Beth retained leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel who was able to finally bring Benjamin to the U.S.

Atty. Gurfinkel even met with the consuls at the Embassy, who agreed they issued Beth’s visa in the wrong category but could no longer withdraw it since the visa was already issued. They did agree, however, to issue a visa to her child.

Benjamin was eventually able to get a green card through their U.S. citizen child’s petition.

Watch this success story of a family reunion that was 32 years in the making on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, May 22 at 7:00 PM PT (10:00 PM ET) through select Cable/ Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app.

(Advertising Supplement)

FAMILY REUNION THAT WAS 32 YEARS IN THE MAKING, ON A BRAND-NEW SUCCESS STORY OF CITIZEN PINOY THIS SUNDAY! Beth (center) was petitioned as single by her U.S. citizen father in 1988. When she came in for her interview at the Embassy, the consul advised her to marry Benjamin (left), her live-in partner, so she could bring him and their children along, as visas were already available for married children. However, the Embassy erroneously issued her visa as “single,” preventing her husband from immigrating, and her naturalization application being denied. Beth hired leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (right), who requested that Benjamin and their 10-year-old child be processed as following-to-join. The Embassy advised that Benjamin could not be issued a visa because Beth’s visa was issued as F1 (single), but they were able to process her child’s visa as a derivative. Atty. Gurfinkel worked tirelessly to bring Benjamin to the U.S. to reunite this family. Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, May 22 at 7:00 PM PT (10:00 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo.

(Advertising Supplement)

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MAY 20-26, 2022 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS I REDRAFTED this column last Mother’s Day, amidst the U.S. Supreme Court revisit of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. I am eternally grateful to my mother, Maxima, who passed away in November 2019 at the age of 101, for respecting my rights and for protecting me when I was a fetus in her womb.

My admiration also goes to all mothers around the world who value and cherish their unborn.

When I first came across the question “Does the fetus have rights?,” I wondered how anyone could even think otherwise. If the fetus, which is actively growing with a life of its own, is allowed to develop normally, it would mature and eventually become one of us, so why wouldn’t it have rights, just like us? I grant you that a fetus is not a fully developed person and is not independent, exactly like us when we were in our mother’s womb. Even the fetuses of our animal pets, who do not even have the potential to become humans, are accorded their rights and have legal protection against cruelty and abuse under our laws. Why not for the unborn human fetus?

I am surprised why there is even a debate at all whether fetuses should be considered human beings, and whether we, fellow humans, should have the right to kill them or not. To me, the issue is lucidly clear and has been “naturally pre-determined.”

These are not fruits or vegetables or any inanimate objects. They are living organisms, with a life of their own. Killing them, even under a legalized system, is still murder, no matter the legal semantics.

A fetus does count! If a pregnant mother is a victim of any violence or crime, which results in the death of both the mother and the fetus, the courts count the “value” of the fetus, and if the perpetrator is found guilty, he/she could be sentenced to, and meted out, “double” the punishment because of the two dead victims. So, why should the value of the fetus be “zero” in the case of intentional termination of pregnancy?

Another argument I find ludicrous is the one that says

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

Rights of the unborn a woman has the right to do whatever she wants with her body, and therefore she has the right to terminate the life of her child inside her womb. The fetus inside the womb is not a natural and integral part of the female body. All the women I know or have read about were not born with a fetus inside their womb as a part of their anatomy. Her entire body and appendages are natural parts of her, but not a fetus. So, how can the proabortion group claim that a fetus is a part of the woman’s body, and, therefore, could be “cut out” at her whim, like her hair, or her nails?

The woman has the right to mutilate her own body, cut off her limbs or even her head if she so chooses because that’s her own body and her life is her own. But the fetus is not a natural part of a woman’s anatomy. It is another life.

If a woman does not want to be pregnant, she could, and should, with modern medical advances, prevent conception.

Why even carelessly allow life to start at all and then decide to annihilate it for expediency and personal comfort?

If mercy killing of a terminally ill person in constant pain as an act of compassion is illegal, why should killing a healthy unborn at any stage be legalized?

The wanton killing of fetuses our society has allowed for the past half a century is an immoral and shameful period in the history of man(“kind”?).

As a physician, I fully agree that termination of pregnancy is medically and morally warranted in cases of incest, rape, and when the life of the mother is jeopardized by the pregnancy.

I do realize the situation is not that simple and straightforward. But guided by our religious sensibilities and compassion, our education, and our culture where the family is the basic structure of our foundation in society, I am puzzled why there is, as I stated earlier, even a debate on the matter at all.

The abuse of freedom The everlasting controversy in the abortion debate really hinges on the denial that a fetus is a human being, and on the misinterpretation of the word freedom. The pro-choice group (who, accurately,

should call themselves proabortion – a distinction they evidently are not proud of themselves) believes that the freedom under the constitution means the right to do whatever one chooses, and in this case, obviously including the mother’s right to have her unborn killed. That is, of course, blatantly immoral, criminal, ludicrous, and actually should not be constitutional.

The freedom and right to choose, as guaranteed by our constitution, gives us the liberty to do ONLY what is right, proper, ethical, moral, and legal. Freedom does not mean the liberty to do anything one wants to do, even abridging the rights of others, like killing the weak, the sick, or even the hopeless and terminally ill, and extinguishing the life of the innocent, fragile and powerless fetus. Promulgating a law to declare premeditated murder legal does not make it right or deservingly constitutional.

Terminating early pregnancy or mutilating a living fetus, cutting them into pieces, and crashing their skull should never be a part of our freedom in a civilized society. Even the blind can clearly see this very vividly!

The unborn did not force its mother to have and enjoy carefree, careless, unprotected sex. IF the “death penalty” were at all warranted to be meted out to one of them, it should be to the guilty perpetrators and certainly not to the innocent victim, the faultless and defenseless unborn.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported between 4050 million abortions are performed worldwide annually, about 125,000 each day. Since January 22, 1973, when abortion was legalized in the United States, more than 63 million have been carried out, 13 million more than the number of people killed during World War II. Today, over 3,000 abortions are performed daily (around 1 million 95 thousand a year) in the U.S., where 22 percent of pregnancies are aborted.

The U.S. Supreme Court will soon decide whether to strike down the almost 50-year-old landmark Roe v. Wade decision which made abortion legal in this country. Will the millions of on-demand killings of the

ERRATUM THE Solemn Pontifical Mass of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Prefect of the Vatican Commission on Evangelization will be held on Wednesday, June 1st, at 10AM at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City commemorating the 40th Anniversary of

San Lorenzo Ruiz Devotion in the United States. To RSVP, contact sanlorenzo40th@ gmail.com. St. Patrick’s Cathedral is located on Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets. For more information, contact Fr. Erno Diaz at 646-466-8761. g

COVID-19 vaccines: A way to honor heritage, community, and family during AANHPI Heritage Month CDC and the We Can Do This COVID-19 Public Education Campaign emphasize vaccine availability and the need for continued safe practices AS Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities across the nation honor and celebrate the diverse contributions made in the United States we are reminded that COVID-19 vaccines and boosters continue to make it possible for us to gather safely in public and private.

As of May 12, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that over 258 million Americans (all eligible ages) have made the choice to be vaccinated. Currently, over 12.8 million Asians (non-Hispanic) and 618,000 Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders aged 5 years and older have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, 95% of older Americans have been vaccinated — that’s 56.5 million adults aged 65 and older — a significant achievement in protecting our community’s elders since last year.

“We’ve got over 90% of seniors that are already vaccinated,” said Dr.

Cameron Webb, White House Senior Policy Advisor for COVID-19 Equity, at an April 22 summit called Conversations on Encouraging COVID-19 Vaccines. “We’ve got to get those same levels around boosters to really get that protection we need.”

Although AANHPIs are

generally more likely to have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine compared to the overall U.S. population, about 39% of eligible Asians and over 52% of eligible Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders are still in need of a booster.

Webb said, “If you PAGE 13

unborn be finally stopped?

I honestly do not understand how some obviously intelligent and educated people, who value their own personal rights and are vigilantly fighting for those rights, can unconscionably deprive the rights of their own helpless fetuses, their own flesh-andblood, to live? I wonder how the members of the proabortion movement would feel if they learned their mothers actually had wanted them terminated as fetuses.

This is my opinion, and I’ll respect yours.

*** 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. *** The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate

for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday. com, and philipSchua.com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 20-26, 2022

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COVID-19 vaccines... Beat the summer heat with salty and PAGE 12 have been vaccinated and boosted, you are very well protected against the [COVID-19] variants we are currently seeing. We have the tools to save lives … and we’ve seen [that] boosters are very critical in keeping people safe.”

The nation has come a long way to keep communities safe but data consistently show how communities of color remain disproportionately impacted by COVID, and health disparities for AANHPIs remain a key issue in achieving health equity.

In fact, some AANHPI subsegments are at higher risk because of higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.

Experts also shared the importance of getting children vaccinated, encouraging parents to take action for the health and well-being of their families.

“Almost all children who end up in the ICU are completely unvaccinated,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, Vice Chair from the American Academy

of Pediatrics. “This is both tragic and encouraging.

Tragic because at this point in the pandemic, those hospitalizations were almost completely preventable, and encouraging because we have such a powerful tool [vaccines] going forward to prevent children from suffering.”

With more relaxed public mandates on COVID safety protocols and increased travel, COVID cases and hospitalizations are on the rise again. What is encouraging is that the death rate from COVID continues to decrease, thanks to widespread vaccinations.

Boosters have provided more people an extra measure of protection from the COVID virus and variants. As AANHPIs, let’s honor our community’s history by helping protect its future.

Talk to a doctor or your local health care professional if you have questions. Find vaccines and boosters near you at vaccines.gov. We can do this!

(Advertising Supplement)

sweet: McDonald’s USA debuts the Chocolatey Pretzel McFlurry The first new McFlurry of 2022 arrives to restaurants nationwide for a limited time starting May 25

CHICAGO – Just in time for the start of summer, McDonald’s USA is releasing its first new McFlurry flavor of the year – the Chocolatey Pretzel McFlurry®. The frozen treat will be available starting May 25 for a limited time at participating restaurants nationwide.

Each McFlurry is made with McDonald’s creamy vanilla soft serve, blended with chocolate-covered pretzel bits and topped with a rich caramel swirl – making it the perfect combination of salty and sweet.

Is your mouth watering yet?

Our fans know the Golden Arches is the place to be when a sweet and salty craving strikes – and we have just the perfect menu items to pair with the Chocolatey Pretzel McFlurry to hit the spot.

If you have a sweet tooth… you’ll be SO excited to get a first taste of the rich chocolatey goodness and tasty caramel together. Even better, you’ll be first in line to compliment it with a scrumptious Apple Pie or a Chocolate Chip Cookie to satisfy your sweet craving.

If you crave salty… you can’t wait to get a taste of the crunchy pretzel pieces. You’re definitely going to want to order a large World Famous Fry, or a mouthwatering Big Mac® to pair with the dessert.

Is there even such a thing as too much salt? As if.

You can get your hands on the new Chocolatey Pretzel McFlurry, along with the classic OREO® or M&M’s® McFlurry however you order your McDonald’s – in the restaurant, drive-thru or on the McDonald’s App for McDelivery. g

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N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY M AY 2 0, 2 0 22

people events arts culture entertainment

Alden Richards on his Stranger Things 4 World Premiere experience: ‘Surreal. So honored and happy’ S

by MOMAR

G. VISAYA / AJPress

TRANGER Things was one of the first Netflix series that Alden Richards watched so when the opportunity to attend and be a part of the show’s season 4 world premiere in New York presented itself, it was a no-brainer for the confessed fan.

On the red carpet, the Filipino matinee idol posed for photos and interviews with the international press.

The premiere happened over the weekend at Netflix’s new 170,000-squarefoot production studio in Brooklyn.

“It’s an honor because not all Filipino celebrities are given this opportunity and I think it’s just one for the books for me in my history as an actor,” he quipped, excitedly adding, “I can’t wait to watch the first episode in the exclusive screening later.”

Stranger Things became a global phenomenon and a major Netflix hit when it premiered in 2016. The 80s sci-fi series has gained a massive following around the world, creating breakout stars like Millie Bobby Brown.

Asked why Stranger Things became a big hit among Filipino fans like him, Richards said that the concept the show presented tickled the imagination of the viewers.

“Iba kasi yung concept niya, it is really something catchy and appealing for the young and the old market,” he shared.

He admits he got hooked because of how the show was written and how the actors gave life to their roles and

The cast of Stranger Things 4

Alden Richards, sporting a Dior suit at the Stranger Things 4 world premiere in Brooklyn. AJPress Photo by Momar

characters, quickly naming the kids among his favorite characters.

“Will, Lucas, Mike, and Dustin, and of course si Eleven. Siya talaga ang favorite ko,” he said. “The way Millie Bobby Brown played the character is just flawless from the time she doesn’t know how to talk to the time that she was able to understand the full potential of her powers.”

The 30-year-old actor said he felt surreal walking

Alden Richards

the red carpet along with the stars of a show he watched and followed from Season 1.

“I just feel so honored and happy to be invited to witness this,” he said.

Richards immediately posted about his red carpet appearance for his 3.9 million followers on Instagram and captioned it with “When a dream turns into reality.”.

The actor’s trip to New York was finalized last minute so he just squeezed in a couple of days in his busy

Photo from Instagram/@aldenrichards02

schedule because he did not want to miss what he called an opportunity of a lifetime.

He said he doesn’t have the luxury of time to visit his favorite NYC spots because he needs to fly back to Manila to resume shooting his new series Start Up with Bea Alonzo, the Philippine adaptation of the hit Korean series.

The first volume of Stranger Things Season 4 will premiere on May 27 while the second volume drops on July 1. 

Noah Schnapp

Gaten Matarazzo, who plays the role of Dustin, at the world premiere of Stranger Things 4 in Brooklyn.

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 20-26, 2022

The relationships that matter to Celeste

By Christina

alpad

ManilaTimes.net

EVEN before Miss Universe Philippines 2022 Celeste Cortesi bagged the coveted beauty title, she has long been a big winner because of thriving relationships she is blessed to have.

For one, the 24-year-old’s strong relationship with her Filipina mother has been a source of inspiration for many.

It can be remembered that besides her strong performance at the several Miss Universe Philippines (MUP) challenges, her emotional answer in the Q&A portion on coronation night tugged the heartstrings of many audiences.

Asked how she would spend time if she could stop it for a day, the FilipinaItalian beauty said she would want nothing else than to be with her mother.

“It’s been two years since I haven’t spent time with my family because they live in Italy, and I came here in the Philippines just by myself. If I had a chance to spend one day, I would definitely be with my mom, and I would just tell her how much I love her and I miss her,” a teary-eyed Cortesi said.

At a media roundtable organized by PLDT Home, Cortesi — who was also named Miss PLDT Home — shared more light about her relationship with her mother, “My mother is the most important person in my life. She’s been doing many sacrifices for the whole family that now I just wanna give back to her in the best way I can. Every single action I do, especially here in the Philippines, I really do it for her. I can just be grateful for having her in my

Miss Universe Philippines 2022 Celeste Cortesi is not just blessed with beauty and brains, but solid and meaningful relationships in life.

Photo from Instagram/@celeste_cortesi

life.”

Strong support system Another anchor in Cortesi’s life is her boyfriend, Mathew Custodio.

Always proud of his partner, the Filipino-British football athlete melted the hearts of Instagram users when he wrote a loving note a few days after Cortesi’s coronation.

“I feel very blessed to be loved by you. Like a mother’s love, your love is a constant reminder that there is a greater meaning and purpose in our lives. I cannot wait for our country and the whole world to feel the love you are

about to share. It needs it,” Custodio, also a Philippine Azkals player, wrote.

With their sweet nothings and equally romantic posts about each other on their respective accounts, many fans feared that Cortesi will be the latest queen to experience the socalled “curse” that comes with the MUP crown. That is, experiencing breakup during the queen’s reign.

But Cortesi quickly assured fans she and Custodio won’t be another victim, “It’s not gonna work on us. The fact that I am Miss Universe Philippines will never get in the way of our relationship.

It will just make it stronger.”

To further prove this apparent curse won’t work on them, Cortesi described how support Custodio is of her pageant journey.

“Whenever I was stressed, whenever I was going through something, he would always be there and support me and understand. I know that now that I’m Miss Universe Philippines, he will keep doing that. He’s just so kind and supportive towards me.”

Finally, Cortesi is also grateful to have found new friendship in the competition.

Although they were all vying for the crown, Cortesi built sisterhood with MUP Tourism Michelle Dee and Second Runner-up Ma. Katrina Llegado.

“Every time before going out, we would always hug each other and talk to each other, say that we are glad to share this experience together. Of course it is a competition but I think the competition didn’t stop us from being friends and true with each other. The friendship goes beyond the competition,” she ended. g

KD finds his foray into showbiz surreal By alex

Brosas

Inquirer.net

YOUNG actor KD Estrada has toiled long and hard for years before getting into showbiz, the reason why he finds as surreal his and Alexa Ilacad’s launch as a love team.

“Kasi naaalala ko dati, when I was young, parang nakikita ko lang ang kasama ko ngayon sa TV. I never thought na magiging artista ako. Seeing myself on the huge screen with Alexa, grabe, I made it this far,” Estrada said during the live face-to-face press conference and celebrity screening for the new iWantTFC’s original series “Run To Me.” (It is because I remember that before, when I was young, it is like I just used to watch my co-star whom I am with now on TV. I never thought I would be an actor.

Seeing myself onscreen with Alexa, it is great, I made it this far.)

KD Estrada

The two were initially housemates in the “Pinoy Big Brother” Kumunity Season 10 but are now popularly called KDLex. As a love team, Estrada also does not believe in competing with other tandems.

Photo from Instagram/@kdestrada_

“I just wanna say na I don’t see other love teams as competition kasi iba naman kami ni Alexa (because we’re different),” he said. But he and Ilacad are ready to “grow bigger” and the series is just the start.

Have they leveled up as love team partners?

“We see each other as partner material talaga (really) for long term. But right now, especially with our busy career, with our busy schedule, we don’t want to put a label. It’s gonna be high maintenance but I don’t mind maintaining her,” he said.

“I don’t know what’s gonna happen in the future.

None of us know. But yes, Alexa is very, very girlfriend material. Gusto ko lang sabihin na alam ko na (I just want to say that I know) whatever happens, Alexa, she’s very important in my journey,” he added.

Directed by Dwein R. Baltazar, “Run to Me” is produced by ABS-CBN Entertainment, Dreamscape Entertainment, iWantTFC and Kumu. The series also stars Malou Crisologo, CJ Navato, Karl Gabriel, Ivan Carapiet, Margaux Montana, Henz Villaraiz, Matty Juniosa and Haira Palaguitto. g

Fanny Serrano

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Philstar.com photo

Sharon Cuneta, Gina Alajar pay tribute to long-time friend Fanny Serrano

By Jan

Milo severo

Philstar.com

ACTRESS Sharon Cuneta paid tribute to her long-time friend Fanny Serrano who died recently.

In her Instagram account, Sharon posted a photo of Fanny’s coffin showing both their hands.

“The hands that made me feel and look beautiful for over thirty years, even when I didn’t think I did.

Thank you, my dearest TF, my Tita Fanny, for your love, friendship, loyalty, and for all the laughter we shared,” Sharon said.

“Thank you for wiping so many tears quietly as they poured from my eyes on so very many occasions over all these three decades.

I find peace in that I kept my promise to you. I know you have gone straight to heaven, and I pray that I see and laugh with you again there someday… I love you so very much,” she added.

It can be recalled that the celebrity makeup artist had a “massive stroke” in March 2021, according to the “Megastar.”

Meanwhile, actressdirector Gina Alajar also took to her social media account to pay tribute to Fanny.

“I want to remember you this way TF… malakas,

makuwento, masaya, punong puno ng buhay… you have lived a good life. At ngayon mas lubos ang kaligayahan mo sa piling ng mahal na mahal mong Panginoon at Taga-pagligtas, si Jesus Christ. Ito ang ultimate mong pangarap ang makasama na Siya,” she said.

“Sigurado ako na ang saya-saya sa langit ngayon, there is dancing and singing to welcome you, God’s faithful servant. Wala ka nang sakit, magaling ka na, nakakalakad ka na uli at di mapigilan praising and worshipping God. No more tears, no more pain at nakatira ka na sa mansyon ng ating Panginoon. Mamimiss ka namin dito pero alam ko mas masaya ka sa langit ngayon. As for us, we will wait for the time when we can be together again eternally. I love you. My family loves you TF,” she added.

Dubbed as the country’s “Beauty Pioneer,” Fanny, Felix Fausto Jr. in real life, is behind the looks of the country’s biggest stars, including Sharon, Cherie Gil, Lorna Tolentino and Celia Rodriguez. He is also a salon owner, a fashion designer and an actor who appeared in movies and the TV drama series such as “Maalaala Mo Kaya.” g

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