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MAY 22-28, 2020 Volume 13 - No. 29 • 16 Pages 133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, NY 11354 • 2500 Plaza S. Harborside Financial Center, Jersey City, NJ 07311 • Tel. (212) 655-5426 • Fax: (818) 502-0858

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

Government to enforce localized lockdown DATELINE USA Duque: Philippines on 2nd wave FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Virus-stricken Fil-Am wakes up from 6-week coma

HONOLULU — A Filipino American bartender from Ewa Beach celebrated his 38th birthday after waking up from a medically induced coma for coronavirus.

Coby Torda had COVID-19 symptoms on March 9 and was hospitalized March 21 at Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center. Torda later developed secondary pneumonia from his breathing tube.

After waking up from a medically induced coma for six weeks, he has been able to breathe without the ventilator for as long as 11 hours, his family said.

Torda’s mother, Peggy Torda-Saballa, who also contracted the virus but has recovered at home, told KHON2 that “He was near-fatal when we got him to

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Tourists, beware: Foreign visitors’ travel health pandemics IT was evident that the fever, nausea and loss of appetite Vlastimil Gajdoš felt on his wedding day was not a mere case of cold feet.

Gajdoš, 65, fell ill in Honolulu in March after arriving with his bride-to-be from the Czech Republic. He and Sylva Di Sandro, 58, intended to marry and honeymoon on the island.

While they did tie the knot, they also engaged in serious battle with the novel coronavirus. He was in the hospital for two weeks, some of it in intensive care, on a ventilator.

Like many visitors to the U.S., who are aware that health care prices here can be higher than back home, Gajdoš purchased a travel insurance plan that covered up to $300,000 in medical expenses.

But after Gajdoš was diagnosed with COVID-19 and his wife called to check whether his care would be covered, the newlyweds dis-

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by ALEXIS

ROMERO Philstar.com

MANILA — The government may limit lockdowns to barangays or villages with coronavirus cases instead of resorting to widespread community quarantines, to minimize the im-

pact of the pandemic on the economy.

Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the national policy on the coronavirus, said the interior department is now coordinating with local government units (LGUs) to implement a localized lockdown.

On Wednesday, May 20, the city govern-

ment of Parañaque placed 10 streets in Barangay Baclaran under “calibrated lockdown” for three days until Saturday due to a high number of COVID-19 cases.

“Our way forward is we will localize the national action plan through the LGUs. This

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Over 2,450 Filipinos globally test positive for COVID-19

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

TWENTY-FOUR more overseas Filipinos have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections to 2,455 worldwide.

The latest report from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, May 20 also announced four new deaths: two in Europe and two in the Middle East/Africa coverage area.

This raised the death toll to 284.

Nine Filipinos abroad recovered from the disease, raising the total number of recoveries to 858.

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ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION. A teenager uses an electric scooter at the sidewalk of Rizal Park in Manila on Wednesday, May 20. The Department of Transportation is promoting the use of two-wheeled vehicles such as motorcycles and bicycles, to enable commuters to follow physical distancing measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Marcos, Lacson PAL schedules 2 flights to LA, Senators urge PH to lure US businesses SF for stranded US citizens

by RITCHEL

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

FLAG carrier Philippine Airlines recently announced that it will be assisting stranded American citizens in the country by mounting two separate flights to Los Angeles and San Francisco this week.

The “user-pay” flight leaving for LA is scheduled on May 21 with two domestic sweeper flights — one from Cebu and one from Davao, according to the United States Embassy in Manila.

Meanwhile, the one leaving for San

Francisco is scheduled on May 26 with eight domestic sweeper flights from Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Siargao, and Tagbilaran.

The Manila to LAX/SFO economy tickets are priced at USD $1,200 (plus taxes and fees), while the Domestic sweeper flight costs are priced at USD $200 (plus taxes and fees).

“All flight arrangements will be made by PAL, not the Embassy. You must submit a working phone number and include all local or international

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MENDIOLA AJPress

Senators Imee Marcos Inquirer.net file photo

TWO Philippine senators recently suggested that economic managers should direct American businesses leaving China to consider the country for their relocation plans.

According to Senator Imee Marcos, recent news that the United States businesses was transferring a number of its China-based factories to Indonesia confirms a growing economic trend favoring

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May 22-28, 2020 • NEW yORK aND NEW JERSEy aSIaN JOURNaL

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From the Front Page

Over 2,450 Filipinos globally test...

PAGE 1 “Despite the decrease in the daily rate of recoveries reported by the DFA through its Foreign Service Posts today, the total number of overseas Filipinos who recovered from COVID-19 at 858 cases is now 3 times more than the total fatalities at 284 and comprises almost 35% of the total confirmed cases,” the agency noted.

Europe, which is 16 countries with PH Foreign Service

coverage, has recorded 748 Filipino cases, including 434 undergoing treatment, 227 recoveries and 87 deaths.

The Middle East and Africa, covering 12 countries, has reported 712 cases; of which, 566 are undergoing treatment, 46 deaths and 100 recoveries.

The Asia Pacific region, which spans across 12 countries, has 451 cases, with 125 under treatment, 324 recoveries, and two deaths.

The Americas — covering

six countries — remain as the region with the highest number of COVID-19 fatalities at 149. The region has also reported 544 cases, with 188 undergoing treatment and 207 recoveries.

The total number of Filipinos currently undergoing treatment is at 1,313.

Meanwhile, the Philippines now has 13,221 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 842 fatalities and 2,932 recoveries.

Virus-stricken Fil-Am wakes up...

PAGE 1 the hospital. It was really touch-and-go the first 2-3 weeks.”

Torda, now testing negative for the virus, has lost about 85 pounds and cannot talk normally because he’s still on a ventilator.

But he has been responsive to instructions and is even texting. His mother said he has also been taking selfies. (Inquirer.net)

BIG BATH. Mali, the 46-year-old elephant resident of Manila Zoo, gets a bath from Noel Co, a worker, on May 19, 2020. While Avilon and Malabon have appealed for help to feed their animals amid the Covid pandemic, Manila Zoo Director Alipio S. Morabe Jr. said there were enough funds for the upkeep of the animals, thanks to Mayor Francicso ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso, who continues to allocate P25 million even after the place was closed to the public on January 2019 due to environmental issues.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Mike Alquinto

Government to enforce localized...

Coby Torda and his mother, Peggy Torda-Saballa

PAGE 1 is being done by (Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo) Año. He is talking to all LGUs,” Galvez told President Duterte during a meeting on the coronavirus pandemic last Tuesday.

“What we are doing now, Mr. President, is we may no longer declare a lockdown per region, but the lockdown will be imposed by barangay.

That means we will narrow the scope. What we will do is we will place barangays with (coronavirus) cases under lockdown to preserve our economic (corridors),” he said.

Duterte reminded the public not to be complacent even if quarantine measures have been eased.

“We are in the process of a gradual opening of the movement of people from their place of residence to the place of work under the general community quarantine,” the President said.

“Since there is already the opening, a gradual opening, we will see if it is doable... If the contamination will be as fast as before and it will continue to infect people allowed to go out, then we’ll have to just go back to the original (quarantine restriction),” he added.

The entire Philippines is under quarantine, with the cities of Cebu and Mandaue under the strictest enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

Metro Manila, Laguna, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Zambales and Angeles City have been placed under a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) while the rest of the country are under the more

relaxed general community quarantine (GCQ).

The Philippine economy contracted by 0.2 percent in the first quarter – the first since 1998 during the combined El Niño and Asian financial crisis – as several industries suspended operations to comply with the quarantine measures imposed by the government.

The pandemic has also forced the government to spend billions in aid to lowincome households and workers whose livelihood sources were affected by the lockdown.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said under existing guidelines, local governments have the authority to enforce lockdowns.

“LGUs may declare critical areas (barangays or zones) as ECQ,” Roque told The STAR. Galvez said the InterAgency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases is set to issue guidelines on the localized lockdowns.

“For example, if a barangay has a compound with four affected families, it will be placed under a lockdown. We won’t allow infections in our economic corridor. We have to preserve our economic corridor,” he said.

Galvez said the localized action plan will be implemented with the help LGUs. He said the IATF will issue guidelines to be followed by the barangays.

Latest report showed that the country has a total of 12,942 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 2,843 recoveries and 837 fatalities.

The Department of the

Interior and Local Government (DILG) ordered mayors to close shopping malls that are not strictly implementing social distancing and other health and safety protocols.

DILG’s Año issued the directive after several malls in Metro Manila were flooded with customers over the weekend when the region transitioned to MECQ after two months of strict lockdown measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.

“The secretary informed all of the mayors that they have the authority to close the malls if needed,” DILG spokesman Jonathan Malaya told The Chiefs on Cignal TV’s One News on Tuesday night.

Malaya cited Cavite Gov. Juanito Victor Remulla Jr. who ordered on Monday the temporary closure of all malls and other establishments such as supermarkets and drugstores in the province until social distancing measures are followed.

Problems such as overcrowding at commercial establishments are expected, according to Malaya, as people are intent on going out after?being stuck in their homes for two months.

“Our assessment is that it’s birth pains. People are still adjusting,” he said.

Police officials have since inspected malls and also met with the establishments’ security managers on protocols to prevent the virus from spreading.?The Palace earlier said it is expecting a spike in COVID-19 infections if there are still people who continue to flout social distancing measures and other guidelines.

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 22-28, 2020

May 22-28, 2020 • NEW yORK aND NEW JERSEy aSIaN JOURNaL

PAL schedules 2 flights...

PAGE 1 area codes. PAL will contact you directly to arrange payment and ticketing after you have registered for the flights, so check your contact details carefully before submitting the survey and keep your phone on and handy,” the embassy said in its announcement.

“PAL had difficulty reaching some U.S. citizens who sub-

mitted a form indicating their interest for the previous flights – their telephone numbers were either incomplete or unattended. This caused some to miss this opportunity. PAL requests that passengers not call them for a status update as this will clog up their lines and increase wait time. Once you have registered, please make sure you are available,”

Tourists, beware: Foreign...

PAGE 1 covered a catch: The insurer said it wouldn’t pay upfront.

And it would consider reimbursing the couple only after Gajdoš was released from the hospital.

“I was really afraid that they [doctors] would not give him any assistance if they were not sure that this would not be covered,” said Di Sandro, who had only a mild case and was not hospitalized.

The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on the travel industry — including insurance companies. Even beyond the current crisis, travelers should pay careful attention to the fine print on coverage policies.

Many plans offer health care coverage in case a person needs medical attention during a trip. But policies vary tremendously by company containing limits on payouts, copayments and circumstances, such as whether they cover an evacuation.

Most travel insurance plans contain exclusions for known or “foreseen events,” said Kasara Barto, a spokesperson for Squaremouth, an online service that allows travelers to compare insurance options.

In some situations, a traveler can anticipate the risk of visiting a destination. A regular insurance policy might not cover a mountaineering accident while climbing Everest, for example.

Also common is the pandemic exclusion, in which the insurer will not pay for a traveler’s medical expenses if they are related to an outbreak such as the coronavirus.

“It’s definitely something that they should be aware of, that not having coverage to cover [medical care] could lead to such a financial loss,” Barto said.

Language on exclusions can be vague, which could make it difficult for travelers to decipher whether their policy will pay for care related to COVID-19, industry experts said. To make matters worse,

some policies don’t specifically name a pandemic as a circumstance that is covered or excluded — and how they count the start and end of a pandemic period.

The World Health Organization declared the spread of the coronavirus a worldwide outbreak on March 11. Travelers who purchased plans after that date should take extra care to make sure they have medical coverage for COVID-19, said Christopher Mosley, a lawyer who specializes in insurance litigation at the law firm Sherman & Howard.

However, that cutoff date might be earlier in some policies. Some insurers considered COVID-19 a risk in certain areas as early as January, Mosley added.

“There’s not a one-sizefits-all” coverage, said Mark Friedlander, director of corporate communications for the Insurance Information Institute, a research organization supported by the insurance industry.

The risk is perhaps highest for foreigners visiting the U.S., which has the highest health care costs in the developed world. Many of the national health systems in European countries will treat foreigners at no charge or for much lower rates.

Foreign embassies are stepping in to help their citizens in the U.S. decipher insurance policies. In a notice, the Slovenian Embassy in Washington, D.C., specifically mentioned the high cost of health care when advising citizens traveling in the U.S. to check whether their insurance covers pandemics. Officials at the Spanish Embassy also said insurance is an issue that has come up in conversations with its citizens here.

The Czech Republic intervened in Gajdoš’ case and at least one other time recently on behalf of citizens with health insurance problems, said Zdenk Beránek, the deputy head of mission for the Czech Embassy in Washing-

it added.

The U.S. Embassy in Manila also advised stranded American citizens to take actions such as monitoring the news, consulting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website for the most up-todate information, and visiting the U.S. Embassy’s page as well as the Department of Homeland Security’s website on the latest travel restrictions to the U.S. n ton, D.C. “This is not the cheapest country in the world when it comes to health care,” Beránek said, “so you better be careful.”

Given the chaos of the pandemic, some insurers are choosing to stop selling travel insurance policies altogether — including LV, a company based in the United Kingdom.

But others, such as Allianz, are expanding benefits to include care for COVID-19. The company announced it will accept some trip cancellation and medical claims related to the virus that aren’t typically covered in their plans, according to a press release.

“This is kind of uncharted territory for every insurance company that’s in this market,” said Don Van Scyoc, vice president of individual sales at the travel insurer GeoBlue.

The company sells plans for Americans going overseas and foreign nationals who are away from their homelands for extended periods. Their policies cover COVID-19 care, he said.

Gajdoš and Di Sandro reached out to the embassy and his employer for help after his travel insurer denied him coverage. The employer pledged to help him if his plan did not cover his hospital stay, he said, but the government intervention worked. The insurer ultimately agreed to cover Gajdoš’ expenses.

The couple would not disclose the final tally for Gajdoš’ hospital stay, but a typical 10day course of treatment in an intensive care unit can run into several hundreds of thousands of dollars.

He was discharged from the Queen’s Medical Center on April 8, grateful for the care.

Gajdoš said his insurer’s actions caught him off guard. He intentionally purchased a more expensive policy with the expectation that they would receive help, not pushback, from the plan.

“You don’t have the energy,” Gajdoš said. “You are oriented on fighting for your life.” (By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez/ Kaiser Health News)

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FTC warns of COVID-19 scams, provides tips to avoid fraudsters

As the country continues to be rocked by the coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is making sure that vulnerable Americans avoid the numerous COVID-19-related scams that are making their way through various communities.

It’s not that there is an uptick in scams but that many of the most prevalent scams that are preying on a public fearful of the COVID-19 virus, said Monica Vaca, associate director for the FTC’s division of consumer response and operations.

“What we’re seeing at the FTC is what’s true, always: scammers follow headlines, and what’s in the headline right now is COVID-19 all the time and scammers are following that,” Vaca said during a Zoom press conference with ethnic media outlets on Friday, May 15.

In relation to the $1,200 stimulus check that most American taxpayers should have either received or will be receiving, Vaca warns of fraudsters masquerading as government officials who may try to reach out to recipients and ask for personal information.

They may reach out via email and texts which may include links to malware sites, often with domains that include “coronavirus” as a way to disguise itself as a credible source.

Reported emails and texts have also featured doctored letters using logos from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States Dept. of Health and Human

Services or other public health agencies, but Vaca stressed that “the federal government will not reach out to you by email or phone or social media to give you your economic relief payments.”

“If you come across someone who tells you to pay for a service — whatever it is with a gift card, money transfer, cash or Bitcoin — and tell you that they’re going to help you with some coronavirus-related problem, that’s a scam,” Vaca said.

Additionally, clicking on any links provided in these fraudulent emails or texts may install malware onto your device.

“Do not click on links from sources that you don’t know [because] it could download a virus onto your computer or onto your devices so please be careful with that,” Vaca shared, adding that “[s]cammers are going to go to pretty much any length to make their message look real, but there are little signals you can look out for” like misspellings in the text or poorly imposed graphics.

The scams also involve snake oil salesmen marketing supposed miracle cures, vaccines and home test kits that are targeting those most vulnerable to the pathogen as well as those on Medicare, Vaca shared.

Currently, there is no known cure or vaccine for the COVID19 virus and tests are only administered at mandated testing sites, so the FTC is warning consumers about any wellness or nutrition brand that is marketing any so-called cures, which the FTC said have “no

solid scientific backing.”

The FTC has been combatting these scammers through law enforcement and filing complaints to companies, like the dietary supplement company Whole Leaf Organics, which made fake claims that their Vitamin C and herbal extract products were “scientifically proven” to treat the COVID-19 virus.

“We are warning companies that are pitching cures and treatments with no scientific backing,” Vaca said. “Right now there is nothing on the market that’s proven to cure COVID-19 so that’s an important thing to know.”

She added that the FTC is also reaching out to multi-level marketing companies that have purported unproven cures and misleading claims “about the earnings that you might get by joining that company.”

The FTC also recently sued a company for claiming to be affiliated with the Small Business Administration that lured businesses into applying for the paycheck protection program, but “in fact, there was no tie to the Small Business Administration.”

Vaca emphasized that these scammers were able to be found and dealt with because of public reporting of these scammers and encouraged the public to question the credibility of outlandish claims like miracle cures or unexpected messages claiming to reward relief checks.

To report potential scams and for more information, please visit the FTC website.

(Klarize Medenilla/AJPress) n

Senators Marcos, Lacson urge PH to lure US...

PAGE 1 Southeast Asian countries as alternative sites for manufacturing.

The relocations are “the silver lining to the dark cloud of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) from which the Philippines should not blink,” Marcos said.

As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, she urged the government’s economic managers to apply a “full-court press to score more points toward greater foreign investment and economic recovery.”

The senator is currently pushing for a deeper and swifter cut on corporate income tax from the present 30% rate for the Philippines to be more competitive with

the 20% rate in Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia by next year.

“If the government decides on a slower rate of reducing corporate income tax, incentives to foreign investors can include tax deferrals and exemptions,” Marcos said.

Western countries affected by the pandemic are now compelled to outsource as much of their production as they can to cheaper suppliers, she added.

“As a result, I think our BPO (business process outsourcing) sector will recover sooner than predicted. If we gear up for outsourcing, we may finally derive investments in manufacturing and other essential sectors,” Marcos said.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson Sr. also noted that many European and American businesses were leaving China, saying it is expected that an Asian country will be their next location.

“Ang nakaagap agad doon ang Indonesia eh (Indonesia was the first one who benefitted [from the relocation]),” he said.

The senator estimated that 27 U.S. factories based in China would transfer to Indonesia.

“Ito ang opportunity na dapat gina-grab natin kasi ang laki ng kumpanyang ito.

Sayang (This should be the opportunity that we must be grabbing because this is a big company. What a missed opportunity),” Lacson lamented. n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 22-28, 2020

OPINION

FEATURES

Democratic space FOR sure, Filipinos have gotten the message: Big Brother is watching, and he can trace the authors of anti-administration statements posted in cyberspace. Now that the message has been sent, with mixed results, the government should focus on the difficult task of containing a pandemic, and let people cooped up in their homes enjoy democratic space.

Police have arrested three persons so far for posting messages offering rewards for the assassination of President Duterte. Just looking at the bounties offered should indicate whether the statements were made with serious intent: P50 million, P75 million, P100 million. Surely even tycoons with that kind of money to spare amid the economic apocalypse unleashed by the coronavirus disease pandemic have better uses for their money.

Yet police and the National Bureau of Investigation have earnestly pursued the suspected authors of the statements, and promptly indicted them for violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act. Arrested so far

5

are construction worker Ronald Quiboyen of Boracay; college graduate Maria Catherine Ceron of Cordova, Cebu, and Zambales public school teacher Ronnel Mas, who tearfully admitted after his warrantless arrest, in a video taken by the NBI, that he offered the original P50million bounty so his social media account would attract attention.

Clearly, none of those arrested could even imagine earning that kind of money on their current means of livelihood. Already suffering from the pandemic, they now have the additional burden of litigation.

The cases come on the heels of an attempt

by Philippine labor attaché in Taiwan Fidel Macauyag to have Filipina caregiver Elanel Egot Ordidor deported for “nasty” comments she posted against the Duterte administration. Fortunately for Ordidor and the cause of free expression, Taipei thumbed down the call.

Authorities claimed they were simply applying the cybercrime law in pursuing

Editorial

Donald Trump may be the most dangerous president ever of our time.

Don’t follow his lead for your safety.

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS WHAT should America do when Donald Trump, the president of the United States, undermines and violates the guidelines of the very health agencies and regulators of the American government espe-

cially during a time of medical emergency?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an advisory last month saying that hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malaria/anti-lupus drug, has NOT yet been approved for the treatment of COVID-19 and that this drug would have to undergo scientific clinical trials to be proven to be safe and effective.

The FDA warned against the use of the medication outside hospitals, where the

Philstar.com photo

charges against Mas, Quiboyen and Ceron.

Let’s hope the same zeal will be applied in going after those who also use cyberspace

to threaten administration critics with death, kidnapping and rape. The law is supposed to apply to all. (Philstar.com)

Imagine a pandemic lockdown with no TV, smartphone or Facebook

agency has granted temporary authorization for its use in some cases.

The agency cited reports that the drug can cause serious heart rhythm problems in COVID-19 patients.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said there are no approved drugs or therapeutics to prevent or treat COVID-19, “which is confirmed to have infected more than 1.5 million people in the U.S. and killed PAGE 6

Street Talk GREG B. MACABENTA MY wife and I have been attending Holy Mass on our laptop for more than two months now because of the coronavirus pandemic. Both of us being in our 80s, our children have advised us to avoid unnecessarily going out of the house.

The fantastic advantage is that we have had the rare opportunity to hear Mass celebrated by Pope Francis himself at the Vatican, as well as by bishops in cathedrals around the U.S. Of course, we have not had the privilege of receiving Holy Communion, and we miss the dynamic homilies of our young pastor at St. Joseph Church in Pinole, Fr. Geoffrey Baraan. We also miss fellow parishioners who have become close friends.

The social distancing and other pandemic-related

mandates given by the U.S. government have not really been as strict as they are in the Philippines.

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, we are allowed to go out, provided we wear face masks and avoid crowds. In fact, we do more than that. We also wear gloves, in addition to the face masks. These are all discarded as soon as we get back into the safety of our homes.

We have shopped for groceries a couple of times PAGE 6

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

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Dateline PhiliPPines

DA tries to lure OFWs to agriculture sector House committee to tackle ABS-CBN franchise on May 26 by louise

MauReen Philstar.com

by Ritchel

Mendiola

AJPress

THE Philippines House Committee on Legislative Franchises has set a hearing on ABS-CBN’s franchise bills for next week.

The announcement for the Tuesday, May 26 deliberations comes after House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said that the House of Representatives would forego the provisional franchise for the network giant to prioritize the bills for a 25-year franchise.

The hearing will be chaired

by Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez through videoconferencing at 9:30 a.m.

Cayetano said that the deliberations by the House franchises committee will continue even during the congressional recess in June.

“They will not stop until they are finished so that no one can say we’re stopping the process or dragging our feet,” he said.

He added that the committee would most likely hold two to three hearings a week to tackle “no more than 10 issues” related to the franchise, including: ABS-CBN’s alleged violations of tax and labor laws, breaches of the terms and conditions of its previous broadcast privilege, and foreign equity issues.

Some witnesses and resource persons would also be required to physically appear before the committee, provided that social distancing and other health protocols are observed, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“I foresee that the hearings would not go beyond

July, and by August, after President Duterte’s SONA (State of the Nation Address), we should be ready to decide,” Cayetano said.

He also reiterated that the hearing should be impartial and comprehensive.

“As I’ve said time and again, the hearings must be fair, impartial, comprehensive, and thorough. All voices must be heard and all issues for and against will be discussed…this will require a lot of time - time we do not have. And so, there will be sacrifices on our part if we hope to finish this without delay,” he said.

“For those who are calling for an outright approval or denial, I ask that you suspend your extreme views until all the facts have been presented, and all the testimonies have been heard,” Cayetano added. n

Filipinos urged to report ‘Philippines, province of China’ geotag on Facebook

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

FILIPINOS are urged to mass report a geotag that identifies the Philippines as “Province of China” and “North Philippines, Province of China” on social media platforms Facebook and Instagram.

The geotag, which appeared over the weekend, has since drawn flak from Filipino netizens and public officials alike.

“Our heroes did not sacrifice their lives only for our country to be called ‘Province of China.’ This is an insult. A blatant disregard for our sovereignty.

If you are still not enraged by this, you have no right to call yourself a Filipino,” a Facebook user posted.

Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros also condemned the geotag and insisted that it should be taken seriously even if some users treated it as a joke.

“Kahit biro pa itong ‘Philippines Province of China’ na geotag, wag nating hayaang ma-normalize ito (Even if this Philippines Province of China geotag is just a joke, let’s not

siMeon

MANILA — The government is bent on attracting more people, especially overseas Filipino workers, to return to the countryside as it allots P2.5 billion in loanable funds for agriculture and fishery ventures.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is offering zerointerest loans, free training and technical and marketing assistance for OFWs and those who want to go into farming and agri-business.

An initial P2.5 billion has been allocated for three loan programs.

“We are opening our doors to OFWs to join the ranks of our new breed of agri-preneurs who will help us revive and reboot the countryside, and at the same time support the Balik Probinsya program,” Agriculture Secretary William Dar said.

“As we adopt the wholeof-nation approach in creating more livelihood and employment opportunities in the countryside, we will also ensure that more small farmers and fishers, and Balik Probinsya program beneficiaries will benefit from agri ventures spawned by our returning OFWs,” he said.

Dar recently had a meeting with the United Filipino Global International and other government officials and leaders of OFW organizations in the US, Middle East and Australia, among others.

Through the DA-Agricultural Credit Policy Council, OFWs can have access to loans, including free technical training from the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI).

The loan programs include the Expanded Survival and Recovery Project (SURE), Kapital Access for Young Agriprenuers (KAYA) and Agri-Negosyo (ANYO) which all aim to help micro and small enterprises, marginal small farmers and fishers, and young agripreneurs to venture into enterprises.

“Now is the time to tap the OFW sector as they start to reintegrate themselves back to their respective homes, communities and provinces,” Dar said.

Under SURE, MSEs may avail of up to P10 million as working capital at zero interest and payable in five years.

They may be engaged in agri-fishery food production, delivery of produce or commodities, and other activities in the supply chain whose operations were affected by the enhanced community

quarantine.

Individual farmers and fishers, affected by the lockdown, may also borrow a non-collateralized loan of P25,000 at zero interest, payable in 10 years, to finance their emergency and production capital requirements.

The KAYA, on the other hand, targets to attract millennials aged 18 to 30 years old who can borrow up to P500,000, zero interest, payable in five years. They may engage in start-up or existing agri-based projects.

The ANYO program finances agri ventures, working capital or fixed asset acquisition by individuals, sole proprietors, partnerships, corporations, and cooperatives, whose members are marginal small farmers and fisherfolk. They can avail of P300,000 up to P15 million, zero interest, payable up to five years.

All of the ACPC loans are channeled through government and non-government financial institutions.

Further, ATI will provide OFWs capacity-building and skills training on social preparation and values formation, production technologies, farm business school, and establishment of agri learning sites, among others. n

Tourist arrivals, receipts fall by 50% as of April This July 2018 file photo shows a tarpaulin with ” Welcome to the Philippines, Province of China” that appeared in some of the footbridges in Quezon City.

Inquirer.net photo by Joan Bondoc

allow this to be normalized).

Let’s mass report,” she said in a tweet.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said he does not think Chinese nationals would take the geotag seriously but warned that there will be consequences against them if they do.

“You’re giving it importance. Chinese are too smart to believe that crap; any of them tries coming over without a visa from me and he’ll be detained and sent back where he came from at his own expense,” he tweeted.

Malacañang, for its part, urged Vera Files and Rappler to flag the geotag.

“Tinatawagan ko ng pansin po ng Vera Files at Rappler, sila po yung mga fact verifiers ng Facebook. Bakit naman po nakalusot ito (I am calling the attention of Vera Files and Rappler because they are the fact verifiers of Facebook. How did this slip past them)?” said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.

He also dismissed the geotag as “fake news.”

“Sana po yung fake news ay talagang i-flag nila dahil ito po clearly fake news. Hindi na po dapat komentan (I hope they flag this fake news because it’s clearly fake news.

I shouldn’t comment on it),” Roque said. n

MANILA — Foreign tourist arrivals fell by more than half in the first four months of the year as the coronavirus outbreak and state-initiated lockdowns continue to crimp travel and tourism at home and abroad.

At Wednesday’s Senate hearing tackling the government’s response to the pandemic, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said international visitor arrivals from January to April stood at 1.3 million, plummeting 54% year-on-year.

That brought revenues from foreign tourist arrivals to P79.8 billion as of April, down 55.79% from P182.52 billion booked in the same period last year.

The massive declines

demonstrate the full impact of COVID-19 on the tourism sector, which felt the bite of the pandemic from flight and hotel booking cancellations to dismal tourist spending as early as January.

The devastation became more pronounced in March and April, when the government completely sealed off the island of Luzon from travel.

“With both international and domestic travel restrictions in effect for the entirety of April, there have been no visiting tourists and therefore no revenue for the industry for this month,” Puyat told senators.

Under the Duterte administration, tourism became a

considerable dollar earner for the Philippines. Last year’s record-high of 8.2 million visitors translated to revenues of P482.15 billion from tourist activities, also a record-high.

Travel agencies, airlines and hotels suffering from cancelled trips have separately asked the government to rescue them, but the finance department has so far been lukewarm to throw a financial lifeline to them.

But even as tourism receipts fall while confidence in international travel rema ins te pid, Puy a t la st month said the government’s record-high targets will remain for now. (Ian Nicolas Cigaral/Philstar. com) n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 22-28, 2020

Donald Trump may be the most...

PAGE 5 more than 90,000 patients.”

And yet, Trump admitted that he is taking hydroxychloroquine to prevent COVID-19, despite warnings against its safety, as reported by independent U.S. mainstream media, the BBC, the Guardian and other international outlets.

“I’m taking it for about a week and a half now and I’m still here, I’m still here,” touted Trump in his surprise announcement before the reporters at the White House.

He added, “You’d be surprised at how many people are taking it, especially the frontline workers before you catch it, the frontline workers, many, many are taking it. I happen to be taking it.”

As the BBC reported, when Trump was asked what was his evidence of hydroxychloroquine’s positive benefits, the president’s response: “Here’s my evidence: I get a lot of positive calls about it.”

This was his same response when he first touted the drug after being fact-checked by the country’s top epidemiologist Dr. Anthony Fauci over the need for clinical trials that follow scientific protocols and regimen over anecdotal reports in March.

The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices; and by ensuring the safety of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.

The CDC is responsible for controlling the introduction and spread of infectious diseases, and provides consultation and assistance to other nations and international agencies to assist in improving their disease prevention and control, environmental health, and health promotion activities.

“Dr. Marcos Espinal, director of the Pan American Health Organization — part of the World Health Organization (WHO) — has also since stressed that no clinical trials have recommended the use of hydroxychloroquine for coronavirus,” the BBC reported.

This echoes the same advisories and regulations of the United States’ health regulators, the FDA and the CDC. When asked whether the White House physician had recommended he start taking the disputed remedy, Trump said he had requested it himself, according to the BBC report.

Quoting Dr. Sean Conley, physician to the president, who issued a statement through the White House later on Monday after the surprise revelation, Conley said Trump was in “very good health” and “symptom-free.”

The U.S. Navy officer added: “After numerous discussions he and I had regarding the evidence for and against the use of hydroxychloroquine, we concluded the potential benefit from treatment outweighed the relative risks,” the BBC reported.

Many countries around the world are doing their share of finding the cure and vaccine to combat and defeat COVID19. Who would not want that as the whole world is suffering right now?

The BBC reported that even the “UK government has been stockpiling some medicines that might be useful against coronavirus. That includes 16m hydroxychloroquine tablets. Clinical trials are under way in the UK and the US to assess the drug’s worth. The human guinea pigs taking part include frontline healthcare workers at high risk of exposure to the virus, as well as patients.”

However, the report stressed that health “experts are concerned about advocating more general use of these experimental treatments before the proof is in.”

“People that follow the president’s example might not only endanger themselves but could also deprive patients with chronic autoimmune conditions of their much-needed medication,” Dr. Stephen Griffin, associate professor at the School of Medicine at the University of Leeds told BBC health editor Michelle Roberts, in reaction to Trump’s touting of his use of the drug.

The BBC report showed a graph of data from U.S. insurance claims, hospital prescriptions excluded, which showed that the number of prescriptions for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine soared between March and April, after Trump promoted it and lied about it being approved for the treatment of COVID-19 in his daily coronavirus briefing.

Flashback to a report by the New York Times: Trump’s family stands to benefit from the widespread use of the drug. Per that report as quoted by MSN News: “If hydroxychloroquine becomes an accepted treatment, several pharmaceutical companies stand to profit, including shareholders and senior

executives with connections to the president. Mr. Trump himself has a small personal financial interest in Sanofi, the French drugmaker that makes Plaquenil, the brandname version of hydroxychloroquine.

According to Trump’s 2019 Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Reports filed with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, the 45th president’s three family trusts each have two line item entries describing investments between $1,001 and $15,000 apiece in the Dodge & Cox International Stock Fund.

The Times notes that Sanofi, the drug manufacturer, is the mutual fund’s largest individual holding. According to MarketWatch, the exact size of the fund’s stake in Sanofi “at last check was 3.3%.”

Marketwatch also notes– and shrugs off–additional Sanofi stakes: “It turns out he does look to have more than [a] modest sum invested in Sanofi, because, unmentioned in the Times report, his trusts also hold broader European stockmarket index funds.”

Many of Trump’s critics question whether he is indeed taking the drug knowing his bad relationship with the truth. Some accuse him of saying these lies to tout and push the drug further, while others say this is yet another of his diversionary tactics to shift conversation away from his failure to lead the country effectively and faithfully during this crisis. Most worry about how this blind will lead the other blind of our country without causing more harm to peoples’ safety and survival.

Trump’s defiance of science and facts, coupled with his personal, financial and political objectives, makes him the most dangerous president of the United States in our time, when we are being attacked by our common invisible enemy, COVID-19.

My fellow Americans, what are we going to do about this betrayal to his oath of the public official accorded with the most powerful position in the nation and the public trust that goes with it? *** 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.

Imagine a pandemic lockdown with...

PAGE 5 (against the advice of our children) and have noted the strict rules imposed by the supermarkets. All the shopping carts are regularly disinfected and shoppers have to fall in line outside the store, while staffers allow batches to enter, as soon as an equivalent number clears the checkout counters.

The rule is: no mask, no entry. Shoppers have to keep six feet apart at the meat and fish counters and move away and around others as they make the rounds of the store.

That reminded me of my early trips to the U.S. where we discreetly crossed the street to avoid walking past toughlooking groups on one side of the road. We were particularly wary in downtown Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. If you think Tondo is scary, try these cities.

In truth, for those who have the means, the COVID-19 lockdown isn’t all that inconvenient - that is, compared to the restrictions during the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918. It was much, much worse then.

Imagine a pandemic with no TV, no smartphone, no Facebook, no Facetime, no Zoom, and no Netflix. Well, that was how it was during the period, January 1918 to December 1920, from the earliest occurrence of the deadly flu to the time the pandemic subsided. Almost three years!

TV was only introduced in the U.S. in 1928. And while the telephone was already in common use in the early 1900s, it was not until 1992 that the closest thing to a smartphone — IBM’s Simon Personal Communicator —was introduced. And it wouldn’t be until 2007 that Apple would launch the iphone. Thus, no smartphone for emails, texting, Viber messaging or for social media interaction.

While personal one-onone teaching by parents is probably unmatched (assuming parents are educated and knowledgeable), today’s Zoom application has made home-learning for kids possible while schools are closed, and Facetime has allowed families to bond at any time.

We all know what Facebook has enabled people to do, whether or not there is a pandemic — except that now, we are seeing more dishes and old photographs being displayed on social media, along with commen-

taries on Presidents Trump and Duterte and every subject under the sun.

Some folks will probably point out that not having to listen to Trump or Duterte was one of the advantages of being home-bound at the height of the Spanish flu, but then today’s COVID-19 refugees can always shut down the TV and cherrypick things to view or read online.

Indeed, one had few options at the time of the Spanish flu, nor was there a running report on infections and mortality. In fact, because World War I was being fought at the time, censorship had been imposed in Europe, except in Spain which had declared neutrality. Because Spanish media freely reported on the pandemic, the world press began to refer to it as the Spanish flu, even though it had first been detected in a military camp in Kansas in the U.S. It was not until 1940 that a vaccine was developed and marketed. Meanwhile, the same non-pharmaceutical interventions mandated in the COVID-19 crisis were decreed by authorities to limit the spread of the Spanish flu.

One U.S. newspaper reported: “Schools, theaters, churches and dance halls in cities across the country were closed. Kansas City banned weddings and funerals if more than 20 people were to be in attendance.

New York mandated staggered shifts at factories to reduce rush-hour commuter traffic. Seattle’s mayor ordered his constituents to wear face masks…”

Some of my friends in Manila have become stir-crazy from being cooped up in their homes. They complain that the travel restrictions are a “Duterte-style martial law.”

Others describe their “confinement” at home as “martial law” — with their wives as prison wardens. Serves them right. The lifestyle in Manila is not conducive to domestication.

Husbands use every little excuse — client meetings, brainstorming sessions, etc. — to justify going to their favorite watering holes after office hours.

Not surprisingly, some wives and children decide that they also deserve to have their own “good time.”

No wonder, drug abuse and marital problems are common in Manila. Years

ago, the problem with drug use among the young became so bad that parents of exclusive schools set up a group called, Parents Organization of the Philippines.

Because the chairman of our ad agency, Tony de Joya, was designated to head the group, he asked me to create an anti-drug abuse ad campaign for the organization.

My first ad created quite a stir among the parents.

It showed a teenager with a drug pusher giving him a stick of grass. The headline read: “Is a pusher paying more attention to your child than you are?”

Today’s COVID-19 lockdown appears to have resulted in an unintended benefit: parents being kept at home and, inevitably, paying more attention to their children.

While the number of infections and the mortality rate worldwide have been alarming — at 4.7 million and 310,000, respectively (so far) — these numbers are really modest compared to the death toll of the Spanish flu. That pandemic is said to have claimed some 50 million lives (due to lack of sophisticated monitoring and reporting systems at the time, the estimates have ranged widely from 20 million to 100 million deaths).

Note that the world population was 1.6 billion in 1900 and 2 billion in 1920. We could, thus, assume around 1.8 billion in 1918. Even if we use the low mortality estimate of 20 million, that is still a much higher percentage of the population compared to the current COVID19 worldwide death rate of 298,000 (out of a 7.8 billion world population).

And here’s something that I hope Donald Trump does not brag about: the COVID19 death rate in the U.S., estimated at 86,000 as of this writing, is relatively small, based on the U.S. population of 328 million.

The U.S. death toll claimed by the 1918 pandemic was 675,000 out of a U.S. population at the time of 103 million. I also hope that Duterte does not brag that the current Philippine mortality rate of less than 100 is a very small percentage of a population of more than 100 million.

Of course, for people of compassion, one man’s death is one death too many — especially if the victim is a loved one or a friend. ( g re g m a c a b e n t a @ h o tmail.com)

May 22-28, 2020 • NEW yORK aND NEW JERSEy aSIaN JOURNaL

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Duterte: Sinas stays as NCRPO chief

by Catherine

S. Valente ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has retained National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Chief Debold Sinas even after he violated government measures against the COVID-19 pandemic during the enhanced community quarantine period.

In his taped public address aired over state-run PTV4 late Tuesday night, Duterte said Sinas would not be removed from his post as he believed in the general’s integrity.

Sinas came under fire after images of his alleged surprise birthday party last May 8 showed him and his guests, most of them police officers, ignoring physical distancing.

Sinas said it was a simple “mañanita” or early morning serenade.

Duterte said partly in Filipino that he did not want Sinas to be transferred.

He described Sinas as a “good” and “honest” offi-

Chief Debold Sinas

cer and said it was “not his fault that there were people who serenaded him on his birthday”.

Duterte said he needed Sinas in his present job and said that based on “seniority, it is his time to be there”.

Duterte said he did not believe in “just firing” Sinas.

Duterte acknowledged that while “the law is the law”, the incident with Sinas was his “responsibility”.

“He stays there until further orders,” he added.

In the photos initially

ManilaTimes.net photo

uploaded on the Facebook page of NCRPO’s public information office, police officers were seen giving Sinas roses and cakes, while Metro Manila’s top policeman mingled with guests seated at various tables.

Sinas has since apologized for the incident, but claimed he found “nothing wrong” with the gathering, saying proper social distancing and health measures were followed by the guests.

He and other police officials are facing a criminal case over the controversial gathering. n

WAITING FOR PASSENGERS. Tricycles line up at their terminal along Congressional Avenue, Quezon City on Tuesday, May 19. The city government has allowed tricycles to operate at a limited capacity which means only one passenger is allowed and back riding is prohibited.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

Fake news post an honest mistake – Mocha Uson by rey

Galupo

Philstar.com

MANILA — Overseas Workers Welfare Administration deputy administrator Mocha Uson appeared at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday to comply with a subpoena sent to her over the alleged fake coronavirus post she shared on social media.

“Nagkamali lang, honest mistake lang ‘yung sa photo,”

Uson said.

Last month, Uson posted on her Facebook account photos of personal protective equipment (PPEs) purchased by the Department of Health.

She replaced the images shortly after netizens noted that the photos included PPEs donated by a private foundation.

Uson arrived at the NBI headquarters in Manila at around 10 a.m. She had a

closed-door meeting with cybercrime chief Vic Lorenzo.

Last week, the NBI subpoenaed Uson over allegations that the photos she posted on her Facebook account were fake.

Persons spreading false information about the coronavirus pandemic may face fines of up to P1 million and penalize with two months in prison under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 22-28, 2020

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May 22-28, 2020 • NEW yORK aND NEW JERSEy aSIaN JOURNaL

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‘Sotto’s biggest adversary is himself’ – Pacquiao

by Josef

T. RAmos ManilaTimes.net

“HIMSELF.” That is Kai Sotto’s biggest and only adversary in his quest to play for the National Basketball Association (NBA), according to boxing legend Manny Pacquiao.Senator Pacquiao, an eight-division world champion and Hall of Famer, has advised the 18-year-old NBA G League-bound center to be more productive and hardworking to achieve his longtime dream of becoming the first ever homegrown Filipino player to play in the NBA. “Sipag lang at disiplina sa sarili. (It’s just all about hard work and discipline),” the 41-year-old reigning World Boxing Association super welterweight champion Pacquiao told The Manila Times through a phone interview last Monday.“Ang kalaban lang niya is ‘yung sarili niya.

‘Yun lang talaga; kalaban niya lang ‘yung sarili niya at huwag lang tatamad-tamad (His only adversary is really himself, and he should not be lazy),” explained Pacquiao, adding that Sotto’s NBA quest would serve as inspiration to others.

Sotto, the son of former

Philippine Basketball Association Ervin Sotto, has committed to play for a Select Team in the NBA G League officially last week, bolstering his bid to play in the world’s oldest and most popular basketball league soon.

“Karangalan natin ‘yan ‘pag nakuha siya sa NBA. Kauna-unahan ‘yan at lalong makakapagbigay pa ‘yan ng inspirasyon sa mga kabataang basketbolista (It will be an honor if he makes it to the NBA. It will be the first, and it will inspire the basketball youth),” he added.

“Maraming susunod.

Maraming mai-inspired at magpupursige na puwedeng mapasabak o makapaglaro sa NBA (More will follow; Many will be inspired and pursue playing in the NBA).”

Pacquiao said he knew Sotto’s journey to the NBA would not be easy, but he said the young athlete should not be discouraged and be frustrated while playing for the NBA G League since all players in every position there were very competitive.

“Oo naman, basta tandaan lang niya ‘yung wag magpadala sa discouragement, and then ‘wag madismaya ‘pag may times na down, so

‘wag ma-discourage pero magpursige pa rin siya, focus lang at determination (All he needs to is to remember not to allow himself to be discouraged, especially when times are rough — just focus and be determined),” said Pacquiao.

Aside from being tall at 7’2 and being mobile, Pacquiao said Sotto should also focus on improving his shooting — just like the 6’11 Greek Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and other successful big men in the NBA. “Kailangan i-develop niya ‘yung shooting niya kasi ‘yun ang uso ngayon ‘pag matangkad ka (He needs to develop his shooting skills because that’s what is asked of tall players) — [to] shoot [from] outside like Antetokounmpo.

Antetokounmpo can shoot from the 3-point line,” he said.

The number of NBA big men who can shoot outside continuously has grown since the late ‘90s. The Dallas Mavericks’ retired 7-footer Dirk Nowitzki and the 6’9 Sacramento Kings’ Peja Stojakovi were the most popular big guys who can shoot beyond the 3-point zone. n

NBI arrests internet personality Francis Leo Marcos

by KRisTine Joy

Philstar.com

PATAg

MANILA — The National Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday, May 19 arrested internet personality Francis Leo Marcos over violation of the optometry law.

Agents of NBI-Cybercrime Division (CCD) arrested Marcos in Quezon City, following the warrant issued by a Baguio City court over his supposed violation of Republic Act 8050, or the revised Optometry Law of 1985.

NBI CCD chief Victor Lorenzo told reporters that the case stemmed from Marcos’ distribution of eyeglasses without prior approval and permission from professional associations.

No other details on the Baguio City case have been made public as of writing.

Lorenzo said the bureau is also verifying charges of qualified human trafficking in a Manila court and violence

This photo taken May 19, 2020 shows Francis Leo Marcos at the National Bureau of Investigation office.

Photo courtesy NBI

against women in a Nueva Ecija court against Marcos.

The CCD chief added that Marcos is under probe of several NBI units. He also has pending complaints of estafa.

NBI Public Information Office chief Nicanor Suarez,

in a separate message, told reporters that Marcos intends to post bail.

Marcos has more than one million subscribers in his YouTube channel, while Facebook pages of his supporters boasts of thousands of followers. n

SAFE SOCIAL DISTANCING? Customers seem to disregard safe social distancing rules while waiting outside a branch of a bank along Gen. Luna St. in San Mateo, Rizal on Monday, May 18. The government has been consistently reminding the public to observe safe social distancing and health standards amid the implementation of modified enhanced community quarantine and the general community quarantine.

PNA photo by Joey Razon

Government aims to register 5 million in national ID system by yearend

by Alexis

RomeRo Philstar.com

MANILA — The government aims to register five million household heads for the national ID system by yearend to make the distribution of aid more efficient.

In his eighth report to Congress on the government’s coronavirus response, President Rodrigo Duterte said the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is fast-tracking the implementation of the ID system to improve future targeting and distribution of financial aid to poor and low-income households.

“Following prescribed health standards, PSA targets to safely register at least five million household heads from low-income households by December 2020,” the President said.

The PSA seeks to open the registration process by October with 6,500 registration kits in 46 fixed registration centers and 1,170 mobile registration enters nationwide, Duterte added.

The agency will also work with the Land Bank of the Philippines to use 126 of the

President Duterte signed Republic Act 11055, the Philippine Identification System or National ID Law, in August 2018. Philstar.com photo by John Nicole Villamayor

bank’s branches as registration centers.

Last month, Duterte said the implementation of the national ID system would have hastened the distribution of assistance to sectors sidelined by the quarantine.

Duterte also reported that the Philippine Institute for Development Studies is drawing up the implementing rules of the CommunityBased Monitoring System Act — a law that mandates the creation and maintenance of a system to collect and process data for planning and project tracking.

“The accelerated nationwide implementation of a community-based monitoring system shall allow the government to profile and identify households vulnerable to certain risks as well as qualified beneficiaries of targeted programs,” the President said.

Duterte said the Bureau of Immigration and airline companies have also agreed to use digitized passenger arrival cards and forms integrated in the bureau’s system prior to the arrival of flights in the country to strengthen contact tracing measures. n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 22-28, 2020

COMMUNITY Journal

Immigration Corner

June 2020 priority dates The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows: FAMILY CATEGORY:

Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ

First Preference

EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment-based categories.

A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have to wait until it becomes current again.

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

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

Application Filing Date

Visa Issuance Date

September 01, 2011

February 01, 2011

(2A) Spouse and Second Preference minor children (below May 01, 2020 21 years old) of green card holders

Current

(2B) Unmarried sons and daughters (21 May 01, 2011 years old or older) of green card holders

September 01, 2010

Third Preference

Married sons and daughters of US Citizens

November 15, 2001

April 15, 2001

Fourth Preference

Brothers and sisters of US Citizens

September 01, February 01, 2001 2001

LABOR CERTIFICATION:

Application Filing Date

Visa Issuance Date

Second Preference

Advanced Degree (Masters)

Current

Current

Third Preference

Professional/ Skilled Workers

April 01, 2019

November 08, 2017

Other Workers

Non-Skilled Workers

April 01, 2019

November 08, 2017

ority date is earlier than the Application Filing Date,

they can already file for adPAGE 12

Fil-Am Francisco Martin finishes on ‘American Idol’ Top 5

By Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

FILIPINO American singer Francisco Martin on Monday, May 18, ended his “American Idol” journey as part of the 18th season’s top five.

Just Sam, the only girl left in the competition, was crowned the winner, while Nepali immigrant Arthur Gunn finished as the runnerup.

In the last episode, each contestant were tasked to perform two songs: a celebration tune for being part of the top five, and a previously performed track.

Martin performed “dore You” by Harry Styles and “Alaska”by Maggie Rogers.

“Idol” judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan expressed how proud they are at Martin for coming so PAGE 13

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The 19-year-old singer, who hails from San Francisco, California, started his ‘AI’ journey as a nervous singersongwriter. He eventually gained his confidence throughout the competition and wowed the judges with his performance each week.

Photo from Instagram/@americanidol

PETITION APPROVED ALMOST 15 YEARS AFTER DENIAL: SEE THIS STORY UNFOLD ON CITIZEN PINOY THIS SUNDAY. Marvin was petitioned by his father as a single adult child of an immigrant in 2001. However, his father moved and did not notify the USCIS of the new address. When the USCIS served a request for evidence, the family never got the notice, and did not reply. The petition was therefore denied due to abandonment in 2005, and the family almost gave up. Finally, Marvin’s family consulted with the Law Offices of Michael J. Gurfinkel who, in 2015, fought for the family, arguing the case should not have been denied. But victory did not come easy. Each time a motion to reopen/reconsider was filed, it was denied as untimely and that the denial was proper. But the Law Office did not give up and finally, after the 4th motion, the case was approved in 2019! Watch how the team of Atty. Gurfinkel was able to get Marvin to enter the U.S. as an immigrant after 18 grueling years, on an encore episode of CITIZEN PINOY – on Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)

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Scary MIS-C in kids

Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS IN our column last week, we briefly mentioned a new hyperinflammatory toxic shock syndrome discovered among children after getting COVID-19 infection, first reported in the United Kingdom on April 26, 2020.

The clinical presentation could be confused with Kawasaki Disease. This new distinct entity, which luckily is rare, has been termed MIS-C Syndrome. It seems only children exposed to COVID-19 are at risk for this novel syndrome. In general, children are believed to be at a lower risk to get infected with COVID-19 compared to adults, especially the seniors.

Latest COVID-19 statistics: Global total – 4,967,800 cases, deaths – 329,002 (23 countries, no COVID-19 in Antarctica); United States – 1,563,408 cases, deaths – 94,000; Philippines – 12,988 cases, deaths – 848; Russia – 300,000 cases, deaths – 2,888; Spain – 278,908 cases, deaths – 27,789; China – 82,969 cases, deaths – 4,638.

What is MIS-C? MIS-C refers to the newly-observed rare and unique Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children (median age: 9 to 11, but could be up to 20) associated with nCorona virus pandemic, seen 4-6 weeks after COVID-19 infection, affecting various organs. This was contained in the CDC Advisory on May 14, 2020. All of the children had fever (100.4 or higher), 90 percent had stomachache, 75 percent had pink eyes (conjunctivitis) and cracked lips (blisters), and 50 percent had skin rash. Some had nausea and vomiting. There were no respiratory symptoms.

The medical community is still learning more about this distinct disease linked to COVID-19. There are about 220 cases of MIS-C found in the USA, 145 of them in New York; three children (ages 5, 7 and 18) have died from it. Other nations have also reported MIS-C cases. Luckily, this syndrome is rare, and deaths are even rarer but, nonethe-

less, parents have to be on guard and continue to follow established guidelines to avoid getting CVOID-19 infection in the first place.

Rare as it is, MIS-C could be very severe and fatal in some instances. It is still a question if this multisystem inflammatory syndrome is specific to children or if it also occurs among adults with COVID-19.

What is Kawasaki Disease?

This is an acute febrile episode (also known as Kawasaki Syndrome) that primarily affects children under age 5. Its cause is unknown. It is not related or associated with COVID-19.

First described by Tomisaku Kawasaki in Japan in 1967, the initial case outside Japan was in Hawaii in 1976.

Signs include fever, skin rash, redness of the white of the eyes, swollen lymph glands in the neck, swollen hands and feet, inflammation of the mouth, lips, and throat, with “strawberry” tongue. Highest incidence (9 to 19 per 100,000) is in Japan but it is found worldwide. Since 1982, there were several outbreaks in the U.S. Kawasaki is the leading cause of acquired heart disease (coronary dilatation and aneurysms from vasculitis) in children. The standard use of IV immunoglobulin and aspirin significantly lowers coronary artery pathology. Mortality rate is about 1.25% and 2.35% among those with cardiac complications.

Could both affect kids?

Yes, but very rarely. The first such case reported was a baby girl in the San Francisco Bay Area, who developed both the MIS-C, post COVID-19, and also Kawasaki Disease late in March 2020, and has fully recovered.

In general, children with COVID-19 have milder symptoms or none at all compared to adults. Death rate in COVID-19 for those 80+ years old is between 14.8 % to 21.9%, and among children 10-19 years of age is 0.2%. There are no deaths reported among 9 years old and younger.

The signs and symptoms of Strep throat could also be similar to those of MISC and Kawasaki, with subtle medical differences which physicians, especially pediatricians, could discern and differentiate after complete examination and laboratory

tests. Obviously, accurate and early diagnosis is vital for proper treatment. Parents with concerns should call their physician promptly.

What causes COVID-19 deaths in children?

Children are known to be at a lower risk to acquire COVID-19 and when infected, they have mild symptoms or are asymptomatic, with faster recovery and lower death rate. With the discovery of this new Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children, deaths among them are now deemed to be due to MIS-C, unless proven otherwise or unless they were immune-compromised to begin with, or with other co-morbidities.

Is there a resurgence of COVID-19?

There are countries and cities with a second wave of COVID-19 breakout after re-opening following a lockdown. Among them are South Korea, Singapore, Wuhan, Lebanon, Iran, Italy. More countries, including the U.S. might (hopefully not) experience a resurgence after re-opening if the guidelines are abandoned and people become careless. This, obviously from a breakdown in continuing the COVID-19 guidelines to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV2 virus, which we advocated with an acronym, Fight COVID-19 with C-O-V-I-D: Cover face to scratch, sneeze, or cough; Omit non-essential travels; Voluntary quarantine; Intensive hand washing; Distancing is social. Like other past viral infections, a second or more waves might follow, and graver, depending on people’s behavior and discipline (or lack of it).

Does UVC light destroy SARS-CoV2?

UVC radiation from the sun was discovered in 1801 and in 1892 it was shown that it was primarily the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum that had bactericidal power. UtraViolet-C (UVC) light (wavelength 254 nm) has been known to be germicidal and virucidal, and lately found to deactivate and eradicate SARS-CoV2 virus that causes COVID19. However, the rays are harmful to the eyes and skin when exposed to the UVC light. This light has been used to sterilize empty ICU rooms, operating rooms, ERs, surgical and dental equipment, etc. and very

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, of Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, a columnist of Asian Journal and past president and Chairman Emeritus of the FEUDNR School of Medicine Alumni Foundation (at the podium) was bestowed the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award by his medical peers at the Caesar’s Resort and Casino in Las Vegas last year. With Dr. Chua in photo are (from left) Daisy Ramos, MD, (Michigan) and Manuel Malicay, MD (Illinois), Awards Committee Co-Chair. The Annual Medical Convention and Grand Ball was attended by more than 300 physicians and their spouses from various states across the U.S., from Canada, and from the Philippines.

Photo by Reggie Tobias

June 2020 priority dates...

PAGE 11 justment of status and work authorization (provided they are otherwise eligible and USCIS indicates on its website it will use the Application Filing Date for that month).

This could allow people to obtain work authorization much sooner than before, where they had to wait for the priority date to be current (in the Visa Issuance or Final Action Date column) in order to both file for adjustment and be eligible for a green card. ***

Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or

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

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

useful at home, especially for those who use CPAP equipment for sleep apnea, and for sterilizing toothbrush, toys, cellphones, tablets, jewelries, and any other items, including food.

A small room, like the laundry room, or big box with cover, could be used for sterilizing. UVC lamps can also sterilize an entire room (empty) for less than 30 minutes. The food industry uses UVC light to sterilize food products (meat, fruits, vegetables) before shipping them out. UVC light has been used for decades to sterilize water, as a part of the reversed osmosis multistage water filtration system in city water plants and under-the-sink system at home

around the world.

Columbia University’s David Brenner, professor of biophysics, is coming out with a low-cost Far-UVC light, a new version with very short wavelength (205230 nm) which will destroy viruses like SARS-CoV2, and is also safe to humans, pets, and plants in the room. The Far-UVC lamp will be a unit like the electric mosquito/fly zapper available today. The Far-UVC lamp will be up on the ceiling or walls, with automatic on and off timers, to constantly destroy viruses and kill bacteria in the air and on surfaces, including clothing and our body in any room, like in buildings, offices, theaters, restaurant, public places, and

our homes. It will condition the air to be free of bacteria and viruses, before they get on us and into our body.

Google Far-UVC light for more details.

Be smart. Be safe. Play your vital role in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and help end this killer pandemic sooner. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Public Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888. com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail. com.

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 22-28, 2020

NASA picks Filipina’s song as new space campaign theme

By Ratziel

San Juan Philstar.com

FILIPINO singer-songwriter Reese Lansangan wrote her “open letter to the universe” and NASA could read.

The 29-year-old musician’s “A Song About Space” — released back in 2013 when she was only 22 — has been featured by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to draw hype for its new space campaign.

“When a song you wrote about space & exploration 7 years ago makes it to NASA... I am OVER the moon (pun intended) and I don’t think I’ll ever get over it,” she posted, sharing the #LaunchAmerica promotional video where her song ran for nearly a minute.

Reese said that she “almost choked” on her water upon finding the 57 million follower-strong NASA in her direct messages.

“They said they loved my super old and embarrassing

FOR RENT

Filipino singer-songwriter Reese Lansangan Photo from Instagram/@reeseypeasy

‘A Song About Space’ video from my channel and asked if they could possibly use it for a promo vid. Nothing was set in stone so after I got over the immediate shock of the NASA DM, I just silently hoped for the best. Then I got an email back with the

video link, and in my pride I took all the screencaps!”

The singer then revealed that her cosmic moment almost never happened, narrowly avoiding several close calls where she contemplated deleting the video.

“I always get teased for that old Space video of mine because 1) I still had braces & 2) I lisped (lithped) - but each time I thought about taking it down, I couldn’t bring myself to. I figured it’s part of my history & it’s fun to make fun of yourself every now and then! Little did I know, it would be the video that NASA would notice and end up watching... it just blows my mind!” she celebrated.

“I guess there’s a lesson in there somewhere - to honor yourself always - your lovable, bewildering, sometimes even embarrassing self! So from the bottom of NENE REESE’s heart - a sincere thank you to the universe for this tiny, tiny victory.”

The NASA project will see

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Fil-Am Francisco Martin...

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PAGE 11 far in the competition.

“That performance was an elevated version of what you gave to us in the beginning.

You’re so smooth when you delivered that. It sounded like it was professionally recorded in the studio somewhere. That’s how good it was,” said Perry about his rendition of “Alaska.”

Meanwhile, Bryan said:”I’m so proud to see you here. I’m so heartbroken that this is the last time we’ll get to hear you perform like this on ‘American Idol.’ And I know that sky is the limit for your career.”

Richie, for his part, praised Martin for being a “model student.”

“You have taken all of our

notes and every time I see you, I smile while you’re performing because you have delivered the goods on graduation day,” he said.

Martin, after the show, took to Instagram to reflect over his journey in “American Idol.”

“I’ve grown so much as a human and as an artist throughout these few past months and I’ll never forget that. I’ve met a great deal of lifelong friends, unforgettable memories and have gained the support of all you beautiful souls,” he wrote.

“As a person dealing with anxiety, you’ve all accepted me for who I truly am and have supported me throughout all of it. Jeez I’m just so in love with all of you. To be

able to have inspired many of you to follow their dreams is something I never thought would’ve happen in a million years. From the bottom of my heart, wherever you are, thank you so much,” he added.

Martin assured that this is not the end, and expressed hope that everyone will continue to support him in the future.

“This is not the end but only a chapter that has come to a beautiful close. Thank you for riding alongside me on this journey. Hope you’re ready to travel with me onto the next chapter in life.

There’s a ton of room, don’t be shy. Grab a seat (if you’d like to). See you soon loves,” he said.

the first astronauts launched to the International Space Station from the United States since 2011.

“This new era of human spaceflight will kick off when NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley fly on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, lifting off on a Falcon 9 rocket at 4:32 p.m.

EDT May 27, from Launch

Complex 39A in Florida, for an extended stay at the space station for the Demo2 mission,” NASA said on its website.

The four and a half minute-long track is included in Reese’s 2016 debut album “Arigato, Internet!” “’A Song About Space’ is my open letter to the universe,” the artist said in a

video from her 12-part YouTube mini-series “Dissecting the Song,” where she explained the songwriting process behind her album.

“I feel like a lot of us have that innate fascination for space and what’s beyond us, what’s beyond Earth, and I just wanted to translate my curiosity into a simple but catchy song.”

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people events arts culture entertainment

Fil-Am books to read during summer 2020 by

N

AJPRESS

OW entering two months into stayat-home orders, individuals across the country have found ways to fill their “free time,” whether through baking, sewing masks or completing puzzles.

Another method has been diving into a good book as a means to escape the outside world. Book purchases grew 777% in the first half of April, compared to the same period in March, according to Rakuten data.

At the beginning of this year, the Asian Journal published a list of titles by Filipino and Filipino American authors to watch out for in 2020.

Already, the following books we mentioned have been released: “The Vanished Birds”

by Simon Jimenez (January 14); “Wicked as You Wish” by Rin Chupeco (March 3); “How to Make Friends with the Sea”

by Tanya Guerrero (March 31); and “Any Day with You”

by Mae Respicio (May 5).

Additionally, we’ve seen the releases of “Once Upon a Sunset” (March 3) by Army nurse turned romance novelist, Tif Marcelo; “The Easy Filipino Cookbook: 100 Classics Made Simple” (March 24) by chef Roline Casper; “Raising Multiracial Children: Tools for Nurturing Identity in a Racialized World” (April 28)

by Filipina-Pakistani author and diversity and inclusion specialist Farzana Nayani; and “We Dream of Space”

by Newbery Award-winning children’s author Erin Entrada Kelly.

As there’s no end in sight (yet) for when quarantine measures will be lifted, here are several books — from fiction to memoirs — by Fil-Am authors set to hit shelves and e-readers this summer.

“Fairest” by Meredith Talusan (May 26) This coming-of-age memoir by award-winning author and journalist Meredith Talu-

san chronicles the journey of a precocious boy with albinism in the Philippines who would migrate to the United States, study at Harvard and transition to become a woman. Navigating through race, class, colorism and belonging within the gay community, “Talusan shares poignant and powerful episodes of desirability and love,” according to publisher Viking. “Her evocative reflections will shift our own perceptions of love, identity, gender, and the fairness of life.”

“Where Dreams Descend” by Janella Angeles (June 2) In “Where Dreams Descend” — the first book in Fil-Am writer Janella Angeles’ Kingdom of Cards fantasy duology — readers will be transported to a city covered in ice and ruin where a group of magicians embarks on a series of games in search of the next headliner of the Conquering Circus. There’s romance, secrecy and unseen danger along the way as we meet Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost; Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club and more than one lie told; and Demarco, the brooding judge with a past he can no longer hide.

“The Groom Will Keep His Name” by Matt Ortile (June 2) The debut collection of essays covering topics, such as dating, identity and sexuality, comes from Matt Ortile, managing editor of Catapult magazine. Releasing this June by Bold Type Books, an imprint of Hachette, “The Groom Will Keep His Name” charts Orti-

Fairest by Meredith Talusan

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles

Amboy: Recipes from the Filipino-American Dream by Alvin Cailan with Alexandra Cuerdo

le’s journey moving from Manila to Las Vegas and the experience of being bullied for his skin tone, Filipino accent and femininity. The essays explore the idea of social media personas and ultimately, lead to a realization of “radical selflove.”

“You Can’t Do It Alone: A Widow’s Journey Through Loss, Grief, and Life After”

by Maria Quiban Whitesell (June 9) When faced with her husband Sean Whitesell’s terminal brain cancer diagnosis, FOXLA’s morning meteorologist Maria Quiban Whitesell found herself having to explain the loss to their young son, figure

The Groom will Keep His Name by Matt Ortile

Vanessa Yuʼs Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim

out how to respond to inappropriate questions, and learn how to deal with the day-today throughout her husband’s harrowing treatments, death, and life after. In “You Can’t Do It Alone: A Widow’s Journey Through Loss, Grief, and Life After,” Quiban Whitesell teams up with licensed clinical social worker Lauren Schneider to provide readers with the roadmap for dealing with illness, death, and grief she wished she’d had.

“Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop” by Roselle Lim (August 4) Inspired by her FilipinaChinese culture and cooking alongside her father, novel-

You Canʼt Do it Alone by Maria Quiban Whitesel

Vampires of Portlandia by Jason Tanamor

ist Roselle Lim’s forthcoming title “Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop” is a dreamy and magical trip centered on heritage and food. The story centers on protagonist Vanessa Yu, who has an ability to predict scenarios, though she thinks it’s a curse. Unhappily single and after delivering the worst misfortune to someone she loves, Vanessa finally decides she’s had enough—it’s time to get this “gift” under control. She enlists the help of the family fortune telling expert, her aunt Evelyn. The only catch? Aunt Evelyn is moving to Paris to open a teashop. Vanessa has no choice but to journey to the city of

love to change her destiny.

“Amboy: Recipes from the Filipino-American Dream” by Alvin Cailan and Alexandra Cuerdo (August 25) Famed Fil-Am chef Alvin Cailan — founder of popular breakfast sandwich purveyor Eggslut and host of online series “The Burger Show” — has teamed up with “Ulam” documentary director Alexandra Cuerdo for a cookbook illustrating the dual identity as an “amboy,” a Filipino growing up in America. Set to be released by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in late summer, this cookbook narrates Cailan PAGE 15

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 22-28, 2020

Angel relaunches artista ‘ukayukay’ to support mass testing By ratziel San Juan Philstar.com

JUST a month after her “Unitent We Stand PH” initiative — which raised P11.35 million, set up 246 tents (225 isolation and 21 sanitation) and benefited 135 hospitals — real-life “Darna” Angel Locsin is launching another offensive against the local novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.

This time, the Kapamilya star is reviving the “Shop and Share” fundraiser, her brainchild back in 2009 that raised at least $15,000 to help Filipinos recover in the aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy.

“We had actors, singers and even basketball players donate personal items from designer bags, clothes, jerseys, jewelry, etc., and we auctioned them off on eBay, with all the proceeds going to the Philippine Red Cross,”

Angel Locsin

Photo from Instagram/ @therealangellocsin

Angel explained the idea on social media.

She appealed to her friends and fellow artists to participate in Shop and Share “in the hopes of helping out in the efforts to provide mass testing in the country.”

“We would like to revisit the idea of artists coming together and helping those who need it the most. This time,

with the funds we raise, we would like to purchase test kits and allow testing opportunities for the poorer sectors in the hopes of helping out in the efforts to provide mass testing in the country,” the 35-year-old wrote.

“Yes, in support of mass testing. Because in this way we can make a higher impact, by pushing the TESTTRACE-ISOLATE/TREAT formula that is the only proven way to defeat the virus.”

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque yesterday said that the government is leaving mass testing in the hands of the private sector.

Meanwhile, Angel’s partner in the original Shop and Share auction, actress Anne Curtis, reposted the graphic and likewise encouraged her celebrity colleagues to contribute.

Angel’s good friend Dimples Romana also promoted the humanitarian initiative.

Jericho recalls hard life peddling food and collecting trash, asks people to dream amid dark times By ratziel San Juan Philstar.com

AS the world struggles against the COVID-19 pandemic, actor Jericho Rosales has stepped up to give fans a ray of hope amid dark times by recounting his journey to success.

Rosales – who used to collect garbage, sell fish and ice buko, among many other undertakings – stressed the importance of dreams, even when these seem impossible to achieve.

“Think a lot of us have stopped dreaming and reaching our goals because of the negative factors around us — poverty, lack of support and the additional uncertainty we get from this pandemic. Or at least we deeply questioned them,” he said on his official Facebook page on Monday, May 18.

“Our tomorrows are filled with questions and cares.

It is natural for us to think that way. We all are going through this and it is very hard,” he added.

“Dreams are dreams because they seem far from reality. It can be easy to for-

First ever Filipina ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ unveiled in comics

By Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

COMICS series “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” has featured the Philippines in an upcoming cover design.

Filbar’s, on Facebook, released an image of the cover showing the vampire slayer wearing traditional Filipino attire while holding a sword that looks like a bolo. The cover was designed by Trese artist Kajo Baldisimo.

The comics would showcase the Filipina Buffy’s first full appearance after a minor appearance in last year’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” #5 comics.

Kajo said that the cover looks like the Philippine flag since it is divided into three sections.

He told ABS-CBN News in an interview that he made the cover “somewhat recognizable and familiar to all Filipinos when you’re looking at it from a shelf 4 to 8 meters away.”

He added that he is excited and honored that he was chosen to do the design.

“Buffy is a badass who dedicated her life fighting supernatural evil. I like that trope,” he said. “Like Trese, the protagonist is also a cool Filipina who’s wielding something pointy and charging towards unseen monstrosities.”

Kajo explained that he based his design from his reinterpretation of the story.

“They showed me the story and I based my reinterpretation of the design from there.

I added details and nuances that were not obvious in the story,” he said.

Kajo said that he’s really interested in the simplicity and the subtle sophistication of that era.

“The absence of internet and convenient technologies, I think, lend A peek into “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” Filipina cover. themselves to very Photo from Facebook/Filbar’s Online simple but effective stories about basic

by Joss Whedon, writer and human drama. Plus, I find creator of current Netflix sethe fashion and architecture ries “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” back then very pleasing,” he co-writer of Oscar-nomisaid. nated Disney-Pixar film “Toy “We love our monster Story,” writer and director of myths… I imagine, a vam- “The Avengers” (2012) and pire slayer based in the Phil- its sequel “Avengers: Age of ippines will elicit a pleasant Ultron” (2015), and co-script and familiar reaction from writer for DC superhero film Pinoy readers,” he added.

“Justice League” (2017).

Based on a 1992 film of “Buffy the Vampire Slaythe same title, “Buffy the er” recently clamored for a Vampire Slayer” was cre- TV series reboot after Sarah ated as a television series Michelle posted throwback from 1997 to 2003 starring photos from the show, inSarah Michelle Gellar in cluding a dress she wore in the title role. It was created the finale.

Fil-Am books to...

Jerico Rosales

Photo from Instagram/@jerichorosalesofficial

get about them. But with a heart full of hope and a mind filled with positivity, nothing is impossible,” Rosales stressed.

Rags to riches Rosales recalled how he grew up in poverty: he was born into a poor family, went to six public schools in elementary and high school, and was not able to go to college because he “didn’t know what career meant” and that his family “simply could not afford it.”

Rosales also experienced collecting discarded wires, old newspapers and sold

them to junk shops for money “and sometimes cheap cheese curls.” He also collected plastic trash from a dumpsite with his cousin, became a jeepney barker, a pizza boy and a driver.

He added that he only learned to speak English through television and movies, and by forcing himself to read and talk to people, which he said gave him “wonderful ideas and opened my eyes to new possibilities with a clearer vision for my life.”

“Clearly, [I] did not have the ideal life situation. But I

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PAGE 14 overcoming “cultural traditions and family expectations to find his own path to success.” Expect Filipino comfort classics from the lens of a FilAm upbringing and anecdotes about Cailan’s rise as a chef.

“Vampires of Portlandia”

by Jason Tanamor (September 29) Based on Filipino folklore (aswang), “Vampires of Port-

landia” by Jason Tanamor is a fantastical tale of different monsters coexisting in the weirdest city in America.

When Marcella Leones relocates her family of aswang vampires from the Philippines to Portland, Oregon, she raises her grandchildren under strict rules so humans will not expose them. Her only wish is to give them a peaceful life, far away from the hunters

and the Filipino government that attempted to exterminate them. Before she dies, she passes on the power to her eldest grandchild, Percival. He vows to uphold the rules set forth by Leones, allowing his family to roam freely without notice. However, when the aswang covenant is broken, the murder rate in Portland rises drastically. Who is behind the murders? And who is behind the broken covenant? Along with sensie Penelope Jane, Percival must find the truth.

had a dream — to get myself and my family out of poverty and have our own house. That was my first major dream. I had faith in God and I also had time. So [I] prayed and prayed and never stopped learning new things. I kept moving. I kept my dream [in front] of me,” Rosales stressed.

He noted that self-education, constantly learning skills, surrounding one’s self with like-minded people

and “using your challenges as tools for self-improvement/development are keys to opening doors of opportunities.”

“What we have in our hands is NOW. It holds a lot of power if you know how to use it. It can change your tomorrows. Shaping it starts the moment you tell yourself ‘this is my tomorrow,’” Rosales said. “We also have each other.”

He stressed that dreams

will only remain as they are until one does something about them.

“So keep dreaming, keep hoping and keep moving.

You are made to be something and a someone for another. I wish all of us a bright future and I’ll do my part to make that happen,” he added. “Di mo kailangan ng tsinelas sa dagat ng pangarap. Naks (You do not need slippers in the sea of dreams).”

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