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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Volume 19 - No. 20 • 14 Pages
T H E F I L I P I N O A M E R I CA N C O M M U N I T Y N E WS PA P E R
Volume 18 - No. 17 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages
MAY 2 2 - 2 8 , 2 0 2 0
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Newsom eases public health criteria allowing DATELINE USA Undocumented counties to reopen within ‘weeks, not months’ immigrants in CA can FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
now apply for relief
UNDOCUMENTED immigrants in California this week can start applying for up to $1,000 per household in disaster relief under the state’s coronavirus emergency assistance plan. Governor Gavin Newsom last month announced the Disaster Relief Assistance for Immigrants, a $125-million coronavirus disaster relief fund that would provide a onetime disbursement for undocumented adults who are unable to obtain other forms of government assistance, such as those afforded under the CARES Act or state unemployment benefits. u PAGE 2
The dramatic change in the governor’s COVID-19 approach signals wider reopens by the first week of June by KLARIZE
MEDENILLA AJPress
AS cities and counties in California grow more anxious to reopen local economies, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a drastic relaxation of public health criteria to reopen the state in a move that could allow most counties to reopen in a matter of weeks.
In a daily briefing on Monday, May 18, the governor stressed the graduality of the state’s reopening but significantly departed from his ironclad approach to “flattening the curve” and only reopening a county if there are no new deaths and no more than 10 cases per 100,000 residents within a two-week period. Under Newsom’s new guidelines, counties are now required to have at most 25 cases per 100,000
Over 2,450 Filipinos globally test positive for COVID-19
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, u PAGE 3
residents, or they must possess a virus positivity rate of no higher than 8%. But the governor stressed that the state must continue its overall downward trend of COVID-19 cases and deaths for counties to receive approval for moving forward in the state’s reopening plan, which Newsom previously said is based on physical distancing and scientific data. u PAGE 2
by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
MECQ TRAFFIC. Traffic builds up along Marcos Highway at the boundary of Pasig-Cainta during the rush hour on Tuesday, May 19. Stricter checkpoints were also set up during the second day implementation of the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ). PNA photo by Joey O. Razon
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. “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 al-
u PAGE 2
Economists forecast sharp drop in remittances House committee to tackle by LAWRENCE
AGCAOILI Philstar.com
MANILA — Economists expect a bigger drop in remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) this year due to job losses resulting from lockdowns in host countries amid the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID19 pandemic. Euben Paracuelles, economist at Japanese investment house Nomura, said the amount of money sent home by OFWs to their loved ones in the Philippines may decline by seven percent this year.
“We think the outlook for remittances is grim and the contraction could deepen ahead. We forecast 2020 remittances growth dropping to seven percent versus the central bank’s forecast of two percent,” Paracuelles said Paracuelles said that deployment in key host countries would continue to slow down just like the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003. Furthermore, the sharply lower oil prices would hurt the largest source of OFW remittances – the Middle East.
Paracuelles said sea-based remittances that corner 22 percent of the total would take a big hit particularly from the battered cruise ship sector. According to Nomura, the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Philippines would contract by 4.8 percent this year after growing by six percent last year. Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said OFW remittances could slow down further especially starting March and April amid the lockdowns in many u PAGE 3
MENDIOLA
AJPress
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 Southeast Asian countries as alternative sites for Senators Imee Marcos and Ping lacson manufacturing. The relocations are “the silver which the Philippines should not lining to the dark cloud of CO- blink,” Marcos said. As chairperson of the Senate VID-19 (novel coronavirus) from
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: ABSCBN’s alleged violations of tax and labor laws, breaches of the terms and conditions of its previous Inquirer.net file photos broadcast privilege, and foreign equity issues. Committee on Economic Affairs, Some witnesses and resource she urged the government’s persons would also be required u PAGE 3 to physically appear before the
Senators Marcos, Lacson urge PH to lure US businesses by RITCHEL
ABS-CBN franchise on May 26
House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano
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
Philstar.com photo
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. u PAGE 3