053123 - Southern California Midweek Edition

IN this Part 2 of the series on the COVID-19 misinformation’s impact on the Filipino American community in Los Angeles County, the  Asian Journal talks with health and academic experts to explore solutions to address the lingering effects of false information during the pandemic.

“First and foremost, we should identify where the misinformation is coming from,” said California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research Multiethnic press secretary Dr. Yurina Melara Valiulis. With this, Valiulis underscores the need to recognize the existence of specific misinformation or disinformation spreading in different communities.

Once the misinformation is pinpointed, Valiulis said, educating the community on how to treat and manage this misinformation comes next.

“One of the first things I’ve been doing as part of my work is letting people know that not everything they see or read, especially on social media, is going to be accurate,"

THE city of Los Angeles, mindful of the disproportionate toll extreme heat takes on its communities of color and lowincome residents, on May 24 kicked off its Heat Relief 4 LA campaign.

Heat season generally runs from June through October, so, anticipating that and getting a jump on National Heat Awareness Day two days later, a webinar hosted by Los Angeles’ Climate Emergency Mobilization Office (CEMO) highlighted some of the ways the city is trying to mitigate heat’s impact and offered some resources for minimizing risks.

“We’re going to set an example,” CEMO director Marta Segura said following introductory welcoming remarks from Mayor Karen Bass, “by investing first and foremost in areas that have been

MANILA — Sen. Robinhood Padilla announced on Tuesday, May 30 he is resigning as PDPLaban executive vice president to give more time to his duties as a lawmaker.

Padilla remains a member of the party chaired by former President Rodrigo Duterte.

“As an incumbent senator with a heavy mandate, I am aware that other duties — including my position as EVP of the party — must give way to my ability to fulfill my sworn duty to the people,” Padilla said in a statement.

MANILA — President Marcos expressed optimism on Monday, May 29 that the AntiRed Tape Authority (ARTA) would further simplify government procedures through mandatory digitalization and contribute to efforts to lure investments and promote economic activity in the country.

In a speech read by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin during ARTA’s fifth anniversary celebration in Manila, Marcos said the agency has been “relentless” in implementing its mandate to curb red tape and bolster ease of doing business since it

He added, “I believe my decision is for the good of the party and its members — and more importantly, for the Filipino people.”

As PDP-Laban’s executive vice president, Padilla was part of the party’s National Executive Committee. He also had the power to take over the functions of the party president in case of their prolonged absence, permanent incapacity, suspension, resignation, or expulsion. Padilla was also tasked to perform other duties and functions assigned by PDPLaban’s National Council.

Cha-cha push falters

Bonta recently hosted a roundtable with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) press in the state to provide updates on his statewide initiatives in line with the celebration of this month’s AAPI Heritage Month.

As the first Filipino American attorney general of

California and the second Asian American to occupy the post after now Vice President Kamala Harris, who served between 2011 to 2017, Bonta underscored the need to improve the way hate crimes are being handled, especially in California, a state home to nearly 6 million AAPIs.  PAGE 2

was established through Republic Act 11032 in 2018.

“In just five years, the men and women of ARTA have definitely proven that change in the way we serve in government is possible. It is possible to do things now to empower the improvement of processes and make transactions easier and more convenient for our clients, the Filipino people,” the President said.

“As the work is not finished, I look forward to even more accomplishments for ARTA in the years to come. I am confident that with your undiminished and steadfast dedication to serve the people and given your passion

TYPHOON "Betty" is almost stationary in the waters off the tip of Northern Luzon and is expected to unleash rains that could generate floods, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Monday, May 29.

Hardly moving at 20 kilometers per hour (kph), Betty will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rain to a wide swathe of the country, Esperanza Cayanan, Pagasa's officer in charge, said.

It is expected to linger until late Wednesday or Thursday, when it could gradually accelerate toward the waters east of Taiwan and the southern portion of Ryukyu Islands, Cayanan said.

Storm Signal No. 2 has been raised in Batanes and the northeastern portion of Cagayan, including Babuyan Islands.

Government officials began evacuating thousands of villagers, shut down schools and offices, and imposed a no-sail ban Monday ahead of the typhoon.

HOUSE Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Second District Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Sunday, May 28 reiterated that she did not plot to unseat Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

the first lady Marie Louise 'Liza' Araneta-Marcos," Arroyo said in a statement, "I am truly sorry that she should even be dragged into this political fantasy of a House coup — it is disrespectful to her and to her intelligence," Arroyo said.

"Whoever is spreading these pathetic rumors... should now move on to the serious business of making positive contributions

"A report is going around that I was 'duped' by a congresswoman into thinking that the alleged House coup had the blessings of  PAGE 2

CA Attorney General Rob Bonta...

A former state assemblymember, Bonta was first appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom as attorney general in March 2021, before being elected to a full term last November 2022. He was sworn in and delivered his inaugural address in Sacramento last January 6.

During the discussions with AAPI reporters, the state’s chief legal counsel said that amidst the alarming and continuing rising level of anti-Asian hate crimes over the past years, his office is very keen on implementing some definitive short-term and longterm programs to address these concerns.

He said short-term solutions may involve an immediate and effective way to resolve a hate crime as it happens.

“We need accountability for hate crimes when they occur and in my view charging hate crimes as hate crimes when elements are there and making sure that there’s an appropriate and proportionate accountability for those who commit hate crimes,” Bonta said. According to Bonta, providing relatively prompt help to assist hate crime victims could also be a part of a short-term scheme.

“We provide victims with the services that they need to heal in the way that they need for them to heal, could be trauma form of care, it could be culturally competent care, could be in-language care like programs and services that allow and assist and expedite the healing of victims,” he said.

For long-term solutions, he said there is a need to implement a strategic plan of action involving education, cross-cultural awareness, and ethnic studies.

The government official also admitted that pushing for solid steps in tackling hate crimes is tedious as it entails a more complex approach in terms of implementation and execution of legislative measures and law enforcement.

“We need to have a lot of guidance on this with local enforcement on how to identify, investigate and how to build a hate crime case when the evidence is there,” he said.

He likewise underscored the need for the active participation of all concerned individuals to have an effective reporting sys-

tem for these hate crimes.

“We also need a reporting system that people consistently and in a high percentage participated so we could understand the problem, its nature, the hotspots, who’s been targeted, why, and we can get to, address the root process,” he said. One main dilemma of coming up with an effective reporting system, he noted, is the victims’ inability to come out in the open.

“Not everyone reports. Some folks do not report to law enforcement because they do not trust the law enforcement. Some people don’t report because they could be retaliated against, for example, an undocumented individual victim of a hate crime may not want to report to law enforcement because they might be worried about any potential adverse immigration consequences and so the people will report when they think something might be done and they won’t be retaliated against,” he said.

Bonta called on community leaders and groups and social services agencies to assist his office in addressing these concerns.

“We need to create those systems but I think that largely lies with community groups who are trusted, who’ve earned the trust, who have deep roots and deep histories with communities like to Stop AAPI Hate, a lot of folks call them because of their reputation and they have good data that helps us understand the problem better,” he said.

Stop AAPI Hate, a coalition of community organizations that started in May 2020, tracks and responds to incidents of hate, violence, harassment and discrimination against the AAPI community.

Over the last two years, anti-AAPI hate crimes went up 107% followed by an additional 177% increase the year before.

The next updated data on hate crimes will be released in coming months, Bonta said.

With this unprecedented rise of hate crimes, Bonta also spearheaded the creation of a Racial Justice Bureau a few weeks after assuming office in 2021.

“We want to take a very strong stance against the forces of hate to push back. So I created a Racial Justice Bureau to stand against

racial justice in all its forms, including hate crimes, hate violence, hate incidents,” the attorney general earlier said.

Asked about the role of the Racial Justice Bureau and its goal, Bonta said “we created Racial Justice Bureau to call out racial injustice in the state of California in all its forms and we plan of fighting the ground and say we are going to fight the racial injustice and fight against the forces of hate, and organizations that are organized around hate and violate other people’s rights or commit crimes.”

“We’re going to take on racial injustice in our schools where our children were submitted to unfair disciplinary process, suspensions, expulsion, unwillful defiance, and discipline. So from children, to hate groups, to hate crimes to any civil rights issues where race and ethnicity are being used as a way to target to hurt or harm people, we will be involved and that’s our racial bureau has done,” he elaborated.

Putting up a Racial Justice Bureau, he said, would enable them to have a dedicated set of personnel within his office to facilitate and focus on racial injustices.

“It has taken resources from across our office and brought them into a team with a common goal to take on racial injustice. We are largely focusing on hate crimes given the environment and the landscape and the pain and hurt and the harm that Californians are suffering when it comes to hate crimes and so but it is to fight for racial justice and all its forms and what’s happening in California will define the work that we prioritize and what we do but right now what we do are on hate crimes,” he added.

Aside from hate crimes, Bonta also wants to address other equally significant and socially-relevant issues, such as human trafficking, housing access, home care affordability, education, elder abuse, reproductive freedom, gun safety, the rights of LGBTQ communities, climate change, and among others.

2026 plans

During the virtual media roundtable, when asked about his apparent plan to run for governorship in 2026, Bonta said right now

Padilla resigns as PDP-Laban exec to focus...

The senator’s resignation as a PDP-Laban official came after he proclaimed the death of his push to amend economic provisions in the Constitution supposedly to allow more foreign investments.

Padilla said the final nail on Chacha’s coffin was the demotion of Rep. Gloria MacapagalArroyo (Pampanga) as senior deputy speaker at the House of Representatives, calling this a “big issue” among lawmakers which had a “huge effect.” Padilla previously threatened to leave PDP-Laban entirely if it decides not to back his proposal for economic Charter change.

The party did end up supporting Cha-cha in general and Padilla got the backing of his fellow PDPLaban senators.

Adjustment to Senate protocol

He recently came under fire on social media over a video clip from the May 16 plenary session where he was accused of disregarding parliamentary procedures when he responded in Filipino and seemed confused about how to make a proper motion on the Senate floor.

The incident has been brought up in chat groups among senators, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva told reporters at the Senate on Monday, adding it

served as a “reminder” for all of them to follow rules and observe proper decorum during plenary sessions.

“It is a concern that decorum should be strictly followed, not just in committee hearings but even during Senate sessions,” Villanueva said partly in Filipino. “I think we’re all grown-ups and professionals. And as public servants we are all aware that public office is a public trust.”

Sen. JV Ejercito said the incident was a challenge for him and other senators to use parliamentary terms in Filipino, while Sen. Francis Escudero said Padilla did not violate any rules. g

Arroyo firm: I did not plot speaker’s...

to national progress," the former president said. She said she made "a humble contribution to the joining of forces that became the UniTeam, and the resulting supermajority in the House is a major force for delivering President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s agenda.

"Thus, I would never take any action to destroy it," she said. She added she "did not have any conversation, here or

abroad, with any congressman or congresswoman, or any other politician active or retired, to plot, support, encourage or participate in any way in any alleged House coup."

Rumors of a conspiracy to overthrow Romualdez circulated after Arroyo was demoted from senior deputy speaker to deputy speaker last May 17.

She was replaced by Pampanga Third District Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr.

Arroyo said in a May 18 statement that she aspired for the House speakership when Marcos won the presidential election last year, but that she was no longer interested in the position.

She said her political objectives now were to represent her district, support the legislative agenda of Romualdez and President Marcos, and use her experience as a former president to help out when called upon to do so. g

OFFICIALLY FILIPINO. The Senate approves the Philippine citizenship petition of Canadian-born vlogger Kyle Douglas Jennermann (middle row, 5th from left) on Monday, May 29. Popularly known as Kulas, the 35-year-old came to live in the Philippines in 2013 and has since created video contents that showcase Filipino culture and the country’s natural resources. PNA photo by Avito Dalan

‘Betty’ lingers near tip of...

Army troops, police, firefighters and volunteer groups were standing by for search and rescue operations in northern provinces and more than a million food packs have been prepared for any contingency, officials said.

As of Monday morning, the typhoon was tracked about 470 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan, with 155-kph winds gusting to 190 kph.

Gale warnings remain in effect along the eastern seaboard of Luzon, the eastern and western seaboards of the Visayas, and the eastern seaboard of Mindanao.

Under Signal No. 1 are the rest of Cagayan, Isabela, Apayao, Ilocos Norte, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, the northern and central portions of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao and Baler), Quirino, the northeastern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Kasibu, Quezon, Solano, Bagabag, Diadi, Villaverde, Bayombong and Ambaguio), the northern portion of Catanduanes (Caramoran, Viga, Gigmoto, Panganiban, Bagamanoc and Pandan), the northeastern portion of Camarines Sur (Caramoan, Garchitorena, Lagonoy, Tinambac and Siruma), Pollilo Islands, the northern portion of Camarines Norte (Vinzons, Paracale, Jose Panganiban, Capalonga, Talisay, Daet, Mercedes and Basud), and the northern and central portions of Ilocos Sur (Gregorio del Pilar, Magsingal, San Esteban,

Banayoyo, Cervantes, Burgos, Santiago, San Vicente, Santa Catalina, Lidlidda, Nagbukel, Sinait, Sigay, San Ildefonso, Galimuyod, Quirino, City of Vigan, San Emilio, Cabugao, Caoayan, San Juan, Santa, Bantay, Santo Domingo, Santa Maria, Narvacan, Salcedo and City of Candon).

The southwest monsoon, meanwhile, will bring scattered rain and thunderstorms in Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, BARMM (Bangsamoro

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao), Ilocos Region, Apayao, Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro and Palawan.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported

Monday that 4,831 persons in Region 3 (Central Luzon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) and Region 6 (Western Visayas) have been evacuated ahead of the typhoon.

The NDRRMC said 1,170 families or 4,552 persons have so far been effected in at least two regions, three provinces, five cities and 15 barangay, mostly in Northern Luzon.

There were no affected airports, but 32 flights were canceled due to the typhoon.

Nine seaports were affected, but there were no stranded passengers.

Classes were suspended in 109 cities and municipalities while work suspensions were reported in at least 67 municipalities.

In Metro Manila, low-lying areas were being monitored for flooding by the region's Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, San Juan City Mayor Francisco Javier "Francis" Zamora, who also heads the Metro Manila Council, said.

"There is a risk that in the next few days, we may experience 24 hours of rain, measuring about 50 millimeters, and this is based on the reports of Pagasa and Mines and Geosciences Board (MGB)," Zamora said.

About 423 flood-prone villages in the metropolis have been identified by MGB and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

"This has been communicated to the mayors of these cities. It's not in all cities in Metro Manila, but it's just in cities with low lying barangay. They have been alerted already as early as Friday," Zamora said.

Cities with flood-prone areas are in the Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela) area, which is only -0.5 to 1.5 meters above the level of Manila Bay.

The typhoon is unlikely to directly affect Metro Manila, but Zamora said the southwest monsoon could bring downpours that may trigger floods. Zamora, however, believes that any flooding is not likely to be as severe as those in recent years.

"Of course forecast may change in time. Every few hours, the track of the storm changes and this is something that we are constantly monitoring," he said. g

Identifying lasting COVID-19 misinformation...

she said, reminding audiences to be "more critical" of what they are reading by checking the source and whether concrete data is supporting the information.

Valiulis believes that Filipino Americans can be more susceptible to absorbing misinformation because of their high exposure to social media.

“Since a lot of Filipinos have a higher English proficiency, I think they are more exposed to what they see in different (English speaking) outlets,” says Valiulis, stressing the need for the community to be more vigilant and stern in terms of identifying misinformation.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, Associate Dean for Regional Campuses at the University of California, San Francisco, expounds why Asian Americans’ ability to speak at least two languages makes them more prone to misinformation schemes.

“The majority of the Asian households in the United States speak another language either primary language or secondary language. Why that’s important?

Your average American population probably tends to get their information from U.S. sources or U.S. journalists or things that are more national or local. Whereas [with] Asian American audiences, many tend to get [information in their] primary language, say Chinese, or Tagalog, or Korean from other countries in the world so if you think about that where these languages are spoken, there’s a lot of misinformation there, depending on what’s going on,” says Chin-Hong, who has been one of the leaders of institutional and community education around COVID-19 and monkeypox.

Approximately two-thirds of Asian Americans speak a language other than English at home, with Chinese (34%) being the most spoken Asian language, followed by Hindi (13%), Tagalog (9%), and Vietnamese (4%), according to a Pew Research Center report.

Chin-Hong, who has held over 4,000 COVID-related talks and interviews during the first years of the pandemic, shares Valiulis’ view that seeing the problem is of utmost importance in combatting COVID-19 misinformation.

Chin-Hong, who helped create and disseminate a petition validating protest as a response to structural racism in COVID times, underlines the importance of studying Asian American sub-groups.

“We know the existence of certain misinformation but because we don’t study Asians sub-groups, a lot of times, regarding mis- and disinformation, we don’t know how big the problem is by subgroup, so I think we need to desegregate that information,” he said.

Another important step to curbing the proliferation of misinformation, Chin-Hong said, is to use trusted individuals, such as health care professionals.

“I think, in the Asian American population, health professionals are still looked on with respect, so I think more health professionals doing webinars, or talks to the Asian population through news media is more important than ever. I think, enough wasn’t done, so again so much diversity in Asian population that it’s hard to flood the market with the truth, I guess we just have to continue to do more of these, using a wide variety of sources,” he added.

Apart from health professionals, trusted members of the communities are important as well.

“We (should tap) other ethnic groups, like people in the clergy, church, community leaders,” he says, adding that using cultural references will also be useful in combating the misinformation.

Reaching out to social media and traditional media platforms where Asian Americans get their information will continue to be an effective tool to counter misinformation.

Dr. Tung Nguyen, a professor at UCSF, echoed the need for making in-language data available for each race or ethnicity.

By zeroing in on more focused information sharing among different ethnic communities, it will not only minimize misinformation but would also address some issues of anti-Asian racism and discrimination.

“We have a system in which there is anti-Asian racism and what that means is that we don’t

Mandatory digitalization to cut...

collect information about Asian Americans. The system doesn’t think that Asian Americans matter enough so they don’t collect information and data," Nguyen said.

He continued, "Then they think that Asian Americans are all the same so they don’t collect information about Asian American [groups], like Filipinos and Chinese so that’s part of anti-Asian racism."

Because this extensive, disaggregated data is not available, the communities and broader population are unaware that there are problems within these Asian subgroups.

Nguyen added that when health-related materials are disseminated to these communities, they are not created in language or do not seem relatable.

"Take Filipinos, for example, maybe they have the materials in English, but not in Tagalog, Ilocano or other dialects that they could relate to,” added Nguyen. “They do not have pictures of people who are Filipinos so that the Filipino people can identify, so when you do that, when you don’t have an official organization putting up information like that, you create an information vacuum."

Moreso, Nguyen said that when there is no counter information, that's when antiAsian hate and racism come in.

"If you don’t value Filipino Americans’ right and create materials for them, they’re going to listen to whatever materials there is for them. So there’s no balance. There’s a lot of misinformation, and what’s even worse is you can’t even say how much disinformation there is because nobody is watching all this stuff. Nobody’s collecting data, so that’s where the link between anti-Asian hate racism and disinformation comes in," opined Nguyen.

Identifying misinformation

“Mis/disinformation isn’t going anywhere,” said National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) CEO Cameron Hickey during a webinar on COVID-19 misinformation trends presented by NCoC and Ethnic Media Services (EMS)' Myth Buster Project.

“To create a healthier public sphere on the internet, we must scrutinize the content we see online. Global digital plat-

to advance the mandates of RA 11032, ARTA will be ready and equipped to lead over the hurdles the future holds,” he added.

Marcos also lauded ARTA for being a “disruptor of negative norms and practices in the bureaucracy.”

The President cited the agency’s streamlining of regulations and processes in the telecommunications sector, which he said paved the way for smoother operations and enhanced connectivity in the Philippines.

He said the number of required permits for the sector has been reduced from 13 to eight while that of the documentary requirements has been cut from 86 to 35. The turnaround time has also been cut drastically from 241 to 16 working days, he added.

“ARTA has effectively facilitated the rapid deployment of telecommunication infrastructure across the land,” Marcos said.

Marcos said through a joint memorandum circular, ARTA reduced the number of permits from 11 to five, simplified documentary requirements from 62 to 26 and slashed the turnaround time from 868 to 74 working days.

The reduced requirements have resulted in an increase in the number of permits to 36,264 in 2020-2021 from 9,363 permits in 2019-2020, the President said.

“These improvements in

telecommunications have not gone unnoticed on the global stage. According to the Ookla speed test global index report released in March 2023, the Philippines has significantly improved its rankings. In mobile internet speed, our country climbed from 93rd to 79th place, while in fixed broadband, we went to 60th to 41st place,”

Marcos said.

“This progress has enhanced communication infrastructure, facilitated economic growth and generally improved the lives of our citizens. It has hastened the digitalization of government services, thereby enabling the government to deliver timely and accessible services to the citizens in this rapidly evolving digital era,” he added.

Marcos also mentioned the implementation of the e-BOSS, which he said has slashed the time required for registering a business and has encouraged entrepreneurs to establish and grow their enterprises. He noted that out of the 17 local governments assessed, only seven have achieved full implementation of the e-BOSS. Five of the seven local governments that have fully implemented the e-BOSS “have witnessed a collective increase in business registration and revenue collection for the year 2022,” the Chief Executive said.

“The success of e-BOSS is a testament to the power of digital transformation in promoting

ease of business and stimulating economic development,” Marcos said. Marcos also cited ARTA’s partnership with the 888 citizens complaint center, a move that he said has provided a channel for citizens to voice their concerns and initiate complaints against agencies that fail to deliver efficient, timely and effective public services.

Marcos ended his speech by emphasizing the importance of digitalization in the bureaucracy.

“While we say that digitalization is no longer a mere option but already a mandatory requirement in the rendition of government services, we do not impose undue burdens on the shoulders of our fellow servants. As we shorten the lines, cut the steps and simplify the procedures, we assure everyone that doing so can only be the next best way to enable our stakeholders to reach their goals,” the President said.

In a video message, First Lady Liza Marcos thanked ARTA for its contributions in improving the delivery of government services.

“I was told that this year’s theme, SPEED, stands for streamlining the Philippines for effective and efficient digitalization... So SPEED is aligned with the President’s priorities in the delivery of government services,” Liza said.

“Thank you for all you do to make our country a better place to live in,” she added. g

CA Attorney General Rob Bonta...

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his priorities are set on addressing critical concerns of the state.

“Quite a number of people are reaching out to me asking me to run, encouraging me to run, and for that, I am honored and flattered and humbled. I will make a decision about running for governor for 2026 but the time for that decision is not now. I am focused on my work and role as an attorney general now and at an appropriate time in the future, I’ll make a decision and it will be known,” he said.

Bonta, whose parents Cynthia and Warren are both advocates of social justice, was also asked by reporters if he has plans to meet Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who will be in California in November this year.

“I would like to spend time with President Marcos at some

point [and] have a dialogue. I am open to a son not being the father and trying a different course and being different and I know that if you share a name as he does, there are assumptions and presumptions," Bonta explained.

The attorney general added, "I hope he’ll go in a completely different direction and free himself of the reputation of his father and be someone who can lift up the people of the Philippines who needed him so much, who are wrestling with so many challenges from poverty to inequality, to natural disasters and lack of necessary infrastructure, there are so much that can be done by a leader who loves their people and I hope he could be that leader."

Bonta was also asked to comment on earlier reports about Marcos’ apparent plans to rewrite

Philippine history.

“Part of being a good leader is building and working from the facts and the truth and not erasing the history. History is what it is — you can’t change it, you can’t go back and change it, but you can change where you go next," he said.

"It is painful today when you erase the history of yesterday when people have been hurt, family members have been taken away, killed, tortured and then you say it didn’t happen, that is harmful today so that is not something any leader should be doing," Bonta said. "Who knows when will I spend time with him, what our discussions will be but I hope I would have a productive discussion about how to move the Philippines forward and most importantly lift up every people of the Philippines." g

Identifying lasting COVID-19 misinformation...

forms are powerful channels of communication, mobilization and community and they have an important role. By sharing the responsibility of identifying and stopping the spread of misleading content, we can collectively fashion an online ecosystem that perpetuates an honest and inclusive view of the world,” said Hickey.

Long COVID

The NCoC chief said the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing socioeconomic inequalities and cultural inequities, which greatly affected the vulnerable and marginalized sectors of society. It is crucial to address these disparities to build their resilience to future shocks and accelerate the country’s post-pandemic recovery. As new strains of COVID-19 are being discovered and identified each day, there will also be more myths, mis- and disinformation about this deadly virus that will continue to proliferate.

Recently, the California government eased the safety precautions and lifted the state of emergency status on COVID-19. But studies conducted by health experts indicate that the impact of COVID-19, not only on public health, but also on the daily lives of the people is far from over.

According to the Myth Buster report of Stanford Health Care, about 10-30% of people who were infected with COVID-19 suffer from long-haul COVID.

“Up to 30% of those who tested positive for COVID-19 are experiencing long COVID (also known as long-haul COVID), meaning new, returning, or ongoing health problems more than four weeks after first being infected," the report noted.

Even people who were asymptomatic with COVID-19, the

associated with a COVID-19 infection are real and potentially lasting, especially for older adults and people who are immunocompromised or have underlying health issues.

Long COVID also remains a risk. Based on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates, more than one in four people who have ever had COVID went on to experience long COVID. Risk factors that make people more likely to experience long COVID include not getting a COVID-19 vaccine, underlying health conditions, and experiencing more severe COVID-19 illness, especially requiring hospitalization.

In Los Angeles County, across all age groups, for the week ending March 20, people who were unvaccinated were five times more likely to be hospitalized compared to people who are vaccinated with the bivalent booster.

There are existing initiatives within the Filipino American community that could kickstart efforts to help combat misinformation, which is linked to anti-Asian hate and racism issues.

Proponents of the FILLED Project said the study participants advocated for a number of ways public health efforts can be improved to achieve greater equity and ensure preventative measures are accepted normatively, like vaccinations among other at-risk ethnic and community-oriented communities.

The FILLED also highlighted the need to include recommendations for culturally tailored information about COVID-19’s impact, in-language materials about COVID-19, and family discussions about the vaccine.

“With more than half of our sample speaking another language other than English at home, such recommendations provide valuable insight into

Los Angeles gears up for extreme...

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elders and children.

providers should encourage patients to get vaccinated as a means of further increasing vaccine uptake in the Fil-Am community.

“Given the level of misinformation during the pandemic, which was eventually coined as an ‘infodemic’ (defined by the WHO as the inundation of COVID-19 information that included false information that could mislead communities), there is an opportunity for health care providers to be utilized as better resources and vessels for positive COVID-19 behaviors (e.g., testing, vaccinations) and other health-related advice (e.g., chronic disease screenings, follow-up or treatment for poor mental health),” the survey indicated.

Drawing up community-driven approaches and methodologies in order to document existing and newly emerging issues among Asian subgroups, like Filipino Americans, and to assess and document COVID-19 behaviors and experiences, comprehensively, for real-time community use is fundamentally essential.

“Through this study, we confirmed the importance of maintaining community-engaged partnerships for health equity research, not only to inform the development of assessments, interventions and services, but also to further amplify community assets and resiliency as characteristics for building capacity and awareness among marginalized groups,” the FILLED project survey concluded.

The Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA), for its part, said it supports national and global efforts toward COVID-19 vaccination, that is essential in promoting a community of immunity for public health and safety.

“It is a great feat to say, 'COVID-19 is a vaccine-pre

left behind.” Programs in the works include adding cooling spots, greenscaping and public awareness campaigns.

“We need to prepare and plan ahead for our families and neighborhoods,” Segura said, and warned that the season’s first extreme heat event is the most dangerous.

In Los Angeles, extreme heat is the climate’s leading cause of hospitalizations and fatalities, with 10% to 30% increased mortality recorded on days when temperatures run above 85 degrees.

And because heat causes air pollution to stagnate, people in polluted areas already struggling with chronic illnesses are particularly vulnerable.

“Extreme heat is the primary climate hazard for L.A.,” CEMO’s Climate4LA program website says. “Hotter, longer heat waves caused by climate change, that now extend to mid-November, are one of the greatest threats to public health and habitability. Extreme heat is sending more people to the hospital, and causing more deaths, than any other climate hazard in Los Angeles.”

“While the hazards of heat waves affect everyone, extreme heat has a disproportionate impact on low-income residents and communities of color, who face the greatest vulnerability to extreme heatrelated illness and death due to the cumulative burdens of pre-existing health conditions, excessive air pollution, and seasonal smoke.”

“These are preventable deaths and hospitalizations.”

“It’s clear that there’s a moral imperative,” for the city to help protect its people, Paul Krekorian, CIty Council president, said at the event.

“Marginalized and

Besides forming CEMO itself, which Krekorian said is the first agency of its kind in the country, or one of them, the city has undertaken a variety of long-term projects to counter extreme heat.

Already available is a growing online guide to where specific cooling centers, pools, splash pads, hydration stations and shade structures are located throughout Los Angeles, along with less traditional, more informal cooling centers such as libraries, senior centers and recreation centers.

Longer term, the city is also working on initiatives to counter “heat island” effects, for instance, by planting more shade trees and, so far, 5.6 miles of “cool pavement” and shade shelters at bus stops.

“Cool pavement” involves using alternative paints and surfacing materials that can reduce ground temperatures 10 degrees from asphalt surfaces. The city is utilizing heat index and heat island data to identify where its efforts are needed most.

Western San Fernando Valley’s Winnetka neighborhood was an early target, with 11 blocks of Guard Top Cool Seal applied and 60 shade trees planted in 2019.

Here and in establishing shade tree canopies, Reyes

said, the effort is “very methodical” in identifying areas of greatest need, focusing on transit hubs, for instance, and prioritizing providing shelter at the bus routes that have the longest wait times. Other factors to be considered are proximity to schools and business districts, “to find where people would be walking most.”

A current goal for the bus shelter initiative is to provide shelter for at least 75% of all transit boardings in each council district, Segura said, adding that the city expects funding for some of these projects from the federal infrastructure legislation enacted last year.

The Extreme Heat campaign also wants people to take care to protect themselves against the expected heat, by staying hydrated, staying out of direct sunlight and wearing light clothing, and knowing the signs of heat stroke and heat exhaustion, “so you can call for help if you need it,” Segura said. Earlier this month the World Meteorological Association published a report warning the next five years would be the hottest on record.

“We are expecting some of the hottest heat extremes this year and in the next five years,” Segura noted. (Mark Hedin/Ethnic Media Services)

Desaparecidos

AS the country faced a super typhoon last weekend, there are families that are counting the days, weeks and years since their loved ones disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again.

The last week of May is marked as the International Week of the Disappeared. And there are still too many victims of enforced disappearances who remain unaccounted for in this country.

Apart from activists, 34 online cockfight enthusiasts were kidnapped between April 2021 and January 2022. Their whereabouts are unknown, despite surveillance camera footage showing some of them being dragged into vans by armed men.

The ranks of the desaparecidos were highest during the Marcos dictatorship, when causeoriented groups counted 926 activists who were victims of enforced disappearances. The restoration of democracy did not end the disappearances. The advocacy groups count 206 activists who went missing during the nineyear presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 29 in the time of Benigno Aquino III and 20 under Rodrigo Duterte.

Accountability has been abysmal in the cases. One high-profile case at least has led to the conviction of the perpetrators. In June last year, the Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction of retired Army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr. and two other military officers for the kidnapping and serious illegal detention of University of

Babe’s

Eye View

BABE ROMUALDEZ

FILIPINOS worldwide were dismayed to learn about the massive fire that gutted the Manila Central Post Office building, a 97-year-old structure considered to be an architectural treasure and declared as an “Important Cultural Property” by the National Museum of the Philippines in November 2018.

It was similarly heartbreaking to watch videos of the burning building which took 80 firetrucks and 30 hours before the firemen declared a “fire out” – with damage initially estimated at P300 million. News about the fire was carried in the United States by the New York Times, Bloomberg, the Los Angeles Times and other media because the building carries a significant place in the relationship and shared history of the United States and the Philippines.

Designed in the neoclassical style by Filipino architects Juan M. Arellano and Tomas Mapua (who were both

Virtual Reality

FERDINAND “Bongbong”

Romualdez Marcos Jr. is the luckiest president in Philippine history.

He was elected in May 2022 with the largest number of votes garnered by any president, 31.6 million. The mandate enabled him to unify the country, combining the Solid North and the Disparate South in one full swing of an electoral exercise with a record number of participants.

He inherited an economy with strong fundamentals after coming from the deepest recession in 100 years. That strength manifested itself in a 7.6 percent GDP growth in 2022, the highest in 46 years.

The last time the economy showed higher growth rate than 7.6 was in 1976 (8.8 percent), under President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Sr. In the first quarter of 2023, GDP growth was 6.4 percent, the best in ASEAN.

BBM is hugely popular. So

the Philippines students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan.

While Palparan was sentenced in 2018 to life in prison without parole together with Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado and Staff Sgt. Edgardo Osorio, the two victims remain missing.

Empeño was a 22-year-old sociology student while Cadapan, 29, was pursuing a course in human kinetics and was reportedly two months pregnant when gunmen seized them from a house the students were renting in Hagonoy, Bulacan on June 26, 2006.

Palparan, dubbed “The Butcher” by human rights advocates, has maintained his innocence and is seeking the reversal of his conviction. To this day, no one knows the fate of the two UP students.

Under the new Marcos administration, rights advocates are looking for missing activists Ariel Badiang, Dexter Capuyan, Gene Roz Jamil de Jesus, Lyn Grace Martullinas, Denald Laloy Mialen, Elgene Mungcal, Ma. Elena Pampoza, Leonardo Sermona Jr. and Renel delos Santos. Rights groups say the nine were kidnapped.

The second Marcos administration is getting relatively better assessments in the human rights department compared with the martial law regime and the Duterte administration. Perhaps

The sad fate of the iconic Post O ce building

sent to the United States as pensionados or scholars under the 1903 Pensionado Act of the Philippine Commission) and American architect Ralph Doane (who was appointed as consulting architect to the Philippine government in 1916), the Manila Central Post Office became a fierce combat zone during the Battle of Manila in 1945.

According to an account by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, Japanese forces were using the “earthquake-proof and heavily reinforced concrete” building that was “practically impervious to direct artillery, tank, and tank destroyer fire” as a garrison –forcing American soldiers to “enter the building and engage the Japanese in room-to-room combat.”

The Japanese were initially able to repel the American forces because the rooms and corridors have been heavily barricaded with sandbags and barbed wire. But on Feb. 22, 1945 the Americans “managed to enter the building through a second story window and eliminated the Japanese who retreated to the Post Office’s

large, dark basement,” the NHCP account went.

The war severely damaged the iconic building due to heavy bombardment, but it was restored a year later in 1946. In fact, a photo of the post office building is featured in the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum with an explanatory note that the photo is “part of a collected group of photos belonging to Francis P. Mathews as Secretary of the Navy and associated with the United States Philippine War Damage Commission.” The photo showed the damaged building prior to its reconstruction under the Philippine Rehabilitation Act of 1946.

There are growing calls for the restoration of the building from private groups as well as our legislators. Senate President Migz Zubiri and Senator Sonny Angara, who is chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said they will be working with the Department of Budget and Management “towards finding funds to help restore the Post Office.”

Describing the building as a “cultural treasure that deserves national attention and

BBM and GMA

many countries, big and small, want him as their guest, either as a working or official visitor, like what the United States did, or for a state visit, like what France wants.

Such fame gives the President a tremendous platform to do two things: one, to sell the Philippines as a tourist or investment destination; and two, to rehabilitate the Marcos name which had been battered by western media smear campaign painting BBM’s dad as a strongman, dictator, human rights violator.

But then strongmen and dictators have suddenly become fashionable. Take a look at the leaders of India, China, Brazil, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and to some extent France. More than half the world is under the grip of strongmen.

Finally, BBM is lucky to have one thing his predecessors did not have – three living expresidents – Joseph Estrada, Rodrigo Duterte, and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA).

Actually, BBM had four living predecessors, until Fidel V. Ramos succumbed to COVID-19 on July 31, 2022.

Among these predecessors,

GMA stands out, a sui generis, a class by herself. Her father was Diosdado Macapagal (president from 1962-1966), the former partymate and later bitter political rival of Marcos Sr. In the elections of November 1965, then Senate President Marcos Sr. easily trounced reelectionist Macapagal, 55/45 percent.

GMA, however, is an ally today of BBM. What an ally. She brokered the BBM-Sara Duterte Unity Team of 2022 that shattered the opposition to oblivion, for good.

GMA has the second longest presidency (nine years) after the elder Marcos’s 20 years. She presided over the longest uninterrupted economic expansion in the country’s history, 36 quarters. Arroyo had pro-growth foreign and economic policy. She opened up the economy, expanded ties with China, joined the Coalition of the Willing in the invasion of Iraq, and sold a number of huge government assets.

That experience GMA brings to the BBM team. Marcos Jr. appreciates it. In nearly all his foreign trips, GMA was beside him, as an elder statesman and as a senior adviser.

support,” Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco has vowed to help in its rehabilitation, noting that an attached agency, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, “has long lent assistance in terms of rehabilitation of heritage structures.” There are a number of NGOs in the US that are prepared to help in the restoration efforts, with recommendations that while the neoclassical style is retained to preserve the historic legacy of the building, perhaps the government can turn it into a more multifunctional structure rather than limiting it into a mail sorting and distribution center, especially since technology has changed the way documents and parcels are delivered.

What happened to the Post Office building is definitely a wakeup call on how we need to conduct regular monitoring and inspection of these old buildings to make sure that the wirings are updated and kept in good condition. According to reports and interviews with officials of the Bureau of Fire Protection, the building had no fire alarm system and did not have water sprinklers – ironic considering

Such a role, however, breeds envy and intrigue.

As the second longest serving president and a good president at that, GMA has natural allies and constituency that can be parlayed by any ambitious politician. She is thus reckoned as an emerging opposition leader, by proxy or in reality. Benigno S. Aquino III knew that. So the son of Corazon Aquino put her under house arrest for nearly four years.

The latest intrigue painting Mrs. Arroyo as a villain is linking her to allegations that the House of Representatives May 17 coup, removing her as the Senior Deputy Speaker, had the blessings of First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos (LAM).

“I am truly sorry that she should even be dragged into this political fantasy of a House coup,” Mrs. Arroyo said on May 28, “it is disrespectful to her and to her intelligence.” Here is the rest of GMA’s Facebook statement:

“Whoever is spreading these pathetic rumors are the ones duping the Filipino people, and they should now move on to the serious business of making positive contributions to national progress.

“I will just say three things:

“First, every politician worth

that it contained mail and parcel that could turn a small fire into a conflagration. There is also a strong indication that an aggravating factor may have been climate change, contributing to the rising heat in Metro Manila that has become an “urban heat island” – a phenomenon wherein materials like asphalt and concrete absorb and trap more solar energy, thereby increasing the risk and intensity of fires according to experts.

I received hundreds of emails from loyal readers expressing their sadness at the destruction of the Post Office building, sharing the memories it played in their lives. One recalled the excitement he felt when he received a package and a letter from his girlfriend – now his wife of 50 years. It would certainly be a good idea to modernize these old buildings in a way that would not compromise their original architectural designs, but would enable them to withstand threats such as fires, earthquakes and natural disasters that are now increasing in intensity due to climate change. We have precisely been doing

his or her salt would know that in the Philippines, no House coup can ever succeed without the consent of the President. That is simply a fact of life in Philippine politics.

“Second, I made a humble contribution to the joining of forces that became the UniTeam, and the resulting supermajority in the House is a major force for delivering our President’s agenda. Thus, I would never take any action to destroy it.

“Third, I did not have any conversation, here or abroad, with any congressman or congresswoman, or any other politician active or retired, to plot, support, encourage or participate in any way in any alleged House coup.”

In an earlier statement on May 18, 2023, Mrs. Arroyo also stressed:

“I do not want to precipitate or intensify any tendencies toward early politicking. We are just barely a year into the administration of President Marcos, Jr., and it would be unfortunate if early politicking resulted in any dilution of the tremendous mandate that the UniTeam, led by our President, earned in the 2022 elections.

After all, the President ran on the platform of unity.”

“To be clear, my political

that here in Washington, DC with the recent renovation of the Ambassador’s Residence, which was in disarray and neglected for so many years. We also finished the previously uncompleted renovation of the Old Chancery Building. We made sure both were declared as national historical landmarks to ensure that some “wise guy” will not have ideas of selling them like what happened in 1986 when the GSIS/PAL Union Square building in San Francisco was sold for a song. Today, that property would be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Government buildings belong to the people. They should be properly maintained and duly respected as such. We should preserve these structures that are priceless; often, they are reminders of our history as a nation and as a people. (Philstar. com)

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

objectives are three:

“First, to represent the 2nd district of Pampanga.

“Second, to support the legislative agenda of Speaker Romualdez and President Marcos.

“Third, to use whatever experience I have as a former President to help out when I am called upon to do so.

“Outside of my role as Congresswoman, my public interest going forward is to help reduce tensions between the United States and China, given that I was strongly allied to both countries when I was President.”

As to her ambitions to become speaker again, GMA sneered, paraphrasing an American public figure, the Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman who, when being enticed to run for the American presidency in 1884, declined by saying something like, “If nominated, I will not run, and if elected, I will not serve.” (Philstar.com)

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

* * * Email: biznewsasia@gmail.com

this can translate into justice for the missing, or at least information on what happened to them, if not a complete end to enforced disappearances. (Philstar.com)

Dateline PhiliPPines

Keep ‘It’s more fun in the PH’ tagline – it’s more fun

by Margie T. LogarTa ManilaTimes.net

TOURISM Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco is making sure the industry — and travelers alike — is not identifying the new country branding, "We Give the World Our Best," recently introduced by the Office of the Presidential Advisor on Creative Communications, as her department's tourism brand for the Philippines. She said the latest initiative "translates to everything that permeates our sense of hospitality and service as a tourism industry. 'We give the world our best' is a statement of fact. It is a rallying call.

"And it is [an] aspiration for those who may still face a host of challenges and through government intervention will finally have the opportunity to be developed and fully maximized."

In a recent engagement with local tourism frontliners, she said, "The DoT (Department of Tourism) will subsequently come out with a tourism brand for the Philippines, aligned with the country brand, and enhancing

the present tagline."

Bob Zozobrado, current president of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines, said, "She (Secretary Frasco) assured me and all the other travel organizations that this is not a tourism slogan." He added, "She would consult us first before crafting a new tourism slogan." The concept of launching a fresh tourism branding initiative, however, did not appear to stir strong interest nor build excitement among industry professionals and stalwarts.

Well-known chef Myrna Segismundo said, "There's going to be a new tagline again? "Everything changes every time a new administration comes in. Since there is no continuity, everything is always just beginning."

Jojo Clemente, president of Rajah Tours Philippines, echoed the popular sentiment of the private sector, which saw no need to abandon the immensely successful "It's More Fun in the Philippines" campaign, a brainchild of the then-Tourism chief Ramon Jimenez Jr., and

launched in 2012. Clemente observed, "It's a slogan that works and continues to do so. It put the country on the radar of foreign markets. It encapsulates the country, its people and what's best about the Philippines."

Zozobrado agreed with his colleague, saying, "It's more fun" gave us the arrival numbers we needed. The momentum is already there. If we come up with a new slogan. We may start from scratch all over again."

Alejandra Clemente, who founded Rajah Tours Philippines and is a pioneering pillar of their trade, has this to say: "I don't think it's the right time for a new slogan. DoT should focus on tourism recovery. With their meager promotion and marketing budget, they shouldn't plow this into a branding campaign that entails billions of pesos and takes years to be accepted in the international market.

"I can't understand the logic of changing the 'It's more fun in the Philippines' slogan now and shelving its promotional materials. As it is, the DoT has no campaign tagline, only Philippines." g

Last-ditch effort to delay Maharlika’s Senate approval fails

by Vaxe GreGorio Philstar.com

MANILA — The two-member Senate minority’s last-ditch attempt to stop the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund on its track towards approval failed on Tuesday, May 30 as their parliamentary maneuver was thwarted by the overwhelming vote of the majority.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III and Sen. Risa Hontiveros, the only members of the minority bloc in the upper chamber, were the lone dissenters to Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri’s ruling against Pimentel’s motion to send back the Maharlika fund bill to the government corporations panel.

In contrast, 16 senators backed Zubiri’s ruling that the Senate had already tackled the matter, handily defeating Pimentel’s motion.

After delivering a nearly twohour speech against the Maharlika fund bill, Pimentel moved to send back the measure to the government corporations panel, saying this was the committee that should have handled the proposal in the first place.

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva objected to Pimentel’s motion. This was followed by a point of order from Sen. Francis Escudero who said the period to appeal the plenary referral of the Maharlika bill has passed. But Pimentel insisted that he was not making an appeal, but a new motion, considering that the bill has been greatly changed since it was filed.

In January, Pimentel also tried to have the Maharlika fund bill referred to the government corporations panel chaired by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano instead of Sen. Mark Villar’s banks committee.

Pimentel had argued the Senate was wrong to refer the Maharlika fund bills to Villar’s committee as he said these seek to create a government corporation and had nothing to do with banks, financial institutions or currencies.

The Senate minority leader again raised these arguments in his turno en contra speech saying, “Corporate concepts dominate the proposed bill. There is hardly any banking concept that is mentioned in the bill.”

He also appealed to the Senate to allow for more time for further scrutiny of the Maharlika fund, which he said will “lead us to the road of debt, debt and more debts like we are not swimming in an ocean of debts of more than P13 trillion.”

“Such a divisive, incomplete and unjustified idea needs more than 12 days, 12 weeks or even 12 months of discussion,” Pimentel said. g

Wednesday MAY 31, 2023

Get to know these newly-crowned Binibinis: Angelica Lopez and Anna Valencia Lakrini

By HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net

ANGELICA Lopez and Anna Valencia Lakrini are no strangers to vying for a beauty pageant title several times, with their recent triumphs a testament to the stars aligning at the right time.

Lopez and Lakrini are set to represent the Philippines at the Miss International and Miss Globe pageants, respectively.

And while the titles haven’t been in the country’s hands in a long time, these stunning Binibinis hope they clinch it this time around.

Angelica Lopez

The moment Lopez was declared as Binibining Pilipinas International 2023, shock was evidently written on her face as she expected that she’s more of a Miss Globe prototype.

“Everyone’s telling me that I’m fit for Miss Globe and they called me [as] Miss International,” she explained to broadcast journalist Mario Dumaual, when asked about her notable reaction to her win.

“I’m so proud because I’m the second Palaweña to be crowned after Janicel Lubina [in 2015]. I really want to break the stereotype that Miss International should be a pristine lady.”

But it’s clear that the Palaweña stunner’s coronation

is akin to a Cinderella story — but hers is a reminder that she doesn’t need a man to succeed on her own.

Before entering pageantry, Lopez started working as a waitress and dishwasher at the age of 14, which she mentioned in multiple interviews.

“I didn’t have a golden childhood, I had to start working very hard at an early age to help lessen my mothers’ pain from the stress of her job,” she said on Instagram in January 2023.

“When I was around 8 years old I made a promise to myself that whenever I had the opportunity to help, I would do so since I understand what it’s like to have nothing. I’m incredibly

Nora Aunor topbills horror flick ‘Mananambal’

MANANAMBAL is a new horror film of National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Nora Aunor. Principal photography starts this June in Siquijor island in Central Visayas.

At 70, the legendary icon of Philippine Cinema continues to essay lead roles in film, as long as she believes in the story material and finds it interesting to do.

From La Aunor’s own words, “Maganda ang istorya. Mababait rin ang mga tao sa production,” that’s why BC Entertainment Productions, a new independent movie company, got Nora’s nod to accept the offer.

Mananambal will be directed by Philip Daffon, his directorial debut. For the record, direk Philip has been a seasoned thespian in the production industry for 33 years now. His background is doing work in advertising, documentary films and projects, and the likes.

Screenplay is from the collaboration of the creative minds of Bel Paquiz, Gabriel Divina, and Veronica Reyes.

performing sorcery, as common knowledge puts it.

grateful that during the years I’ve fought, God has heard my prayers, seen me cry, and guided me when I feel lost and in pain,” she continued. Despite the hardships, the beauty queen finds strength in her mother and manager whom she describes as her role models.

Lopez, who’s passionate about inspirational books, philosophy of life, and documentaries, believes that children deserve to have access to quality education, which is her advocacy.

“I am in pursuit of inspiring, empowering, and educating the less fortunate children to be resilient and limitless amidst life challenges.”

Continued on Page 10

Director of photography is Peter Frac (who did camera work in Way Of The Cross and Traslacion: Ang Paglakad Sa Altar Ng Alanganin).

Producers are Alvin Anson and GWard, Inc. (headed by its CEO Gorio Vicuna) with executive producer Karen Ortua (whose initial movie venture was Lagaslas).

Mananambal is a Filipino practitioner of traditional medicine, who is also capable of

Like the general albularyo, a mananambal obtain his or her status through ancestry, apprenticeship, or through an epiphany and is generally performed by the elders of the community, regardless of gender.

The practice, called panambal, has a combination of elements from Christianity and sorcery which appear to be opposites since one involves faith healing while the other requires black magic and witchcraft.

The supporting cast members of Mananambal will be announced soon. (Philstar.com)

Sharon urges netizens to just ‘be happy’ for Coco, Julia

By HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net

AMID the backlash drawn by Coco Martin over his admission of having started dating Julia Montes when she was just a minor, Sharon Cuneta finally spoke about the couple’s secret relationship. Martin earlier revealed that he’s been with Julia Montes

for 12 years, during which he let slip in an interview with ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol that the actress was only 16 years old when she got into a relationship with the then 29 year old actor back in 2011.

This prompted observers to criticize Martin not only their huge age gap, but also on wooing her at such a young age, while some even accused

him of allegedly grooming his real-life partner. On Instagram, Sharon Cuneta expressed happiness for the couple, as she also urged netizens to just support her “Batang Quiapo” co-stars for their love to last. The veteran actress said that she became close to the “Walang Hanggan” stars when she

Continued on Page 9

Michelle comes out as bisexual

By Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

MISS Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee revealed that she is bisexual.

In a Mega Magazine special issue released earlier today, Michelle said that she has identified herself as bisexual for the longest time, stressing that telling her story now is her way of taking control of her narrative.

“I definitely identify myself as bisexual. I’ve identified with that for as long as I can remember,” Michelle said.

“I’m attracted to all forms of beauty, all shapes and sizes,” she added.

Dee is aware of her old photos that resurfaced at the height of the Miss Universe Philippines 2023 competition.

“I want to come out with this story because I know that those photos were spread with malicious intent — to kind of distract me, make me feel I’m not worthy of the crown,” she explained. “I acknowledge that it was so malicious that I felt — and this applies to everyone — when somebody takes away your story, then you should take control of that narrative. Turn it around and make it an empowering story.”

The actress-beauty queen said that she grew up with “empowered and strong individuals” liker her mother, Miss International 1979 Melanie Marquez.

“My mom would say, ‘O, anak, when I was young, I had five girlfriends.’ She’d teased me sometimes because I had a very boyish demeanor. I liked doing sports; my sister did ballet. So I grew up in an environment where we’d appreciate pogi, maganda,” Michelle said. “You know, anak, for your girlfriend, she’d better be prettier than you.” Another time,

Melanie asked her, “That girl you introduced to me, is she your girlfriend?” When Michelle said no, Melanie replied, “Buti na lang, ’cause she doesn’t meet the standards,” she added.

Michelle also said that she is an advocate of the LGBTQ community before coming out.

“Even before coming out, I’ve been attending pride marches. I have too many friends and best friends in the community,” she said. “I’ve been a loud and proud ally. It’s just that I never gave a confirmation [of my sexuality],” she added.

Michelle was named Miss Universe Philippines 2023 earlier this month. She was also crowned Miss World Philippines 2019.

Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee

Photo from Instagram/@michelledee

Sharon Cuneta, Julia Montes, Coco Martin Photos from Instagram/@ reallysharoncuneta, Instagram/@sparklegmaartistcenter

Angelica Lopez, Anna Valencia Lakrini Photos from Instagram/@angelicalopezofficial, Instagram/@annavalencia_

Joshua on Julia-Gerald wedding rumors

By HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net

WHILE Joshua Garcia admitted that he’s unaware of the engagement rumors about his ex-girlfriend Julia Barretto and Gerald Anderson, he expressed his support for the couple nonetheless.

Garcia appeared visibly shocked when he was asked about Barretto and Anderson supposedly planning to settle down soon during an ambush interview with reporters, saying that he was not aware of such rumors hounding the celebrity couple.

“Oh, they’re planning to get married?” he said in response. “‘Di ko alam. Bago sa akin ‘yan, ngayon ko lang narinig ‘yan. Pero kung saan sila masaya, support ako doon (Oh, they’re planning to get married? I didn’t know that. That’s new to me, I just heard about that now. But if they’re happy, I support that).”

The actor also shared that he hasn’t been in touch with Barretto since the pandemic, saying that they have been busy with their respective careers.

“Medyo matagal na kaming hindi nag-uusap after the pandemic and all. Busy na kasi kaming parehas ngayon eh. Busy na kami sa iba naming mga ginagawa (We haven’t been in touch after the pandemic and all. We’re both busy now. We’re busy with our own thing),” he said.

When the “Unbreak My Heart” star was asked if his heart is happy, he said that he’s

“very in love” with his career.

“Masaya ako ngayon. In love ako sa trabaho ko ngayon, [I’m] very in love. I’m just working on myself (I’m happy right now. I’m in love with my job right now, I’m very in love. I’m just working on myself),” he said.

During the press conference for “Unbreak My Heart,” Garcia revealed that the craziest thing he did while heartbroken was to stay in front of a computer for two days without taking a bath. The actor, however, didn’t reveal who was the cause of his heartbreak.

“Base sa natatandaan ko n’un, nagpandemic kasi [noong time na ‘yun] so the craziest thing is ‘yung inabot ako nang dalawang araw sa computer nang walang liguan. Crazy ‘yun, diba? Walang tayuan at all,” he said.

(Based on what I remember, it was the pandemic at that time, so the craziest thing that I’ve done was to stay in front of the computer for two days without taking a bath. It’s crazy, right? I didn’t stand up at all.)

Garcia’s statement comes a day after he revealed during a “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda” interview that he’s willing to work with Barretto in future projects.

The Kapamilya actor was in a relationship with the “Expensive Candy” star from 2017, and their split was confirmed two years later. Barretto and Anderson have yet to confirm nor deny the rumors regarding their alleged engagement, as of this writing.

Sharon urges netizens to just...

From Page 8

joined the cast of “Ang Probinsyano” in 2021.

“Umamin na ang mga anak ko yaayyy!!!

Happy si Mommy ‘mysha! [emojis] I became close to Coco [and] Julia when Coco asked me to join FPJ’s ‘Ang Probinsyano’ towards the end of 2021. Whatever they may have gone through together, well, it all seems to have been for the best because they are so good to and for each other.” she wrote in the caption.

The seasoned actress said that being her personal friends, she is protective and supportive of Martin and Montes, adding that people “should focus on what is and what will be.”

“They are happy and that makes me and so many others happy. I love them both very

much — and no matter what, my friends know that I am protective and loyal and supportive — and that certainly will not change,” she said. “I believe people should focus on what is and what will be rather than what was. Let’s all be happy with our own lives and be happy for them.”

Cuneta’s post caught the attention of eagle-eyed observers, as seen in the comments of her post, with some pointing out that Martin supposedly took back the admission of his relationship with Montes.

While the couple has yet to disclose how their romance began, they first worked together in the 2008 show “Ligaw na Bulaklak” and were then launched as a love team in Walang Hanggan” four years later.

Jillian says no to having a boyfriend for now

By Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

TEEN star Jillian Ward revealed that she has no plans to have a boyfriend any time soon. In an interview with the media after her Pretty Secret meet-and-greet with her fans at SM The Block, the recently turned 18-year-old said that her family is her first priority.

Ngayon po talaga mas iniisip ko ‘yung family ko at work ko po talaga. Wala nga akong time makatulog tapos mag love life pa ko?” Jillian laughed. “Sa tamang panahon po talaga. Sinasabi ko nga parati na gusto ko munang ibigay sa family ko kung ano ‘yung deserved nila bago po ‘yung sa sarili ko,” she added. Sa tamang panahon po talaga. Sinasabi ko nga parati

na gusto ko munang ibigay sa family ko kung ano ‘yung deserved nila bago po ‘yung sa sarili ko,” she added.

She, however, admitted that her parents are still not allowing her to accept suitors. Pinagbabawalan nila ako pero mas pinagbabawalan ko ‘yung sarili ko,” she said.

“Choice ko naman po kasi darating naman ‘yung tamang tao sa tamang panahon,” she added.

Pretty Secret has officially launched its newest Hello Sea! Limited Edition Mermaid Collection, which features liquid foundation, eyeshadow palette, mascara and lip tint. The collection is available in Watsons and SM Beauty Stores nationwide.

It is owned by Filipino beauty and wellness brand Lifestrong Marketing Inc.

Max confirms breakup with Pancho

By Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

KAPUSO actress Max Collins confirmed that she and husband Pancho Magno have separated.

In her interview with Boy Abunda on “Fast Talk with Boy

Abunda” recently, Max said that they decided to call it quits during the pandemic.

“I didn’t talk about it because siyempre, marami kaming pinagdaanan as a family that time because there was a pandemic, nanganak ako, my marriage was falling

apart,” Max said. “I had to process everything, and I wanted to quiet the noise. I didn’t want to hear other people’s opinions, suggestions, comments because I mean, artista na po ako, ayaw ko

Continued on Page 11

Jillian Ward is now 18.

Photo from Instagram/@jillian

Joshua Garcia, Gerald Anderson, Julia Barretto

Photos from Instagram/@garciajoshuae, Instagram/@

Max Collins and Pancho Magno

GMA photo

LJ Reyes announces engagement to non-showbiz boyfriend

By Christina alpad ManilaTimes.net

LJ Reyes surprised fans and followers when she shared proposal photos on her social media accounts on Tuesday, May 30.

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope,’” the actress wrote on her Instagram, quoting the Bible verse Jeremiah 29:11.

The actress has yet to share details about her non-showbiz fiancé Philip Evangelista, whose private Instagram account was tagged on the former’s post, but congratulatory messages from showbiz friends and fans flooded the post.

Marian Rivera, Gary Valenciano, Camille Prats and Iza Calzado were among the first greeters.

Reyes has been living in New York since September 2021 with her kids Aki and Summer. She moved overseas following the public falling out with her former partner Paolo Contis, Summer’s father.

Moi Bien still enjoys strong bond with Piolo

By ronnie CarrasCo iii ManilaTimes.net

VERY rarely in showbiz do we stumble upon a male celebrity and a personal assistant as tightly bonded as Piolo Pascual and Moi Bien. Moi may no longer be under the actor’s employ but their relationship has become one of family.

The 46-year-old actor has become so at home with Moi that even to this day, the latter

is Piolo’s favorite masseuse who feels honored if not giddy whenever she wipes his drenched face after every strenuous exercise.

Moi is always ready with videotaping such sessions much to the envy of shrieking female fans who look up to Piolo as their object of fantasy.

Then there goes Moi’s threat.

“You will soon be 50, Piolo (Piolo is now 46),” she would jest in Filipino, “When you

Manila heartthrob Piolo

Pascual leads

the spring-ful

of ‘All Star’ concert live at Pechanga Resort Casino, July 16

ONE among a series of non-stop entertainment comes this spring with famed actor-singer Piolo Pascual, leading several other topnotch singers as Sam Milby, Catriona Gray, and Erik Santos, among others, in a live concert only at Pechanga Resort Casino on Sunday, July 16 at 6 p.m.

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

Famously known as Piolo, the actor-turned-film producer appeared as somewhat ‘iffy’ to film production before but said during an interview that so many supporters backed him up to pursue the much higher stakes in producing films.

reach that age and you are still single, you’ll be mine!”

It should be noted that Moi is simply grateful that even if she’s his personal assistant no more, Piolo is always at her beck and call. Proof is that whenever Moi needs to pay for her child’s tuition fees, Piolo is around to hand her the money.

But wait, theirs is a “conditional love” as there exist strict no-nos that Moi has to comply with at all times.

Moi shares how constantly her former employer keeps an eye on her, making sure she’s doing perfectly well in life.

“He monitors my Instagram posts. I can’t post anything unpleasant,” she reveals, perhaps taking a cue from Piolo himself who’s not exactly a soc-med junkie.

Restricted are Moi’s posts regarding her love life, “I can’t also post any update about my partner so I keep everything in that aspect a secret.”

Well, take it from Piolo who — in the first place — is consistent with not letting the public into his inner sanctum. Piolo values his sense of privacy so much despite being a public figure.

Moi realizes Piolo’s wellmeaning advice to reserve something for oneself to keep the mystery.

All said, Moi can’t be any happier that if it were not for Piolo, showbiz doors wouldn’t have swung open for her.

Apart from getting busy in his new chosen career to create more Filipino movies abroad while “diversifying” and “breaking out internationally,” Piolo couldn’t turn his back from other public engagements and has accepted more television and live performances locally and abroad.

Just like Piolo, Sam and Catriona, a real-life couple who just announced their engagement in February, continue to tame the limelight through their acting and singing performances. Milby is a Filipino American actor, and Gray was formerly crowned 2018 Miss Universe.

Erik Santos, an actorsinger, commercial model and television host, has recorded countless famous hit songs and was the first Grand Champion of the ABS-CBN singing competition “Star in a Million” Season 1 in 2003. Santos has been referred to as the “Prince of Pop.” One of the biggest hitmakers in the Philippine music industry, Yeng Constantino, is a singersongwriter whose hit songs fanned the movies and television channels.

The gang for “All Star” won’t be complete without

the presence of talented music artists in the likes of KZ Tandigan, Kyla, Iñigo Pascual, Jason Dy, and Zephanie — who have all become successful in their respective singing engagements.

Hurry! This “All Star” concert only happens once. Secure your tickets from the Pechanga Box Office, or by calling 888-810-8871, or visit www.pechanga.com.

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

Pechanga Resort Casino offers one of the largest and most expansive resort/

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

Get to know these newly-crowned...

From Page 8

The determination to prove herself as a shining example of resilience can be seen in her steely-eyed expression throughout her pageant journey.

From being named as Miss Asia Global 2022 first runner-up, advancing to the Miss Universe Philippines 2022 Top 16, and eventually becoming the reigning Binibining Pilipinas International, her journey is one of the many proofs of Catriona Gray’s familiar anecdote: “To everyone with a dream, know that your dreams are valid, and on your path you are never denied, and only redirected.”

It’s clear that perseverance was one of Angelica’s greatest weapons in clinching one of the national tilt’s coveted crowns. And this time, she would make sure that it would guide her to win the country’s sixth Miss International crown.

Anna Valencia Lakrini

Another shining testament to winning the crown after multiple attempts is Anna Valencia Lakrini, who was crowned as Binibining Pilipinas Globe 2023 in her second try.

While it’s clear that Lakrini has what it takes to be crowned, her seeming growth

from her first Binibining Pilipinas attempt to the present has been massive — as if she’s been mindful of what she needs to take note of before competing.

Another noteworthy characteristic of the beauty queen is her advocacy, as she revealed during the pageant’s question-and-answer portion that she is passionate about ensuring proper nutrition.

“My cause that is dear to my heart is nutrition. As a nutrition scientist [and] as an advocate for proper nutrition, I know that [by] advocating with this platform from Binibining Pilipinas, we can inspire so many people. A politician can inspire a whole community, and so can we,” she said.

It can also be noted in the Binibining Pilipinas website that she spoke about the country having the means to “accessible and affordable nutrition,” which can be noted in her job as a nutrition scientist.

Although Lakrini’s journey can be loosely related to her idol, Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, her journey is proof that first tries are not always as lucky. But if destiny allows you to fulfill your dreams, you are truly unstoppable.

LJ Reyes and fiancé Philip Evangelista Photo from Instagram/@lj_reyes

To this day, Moi Bien, Piolo Pascual’s former assistant, is still like family to the actor and his son, Iñigo. Photo from Instagram/@moibienne

Single or joint bankruptcy filing?

THE debtor is 50. Spouse is 48. They have two children, a son aged 18, and a daughter aged 16. Son is about to go to college out of state. Daughter is about to graduate from high school and applying for college in state. They expect that once son is in college and daughter is in college, they will have additional expenses related to college matters of their children approximately $500 to $700 monthly.

They did not anticipate that their children would grow up so fast and already going to college soon. They were married in 2000. That was only 21 years ago. Then son was born followed by daughter.

What a delight they were when they were babies, toddlers, and up to 12 years old. Once they entered junior high, they started socializing and going with the wrong crowd became constant problems. This went on until high school. They provided all their love and concern for their children, so despite all the negative forces both their children are now looking forward to college.

America is a meritocracy despite it’s imperfections

America, despite all its imperfections, is actually still a meritocracy. A college education and a profession is a sure way of getting ahead and rising out of mediocrity here.

It doesn’t really matter if you don’t have connections. If you have the right qualifications, the right higher education, good income and realization of the American dream of having a house, a nice car, and prosperity is within striking distance. No one can seriously argue against this statement. Race doesn’t come into play. You can be black, brown, red, yellow or white, it doesn’t matter really as long as you have the right educational qualifications, a good future for you is almost assured. All immigrants know this and have lived it as reality.

Immigrants who are professionals get a head start

Immigrants come here and immediately those who are professionals get a head start. Let’s just talk about nurses. If you are a registered nurse when you migrate here and are able to get a local license here as a registered nurse, then you are practically assured of finding a job that will eventually pay you between $80K to $150K a year. There’s a shortage of nurses here so the nursing profession rewards those that are able to get a local license. Without a local license, sorry, you don’t get paid as a registered nurse, even if you are a registered nurse in your place of origin. That’s just the way it works. You can be a doctor in your country of origin but when you arrive here you have to take the medical board exam, pass it, and get a local license to practice medicine. Without the local license to practice medicine here, you’re out of luck. You’re relegated to a peon and will be stuck in a rut of routine lower paying jobs. Doctors here get paid a lot. If a registered nurse is looking at up to $150K a year, medical doctors are looking at $500K a year, and this is not even a ceiling.

The problem of course is that it’s not that easy to pass the medical board exam if you graduated somewhere else other than the USA. I know people who are doctors abroad who can’t pass the medical board exam here who have made many attempts to pass but cannot. They take some other course here to become registered nurses so they can work as such. This is really disappointing for them and it’s sad. But the lure of living here in the USA attracts a lot of adventurous people I know, as I am one of them. Jesus and God the Father has given me all the support and guidance and protection here for my family and I. You have to pray a lot and ask for divine guidance and support.

Joint or single chapter 7 filing?

Back to client: He owes $100K of credit card debt. His income at $96K a year is good. He’s thinking of getting rid of the $100K of credit card debt with a Chapter 7 petition as he now pays $3K of minimum card payments monthly. His

wife owes $30K of credit card debt and she pays $1K of minimum credit card payments monthly. Together, they pay $4K for minimum credit card payments. Certainly, this is a lot of money for credit cards! If they continue with this payment, they won’t be able to squeeze out another $750 monthly for college expenses of their children. So push comes to shove and they have now to seriously consider getting rid of credit card debt. If husband himself files a Chapter 7 by himself and wipes out $100K, then they will save $3K a month. If wife also files with husband, making it a joint Chapter 7 case, then they will save $4K a month.

I suggest both of them together file a joint Chapter 7 case. There’s no advantage in wife keeping her $30K current at $1K a month. Her credit score is not that great either. If both of them file together, both of their credit scores will become over 600 next year and will significantly improve yearly. In 3 years, both of their credit scores will be close to 700. Both of their credit scores now are already below 600. In ten years, there is no record of their Chapter 7 filing and they’re looking at over 800 of credit score assuming they handle new debt well. They can get new credit, but whatever they use, they should pay up in full when due, not minimum payments. If they buy a new car, they have to make sure all payments are timely to boost credit score faster after bankruptcy.

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

* * *

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

* * *

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

Getting around the six month residency requirement to file a divorce in California

Barrister’s Corner

GENERALLY, you must have resided in California for at least six months in order to file a divorce in this case.

Under Family Code Section 2320, a judgment of marriage dissolution (divorce) may not be entered unless one of the spouses has been a “resident” of California for six months and of the county where the proceeding is filed for three months immediately preceding the filing of the petition. This poses a problem for divorcing couples that has not resided in California for at least 6 months. Couples that moved to California from other states or other countries are faced with this problem because they cannot get divorced until they satisfy the residency requirements. Even a bigger problem is when they need immediate temporary orders from the California Court regarding child custody, child support, management and control of community businesses and property.

The solution for this type of problem is filing nullity or legal separation petition rather than a divorce and

amending the petition later on to convert it to a divorce once the residency requirement has been met by one of the parties. Millar v. Millar. Unlike a divorce, there is no residency requirement to filing an Annulment or a legal separation.

The advantage of this strategy is you would immediately have access to the courts and can ask the court for immediate temporary orders needed to maintain the status quo or preserve the marital assets. If domestic violence is involved in the case, the domestic violence issue can be heard in the same court room by the same judge that would be hearing the divorce case. In addition, service on the legal separation petition (to be amended later to a divorce) will also start the clock on the six-month “waiting period” for finality of a judgment terminating marital status, optimizing the time-frame within which the parties will be legally restored to “single” status. As far as the county where to file the legal separation or nullity, venue is proper in the county where either party resided at the time the petition was filed pursuant to CCP 395(a).

Once the parties have satisfied the residency requirements, the Petition may be amended from legal separation to Dissolution without permission from the

Court as long as notice is provided the opposing party under Marriage of Dick. The Petitioner would also be in a safer position if the intent to amend from legal separation/ nullity to a divorce is stated in the initial Petition.

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

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

Max confirms breakup with...

From Page 9

namang gawing teleserye ‘yung buhay namin,” she added.

Max said that they tried hard to save their marriage for their son but failed.

“Every separation naman is difficult, but it was amicable. We were not working [out], and we needed to try spending time apart to see how that would work because we have a son to think about,” she said.

“We’ve been together for like eight years total. Nilaban namin hangga’t kaya ng mga puso namin in a sense where dumating ‘yung point na we stopped becoming in denial about it. I didn’t want to lie to myself anymore, and I think he didn’t want to as well,” she added.

Separation rumors between the two began when they celebrated their son’s birthday separately. Max and Pancho tied the knot on December 2017.