070120 - Southern California Midweek Edition

July 1-3, 2020 Volume 30 - No.51 • 2 Sections - 14 Pages

Palace: PH not leading Western Pacifi c DATELINE USA LA County beaches to in COVID-19 cases despite WHO’s fi ndings close for July 4th weekend FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

THE weather in Southern California is heating up but Los Angeles County residents won’t be able to head to the beach for the Fourth of July Weekend.

Beaches in the county have been ordered to close starting Thursday, July 3 to Monday, July 6 in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, county officials announced on Monday, June 29.

During the holiday weekend, all public beaches, piers, parking lots, bike paths and access points will be closed for the four-day period.

Fireworks displays will also be prohibited.

“Closing the beaches and prohibiting fireworks displays during this important summer holiday weekend was an incredibly difficult decision to make, but it’s the responsible

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Domestic workers now included in California’s workplace protections AS of mid-June domestic workers are now included in workplace protections guaranteed by the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, also known as Cal/OSHA. The Health and Safety for All Workers Act, SB 1257, brings a historic end to the exclusion of household domestic workers from Cal/OSHA protections, which requires employers provide safe and fair working conditions, fair wages and proper health care especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Despite the many challenges domestic workers have confronted during the COVID19 pandemic, our coalition has continued to adapt, grow and advance the dignity of immigrant women workers,” Kimberly Alvarenga, director of the California Domestic Workers Coalition, which co-sponsored SB 1257. “I think we have gotten this far because worker leaders, employers, and allies have organized and mobilized to make hundreds of phone calls to senators and have shared their stories in lobby visits and on social media about why we so urgently need health and safety protections for domestic workers, especially in the face of COVID-19 and another fast approaching wildfire season.”

The vast community of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are particularly vulnerable to domestic worker exploitation. As previ-

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by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

AFTER a World Health Organization report said that the Philippines recorded the fastest rise in coronavirus infections in the Western Pacific region over a two-week period, Malacañang has been on the defensive to disprove the findings.

Data from the WHO showed that between June 16 and June 27, the country registered 8,143 infections — the highest among 22 countries in the region.

“The WHO said that we have the fastest rise cases in the whole Western Pacific region. Is this true?

We beg to disagree,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in Filipino on Monday, June 29.

The findings were followed by Singapore with

2,351 new cases, and China with 302 during the same period.

“Of course, if you look at the rise in cases, it should be in relation to your population. Why are we being compared to Singapore when it only has 5 million people? That’s just one city, not even as big as Quezon City or Manila,” noted Roque.

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122 children killed in Duterte’s drug war – report

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

AT LEAST 122 children’s lives have been claimed by President Rodrigo Duterte’s war against illegal drugs, according to a newly released report by two non-governmental organizations.

A report released on Monday, June 29 by the World Organization Against Torture and the Children’s Legal Rights and Development Center found that the killings are often deliberate and “far from being only ‘collateral damage’ as callously stated” by government officials.

They documented 122 killings of children, aged from one to 17 years old, from July 2016 to December 2019.

However, the report said that the real figure of killed children is higher.

“This number is a minimum: with parents and relatives often too afraid of reprisals to report or testify, it is likely that the actual figures are higher,” it noted.

The report also noted that the killings fall under four patterns: direct targets, killed as proxies when

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PROTECT FILIPINO FISHERMEN. A fisherfolk group staged a protest in Quezon City on Tuesday, June 30 to demand justice for 14 missing fishermen of a fishing boat that collided with a Hong Kong-flagged cargo vessel off Mindoro.

Inquirer.net photo by Consuelo Marquez

Rappler’s Ressa, Santos appeal cyber libel conviction 6 Pinoys join Trump re-election

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

RAPPLER chief executive officer Maria Ressa and former writer-researcher Reynaldo Santos on Monday, June 29, sought reversal of their cyber libel conviction before a Manila court.

In a 132-page motion submitted to Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 46, Ressa and Santos’ lawyers from the Free Legal Assistance Group urged Judge Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa speaks with former researcher- Rainelda Estacio-Montesa to rewriter Reynaldo Santos Jr. during a press conference they called last June consider her decision to convict 17 after they were found guilty of cyberlibel. Ressa said they would fight the journalists of cyber libel. the ruling.

Inquirer.net photo by Niño Jesus Orbeta

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LA Fil-Am community mourns SIPA executive director who died from COVID-19

by CHRISTINA

M. ORIEL

AJPress

WHEN the coronavirus hit Los Angeles County, John Eric Swing, the newly appointed executive director of Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), led a food delivery project for seniors and families in Historic Filipinotown.

Swing, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who joined the non-profit organization in 2015 and served as its director of small business development before assuming the top leadership role, continued advising entrepreneurs in the community as they weathered the effects of the pandemic.

These efforts caught the attention of the California State Senate, which recognized SIPA John Swing, the executive director of Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), died on Sunday, June 28 a week after testing and Swing as “Unsung Heroes of Southern positive for COVID-19.

Photo courtesy of SIPA California.”

However, by the penultimate week of June, Swing’s work came to a halt when he tested positive for COVID-19 and was subsequently admitted to Fountain Valley Regional Hospital due to several complications. (The circumstances around how he contracted the virus are unknown.)

His family reached out to the community that he devoted his career to, in turn, for prayers and support for medical and living expenses.

On Sunday night, June 28 — two days after a GoFundMe page was started by his sister, Karen Bromley and a week into his hospitalization— Swing succumbed to the disease at the age of 48.

In an announcement of his passing, Bromley echoed what dozens of members of the local LA community have remembered about her older brother: his infectious smile, generosity,

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campaign’s AAPI advisory board

by AJPRESS

WITH four months until Election Day, six Filipino Americans are among those helping President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign court the fast-growing Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) electorate.

The recently announced “Asian Pacific Americans for Trump,” includes a 26-member advisory board of AAPI elected officials, grassroots leaders and business owners.

Asian Americans are now the fastest-growing demographic of eligible voters out of the major racial and ethnic groups, comprising 4.7% of the electorate this 2020, according to a recent Pew Research Center report.

Pinoy advisory members include Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, who is one of the co-chairs; former Guam Governor Eddie Baza Calvo; Vellie Dietrich-Hall, an entrepreneur from Virginia; Brunswick, Ohio Mayor and attor-

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A website for “Asian Pacific Americans for Trump” shows photos of a 26-member advisory board comprised of AAPI elected officials and community leaders.

A JuLY 1-3, 2020 • SoCal ASIAN JOuRNAL

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

From the Front Page

Palace: PH not leading Western...

PAGE A1 According to the spokesman, the Philippines is actually 6th in the list of countries across Asia with the highest number of COVID-19 cases.

“If you divide the cases per million population, this is what you get: the highest in the Western Pacific [is] India [with] 549,197, followed by Pakistan [at] 202,955.

Bangladesh [has] 137,787, Indonesia [has] 54,010, [then] Singapore [with] 43,459, and then the Philippines at 35,455,” he said.

“It is clear that data do not lie.

We are not the country with the fastest increase in the number of cases in the Western Pacific region. We will let the data respond to the report of WHO,” Roque added.

However, India, Bangladesh and Indonesia are part of the WHO South-East Asian region while Pakistan forms part of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region.

Roque defended the Palace’s data, saying: “Well I’m not going to go nitpicking into this, but as far as I know, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are still Asian countries. If you look at the WHO, I think—we checked this and in the data of the WHO, they are classified as Western Pacific countries.”

He also stressed that President Rodrigo Duterte did his best in addressing the COVID-19 situa-

tion in the country.

“Did the government make the right move? Our answer is yes.

We are not perfect. Perhaps we could have done better. But we are already here and one thing I can assure you, the President did the very best that he can and we are in control of the situation,” the spokesman said.

“You know, the president only has one message – stop politics during COVID-19. But criticisms continue to be hurled at us and we have to respond to them.

They said there are shortcomings. We asked them what they are... but they did not give any,” Roque added.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health responded to WHO’s report by saying the Philippines should not be compared with other countries without considering the socioeconomic context.

“Our socioeconomic context, particularly living conditions, as well as health system capacity, even prior to COVID-19, is different from Singapore,” the agency said Sunday, June 28.

It added, “Please take that into account when we do our analysis. Let us not cherry pick the countries we want to compare ourselves to.”

According to the DOH, Singapore has a population of only 5.9 million and a total of 43,246 cases, while the Philippines has

109 million people and 34,803 cases as of June 28.

“Per one million people, Singapore has a higher case at 7,393 cases per one million population compared with the Philippines at 318 cases per one million population,” the DOH noted.

The agency also said that while Singapore has a lower case fatality rate of 0.06 percent or 26 deaths per one million population, the Philippines logs a 3.6 percent CFR, or 1,236 per one million population.

It is to note that compared to the global CFR of 5.1%, this is low.

The health department said all agencies are tasked to closely monitor the rise in infections as well as strengthen the response through localized actions.

Localized responses entail early detection of cases and tracing of contacts, their immediate isolation or quarantine, and appropriate testing and treatment.

“We have also addressed the rising critical care utilization through augmentation of equipment and workforce and ensure that we can manage possible surge of cases,” the DOH said.

“Lastly, we continue to emphasize the implementation of minimum health standards, i.e. wearing of masks and physical distancing, as the most effective preventive measure in the absence of a vaccine,” it added. n

6 Pinoys join Trump re-election campaign’s...

PAGE A1 ney Ron Falconi; Herman Martir, a pastor from Fort Worth, Texas; and Shirlene Ostrov, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and chair of the Hawaii Republican Party.

“I am thrilled to be working again with officials from the Trump campaign and the RNC to be a conservative voice in Asian American communities so that we can re-elect the president,” Falconi, who also participated in the president’s 2016 campaign, told the Asian Journal.

On the website for the group, the description reads: “Asian Pacific Americans stand with President Trump to defend freedom, strengthen the American Dream and create a prosperous future with abundant opportunities for generations to come. Asian Pacific

Americans cherish the United States as our precious homeland and we will ensure President Trump’s victory in November so our communities and families can continue to thrive under ‘Promises Made, Promises Kept’ for FOUR MORE YEARS!” This past January, Calvo and Martir were sworn into the president’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs, which “works to broaden access by AAPI employers and communities to economic resources and opportunities.” Calvo — who was the governor of Guam from 2011 to 2019 — also served as a Trump surrogate during the APIAVote Presidential Town Hall on Saturday, June 27.

Reyes, who is Filipino on his father’s side, is also seeking reelection for his position and has

received an endorsement from Trump himself.

“Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes (@SeanReyesUT) is a fighter and hard worker for the Great State of Utah. He is a big supporter of our #MAGA Agenda – Strong on Crime, the Second Amendment, and Loves our Law Enforcement,” Trump tweeted in April.

In a 2018 Asian American Voter Survey released by APIAVote and AAPI Data, 48% of Filipinos surveyed said they had a “favorable” view of the Republican Party, while 50% said they had a “favorable” view of Democratic Party.

The same survey found that 48% of Filipinos said they approve of the way Trump was handling his job as president, while another 48% said they disapproved. n

PROTECTIVE BARRIER. Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Danilo Lim inspects one of the the newly dedicated EDSA inner-lane bus stop in Monumento, Caloocan City on Tuesday, June 30. Barriers and railings were put up to prevent passengers from walking onto EDSA. Inquirer.net photo by Grig Montegrande

LA County beaches to close for July...

PAGE A1 decision to protect public health and protect our residents from a deadly virus. The Fourth of July holiday weekend typically means large crowds and gatherings to celebrate, a recipe for increased transmission of COVID-19,” said

LA County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer in a statement.

The order comes as the county announced 2,903 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, the single largest one-day case count since the pandemic began

in March.

Overall, 100,772 positive cases have been identified, while there are 3,326 reported deaths after 22 new fatalities on Monday.

Of those who have died, 17% were individuals of Asian descent. (AJPress)

Rappler’s Ressa, Santos appeal cyber...

PAGE A1 “We have to acknowledge the real uses of criminal libel if we are to be consistent to protect speech made to make public officers and government accountable. Criminal libel has an in terrorem effect that is inconsistent with the contemporary protection of the primordial and necessary right of expression enshrined in our Constitution,” the motion read.

It added, “The review should include a consideration of the nature of cyberspace as layered communities used to evolve ideas. Such review should result in a declaration of unconstitutionality of criminal libel in the Revised Penal Code and in the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.”

The motion cited at least 13 errors committed by Montesa in her June 15 verdict, such as considering complainant Wilfredo Keng as a private citizen, and the court defining updating a story as republication.

According to the motion for reconsideration, the court “did not even bother to cite any shred of support of its unilateral statement” that the update of the article counts as republication.

“The absence of any such reference cannot be trivialized or shrugged off because of the constitutional command that ‘(n)o decision shall be rendered by any court without expressing therein clearly and distinctly the facts and the law on which it is based,’” it read.

It also said that the court’s use of Ressa’s title is “a clever ruse to avoid liability.”

“The court’s role in the trial is to determine malice, not make malicious statements. Ascribing an underhanded and even unlawful motive—without assertion or proof—is malicious. It is utterly contemptuous and unbecoming of a judge,” the motion added.

The motion also criticized Montesa’s process of arriving at her decision, pointing out

that “the court has resorted to language that borders on the sarcastic and, at times, crosses over to the partial.”

Ressa and Santos on June 15 were convicted of cyber libel by a Manila court.

The two were found guilty of violating Section 4(c)(4) of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, or cyber libel, and sentenced them to the indeterminate penalty of imprisonment ranging from six months and one day as a minimum to up to six years.

The court allowed bail under the same bond. It also ordered Ressa and Santos to pay Keng P200,000 in moral damages and another P200,000 (a total of $7,900) in exemplary damages.

Keng in 2017 filed cyber libel charges against the two for naming him in an article as the owner of a sports utility vehicle (SUV) used by the late Chief Justice Renato Corona, who was then facing impeachment in 2012. n

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

Dateline USa

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • JULY 1-3, 2020

A

Conversation with Children’s advoCate Mayra alvarez

Kids could go hungry if there’s a census undercount School lunch programs – an essential lifeline during the pandemic - are going broke, and a 2020 Census undercount will damage them even more, says children´s advocate Mayra Alvarez.

by Pilar

Marrero Ethnic Media Services

School lunch programs, which fed nearly half of American’s schoolchildren before the coronavirus, have turned into a lifeline for families hit by unemSwing (far right) with his family: wife Ellen, and children, Zach (with friend), Nicco, Sasha, Kenzie, Josh and Chloe. ployment and rising food prices Photo courtesy of the Swing family during the pandemic.

Many of those programs are now going broke, and their very existence over the next decade PAGE A1 depends on the population numbers being gathered by the U.S. and ability to connect with others census in communities that are upon the first meeting. considered “hard to count,” “Kuya’s spirit is so big and says Mayra E. Alvarez, President warm, I know he will continue to of The children’s Partnership, live in each and every one of us. a nonprofit which advocates for he is the most generous person I underserved children. know and genuinely cared for anyWhen asked about the impact one he met. he knew you, even if of the U.S. census, which is conyou met for only 5 minutes thirty ducted every ten years and has years ago. You made an impact on been delayed and disrupted (but him and he carried you with him.

NoT canceled) by the pandemic, he made everyone feel welcome, Alvarez mentions this program at home, and at ease,” Bromley wrote on the page.

The fundraising campaign exceeded its $20,000 goal and has raised nearly $50,000, as of this writing. The funds will go toward a When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, Swing led a meal delivery for community members Photo courtesy of Jennifer Taylor memorial and a family savings ac- in Historic Filipinotown. count for his wife Ellen Rodriguez- the needs of the greater Filipino this year.

Swing and their children, Zachary, American community. While SIPA Following his death, the board Joshua, chloe, Mackenzie, Nico is centered on diversity and cul- approved a motion to name its and Sasha. ture, we also work in the culture future small business center, the “It’s really hard to imagine today of changing all lives for the better. “John Eric Swing Small Business and forever without him. But I ask I invite everyone to join us in this center.” you to honor him by continuing his effort as we build a stronger comAside from his time at SIPA, life’s mission to build community. munity in historic Filipinotown Swing was assistant executive he was so proud to be part of SIPA and beyond,” Swing was quoted director of Filipino American Serin los Angeles and so excited [to] as saying, according to an unre- vice Group, Inc. (FASGI), where become its Executive Director. It’s leased announcement from the he helped with the mental health, a tragedy that he won’t be able to organization about his new role. low-income rider relief, and natulead the community through these Eddy Gana, a counselor who ralization programs, and was the times, but I know he’s inspired runs SIPA’s Mental health out- business director of the annual many to take on that torch,” Brom- reach Program, recalled Swing’s Festival of Philippine Arts & culley added. encouragement and open-door ture.

Swing, who commuted into lA policy. he was also an executive board from the Inland Empire daily, had “he once said, ‘If there’s ever member of the coalition of Filispent most of his years at the orga- anything, you can give me a call. pino American chambers of comnization cultivating its small busi- Anytime.’ I would joke, ‘So how merce (coFAcc). ness counseling services, such as about 2 or 3 a.m.?’ he’d reply, ‘of “Although John never looked to its biannual Entrepreneur Training course!’ Every meeting thereafter, be in the spotlight, the spotlight Program. he’d pretend to have a phone to shined ever so brightly on him as After a year-long nationwide his ear and say, ‘You can still call he led by example as opposed to search for an individual to lead one me anytime. I’m waiting! I haven’t just talk,” coFAcc said in a stateof the oldest Fil-Am organizations received any late-night calls yet,’” ment. in the U.S., SIPA’s board of direc- said Gana.

In addition to his wife and chiltors found a fitting candidate interSwing was slated to helm the dren, Swing is survived by his parnally and voted Swing to assume 48-year-old organization as its ents, Aurora and Ellis Swing, and the post in April. historic Filipinotown headquar- siblings.

“I am honored to be able to sup- ters is scheduled to undergo a A virtual memorial for Swing is port, advocate, and program for mixed-use redevelopment project scheduled for Tuesday, July 7. n

la Fil-am community mourns siPa executive...

first, although it’s hardly the only one that would be affected if there is a severe undercount of children and low income families.

In the past three months, school lunch programs have lost at least $1 billion during lockdowns and school closures that eliminated the revenue from families who were able to pay for the meals.

At the same time, costs have outstripped federal reimbursements for the emergency meals.

Relief bills passed by congress have helped, but the long-term survival of the programs depend on data from the 2020 census.

For populations concerned with survival, filling out or responding to the 2020 census may seem a distant priority.

But nothing is more important for vulnerable families than an accurate count, says Alvarez.

For starters, the biggest, most

impactful federal and state programs that serve the health and well-being of children and families depend on formulas driven by census data.

The more people that are counted, particularly in those communities that need a variety of programs, the more money is allocated to serve them.

“We can point to Medicaid and chIP (children’s health Insurance Program), two fundamental programs for health care, which are partly based on census numbers,” said Alvarez.

“The programs that rely on census data are the ones the majority of people rely one, like Medicaid, food stamps, cash assistance”.

Medicaid, for example, is “part of a formula that distributes money to states, based on population and income; the states put money in and the fedPAGE A4

A JuLY 1-3, 2020 • SoCal ASIAN JOuRNAL

Dateline USa

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

Medical and legal experts weigh in on public charge in the COVID-19 pandemic The pandemic’s impact on the immigrant community presents more public health and financial risks for undocumented individuals and their families

by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

BACK ON THE ROAD. A UV Express van plies the Aguinaldo Highway in Bacoor, Cavite on Monday, June 29. The government has allowed the operation of around 1,000 UV Express units in Metro Manila and nearby provinces to augment mass transportation for commuters under the general community quarantine.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Domestic workers now included in California...

PAGE A1 ously reported in the Asian Journal, Filipinos are often promised by employers (many of whom are also Filipino) adequate wages and access to citizenship but are given neither once they begin working.

What’s more is that a vast majority of these workers are undocumented with little options to access legal immigration channels without the help of their employers; in turn, many victims have reported that their employers have threatened them with reports to authorities.

But the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures have further complicated the conditions domestic workers face daily.

“Many of our homecare workers have gotten sick with coronavirus because they were exposed at work and didn’t have proper health and safety training and equipment,” Lolita Lledo, associate director of the Los Angeles-based Pilipino Workers Center (PWC), said in a statement emailed to the Asian Journal.

PWC is an organization in LA’s Historic Filipinotown dedicated to the rights of Filipino workers, many of whom are undocumented and susceptible to exploitation and currently, the organization is working with

about 100 Filipino victims of worker exploitation.

Lledo also mentioned that because of the pandemic, many workers have been hospitalized and some have passed away due to complications with the virus.

“This day is a victory for those homecare workers,” Lledo said.

Beyond the risks and adjustments brought on by the COVID19 pandemic, Filipino domestic workers have historically and presently been the subjects of exploitation. The harrowing story of Nanay Fedelina Lugasan, a human trafficking victim who recently passed at the age 83, captured the severity of modern day indentured servitude.

Following her reuniting with her family earlier this year, Lugasan was separated from her family for 65 years as a domestic helper in Manila and then in Northridge, California, a city north of Los Angeles. She endured verbal and physical abuse from her host family who often refused Lugasan meals and restand hid away from her important documents like her passport and birth certificate, as previously reported by the Asian Journal.

PWC has also estimated that Lugasan’s back wages roughly added up to $1.6 million according to California’s minimum wage in 1980 when she began

working in Northridge.

By including domestic workers from SB 1257 was designed to fully protect workers from the kind of abuse and neglect that Lugasan endured throughout the decades.

Vicenta Martinez, a house cleaner and worker representative at the Instituto de Educacion Popular del Sur California (IDEPSCA), said in a Zoom meeting celebrating the passing of SB 1257, “I am so excited right now I feel like my heart is going to jump out of my body,” said Martinez. “This victory means so much because as domestic workers we often feel that our hard work is not really seen or appreciated by our employers or by society. I worked cleaning homes through the fires here in LA, and my employers never even gave me a mask even though they knew that my health was at risk cleaning in such smokey conditions, while also using strong chemical cleaning products. It motivates me to know that we are one step closer to having the legal right to safe working conditions.”

Per Senate approval, SB 1257 is now being processed in the State Assembly in the legislative process and will be sent to the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom for his approval. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

SINCE the beginning of President Donald Trump’s presidency, his administration has made tightening immigration a key part of its agenda, including imposing restrictions on the public charge rule.

The public charge rule, which has been a part of immigration law for decades, posits that the government could deny a green card to any undocumented resident of the United States who has utilized one or more channels of federal benefits.

Historically, administrations past have rarely used the rule, but the Trump administration has made the rule a key step in the immigration process.

Currently, immigrants seeking settlement in the U.S. must prove they will not become public charges by providing proof that they could earn at least $41,000 a year.

Experts like Dr. Daniel TurnerLloveras believe that the public charge rule could put low-income immigrant families at a huge disadvantage at a time of economic and public health precarity.

Though the public charge rule was implemented on February 24 of this year, immigrant families across the country have stopped using public benefits (even those that don’t fall under the public charge criteria like free school lunches) for fear that it would

hurt their chances at permanent residency in the U.S. In the last two years, enrollment in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Plan — two key public health insurance options for undocumented immigrants — has dropped 31%. Additionally, one in three low-income immigrant families are struggling to survive because they are either unaware or avoiding public benefits like health care and food stamps. “[Even] if it only affects one person, it then trickles down and eventually affects the entire family. We are only as strong as our weakest link,” TurnerLloveras, assistant professor of medicine at UCLA, said during a press briefing with ethnic media on Friday, June 26.

Turner-Lloveras added that the U.S. will not be able to flatten the curve if undocumented communities resist health care because of the fear that it will hurt their citizenship chances “Avoidance of these programs [is] particularly worrisome in families with children because the entire family faces the financial hardships, the psychological distress and problems in health care access,” he shared.

However, as the coronavirus continues to spread and numbers spike, federally funded community health centers and hospitals that offer COVID-19 testing and treatment are continuing to see any and all patients regardless

of their immigration status.

And, any COVID-19 treatments and tests are not included in the public charge criteria, but patients should call clinics about the availability of tests before making a visit.

“Testing treatment and preventative care related to COVID19 will not be included in a public charge determination, even if the health care services are covered by Medicaid,” said Madison Allen, senior policy analyst and attorney with the Center for Law and Social Policy.

Allen also shared various public programs that undocumented families are entitled to like Pandemic EBT, a nutritional resource for low-income families in 40 states. For young children who no longer receive free lunch from their schools can qualify for the program, and in California, families can get up to $365 per child who qualifies.

Allen advises undocumented individuals and families to know their rights and study the public charge criteria before letting go of certain benefits that may not even be applicable.

“We encourage everyone, including immigrants to seek the care that they need during this difficult time, and we want to make sure that immigrant families are aware that health care workers should not be asking them information about their immigration status,” Allen added. n

US flexes naval muscle as ASEAN gets tough vs China

by Frances

Mangosing Inquirer.net

THE United States flaunted its naval strength as countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) took an unusually tough stance against Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. The USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike groups started joint drills in the Philippine Sea on Sunday, June 28, the U.S. Navy 7th Fleet said in a news release.

Video showed the two massive carriers sailing in tandem and launching aircraft.

The aircraft carriers USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Carrier Strike Groups conduct dual carrier operations as the Nimitz Strike Force in the Philippine Sea. USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Carrier Strike Groups began dual carrier operations as the Nimitz Strike Force in the Philippine Sea, June 28. The strike force is deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.#NavyReadiness #USNavy Posted by U.S. 7th Fleet on Sunday, June 28, 2020 The US Navy said it “regularly conducts integrated strike group operations to support a free and open Indo- Pacific, and promote an international rules-based order wherein each country can reach its potential without sacrificing national sovereignty.”

F/A-18F Super Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). US Navy photo

“Dual carrier operations demonstrate our commitment to regional allies, our ability to rapidly mass combat power in the Indo- Pacific, and our readiness to confront all those who challenge international norms that support regional stability,” said Rear Admiral George Wikoff, commander of Carrier Strike Group 5.

The combined operations of the two carriers, the second this month, came a day after ASEAN member states said in a statement issued by Vietnam that the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) should be the basis of sovereign rights and entitlements in the South China Sea. “Unclos sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out,” it said on Saturday, June 27.

The ASEAN statement came as China planned to control the airspace over the South China Sea, which Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana had described as a dangerous move.

ASEAN leaders held their annual summit through a video conference on Friday, June 26.

Vietnam led the drafting of the chairman’s statement as the ASEAN host for 2020.

China is laying claim to the entire South China Sea based on its nine-dash line. Parts of what China is claiming lie tens of thousands of nautical miles away from the Chinese mainland.

The mythical nine-dash line had been rejected as illegal and without basis in 2016 by the Permanent Arbitration Court in a case filed by the Philippines.

Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also have claims in the area. n

122 children killed in Duterte’s drug war...

PAGE A1 real targets could not be found, killed as a result of mistaken identity, or killed by stray bullets during police operations.

“Far from being only ‘collateral damage,’ as callously stated

by President Rodrigo Duterte, these have been often deliberate killings,” it said.

“Our investigations show that 38.5% were carried out by policemen as [part] of police operations, while 61.5% were executed by unknown individuals, often masked or hooded assailants, some of them with direct links to the police,” it added.

The report also highlighted six cases, which includes “one particularly horrific case” wherein a seven-year-old boy was “killed in cold blood because he had witnessed the murder of an adult by a member of the local authorities.”

The report likewise found that the youngest victim was 20 months old, and that seven children had been killed between January and March this year.

“These revelations must be a wake-up call for the international community, who has been largely absent as the Philippine government has kept trampling human rights,” said OMCT Sec-

retary General Gerald Staberock in a statement.

“Over the past four years, we have hardly seen any meaningful reaction to the wanton killing of thousands of people under the pretext of the ‘war on drugs,’ the targeting of the poorest and most marginalized citizens of the Philippines, and the persecution of human rights defenders, many of whom are in prison for their legitimate work.

It is the total lack of accountability that feeds the cycle of violence, including the war on children we are witnessing,” he added. n

Kids could go hungry if there’s a...

PAGE A3 eral government matches it.”

Experts estimate that the federal government provides between $1,700 and $2,000 for each person counted in the census.

For a minimum wage earner who’s a single mother of two, being counted or not counted in the census “can make a whole world of difference,” Alvarez says.

“If there is no adequate reflection of people like her in the census data, she may not be able to qualify for food stamps or enroll her children in child care because there won’t be enough slots”, Alvarez explains.

”She may also lose out on health coverage for her children, not find space in a neighborhood school and have to bus her children to another school. She might have to go farther away to find a hospital if the child gets sick because the hospital wasn’t built in her community since the population count did not reflect her presence,” she continues.

“This could be a very dire situation if the undercount is severe.”

“It is so much more important to be accurate right now because so many families are struggling,” Alvarez says. “These programs

pretty much impact every aspect of their lives”.

Going back to school lunches, Alvarez says, an undercount of children and families could mean more hunger at a time when it’s unclear how soon will schools be able to go back to some kind of “normality” “If families that have kids that depend on free and reduced lunch are undercounted, there will not be as many resources to make sure they are eating when they go to school”, Alvarez says.

“These are kids that may not be able to eat at home or bring money for lunch”. n

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COVID-19 cases in PH reach 37,514 UN rights chief notes intimidation of PH journalists, wants defamation decriminalized by aJPress

by Christia

Marie raMos

Inquirer.net

MANILA — UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said countries should consider decriminalizing defamation, as several memberstates of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) flagged the alleged “increasing criticism and intimidation” of journalists in the Philippines.

During the 44th general session of the UNHRC in Geneva, Switzerland on Tuesday, Bachelet presented to the council her the report of her office on the human rights situation in the Philippines.

Among the findings of the report included alleged harassment of human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers and trade unionists.

“In the case against Maria Ressa, Rappler and ABS-CBN, we are following both cases closely and with concern, given the deep unease among journalists about freedom of expression in the Philippines. In the case of Maria Ressa, this is a case that gives rise to many concerns,” Bachelet

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet

said.

“The use of the cybercrime law.

The 12 years prescription period for illegal offense and fears that the case against her and Rappler are politically-motivated in retaliation for the critical coverage of the President and government action. I must stress that under human rights standards imprisonment is never an appropriate penalty for defamation. States should consider decriminalizing defamation,” she added.

Last June 15, a Manila court convicted Ressa and former Rappler researcher Reynaldo Santos

Inquirer.net file photo

Jr. of cyberlibel in a case filed by businessman Wilfredo Keng over an article published in 2012.

In an earlier statement, Malacañang said the court’s decision to convict Ressa and Santos should be respected as it insisted that President Rodrigo Duterte was a “supporter” of press freedom and was not behind any effort to curtail press freedom in the country.

Among the member-states that expressed concern over the conviction of Ressa and Santos are Finland, Canada, the United u PAGE A7

COVID-19 may increase illicit activities via darknet – UN

by Pia Lee-Brago Philstar.com

MANILA — As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is prompting drug traffickers to find new routes and methods, illicit shipments by mail and activities via the so-called “darknet” may increase, according to the United Nations’ latest annual World Drug Report.

The UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC)’s World Drug Report 2020 warned that alternatives to drug supply over the darknet are emerging, and global drug use is rising while COVID19 has far-reaching impact on global drug markets.

More than 35 million people around the world now suffer from drug addiction. Drug use increased more rapidly within developing countries over the 2000-2018 period, than in developed countries. Adolescents

and young adults account for the largest share of those using drugs.

And because the pandemic has led to highly addictive opioid shortages, people may seek out more readily available substances, including alcohol, sedatives or by using more harmful delivery methods such as intravenous injection.

The report highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic, and the subsequent lockdown in many countries, have led to a reduction in overall drug trafficking, which has gone hand in hand with increases in drug prices.

“At the same time, there are indications that cybercrime, including sales of drugs through the darknet at the retail level, has increased,” the report said.

The darknet is an encrypted online network that cannot be accessed by normal internet search engines such as Yahoo

or Google, and is often a host for platforms that engage in illegal black market activities.

While the impact of COVID-19 on illegal drug supplies is not yet fully known, border and other restrictions linked to the pandemic have already caused drug shortages on the street. This has led to diminished purity and price hikes.

Rising unemployment and plummeting opportunities are expected to disproportionately affect the poorest, making them more vulnerable to drug use, trafficking and cultivation, to earn money so they can survive the global recession.

“The COVID-19 crisis and economic downturn threaten to compound drug dangers further still, when our health and social systems have been brought to the brink and our societies are struggling to cope,” said UNODC’s Ghada Waly. n

THE Philippine Department of Health on Tuesday, June 30, recorded 1,080 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the country, which brings the official tally of infected individuals to 37,514.

Of the number, 858 were fresh cases, while 222 were late cases as the agency continues to clear its backlog of unvalidated cases.

The DOH also recorded 11 individuals who passed away due to the disease, raising the death toll to 1,266.

The total number of recoveries, on the other hand, is now at 10,233 after 277 more patients recovered from COVID-19.

A new study from the OCTA Research, which is composed of professors from the University of the Philippines and the University of Santo Tomas, projected that the number of infections in the country could rise to 60,000 by the end of July.

According to the researchers, the current reproduction rate of COVID-19 in the country is around 1.28.

“This indicates that the pandemic is not yet on the downward trend. Moreover, community spread is uneven throughout the archipelago. At this time, the province of Cebu has significantly higher transmission rates than the rest of the country,” they said.

OCTA Research also projected that COVID-19 fatalities may reach 1,300 by July 31.

“We emphasize that the projected increase in cases and deaths can be prevented by rapidly identifying and breaking chains of viral transmission,” the group said.

Malacañang, for its part, expressed optimism that the government would be able to beat the group’s COVID-19 cases projection.

“Panalo na tayo (We have already won). We beat the UP’s prediction. We beat it. So congratulations, Philippines. So, let’s do it again in July,” said presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

The statement came after the country managed to disprove UP’s previous projection that the infections in the country

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque

could go up by 40,000 by end of June.

Roque also assured that the government is prepared for the worst as the country continues

Philstar.com photo

its fight against COVID-19.

“Pinaghandaan po natin iyan at pinaghahandaan pa rin (We were ready and remain ready [for the worst]),” he said. n

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITY IFB NO. PO806-20 COMMUNICATION AND SIGNAL EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) is seeking bids for to provide for Communication and Signal Equipment and Materials. The maximum dollar value for the contract will be for a total not-to-exceed amount of $2,000,000.00.

Bid documents may be obtained via download by visiting SCRRA’s website at http://www.metrolinktrains.com/ agency/page/title/doing business. Vendors must register for no fee on the website in order to download the documents.

The contract to be awarded will be funded in part by grants under the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transportation Administration.

For further information contact: Melissa Cousart, Contract and Compliance Administrator at 213.452.0207 or email Cousartm@scrra.net.

7/1/20 CNS-3375812# ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)

QSPCMFN %&"-*/( 8*5) */463"/$& $-"*.4 "K** 2 )" '2Cf

A JuLY 1-3, 2020 • SoCal ASIAN JOuRNAL

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Fine-tune the response

NO one is perfect, and the Duterte administration is doing its best to address the challenges posed by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. This was Malacañang’s reaction yesterday to the World Health Organization’s report that the Philippines is registering the fastest increase in COVID-19 cases among 22 countries in the Western Pacific region.

The Department of Health had earlier urged the WHO not to “cherry pick” countries for comparison in the region, as it balked at the Philippines being rated worse than Singapore in the number of new COVID infections from June 16 to June 27.

Aside from disputing the WHO assessment, the government should see it as an additional challenge to ramp up capabilities for containing COVID-19. The WHO was not criticizing any country but merely reporting the status of the pandemic in the region.

Those criticizing the response of the Duterte administration are mainly in the Philippines. They say that the government has failed to maximize the three-month quarantine, which has ruined the economy and worsened poverty, to sufficiently increase capabilities for contact tracing, isolation and mass testing using the real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction test. Lo-

cal government officials outside the National Capital Region are complaining about the recent spread of COVID in their areas because of the poorly coordinated return of locally stranded individuals and repatriated overseas workers from the NCR. As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the DOH Bulletin No. 107 showed 36,438 COVID infections nationwide, with 985 confirmed cases added – 643 of them fresh cases and 342 late. The death toll rose to 1,255 with the addition of 11 fatalities. Recoveries, meanwhile, reached 9,956 with 270 reported.

An expert warned that COVID cases could hit 60,000 by July 31 amid the surge in Cebu City, which prompted the national government to revert the city to enhanced community quarantine. The Philstar.com photo contagion may be slowing down in Metro Manila, the epicenter of the pandemic in the country, but it reviving the economy is a difficult balancing act. appears to be on the rise in parts of the Visayas.

There are places that have done better than most Around the world, protecting public health and and can serve as models in containing COVID-19,

Editorial

among them Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The latest WHO assessment should lead to finetuning of the Philippine response. (Philstar.com)

After shutting down ABS-CBN on May 5, the Duterte Administration’s NTC now directs network to stop operating Sky Direct, TV Plus

The Fil-Am Perspective Gel SantoS-ReloS IF you and your family have been depending on Sky Direct, TV Plus for news and entertainment, especially after the Duterte Administration’s National Telecommunications Commission ordered the shutdown of the Philippines’ biggest broadcasting network ABS-CBN and its subsidiaries on May 5 amid the country’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic, then effective June 30, you will no longer be able to watch programs via these digital platforms.

As ABS-CBN News reported, “While channel 43 is not mentioned in NTC’s cease and desist order (CDO) of May 5, 2020, and it is ABS-CBN’s informed understanding that channel 43 is not included in the CDO, digital TV transmission in Metro Manila using channel 43 will cease tonight (June 30), consistent with the intent of the alias CDO.” ABS-CBN Corp issued a statement on the NTC order vs TV Plus channels: At 2:26 PM today, ABS-CBN received an alias cease and desist order from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) directing ABS-CBN to cease and desist from operating digital TV transmission in Metro Manila using channel 43.

While channel 43 is not mentioned in NTC’s cease and desist order (CDO) of May 5, 2020, and it is ABS-CBN’s informed understanding that channel 43 is not included in the CDO, digital TV transmission in Metro Manila using channel 43 will cease tonight (June 30), consistent with the intent of the alias CDO.

This means that viewers with TV Plus set-top boxes in Metro Manila will be unable to watch Teleradyo, Jeepney TV, Yey!, Asianovela Channel, CineMo, and KBO. ABS-CBN has a pending petition with the Supreme Court questioning the NTC’s CDO and hopes that such petition will be resolved soon in its favor so that it can resume broadcasting on both analog and digital platforms in the service of the Filipino.

Meanwhile, Sky Cable Corp released this statement on NTC’s cease and desist order to stop its direct broadcast satellite service called Sky Direct. As ABS-CBN news reported, SkyCable Corp was asked “to show cause why frequencies assigned to it shall not be recalled for lack of necessary congressional franchise to operate”: “SKYdirect’s 1.5 million subscribers nationwide, including those in remote areas that do not receive television signals, will be deprived of access to the channels we carry that bring them news, information, education, and entertainment starting tonight June 30, 2020, as Sky Cable Corporation complies with the cease and desist order (CDO) issued by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) stopping the company from operating its direct broadcast satellite service immediately.

In the spirit of fairness, we continue to appeal to the NTC to extend the same privilege given in the past to other companies whose franchises have expired but are currently pending in Congress to continue its operations until a resolution is passed.

We assure our subscribers that we will exhaust all legal remedies to resume our services.

We commit to attend to the concerns of our valued subscribers and partners arising from this decision. We will refund all unconsumed prepaid loads and advance postpaid payments. We appeal to our SKYdirect subscribers and partners for understanding and patience as we undergo this process.”

After all the allegations and false accusations thrown at ABSCBN and its management which had already been addressed under oath and cleared by government officials and institutions – Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Securities and Exchange Commission, Bureau of Internal Revenue; and after the shutting down of the network on May 5 because of Congress’ failure to conduct hearings on its renewal despite allowing other broadcast entities to continue operations while franchise hearings were ongoing and pending, the Duterte Administration is now focusing on yet another angle: Cable TV operators’ opposition to ABS-CBN’s franchise application, insisting on a supposed “one franchise, one channel” rule.”

What is mind-boggling is that during the hearing on Monday, June 29 the NTC admitted that ABS-CBN Corp. did NOT violate the terms of its old franchise when it introduced multiple programs through its TV Plus digital boxes.

NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba told a joint congressional hearing on ABS-CBN’s application for a new operating

franchise that digital television technology allows broadcast franchise holders to provide up to 6 programs using a single 6 MHz frequency. “Insofar as 6 programs in 1 channel is concerned, okay po yun (they’re okay),” he said.

When asked by Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin to clarify if ABS-CBN’s previous 25-year franchise contained any provision that prohibited the operation of multiple programs, Cordoba said digital TV was not yet available when the franchise was granted in 1995 through Republic Act No. 7966. “Baka hindi po yun na-forsee ng RA 7966,” he said as reported by ABS-CBN News.

Dissecting the previous franchise of ABS-CBN, Laguna Representative Sol Aragones noted that it mentioned “frequency” and not “channel.” Cordoba concurred and explained in the hearing how advances in digital TV technology allowed the more efficient use of an existing frequency.

As ABS-CBN News reported, “Congressmen blocking the network’s application for a new franchise have accused the network of illegally introducing payper-view features in its TV Plus units.”

Despite affirming ABS-CBN did not violate any laws nor any provision in the previous franchise, Cordoba said the NTC had asked the network not to offer PPV until it released guidelines for the conditional access system.

But Rep. Garbin was quick to ask: “But if there’s no regulation, would you consider that there’s a violation of any law? An activ-

ity that has not been regulated, would you consider that there’s a violation even if it’s not regulated?”

To this Cordoba replied that ABS-CBN should have waited for the implementing rules from NTC. If found to have indeed committed a violation, ABS-CBN can be fined P200 for every unauthorized offer of PPV, under the Public Service Act, he said, as reported by ABS-CBN News.

But echoing Rep. Garbin’s point, what law was violated?

Why punish ABS-CBN and the Filipino people dependent on the network for news, information and entertainment especially during the pandemic?

Is it the network’s fault that the government has lagged behind and got sucked in analog while ABS-CBN has ushered the use of digital technology in the country?

Isn’t it ironic that the Philippine government once praised ABS-CBN for keeping pace with “rapidly evolving technologies” in a document that outlined the country’s shift to digital TV technology”?

A 2014 National Telecommunications Commission circular also “encouraged” broadcasters to introduce new programs, including those in HD format, “in addition to the analog legacy program”.

Digital Vs Analog This was how ABS-CBN News reported on such transition from analog to digital: The Framework of the DTTB Migration Plan, which seeks to complete the transition from analog to digital transmission by 2023, described ABS-CBN as “the largest multimedia network

in the country,” citing its “humble beginnings” and “undeniable successes” over 60 years.

DTTB refers to digital terrestrial television broadcasting, which provides viewers with “enhanced TV picture and sound quality” while allowing broadcasters to offer “broader” programs and services.

In 2013, the Philippine government picked the Japanese standard for such digital technology, owing to its lower cost and an emergency warning system.

“In the face of changing governments, despite natural disasters, and amid rapidly evolving technologies, ABS-CBN remains steadfast in its commitment to serve the Filipino,” the October 2017 document said.

“The organization is continuously evolving to provide better service through radio, free TV, digital terrestrial TV, cable TV, film, movie, music, publishing, online, events, licensed products, cash remittance, and various advocacies.”

What is the true intention of the Duterte administration in shutting down the digital transmission of ABS-CBN programs, given how limited its audience reach is at the moment? Whose interest is the NTC really serving? *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos.

Reach back to your roots but grow new fruits

Street Talk

young FilAms may still be struggling with.

GReG B. MacaBenta I HAD an interesting exchange on social media with a good friend, over the issues of “colonial mentality” and “assimilation.” My friend stated, with a hint of sarcasm, “Forgive me If I seem to relate more to the American culture and way of life unlike some of my close friends that came to America when they are fully grown and find it difficult to assimilate, I did not have the luxury of bringing the colonial mentality with me to use as a crutch.

I don’t think myself as a minority but simply an American.”

Sensing the patronizing tone, I responded, “By the way a ‘colonial mentality’ is not a ‘luxury.’ It is a manifestation of an inferiority complex.”

It was then that I recalled a speech I delivered before FilAm students in Maryland in the mid90s, on the subject of “assimilation” and the seeming conflict between being “Pinoy” and being “Kano,” an issue that today’s

(Speech delivered at the University of Maryland at College Park before members of the Filipino Cultural Association, a student organization) When our family came to the United States, our children had many of the wonderful traits that a traditional Filipino upbringing develops. Respect for elders. A closeness with members of the family, including those several layers removed. Pride in the country of their birth.

Oh, yes, they also had many of the unhealthy values that the same Filipino upbringing infects you with. They thought that doing manual labor was demeaning. That waiting at tables, washing dishes and doing the laundry was only for the lowly.

That it was normal to be served hand and foot by maids. That they were more equal than others and could jump the line or get ahead of the pack by pulling strings.

One of the best things that happened to our children in America, aside from the educa-

tion that they received, was a reorientation of values: learning the dignity of honest labor and the virtue of self-sufficiency, and taking pride in getting ahead based on one’s talents and skills, rather than on padrinos and connections.

Yes, all of our children waited at tables while going through college. And they are proud of it.

For many years, we lived on the eastern shore of Maryland, in the small town of Cambridge, a crab-oyster-corn-and-soya community. There were only two Filipino families in that town: mine and that of my elder sister.

The children went through high school with American schoolmates and neighbors. Their friends would spend weekends at the house and were exposed to our Pinoy ways, as we were exposed to theirs.

The result was that their American friends learned to eat rice and native Filipino dishes and they also learned to eat with fork and spoon. To this day, many of these young Marylanders still visit us in San Francisco and are treated like members of the fam-

ily - for such is the Filipino way.

Our children, on the other hand, all learned to work with their hands, to do things for themselves, to stand proud and confident alongside their American friends, to compete with them on equal terms in academics and sports, and to be every bit the teenage Americans that their new environment had made of them.

Over time, our four children ceased being the young Filipinos that we brought over many years ago. They changed. Today, they are a shadow of what they were back in the Philippines.

What have they become? Suffice it to say that how they define themselves is not as important as the upright, respectful, selfconfident, affectionate individuals that my wife and I know them to be.

We certainly do not regret that they are different from their mother and myself and different, too, from their childhood friends back in the Philippines. This is what the development of the species is all about.

On the other hand, we are glad that in a multiethnic and

multicultural society such as this, they recognize that they are fortunate to have Filipino roots to reach back to and American dreams to reach up for.

I would like to believe that you who are members of the Filipino Cultural Association have metamorphosed in a similar way. I advise you not to feel any guilt for not being as Pinoy as your old folks nor feel any inferiority for not being as “Kano” as your Anglo friends.

I encourage you to enrich your lives with the finest portions of the American pie. In science and technology, in culture and the arts, in business and trade, and in its relations with the rest of the world there is much to be admired and learned in America.

Those of you who are Americans should stand proudly as citizens of this great country.

At the same time, I suggest that you immerse yourselves in Philippine history, culture and traditions so that you can also speak proudly of your antecedents.

In this regard, take pride and participate in the celebration in 1998 of the first centennial of

the declaration of Philippine independence – a courageous act undertaken in the face of threats from colonial powers, Spain and the United States.

Take pride, too, in the fact that natives of Las Islas Filipinas were crossing the Pacific Ocean to the New World over half a century before the Mayflower traversed the Atlantic, and that Filipinos, especially those in California, played a role in the making of these United States.

There is one last thing that I would like to suggest to you. In the same manner that, through the Filipino Cultural Association, you are nurturing in America the best part of your Filipino-ness, I urge you to visit the land of your parents and to introduce back home the best of your American-ness.

And never try to be what you are not, nor bewail what you cannot be. Don’t waste your time pondering whether you are American enough or Filipino enough. To paraphrase that advertising slogan for the US Army – simply be the best you can be. (gregmacabenta@hotmail. com)

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

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NTC orders ABS-CBN to halt Sky Direct operations

No. 7966, Sky Cable Corporation no longer has a valid and subsisting congressional franchise MANILA, Philippines — The to install, operate and maintain National Telecommunications a Direct Broadcast Satellite SerCommission (NTC) on Tuesday vice,” the Commission said. ordered Sky Cable CorporaNTC also asked Sky Cable to tion – a subsidiary of embattled explain within 10 days why its television giant ABS-CBN – to radio frequencies should not be “immediately cease and desist recalled for lack of the necessary operating” its direct broadcast congressional franchise. satellite (DBS) service, Sky DiIt likewise ordered Sky Cable rect. to refund all subscribers with In its order, NTC pointed out unconsumed prepaid loads, that the franchise granted to Sky deposits on subscriber equipCable by virtue of Republic Act ment and services, advance No. 7969 has expired on May 4. payments for monthly charges, “Upon the expiration of R.A. and charges collected from new

by Darryl John

EsguErra

Inquirer.net

applicants.

Sky Cable has entered into a Transponder Lease Agreement with New Skies Satellites B.V. for the lease of satellite capacity to Sky Cable for the operation of its DBS service and was assigned radio frequencies 14421-14457 MHz and 12673-12709MHz. NTC’s cease and desist order was signed by NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba, and Deputy Commissioners Edgardo Cabarios and Delilah Deles.

On May 5, NTC ordered ABSCBN to stop operations after its legislative franchise expired on May 4. n

12 fishers missing after sea collision by anna lEah

gonzalEs ManilaTimes.net

STRATEGIC FORESIGN NEEDED FOR FUTURE OF EDUCATION. Senator Pia S. Cayetano said a good example of Futures Thinking is the Department of Science and Technology’s initiative four years ago to develop 132 self-learning modules on science and math subjects for grade schoolers.

Senate photo

Filipinos willing to try domestic tourism within months of quarantine lifting – survey by rosEttE

aDEl

Philstar.com

MANILA — Majority of Filipinos are willing to travel within the country once restrictions are lifted, a survey report released on Monday, June 29 suggested.

At least 77% of the respondents of a local online survey that seeks to define the “new normal” expressed their willingness to travel domestically even in the absence of a proven vaccine against COVID-19.

On the other hand, the survey results also showed greater domestic confidence on the probability of domestic travel within six months from lifting restrictions compared to international travel.

The Department of Tourism released the results of the “Philippine Travel Survey: Insights on Filipino Travel Behavior PostCOVID 19” during a webinar on Monday.

Around 48% of the respondents said they are willing to travel to local tourist destinations within six months from the lifting of quarantine measures while only 26% said they are expecting to travel internationally during the same period.

Meanwhile, leisure travel still remains the primary reason for travel.

More than half of the respondents, 53%, said they would travel for vacation or leisure while 43% will visit family and friends. Respondents also said they would travel for business or work (32%), medical or health reasons (21%) and school or education reasons (18%).

Among the top destinations travelers said they would visit after the quarantine are Boracay, Siargao and Baguio.

Travel goes digitial “The majority of the respondents also prefer activities they deem ‘safe’ with limited face-toface interaction. Top travel activities that are high on their minds are beach trips, road trips, and ‘staycations’ at 69, 54, and 41 percent, respectively,” the Department of Tourism said.

The DOT added that travel plans also shifted to going digital as 72% of respondents said they plan on directly and independently booking travel arrangements with establishments online.

“Nearly half of the respondents will also go with online travel agencies and aggregators,” it added.

The survey revealed that Filipinos are expecting tourism establishments would also go digital under the new normal and implement self-service processes such as contactless check-in and electronic payments.

Safety remains priority Aside from pivot to digital booking and arrangement, majority of the respondents said they prefer to prioritize their health and safety.

At least 88% expressed their willingness to comply with existing health and safety protocols, such as undergoing rapid COVID-19 tests prior to departure and submitting a medical certificate before traveling.

“Many said they would only feel comfortable taking their trips once a reliable anti-COVID19 vaccine or treatment becomes available, and when the situation in the country gets better,” the DOT also said.

The online travel survey that was answered by 12,732 respondents across 81 provinces in the country was launched mid-May. It is a joint project of the DOT, the Asian Institute of Management Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism, and Guide to the Philippines.

Domestic tourism to lead tourism industry recovery The report said that the survey results showed that domestic tourism will lead the recovery of the tourism industry.

“With the closure of international borders, the return of foreign tourists is expected to be slow and gradual. A possible silver lining for the tourism industry lies with domestic travelers, as the survey results indicate their quick return to leisure travel once restrictions are lifted,” it said.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said that the DOT believes in “a collaborative approach to recovery.”

“The survey, which was distributed online, sought the sentiments and concerns that respondents have concerning domestic travel in light of the pandemic, in order to provide insights to tourism enterprises to better prepare, respond, and serve guests and tourists again,” Puyat said.

Traveling for leisure will only be allowed under modified general community quarantine areas.

Last June 16, the country’s top tourist destination opened its doors to tourists from the West-

UN rights chief notes intimidation...

PAGE A5 Kingdom, Ireland and Iceland.

While these countries acknowledged the Philippines’ improvement in giving universal access to health care and the protection of economic and social rights, they still raised concerns over the findings of the said report.

“Canada supports the report’s call for prompt impartial, thorough, and transparent investigation into all cases of death and alleged violations of human rights.

We are also deeply troubled by the increasing criticism and intimidation of the press and the deliberate targeting of human rights defenders and journalists,” Canada’s representative told the council.

“In a democracy, human rights defenders and journalists must be able to do their work freely and without the fear of reprisal,” Canada added.

Finland’s representative, who spoke on behalf of the Nordic countries, said the guilty verdict of Ressa and Santos was “particularly worrying.”

“We share the High Commissioner’s concern outlined in the report on the killings committed in the context of the so-called war on drugs as well as that of human rights defenders, journalists, ongoing threats to freedom of expression and media freedom with

legal charges and prosecutions being brought against journalists and senior politicians critical of the government as well as actions to shut down media outlets,” Finland said.

The United Kingdom, likewise, stressed that journalists should be able to do their job “without fear of reprisal.”

“The UK remains strongly committed to supporting human rights defenders, land-rights activists and journalists including in the Philippines. They should be able to operate without fear of reprisal. The UK welcomes the steps taken by the government of the Philippines to address the impunity of the killings of journalists in the Ampatuan massacre case,” the UK’s representative said.

“The UK’s concerned about the continuing cases against Rappler and its CEO Maria Ressa and noted the recent closure of ABSCBN,” UK added.

Ireland further underscored that freedom of expression and opinion, whether online and offline, “are essential cornerstones of democracy.”

“We urge the government to take swift action to ensure that the media and civil society, including human rights defenders, can freely carry out their work without interference,” Ireland’s representative said. n

ern Visayas region.

Puyat said reopening of tourist spots will be gradual as safety of the public remains a priority.

She also said the DOT is looking into the possibility of tapping countries with zero to low COVID-19 cases to visit equally COVID-free destinations in the country through “travel bubbles” or COVID-19 corridors once all safety measures are implemented in tourist hubs. n

TWELVE Filipino fishermen were reported missing after a sea collision with MV Vienna Wood, a Hong Kong-flagged cargo vessel.

The incident happened 14.57 nautical miles southwest of La Playa Resort in Tayamaan, Mamburao in Occidental Mindoro, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Sunday, June 28.

The fishermen were aboard Liberty 5 operated by the Irma Shipping and Trading Inc. and were bound for the Navotas fishport in Metro Manila from Tawi-Tawi.

MV Vienna Wood had left Subic, Zambales for Australia. This undated photo, released by the Philippine Coast Guard, shows fishing boat Liberty 5 after Based on an initial report, the it collided with a cargo ship registered in Hong Kong early on Sunday, June 28.

Photo courtesy of the Philippine Coast Guard crew were allegedly trapped inside a compartment of the accident. the cargo vessel to the Batanfishing boat as a result of the Meanwhile, the PCG escorted gas Port. n

The

Asian Journal

mdwk The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - July 1, 2020

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Two Pinays reappointed to key Los Angeles boards serving the city’s 4 million residents by

Christina M. Oriel / AJPress

TWO Filipina American commissioners have been reappointed to five-year terms on Los Angeles boards that handle critical infrastructure programs and utility services for the city’s 4 million residents.

The LA City Council unanimously voted for Jessica Caloza to serve five more years on the Board of Public Works, while Susana Reyes will continue with the Board of Water and Power Commission.

Both women — who have been in their positions since 2019 after being nominated separately by Mayor Eric Garcetti — were virtually sworn-in by the City Clerk in mid-June due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A year of ‘firsts’ Caloza, who became the first Pinay to sit on the board in March 2019, is one of five fulltime executive members who oversee projects and programs, such as construction and sanitation. She specifically handles the Bureau of Engineering, which deals with infrastructure plans. “It’s an incredible privilege to serve as the first Filipina American on the Board of Public Works. Mayor Garcetti has always been a champion of diversity and inclusion — he wants to make sure underrepresented communities are at the table and the Board of Public Works is a testament to that.

I’m grateful for the opportunity

to continue serving my community and my city,� she told the Asian Journal.

As a first-generation immigrant from the Philippines, she recalls relying on public programs in Los Angeles and how they have shaped her priorities as a public official. “My goals are and have always been to empower the community, advance equity, and champion inclusion. I’m committed to making sure our communities are supported and those facing barriers to access and resources have what they need to succeed,� Caloza said. “English is my second language so barriers to our Limited English Proficient (LEP) population hit close to home for me. One of my goals is to provide more language access to our city services so we can better help our immigrant communities.�

Caloza spent her first year in the position marking milestones in the Filipino American community and the city itself, including the first roundtable discussion for women in construction and expanding opportunities for minority groups to do business with the city.

Another goal has been to continue promoting culture in the city’s public spaces. Last October, she hosted the Filipino American History Month Lighting Ceremony and Celebration at City Hall alongside fellow Fil-Ams in the Garcetti

The Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to confirm Jessica Caloza to the Board of Public Works on March 19, 2019, and she was reappointed in June 2020. Prior to the council meeting last year, Caloza and LA Mayor Eric Garcetti held a reception with local Fil-Am community members.

Jessica Caloza, commissioner of the LA Board of Public Works AJPress photo by Noel Ty

Board of Public Works Commissioner Jessica Caloza, Department of Building and Safety Commissioner Jocelyn Gaega-Rosenthal, Board of Water and Power Commissioner Susana Reyes, and Deputy Mayor for Budget and Innovation Miguel Sangalang pose before lighting City Hall up in Philippine flag colors in October 2019.

Photo by Jon Duede / Streets LA

administration, Commissioner Reyes Deputy Mayor Miguel Sangalang.

Over 200 Fil-Ams representing local government, businesses and community organizations as the iconic city building was illuminated in yellow, blue, crimson red and white to represent the Philippine flag. “In order to reimagine a

more equitable city, our public spaces should celebrate the contributions and diversity of our communities,� Caloza said.

This past June, Caloza, along with Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, announced the Historic Filipinotown Eastern Gateway Project along Beverly Boulevard as a landmark structure welcoming visitors to the neighborhood.

Susana Reyes, a 32-year veteran in LA City, is the first Pinay and retiree to serve the Board of Water and Power Commissioners.

Designed by Fil-Am artist Eliseo Art Silva — whose work includes the “Gintong Kasaysayan� mural in HiFi’s Unidad Park — the renderings of the gateway named, “Talang Gabay: Our Guiding Star,� show a teal gateway with yellow sides bearing symbols including, the parol (star-shaped lantern), the gumamela (hibiscus flower), and the sarimanok (a legend-

ary bird in Maranao art that symbolizes good fortune).

The gateway will honor the history and legacy of Filipino Americans to the city as well as the contributions of health care front-liners during the pandemic.

An estimated 10,000 Filipino Americans continue to reside in the neighborhood, Continued on Page 2

Allan K’s Zirkoh, Klownz bow down after near-20-year Stars turn emotional due to anxiety run due to coronavirus woes over ABS-CBN franchise renewal

entertainment

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - July 1, 2020

fans mourned both the “end of an era” as well as the loss of livelihood of many of the sister establishments’ employees, inSISTER comedy bars Zirkoh cluding their prized comedians, and Klownz, both enduring production assistants, makecultural landmarks that have up artists, stylists, waiters and shaped Quezon City’s night other staff. scene, are finally closing shop Lazaro’s fellow resident as the latest economic victims stand-up comics Boobsie and of the novel coronavirus disease Gladys Guevarra likewise of2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that fered their condolences to their has shut down countless busihome. nesses worldwide.

“Nakakalungkot mang Actor and mainstay perisipin, pero ganon talaga ang former Phillip Lazaro broke the buhay...hindi akalain nang tragic news Tuesday, June 30, dahil sa virus na kinatakutan wishing the best for the Klownz at pumatay ng libu-libong and Zirkoh family for years of tao. Maraming pinalungkot, their unique service to Filipino ginutom, sinira at winasak na audiences. pangarap! Pero ang lahat ng ito “Sa aking mga kasama at ay PAGSUBOK lamang! Kung kapatid sa Klownz at Zirkoh, let gaano tayo katatag,” Boobsie During recent separate media teleconferences, ‘Love Thy Woman’ stars Yam Concepcion (left), Chrisus all say a little prayer for one reassured her followers. topher de Leon (bottom right) and ‘Paano Kita Pasasalamatan’ host Judy Ann Santos try to hold back another and hug each other in Meanwhile, Gladys said tears as they recall their lockdown life and ABS-CBN’s shutdown. our hearts. Sa aming mga napTV host and comedian Allan K Photos screengrabbed from Youtube/ABS-CBN atawa at napasaya sa mga lumiPhoto from Instagram/@allan_klownz that Klownz and Zirkoh bared witness to many events in her pas na taon, the pleasure was emotional. healthy. At tama, nakakain declare bankruptcy due to the life and expressed gratitude to definitely ours.

Sa aming mga “I feel grateful because I’m kami sa oras ng mga anak Allan K for believing in her. boss, Sir Lito at A.K., thanks for long-term uncertainty brought alive, my family’s together, I ko... Ngayon ko na-realize by the coronavirus crisis, effecA longtime cashier and the opportunity.

Marami pong breathe fresh air. I feel grateful ang mga mahahaling sapatos, tively seeing the end of Klownz’ bartender also offered his salamat sa inyong lahat at sa na nakakain kami, walang nagbag, ‘di mahalaga. Ngayon ko and Zirkoh’s near two-decade respects to Klownz and Zirkoh uulitin. B O W,” Lazaro said. kakasakit sa’min. I thank the naramadaman na mahal ako run. for serving as his home for over Television host and the Lord,” Ruffa Gutierrez said. ng pamilya ko. Ang dami lang In an outpouring of support, a decade. bars’ owner Allan K decided to “First time na nagbreak talagang ipagpasamalamat. down ako nu’ng nag-shutdown Dapat lang maging thankful ka, ang ABS - bilib na bilib ako sa small or big blessings man ang lahat ng mga taga-ABS,” she dumating.” added.

Yam Concepcion also broke “Kahit anong tests lahat into tears, saying: “Honestly, malalampasan,” Zsa Zsa Padilla I’m a little lost.” positively said. “‘Di ba sa movies lang ito Sunshine Cruz, on the other nangyayari? But thankful ako hand, said that she realized na buhay ako, na healthy ang that she’s blessed because her family ko at may communicaloved ones are all safe despite tion pa rin. Walang trabaho ng the pandemic. three months but very appre“Blessed ako kasi lahat ciative ang pamilya satin,” a ng mahal sa buhay ko, very teary-eyed Eula Valdez said.

By ratziel

San Juan Philstar.com

By Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

KAPAMILYA celebrities tried to hold back tears and admitted to breaking down due to ABS-CBN shutdown as well as for missing their old lives that were put into hold due to novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

In a virtual press conference of her show “Paano Kita Mapapasalamatan,” Judy Ann Santos said she misses the real taping setup, most expecially her friends, cast and crew.

“Alam mo siguro ‘yung mga kaibigan namin, ‘yung makapagpasalamat talaga sa kanila.

Alam mo ‘yung realization na pag natapos talaga lahat ng ito at pwede ko nang yakapin ang mga mahal ko sa buhay, every single time na makikita ko sila, yayakapin ko at magpapasalamat ako ng bonggang bongga kasi hindi mo na talaga alam ang mangyayari sa kinabukasan,” she said while wiping tears.

“I miss my friends, I miss my team, I miss everyone.

Namimiss kong makipag-interact sa actual set. Namimiss kong tumawa, namimiss kong magpa-Starbucks para sa lahat.

‘Yung ‘pag gusto mong maging happy ang ibang tao, magpapabili ako ng pagkain, gusto kong binubusog ang team ko,” she added.

In a separate media teleconference with Philstar.com and other press, “Love Thy Woman” actresses also became

New things Liza discovered Two Pinays reappointed to... about boyfriend Quen

Rendering illustrates the Historic Filipinotown Eastern Gateway Project, named “Talang Gabay: Our Guiding Star,” which is set to be constructed this year.

Photo courtesy of the Office of Councilmember Mitch O’ Farrell

By Marinel

Cruz

Inquirer.net

“HE thinks he is not good enough all the time,” said actress Liza Soberano when Inquirer Entertainment asked her what she discovered about real-life boyfriend and love team partner Enrique Gil while

on lockdown.

“I recently found out that Quen [Enrique’s nickname] has a talent for photography, which I never knew. I only discovered this because there were photo shoots that we had to do at home [for Star Magic’s ‘Lockdown Portraits’],” said the other half of

the popular onscreen tandem LizQuen.

“At first I was doing it on my own because Quen said he doesn’t know how to take pictures. It came to a point when I was getting frustrated because it’s really hard to shoot yourself and get the right Continued on Page 3

From Page 1 while over 600,000 Fil-Ams are said to live in the greater Los Angeles area, as previously reported by the Asian Journal.

Prior to the Board of Public Works, Caloza had served as director of scheduling for Garcetti since 2017 after a stint as deputy director of scheduling and a member of the Office of Immigrant Affairs, where she managed policy proposals, grant programs, and civic engagement initiatives focused on expanding access to resources for immigrant communities.

With the next five years to help shape LA’s infrastructure, Caloza urged community members to complete the U.S. Census, which determines how much federal funding will be allocated to local schools, hospitals, roads and other public works projects.

“Another way to stay engaged is to get involved in a local community-based organization. The city works hand-in-hand with our community partners and it’s through their advocacy and support that we’re able to make things happen,” she said.

An ‘equitable’ Los Angeles In June 2019, Reyes, a 32year veteran in the city, became the first Pinay and retiree to serve the LA Department of Water and Power (LADWP)’s board of commissioners.

The five-member commission oversees the country’s largest municipal utility by setting policy for the department and voting on utility rates and renewable energy projects.

Reyes previously was the director of the LADWP’s LowIncome Customer Access, a position that helped ensure low-income ratepayers could access financial assistance, discounts, and rebates offered by the utility.

She also served as a senior analyst on Garcetti’s sustainability team, where she oversaw the implementation of Los Angeles’ first Sustainable City pLAn and helped the City secure a $1.7 million grant from the California Air and Resources Board to help launch BlueLA, an EV car-sharing pilot program in low-income communities.

“I want to be the commissioner who will continue to champion equity and disrupt mediocrity in the ways LADWP does and operationalizes its business,” she told the Asian Journal. “Although LADWP has weathered disruptive periods before, including restructuring, many of the current issues bring challenges for which there is no playbook for guidance. I’m taking notes of best practices and lessons learned as I execute the responsibility entrusted to me.”

In the past year, Reyes’ led the charge to reevaluate the department’s Equity Metrics Data Initiative and how resources are allocated to underserved

Reyes takes her virtual oath of office after being confirmed by the LA City Council in June.

Contributed photo

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti (center) and Jessica Caloza (left) pose with members of the local Fil-Am community in City Hall before Caloza’s confirmation for the Board of Public Works back in March 2019.

AJPress photo by Noel Ty

communities, especially in light of the recent Black Lives Matter protests and the call for leadership positions to address racial equity issues and to reflect the residents they serve.

“I call this as leading from the inside out. Any exploration of implicit bias must be part of a larger conversation about how current inequities came to be, how they are held in place, and what [the] LADWP’s role is in perpetuating inequities despite good intentions,” Reyes said.

With five months into the pandemic, the LADWP’s services remain critical than ever, having to reassure customers that the water is of high quality and safe to drink, and temporarily halting electricity and water shutoffs as many residents, especially in minority communities, have difficulty paying bills on time due to layoffs or other financial concerns related to COVID-19.

“At the onset of the pandemic, I instructed the LADWP to have a plan for customers who have been furloughed or laid off and for businesses who have closed due to the pandemic by issuing a moratorium on shutoffs and educating customers on bill payment plans. I also requested the development of an employee telecommuting on a permanent and on an emergency basis,” Reyes said.

As for what the coming year will look like, Reyes said she will continue championing the

need for more electric vehicle infrastructure and transportation electrification, especially with how the LA Unified School District can transition to electric buses.

“Building electrification is also one of my priorities in line with one of the goals of the mayor’s Green New Deal LA,” she said. “[I will] build adaptation and resiliency in meeting the challenges and opportunities presented by new technologies, expanded customer needs, and more robust public policy and regulations. The renewable energy sector is uniquely primed for expansion and LADWP can and will be a key player.”

Another one of Reyes’ larger goals is to engage the Fil-Ams who work for the department as there are some 600 of them and are an “untapped talent source for leadership positions at LADWP and within the city itself.”

“I came to L.A. as an immigrant with first-hand experience and knowledge about the importance of amplifying diverse voices in their struggles for equal access and opportunities,” she said, adding “As one of their own, I make myself accessible to their issues and concerns to the best that I can.

I also want to foster partnerships with Filipino organizations that share common interests in business improvements, civic participation, community outreach, and political leadership opportunities.”

Catching up with Benjamin P. Asilo Inquirer.net

entertainment

By Rito

IT’S part of Benjamin Alves’ nature not to let something as artistically stultifying as the quarantine make him unproductive. So when he isn’t catching up on the K-dramas that everybody is talking about, or belatedly getting on the “Game of Thrones” bandwagon, he works out to keep fit and even continue to work, as this quick chat reveals.

We’ve always enjoyed our occasional chats with Ben. It’s not so much because of his ability to express himself eloquently (this Guam-raised English lit major is a summa cum laude grad, after all), but also because our interviews with him have always been devoid of “nonanswers” or guarded replies.

Ben makes our chats feel like we’re just shooting the breeze—whether when we’re discussing how he comes up with the lovely verses of selfpenned poems, or what his thoughts are about the latest superhero movies and the direction their stories are taking.

It’s been a tough and grueling time for many Filipinos since the start of the lockdown in March, so we decided to check up on how this heartthrob with “beauty,” brains and brawn is doing.

Here’s our Q&A catchup with Ben: How did you keep yourself busy or productive during the lockdown?

We created “How Do You Feel: Usapang Artista,” so that takes up much of our time.

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - July 1, 2020

Former ‘Idol Philippines’ contestant Miguel comes out

By KRissy

AguilAR Inquirer.net

Benjamin Alves

It’s a roundtable discussion where Kapuso actors exchange thoughts about acting and the entertainment industry, including their approach toward their craft, forms of expression, innovative improvisations and experiences in show business.

What shows, movies or books entertained you during the period of isolation? What would you recommend?

My K-drama recommendations are “When the Camellia Blooms” and “Itaewon Class.”

Not much reading, but a lot of writing.

FORMER “Idol Philippines” contestant Miguel Odron came out on social media on Tuesday, June 30, as pride month ends.

Odron recounted his “coming out moment” to his family in an Instagram post.

“I’ve never had to come out in my life. My mom just knew.

In college, I fell in love with a boy and brought him home, and that was that. No questions asked. The news spread in my family, so I never really got to experience that big coming-out moment. Until now I guess,” Odron said.

While he was never ashamed of being gay, Odron said he purposefully did not Photo from Instagram/@benjaminxalves share his sexuality when he joined Idol Philippines so peoAre you ready to go back to work in the “new normal”? ple would focus on his talent more.

What did you miss about “When I joined Idol Philshow biz during the long lull? ippines, I made a conscious Yes, I am. I miss the peochoice with the producers of the ple, I miss our set, I miss the show not to address my sexualrelationships you gain from ity. To be clear, I’ve never been working on set. ashamed of being gay,” Odron What places do you want said. to go to when the travel ban “I made that choice on Idol is lifted? not because I wanted to present I want to go to Guam. I’d a fake version of myself to all like to visit my mom for my dad’s birthday and would have of you, but because I wanted loved to be there to commem- your focus to be on my voice, orate their anniversary this end my music, and my writing,” he shared. of June.

The singer also expressed

Miguel Odron

thanks to some fans who have supported him along the way.

“If you’ve supported me and you feel hurt reading this or you feel lied to, I am sorry that you feel this way and I am still so thankful for the support all of you have given,” Odron said.

“I wanna make it clear that I

Photo from Instagram/@miguelodron

never lied about my sexuality, I never pretended to be straight.

I chose to stay quiet about a very small but very personal part of me. I am still the same person,” he went on.

Odron was among the top five contestants in “Idol Philippines” that aired in 2019.

PH talents continue to win int’l awards By geoRge

VAil KABRistAnte ManilaTimes.net

THERE’S no stopping the Philippine movie industry in claiming awards bestowed on them from all parts of the globe amid the volatile COVID-19 pandemic.

The most recent recipient of an international award is actor Richard Quan who is now considered a seasoned actor since first appearing in movies in the 1980s.

He was handed an Award of Merit for Best Actor for “SpiEnchong dee in his podcast, “The Budgetarian.” P

hoto screengrabbed from Youtube/Enchong Dee

Enchong laments cutting of ‘old beautiful trees’ in Baguio By iAn

Biong

Inquirer.net

ACTOR Enchong Dee criticized the cutting of 54 trees this month for the development of a condominium in Baguio City.

Dee, who has been vocal on social issues in the country, said the move goes against the global environmental

movement to counter climate change.

“This is what happens when you [allow] backwards leadership rule,” the actor said on Twitter on Monday, June 29.

“While the whole world is trying to fight climate change, here we are cutting old beautiful trees that well… hmmm… [provide] us oxygen to [breathe].”

Dee’s tweet was in response to the developer having secured the necessary permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The developer has since given 10,800 seedlings of Benguet pine to Baguio’s local DENR units to replace the lost trees and to support the city’s regreening program.

New things Liza discovered...

From Page 2 timing every time,” recalled Liza. “I eventually gave in and asked him, ‘Can you help me please?’ He tried and we realized that he’s really good at it.

He just overthinks himself.”

The couple obviously got to spend a lot of time together while under quarantine, as evident in the videos uploaded on Enrique’s vlog as well as on the TikTok account of his younger sister Andie.

“He is also good at cooking. He’s been helping me cook and bake during quarantine,” beamed the proud girlfriend. “Quen is also very good with kids. My sister [3year-old Raine] is obsessed with him; my niece Lily [1 year old], too.”

Liza then said she felt sad that their teleserye, “Make It With You,” which was doing pretty well, ratings-wise, had to be discontinued due to the pandemic—just when it was getting to the most exciting part of the series. “As most of the viewer saw, our characters were just starting to fall in love with each other again,” she explained. “For me, that’s the most interesting part because that’s what the viewers were really waiting to happen, how their love journey would have developed and blossomed into forever.”

When asked how well she was coping with being stuck at home, Liza said, “I initially I thought it would only take a month and then we’d go back to normal, so I treated that whole month as a break from work; a time for me to

Liza Soberano with Enrique Gil

exercise, read books—which I didn’t really get to do often before because I was reading scripts most of the time—and to do other things with my family. When taping, I don’t get to see them as often as I like.”

But after a month, Liza admitted that “it’s when it got harder, because we’re not used to being locked in our houses for a long time.”

She explained: “There were uncertainties. We didn’t know what the real situation was.

We were merely relying on what’s being said to us, on what’s in the news. We didn’t really know what the real situation was.”

Liza said she also felt afraid at this point. “Of course when you look back from all the

Photo from Instagram/@lizasoberano

pandemics that have happened in the world, they were really scary,” she told Inquirer Entertainment. “I have a lot of family members in the US and I don’t know how they’re doing. It’s scary knowing that they’re at risk, just like I am here, and that I won’t be able to do anything about it.”

Liza further noted people’s inability to travel abroad because of the lockdown. “I can’t fly to them,” said the actress, whose American mother and other siblings are based in the United States. “I can’t be with them to help them go through whatever they may be going through. It’s also hard because there’s no physical contact anymore. I don’t know, but it’s just different seeing people up close and in person.”

derman’s Man “ by Accolade Global Film Competition 2020, which also won Best Feature Film and Best Director for director Ruben Soriquez, a multiaward winning Italian Filpino actor-director.

The Accolade Global award was established in 2003 and is currently on its 17th year. It is not a traditional film festival, but rather a unique hybrid awards competition with seasonal deadlines.

MovieMaker Magazine included the Accolade Global among the Top 25 Festivals

worth the entry fee and regards it as a top-tier prestigious global film competition. Some of its previous winners have won the Oscars, Emmys and Tellys.

To recall, Richard got his first acting award as Best New Male Actor for Movies from the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) for the Dawn ZuluetaRichard Gomez starrer “Saan Ka Man Naroroon” under director Carlitos Siguion-Reyna. He played the other man to Dawn’s character.

Richard says he had to go Continued on Page 4

entertainment

Minding Your Finances

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - July 1, 2020

PH talents continue to win int’l...

From Page 3 through a crash acting workshop under veteran-deceased actor Ray Ventura before he auditioned for the movie and luckily got the role. This was through the facilitation of his discoverermanager, dearly departed Ed Pacheco, then Lifestyle Section

editor of broadsheet Manila Chronicle.

The PMPC award paved more acting trophies for Richard, namely two Best Supporting Actor Awards for director Hubert Tubi’s “1957” from To Farm Festival, and Subic International Film Festival, respectively;

Atty. RAymond BulAon

and another Best Supporting Actor for JM Nebres’ “Ampunan”from the Gawad Sining Film Festival.

He bagged two more Best Actor Awards, namely for director Nestor Malgapo, Jr.’s “Kapayapaan sa Gitna ng Digmaan” from Singkuento International Film Festival and the EuropeanPhilippines International Film Festival.

Interestingly, Richard is an Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) member. He was predated by the departed iconic and co-religious celebrities, namely singer Rico Puno a teenage heartthrob Joel Alano who would have been in his mid-50s by now.

Richard along with other INC actors have successfully conquered show business with commendable performances, respectability and durability in the industry. Among them are GMA Network’s shining newbie Ruru Madrid, seasonedactors John Regala, Gladys Reyes, Snooky Serna, and Jaclyn Jose, who was the first Filipino to win the Best Actress Award at the Cannes International Film Festival.

Proud of all of them, Richard also mentioned INC’s iconic director of action films William Mayo who is known for his multiple award-winning film “Lapu-Lapu.” Mayo is also the incumbent president of Kapisanan ng mga Direktor Sa Pelikulang Pilipino.

Richard Quan is definitely going places along with these fellow INC movie talents. Congratulations!

THE word “bankruptcy” is packed with all sorts of negative emotional triggers.

It sounds bad — even dirty. It’s embarrassing. (What if people find out?!) People paint ugly pictures of what their lives will look like postbankruptcy.

But it’s not true.

Bankruptcy is an opportunity to close one chapter of your life and open a new chapter — a better chapter.

In this new chapter of your life, you get to make choices without the constant pressure of creditors breathing down your back. Your days will feel easier, your responsibili-

Why most people are scared of bankruptcy

ties more manageable, and your choices more abundant.

How’s that for a change?

To make the most of this new chapter, though, you have to face your fears. What I mean by “facing your fears” is this: Instead of worrying about how your bankruptcy will impact your life, make a plan so that you are in control. Intentionally set a course of action to make sure that your bankruptcy does not negatively impact your life.

What does “facing your fears” look like? Below are some practical suggestions that might help.

Number 1: Start by making a list of all the things you are worried about with respect to your bankruptcy.

This is important because

it gives you the power to begin taking action steps to mitigate this fear. If the fear exists in your mind, but you have not put it to paper, you will continue ruminating about all of the what-ifs. This will cause your feelings of fear to intensify.

Instead, make a simple list of your fears. This list might include things like: I am worried that my friends and my family will find out.

I am worried that my boss will find out.

I am worried that I will not qualify for loans or credit cards.

I am worried about my credit score.

I am worried that I will be Continued on Page 5

Photos from Facebook/Wendell Ramos

Wendell becomes certified firefighter

By Ryan

aRcadio

Inquirer.net

Richard Quan

EMPLOYMENT

WENDELL Ramos has become a certified firefighter after completing training with the Ang Bumbero ng Pilipinas (ABP) organization.

“It was really an [h]onor to train and be a certified ABP,” he said on his Facebook page last Sunday, June 28, alongside photos from the exercises with the group. “[B]ut to be honest, I need to learn and experience GMA photo more…,” Ramos added. “It’s

EMPLOYMENT

truly a humbling experience for me.” “[A]t sa inyo pong lahat na mga bumbero ng [P]ilipinas.. #saludo po ako sa inyong lahat,” the actor expressed.

(And to all of the firefighters of the Philippines.. I salute you all.)

According to its official Facebook page, ABP is a nongovernment organization “which aims to unite and provide latest information/updates to firefighter groups in the Philippines.”

FOR RENT

SERVICES

Along with Ramos, other celebrities such as Beauty Gonzalez and Arci Muñoz have also undergone training with public safety organizations. Gonzalez underwent exercises with the Special Operations Unit (SOU) of the Philippine National PoliceAviation Security Group, while Muñoz has begun training as a reservist with the Philippine Air Force.

Ramos currently stars in the TV drama “Prima Donnas” alongside Katrina Halili and Aiko Melendez.

Family law issues during the COVID-19 pandemic stress on families. As a result of this stress, marriages may Barrister’s fracture and may result to divorce because the coronavirus Corner crisis is causing many families to experience job loss from the massive layoffs caused by Atty. Kenneth the shutdown of the economy.

UrsUA reyes Financial stress is always one of the big stressors that lead to divorce. Parents are trying THE COVID-19 Pandemic to figure out how they can suphas changed our lives almost port an entire family. overnight. Not only has it Effect of COVID-19 “Stay changed our lives in terms of our daily routine, jobs, lifestyle, at Home Order” on Custody Orders but also our relationship with The stay at home order our family members under the issued by both the City of Los Stay at Home orders in place Angeles and later the State in major cities such as Los of California has stirred a lot Angeles, of confusion among divorced Divorce caused by Finanparents who share custody of cial and Emotional Stress their children. Stay at home China is a few months orders have required California ahead of the US in terms of residents to remain at home, the impact of this pandemic except if they need to go out on families. Statistics show that the number of couples filing for divorce in China is reportedly way up after long periods of COVID 19-related confinement. This gives us a glimpse of the months to come after the stay at home order has been lifted.

The rapid spread of the corona virus has destabilized every household particularly those of parents. The closure of schools and childcare facilities has for essential needs such as for created challenges for scores of parents who must figure out groceries, medication or health how to keep their children safe care appointments. People can’t go into work unless they while continuing to work from are in certain essential jobs. home. The current situation The stay-home orders restrict has posed significant chaltravel for unapproved purlenge to parents with existing custody orders. Many parents poses. As a result, divorced parents didn’t know if they are attempting to renegotiwere allowed to travel to bring ate the terms of the existing their children back and forth custody orders at a moment to the other parent during when emotions run high and the Courts are closed for most visitation schedules. There is confusion about whether the hearings.

Most families have roles to stay-at-home order trumped the custody order or whether play for each member of the household such as the parents the court order trumped the stay-at-home order. getting up and going to work Custody and visitation or the child being in school. orders are not affected by stay When these roles are radically at home orders or other order changed in a time that we’re all feeling incredibly stretched restricting movement issued by a governmental entity that emotionally creates major

arises from the COVID-19 pandemic. The stay at home order does not change the existing parent-child custody orders that may be in place. Just the fear of pandemic is not enough to warrant keeping a child from seeing the other parent. If there is an actual threat of harm to the child, the Los Angeles Superior Court is available for ex parte emergency RFO to address these issues. However, parents should attempt to work together first to come up with some kind of temporary agreement that works for both the parents and for the kids that accommodates the problems caused by the pandemic and modify temporarily the existing custody orders as a solution to the current environment. For example, if exercising the father’s alternate weekend visitation exposes the child to other members of the father’s new household, perhaps the parents can temporarily agree to a virtual visitations such as zoom video conferencing, face time, and other apps available that allows the father to see the child and interact the child without exposing the child to the risk of contagion. The Los Angeles Superior Court has been continuing most hearings except for emergency hearings. It would serve the parties best to co-parent and work out a temporary custody agreement which can be turned into a temporary court order.

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

Victims may have also lost their source of income and are having a harder time connecting with their support systems such as the victim’s family. Leaving their situation is much more difficult during the pandemic.

COVID-19 stay at home order in Los Angeles means victims might be stuck with their abus-

Custody and visitation orders are not affected by stay at home orders or other order restricting movement issued by a governmental entity that arises from the COVID-19 pandemic.

community

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - July 1, 2020

Why most people are scared of...

From Page 4 unable to get a job.

Number Two: Now, for each item on the list, make a list of all the things that are within your control that you can do to manage your fears.

For instance, let’s say that you are worried that your friends and your family will find out (which is highly unlikely). What are the things that are within your control that you can do to manage your fears?

You might decide that you will feel better if you tell them directly about your bankruptcy. If this is your decision, you can then go about deciding when and how you will tell them. (Frankly, it’s none of their business, and no one completely understands what it’s like to be in your situation unless they were in your shoes. But I get it. Whether your fears are reasonable or not, they’re real to YOU and unless they are addressed, they can be paralyzing to the point that they stop you from taking action and moving forward with your life.)

On the other hand, you might decide that because friends and family members are unlikely to find out about

your bankruptcy, you will refrain from telling them but, instead, create a plan for responding to their inquiries should they somehow find out (which, again, is highly unlikely).

There is no right or wrong answer here. The important part is that you face your fears and determine what you can do that is within your control to address them. Having a plan will put many of your fears to rest.

What are some of the other things you can do to face your fears? If you are worried about the impact the bankruptcy will have on your credit score, you can learn everything you can about credit-scoring, budgeting, and managing finances so that you feel empowered to make strong financial choices and build a better future for yourself and your family. You can talk to your bankruptcy attorney and ask for tips and advice. You can read books, take courses, or go online and search for free information.

The truth is: People file for bankruptcy all the time, and they go on to live lives that are filled with happi-

ers. Victims might also be losing their job and income. For the most vulnerable people in the community, stay at home order is the same as putting them in a cage with a dangerous creature. Even though there may be an increase in domestic violence during this period, neither law enforcement nor the family courts may hear about the domestic violence and abuse because it is usually the community that reports these incidents when children go to school, when people see their friends, when people are in a situation where other people see what’s going on. Now, teachers, childcare providers and, friends are physically cut off from the people and children they normally are in contact with daily.

In addition, seeing businesses shuttered and pay-

checks halted has put intense pressure and hardship on a growing number of people and families who are becoming increasingly depressed.

Many are self-medicating at home with drugs and alcohol. Add to that scenario the school closures and children and spouses sheltering together at home can create an extremely hostile, even dangerous, environment for many families. It is therefore important for victims to call the police or avail of the Family Courts by filing an application for a restraining order and a kick out order against the perpetrator. The Los Angeles Superior Court is available during this pandemic to issue such emergency orders to protect the victims of domestic violence.

)ROORZ XV RQ

*** Please note that this article is not legal

ness, laughter, and financial security. Your bankruptcy will not be a negative force if you make a proactive decision to face your fears and recover through bankruptcy. If you decide right here and now that your bankruptcy is going to be a positive force, then it will be! If you have not read my book, “What You Need to Know Before Filing Bankruptcy,” you can download it free of charge at www.beforefilingbk.com.

For a free evaluation of your case, please call our office at Toll-Free 1-866-4777772 to schedule a free consultation. Let us help you. *** NOTE: Due to the virus lockdown, I am currently offering consultations via phone or video. Please call the office to schedule your appointment with me. Questions? Email me at gethelp@rjb-lawoffices. com. ***

None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped over 5,000 clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call RJB Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866-477-777.

(Advertising Supplement) 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, APC. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Reyes is a graduate of Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyer’s Association (AILA) and the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Immigration and Family Law Sections. You may contact Atty. Reyes at (213) 388-1611 or via e-mail at kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com.

LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APC. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA. (Advertising Supplement)

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