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Civil

of ‘incomplete’ in

by ALEXIS ROMERO Philstar.com

MANILA — On the eve of his first year in office on Thursday, June 29, President Marcos said he is resigned to being graded “incomplete” for his achievement as agriculture chief but emphasized fulfilling his campaign promises as chief executive “is a work in progress.”

“I saw a report earlier this morning where one of the economists said ‘the grade that I will give the president for agriculture is ‘incomplete.’ I agree with

him. We are not yet done. We still have a lot to do. There are many things that we still need to do,” the president told reporters on the sidelines of the launching of Cebuana Lhuillier Kanegosyo Center in Parañaque. He did not name the economist.

“We have to undo 30, 35, almost 40 years of neglect when it comes to the agricultural sector. And the agricultural sector still occupies the most fundamental part of our economy,” he said. Marcos concurrently serves as secretary of the Department of Agriculture.

He acknowledged that there is still “a long

Jr. agrees

way to go” in terms of addressing the challenges confronting the country.

“Well, you know the delivering of promises is a work in progress. It’s not something that you say, ‘It’s done. I finished it.’ This is an ongoing process,” the president said. He maintained that while his administration has achieved a lot, “there is still a great deal more to do” and it has to “work smart” and “work well.”

“And so yes, we have done a lot of work. I think we have seen many of the changes. We are beginning to u PAGE A2

IN an expected decision, the Supreme Court June 29 struck down affirmative action for college admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, saying the practice violated the Constitution’s 14th Amendment by discriminating against White and Asian American students.

But several Asian American organizations, as well as Black and Latino civil rights groups, condemned the decision, immediately mobilizing protests on the steps of the Supreme Court and holding press conferences throughout the day.

And the two Black justices on the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas and Ketanji Brown Jackson, went head to head with opposing decisions. Jackson recused herself from the Harvard case citing a conflict of interest, but did weigh in on the UNC case.

Colorblind?

Thomas argued that the Constitution aims to be colorblind. “Even in the segregated South

by HALEE ANDREA ALCARAZ Philstar.com

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed six pieces of legislation after one year into his term as the 17th president of the Philippines. However, only three out of the six laws enacted are part of the 42 priority bills proposed by his office’s Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council. What are these laws?

• SIM Registration Act (Republic Act 11934) Sen. Grace Poe, who sponsored the measure, said in a statement that this law has “adequate safeguards that will vouch for consumers’ right to privacy while ensuring a safe and secure mobile use.”

This was in response to a temporary restraining order filed by Junk SIM Registration Network before the Supreme Court on the law’s implementation. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and other groups also questioned the measure’s constitutionality, but the SC later junked the petition.

MANILA — Kai Sotto is officially listed in the Orlando Magic roster for the NBA 2K24 Summer League 2023 in Las Vegas.

After working out with NBA teams with Utah Jazz, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks, it was the Magic who invited Sotto to play in the league’s preseason tournament. In an Instagram story, the Filipino center shared that he has arrived in Orlando to join the team.

Donning the number 70 in his jersey, Sotto will play alongside up-and-coming players and veterans under Osceola Magic coach Dylan Murphy, who will serve as head tactician in the summer tilt.

Sotto will also have a chance to share the floor with this year’s sixth and 11th overall picks of the NBA Draft Anthony Black and Jett Howard, respectively.

by GABRIEL PABICO LALU Inquirer.net

MANILA — A former lawmaker of Davao del Norte’s first district and pork barrel scam alleged mastermind Janet Lim Napoles have been found guilty of graft by Sandiganbayan.

The decision pertains to cases involving the appropriation of funds to a fake nongovernment organization (NGO).

In a decision from the Second Division posted in the Sandiganbayan website on Friday, June 30, former Davao del Norte 1st District representative Arrel Olaño, Napoles, and other co-accused were found guilty for

by ROSETTE ADEL Philstar.com

three counts of graft and three counts of malversation of public funds. Olaño, Napoles, and two other accused were sentenced to imprisonment of six to ten years. The issue involved the funneling of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to Countrywide Agri and Rural Economic Development (CARED).

CARED is one of the bogus NGOs that Napoles set up, together with her former right-hand man Benhur Luy, with the purpose of siphoning funds from a lawmaker’s PDAF to the organization.

MANILA — The much-talkedabout “Love the Philippines” tourism campaign unveiled by the Department of Tourism last Tuesday, June 27 is worth P49 million.

This was revealed by Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco in a televised interview with CNN Philippines’ “The Source” on Thursday, June 29.

“The process of procurement was done and initiated and the total cost of the entire study coming up with a logo and everything and the components of this branding campaign total

to P49 million,” Frasco said. Last Tuesday, Frasco told Philstar.com that it was DDB Philippines that secured the procurement process. “There is no price that you can put to one's love of country. That being said, there was a bidding process that was conducted at which the winning bidder was DDB,” she said.

DDB created the “Love the Philippines” tourism campaign that replaced the eleven-yearold slogan “It’s More Fun in the Philippines,” adopted during the term of late Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr.

According to Bids Notice

going — rights groups

by CRISTINA CHI Philstar.com

MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos has yet to formally withdraw the policies enforcing Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, giving the world a “runaround” on the "war on drugs" killings and rights violations continuing under his watch, human rights groups said.

A year into Marcos’ presidency, human rights groups Karapatan and Human Rights Watch lamented the continued increase in drug-related killings and conduct of deadly drug raids that formed the blueprint of Duterte’s "war on drugs."

The groups also hit Marcos' silence over several human rights issues even as he continuously

TRIBAL WOMEN. Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco (left) poses for a photo with women belonging to the Kaulo tribe of Malita, Davao Occidental during the culminating event of the Department of Tourism’s Philippine Experience Program - Davao Leg at the

on

rights leaders express disappointment and anger as Supreme Court strikes down a rmative action

Kai Sotto o cially included in Orlando Magic lineup for NBA Summer League

Grade of ‘incomplete’ in...

see the systemic changes that are going to be part of the new bureaucracy. But there’s still a long way to go,” he said.

“We continue to work on the economy to make sure that our basics, our macroeconomic basics are in place,” he added.

Marcos overwhelmingly won during the 2022 elections with 31 million votes, making him the first majority president since 1986. The president has vowed to promote unity, ensure access to affordable food and health care, and create an environment conducive to investments, among other promises.

Marcos said the international situation has changed in terms of trade and geopolitics and the Philippines has to make adjustments.

“And now, it is very clear that the most successful economies are those who are agile and resilient. And that I think we have put in place the basic elements for us to do that,” he added.

Marcos noted that the government is still addressing inflation and has undertaken measures to help the needy.

The president, nevertheless, claimed that the Philippines is now being recognized as an investment destination.

“We should not be insular and think that it is only the Philippines that exists in the world. Let us see, what is our true place in the world. It is not a small thing that’s

something that we are redefining.

The world looks at the Philippines in a different way now than it did one year ago,” Marcos said.

He said government’s job is to make the structural changes work so that the results can be seen “not only in terms of statistics” but also in the lives of ordinary people.

On the right track

For Speaker Martin Romualdez, President Marcos is on the right track as he completes his first year in office.

“The president did well on Year 1. Keep up the good work, Mr. President,” Romualdez said in a statement.

The Speaker, a maternal cousin of Marcos, said the “most notable” among Marcos’ accomplishments were “in the areas of helping ordinary Filipinos, sustaining economic growth, promoting the country as an investment destination, and in foreign relations.”

The Speaker said Marcos did his best in trying to address the Filipinos’ everyday concerns like rising consumer prices and lack of housing.

“Shortly after assuming office, he was confronted with spikes in the price of certain commodities like onions, which were selling for as much as P800 a kilo, and the basic staple rice,” the Leyte congressman said. Through a combination of measures, and with the help of Congress, the administration was

able to bring down and stabilize the price of onions and rice, Romualdez pointed out.

Another administration stalwart, Rep. LRay Villafuerte of Camarines Sur, credited Marcos for his “above par performance” in his first year in office during which he “made notable breakthroughs” in governance.

“President Marcos has performed above par as chief executive, with his first year in office distinguished by notable breakthroughs in his overriding promise of more jobs and better lives for our people,” he said.

Villafuerte, president of the National Unity Party, also credited Marcos for “an economy that is not only strong and resilient but also inclusive and sustainable.” He observed it “has been a short learning curve” for the president.

He added the Marcos administration, in its first year, “reported a higher employment rate, generated local and foreign direct investments, and pushed business-friendlier reforms that create even more jobs.”

Day of protest

As Marcos marked his first year in office on Friday, June 30, militant groups were poised to assemble on the same day in protest.

Led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), the protesters organized a march from España Ave. to the Chino Roces Bridge near Malacañang.

They carried a banner with the message “Mahal in the Philippines,” an apparent swipe at the government’s new tourism slogan “Love the Philippines.”

“The protest banner alludes to the surging inflation and high cost of living in the past year amid the failure of the Marcos Jr.’s government to address the economic uncertainty and its inaction over the demand of workers to raise the minimum wage,” Bayan president Renato Reyes said in a statement.

Reyes described Marcos’ first year as a period of anti-people and anti-poor policies when most Filipinos remain poor while the president and his family indulge in lavish parties and foreign trips.

“Majority Filipinos are suffering from hunger, insecure jobs, lost livelihoods, and

u PAGE A5

What Marcos has accomplished one year...

In May, however, the Department of Information and Communications Technology said that scammers have adapted to the law, saying that malicious actors have reprogrammed their approach to text scams. Their scams now range from sending messages to putting up fake SIM registration sites to capture personal information online, the DICT said.

• Postponement of Barangay / SK Elections (RA 11935) Marcos in October signed into law the bill to move the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to October 2023. This measure allowed incumbent officials to keep their posts on a holdover capacity unless they are suspended or removed from office.

However, the SC on June 27 declared the law unconstitutional, although it ordered the October elections to push as stated under RA 11935.

• Attrition Law / Amendments on the Fixed Term of Armed Forces of the Philippines Officials (RA 11939)

This law amends the rules on the fixed terms and tours of duty of the AFP chief of staff and other senior military officials. It amended five sections under RA 11709 to get rid of the “revolvingdoor policy” in the military by fixing the terms of key officers.

Under the new law, the chief of staff will be the only officer to have a maximum tour of duty of three consecutive years unless the president terminates the tour sooner. The law also states that the compulsory retirement of the chief of staff will occur upon the completion of the tour of duty or upon relief by the country’s chief executive.

This law also changed the compulsory retirement of those in the grades of second lieutenant/ensign to lieutenant general/vice admiral to the age of 57. In the previous RA 11709, officers in the grade of brigadier general/commodore to lieutenant general/vice admiral had a compulsory retirement at the age of 59.

What does this tell about Congress?

Aries Arugay, political analyst and head of the University of the Philippines Department of Political Science, told Philstar. com that Congress is “not really cooperating" with the administration.

He noted that given that Marcos’ allies make up the supermajority bloc in both the lower and upper houses, there should be no reason why there is a “poor record” of realizing his legislative agenda, an instance that Arugay described as something that “confounds many.”

“Unfortunately, that [Marcos’] political capital is not being perceived as something that is worthy for Congress to act and do its job in legislation,” Arugay said.

Only six laws were enacted in his first year

While Arugay emphasized that Congress can always say that it is an independent branch of the government and cannot always agree with the president, the bills proposed by the Marcos administration are supposed to realize the campaign promises, if not the vision of the president.

According to the political analyst, Congress does not seem to share the same vision as the president, which is a problem when one has no strong party system. If the president had a strong party system, his bills would have already been approved at the party level alone.

With only six laws enacted in his first year, Arugay said that this could also mean that Congress has other ideas on how to address some of the important problems that the administration is trying to solve. The analyst said that the House and the Senate evidently have other priorities aside from those of the president’s, including charter change.

“This is the problem if your congress has a lot of distractions,” he said.

Why did the president prioritize the three measures?

The three measures – SIM Registration Act, postponement of barangay and SK elections, AFP officials’ fixed term – have economic implications, Arugay said.

He explained that the SIM Registration Act was a priority as it was a continuation of the efforts of the previous administration. Regarding the postponement of the barangay and SK elections was also a priority due to economic implications, the fact that the high court declared it unconstitutional, Arugay said that the government wasted a lot of time and resources. Meanwhile, the amendment to the Attrition Law was important so that Marcos could have control over the armed forces, Arugay said.

What about the controversial Maharlika Investment Fund Bill?

This bill, according to Arugay, was “off the cuff,” because it was never mentioned even before Marcos’ campaign. He also said that had this bill been floated during the campaign, it would have come off as a “red flag” for Marcos “because things like this rely on trust and confidence with the government.”

“Even though Congress can pass this bill and even with Marcos’ political capital, there will still be a segment of the population that will be highly distrustful because of the baggage that Marcos brings into the presidential office given the history of their political dynasty,” he said.

Looking at Marcos’ priorities

Arugay said that there are certain aspects that really needed focus on. However, some of

Marcos’ presidential trips were unnecessary and excessive. The political analyst said that some of the trips were important, such as his trips to the Philippines’ allies and partners like China, Japan, and the United States. But there are some that are questionable, including attending the coronation of King Charles III.

To be fair, Arugay said that Marcos is only in his first year as president, which is a time for direction setting. On that front, the political analyst said that Marcos has “efficaciously done his duties.” However, he somehow failed to focus on the economy.

“This [economy] is very important because these are the things experienced by the ordinary Filipino on a daily basis,” Arugay said.

But Arugay emphasized that Marcos is still in the honeymoon period and has just finished his first year. Arugay also thinks that some Filipinos do not have enough information to make the judgment that the economic problems faced by the country these days are the government’s fault.

In the first year, it is acceptable for people not to blame economic problems on the government. However, the political analyst said that if such problems are not solved in the succeeding years, people must be able to attribute blame on something or someone.

“It is not sustainable for people not to blame their government for their hardships, especially economic hardships,” he said.

What else should Marcos prioritize?

The economy should be prioritized, which Arugay believes Marcos and his administration know. However, the analyst said that Marcos’ approach is very much focused on macroeconomics and big business, noting that the economy is not all about big businesses. The administration should also engage all other sectors.

Marcos should also prioritize bureaucratic control.

“I think as president, he needs to further control his bureaucracy, the executive agency. He needs to make sure that everyone is doing their job, and that under him, those who are poorly performing and even engaged in anomalies or corrupt practices will be made accountable," Arugay said.

More needs to be done in imposing some form of compliance, command, and control in the government, according to the analyst.

Another thing that Marcos should prioritize is his legislative agenda. It would not send a good signal if Marcos needs to repeat what he previously said as his legislative agenda during his first year.

According to Arugay, Marcos, as president, must be able to use the tools that he has for Congress to cooperate with him. ■

RENAISSANCE ART IN THE AGE OF SELFIES. President Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos are welcomed by Arnold Co, Ruth Co and their US licensor-partner Martin Ballias to the exhibit of Sistine Chapel artworks by Michelangelo at the Estancia mall in Ortigas Center Pasig. ‘You can really see the brushstrokes Philstar.com photo by Jesse Bustos

RELIGIOUS ART. “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition” will be open for public viewing at Estancia Mall in Pasig City starting Saturday, July 1 until Sept. 30. The scenes at the famous Vatican City chapel are replicated into 34 life-sized photographic works with informative signage and audio guides. PNA photo by Joan Bondoc

A year into presidency, Marcos quietly keeps...

assures the international community of the Philippine government's commitment to improving its human rights record.

“Extrajudicial killings have not only continued, but the policies that spur them are also firmly in place,” Karapatan said.

“Marcos Jr. has not rescinded any of the operational guidelines formulated, issued and implemented by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in relation to the 'war on drugs' such as Oplan Double Barrel and Project Tokhang, which are both reflected as policies through a series of PNP Command Memorandum Circulars,” the group added.

The human rights group was referring to the PNP’s “Double Barrel” campaign against illegal drugs first launched in 2016 under then-PNP chief Ronaldo Bato Dela Rosa, who is currently a senator.

"Project Tokhang" or "Oplan Tokhang," meanwhile, is part of PNP's "Double Barrel" campaign and targets small-time drug dealers.

Human Rights Watch similarly said that "drug war" killings continue under Marcos albeit at a “lower rate” than his predecessor.

At least 336 drug-related killings have taken place since Marcos became president, most during law enforcement’s antidrug operations, according to the UP Third World Studies Center, which maintains a running count of drug-related killings based on media reports.

More than half of these killings or 175 of them took place in the first six months of Marcos’ term, according to the center.

Inherited drug war policy

Marcos previously criticized his predecessor's violent approach to curbing illegal drug use, saying that "there were abuses by certain elements of government" in the "war on drugs" campaign.

Official figures put deaths from Duterte's anti-narcotics campaign at more than 6,000, but estimates from human rights groups peg the actual number of fatalities as at least 30,000.

In his numerous overseas trips and meetings with representatives of foreign governments, Marcos has also consistently vowed that the Philippine government is committed to improving human rights.

But Marcos “needs to do

more than issue statements about democracy and the rule of law to demonstrate a genuine commitment to human rights,” said Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

“Without concrete action to break old patterns of abuses and secure accountability for past crimes, his words have little credibility,” Lau said.

Besides formally announcing an end to the “drug war,” Marcos should also order investigations into officials involved in the alleged killings, Human Rights Watch said.

Marcos’ administration still refuses to cooperate with the International Criminal Court that is investigating crimes against humanity allegedly committed during Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, with the president saying in March that the country will be “disengaging” with the court after it denied their request to suspend its probe pending resolution of their appeal.

Despite the Philippines’ departure from the ICC in 2018, which took effect 2019, the international court retains jurisdiction over the crimes committed when the Philippines was still a member of the court.

Relatives of "war on drugs" victims have said that they believe that the ICC remains the only avenue for a genuine and impartial investigation into the alleged crimes against humanity committed during Duterte’s "drug war."

In their communications with the ICC, the victims have also stressed inaction from local courts and the present administration’s unwillingness to investigate "war on drugs" killings.

A portion of a representation made on behalf of the victim read: “Cases against the perpetrators of the crimes have not been forthcoming. Even attempts to obtain recognition that the killings were extralegal have, unfortunately, been met with resistance from state institutions.”

Marcos ‘conspicuously silent’

Karapatan said Marcos has also remained “conspicuously silent” about the rampant rights violations committed during his term “in a devious attempt to distance himself from the sordidness of his own human rights record.”

Karapatan and Human Rights

Watch noted that besides the drug war, red-tagging and violent counter-insurgency programs continue to be implemented—

Kai Sotto o cially included in...

The NBA Summer League will run from July 7 to 17. Each participating team will play four games from opening day to July 14.

The top four teams will advance to the playoffs and participate in the semifinals on July 16 with the

two winning teams meeting for the championship game on the 17th. Sotto and the Magic will begin their preseason run on July 8 when they face the Detroit Pistons at Thomas & Mack Arena. (Rommel Fuertes Jr./ Inquirer.net)

acts that Duterte himself openly encouraged and supported.

Lau said that Marcos must “demonstrate a break from the past and show concrete, measurable progress on human rights.”

“The Philippines’ international partners should stop getting a runaround from Marcos and settle for nothing less than real change,” Lau added. (with reports from Xave Gregorio, Janvic Mateo)

by GINA JIMÉNEZ California Healthline

VANESSA Langness had always been a bit worried about the chemicals she worked with as a biomedical researcher, but when she got pregnant in October, her concerns grew.

The 34-year-old based in Santa Maria, California, suspected the ethidium bromide she was using in the lab for molecular cloning could put her and her baby at risk. She wasn’t sure what to do; she was only a few weeks into her pregnancy and didn’t know how it would affect her career.

“Women are taught: You aren’t supposed to tell people until after the first trimester,” she said. “But that’s actually a really delicate stage for the formation of the baby.”

Langness did some research online but couldn’t find much information on what kind of extra precautions she should take because of her pregnancy. Without realizing it, she had stumbled upon an often overlooked area of science and medicine: the occupational health of pregnant workers. Those who are pregnant often face hazardous circumstances doing jobs in which they must lift heavy objects, stand for long periods, or, like Langness, work with chemicals.

At the end of last year, Congress approved the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, a law that requires employers to provide “reasonable

accommodations” to those who are pregnant. But the new law, which took effect June 27, has a big hole in it: Public health experts say not nearly enough is known about which work circumstances are dangerous for pregnancies, especially when chemical exposures are involved. That’s because occupational health studies overwhelmingly have been centered on men, and so have the health and safety standards based on those studies.

“A pregnant person’s physiology is very different from a nonpregnant person,” said Carissa Rocheleau, an epidemiologist at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. “A lot of our existing permissible exposure limits date back to 1970. In the studies they based the limits on, there were very few women in general and even fewer pregnant women, if any.”

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ guidance for employment considerations during pregnancy says that very few chemical compounds “have been sufficiently studied to draw conclusions about potential reproductive harms.”

Even though the data is sparse, several physiological factors suggest pregnant workers face higher health risks from chemical exposures than other adults, said Julia Varshavsky, a Northeastern University environmental health

scientist focused on maternal and child health. And chemical exposures during pregnancy can be dangerous not just for the prospective parent, but also for the fetus, which can absorb toxins through the placenta.

For one thing, blood volume increases during pregnancy because the body is working overtime to supply the fetus with the oxygen and nutrients it needs to develop. Such bloodflow expansion can make those who are pregnant susceptible to developing high blood pressure. Some studies also suggest a link between exposure to lead during pregnancy and high blood pressure.

Pregnancy also considerably alters a person’s metabolism; the body prioritizes breaking down fats instead of sugars to preserve the sugar for the developing fetus. Especially after the first trimester, those who are pregnant have high blood sugar and must double their insulin production to keep it under control. It’s risky for them to be exposed to chemicals such as PFAS that have been linked to insulin resistance, a condition in which cells don’t respond to insulin anymore. Finally, those who are pregnant are also especially susceptible to a category of chemicals known as endocrine disruptors. Estrogen is the hormone responsible for promoting the body’s changes during pregnancy. When u PAGE A5

Civil rights leaders express disappointment...

where I grew up, individuals were not the sum of their skin color. Then as now, not all disparities are based on race,” he said.

“It is no small irony that the judgment the majority hands down today will forestall the end of race-based disparities in this country, making the colorblind world the majority wistfully touts much more difficult to accomplish,” Jackson countered. “(This decision) will delay the day that every American has an equal opportunity to thrive, regardless of race,” she said, noting that it will only widen socio-economic gaps between white and Black people.

‘Love the Philippines’ tourism campaign...

Abstract published in February, DDB Philippines Inc. and IPG Mediabrands Philippines Inc. were the agencies shortlisted as bidders.

The DOT said it was a “competitive bidding.”

According to the terms of reference published in February, the winning bidder, an experienced agency, must "help design, execute, and implement the DOT's Philippine Tourism Branding campaign."

This will run for six months.

"This campaign will include a creative communications plan that will reflect the updated Philippine Tourism brand," it also said.

The Bid Notice Abstract also indicated that the approved budget for the contract amounts

to P50 million. Asked how much budget the DOT need to promote Philippine tourism next year, Frasco said they have already given their proposal to the Department of Budget and Management.

“As far next year is concerned, we're hopeful for support as far as rolling out that campaign here and abroad,” Frasco said.

“We are eagerly awaiting the release of the national expenditure plan and looking forward to sending the same before the House of Representatives,” she added.

The tourism chief said that it is right to invest in Philippine tourism given its benefits to the economy.

“According to our numbers for every peso we have spent on tourism, there is a multitude

that comes back as a return on investment. That is really quite evident in the P1.87 trillion contribution of Philippine tourism to the economy,” Frasco said. “Not to mention the indirect benefit of tourism to everyone else that is part of the tourism value chain including our small and medium enterprises. So, it's just right to invest in Philippine tourism because it gives so much benefit to our economy,” she concluded.

Halfway through 2023, the DOT has already recorded 2.67 million international tourist arrivals as of June 29. Of these, 2.44 million are foreigners.

The tourism agency is targeting a baseline of 4.8 million inbound tourists this year. ■

Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote the majority opinion, left a bit of wiggle room.

“Nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise,” he wrote. Some legal analysts have interpreted Roberts’ statement as saying applicants could write in their college essays about how racial bias has impacted their lives, but conceded that this part of the ruling is murky, and will require interpretation.

Students for Fair Admissions

The case was brought about by Students for Fair Admissions, which cheered the Supreme Court decision. Edward Blum, founder and president of Students for Fair Admissions, said in a statement: “The opinion issued today by the United

States Supreme Court marks the beginning of the restoration of the colorblind legal covenant that binds together our multi-racial, multi-ethnic nation.”

“The polarizing, stigmatizing and unfair jurisprudence that allowed colleges and universities to use a student’s race and ethnicity as a factor to admit or reject them has been overruled. Ending racial preferences in college admissions is an outcome that the vast majority of all races and ethnicities will celebrate,” said Blum.

Equal opportunity

Asian Americans Advancing Justice — Advancing Justice

— denounced the decision as an attack on civil rights. “We are outraged that the Supreme Court has chosen to ignore longstanding legal precedent in favor of supporting racial inequity that harms all people of color, including Asian Americans,” said John C. Yang, President and Executive Director of Advancing Justice – AAJC.

“But we are more committed than ever to ensuring equal opportunity for our children – and for all children in this country. We will not let this court decision keep us from pushing colleges and universities, Congress, and others to keep today’s ruling from undermining the progress made toward educating future multiracial, talented leaders who deserve every opportunity to reach their highest potential on campuses that reflect the diversity of America,” he said.

‘Extremist minority’

The NAACP also condemned the ruling. “Today the Supreme Court has bowed to the personally held beliefs of an extremist minority. We will not allow hate-inspired people in power to turn back the clock and undermine our hard-won victories. The tricks of America’s dark past will not be tolerated,” said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson.

“Affirmative action exists because we cannot rely on colleges, universities, and employers to enact admissions and hiring practices that embrace diversity, equity and inclusion. Race plays an undeniable role in shaping the identities of and quality of life for Black Americans. In a society still

scarred by the wounds of racial disparities, the Supreme Court has displayed a willful ignorance of our reality,” said Johnson.

Barriers to higher education

Aarti Kohli, Executive Director of Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus, agreed that the Supreme Court had overlooked the long history and present-day reality of denying Black students equal access to education.

“Racism and anti-Blackness are inescapable in our country, and race-conscious admissions are a crucial tool in expanding opportunities for students of color that reckons with those realities,” said Kohli, noting that the decision will also particularly harm Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, and Southeast Asian communities who “continue to face significant barriers to higher education.”

“At a moment when our country is increasingly segregated and there are significant gaps in resources for majority minority schools, we call on Congress, our local elected leaders, and universities to do everything in their power to implement solutions we really need for economic equity and racial justice in our nation,” said Kohli.

MALDEF

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund said it has long supported raceconscious policies, including affirmative action, “as necessary to address a legacy of racial discrimination and exclusion in higher education.”

“Unfortunately, as expected, a backward- thinking conservative Supreme Court majority today reversed nearly half a century of precedent because of their limited consideration of race,” said MALDEF President and General Counsel Thomas Saenz.

The civil rights leader called for communities and policy makers to “root out systemic and ongoing inequities in the K-12 pipeline, as well as deep research to identify and modify or eliminate all admissions criteria with a demonstrated and unjustified bias and discriminatory effect on students of color, including Latinos, the nation’s largest minority community in the student population.” (Sunita Sohrabji/Ethnic Media Services)

Sandiganbayan convicts Napoles...

PAGE A1

According to the charges against Olaño, Napoles, and the others, P2 million from the ex-lawmaker’s PDAF was allocated to CARED under the guise of a livelihood project for barangays.

Olaño was also convicted for direct bribery, as it was proven that he received P3.175 million from Napoles for allocating P8.5 million, P2 million, P4 million, and P2.5 million to CARED and Philippine Social Development Foundation Incorporated (PSDFI).

“It was established that Olaño exercised control over the release of his PDAF. He initiated the release of the funds by unilaterally (endorsing CARED and PSDFI to implement supposed certain projects,” the Second Division stated in a decision penned by Associate Justice Edgardo Caldona.

“Accused Olaño failed to justify the reason why he endorsed (the) said NGOs, which was clearly established as fake, unqualified, and/ or unaccredited,” the resolution explained.

“Further, Luy testified on the manner by which PDAF is diverted to accused Napoles through the selection and endorsement of the lawmakers of Napoles’ NGOs to be the project implementer of the former’s PDAF,” the ruling noted.

“The transactions funded by the PDAF of accused Olaño were considered irregular and illegal after special audit for being violative of existing laws, rules, and regulations and for being unliquidated,” it stressed.

The anti-graft court also took notice of Olaño receiving kickbacks from Napoles, which were recorded on a daily disbursement record (DDR).

“In this case, Luy testified that accused Olaño received kickbacks and commissions from the illegal scheme that he agreed upon with accused Napoles through Ducut. Accused Olaño’s receipt of kickbacks and commissions is recorded in the DDR of JLN (Janet Lim Napoles) Corporation,” Sandiganbayan stated.

Ducut referred to former Energy Regulatory Commission chairperson Zenaida Ducut who was reportedly the bagman of Napoles.

“These DDR entries were confirmed by the Anti-Money Laundering Council in its official Bank Inquiry Report using official bank records,” it added.

Aside from Olaño and Napoles, also found guilty in the graft case are legislative liaison officer Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana and private individuals Mylene Encarnacion, and Evelyn de Leon.

Olaño, Lacsamana Napoles, and Encarnacion were sentenced to six years and one month up to ten years of jail time.

The four were also ordered to return jointly and severally P1.89 million to the National Treasury.

Meanwhile, Olaño, Lacsamana, Napoles, and de Leon were sentenced to six to ten years of prison time for two other graft cases.

They were also instructed to return P3.83 million and P2 million to the National Treasury.

All five have been perpetually barred from holding public office. ■

Janet Napoles

Inquirer.net file photo

Grade of ‘incomplete’ in...

inadequate social services,” he said.

In Quezon City, victims of human rights abuses during the dictatorship of Marcos’ father demanded the release of political prisoners.

The activity, dubbed as Breaking Change, Reclaiming Freedom from Marcos Sr. to Marcos Jr., was held at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani.

The Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto said there are 778 political prisoners in the country, with 49 arrested during the first year of Marcos’ term.

The Amihan National Federation of Peasant

Women also denounced the Marcos administration for the “increasing cases of illegal arrest and detention” of activists on trumped-up charges.

“He’s only one year in office but 26 peasant women have already been illegally arrested,” Amihan chairperson Zenaida Soriano said in a statement in Filipino.

For labor groups, it was a failing grade for Marcos, whom they accused of not doing enough to improve the lives of workers.

Aside from not getting any salary increase, workers under the Marcos administration have suffered numerous violations of their right to organize, they said.

Even government workers were not immune to acts of

violation of the Freedom of Association (FOA), according to Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees president Ferdinand Gaite. He said Marcos should immediately take action to make sure FOA is strictly observed. The All Philippine Trade Union said Filipino workers were “underdog victims” of antiworker policies under the Marcos administration. The group has also expressed concern over the Department of Labor and Employment’s inability to address workers’ rights violations. (with reports from Delon Porcalla, Emmanuel Tupas, Mayen Jaymalin)

A new law is supposed to protect pregnant...

endocrine disruptors enter the body, they mimic those hormones and can increase the risk of certain pregnancyrelated health conditions, such as preeclampsia.

But despite these known risks, the occupational health of pregnant women has often been understudied, especially as women have entered more diverse areas of work.

“Occupational health really assumes a neutral body worker,” said Swati Rayasam, a public health scientist at the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment at the University of California-San Francisco. By concentrating on this “neutral body worker,” occupational health as a field has overlooked the other stressors workers can face, either internal stressors, such as pregnancy, or external stressors, such as psychosocial stress due to racism or food insecurity, Rayasam said.

It also is tough to study those who are pregnant. It is unethical to expose them to even the slightest amount of chemicals, so research protocols are highly restricted. And very few occupational health surveys include enough pregnant workers to draw reliable conclusions about the unique risks they face.

Langness, the biomedical researcher in California, had a miscarriage while working in the lab. She later decided to change jobs, although she doesn’t know if the chemicals had anything to

do with the loss of the baby. The lack of research doesn’t affect only current pregnancies but also leaves women who have already been exposed with lots of questions. They include Leticia Mendoza, a 38-year-old woman who lives in Oakland, California. She said she was exposed to pesticides when she worked pruning strawberries while pregnant. When her baby was born, he did not crawl until he was 1 year old and started walking after he turned 2.

“I thought he was going to start talking when he was 3, but he still doesn’t, and he is 5,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza’s child has been diagnosed with autism.

Although researchers have studied potential links between pesticide exposure and neurodevelopmental disorders, the evidence is not conclusive, which complicates proving in a court what caused the harm, said Sharon Sagiv, an associate adjunct professor in environmental epidemiology at the University of CaliforniaBerkeley.

Advocates hope the new federal law will give workers a little more leverage when they raise concerns about risks on the job. “We really just want them to be able to have a conversation with their employer without facing retaliation or being forced on unpaid leave,” said Kameron Dawson, a senior staff attorney for A Better Balance, a workers’ advocacy organization that

pushed for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act for over a decade.

But although some of the regulations might lead to better accommodations for pregnant workers, that depends partly on the employer or a union knowing what can represent a risk. “It’s not rocket science, but it does take effort on the employer’s side to understand what in their workplace could be hazardous,” said Gillian Thomas, a senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union.

In the past, women have sometimes been forbidden from working while pregnant, so a delicate balance must be struck between protecting them and their pregnancies and not removing them from the workforce. “It’s tricky because, for many women, this is their livelihood,” said Sagiv.

Some researchers believe studying the enhanced risks faced in pregnancy may result in more protective regulations that would help the wider public.

“If we really try to protect the most vulnerable workers in the workplace, we’re protecting everybody,” Rocheleau said.

This article was produced by KFF Health News, formerly known as Kaiser Health News (KHN), a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.

Farcical reasons

THIS ruling should have been handed down earlier, to prevent lawmakers and the national leadership from expressing their gratitude to their grassroots political leaders through a gift of yet another term extension. The Commission on Elections had also warned that postponing the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls by another year would add about P10 billion to the cost of the BSKE.

In an imperfect world, however, the public should be content with the thought that it took only eight months since oral arguments were concluded for the Supreme Court to rule that postponing the BSKE under Republic Act 11935 is unconstitutional. RA 11935, signed by President Marcos on Oct. 10, moved the BSKE from Dec. 5, 2022 to Oct. 30 this year.

Editorial

Unfortunately, with just four months to go before election day, the SC allowed the BSKE to push through on Oct. 30 anyway, citing its “legal practicality and necessity.” With RA 11935 invalidated, however, the terms of the overstaying barangay and youth council officials are deemed to have ended on Dec. 5, 2022. Those who will win in this year’s elections will serve only the remainder of the term, with the next BSKE set on the first Monday of December 2025.

The SC acted on a petition challenging RA 11935, filed by seven lawyers led by Romulo Macalintal. They argued that Congress has the power to set the terms of village and SK officials, but not to postpone the polls or extend the officials’ terms.

The high tribunal ruled that the postponement was “unduly arbitrary or oppressive of the electorate’s right of suffrage.”

The constitutionally guaranteed right to vote, the SC noted, “requires the holding of genuine periodic elections, which must be held at intervals which are not unduly long, and which ensure that the authority of the government continues to be based on the free expression of the will of electors.”

In a decision peppered with the word “unconstitutional,” the SC rejected the government’s reasons for the BSKE postponement. It said the avowed objective of saving the P8 billion already appropriated for holding the elections in December last year “unconstitutionally transgresses the constitutional prohibition against any transfer of appropriations.”

The SC saw no legitimate government interest or objective to justify RA 11935, which it said “unconstitutionally exceeds the bounds of the Congress’ power to legislate.” Lawmakers had claimed that the BSKE had to be postponed yet

And then came Bongbong Marcos Jr., a long time politician who wasn’t really known for anything so big or so bad except the burden of the Marcos name.

THE good news is that we stopped hearing those late night sexist jokes and cuss-riddled ramblings you might expect to hear from a court jester but which we instead heard for six long years from our president.

Rody Duterte, the expresident, at last, has shut his mouth.

We also stopped hearing threats to kill drug addicts you might hear from a madman or from someone who is actually high on drugs but which we heard from the Davao mayorturned-president, not once but many times over.

To a certain extent, the number of bodies turning up dead in the dark streets of Metro Manila and beyond may have gone down too.

We also stopped hearing those streams of invective hurled against just about everyone, including the pope.

Back then, it was hard to imagine we would ever hear the end of it.

The son of Marcos Sr. is certainly lucky and had impeccable timing. He succeeded an unorthodox leader who ditched all protocols and expectations that go with being a head of state. President Marcos seemed a welcome change after Duterte.

In business, one might call this the low base effect.

And so we’re relieved the president we have now doesn’t embarrass himself on the world stage; he is able to face world leaders and doesn’t walk out from meetings with them. At the very least, he wears the Barong Tagalog quite well. To put it simply, it’s good optics. We’re back on the radar screen of investors. President Marcos has reinvigorated Philippine and U.S. ties while carefully dealing with China.

Leading by nostalgia

But beyond good optics, we see vestiges of the Marcos Sr.

despots and dictators than there were 20 years ago. Anyway, I am digressing.

again because there was election fatigue after the polls in May last year, and holding the polls last December would have been divisive. The SC said “superficial or farcical reasons”

cannot justify the BSKE postponement. This case should not have even reached the courts if the national leadership had a strong respect for the democratic process. (Philstar.com)

President Marcos, one year later

era – the Maharlika brand, the elite advisers, the parties; even multimillion-peso art pieces from the Martial Law era have resurfaced.

Sure, military rule is gone but to some degree, the old ways are crawling back, including failed programs such as Masagana 99.

We also see the kind of parties the Marcoses were known for. There’s nothing wrong with partying of course, as long as it’s not charged to taxpayers because we’re still struggling to recover from the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are a lot of foreign trips, too, although at least we haven’t heard of an airplane forced to do a mid-air U-turn as what happened before when former first lady Imelda Marcos, after departing Rome, realized she’d forgotten to buy some cheese.

And while cronyism is not a buzzword these days, Manila’s elites have returned to the Palace, regaining their place in the seat of power from the crass Davao Group. The same elite-driven thread still holds

the canvas of our society, same as during and after the Marcos Sr. era.

Against this backdrop, the Philippines is still facing a host of domestic issues – high prices of basic goods, poor social services, worsening road and air traffic, deteriorating quality of education and corruption.

Maharlika

And then there’s the Maharlika Investment Fund which, despite a string of criticisms, managed to pass Congress with minimal due diligence. There’s fear it would be used to launder wealth stashed abroad. We’ll just have to wait and see what good Maharlika would really do for our country.

We’re lucky that outgoing Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Felipe Medalla voiced his concerns against Maharlika in its original form, when nobody dared speak out. He will be remembered for it and his excellent job as the country’s chief monetary official.

Thank you, Gov. Medalla for doing all that and more.

Surviving Exactly a year ago, June 30, President Marcos was

inaugurated as the country’s 17th president at the historic National Museum.

The historic building is the ground that stood witness to the return to power of the Marcoses, on the 50th anniversary of Martial Law no less.

It’s the same building where great statesmen of the past fought for our rights; it’s also the home of Juan Luna’s Spoliarium, that lifesized tableau about social injustice.

A year since the inauguration, Filipinos are still busy surviving; perhaps others stopped caring while 31 million and probably more are happy with how things are going. Only a handful of what’s left of the Left still go out to protest.

The old guards of society are gone, too. We now have a Congress infiltrated by unapologetic charlatans. What kind of lawmaker equates combing one’s mustache during a Senate hearing to love for Filipinos? Cringe.

Last year, while watching the inauguration of President Marcos on live TV, I thought about the grieving

motherland in Juan Luna’s Spoliarium and our dead patriots who once walked that building.

I wondered then as I wonder now, what would they say about the Philippines of today?

As for me, the way I see it, the Marcos administration has managed to stay in cruise control. There are no earth-shaking issues except for Maharlika, the rumored infighting inside Malacañang and some hilarious appointments. We’re like a vehicle that’s neither moving too slow nor too fast. And normally that’s OK.

But I wonder how long we can afford to stay this way. Do we wait until our unresolved problems like graft & corruption, poverty, our crisis in education, etc. unravel beyond repair? I fervently hope not. (Philstar. com)

* * *

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

* * *

Email: eyesgonzales@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales.

THE world economic outlook is bleak – this year, next year, in fact, over the next five years, if you believe experts of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

I use the word “expert” liberally. The World Bank (with 187 member-countries) and the IMF (with 190 membercountries) are lenders of last resort of nations and their governments. They are supposed to promote growth, stability and prosperity. Instead, it has been a roller coaster ride for many countries, economically.

More than 800 million people are hungry and more than 800 million are dirt poor, earning less than $2 a day.

The IMF in the late 1990s lent $11 billion to Russia to prop up its economy. Most of the money disappeared and what appeared is a guy named Putin who 16 months ago invaded Ukraine. Talk about eliminating despots and dictators from the face of earth. Today, there are more

The bleak outlook, says Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, “is due to the compounding effects of the recent banking turmoil, high inflation, Russia-Ukraine war and lingering impacts of the pandemic.” In 2010 to 2019, the world economy was growing by 3.7 percent per year.

“The bleak global economic outlook for 2023 is largely due to the weak economic growth of some advanced and major economies – including the U.S., UK, Germany, Japan and China –in the first quarter of 2023.” Diokno briefed a group of senior newsmen on Saturday, June 24 at breakfast.

Not to worry, assures the head of President Marcos Jr.’s economic team. “The economy is strong, resilient and sustainable,” he declared. “Our macroeconomic fundamentals remain intact and we are poised to outperform our regional peers.”

This year, the economy is projected to grow by 6 percent, and by 6.5 to 8 percent from 2024 to 2028.

For the Philippine economy’s

strength, we must thank three things: One, our consumers –you, me, they – numbering 114 million. They just keep spending like there is no end to money. About P72 (72 percent) of every P100 of economic production comes from consumer spending. The ratio reached as high as 78.8 percent in 2022. Households spend at the rate of seven percent, twice the rate government does, three percent.

Two, the government is also a big spender, accounting for up to 10 percent of GDP. The government has P5.7 trillion of budget and P13 trillion of debts, a total of P18.7 trillion, 78 percent of a projected GDP of P24 trillion. Imagine that: Nearly P80 of every P100 of GDP is spent by just two million bureaucrats.

Three, inflows of dollars. Our OFWs remitted $32.5 billion (P1.82 trillion at P56 to $1) in 2022, up 3.6 percent. Earnings from business process outsourcing (BPOs or call centers) hit $27.5 billion (P1.54 trillion), up 9.1 percent. BPO dollars will rise to $29.78 billion this year, up 8.3 percent.

Now, $32.5 billion plus $27.5 billion is $60 billion of value-

added money. That’s three times what Vietnam gets in foreign direct investments (FDIs) or $20 billion yearly. Vietnam is the darling of foreign investors in ASEAN.

So who needs foreign investors when the country gets $60 billion yearly? In attracting FDI, the government spends a lot of money – in tax and other incentives foregone.

But we do have FDIs – $9 billion in 2022 and 2023 and $11 billion in 2024, according to Diokno.

The structural reforms to liberalize the economy and favorable prospects of the economy are expected to sustain the inflow of FDIs.

Gross international reserves remain stable at $100.6 billion at end-May 2023, worth 7.4 months’ worth of import cover, more than twice the minimum three months.

International reserves are like a country’s checking account against which you charge imports, debt payments, profit remittances of foreign investors and your travels.

The balance of payments (overall foreign exchange transactions, inflow minus

outflow) will narrow to 3.4 percent of GDP in 2023 and 3.2 percent in 2024, from 4.4 percent in 2022. In the first quarter 2023, the BOP was in surplus, of $3.5 billion, thanks to OFW remittances, state foreign borrowings and FDIs.

Said the economic czar in his briefing to us:

“The Philippine economy grew by a robust 6.4 percent in the first quarter of this year despite an uncertain global outlook and elevated inflation. This came on the heels of our record-high 7.6 percent fullyear growth in 2022.

“Our growth is supported by domestic demand, which contributed 8.3 percentage points to the real GDP growth.

The contribution of domestic demand is led by household consumption at 4.8 percentage points, fueled by improving labor conditions and pent-up demand. Investments or gross fixed capital formation contributed 2.6 percentage points, driven by construction.

“On the fiscal side, revenue collections for the first five months of the year improved to P1.6 trillion, up by P155.6 billion or 10.8 percent compared to the

same period last year.

“Unemployment remains low. The unemployment rate in April 2023 settled at 4.5 percent from last year’s level of 5.7 percent.

“Underemployment rate dropped to 12.9 percent, lower than the 14 percent recorded in April last year.”

Inflation for 2023 will narrow to 5 to 6 percent from the previous assumption range of 5 to 7 percent. This is partly due to the consistent deceleration in headline inflation. Core inflation (minus food and energy)

“remains sticky but has eased to 7.7 percent in May from 7.9 percent in April.”

For now, the central bank will keep its policy rate of 6.25 percent, which came from 2 percent.

Oil prices are dropping, to $75.98 per barrel for Brent, from $95.76 in February 2022, a drop of almost $20 a barrel or 21 percent. (Philstar.com)

* * *

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

* * *

Email: biznewsasia@gmail.com

Marcos non-committal to hosting Afghans

MANILA — President Marcos raised on Thursday, June 29 the possibility of rejecting the United States government’s request for the Philippines to host its 50,000 former Afghan employees, citing security, legal and logistical concerns.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event in Parañaque City, Marcos said the Philippines would continue to study the request and see if there is a way to grant it without endangering Philippine security.

“We are still looking exactly at how to make it work — if we can. It’s entirely possible that we will not find a way to make it happen,” the president said.

De Lima’s last drug case re-ra ed to another court

by ZACARIAN SARAO Inquirer.net

MANILA — Detained former senator Leila de Lima’s final drug case has been re-raffled to another Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) branch with the trial set to resume on July 7.

Based on a court order signed by Muntinlupa City RTC Branch 204 Presiding Judge Abraham Joseph Alcantara, and made public on Friday, June 30, the said court will now handle the case upon the motion of de Lima’s coaccused Ronnie Dayan, Joenel Sanchez and Franklin Bucayu.

It can be recalled that the said motion resulted in the inhibition of Muntinlupa City RTC Branch 256 Presiding Judge Romeo Buenaventura.

“The case was eventually reraffled and assigned to this Court on 26 June 2023,” Muntinlupa

Former Senator Leila de Lima

Inquirer.netfile photo RTC Branch 204’s court order read.

Alcantara was the same judge who acquitted de Lima and her former driver-bodyguard Dayan in one of the three drug cases filed against her. De Lima has been detained

since February 24, 2017, within months of her launching a Senate inquiry into then President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs. So far, De Lima has been acquitted in two of three drugrelated complaints against her. ■

Changing the words in MIF bill ‘behind closed doors’ is ‘tampering’ — Pimentel

by BEATRICE PINLAC Inquirer.net

MANILA — Changing the words in the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill “behind closed doors” is tantamount to “tampering” with the proposed measure, Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel said on Thursday, June 29.

This is the description given by Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel to the act performed by Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr.

Pimentel on Thursday rebutted the assertion of Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Zubiri had said there was “no sinister move to tamper with the measure.”

Pimentel, however, does not agree with him.

“What they did with Maharlika is not usual. It is tampering. They changed the wording, amounting to changing the substance. Behind closed doors,” Pimentel said in a message to INQUIRER.net.

“They changed the wording, amounting to changing the substance. Behind closed doors,” he stressed.

Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr. earlier said the double provisions on the prescriptive period of crimes and offenses were addressed by merging Sections 50 and 51.

In doing so, Bantug had noted, the 20-year prescriptive period of Section 51 was dropped and 10

years of Section 50 was retained. No bicam was held Pimentel, a former Senate president, pointed out that in the legislative journey of Maharlika bill, Congress skipped an important step when it failed to conduct a bicameral conference committee.

He specified this was “the last opportunity to amend the differing versions of the House and the Senate.”

Pimentel questioned Zubiri’s argument when the latter cited examples of bills that had previously been corrected after they were ratified by Congress.

“In Senate President Zubiri’s examples, there were bicams held. Hence, there were amendments, because that’s the purpose of the bicam – to ‘harmonize’ differing versions,” the minority leader explained.

The senator said reconciling the Senate and House versions of a bill is done “with participation and agreement” of representatives from both chambers. The bicameral conference committee, then, submits its signed report to have it separately ratified in Senate and House during plenary, Pimentel stated.

“With Maharlika, there was no bicam. There was, therefore, no opportunity, no chance, no avenue to make any change in the Senate version approved on third and final reading,” he said.

“There was, therefore, no

opportunity, no chance, no avenue to make any change in the Senate version approved on third and final reading,” he observed.

The minority lawmaker urged his colleagues: “We should give importance to the word ‘final.’ Compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges.”

After the Maharlika bill was approved by Senate in the wee hours of May 31, members of both chambers of Congress, including Zubiri and Pimentel, met at the Manila Golf and Country Club for what was deemed as a “prebicameral meeting.”

During the last Senate session before Congress adjourned sine die , Zubiri said the meeting turned out to merely be a “lunch break.”

The Senate President said this because the House had already decided to adopt the reconstructed Maharlika bill of the upper chamber.

The Maharlika bill seeks the creation of a wealth fund that government can supposedly use for investments.

The measure was certified urgent by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. Marcos said he would immediately sign the bill into law once it reaches the Palace. Marcos, who had claimed the investment fund was his idea, said he would immediately sign the bill into law once it reaches the Palace. ■

Marcos asks businessmen to help strengthen MSMEs

by ALEXIS ROMERO Philstar.com

MANILA — President Marcos on Thursday, June 29 called on businesses to support efforts to strengthen micro, small, medium and nano enterprises in the country, citing their role in economic development and job creation.

With the fundamental changes in the global economy brought by the COVID pandemic, so the government is trying to create an ecosystem for startups Marcos said in his speech during the launch of the Cebuana Lhuillier Group of Companies’ Kanegosyo Center in Parañaque City.

He added that 99 percent of businesses in the Philippines are micro, small and medium enterprises and about 63 percent of the workforce are employed by the sector.

“So there is no way that, if we are trying to help the economy, if we are trying to transform the economy, that we do not attend to that enormous slice of our economy,” Marcos said.

“We are trying to help small

businesses who have a good idea,” he added.

Marcos said the definition of small businesses now includes the nano enterprises or those that do not fall into any category of economic activity “because they’re way below the radar”

“And this is what ‘Kanegosyo’ and all the other programs that are hoping to assist our small businesses – that is what we are trying to achieve,” the president said.

“That is why, it is not something that is done just purely out of business instinct. It’s not something that is done just to earn profit. It is something that is done to help.”

Marcos reiterated that Filipinos prefer to work than rely on dole outs.

“The good basis that we have here in the Philippines is that only a few Filipinos are lazy. Most Filipinos want to work,” he said.

“And that’s what we build on. And this is what Kanegosyo and all the other programs that are hoping to assist our small businesses, that is what we are trying to achieve,” he added.

Marcos noted that the Philippines has a long tradition of taking in refugees. “In principle, we would like to help. We took in the Vietnam boat people. We took in the German Jews during the war. That’s the attitude of Filipinos,” he said. However, he also noted that the Afghans covered by the request are not classified as such and are “an entirely different class of person” who are being resettled in the U.S. or other places. Marcos clarified that the Philippines and the U.S. have not reached an agreement on the Afghans, who are in the last stage of their U.S. special immigration visa application.

“We are helpful. But again, we have to make sure that it is not something that will affect the lives of ordinary Filipinos,” the chief executive said. “That’s why I was a little surprised when I saw some of the news reports [on hosting the Afghan nationals]… There’s no deal.” So as far as Marcos is concerned, the two parties have to discuss the possibility that accommodating the Afghans would not proceed as planned.

“There are security issues. Of course, we have to be conscious of that. But there are even more difficult legal and logistical issues because if the plan as it stands runs exactly as it’s planned, then that’s good, we won’t have any problem,” said the president.

The thousands of Afghans reportedly worked for the U.S. government before the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan two years ago. Marcos underscored that even if the U.S. would cover for the

expenses of the Afghan settlement in the Philippines, it is something Filipinos will have to handle.

“We’ll see if we can actually manage it… There’s still quite a few issues that we have to hammer out with the Americans,” he said.

Sen. Imee Marcos, the president’s sister, has questioned why the U.S. is eyeing to put the Afghans in the Philippines instead of the American mainland or countries closer to Afghanistan.

In a June 16 hearing, the senator invited security officials who expressed fears that accepting Afghan nationals poses a security risk due to possible retaliation from Taliban sympathizers.

Vice President Sara Duterte also expressed her opposition to the proposal, saying it could worsen the situation particularly in areas where local terrorists violate Philippine sovereignty.

But on Thursday, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri told the “Kapihan sa Senado” forum that he favored the hosting of Afghan nationals who are fleeing their country in fear of reprisal for working with the U.S. government.

“I don’t know legal impediments to do this; but personally, we should do it. It’s the right humanitarian thing to do,” Zubiri said. “I respect their opinions [Philippine security officials]. But

this is my personal opinion, not of the Senate’s, but as a member of the board of governors of the Red Cross.”

He also expressed confidence that the Afghans would only be staying in the Philippines – particularly confined in a residential complex built at the expense of the Americans – for two to three months during the processing of their immigration visas for the U.S.

Last Monday, June 26, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said the Department of Justice (DOJ) is studying whether the request is allowed under the country’s immigration laws.

On Thursday, DOJ spokesman Mico Clavano said their legal department is currently reviewing the request and is expected to issue a legal opinion on the matter.

Asked when the DOJ is expected to release this legal opinion, he replied:

“All I can say is that it’s undergoing the necessary research and due diligence that it’s supposed to and we will come out when… that is ready,” he added.

Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez earlier said the government might be able to decide on the request by July 15. (Philstar.com)

Kanegosyo Center is an initiative of Cebuana Lhuillier, the country’s largest micro finance provider. It is a long-term partnership with the government that seeks to promote the development of MSMEs through comprehensive, curated offerings in resources and assistive interventions.

The center is an online, one-stop-system that provides access to micro loans, micro insurance bundles, savings account, micro investment and sales systems, expertise support through a mentorship program and assistance and guidance on government processing requirements.

In a statement, Jean Henri Lhuillier, president and chief executive officer of Cebuana Lhuililer, said Kanegosyo Center was conceived and finely tuned to address issues that continue to challenge the country’s MSME’s; from access to financing, market reach, ease of doing business, and coaching to provide the education and capacity building needed in growing their business. ■

Asian Journal

WKND

Success story: A life was saved on Citizen Pinoy this Sunday

FILIPINA frontliner from Florida, Janice, was diagnosed with myelofibrosis – bone marrow cancer. She had already been receiving several treatments including blood transfusions and medications, but none of these had worked.

She was in urgent need of a bone marrow transplant. Her sister, Jerrimee, who lives in the Philippines, is a perfect match. Being a blood relative donor also meant that the chances for success would be greater.

Unfortunately, the U.S. Embassy denied Jerrimee’s application for a medical visa. Time was of the essence, and desperate to find help, Janice’s family posted their appeal on social media.

Their story was brought to the attention of Citizen Pinoy head writer Mouse Munoz, who in turn referred the situation to leading U.S.

Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel.

Atty. Gurfinkel filed for Humanitarian Parole and requested for expedited processing since the situation is a matter of life and death. After persistent and numerous followups, Jerrimee’s humanitarian parole visa was approved and she was able to enter the U.S., underwent tests, and donated her bone marrow to her sister.

Pauline Amelinckx vies for top 12 spot as Miss Supranational fan voting starts

By Armin AdinA Inquirer.net

MANILA — Pauline Amelinckx’s fans and supporters have already propelled her to the semifinals of two online competitions in the ongoing 2023 Miss Supranational pageant, but they can now also help her secure a guaranteed spot in the global tilt’s Top 12.

The pageant announced on social media that the “Supra Fan Vote” poll has started on the official Miss Supranational app, powered by Choicely, and available for download on the App Store for iOS, and Google Play for Android devices. The first vote is free, it added.

Carlo Aquino admits to almost giving up on showbiz

By Bot Glorioso Philstar.com

actor. The 37-year-old actor, whose acting career began when he was seven, revealed that he wanted to give up on being an actor at one point of his life.

media conference recently for his forthcoming six-part series, Kung Hindi Lang Tayo Sumuko, based on the bestselling book of poems by Marcelo Santos III, under the helm of Carlo Enciso Catu.

Pauline Amelinckx, Miss Philippines Supranational, is among the 68 delegates competing for the 2023 Miss Supranational title in Poland. Instagram Photo/@paulineamelinckx

“I (had) already (given) up on work before,” Carlo recently shared in a virtual

“Perhaps, it’s because I

THERE would have been no more Carlo Aquino in the acting scene today had he totally turned his back on showbiz due to unrelenting stress, coupled with doubts on his ability as an

Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel (left) was able to acquire a Humanitarian Parole visa for Jerrimee (3rd from left) so she can donate her bone marrow to her sister, Janice.

‘It’s Showtime’ hosts in tears during last episode on TV5; Vice Ganda tells viewers: ‘Kakapit tayo at itutuloy natin ‘to’

By Anne PAsAjol Inquirer.net

DURING their last episode on TV5, the “It’s Showtime” hosts were in tears as they bid farewell and expressed their profound gratitude to the network for serving as their home for a time.

At the latter part of the show’s Friday (June 30) episode, Vice Ganda spoke on behalf of his fellow hosts and likened their show’s departure from TV5 to an ending of a book’s chapter.

“Sa araw na ito, isang kabanata ng libro na iyon ang nagtatapos—’yung kabanata ng pagiging bahagi namin ng Kapatid network, TV5,” the comedian said. “Ito na po yung huling pagkakataon na mapapanood niyo kami sa TV5.”

He then thanked TV5’s Manny

V. Pangilinan for opening their doors to the ABS-CBN noontime show, stressing that although their time together was rather

“It’s Showtime” hosts.

short, Vice Ganda and his fellow hosts will always be grateful to the Kapatid network.

“Walang hanggang pasasalamat po ang gusto naming ibigay sa inyo. Hindi namin kakalimutan na minsan sa buhay namin, nagkaroon ng isang engrandeng pagdiriwang ang ‘It’s Showtime’ at ang Madlang People dahil sa

Success story: A life was saved...

Janice’s cancer is now in remission and her doctors expect her blood levels to be back to normal within the year. A life has been saved. Watch this success story on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, July 2 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app. (Advertising Supplement)

Carlo Aquino admits to almost giving...

PAGE B1

Screengrab from Facebook/It’s Showtime started as a child star that I already felt burnout aside from (the fact that I was) doubting myself, my ability. I got scared.”

ginawa ninyong pagtulong at pagkupkop sa amin,” Vice Ganda stated. “Nakakalungkot man dahil hindi humaba ang pamamalagi namin sa bahay niyo, pero gayunpaman maramingmaraming salamat sa inyong lahat,” he added. Vice Ganda addressed the

Pauline Amelinckx vies for top 12 spot...

It was not clear, though, if this year’s competition will have an initial cut to just 12 semifinalists.

The two most recent editions had a Top 24, while the previous ones announced a Top 25.

Amelinckx, the BelgianFilipino delegate from the Philippines, has already advanced to the Top 10 of the “SupraChat” Challenge by winning her group’s round, and was also included in the Top 6 of the selection for “Miss Influencer” by winning the “YouTube Influencer” Challenge. Both pre-arrival competitions were conducted online, and relied on votes, views, and likes to determine the winners.

Canada’s Alexa Grant, whose mother is Filipino, also advanced to the semifinals of SupraChat and Miss Influencer. She also won in her group for SupraChat and was the “Facebook Challenge 4” winner. She and Amelinckx have already met and shared snaps together when all the delegates arrived in Poland and gathered in Malopolska.

“I guess you’ve seen some footage of me dancing around with the ladies. It was a lot of fun getting to know the Polish culture more. It was beautiful seeing everyone, regardless of age, live this experience and simply be happy,” Amelinckx captioned her Instagram photo, which was apparently taken prior to the traditional Polish dinner prepared by Miss Supranational organizers. She also shared how she felt upon receiving her sash that bore the country’s name.

“After all this time, Philippines [Philippine flag emoji]. I honestly did feel a little emotional. This moment was so surreal and filed me up with so much pride and gratitude. To everyone who lifted me up and kept on believing in me, this one’s for you. What an incredible honor to represent our colorful nation and bring our stories and Filipino spirit to the [Miss Supranational] stage,” she said.

Amelinckx had to compete on the national stage four times before she got to represent the Philippines in an international

competition. She earned a title in the Mutya ng Pilipinas pageant’s 50th anniversary edition in 2018, but the global contest she was supposed to join did not push through.

She then joined the Miss Universe Philippines pageant three times before finally getting a chance to compete abroad. She finished fourth on her first attempt in 2020, and was crowned Miss Universe Philippines-Charity in 2022. She finished in the Top 3 in this year’s contest, and received the Miss Supranational Philippines title in a separate program.

Amelinckx is now on her quest to score the Philippines’ second Miss Supranational victory, 10 years after Mutya Johanna Datul became the first Filipino woman to win the crown in 2013.

Reigning queen Lalela Mswane from South Africa will crown her successor at the 2023 Miss Supranational coronation show at the Strzelecki Park Amphitheater in Nowy Sacz, Poland, on July 14 (July 15 in Manila). Sixty-eight delegates are competing this year. n

In fact, Carlo had turned down several projects for films and TV after he decided to lay low and stay away from the madding crowd.

“Mga two years ‘yun kasi nga takot na takot ako at hindi na ako naniniwala sa sarili ko It even crossed my mind to go to the U.S. I was planning to migrate and ask my uncle to adopt me,” he recalled.

But fate had other plans for him. It didn’t allow him to do such a drastic move because after a twoyear showbiz hiatus, Carlo had a change of heart.

“It was a good thing that I didn’t push through with my plan. I realized (while taking a break) that I truly love what I do. Sometimes, we really need to experience such phase in our life, ‘yung mapapagisip tayo maigi kung gusto ba talaga natin iwan ‘yung trabaho natin. I’m thankful that I was able to assess things without having to regret my decision later on,” he remarked.

Asked if he still had plans of migrating to the U.S., Carlo assured that he completely erased the idea from his mind. “I promised myself that I will always do my best. Magagandang bagay na ‘yung mangyayari sa mga susunod na taon.”

Carlo recently starred as the male lead character in the first Summer Metro Manila Film Festival entry, Love You Long Time, opposite Eisel Serrano, last April.

By now, Carlo must have been busy shooting for Kung Hindi Lang Tayo Sumuko that is set to stream on Viva One soon.

Carlo and his co-stars Coleen Garcia, Rhen Escano, Ryza Cenon, Jerome Ponce and Kiko Estrada expressed excitement over the start of their shooting. They initially had a “look-test” to see if their pairing was perfect.

Carlo has Coleen as leading lady. The two first worked together in 2018 via the romantic drama Exes Baggage, directed by Dan Villegas but they were only seen in one scene, given that Coleen’s character Dwein in the movie was the ex-girlfriend of Carlo’s Nix.

This time around, Carlo and Coleen will be paired in a full-length story of Kung Hindi Lang Tayo Sumuko

In the series, Carlo is Benedict, who works as a chef in an establishment near Allie’s (Coleen) workplace. The two often see each other outside of their respective workplaces during breaks, and their connection begins. They become friends and eventually fall in love with each other.

Years later, Benedict proposes to Allie, and the two look forward to the years of spending life together.

But as they prepare for their wedding, they begin to rethink about and reconsider their decision since arguments and problems start to arise, not to mention the unpleasant stories and situations they learn from other couples.

Will Benedict and Allie stick to their plan of exchanging “I do’s” or will they decide to part ways and go on with their respective lives?

Asked if he is the type of person who can give up on love when faced with problems, Carlo said, “They say that in every relationship, it should be 50/50 (effort). But it’s not always the case because sometimes all you can give is 20 (percent). But I’m not saying that your partner must exert an effort. But you should both fill up the 80 percent. You have to give and take.”

The actor has a two-year-old daughter with former partner Trina Candaza. At present, Carlo is reportedly having a smooth-sailing relationship with Charlie Dizon. n

Carlo Aquino stars in the six-part series, Kung Hindi Lang Tayo Sumuko, directed by Carlo Enciso Catu. It will stream exclusively on Viva One. File photo/www.philstar.com

Danielle Ocampo gets law degree from LMU

DANIELLE Dominique Aguinaldo Ocampo recently got her Juris Doctor law degree, one of the graduates of Loyola Marymount University Law School Class of 2023. She has a strong interest in Privacy and Cybersecurity Law, having internship experiences at Indeed.com and Intuitive Surgical, Inc. She is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) with the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).

Danielle is an active representative and a scholar of a number of Filipino American bar associations including, the National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA), the Filipino American Bar Association of Northern California (FBANC), and the Philippine American Bar Association (PABA).

During her first two years in law school, Danielle committed herself to serving as Program Director for the National

based training in leadership development and civic engagement. She is passionate about building the pipeline of Fil-Am talents, especially in the legal profession. It is her strong desire to increase the visibility of Fil-Ams in professional and community spaces.

In 2018, Danielle earned her degree of Master of Public Administration from Sol Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California. She graduated Cum Laude in 2016 from the University of California Davis with a Bachelor of Arts degree, double major in Political Science and International Relations and minor in Managerial Economics. She attended high school at St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco.

Dolly de Leon, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd now Academy members, eligible to vote in Oscars

By Kristofer Purnell Philstar.com

MANILA — Actress Dolly de Leon has been invited to become a member of the Academy for Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This means that Dolly will be an eligible voter at the Oscars beginning the 2024 ceremony, likely under the Actors branch

but like all Academy members, will also be allowed to vote for the top Best Picture category.

Dolly shared the Academy invitation on her social media accounts, never thinking it would have happened to her prior to her scene-stealing performance in the Palme d’Or 2022 winning film “Triangle of Sadness.”

“My dream has always been clear to me — to work with

artists I admire and respect. [Being invited to the Academy] was never part of the plan,” Dolly said in her Instagram caption. “So did I ever dream of this to happen? No. Did I ever even wish for it to happen? No. Because I never thought it could.”

“But it’s happened and it’s a step closer to the goal and gives

Federation of Filipino-American Associations’ Empowering Pilipino Youth through Collaboration, a national youth program aimed at skills-

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Danielle is the only child of proud parents Engr. Van Dominic Ocampo and Carol Ocampo. n

Showtime’ hosts in tears during last...

viewers of the noontime show and noted that they are opening another chapter in their journey—the noontime show’s move to GMA’s GTV.

He then became emotional as he admitted that he, along with his fellow hosts and “It’s Showtime” staff, has gotten weary of everything that’s

happening, but that they are soldiering on for each other.

Hindi man buo ang kasiyahan natin ngayon dahil may bahid ng lungkot, pero buong-buo ang pag-asa nating lahat [na] patuloy pa rin nating itataguyod itong bahay na ito, itong pamilya na ito… Itutuloy natin lahat ng nasimulan natin kung saan man—dito o doon,”

he declared.

“

Ilang beses niyong pinatunayan sa amin na kayo ang bumubuhay sa amin sa ilang beses naming paghihingalo,” he told the Madlang People. Kakapit lang tayo at itutuloy natin ito.”

“It’s Showtime” is set to air on GMA’s GTV channel starting on Saturday, July 1. n

Danielle Dominique Aguinaldo Ocampo

Danielle Ocampo with parents Engr. Van Dominic Ocampo and Carol Ocampo

Ben&Ben releases new single, announces international tour

by Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

MANILA — Original Pilipino

Music (OPM) nine-piece

collective Ben&Ben released its newest single “Could Be Something.”

Signaling a new chapter of musical growth and evolution, Ben&Ben’s first single of 2023 is a big step forward. This time, the multi-awarded band infuses its guitar-driven folk/pop-rock roots with city pop elements, tropicalia beats and twinkling production touches, for a more electronicleaning track.

Together with co-producers Timothy Run and Sam Marquez, they brought a new dimension to Ben&Ben’s sound.

“We wanted the instrumentation and production to capture a more mature kind of hope, so we used slightly darker chords, coupled with tight rhythms, to bring out a unique kind of catharsis for the listener, for our Liwanag,” the band said in a statement.

“Together with our coproducers, we built the

soundscapes to reflect a lush, yet tighter than ever sound for the band.”

The song delves into the oftenoverlooked phase before taking a leap of faith. It candidly addresses

moments of overthinking and overprocessing, providing a relatable narrative for all.

“‘Could Be Something’ is a song about turning doubt into belief. It’s the revival of hope

after being caught in a very cynical place. It’s the feeling you get after meeting someone who unexplainably makes you believe in love again, or finding a new passion that sparks life in you,”

Miguel said.

Beyond being a love song, Ben&Ben’s new single doubles as an anthem for people grappling with doubt.

“It offers a reminder to believe,

surrender and let go during challenging times.”

The band worked together with Ben&Ben Music Production, the management team behind the band’s entire operations, music production and marketing efforts, to embark on this new journey. Since the pandemic, the band has been self-managed by a tightly knit, yet efficient team of people that the band believes in and trusts wholeheartedly.

International tour

Ben&Ben plans to debut a live performance of “Could Be Something” in the coming months, as it headlines its nationwide tour in key cities across the country. Additionally, for the first time ever, the band will be taking the song to an international audience with an international tour that kicks off in London, followed by Los Angeles, Toronto, Sydney and Dubai.

This is in collaboration with ABS-CBN Global and 1MX Music Festival. More details will be revealed in the coming weeks via Ben&Ben’s social media accounts and official website. n

EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT FOR RENT SERVICES

PSYCHIC

Nine-piece collective Ben&Ben

Photo from Instagram/@benandbenmusic

Does sleeping time constitute work hours that should be paid?

Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights

Atty. C. Joe SAyAS,

Jr

Bimby more inclined to join show biz than learn ‘Big Game James’ moves

SINCE last week’s column about my “migo” James Yap on his renewed relationship with son, Bimby Aquino, was a scoop, I asked James for an update. His reply goes: Miga, after I received Bimbs’ long text message na sobrang touching, I replied to ask him if it’s OK to call so we can plan when to see each other. As of now, ‘di pa kami nakapagusap. Suspense muna.”

James also told me that he wants to teach

Bimby his “Big Game James” (his PBA moniker) basketball moves. But it seems like Bimby is more inclined to rejoin show biz than follow his dad’s “Euro steps” in the hardcourt. Based on Cornerstone Entertainment’s Instagram post welcoming Bimby as its new artist, it looks like the 16-year-old charmer is all set to pursue the same path as his mom, Kris Aquino. Bimb is surely making his estranged parents beam. (Inquirer.net) n

Dolly de Leon, Taylor Swift,

PAGE B3

many others like me HOPE. For those of you who dare to dream, know that nothing is impossible.

Now it’s your turn. Laban!!!” Dolly ended.

Several individuals congratulated Dolly including Iza Calzado, John Arcilla, Chie Filomeno, Agot Isidro, Khalil Ramos, Gab Pangilinan, Chynna Ortaleza-Cipriano, Karen Davila, Adrian Lindayag, and Kate Alejandrino.

According to the Academy, it had invited 398 new members from 51 new countries, including 22 Oscar winners and 76 Oscar nominees.

The Academy even broke down that 40% of new members identify as women, 34% are from underrepresented and racial communities, and 52% are from territories outside the United States — Dolly fits all three marks.

Joining Dolly as new Academy members in the Actors branch are Austin Butler, Ke Huy Quan, Keke Palmer, Stephanie Hsu, Selma Blair, Kerry Condon, Bill Hader, Nicholas Hoult, Lashanna Lynch, Paul Mescal and Noémie Merlant.

The Weeknd...

Q: I WORK part-time as a caregiver for a family, taking care of a senior in their house overnight. I start work Tuesday nights at 10:30 p.m. and stay until 6:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, and then again on Thursday night at 10:30 p.m. until 6:30 a.m. Friday morning. My job is mostly to make sure the senior I am taking care of is okay, so the family said it’s ok if I fall asleep sometimes, as long as I get up when the patient needs me. I do sometimes fall asleep in the chair in hiss room, but I always get up to take care of him when he needs me. Recently, the family has asked me to also come on weekends, from Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. until Monday morning at 8:30 a.m. They actually put a rollaway bed in the patient’s room for me to sleep in on the weekends.

your shift is 24 or more hours, or less than 24 hours, the facts you describe do not allow your employer to deduct sleep time for your weekend shift.

Under California law, all sleeping time of an employee required to be on duty for less than 24 hours is considered hours worked that must be paid, even if the employee is permitted to sleep or engage in other personal activities during so-called downtime. This is the rule that applies to your shifts beginning on Tuesday nights and Wednesday nights, which your employer apparently follows by paying you for all hours worked during those shifts.

period, the entire time must be counted as compensable hours worked.

Singers Taylor Swift, Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, and David Byrne were also invited to become members of the Academy’s Music branch. Other notable new invitees are “Everything Everywhere All At Once” director-writers Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, “All Quiet on the Western Front” director Edward Berger and

cinematographer James Friend, “Top Gun: Maverick” director Joseph Kosinski, and “She Said” director Maria Schrader. Dolly is currently working on the movie “A Very Good Girl” opposite Kathryn Bernardo and was recently confirmed to join the second season of “Nine Perfect Strangers” starring Nicole Kidman. n

I am the only caregiver on the weekends, so I am on duty for 36 hours straight. But the family only pays me for 20 hours; they say the law allows them to deduct 8 hours of sleeping time each night. But I don’t get 8 hours of sleep because I have to wake up 2 to 3 times a night to take care of the patient. When I told them I was confused because they pay all my hours on Tuesday nights and Thursday nights without excluding sleep time, they said there were different rules for the weekend that allow them to do that, because I am staying 2 days and they provide a bed for me. Is that true?

A: No, what your employer says about whether sleeping time is considered compensable hours worked under California law is inaccurate. Although there are separate rules applied depending on whether

For shifts that are 24 hours or longer, you and your employer may agree to exclude up to 8 hours of regularly-scheduled sleeping time, so long as: (1) adequate sleeping facilities are provided; (2) the employee can usually have an uninterrupted night’s sleep; (3) interruptions of the sleeping time for work are counted as hours worked; and (4) the employee can get at least 5 hours of sleep during the scheduled sleeping period. If the employee cannot get at least 5 hours of sleep during the regularly-scheduled sleep

From your description, it does not sound like your employer either asked for or otherwise obtained your agreement to exclude sleeping time, so all 36 hours on your weekend shifts are properly considered hours worked and must be paid. But even if your employer had obtained your prior agreement to exclude a regularly-scheduled sleeping time from your compensable hours worked, it does not sound like your circumstances satisfies all other requirements for sleeping time to be excluded. Specifically, since your described work duties expressly require that you interrupt your sleep multiple times a night to attend to the health needs of the elderly individual in your care, the requirement that you be able to usually have an uninterrupted night’s sleep cannot be satisfied. Your sleeping time during the weekends, like your sleeping time on your Tuesday and Thursday overnight shifts, is properly considered hours worked and must be paid.

* * *

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

* * * The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no cost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www.joesayaslaw.com. [For more than 25 years, C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine for 11 years, and is a past Presidential Awardee for Outstanding Filipino Overseas.]

(Advertising Supplement)

Under California law, all sleeping time of an employee required to be on duty for less than 24 hours is considered hours worked that must be paid, even if the employee is permitted to sleep or engage in other personal activities during so-called downtime.

James Yap Inquirer.net

Kris Aquino and Bimby Photo from Instagram/@krisaquino

Dolly, who received multiple nominations for her performance in Triangle of Sadness, shows her moments of frustration and rejection can serve as motivation for young actors not to lose hope and to just keep on working hard until they succeed. Photo from Dolly’s Instagram account

How important is it to have a living trust?

Barrister’s Corner

The Embassy team with the volunteers, and contestants of the

PH Embassy celebrates Philippines Migrant Workers Day

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Philippine Embassy recently celebrated Migrant Workers Day in a day-long event with members of the Filipino community from Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Consistent with the theme

“OFW: Saan Mang Panig ng

Mundo, Galing at Katatagan

Mo’y Hinahangaan,” video messages of the Administrator Arnel Ignacio of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Secretary Susan Ople of the Department of Migrant Workers, and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. were conveyed, emphasizing the huge contributions made by the Overseas Filipino Workers in nation-building and reiterating the continued support of the Philippine government for their welfare. Moreover, Consul General Iric Cruz Arribas called on the leaders and members of the Filipino community to work together in harmony to achieve higher goals for the community.

A financial literacy seminar was conducted by tax and investment expert Raymond

Abrea to present to OFWs several investment opportunities in the Philippines, which could grow their hard-earned money.

On-site services and virtual consultation were set-up with representatives of the Social Security System, Pag-Ibig,

Overseas Filipino Bank, Migrant Workers Office-Washington DC, and the Philippine Embassy, including the Overseas Voters Registration Unit.

The OFW Got Talent singing competition and performances of local talents Raina Chan and D’ Neis Siblings provided entertainment throughout the day. Consul General Arribas, Assistant Labor Attache Marie Josephine Borromeo and Ms. Grace Valera of the Global Migrant Heritage Foundation served as judges and declared Bernadette Gray, Tony Boy Velasco, and Rosie Conde as the major winners of the singing competition.

The fun-filled event was organized by the Philippine Embassy’s Migrant Workers Office-OWWA Washington DC under the stewardship of Labor Attache Saul de Vries and Welfare Officer Mae Codilla, ably assisted by volunteers from the Association of International Dynamic Educators, Inc (AIDE), an organization of U.S.-based Filipino teachers. (PH Embassy Release) n

Actress Awra Briguela may post bail ‘next week’ — police

By John Eric MEndoza Inquirer.net

MANILA — Actress Awra Briguela can post her bail “next week” at the earliest, Southern

Police District (SPD) told INQUIRER.net on Friday, June 30.

This, despite the fact that Awra — whose real name is McNeal Briguela — already underwent

inquest proceedings before Makati City’s Prosecutor’s Office on Friday morning. “On or before 10:30 am nagsimula ang inquest,” SPD

u PAGE 7

THINKING about one’s demise is not something people want to spend time thinking about. However reality is that we all have to face this one day. It is just a matter of whether you depart this world prepared or unprepared. If you pass away with at least $184,500 in gross assets and you do not have a living trust (even if you have a will), your beneficiaries would have to open up a probate case before title to the assets can pass to them. When I say gross asset, I mean regardless of how much debt you owe on them. For example if you own a house valued at $350,000 at the time of your death, it does not matter that your mortgage balance is $300,000, a probate case has to be opened in order to pass title to that property. The same is true with other types of assets such as owning a business, a professional practice, bonds, equities, etc. This is a very low threshold to exceed specially in California where real estate prices, even after the economic crisis, remains in the upper end of the curve among the 50 states. Commencing a probate case is expensive and a very slow process. Someone qualified will have to file a Petition with the probate court to have someone appointed as executor or administrator. The Petitioner’s attorney gets paid a statutory rate for attorney’s fees commencing

with 4% of the gross estate. The probate referee will have to be paid for appraising the assets of the estate. If it is necessary to post bond, the premium on the bond would have to be paid as well. There is also the cost of administering the estate such as selling some of the assets to satisfy the estate’s obligations and to divide the estate according to the will or the intestate line of succession if there is no will. The entire process could take up years specially if certain beneficiaries and creditors file certain claims. The probate court file would be public record.

On the other hand if you have a living trust, your estate can avoid the entire court system and court supervision. In certain situations, the process may also save you estate taxes which may be substantial if your assets exceed a certain threshold. Basically, you and/ or your spouse can be named as the initial trustee of the trust while you are alive. The trustee is the person who manages the trust. This means you retain control of all your assets the same way as if you never had a trust. For revocable trusts, you can later on, at any time during your lifetime, revoke the entire trust if you change your mind.

The assets held in your living trust will be managed by the trustee and distributed according to your directions without court supervision and involvement when you pass away. This can save your heirs time and money. Since the trust would not be under the direct management of the probate court, your assets and their value and your beneficiaries’ identities would not become a

public record. Your heirs and beneficiaries would still have to be notified about the living trust and advised, among other things, of their right to obtain a copy of the trust.

If you are contemplating setting up a trust or have an existing trust that needs to be updated because your family circumstances have changed over the years, you should set an appointment with an experienced attorney that understands and can competently advise you in the law.

* * *

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

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

LGBTQIA+ community should not be portrayed as a ‘village idiot or clown’ in media, filmmaker Joey Reyes says

By hannah Mallorca Inquirer.net

FILMMAKER Joey Reyes, who also serves as the Film Development Council of the Philippines’ (FDCP) technical adviser, stressed that the LGBTQIA+ community deserves a rightful platform to share their stories in mainstream media, instead of being presented as a “village idiot or clown.”

Speaking to the press at the Pelikulaya 2023 launch earlier this month, Reyes pointed out that the community is “tolerated,” but not accepted, in the Philippines. “This is merely a personal opinion—in our country, LGBTQIA+ is tolerated. There is a big difference between tolerance and acceptance. We have to learn to eventually move to acceptance,” he said.

Pelikulaya 2023, which ran from June 23 to 30 at Cinema ‘76, UP Film Institute’s Cine Adarna, and Cinematheque Centre branches in the country, is a showcase of films revolving around the LGBTQIA+ community, including “Manila by Night,” “Metamorphosis,” “The Boy Foretold by the Stars,” “Billie and Emma” and “Mamu, and a Mother Too,” among many others.

“[LGBTQIA+ representation] is a matter of acceptance, not tolerance. We need to understand the LGBTQIA+ community as human beings who go into the same emotional process as normal people. I hope there comes a time where we can show one or two original films that are dedicated to the LGBTQIA+ theme,” he said.

Among the recent films

revolving around the queer narrative in local media are Jun Robles Lana’s “About Us But Not About Us,” “Die Beautiful” and Auraeus Solito’s Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros,” just to name a few, but Reyes said it is the responsibility of media to show their raw emotions and what lies beneath their gender.

Hindi naman sa nakikisakay tayo sa world trends and that we’re obsessed with the proper use of pronouns. Pero kasi, the LGBTQIA+ character has to be seen as a human being capable of emotion and utter seriousness,” he said.

“For example, If it’s a Roderick Paulate character, we would all be in stitches when we see him onscreen. However, the moment the character becomes serious, like when he starts to show sadness or pain, we would get irritated. We have to understand these aspects of their lives, rather than merely look at them for amusement,” he continued.

Reyes also revealed during an ambush interview with reporters that Pelikulaya 2023 will be turned into an annual event, as he explained that it is meant to celebrate Pride Month as a way of understanding the LGBTQIA+ community through film. n

Joey Reyes Photo by Hannah Mallorca/Inquirer.net

FASO celebrates 15th anniversary with Filipino classics, music of APO Hiking Society

Welcomes special guests and Filipino music icons Jim Paredes and Boboy Garrovillo

LOS ANGELES – The Filipino American Symphony Orchestra (FASO) will celebrate its 15th anniversary season with a oneof-a-kind concert featuring an all-Filipino program of traditional kundiman and Original Pilipino Music (OPM) composed by iconic Filipino pop music pioneers APO Hiking Society (APO) on July 29, 7 p.m. at the Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall in Downtown Los Angeles.

The concert, with special guests Jim Paredes and Boboy Garrovillo of APO, marks the orchestra’s first foray into an allFilipino program showcasing two genres of Filipino music heavily influenced by Spanish and American colonialism. Kundiman, traditional Filipino songs about love and patriotism were popularized during the Spanish colonial period, while OPM, a term coined by late APO Hiking Society member Danny Javier, emerged in the 1970s, inspired by pop music in the United States and United Kingdom.

“This concert marks an important milestone for the orchestra, which is made up of a diverse group of musicians of all ages and backgrounds and is committed to being a global paragon of Filipino culture in symphony music,” said Robert Shroder, founder and musical director of FASO. “For our 15th year, we are honored to reinterpret in symphony music

the lyrical ballads by great kundiman composers Lucio San Pedro and Nicanor Abelardo; excerpts from “Karim at Jasmin by acclaimed librettist Ramon Sison Geluz to be sung by soprano Kit Navarro and tenor Christopher Avendano; and, the beloved and timeless APO hits for wider audiences in Los Angeles, one of the most multicultural cities in the world.”

Jim Paredes, composer of iconic songs such as Panalangin” and “When I Met You,” said, “We are so excited to have our music performed by an orchestra in Los Angeles 50 years since we first formed our band. We’re especially elated that our songs will be reimagined by FASO and brought to new and old

audiences, including FilipinoAmericans and the large and diverse community of music lovers in Southern California.”

Boboy Garrovillo added, “It’s an honor to have our music be part of the annual tribute of FASO to Filipino classics and popular music. Never did we dream when we formed the APO Hiking Society back in high school that our songs would cross the seas to touch the hearts of our countrymen and nations. It is with great pride that we present ourselves to this most prestigious accolade.”

Founded in 2008 by awardwinning conductor and flutist director Robert Shroder, FASO is a 70-piece orchestra that aims to showcase the Philippines’ diverse musical heritage of

Actress Awra Briguela...

public information office said in a text message, citing information from the tactical operations center of Makati City police.

(The inquest proceedings began on or before 10:30 am.)

SPD said Briguela can only post bail next week once her case gets “raffled” in prosecution.

“Baka next week siguro kapag na-raffle na [ang kaso] … para malaman [kung] kanino mapupunta or sino ang hahawak ng kaso.”

(Maybe next week perhaps, once her case gets raffled … to determine to whom the case will go or who will handle the case.)

Briguela is still under the custody of Makati police.

She was charged with physical

photo

injuries, alarm and scandal, disobedience to authority, and direct assault.

The 19-year-old Kapamilya star allegedly started a fight with the group of complainant Mark Christian Ravana.

This incident was seen in a viral video circulating online.

Ravana and Angelo Nino Gulmatico, a bouncer at the bar, sought the assistance of Poblacion police substation.

The allegations of the two against Briguela were disputed by her friend, content creator Zayla Nakajima.

Nakajima claimed in a nowdeleted Facebook post that Ravana had tried to sexually harass her, and that Briguela merely defended her and their group. n

indigenous, regional, and colonial influences to new generations of Filipinos and Americans in Los Angeles and beyond. FASO’s musicians represent a wide range of backgrounds and cultures and are classical musicians as well as performers, educators, health care workers, engineers, students, and more. Since its debut at the historic Saban Theater in Beverly Hills, California, FASO has gone on to perform at many major

venues and events across California including the Ford Amphitheater, the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

APO Hiking Society or

APO (named after Philippine revolutionary hero Apolinario

Mabini) is a trio of singer-

songwriters: Jim Paredes, Boboy Garovillo and the late Danny Javier, who collectively produced a legacy of popular hits that spans five decades and 22 albums, uniquely blending

folk, pop, jazz, and rock. APO composed and performed some of the most enduring pop songs still being performed and reimagined today across three generations of artists. Join Filipino American Symphony Orchestra and special guests APO Hiking Society in concert on July 29, 2023, 7 p.m., at the Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall. For more information and tickets, go to fasomusic.org. (FASO Release) n

Awra Briguela Inquirer.net

Robert Shroder, FASO musical director, with some members of the orchestra during one of their past performances.

The APO Hiking Society’s Jim Paredes (right) and Boboy Garovillo will be special guests at the FASO 15th anniversary performance at the Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. FASO founder and musical director Robert Shroder. Photos courtesy of FASO