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Volume 19 - No. 26 • 12 Pages

T H E F I L I P I N O A M E R I CA N C O M M U N I T Y N E WS PA P E R

Volume 18 - No. 17 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages

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DATELINE USA FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

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

“Despite the many challenges domestic workers have confronted during the COVID19 pandemic, our coalition has continued u PAGE 2

Also published in LOS ANGELES, LAS VEGAS, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY

WHO: PH doing well in COVID-19 fight

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE World Health Organization on Tuesday, June 30, clarified that it did not say that the Philippines had the fastest rise in COVID-19 cases in the Western Pacific Region.

According to WHO Country Representative to the Philippines Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, the WHO does not compare countries or make assessments based

on countries’ performance.

“It is not the World Health Organization that did this. I’ve seen a lot of comments and commentaries, points of view that the World Health Organization did this. The World Health Organization does not compare countries or make such assessments,” he said.

Abeyasinghe pointed out that it was a journalist who interpreted WHO’s report in a certain way.

“All those assessments [were]

done by a journalist of the Inquirer in the Philippines using the data that we have in our dashboard like many other dashboards that are globally available,” he said.

“It is unfair to say that the WHO has made that comment or assessment. We did not,” he added.

The WHO official then lauded the Philippines for its response to the pandemic.

“The Philippines has been dou PAGE 2

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WHO Country Representative Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe ManilaTimes.net photo by Gerard Seguia

European Union travel ban deems PH, US not part of ‘safe countries’

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

Affirmative action measure to appear on CA’s November ballot THIS upcoming November election, California voters will get to decide whether or not the state should restore affirmative action after a measure was approved by the state Senate on Wednesday, June 24.

The state Senate voted 30-10 to include ACA 5, a proposed constitutional amendment that would reverse Proposition 209, a prohibition on affirmative action, and to once again allow public universities to consider race in admissions and the government to prioritize women-owned and people of color-owned businesses when granting contracts.

Voters approved Proposition 209 in 1996

J U LY 3 - 9 , 2 0 2 0

MOBILE TESTING. Health workers assist residents of Baesa, Quezon City undergoing swab tests at a mobile testing unit parked along Mendez Street on Wednesday, July 1. The mobile unit goes around the communities to test residents for COVID-19.

Inquirer.net photo by Grig Montegrande

STARTING July 1, countries in the European Union (EU) will open their borders to nonessential travelers from 15 countries that are deemed to have the coronavirus under control.

The Philippines, as well as the United States, did not make the cut in the list.

EU countries will begin lifting the travel restrictions at the external borders for residents of Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay, and China.

However, China is “subject to confirmation of reciprocity,” which means it will depend if the country will open its borders to European travelers.

The list was created based on criteria that include the country’s epidemiological situation, and containment measures such as physical distancing, as well as economic and social considerations.

Regarding the epidemiological situation, the listed

u PAGE 2

US report: Philippines remains a 6 Pinoys join Trump re-election campaign’s AAPI advisory board destination for foreign terrorists

by AJPRESS

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA

AJPress

THE Philippines remains a top destination for foreign terrorists despite the government’s continued efforts to enforce measures against security threats, a recent U.S. State Department study found.

In its Country Reports on Terrorism 2019 released on Wednesday, June 24, the United States found that the Philippine government struggled to apply a

concerted approach to prevent terror attacks, as foreign fighters from Indonesia, Malaysia, and countries in the Middle East and Europe continued to arrive in the Philippines.

The report also cited terror groups, such as the Abu Sayyaf, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), Ansar al-Khalifa Philippines (AKP) and the Maute group, which were all active in 2019 and linked to the Middle East-based Islamic State.

“The Abu Sayyaf Group has

UN rights chief urges Duterte not to sign anti-terrorism bill

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE United Nations’ human rights chief on Tuesday, June 30, appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to “refrain from signing” the controversial anti-terrorism bill as it “heightens concerns about the blurring of important distinctions between criticism, criminality and terrorism.”

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet also noted that human rights defenders have been routinely smeared as terrorists, enemies of the State and even viruses akin to the novel

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

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

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

Pinoy advisory members include Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, who is one of the co-chairs; former Guam Governor Eddie Baza Calvo; Vellie A website for “Asian Pacific Americans for Trump” shows photos of a 26-member advisory Dietrich-Hall, an entrepreneur board comprised of AAPI elected officials and community leaders. from Virginia; Brunswick, Ohio Mayor and attorney Ron Falconi; Herman Martir, a pastor from Fort Worth, Texas; and Shirlene Ostrov, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and chair of the Hawaii Republican Party.

“I am thrilled to be working UN High Commissioner for Human Rights again with officials from the Michelle Bachelet presents report on the Trump campaign and the RNC to human rights situation in the Philippines be a conservative voice in Asian during the 44th regular session of the UN American communities so that Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland we can re-elect the president,” committed kidnappings-for-ransom, bombings, ambushes of security personnel, public beheadings, assassinations, and extortion,” the report said.

It noted that ASG was responsible for incidents like conducting kidnapping-for-ransom operations targeting Canadian, Norwegian, German, and Filipino citizens in 2016 and 2017, killing nine people and injured others in an attack on Basilan Island in August 2017, and detonating a car u PAGE 3

coronavirus.

“The law could have a further chilling effect on human rights and humanitarian work, hindering support to vulnerable and marginalized communities,” she said during the 44th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council.

“So I would urge the President to refrain from signing the law, and to initiate a broad-based consultation process to draft legislation that can effectively prevent and counter violent extremism – but which contains some safeguards to prevent its misuse on Tuesday, June 30.

Photo screengrabed from UN Web TV u PAGE 2

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July 3-9, 2020 • NORCAl ASIAN JOuRNAl

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

From the Front Page

WHO: PH doing well in...

PAGE 1 t

ing relatively well,” Abeyangsinghe said.

He added, “We are happy that the Philippines enforced early lockdowns, which actually helped prevent possibly hundreds of thousands of cases and thousands of deaths.”

However, he pointed out that the “compliance” with the Department of Health’s guidelines to contain the spread of COVID19 “does not seem to be universally good.”

“The DOH has come up with

very good guidelines on how to manage positive cases, how to quarantine them – but the implementation at local government levels in different areas of the country is different. So we see poor compliance with the guidelines, we are seeing that number of cases increasing and this is actually becoming a worrying situation,” noted Abeyangsinghe.

The official urged the Philippines to improve its contact tracing efforts.

“What we are advocating is that

the DOH and the government – as they invest in expanding testing capacity – to invest (also) in actually contact tracing, identifying contacts, and quarantining and isolating them so that we prevent further transmission from those cases,” he said.

“Unfortunately, this aspect of the Philippine response needs a little more strengthening. There is improvement in the last month but is not keeping pace with the pace of the expansion of the testing capacity,” Abeyasinghe added. n

Domestic workers now included in California’s...

PAGE 1 t to adapt, grow and advance the dignity of immigrant women workers,” Kimberly Alvarenga, director of the California Domestic Workers Coalition, which co-sponsored SB 1257. “I think we have gotten this far because worker leaders, employers, and allies have organized and mobilized to make hundreds of phone calls to senators and have shared their stories in lobby visits and on social media about why we so urgently need health and safety protections for domestic workers, especially in the face of COVID-19 and another fast approaching wildfire season.”

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

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

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

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

“Many of our homecare workers have gotten sick with coronavirus because they were exposed at work and didn’t

have proper health and safety training and equipment,” Lolita Lledo, associate director of the Los Angeles-based Pilipino Workers Center (PWC), said in a statement emailed to the Asian Journal.

PWC is an organization in LA’s Historic Filipinotown dedicated to the rights of Filipino workers, many of whom are undocumented and susceptible to exploitation and currently, the organization is working with about 100 Filipino victims of worker exploitation.

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

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

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

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

reported by the Asian Journal.

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

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

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

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

NECROLOGICAL SERVICE. Army Honor Guards carry the flag-draped coffin of the late Senator Ramon Revilla Sr. at the Senate in Pasay City where a necrological service was held Wednesday, July 1. According to an advisory, Senate President Vicente Sotto III will present a resolution to the Revilla family during the service. Revilla Sr. died of heart failure on June 26 at the age of 93.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

European Union travel ban deems PH, US...

PAGE 1 t countries need to meet the following criteria: • number of new COVID-19 cases over the last 14 days and per 100,000 inhabitants close to or below the EU average as of June 15; • stable or decreasing trend of new cases over this period in comparison to the previous 14 days; • overall response to CO-

VID-19, which includes testing, surveillance, contact tracing, containment, treatment and reporting, as well as the reliability of the information and, if needed, the total average score for International Health Regulations (IHR).

According to the European Council, the list will be reviewed every two weeks, and that countries may be added or removed, depending on how well they are

in controlling the outbreak.

It also said that for the countries where travel restrictions continue to apply, only those who are EU citizens, long-term EU residents, and travelers with an essential function or need like healthcare professionals, transport personnel, diplomats, military and humanitarian workers, seafarers, passengers in transit shall be exempted from the restrictions. n

UN rights chief urges Duterte not to sign...

PAGE 1 t against people engaged in peaceful criticism and advocacy,” she added.

Bachelet also said that her office is ready to assist in reviewing the proposed measure.

Duterte on June 22 said the bill was still being reviewed by Malacañang’s legal team.

The anti-terrorism bill, which seeks to strengthen the Human Security Act of 2007, grants any law enforcer to arrest and detain without warrant “a person suspected of committing any of the acts” punishable under the measure for 14 calendar days, extendable by 10 days. The suspected “terrorist” can also be placed under surveillance for 60 days, extendable by up to 30 more days, by the police or the military.

Acts punishable under the bill

include: • Engaging in acts intended to cause death or serious bodily injury to any person, or endangers a person’s life; • Engaging in acts intended to cause extensive damage or destruction to a government or public facility, public place, or private property; • Engaging in acts intended to cause extensive interference with, damage, or destruction to critical infrastructure; • Developing, manufacturing, possessing, acquiring, transporting, supplying or using weapons; and • Releasing of dangerous substances, or causing fire, floods or explosions.

Any person who will propose, incite, conspire, participate in the planning, training, preparation, and facilitation of a terrorist act,

as well as those who will provide material support to terrorists and recruit members in a terrorist organization, will also be penalized by life imprisonment without the benefit of parole.

Meanwhile, anyone who will threaten to commit terrorism, and those who will propose any terroristic acts or incite others to commit terrorism will suffer imprisonment of 12 years.

This goes the same for anyone who will voluntarily and knowingly join any organization, association or group of persons knowing that such is a terrorist organization.

Malacañang on June 9 confirmed that it had received a copy of the anti-terrorism bill.

The president has 30 days to act on the legislation or else the bill will lapse into law 30 days after receipt. n

(650) 689-5160 • http://www.asianjournal.com

Dateline USa

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JULy 3-9, 2020

COVID-19 mask exemption cards Kids could go hungry if there’s a census undercount are not from the government School lunch programs – an essential lifeline during the pandemic Conversation with Children’s advoCate Mayra alvarez – are going broke, and a 2020 Census undercount will damage them even more, says children´s advocate Mayra Alvarez

by Pilar

Marrero Ethnic Media Services

School lunch programs, which fed nearly half of American’s schoolchildren before the coronavirus, have turned into a lifeline for families hit by unemployment and rising food prices during the pandemic.

Many of those programs are now going broke, and their very existence over the next decade depends on the population numbers being gathered by the U.S. census in communities that are considered “hard to count,” says Mayra E. Alvarez, President of The children’s Partnership, a nonprofit which advocates for underserved children.

When asked about the impact of the U.S. census, which is conducted every ten years and has been delayed and disrupted (but NoT canceled) by the pandemic, Alvarez mentions this program first, although it’s hardly the only one that would be affected if there is a severe undercount of children and low income families.

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

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

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

For populations concerned with survival, filling out or re-

sponding to the 2020 census may seem a distant priority.

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

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

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

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

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

Medicaid, for example, is “part of a formula that distributes money to states, based on population and income; the states put money in and the federal government matches it.”

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

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

“If there is no adequate reflection of people like her in the census data, she may not be able to qualify for food stamps or en-

affirmative action measure to...

PAGE 1 t when that measure’s proponents argued for a color-blind approach to opportunity. But the senators that voted in favor of affirmative action say that the ban on the policy has disproportionately slighted women and people of color. “california’s ban on equal opportunity programs, such as affirmative action, denies women and people of color a level playing field in the workplace and in education,” said california Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), who authored the measure.

Among the lawmakers endorsing the measure include Black American cA Sens. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) and holly Mitchell (D-los Angeles), who led a two-hour floor debate during which senators of color shared their experiences with institutional racial disparity.

“There’s not enough fingers and toes in this building to count the number of times that me and my colleague from lA have walked into a room and we’re the only one that looks like us,” Bradford said.

The vote was largely divided along party lines and progressive senators believe that the 1996 vote has resulted in failed efforts to establish diversity among college campuses, school staff, recipients of government contracts and police departments.

Previous efforts to reverse the

affirmative action prohibition have failed, but proponents of the measure hope that the current climate regarding race in America would lead to the passing of AcA 5.

Several chinese American groups oppose AcA 5, arguing that it would unfairly discriminate against and establish quotas on Asian American student admission.

Sen. ling ling chang (R-Diamond Bar) shared these sentiments on the Senate floor, calling affirmative action a vehicle for “discrimination” and encouraging the legislature to explore other ways to ensure students of color are fairly considered in college admissions. “let’s work together over the next year on how we can accomplish our goals without using discrimination as the main tool to fight discrimination,” chang said. however, the AcA 5 garnered vast support from organizations that serve communities of color like the Asian & Pacific Islander legislative caucus, which endorsed it on Monday, June 22, saying that prohibiting affirmative action doesn’t promote colorblindness, “it’s blindness toward structural racism.”

As all ballot measures, AcA 5 only needs a simple majority vote to pass and does not need approval from Gov. Gavin Newsom.

(Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

6 Pinoys join trump re-election campaign’s aaPi...

PAGE 1 t

Falconi, who also participated in the president’s 2016 campaign, told the Asian Journal. on the website for the group, the description reads: “Asian Pacific Americans stand with President Trump to defend freedom, strengthen the American Dream and create a prosperous future with abundant opportunities for generations to come.

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

Reyes, who is Filipino on his father’s side, is also seeking reelection for his position and has received an endorsement from Trump himself.

“Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes (@SeanReyesUT) is a fighter and hard worker for the

Great State of Utah. he is a big supporter of our #MAGA Agenda – Strong on crime, the Second Amendment, and loves our law Enforcement,” Trump tweeted in April.

In a 2018 Asian American Voter Survey released by APIAVote and AAPI Data, 48% of Filipinos surveyed said they had a “favorable” view of the Republican Party, while 50% said they had a “favorable” view of Democratic Party. “our group only has a short period of time before November comes around, and we should focus on our goals. We need to fight back against the mainstream media/Democrat message that all APAs are liberals and vote to the left. our community is not monolithic, we have a wide variety of views and political opinions,” Falconi added. “highlighting conservative Asian Pacific American leaders across the country who support Donald Trump will help to go against this stereotype. We also need to rally and convince APAs within all of our communities to vote for the GoP this fall because they represent our beliefs and our values.”

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

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

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

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

“These programs pretty much impact every aspect of their lives”.

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

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

by Colleen Tressler Consumer Education Specialist/FTC

To help limit the spread of the coronavirus, many states are requiring people to wear face coverings in places open to the public.

But there are cards circulating online and on social media that say the holder has a disability that prevents them from wearing a mask, and that it’s illegal for any business to ask them to disclose their condition. Variations of the card include the seal of the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ), one of the federal agencies responsible for enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The fact is, these cards aren’t issued or endorsed by DoJ, or any other federal agency. DoJ urges the public not to rely on the

information contained in these postings, and to visit ADA.gov for ADA information issued by the agency.

For information about your rights under the ADA, visit ADA. gov, or call 800-514-0301 or 800514-0383 (TTY).

Want more information about

the latest scams we’re seeing?

Visit ftc.gov/coronavirus, and sign up for our consumer alerts. And, when you spot a scam, tell the FTc: ftc.gov/complaint. Because you can help us keep working to put a stop to these scams.

(From Federal Trade Commission)

Us report: Philippines remains a...

PAGE 1 t

bomb at a military checkpoint on Basilan Island, killing 10 people, including a Philippine soldier and pro-government militia.

The report also tackled the continued attacks of the communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing New People’s Army on security forces and civilians in the country.

“The cPP/NPA primarily targets Philippine security forces, government officials, local infrastructure, and businesses that refuse to pay extortion, or ‘revolutionary taxes.’ The cPP/NPA also has a history of attacking U.S.

interests in the Philippines,” the report said.

It added, “over the past several years, the cPP/NPA has continued to carry out killings, raids, kidnappings, acts of extortion, and other forms of violence primarily directed against Philippine security forces.”

According to the report, the cPP/NPA’s most deadly attack happened in April 2019, when they detonated bombs by an improvised landmine in a surprise early morning attack clash in Samar, killing six Philippine troops.

The government has made some strides in compliance with

United Nations Security council (UNScR) 2396, which included trying to curb terrorist travel and improving information sharing with foreign partners. however, the report noted that the proposed amendments to strengthen the 2007 human Security Act are still pending in congress as of the end of 2019.

The controversial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, which seeks to strengthen the hSA, has yet to be signed by President Rodrigo Duterte. he has 30 days to act on the legislation or else the bill will lapse into law 30 days after receipt. n

Dateline USa

July 3-9, 2020 • NORCAl ASIAN JOuRNAl

Majority of young people in the US are non-white for the first time ever

by Rae

ann VaRona AJPress

THE United States has grown more racially and ethnically diverse over the last decade and is expected to grow even more so as the nation’s non-white population increases.

According to the latest population estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau released on Thursday, June 25, non-whites made up the majority of people under the age of 16 in 2019 for the first time ever.

Meanwhile, the white population in the U.S. has seen a decrease in the past 10 years primarily due to the number of births being overshadowed by the number of deaths. The decrease in births in the demographic has been made evident by the decrease in people under the age of 18 in the last decade.

The nation’s white population in 2019 was the lowest ever recorded at 60.1%, according to the report. The age group in which the demographic was seeing growth was in the baby boom generation — a group that in general has been seeing growth as more people born between 1946

and 1964 reach 65 years old.

The median age of the nonHispanic white population last year was higher than any demographic group at 43.7.

“As the nation has continued to gray, it has also grown more racially and ethnically diverse,” the release read.

Experts expect the non-Hispanic white population in the U.S. to be the minority in about 25 years.

Biggest growth rate among Asian population The U.S. population has in general been seeing growth in the last decade from a population number of about 308 million in 2010 to about 329 million in 2019.

As steady population increases were seen in non-Hispanic groups, the Asian population saw the biggest increase of any demographic mostly due to international migration.

In 2019, the Asian population in the United States was 22,861,985 — an increase of 5,185,297 or 29% since 2010. The White population in comparison rose 4.3% over the last decade from 248,075,996 to 258,646,488.

The county with the largest Asian population of 1,716,196 in

2019 was Los Angeles County.

It also had the largest numeric population increase of 180,084 or 11.7% from 2010 to 2019.

Seeing the largest numeric population increase between 2018 and 2019 of 20,779 or 4.3% was Washington’s King County.

Looking at U.S. counties that had a population of at least 20,000 in 2019, the Asian population in Forsyth County, Georgia grew the fastest with an increase of 3,660 or 10% between 2018 and 2019. The population also saw the largest percentage growth of 230.2% or 27,977 since between 2010 and 2019.

Following in growth were Hispanics whose population grew 20% from 10,093,626 in 2010, to 60,572,247 in 2019.

Black Americans saw a population increase of 11.6% or 5,004,079 in the last decade; Native Hawaiians saw a 21% increase, and American Indians or Alaskan Natives saw a 13.1% increase.

Last year, data from the U.S. Census Bureau showed that the number of Filipinos in the U.S. reached 4,089,570 in 2018 — an increase of more than 52,000 from 2017. n

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http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

SF DA Boudin, groups announce formation of ‘Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commissions’

SAN FRANCISCO – On Wednesday, July 1, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, the Grassroots Law Project, and District Attorneys from Boston and Philadelphia announced the formation of local “Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commissions” in each city.

For too long, people in these communities have lacked recourse from police violence and prosecutor overreach and people with power have abused it without consequence. This partnership aims to give voice to those who have been subject to racist and deeply harmful practices for years.

The commissions will begin as pilot projects to create a process for District Attorneys and their local communities to hear from victims of police and prosecutor misconduct, develop new pathways to justice, and re-examine what justice looks like for marginalized groups. This critical project is at its early stages, and the District Attorneys will begin dialogue with their communities – including persons impacted by police violence – and develop policies and structures to help communities heal from the generational trauma resulting from police violence and racial injustice. Each commission will be responsive to the individualized needs of the community.

Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commissions are entities set up to uncover past instances of racial and ethnic injustice that were frequently ignored or perpetuated by the government. In post-Apartheid South Africa, for example, they played an instrumental role in promoting healing and atonement for generations of government harm and racial violence. They are designed to map strategies for resolving conflict, and bring true healing and reconciliation to victims.

“Prosecutors have a special responsibility to promote justice and reconciliation with the communities whose needs have historically been neglected,” explained District Attorney Boudin. “In San Francisco we are working to not only enact changes and create policies that hold police accountable going forward, but also to build trust with those who have been hurt by the lack of police accountability in the past. We are honored by the opportunity to be part of this initiative to heal the wounds created by police abuse, to empower impacted communities, and to seek real justice for all.”

District Attorney Boudin has been dedicated to combatting police abuse and holding law enforcement accountable. Over the past few weeks, the District Attorney’s Office has initiated a slew of local policies and internal policy

San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin

Photo from sfdistriptattorney.org

reforms around policing and police accountability, and has advocated for state-wide changes to protect victims of police violence.

This Commission aims to continue that work and ensure that future efforts are grounded in the needs of local community members who have been hurt by police violence and impunity.

“Each Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission will develop processes and plans to allow persons who have experienced current and former instances of harm at the hands of law enforcement to raise concerns, share experiences and achieve justice in a process that will be built with marginalized and oppressed groups at the center,” said Rachael Rollins, Suffolk County District Attorney. “We will begin to pursue justice while giving District Attorneys an opportunity to demonstrate that we care about the wrongs of the past, and we want to prevent them in the future.”

“Prosecutors have a critical role in helping communities find space to address past wrongs, whether it is through exonerations or through alternative forms of restorative justice or truth and reconciliation,” said Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. “As a civil rights lawyer, I watched how this community suffered from law enforcement and prosecutorial overreach, and I know that these harms went unaddressed for many, if not for most. We cannot go back to fix that, but we can give a voice to those who experienced injustice for years.”

“We often hear people say that ‘the justice system is broken,’ and I honestly understand this conclusion. People see the pain the system causes, and how little justice oppressed communities actually get, and conclude that it’s broken,

but the truth is much more nefarious,” said Shaun King, Co-Founder of the Grassroots Law Project.

“This system is not broken. It’s functioning exactly the way those who designed and built it intended it to function. It was not built to give marginalized communities justice.

It was built to oppress them. And moving forward, we must build brand new pathways for truth, justice, and reconciliation. The old ones will never get us there.”

“The deadliest police culture in the developed world, which is also the most incarcerated nation in world history, has devoured individuals, families, and entire communities for generations in this country. Its victims have been disproportionately Black and what some call justice in the United States has been dispensed among racial lines,” said Lee Merritt, civil rights attorney and Co-Founder of the Grassroots Law Project. “The TJRC will give communities access to meaningful ways of healing, which have long been absent from this nation’s so-called criminal justice system. Creating new institutions to address historic atrocities and modern inequities embedded in the fabric of society is essential if we are ever going to turn the page on America’s bloody legacy.”

The launch of the Truth, Justice & Reconciliation Commission was announced at a virtual press release on July 1, in which District Attorney Boudin, District Attorney Rollins, District Attorney Krasner, Shaun King and Lee Merritt all spoke. For more information, including a video about the Commission, please visit www.TJRC. org. To access a recording of the virtual press conference, please email jenniferr@spotlightpr.org.

(From SF District Attorney’s Office)

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

by ChRistina

M. oRiel

AJPress

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

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

These efforts caught the attention of the California State Senate, which recognized SIPA and Swing as “Unsung Heroes of Southern California.”

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

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

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

In an announcement of his passing, Bromley echoed what dozens of members of the local LA community have remembered about her older brother: his infectious smile, generosity, and ability to connect with others upon the first meeting.

“Kuya’s spirit is so big and warm, I know he will continue to live in each and every one of us.

He is the most generous person I know and genuinely cared for anyone he met. He knew you, even if you met for only 5 minutes thirty years ago. You made an impact on him and he carried you with him.

He made everyone feel welcome, at home, and at ease,” Bromley wrote on the page.

The fundraising campaign exceeded its $20,000 goal and has raised nearly $50,000, as of this writing. The funds will go toward a memorial and a family savings account for his wife Ellen RodriguezSwing and their children, Zachary, Joshua, Chloe, Mackenzie, Nico and Sasha.

“It’s really hard to imagine today and forever without him. But I ask you to honor him by continuing his life’s mission to build community.

He was so proud to be part of SIPA in Los Angeles and so excited [to] become its Executive Director. It’s a tragedy that he won’t be able to lead the community through these times, but I know he’s inspired many to take on that torch,” Bromley added.

Swing, who commuted into LA from the Inland Empire daily, had spent most of his years at the organization cultivating its small business counseling services, such as its biannual Entrepreneur Training Program.

After a year-long nationwide search for an individual to lead one of the oldest Fil-Am organizations in the U.S., SIPA’s board of directors found a fitting candidate internally and voted Swing to assume the post in April.

“I am honored to be able to support, advocate, and program for the needs of the greater Filipino American community. While SIPA is centered on diversity and culture, we also work in the culture of changing all lives for the better.

I invite everyone to join us in this effort as we build a stronger community in Historic Filipinotown and beyond,” Swing was quoted as saying, according to an unreleased announcement from the organization about his new role.

Eddy Gana, a counselor who runs SIPA’s Mental Health Outreach Program, recalled Swing’s encouragement and open-door policy.

“He once said, ‘If there’s ever anything, you can give me a call.

Anytime.’ I would joke, ‘So how about 2 or 3 a.m.?’ He’d reply, ‘Of

John Swing, the executive director of Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) Photo courtesy of SIPA

course!’ Every meeting thereafter, he’d pretend to have a phone to his ear and say, ‘You can still call me anytime. I’m waiting! I haven’t received any late-night calls yet,’” said Gana.

Swing was slated to helm the 48-year-old organization as its Historic Filipinotown headquarters is scheduled to undergo a mixed-use redevelopment project this year.

Following his death, the board approved a motion to name its future small business center, the “John Eric Swing Small Business Center.”

Aside from his time at SIPA, Swing was assistant executive director of Filipino American Service Group, Inc. (FASGI), where he helped with the mental health, lowincome rider relief, and naturalization programs, and was the business director of the annual Festival of Philippine Arts & Culture.

He was also an executive board member of the Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce (COFACC).

“Although John never looked to be in the spotlight, the spotlight shined ever so brightly on him as he led by example as opposed to just talk,” COFACC said in a statement.

In addition to his wife and children, Swing is survived by his parents, Aurora and Ellis Swing, and siblings.

A virtual memorial for Swing is scheduled for Tuesday, July 7. n

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Dateline PhiliPPines

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JULy 3-9, 2020

Palace: PH not leading Western Pacific 122 children killed in Duterte’s drug war – report in COVID-19 cases despite WHO’s findings figures are higher,” it noted.

The report also noted that the killings fall under four patterns: AT LEAST 122 children’s lives direct targets, killed as proxies have been claimed by President when real targets could not be Rodrigo Duterte’s war against il- found, killed as a result of mislegal drugs, according to a newly taken identity, or killed by stray released report by two non-gov- bullets during police operations. ernmental organizations.

“Far from being only ‘collatA report released on Monday, June 29 by the World Organi- eral damage,’ as callously stated zation Against Torture and the by President Rodrigo Duterte, Children’s Legal Rights and De- these have been often deliberate velopment Center found that the killings,” it said.

“Our investigations show that killings are often deliberate and “far from being only ‘collateral 38.5% were carried out by podamage’ as callously stated” by licemen as [part] of police operations, while 61.5% were exgovernment officials.

They documented 122 killings ecuted by unknown individuals, of children, aged from one to 17 often masked or hooded assailyears old, from July 2016 to De- ants, some of them with direct links to the police,” it added. cember 2019.

The report also highlighted six However, the report said that the real figure of killed children cases, which includes “one particularly horrific case” wherein is higher.

“This number is a minimum: a seven-year-old boy was “killed with parents and relatives often in cold blood because he had too afraid of reprisals to report or witnessed the murder of an testify, it is likely that the actual adult by a member of the local

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

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

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

“The WHO said that we have the fastest rise cases in the whole Western Pacific region. Is this true? We beg to disagree,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in Filipino on Monday, June 29.

The findings were followed by Singapore with 2,351 new cases, and China with 302 during the same period.

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

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

“If you divide the cases per million population, this is what you get: the highest in the Western Pacific [is] India [with] 549,197, followed by Pakistan [at] 202,955. Bangladesh [has] 137,787, Indonesia [has] 54,010, [then] Singapore [with] 43,459, and then the Philippines at 35,455,” he said.

“It is clear that data do not lie.

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

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

Roque defended the Palace’s data, saying: “Well I’m not go-

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque

ing to go nitpicking into this, but as far as I know, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are still Asian countries. If you look at the WHO, I think—we checked this and in the data of the WHO, they are classified as Western Pacific countries.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Philstar.com file photo

ourselves to.”

According to the DOH, Singapore has a population of only 5.9 million and a total of 43,246 cases, while the Philippines has 109 million people and 34,803 cases as of June 28.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

authorities.”

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

“These revelations must be a wake-up call for the international community, who has been largely absent as the Philippine government has kept trampling human rights,” said OMCT Secretary General Gerald Staberock in a statement.

“Over the past four years, we have hardly seen any meaningful reaction to the wanton killing of thousands of people under the pretext of the ‘war on drugs,’ the targeting of the poorest and most marginalized citizens of the Philippines, and the persecution of human rights defenders, many of whom are in prison for their legitimate work. It is the total lack of accountability that feeds the cycle of violence, including the war on children we are witnessing,” he added. n

Rappler’s Ressa, Santos appeal cyber libel conviction

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

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

In a 132-page motion submitted to Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 46, Ressa and Santos’ lawyers from the Free Legal Assistance Group urged Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa to reconsider her decision to convict the journalists of cyber libel.

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

It added, “The review should include a consideration of the nature of cyberspace as layered communities used to evolve ideas. Such review should result in a declaration of unconstitu-

tionality of criminal libel in the Revised Penal Code and in the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.”

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

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

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

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

“The court’s role in the trial is to determine malice, not make malicious statements. Ascribing an underhanded and even unlawful motive—without assertion or proof—is malicious. It is

utterly contemptuous and unbecoming of a judge,” the motion added.

The motion also criticized Montesa’s process of arriving at her decision, pointing out that “the court has resorted to language that borders on the sarcastic and, at times, crosses over to the partial.”

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

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

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

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

July 3-9, 2020 • NORCAl ASIAN JOuRNAl

OpiniOn & Features

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Fine-tune the response

NO one is perfect, and the Duterte administration is doing its best to address the challenges posed by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. This was Malacañang’s reaction on Monday, June 29 to the World Health Organization’s report that the Philippines is registering the fastest increase in COVID19 cases among 22 countries in the Western Pacific region.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Editorial

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

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

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

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

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

It was then that I recalled a speech I delivered before FilAm students in Maryland in the mid90s, on the subject of “assimilation” and the seeming conflict between being “Pinoy” and be-

among them Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam.

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

After shutting down ABS-CBN on May 5, the Duterte Administration’s NTC now directs network to stop operating Sky Direct, TV Plus This means that viewers with TV Plus set-top boxes in Metro Manila will be unable to watch Teleradyo, Jeepney TV, Yey!, Asianovela Channel, CineMo, and KBO. ABS-CBN has a pending petition with the Supreme Court questioning the NTC’s CDO and hopes that such petition will be resolved soon in its favor so that it can resume broadcasting on both analog and digital platforms in the service of the Filipino.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reach back to your roots but grow new fruits ing “Kano,” an issue that today’s young FilAms may still be struggling with.

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

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

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

One of the best things that happened to our children in America, aside from the education that they received, was a

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

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

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

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

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

pino way.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: My sister petitioned me in 2001 in the F-4 category, (brother/sister of a U.S. citizen) when my child was still a baby. Recently, the priority date became current. We paid all the fees and submitted all the forms on behalf of my family, including my child, who is now over 21.

At the interview, the consul approved my husband’s and my visas, but said my child cannot be included because he “aged out.” He was only a baby when the petition was filed, so how could he have aged out? Is there hope under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA)?

Very truly yours, CD Dear CD: A child’s age and eligibility for immigration benefits under CSPA are calculated and determined based on the date the priority date finally becomes current, not their age on the date the petition was filed. This includes all family and employment-based petitions (except for “immediate relative” petitions, which are petitions of U.S. citizens for their minor children,

Community Journal

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JULy 3-9, 2020

But my child was a baby when the petition was filed! parents or spouse on which case the date of filing controls).

The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) can sometimes provide relief for children who aged out. But it is very complex and can be confusing in terms of determining eligibility.

• For immediate relatives, eligibility is determined as of the date the petition was filed. If the petition was filed before the child’s 21st birthday, the child could benefit from the CSPA, provided they don’t get married.

• For other petitions, the child’s CSPA eligibility is determined based on when the priority date becomes current (or visa becomes available), even if they were under 21 when the petition was filed.

In your case, your sister petitioned you. Therefore, the child’s age on the date the petition was filed is not determinative for CSPA eligibility. Instead, the child’s age when the priority date finally became current controls, and you must perform a mathematical computation, to determine if their CSPA age is still under 21.

If a person has questions or issues about their child’s CSPA eligibility, or if they have been denied a visa by the Embassy because the child aged out, they

may want to consult with an attorney, who can evaluate their case and determine if the child is truly CSPA eligible. The attorney could either assist in processing the child’s case or seek reconsideration from the Embassy of the visa refusal. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

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

Kris is finally ending her showbiz hiatus

LEADING U.S. IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL EXPEDITES CASE TO ENSURE “CHILD” LANDS ON U.S. SOIL BEFORE HIS 21ST BIRTHDAY. One of Atty. Gurfinkel’s favorite cases is from 23 years ago, but the lessons are timeless and valuable to the present, where the family’s efforts to save money resulted in extra delays and a child who was about to age out in a matter of days. This was before the Child Status Protection Act, and back then, the child must arrive in the U.S. before midnight of his 21st birthday or the case would be lost. Time was running out for Steve (2nd from left) when the family realized that “Miracle Worker” Atty. Gurfinkel (right) was their only hope. As soon as the family agreed to retain the Law Offices of Michael J. Gurfinkel, the latter worked non-stop to ensure that Steve would land on U.S. soil before his 21st birthday. Watch the events unfold on an encore episode of CITIZEN PINOY on Sunday, July 5 at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)

celebrity world

By Ferdie Villar

comeback, she added, “I am allowed to thank my @cornerstone Manilatimes.net family for their patience and perseverance; thank you to new ON Wednesday, July 1, the partners for their vote of confierstwhile “Queen of All Media” dence.” posted clips of her contract signAquino also expressed gratiing with management and pro- tude to everyone who congratuduction group Cornerstone En- lated her in the comments section tertainment looking both healthy on her new career milestone. and happy. Donning a new hair“Thank you to my family and style, she sat in the middle of a all of you, my loyal followers for long table with Cornerstone En- helping me pray for this moment tertainment Inc. President Erick- to finally arrive,” she ended. son Raymundo and Vice PresiIt was only last week when dent Jeffrey Vadillo to observe veteran talent manager and enphysical distancing. tertainment columnist Lolit Solis Citing her contract’s confiden- said on Instagram she heard that tiality agreement, the 49-year- Aquino is set to do a talk show old actress-host was unable to with boxing champion and Senagive details on what projects the tor Manny Pacquiao. However, group has lined up for her.

Aquino was quick to deny this, Aquino wrote, “I was reminded writing in the comments, “Sorry by attorney @gideon.pena that Nay, Bernard [Cloma, Pacquiao’s Erstwhile dubbed “Queen of All Media,” the the contract I signed had 3 para- friend] is confusing you. A couactress-host has been on a two-year hiatus graphs regarding confidentiality. ple of years ago, kami ni mareng Heart Evangelista posed with one of her paintings. The actress has been actively from showbiz.

So for now it’s just this video.” @jinkeepacquiao ang nagkausap helping people in need during the pandemic.

Photo from Instagram/@krisaquino Clearly excited about her PAGE 10 Instagram Photo (@iamhearte)

by Iza IglesIas

Heart Evangelista declares politics is not for her ACTRESS and fashion icon Heart Evangelista recently revealed that she has no plans on entering politics, according to an article on PEP.ph.

The actress answered a Twitter post which said “Hoping Heart Evangelista wont enter politics” by saying, “Politics is not for me [praying and heart emojis] I can help without that kind of power. [heart emoji]” Heart is married to Sorsogon Governor Francis Escudero.

According to the same report, the actress has been busy helping front-liners and the less unfortunate during the pandemic.

Aside from a recent sale of a painting, the funds of which she bought 550 tablets that she is giving away via her “Big Heart PH” project, Heart has given as-

sistance to those in need of operation, medical assistance or who have no money to buy their maintenance medications due to loss of income.

She has opened her Twitter account for people in need. In a Twitter message, Heart said, “If I’m not on Twitter I might not be able to see your messages regarding assistance… if you see me tweet just message me then so di matabunan [praying emoji].”

Although she would like to help everyone, Heart says it is impossible to do so.

Aside from work demands, Heart reveals that she spends her own money in helping others and does not fundraise because she is married to a politician.

PAGE 9

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July 3-9, 2020 • NORCAl ASIAN JOuRNAl

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

Friday, July 3, 2020

OMETHING

ILIPINO

FILIPINO FOOD MOVEMENT’S ‘SAVOR FILIPINO’ SUMMIT

How to survive a post-COVID-19 market: ’Dial it up’ and ‘Buy Filipino products’

By MoMar

G. Visaya

AJPress

WITH its goal to create a framework in order to innovate the business of Filipino cuisine in the time of the pandemic, the Filipino Food Movement held a virtual summit called ‘Savor Filipino’ on Monday, June 29.

The meeting was attended by almost a hundred people across the globe, coming from different fields and industries but all share the same love and commitment to Filipino food.

“Filipino cuisine is no longer the next big thing. It is a part of the American culinary landscape,” said Department of Tourism Secretary Berna RomuloPuyat who opened the summit.

Puyat added that the best way to promote a country is through its food and what better way to understand Filipino culture but also through its food.

The tourism secretary mentioned that they brought in three Filipino American chefs to the Philippines late last year so they could visit culinary destinations in order to learn about heirloom delicacies and heritage ingredients which they could use in their respective restaurants when they return to the United States.

Sonia Delen, Filipino Food Movement president talked briefly about how they adjusted with the times and came up with Kulinarya Live, quarantine cooking series streamed online featuring Filipino chefs from the diaspora.

The project came about when they realized that because of the quarantine, people have reignited their interest in baking and cooking.

As a nonprofit organization, FFM has been at the forefront in promoting Filipino cuisine and creating sustainable impact on the Filipino culinary industry

PJ Quesada, one of the Filipino Food Movement founders

reviewed and featured dozens of restaurants, among them Filipino rests in Manhattan and Queens.

She also wrote a long feature on Doreen Fernandez, the doyenne of Filipino food writing.

She echoed Puyat’s thoughts on the role of Filipino food in the American culinary landscape and said that “America has changed, particularly the way we eat now” and that Filipino cuisine is a part of the “brilliant pastiche of colors from around the world” that makes American dining unique.

Nicole Ponseca, foundered and owner of Jeepney and Maharlika talked about her own journey, including how she decided to close Maharlika in December after almost ten years of operations.

“I don’t really know what the future holds, restaurants like us are earning a fraction of what we used to make,” she said. “But we are warriors and we are going to figure out how to move on together.”

Like her colleagues in New York, Ponseca pivoted and worked on getting donations in order to send food to frontliners in hospitals across the city.

While she has been mentioned many times as the one who broke down walls when she and chef Miguel Trinidad opened Maharlika in 2010, Ponseca along with Mishan paid tribute to those who began the fight to bring Filipino cuisine to New York’s mainstream. They mentioned Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan who ran Cendrillon in Soho and King PhoFilipino Food Movement president Sonia Delen

whether it is through dinners, outreach or gala events.

‘Dial it up’ Ligaya Mishan, the award-winning New York Times food writer and critic and writer, delivered the keynote speech along with restaurateur and cookbook author Nicole Ponseca Mishan shared a little bit of her own personal history. Her mom, originally from Cotabato City in the Philippines, married her dad who was from England. They met in Tokyo and ended up living in Hawaii.

Mishan said that as a writer, how she writes about food matters.

“I don’t use the words ethnic or cheap. I’m uneasy with ‘authentic’, too,” she said, citing the fact that recipes are not static and they tend to change based on the availability of ingredients, among other reasons.

As a writer for NYT, Mishan has

janakong who opened Kuma Inn in the Lower East Side for opening the door and the conversations that followed suit.

Ponseca, who also published a bestselling book on Filipino cuisine (and a 2019 James Beard Award finalist) called “I Am Filipino: This is How We Cook”, shared the challenges they had to hurdle in order to keep both restaurants running. Her strategy to use what used to embarrass her as a child and made them work for her.

As a teen, Ponseca said she PAGE 10

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Heart Evangelista declares politics is...

Features

PAGE 7

“I don’t do fundraising,” she said. “I don’t do that because I just feel it also gets complicated when you’re married to a politician.”

“I don’t want it to have color,” Heart explained. *** Vico Sotto and Donya Tesoro, both millennial mayors, were the subject of teasing and matchmaking in a recent “Eat Bulaga” episode.

Host Vic Sotto, who asked Tarlac Mayor Donya Tesoro if she had a boyfriend or suitor at the moment, joked about calling Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto when the latter answered in the negative, according to a Philippine Star article.

“May nanliligaw ba sa iyo?”

Vic was quoted as asking.

“Hi Bossing! Parang wala. Parang ayaw naman nila sa akin,” Tesoro answered.

This prompted Vic to grab his phone and say, “Hello Vico! Hello? Dineretso ko na!”

The Tarlac mayor revealed that she is not particular about looks. She doesn’t want someone who plays around or cheats, and prefers someone who understands her job.

Co-host Jose Manalo remarked, “Kailangan mayor din ‘yung mapangasawa mo!”

But Tesoro also revealed that her lovelife has to take a backseat at the moment.

“Sa ngayon hindi siya priority.

Kaya nga palagi kong nilalagay na #notimeforlove,” she replied when asked if she has time for romance. ***

Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto and Tarlac Mayor Donya Tesoro are two of the youngest mayors in the Philippines. Both were playfully teased and “matched” by Eat Bulaga host Vic Sotto during a segment in the TV show where Sotto asked Tesoro if she had a boyfriend or suitor to which she revealed she had no one at the moment.

Pang-Masa File/Donya Tesoro Instagram Photo

Brenda Padilla (right), an energetic caregiver in Daly City, celebrated her 48th birthday recently. She is shown in photo above with San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa, who gave her a commendation for giving excellent care to small children.

AJ Perez, son of Filipino community leaders Vangie and Anthony Perez of Antioch, will celebrate his 14th birthday with a barbecue party at the Perez Residence on Tuesday, July 20. The celebrant just recently graduated from Dallas Ranch Middle School.

Wowowin host Willie Revillame recently appealed to Filipinos to follow the Philippines’ regulations and quarantine measures.

He also lambasted those who are showing off on social media by having elaborate parties without following the rules.

“Hindi tama na magpasikat kayo,” he said in an article on Inquirer.net, adding that instead of partying now is the time to help, follow regulations and pray for the country.

Kung wala kang pang-blowout ngayon, magtiis ka. Hindi naman kailangan na maghanda ka eh (If you do not have [the money] to treat people, then accept it. You do not need to prepare a feast),” the TV host said.

“Kaya nga ako minsan nabuMarian Rivera, known as the Primetime Queen of GMA Pinoy TV, is the lead actress in the 2014 bwisit ako, nagpapa-party party teleserye “Carmela: Ang Pinakamagandang kayo. Ang dami-daming namamaBabae sa Mundong Ibabaw.” She is paired with tay, ang dami-daming nagkakasakit (That is why sometimes I am Alden Richards in the top-rated series.

Instagram Photo (@marianrivera) infuriated, you guys are still par-

tying. There are so many people dying and sick.),” Revillame said.

“Pinapakita niyo sa Facebook, sa YouTube ‘yan. Makidamay kayo sa ating mga kababayan… Hindi tama ‘yung ginagawa natin. Nagpapasikat kayo, wala naman din kayo (You even show it on Facebook and YouTube. Empathize with our countrymen. What we are doing is not right. You are showing off even when you have nothing.).”

EMPLOYMENT

FOR LEASE

Wowowin host Willie Revillame has appealed to those breaking quarantine and pandemic regulations to follow the rules in the Philippines to help contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

Philstar.com File Photo

SERVICES

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JULy 3-9, 2020

Updates to 2020 Census Operations THE U.S. Census Bureau continues to monitor the impact COVID-19 has had on 2020 Census operations and follow guidance of federal, state and local health authorities to ensure the safety of its staff and the public. The Census Bureau is ready to announce resumption of other operations, in addition to the Update Leave operation and fingerprinting of new hires which are already underway in order to conduct a complete and accurate 2020 Census.

As of today, over 91 million households have responded to the 2020 Census. People can still respond on their own online, over the phone or by mail – all without having to meet a census taker.

The operational updates outlined below include the Nonresponse Followup operation, partnership events, Mobile Questionnaire Assistance (MQA) program, and the integrated communications and partnership campaign.

The Census Bureau will begin a soft launch to Nonresponse Followup The Census Bureau routinely “soft launches” operations to ensure systems, operations and field plans work as they should. Starting in mid-July, six area census offices (ACOs) (one per census region) will begin the operation of interviewing households that have yet to respond to the 2020 Census. The six ACOs were announced by the end of June. Additional ACOs will be announced for a second wave soft launch to occur later in July. Aside from ACOs that are part of the soft launch, all remaining ACOs will

begin the Nonresponse Followup on August 11 and conclude no later than October 31. All census takers will be trained on social distancing protocols. They will be issued PPE and will follow local guidelines for their use.

The Census Bureau’s Community Partnership and Engagement Program (CPEP) has resumed in-person events In coordination with local guidance, partnership specialists resumed in-person efforts in early June, working with over 370,000 partner organizations and attending in-person events across the country where it is safe to do so. Over the past few months, CPEP outreach efforts have been largely comprised of virtual engagements to support stay-at-home orders and social distancing.

The Census Bureau’s Mobile Questionnaire Assistance (MQA) program is being modified to reflect the current environment It is anticipated that MQA staff may be able to resume offering in-person questionnaire response assistance in selected areas based on current health conditions. This program will also add to its portfolio of activities to include direct outreach efforts within the lowest responding neighborhoods throughout the nation. All Census Bureau staff involved in MQA will follow local guidelines with respect to PPE and social distancing.

The Census Bureau will continue its communications campaign through October 2020 – the end of 2020 Census data collection operations

The Census Bureau has adapted the communications campaign and launched a series of new advertisements aimed at increasing online response to the 2020 Census while much of the nation remains at home practicing social distancing. Additional paid media is planned for July, August and September.

The expanded advertising campaign reaches new audiences in 33 languages, raising the total to 45 non-English languages receiving some level of paid media support. The expanded languages will receive some combination of paid search, print or digital advertisements.

In addition, the Census Bureau expanded the list of media vendors to increase Census Bureau reach of historically undercounted populations through paid advertising on digital, print, television and radio platforms.

The updates to operations outlined above all incorporate the latest federal, state and local guidelines regarding PPE and regulations. For the safety of its staff and the public, the Census Bureau has ordered PPE for all field staff, including those that work in a field office. These materials will be secured and provided to staff as operations begin. Census Bureau staff will follow local health official guidance when wearing PPE. The Census Bureau will continue to update the public on 2020 Census operations. Visit the 2020 Census operational tineline (https://2020census.gov/en/newsevents/operational-adjustmentscovid-19.html) for further details.

(Advertising Supplement)

Enchong laments cutting of ‘old beautiful trees’ in Baguio

By Ian

BIong Inquirer.net

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

Dee, who has been vocal on social issues in the country, said the move goes against the global environmental movement to counter climate change.

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

“While the whole world

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

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

The developer has since given 10,800 seedlings of Benguet pine to Baguio’s local DENR units to replace the lost Enchong dee in his podcast, The Budgetarian. trees and to support the city’s Photo screengrabbed from Youtube Enchong Dee regreening program.

SERVICES

10

Features

July 3-9, 2020 • NORCAl ASIAN JOuRNAl

Health@Heart PhiliP S. chua, MD, FacS, FPcS COVID-19, like many diseases known to man, infectious or not, afflict each one of us according to our individual discipline and behavior.

With almost 10.5 million COVID-19 cases and more than half a million deaths worldwide – greater than 2.6 million in the USA with around 230,000 deaths, and about 36,500 cases in the Philippines and almost 13,000 deaths – the COVID-19 pandemic (officially declared by the World Health Organization on January 30, 2020) still rages on. How long it will last depends on “We, The People.”

Several countries like Bolivia, Argentina, Columbia, Iraq, the Philippines and Panama were all badly hit and lockdown was imposed. After re-opening, Argentina, for one, and some States in the U.S., have more than quadrupled its cases. In the Philippines, the highest one-day trajectory was close to 1100 cases around June 21st. Saudi Arabia and Iran are having a “second wave” after relaxing lockdown measures.

The same is true in South Korea, Lebanon and Singapore.

In the U.S., the re-opening has been marred by flare-ups: Florida having 8,530 new cases in one day; Alabama, 1,734; North Carolina, 1,287; Arizona, 625; Virginia, 453; all these surges in one day with a total new death of 120 on June 28.

The States with the highest death rates are New York, 31,484; New Jersey, 15,118; Massachusetts, 8,060; and Illinois, 7,089.

The riots, demonstrations and protests for civil rights, where the crowd did not wear masks or practice social distancing, contributed a lot to the V-curve of the pandemic and sharp rise in new cases. Most of these were young people. Disregarding health guidelines, carelessness, and arrogance take their toll. COVID-19 could also be deadly for young people.

The first death from COVID-19 outside China was a 44-year-old male on February 2, 2020. More than 4,000 deaths in New York alone were people under the age of 65, 600 below 45, and 9 below 17. So, COVID-19 also kills young people. But as great, if not a greater tragedy, is when a careless, indifference, arrogant young person gets infected and transmits it to seniors who are more vulnerable and have the highest risk of dying from COVID-19, and who are scared and being very careful, following the guidelines religiously, only to be victimized by a virus carrier anyway.

A group of 16 friends in Florida all tested positive for COVID-19 after a night’s drinking at a bar.

There are countless similar incidents around the world, where crowds did not follow the guide-

Discipline and COVID-19

lines.

There is no question that people’s discipline and behavior could spell the difference between health and illness, and between life and death.

The success of ending this pandemic sooner, opening the economy earlier, will depend entirely on the wisdom and responsibility of the entire community. Flattening the curve and re-opening businesses are not mutually exclusive. This could be achieved in synchrony, simultaneously, if people are disciplined to follow the COVID-19 guidelines: when outside wear a cap/hat, mask, avoid touching public doorknobs and handrails, do distancing of at least six feet, wash hands or use hand sanitizers. All these inconveniences and discomfort are worthwhile if we are to ward off a potential killer and get back to a better tomorrow sooner.

Decoy to destroy SARS-CoV2 Scrambling to find tools to eradicate COVID-19 infection, simultaneous independent researches are ongoing around the world.

One study “has found that nanosponges, tiny bio-friendly plastic coated in lungs and immune cell membranes, act as a decoy for SARS-CoV2, neutralizing the virus. The nanosponges mop up the virus like a sponge.” They reduce the inflammation also, thus treating the body’s reaction to the infection. Once the SARS-CoV2 virus attaches to the nanosponges rather than the lungs’ cells, the virus quickly dies. This new technology effectively distracts and neutralizes various viruses (Influenza, Ebola, Marburg and Lassa), including the COVID-19 virus in the lab, reports a paper in the journal Nano Letters. The medication could be in the form of nasal spray also. The promising data are from investigators at Boson University’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories and the University of California, San Diego.

Half a billion cases less A review published in Nature of the COVID-19 pandemic says the emergency measures promulgated by five countries, including the U.S., in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have prevented more than half a billion additional cases, and proportionately, saved about 1,250 lives.

Professor Solomon Hsiang, the lead researcher, stated “the last several months have been extraordinarily difficult, but through our individual sacrifices, people everywhere have each contributed to one of humanity’s greatest collective achievements. I don’t think any human endeavor has ever saved so many lives in such a short period of time. There have been huge personal costs to staying home and canceling events, but the data show that each day made a profound difference. By using science and cooperating, we changed the course of history.”

COVID-19 “triggers” diabetes?

A panel of 17 international diabetes experts, in a study published in The New England of Medicine journal, suggested that COVID19 could actually trigger among some people the development of T2 diabetes among COVID-19 patients who were not diabetic to begin with. Whether the diabetes would resolve after the COVID19 infection ends is not known.

A global registry has been established to investigate the possible link and inform future therapy.

Diabetes occurs when the body is unable to regulate blood sugar level, either due to damage to the beta cells in the pancreas which produces insulin (T1 diabetes) or from the body cells becoming insensitive (resistant) to insulin (T2 diabetes, the most common type). While having diabetes is a risk to severe COVID-19 infection, new evidence shows non-diabetics could develop diabetes for the first time as a result of COVID19. The riddle of this two-way relationship is being investigated worldwide. Experts think that it would take a couple of years to know for certain if the overall rates of diabetes in various populations have increased as a result of the pandemic.

UVC lights deactivates SARSCoV2 Ultraviolet C, which was discovered in 1801 but came into practical use in 1903 as a germicidal agent, has been shown to destroy viruses in general, including SARS, MERS, and SARS-CoV2, which cause COVID-19, by damaging their protective lipid (fat) capsules surrounding the virus molecule and destroying their DNA. UV-C light is harmful to the eyes and the skin. UV-C lights have been used to sterilize operating rooms, ICUs, ER, etc. It is also used to sterilize meats, vegetables, etc. in manufacturing plants. The available lamps in the market are used safely with a remote control device to allow people and pets to leave the room to be sterilized before it is turned on.

Professor David J. Brenner of Columbia University has developed a Far UV-C (200-122 nm) which is safe to use around people, pets, and plants. This will be in the form of a ceiling lamp, or a unit much like our present day portable mosquito eletric zapper, which could be used in various public establishments, airports, restaurants, grocery stores, theaters, and homes, to provide constant real-time deactivation of viruses and killing of bacteria, and to some extent, molds. Hopefully, it will be available soon to help us fight the SARS-CoV2 virus. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888. com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.

Kris is finally ending her showbiz...

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for a possible project together. It never materialized.”

She continued, “There’s nothing in the horizon for me and Senator Manny. Willie Revillame generously offered me to use one of the other studios he set up in Wil Tower for me to do Facebook and YouTube daily. There’s more but I signed a non-disclosure agreement and masunurin na your Tetay now.”

It has been two years since

Aquino took a break from show business due to health reasons.

She, however, landed a cameo in Hollywood film “Crazy Rich Asians” in August 2018 as Princess Intan. That same year, she revealed she had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria.

Even on hiatus, however, the controversial celebrity was always able to draw public attention whether from posts about

her illness or her love-hate relationship with her brother, former president Noynoy Aquino.

She also figured in a public scandal with erstwhile business manager Nicko Falcis. Aquino accused and later sued Falcis for qualified theft in allegedly using company funds for personal expenses. Falcis meanwhile released his telephone conversation with Aquino where she allegedly threatened his life. The case has been settled since.

How to survive a post-COVID-19 market...

PAGE 8 was embarrassed when she would bring friends to her home and they would see her dad using his hands to eat. At Jeepney, she introduced Kamayan dinners, where diners would eat with their bare hands. It was what saved Jeepney then, she quipped.

“We turned it around, and for those wondering about now, I say go for the boldness of the flavors. Dial it up instead of dial it down,” she added.

As she closed her talk, Ponseca mentioned about how Filipino food in the United States has evolved and that now, more than ever, the next generation of Filipino American chefs have access to what she referred to as the “4Cs”: capital, creativity, consciousness and community.

“Money is running out and if our doors should close, another door will open,” she said. “We have not come this far only to get this far.

Buy Filipino products Five concurrent breakout sessions followed and they focused on topics that are key to the current environment. Breakout panelists include successful Filipino chefs, technology trailblazers, and industry experts.

The Philippine Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Tourism made their presentations as well to help con-

nect Filipino food producers and manufacturers with end-users across America.

Celynne Layug, trade attache of the DTI, talked about the journey of products and ingredients from the Philippines. Among the products she mentioned include coconut byproducts which have been used by private labels including Costco and Trader Joe’s and companies like Nestle.

Layug also talked about the platforms and specialty stores where Filipino products are now available and the companies which use Filipino ingredients such as ube and pili nuts in their products.

“We also have new and innovative products including the line of Mama Sita’s vinegars including cashew vinegar, bean to bar artisan chocolates, volcanic pili nuts from Bicol and the “dinosaur egg,” among others,” she added.

Dinosaur egg or asin tibuok is considered by enthusiasts as the rarest among Philippine sea salts from Bohol which is now imported to the United States. It is currently sold at $149.99 per “egg”.

“It is an age old craft but it is a dying process so we are hoping that the remaining family in Bohol which makes it is able to preserve this tradition,” Layug shared. Called dinosaur egg because of its shape, this salt is

grated over a dish and takes up to four months to make.

Getting these products to the United States is already a feat, according o Layug, but surviving the competition is another battle that needs to be hurdled. She suggested patronizing Filipino products when we see them in our local groceries or supermarkets.

“Let us harness the power of the Filipino diaspora,” she said, adding that there is a strong need to advertise the availability of these products.

PJ Quesada, one of the founders of FFM, said he wanted to leave the participants with three points as he closed the summit’s proceedings.

“Rethink the stories you tell because your stories matter now more than ever; we have to be fluid and adaptable because there’s so much uncertainty right now and we have to survive this; and finally, experiment with new things, don’t be scared,” he said.

The online summit brought together some of the most prominent members of the Filipino food business community in the United States to discuss the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and develop actionable solutions that will keep the Filipino food industry competitive in a post-COVID marketplace.

Real Estate Knowledge Martin Santiago, Broker-aSSociate PRICES for existing homes rose 4.7% compared with April 2019, up from 4.6% in the previous month, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index. But home sales have rebounded quickly and dramatically, with signed contracts on existing homes in May making the strongest monthly jump since Realtors began tracking the metric in 2001.

The supply of homes for sale continues to drop, even as new listings now come on the market. Demand is incredibly strong, suggesting that prices will only get hotter in the coming months.

Homes in the $1.7 to $2.5 million range, within reach of two-income tech professional couples, remain popular.

One reason prices haven’t dropped more is that there are fewer fundamental problems in the housing market than there were during the financial crisis, which was fueled by shoddy mortgage underwriting. And most of the job losses this year have been in service industries, where employees are more likely to be renters than buyers in the expensive Bay Area.

In the Bay Area, open houses for brokers and the public are not allowed. One-on-one showings are allowed only if a virtual showing is not feasible, and only

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Housing market vs COVID-19 by-appointment with strict social distancing and health rules enforced. Before early May, agents could not even show a home unless the occupants had moved out. Now they generally can, but the occupants must be gone at the time of the showing. Even if their homes can be shown, many owners are reluctant to have strangers coming through.

Exodus? Agents in the Bay Area suburbs say they’ve had a surge of interest from potential buyers coming from San Francisco, as the coronavirus has made working from home at least parttime a more viable option long term. Many are looking for larger homes with space for one or two offices, a yard and – since they’re spending more time at home – a pool.

Every year a certain amount of people move out from San Francisco to Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda. It’s the natural flow: they get to their early 30’s, have a child or have aspirations of having a child. This year, we are getting this year’s people and next year’s. San Francisco is one of the most beautiful cities but between COVI-19 and restaurants and bars closing down, that romantic feature is gone. Now, they’re working from home in a two-bedroom apartment and it’s like, “Get me out of here.”

After the Great Recession, it took more than ten years for purchase demand to rebound to prerecession levels, but in this crisis it took less than ten weeks. The

round in purchase demand partly reflects deferred sales as well as continued interest from prospective buyers looking to take advantage of the low mortgage rate environment.

Mortgage rates hit another record-breaking low this week, dropping to a mere 3.13% on the average 30-year, fixed rate loan. That’s the lowest rate recorded since 1971, according to Freddie Mac and the fourth time a new low has been set this year.

While rates did jump up briefly, they have since fallen back to historic lows. The consensus among real estate and mortgage finance economists is that mortgage rates may fluctuating but are likely to remain near historic lows through 2021.

The Federal Reserve’s recent announcement to continue buying mortgage-backed securities, as well as keeping its funds rate at zero, are both contributing to this optimism. The 30-year fixed averaged 3.33% APR in the first four weeks of June, a smidgen lower than the 3.37% average APR in May and 3.36% in April.

June’s rate average was the lowest. * * * Martin Santiago is a broker associate at Compass Burlingame, a full-service residential brokerage firm. The information presented in this article is for general information only and is not, nor intended to be, a formal legal advice nor the formation of a broker-client relationship. Call or email Martin at (415)850-7704; teammsquare@ gmail.com; www.teammsquare.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

PG&E opens program for STEM scholarships of up to $10,000

Qualified applicants encouraged to apply by July 10, 2020 deadline SAN FRANCISCO – Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and The PG&E Corporation Foundation (The Foundation) are inviting applications to the Better Together STEM Scholarship Program. The Foundation will provide funding for a total of $250,000 to students pursuing a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) disciplines. The Program will award 20 scholarships of $10,000 each and 20 scholarships of $2,500 each.

“PG&E and The PG&E Corporation Foundation are committed to helping students interested in being part of California’s clean energy future, giving them opportunities to learn and succeed in higher education, and achieve their dreams,” said Stephanie Isaacson, Executive Director of The PG&E Corporation Foundation.

Applications are open to graduating high school seniors, current college students, veterans and adults returning to school who are PG&E customers at the

time of application. Applicants must plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study for the entire 2020-2021 academic year and be seeking their first undergraduate degree at an accredited four-year institution in California.

Scholarships will be awarded based on academic achievement, demonstrated participation and leadership in school and community activities, and financial need.

Interested applicants can learn more and apply by logging on to https://www.pge.com/en_US/ residential/in-your-community/ education-programs/grants-andscholarships/scholarship-opportunities/scholarship-opportunities.page. Application deadline is July 10, 2020. Awards will be announced in August.

Since 2012, the Better Together STEM Scholarship Program has awarded more than $6 million to accomplished students based on a combined demonstration of community leadership, personal triumph, financial need and academic achievement.

In addition to the Better Together STEM Scholarship Program, PG&E’s 10 employee resource groups (ERGs) and two engineering networking groups (ENGs) award scholarships to help offset the cost of higher education. The funds are raised totally through employee donations, employee fundraising events and Campaign for the Community, the company’s employee giving program.

Since 1989, more than $4.5 million ERG scholarships have been received by thousands of recipients.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 23,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com and www. pge.com/news.

SF Assessor-Recorder’s Office hosts digital forum on July 18 THE San Francisco AssessorRecorder’s Office, headed Carmen Chu, will host a Digital Family Wealth Forum on Saturday, July 18 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Zoom to help families gather information and plan for their financial future in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was revealed during a Zoom press conference organized by the office for media.

In the Zoom call, SF AssessorRecorder Chu revealed that the digital forum, originally scheduled for May of this year, will offer a series of panel discussions and presentations to help attendees get back on their feet during the COVID-19 crisis while continuing to build their family’s financial future.

Experts will cover topics, including immediate financial assistance for homeowners and families, estate planning basics and personal finance management (such as accessing retirement plan funds and managing mortgage forbearance).

Speakers slated at the event, as of June 26, include Francis Sameon of CALCPA, Heather Liston of the SF Financial Planner Association, executive director Shannon Way of HomeownershipSF and staff attorney Kendra Bowen of the Housing and Economic Rights Advocates.

Interested individuals are encouraged to register for the event at https://sfassessor.org/familywealthforum.

Assessor-Recorder Chu told media that the digital forum will also provide translated materials as well as multilingual translation and access to participants.

In terms of specific topics, Chu mentioned that the digital forum will touch on things like managing debt, pulling out funds from retirement accounts and the tax implications; financial assistance programs available for homeowners, home buyers and San Francisco residents; a step-bystep process for estate planning which may include putting one’s

paperwork in order like wills/ trusts, advanced directive and inclusion of beneficiaries in one’s policies.

According to Assessor-Recorder Chu, her office is looking at ways on how to provide oneon-one counseling sessions after the Zoom webinar, and will let participants know how to gain access to such, if and when it becomes available.

In the same call, Chu said that while their office is not yet open to the public, individuals wishing to get copies of their records can do so by calling their office (415554-5596), sending an email to askbpp@sfgov.org or asrpra@ sfgov.org, or by visiting the website, sfassessor.org.

The most common scams that they have seen, so far, Chu said, is some people taking advantage of unwitting individuals by volunteering to secure records and charging fees of up to $200, or people using the personal information of others to take over properties or for other fraudulent means.

“If you need a copy of your records at our office, please do not hesitate to visit us online and do it yourself,” Assessor-Recorder Chu said, by way of advice. “If

and when our office opens and you need to designate a representative to get your records, there are certain requirements that need to be met so our office can establish your identity, and that of your duly-designated representative.”

Among the most common records people seek are documents pertaining to real estate, as well as marriage licenses.

“While real estate records may include bank loans and deeds related to the property, some may need a copy of their marriage license when they need to add people to their benefits,” Chu explained.

Chu added that data at their office are stored in multiple, secure locations and that guarding the privacy of SF residents is one of their utmost priorities.

Although the SF AssessorRecorder’s Office is organizing the digital forum, Assessor-Recorder Chu reiterated that all are welcome to attend the Zoom event and gather the necessary information they need. They will be recording the event so that people can find it in other digital platforms when they need to search for information. (Joseph Peralta/AJPress)

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