JULY 6-8, 2022 Volume 32 - No. 53 • 14 Pages
USA
DATELINE Parents encouraged to keep children up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Fil-Ams sound off on Marcos’ return to power by DONNABELLE
GATDULA-AREVALO AJPress
WHILE newly sworn-in Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has full backing from his supporters here in the U.S., some Filipino Americans have expressed doubt in his ability to fulfill his promises of reshaping the country’s future in the next six years. LOS Angeles County officials are reminding Upon his inauguration last June 30, Marcos, who parents to get their children vaccinated is fondly called BBM by his supporters, became the against COVID-19 as the virus continues to first majority president since the establishment of the affect individuals under 18. Fifth Republic in 1986. He also became the second To date, there have been 91,935 children under the age of 5, 260,389 children ages 5 to 11, and 255,187 children ages 12 to 17 confirmed with COVID-19. While most children experience mild illness, many children in LA County experienced serious illness and required hospitalization after becoming infected with COVID-19, according to the LA County Department of Public Health. To date, there have been 1,359 children under the age of 5, 678 children ages 5 to 11, and 1,158 children ages 12 to 17 hospitalized with COVID-19. Although very rare, COVID-19 cases among children can sometimes result a few weeks later in a very serious, post-infection illness known as Multi-Symptom Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), a condition where different body parts become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs. In total, over the course of the pandemic, Public Health has confirmed 312 cases of MIS-C. Two children under the age of 5, three children ages 5 to 11, and six children ages
president from Ilocos Norte, after his father, Ferdinand Marcos, and the third child of a former president to hold the post after Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Benigno Aquino III. Tancredo Guray Jr., BBM 2.0 (USA) president for California, said the group is excited about what Marcos will do to the Philippines as a whole. BBM 2.0 was an electoral platform created by businessman Jonathan “Atan” Bocaling to help support and facilitate the election campaign of Marcos all over the world. “We are very happy at this point in time. Now, I just want tell the entire Filipino people that they
“YOU might be done with COVID, but COVID is not done with you.” So said Denny Chan, directing attorney with Justice in Aging, at a press briefing cohosted by the California Department of Aging on June 29 to address the high risks older adults still face from COVID-19 and what steps will protect them. Joining Chan were Department of Aging Director Susan DeMarois, Dr. Susan Tartof, an infectious disease epidemiologist with Kaiser Permanente Southern California, and Roberto Velasquez, President and CEO of the Southern Caregiver Resource Center. “From the outset of the pandemic and still to this day,” DeMarois said, “older adults have been hardest hit — 70% of all Covid deaths in California are people 65 and older.” “So we need your help in communicating the value of vaccines and boosters and testing-to-treatment for this population.” Tartof shared research relevant to people of all age groups, such as new evidence
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by NESTOR
A. CORRALES Inquirer.net
FIRST DAY ON THE JOB. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sings the national anthem during a flag raising ceremony at the Kalayaan Grounds in Malacañang Palace on Monday, July 4. Joining the president are Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez and Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr. Malacañang photo
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Event to be held on July 9 in Cerritos, CA
CERRITOS, CA – There’s nothing more beautiful than seeing people coming together – breaking bread and celebrating in this post-pandemic time. And this is what the Filipino American community and its supporters will witness on July 9 at the Don Don Knabe Community Regional Park on 19700 S. Bloomfield Ave. in the City of Cerritos. The day will start at 9 a.m., with a parade of community leaders, dignitaries and beauty queens. Get ready and fit
with an interactive Zumba dance at 9:50 a.m. Listen to inspiring panels featuring Filipino elected officials. There will also be cultural presentations on the main stage packed with entertainers who are Adelio Angelito Cruz (right), a career diplomat, takes his oath of office as chief of presidential protocol hyped and ready to entertain the crowd – in Malacañang for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who took office last June 30. Miss Saigon alum Emeben Baysic; “Star Malacañang photo in a Million” finalist, performer and actor Garth Garcia; The Filipino American Symphony Orchestra of FASO; and many more!
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De Lima says anti-drug drive must continue but ‘no more EJKs FERNANDEZ Inquirer.net
Inquirer.net file photo
MANILA — U.S. President Joe Biden has invited President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Washington, the first foreign head of state to formally extend such a gesture to the country’s newly installed leader. According to Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez, U.S. Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff handed Marcos a personal invitation letter from the American president. Emhoff, the husband of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, led a seven-member delegation from Washington that attended the June 30 inauguration of Marcos. The two officials later had a meeting on Thursday afternoon, June 30 in Malacañang. Quoting Biden’s letter to Marcos, Romualdez said: “I hope you can come to Washington once our teams find an appropriate time.” “President Marcos responded by saying he hopes to do so as soon as our schedules permit them,” Romualdez told the Inquirer on Saturday, July 2.
‘Together We Rise, the Time is Now’ for LA County’s biggest Philippine American celebration
by DANIZA
Former senator Leila De Lima
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Biden invites Bongbong Marcos to Washington
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Older adults still at high risk for COVID-19
have made the right choice for electing BBM as the country’s top executive/president,” Guray, a loyal follower of Marcos’ political career, said. Guray said he believes that the overwhelming support that BBM got from the Filipino voters only indicates how hopeful the Filipinos are for the new administration’s capability. “As you can see it’s an overwhelming vote (from the people) for BBM. It’s Vox Populi, Vox Dei (the voice of the people is the voice of God), now the people have already spoken,” said Guray, who is a commissioner in Carson, California.
MANILA — The war against illegal drugs should continue, former senator Leila De Lima said Tuesday, July 5, but law enforcers should do it without extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and cover-ups. De Lima, a staunch critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who launched the bloody war on drugs, said that the antiillegal drug campaign should comply with the law. “Absolutely, the anti-drug campaign must be pursued relentlessly, this time within the bounds of law, sincerely without
fear or favor, and infusing effective drug rehabilitation programs,” she wrote on Twitter. “No more EJKs. No manipulation of postoperation reports. No falsification of death certificates. No cover-ups,” the detained former public servant added. De Lima pushed government officials to prosecute big-time suppliers and distributors and “real drug protectors and co-conspirators,” including prosecution witnesses in her drug cases. “Intently run after big-time suppliers/ distributors and the real drug protectors and co-conspirators. Prosecute them vigorously,” she urged.
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Former LA Consul General Adelio Cruz named chief of presidential protocol by AJPRESS
ADELIO Angelito Cruz, a career diplomat whose previous role includes Philippine Consul General in Los Angeles, has a new post as the protocol chief in the Marcos administration. Cruz, who served as the former Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary after his assignment in LA, was recently sworn in as the chief of presidential protocol. He will be in charge of the visits of foreign dignitaries to Malacañang. He will also assist President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and his delegation during official visits overseas. Cruz’s appointment followed the choice of Enrique Manalo, the country’s permanent representative to the United
Nations, to head the Department of Foreign Affairs. For nearly three decades, Cruz has held various diplomatic and consular posts in the Philippine Foreign Service. Prior to serving as the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Civilian Security at the Department of Foreign Affairs during the final year of the Duterte administration, the veteran diplomat was Consul General in Los Angeles from 2016 to 2021. His assignments include Charge d'Affaires in Tripoli, Libya (from 2014-2016); Consul General in Xiamen, China (2011-2013); first Secretary and Consul at the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi (2007-2011) and Vice Consul then Consul at the Philippine Consulate General in Chicago.