071423 - San Francisco Edition

Fil-Am golfer makes history, wins US Women’s Open

PEBBLE BEACH — Allisen Corpuz found herself on the biggest and most beautiful stage in women’s golf and made it look like a stroll on the beach.

Never mind that she had never won on the LPGA Tour or that she had heard all week about the historic occasion of the U.S. Women’s Open held at Pebble Beach for the first time. Nothing could make her crack.

“Every few holes I kind of looked out and said, ‘I’m here at Pebble Beach. There’s not many places that are better than this,’” Corpuz said. There weren’t many better performances, either. Corpuz turned a tight duel with Nasa Hataoka into a runaway, closing with a 3-under 69 on Sunday for a three-shot victory to become the first American in 20 years to make the U.S. Women’s Open her first LPGA title.

LA’s huge immigrant population is being driven out by high cost of housing

LOS Angeles County, home to one of the nation’s largest population of immigrants, is losing its migrant base, which is moving elsewhere because of the high cost of housing.

One third of LA’s residents are immigrants. Nearly 45% of the workforce is foreign born, and just under 60% of the children have at least one immigrant parent. Over 800,000 Angelenos are undocumented, and over 1 million people in LA County live with someone who is undocumented.

“The future of the region depends on how immigrants do,” said Dr. Manuel Pastor, Professor of Sociology and American Studies & Ethnicity at the University of Southern California Dornsife, and lead researcher on the annual State of Immigrants in Los Angeles report.

Pastor is also the director of the USC Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration.

Cost of Housing

“The thing that’s affecting migrants lives the most right now is high housing costs and the inability to stay here and make

‘Dramatic increase’ seen in Filipino patrol ships in West Philippine Sea

by FRANCO JOSE C. BAROÑA ManilaTimes.net

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday, July 11 said a shift to external security operations (ESO) “is on the horizon” as it strengthens its defense posture with more

aerial and surface maritime patrols through its naval, air and ground assets in areas covered by the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in disputed waters of the West Philippine Sea (WPS). The AFP said it deployed additional surface

Imee questions ‘covert’ US military ights in PH

by MARLON RAMOS Inquirer.net

THE government should come clean on the arrival in the country of more air assets of the United States, Sen. Imee Marcos said on Sunday, July 9 as she surmised that the worsening situation in the South China Sea was due to what she described as “covert” flights of U.S. military planes in the Philippines.

The U.S. Embassy clarified that the flights were part of bilateral military exercises and were authorized by the Department of Foreign Affairs, but the flights were not cleared with airport authorities ostensibly because of “clerical errors.”

As chair of the Senate foreign relations

committee, Marcos has been harping on the issue, which she linked to the government plan to host Afghan refugees, since last month. On June 8, she filed a resolution seeking a Senate probe. While she acknowledged the current military exercises involving American and Filipino soldiers, President Marcos’ sister said the government should be equally vigilant in protecting the country’s skies from foreign entities the way it had been speaking out against Chinese incursions in the West Philippine Sea.

Last week, the senator filed another resolution seeking an inquiry into the allegedly unauthorized landing of a Boeing C-17

Marcos asked: Explain when Filipinos will bene t from his foreign trips in 2nd SONA

MANILA — President Ferdinand

“Bongbong” Marcos should discuss in his second State of the Nation Address when the investment pledges secured during his foreign trips would translate to jobs and other tangible benefits for Filipinos, a senator said on Monday, July 10.

In a press conference, Sen. Raffy Tulfo said that he expects Marcos to discuss his accomplishments, one of which is the numerous “economic partners and investors” tapped during his trips abroad.

“Although foreign companies have committed — and it sounds nice — when will Filipinos see and experience its benefits?

When will they see the money, investments and jobs it will generate?” Tulfo said in

Filipino.

Tulfo maintained that the president is doing an “excellent” job. He also quipped that Marcos is different from his predecessor — former President Rodrigo Duterte — who “liked to pin the blame of his problems on the administration he inherited it from.”

Marcos has flown to at least ten countries and made 11 international trips since his term began, many of which involved securing investment pledges during meetings with government and business leaders.

In February, Malacañang said that Marcos’ trips have generated a total of 116 investment projects worth P3.48 trillion.

Marcos should discuss water crisis, not

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patrol ships to the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) situated in the WPS where numerous intrusions by Chinese vessels have been recorded. The deployment has raised the military presence to about 90 percent, Lt. Col. Enrique Gil

Daly City, Quezon City renew sister city ties

THE cities of Daly City, United States and Quezon City, Philippines renewed their sister city ties through a ceremonial exchange of their respective Keys to the City on Monday, June 10 at the city council chambers in Daly City.

During the exchange, Daly City Mayor Raymond Buenaventura and Quezon City District 4 Councilor Marra Suntay presented Keys to the City of their respective cities during a Daly City council meeting, witnessed by city officials, officers and board members of the Daly City-Quezon City Sister City Committee, Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco officials, and other invited guests.

The Daly City-Quezon City Sister City Committee was established in 1994, according to a press statement, “to foster an awareness of Filipino culture, to encourage the integration of Filipino residents of Daly City into the civic life of the city and to encourage trade and commerce.”

In the past, it has been responsible for the Daly City Festival celebrating the Philippine Independence Day anniversary (June 12) and Filipino culture in the Westlake and Serramonte areas, an exchange of cultural, educational, business and trade ideas between Daly City and Quezon City, as well as coordinating visits between offi-

Marcos on nurse exodus: We’re victims of our success

by PIA LEE-BRAGO, ALEXIS ROMERO Philstar.com

MANILA — The Philippines has become a “victim” of its own success as world leaders have asked for help to send more Filipino health workers abroad, resulting in a “shortage” of personnel, President Marcos admitted on Monday, July 10.

Marcos made the remark during a meeting with members of the Business Executives for National Security (BENS) in Malacañang, which tackled U.S. investments in the Philippines’ health, digital infrastructure and energy programs.

“Unfortunately, in terms of health care workers, we have become victims of our own success in that the Filipinos did really well during the pandemic.

And so every leader I meet says ‘can we have more Filipino med techs, doctors and nurses?’ So we’re having a shortage here,” Marcos said.

“So we are trying to find schemes so as to alleviate that problem. One of the things our Department of Health (DOH) has come up with is that we are coming to an arrangement with countries who will accept Filipino health care workers to at the same time train the equivalent number of health care workers that will stay in the Philippines,” he added.

According to Marcos, the government is also trying to accelerate the board examinations

Daly City, Quezon City renew sister...

cials from the two sister cities.

In his remarks prior to the presentation of the keys to the city to representatives from both cities, Mayor Buenaventura, revealed his connection to Quezon City.

“I was actually born in Quezon City,” Mayor Buenaventura said. “It makes me feel so proud to be born and come from there. You’ve come a long way in terms of what Quezon City has become… you have a great future when it comes to the city, your development.”

“We started this path on a sister city relationship, because we in Daly City believe that we can learn something from each other… It is my hope and the rest of the council’s hope that we can continue to build on that relationship and that we can reinforce and grow our relationship to be even stronger than ever because that’s what a sister city is supposed to do. We are very grateful that you’ve made the trip all the way out here from the Philippines,” he continued, while adding his hope of a Daly City del-

egation visiting Quezon City in the future.

After the presentation, Councilor Suntay expressed her gratitude, on behalf of the delegation and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and Vice Mayor Gian Sotto, to the city council and city officials for the accommodating them. “We are grateful and excited, given the opportunity, to experience the vibrant community of Daly City. I’m sure the knowledge and experience that we will gain during our visit will undoubtedly contribute to the development of our city, Quezon City,” she said.

In their short remarks, Vice Mayor Juslyn Manalo and Councilmember Glenn Sylvester revealed their own ties to Quezon City, while Councilmember Pam DiGiovanni expressed a wish to be able to visit sometime soon.

“This is a momentous occasion to really revive the relationship and I look forward to also learning from city and seeing the tremendous growth your city has done.

Actually, my parents are in Quezon

‘Dramatic increase’ seen in...

City right now,” Vice Mayor Manalo stated. “My mother was raised in Quezon City, [in] the Novaliches part. It’s really amazing to see what has been done there but I also look forward to visiting in the near future… I hope you learn so much from our city departments and bringing back what you’ve learned here [to your city].”

Manalo also mentioned that the festivals and cultural events organized by the sister city committee was “culturally so enlightening to me as a child… what I do remember from those events was the food, the culture, the dancing. That was really the relationship forged for so many decades. So the impact is not only on two global cities, but you’re also impacting young Filipino Americans to go back to their roots and celebrate their culture.”

Councilmember Sylvester, who’s married to a Filipino and whose mother hails from Pangasinan, revealed that during his tenure as head of the Filipino u PAGE 4

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Ileto, AFP Public Affairs Office chief, pointed out.

Ileto said this was a “dramatic increase” from the baseline 30 percent in 2022. He added that this heightened presence allows the monitoring of sea lines of communications (SLoCs) which is complemented by the AFP’s littoral monitoring stations/ detachments (LMS/LMDs) to detect, track and subject foreign ships to interdiction.

Ileto disclosed that a redeployment of naval special operations units and the Philippine Marines was done with Marine Battalion Landing Team 9’s transfer to Palawan last month, and that the presence of the 4th Marine Brigade in the country’s northern frontier was also part of the AFP’s shift to ESO.

He said the employment of the AFP’s air surveillance radar systems continues.

“We have improved our capabilities and our presence in strategic locations with the effective presence of our maritime detachments in the Batanes group of islands, the Kalayaan Island Group and Tawi-Tawi,” Ileto added.

He said the Armed Forces have facilitated the completion of personnel barracks in Likas, Parola and Kota stations in the island group.

“These are complemented by [the AFP] partnering with its ally and strategic partner armed forces from our global and regional allied countries

that enable leveraging of capabilities through information sharing, subjectmatter expert exchange, and joint and combined maritime exercises,” Ileto added.

“All of these are [done] with the help of an interagencywholistic effort through the National Task Force-West Philippine Sea,” he said.

China has been challenging the Philippines’ ownership of areas in the West Philippine Sea, saying they are part of its territorial waters under the so-called nine-dash line demarcation.

This statement was debunked in 2016 when the Permanent Court of Arbitration issued a landmark ruling in favor of the Philippines’ protest against China’s sweeping claims in the West Philippine Sea.

Chinese ships, however, remain an intimidating presence in the West Philippine Sea, where incursions have been recorded.

Chinese ships have been reported to employ aggressive behavior when confronting Philippine ships through verbal warnings, the use of water cannons and dangerous maneuvers.

In November 2021, three China Coast Guard ships blocked and fired water cannons at two Philippine boats transporting supplies to Ayungin Shoal, which lies 104 nautical miles west of Palawan and is well within the country’s EEZ.

After the Ayungin incident,

Beijing issued a statement urging the Philippines to remove the grounded “BRP Sierra Madre” from the shoal in line with Manila’s “commitment.”

Early last year, at least 48 Chinese fishing vessels were sighted swarming off Iroquois Reef, located south of the oiland gas-rich Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea, which is part of the Philippines’ EEZ.

Early this year, over 200 Chinese ships suspected to be maritime militia swarmed the Julian Felipe Reef, also within the Philippines’ EEZ.

There have also been reports of Chinese vessels driving away Filipino fishermen from the West Philippine Sea.

Last February, a laserpointing incident in the Ayungin Shoal involving a China Coast Guard ship and a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel on a resupply mission was reported.

In June, several Chinese ships reportedly tried to block two PCG vessels from entering Ayungin Shoal. These incidents prompted President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to declare a recalibration of the military’s focus on external security defense.

Despite this shift, Ileto said, the AFP continues to defeat communist and terrorist groups.

“Our efforts have resulted in success with the significant reduction of their numbers and firearms and the clearing of areas where they used to maintain presence, and [which counter] their propaganda and [suppress] their financial and logistics support,” he added.

Ileto noted that of the five active communist guerrilla fronts at year-end 2022, two were dismantled and two were weakened, leaving only one front active.

“In total, 20 are on a weakened status and one active. With these, we have safeguarded the safety and welfare of our fellow citizens, thanks to the tireless efforts, support, and cooperation of government agencies and different sectors of society,” he said. g

This photo shows Chinese fishing vessels swarming off the Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal, south of the oil- and gas-rich Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea. This was taken from an air patrol by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on June 30.

Photo courtesy of the Western Command of the AFP

Marcos on nurse exodus: We’re victims...

to produce more nurses.

“So that’s the adjustment that we are trying to make. It’s not only in the facilities, it’s also in the training. We are very proud of them but we wish they’d stay home,” the chief executive said.

Late last year, the DOH said the Philippines lacks about 194,000 health personnel as it reiterated the need to upgrade the salaries of workers in the sector. The country was short of more than 106,000 nurses and 67,000 physicians, the agency added.

Last month, Health Secretary

Ted Herbosa announced a plan to hire nursing graduates whose scores are slightly lower than the 75 percent passing grade in government hospitals. He clarified that only those whose scores are 70 to 74 percent would be tapped to work in state-run hospitals.

At the same meeting, Marcos talked about the government’s initiatives in the health sector, including the groundbreaking of a multi-specialty hospital outside Manila and the plan to build more hospitals in far-flung areas.

“I’m always been a great believer of bringing health care down to the grassroots level. Right now, there is a tendency for us to only go to the hospital when it is absolutely necessary ... So health care has become an important part of this administration’s efforts,” he added.

Energy, digitalization

Marcos also talked about issues surrounding the energy sector, noting that the price, reliability and supply of energy are among the problems being raised by foreign investors in the country. He assured the members of BENS that the government is addressing the concern.

“The ease of doing business is something that we can do immediately... because putting up power plants, no matter what kind of power plants, there are six, seven years, lead time. So maybe with the new technologies maybe we can do better,” the President said.

“So that we are certainly working on. The distribution has improved. The distribution is a factor because there are parts of the Philippines where they have ... then there are certain areas where they do not, deficit. So that’s what we are hoping to attend to in the near term,” he added. Marcos also cited the amendments to some laws that

seek to make the Philippines more attractive to investors, especially on the digitalization of the country’s economy. He also enumerated measures aimed at assisting micro, small and medium enterprises, the sector that accounts for the bulk of employment in the Philippines.

“We are trying to bring them into the system of digital marketing. So we put up an app for small businesses,” he said.

“We have encouraged all of these private NGOs (nongovernment organizations) who have had an interest in promoting startups. We are trying to create an environment that will be friendly to startups because we know that startups have a higher rate of failure than other traditional businesses. So we need to be able to adjust to that new way of doing things.”

Also mentioned during the meeting was the business process outsourcing industry, which continued operating even during the COVID-19 pandemic through the work-from-home setup.

“It derives from the very clear understanding that many of the challenges that we face today, the solutions lie in new technologies. And that’s why the retraining and re-skilling of our people have become important because we have to get them into that line of work so that we have enough people to occupy that,” Marcos said.

“Actually, the workforce is quite full when it comes to tech. But again, we need to catch up in terms of training, in terms of getting involved in the new technologies that we are seeing for many reasons: for digitalization, for climate change, for cybersecurity,” he said.

In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office said BENS members reaffirmed their commitment to boost the

LA’s huge immigrant population is being...

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it economically,” Pastor told Ethnic Media Services, noting that migrants are choosing other cheaper states from which to restart their lives in the U.S.

The average monthly rent in Los Angeles County is about $2700, but the average wage for immigrant workers is roughly $19-26 per hour, according to the California Immigrant Data Portal.

The MIT Living Wage Calculator notes an annual income of $76,610 is required to live comfortably in Los Angeles County.

approval process for building affordable housing, among other solutions.

“I want Angelenos to see that tents are disappearing and not coming back,” she said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

Immigrants tend to overcrowd rather than going unhoused, Pastor told EMS, adding that it is not uncommon to see 4 or 5 people in a one-bedroom apartment. “We’re getting way too much overcrowding, way too much income being eaten up by housing costs,” he said.

So while it’s right to focus on Title 42, its ending, and… what we’re really trying to do in this report is focus more on the long term factors that lead people to migrate and then interestingly, whether or not they migrate to California.

cooperation and investment of the U.S. in the health, digital infrastructure and energy programs in the Philippines.

Founded in 1982, BENS is a ten-member business group in the US. Its members are in the Philippines until July 13 to discuss business and national security issues with Philippine leaders and explore potential areas for investment and cooperation.

Nurses in Vienna

Meanwhile, the Philippine embassy in Austria and the city of Vienna signed a new agreement to bring Filipino nurses to Vienna under a framework that protects their rights and eases professional and social integration.

The agreement comes exactly 50 years after the signing of a similar agreement between Manila and Vienna in 1973. This agreement facilitated the “first wave” of approximately 600 Filipino health care professionals, who worked in 14 different hospitals in the Austrian capital in the 1970s.

Philippine Ambassador to Austria Evangelina Lourdes Arroyo-Bernas signed on behalf of the Philippines the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the recruitment of Filipino nurses between the Philippines and the Federal State of Vienna and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber.

Department of Migrant Workers Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne Caunan was a signatory witness to the agreement, which is seen as the culmination of sustained bilateral labor talks between the two countries, and a revival of the longstanding cooperation in the field of health care. The MOU outlines an ethical, transparent and sustainable recruitment framework that will govern the entry, hiring and integration of Filipino health care professionals in Vienna. g

Mayor Karen Bass released figures July 6 noting that the number of homeless people in Los Angeles County grew by 10% to an estimated 75,518 individuals as of January 2023, up from 69,144 in January 2022. Some 70% had no shelter and are sleeping on the streets.

Overcrowded Housing

The city of Los Angeles has the largest number of unhoused people in the U.S.

As she took office last December, Bass declared a state of emergency on homelessness in Los Angeles. She has committed $1.3 billion to eradicating street homelessness, including getting people into motels while they wait for a spot in permanent housing. Bass has also fast-tracked the

Excerpts from the Interview:

EMS: Did the end of Title 42 significantly impact the number of migrants entering Los Angeles?

Pastor: The ending of Title 42 does not seem to impact the flow at the border. I think that we were all anticipating that Title 42 had restricted some of the flows and that its end would lead to a surge at the border, but it doesn’t seem to have been the case. We’ve got longstanding pressures for people to come to the United States. There is a lot of economic displacement, climate disasters and a variety of other things that are pushing people in particular out of Central America and then a lot of others from around the world.

In the fourth year of this report, we are paying attention to some of the broader issues that affect all Angelenos: housing, state of the economy, health care, ability to start a business, minimum wage unionization, and the education of children. These are broad issues and it’s one of the reasons why we keep calling in the report for an intersectional approach to immigrant inclusion.

EMS: The report mentions that 36% of undocumented residents have no health insurance, despite our plan in California to expand access to undocumented residents. Why is that? Is there still the fear of public charge that continues even in the Biden administration?

Pastor: Our data is from the period 2017 to 2021. So I imagine that, currently, that percentage is a little better.

But I do think that immigrants are frightened to make use of resources that are available to them. And that’s not just PAGE 4

Marcos asked: Explain when Filipinos will...

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just Maharlika Meanwhile, Sen. Koko Pimentel said in a statement that Marcos should also discuss measures to mitigate the recurring water shortage and looming threat of El Niño during his SONA. Pimentel said that he hopes Marcos will not just focus on the Maharlika Investment Fund. He cited the statement by the Union Bank of the Philippines, Inc. Chief Economist Ruben Carlo

Asuncion that a strong El Niño event could lead to national GDP losses of up to $3.3 billion.

“These staggering economic implications highlight the importance of proactive and preventive measures to mitigate the impact of the water crisis and El Niño. It is crucial for the President to use the State of the Nation Address as a platform to present long-term strategies and sustainable solutions that can mitigate the effects of water

shortage and El Niño,” Pimentel said.

The Senate minority leader also stressed the need for the government to take an “anticipatory approach” to the current water crisis.

Angat Dam — which supplies over 90% of Metro Manila’s water needs — has dipped below the minimum operating level of 180 meters. This has prompted water service interruptions in Metro Manila. (Cristina Chi/Philstar.com)

Imee questions ‘covert’ US military...

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Globemaster transport aircraft of the U.S. Air Force at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on June 26.

“Too little is known about ongoing U.S. military activity in our territory while we constantly call out the presence of Chinese vessels in the South China Sea,” Marcos said in a statement.

“[T]he same zeal in tracking any violations in our maritime territory

and EEZ (exclusive economic zone) must also apply where Philippine air traffic rules and joint military agreements with the U.S. are concerned,” she stressed.

Marcos also urged defense and security officials to look into the possibility that “covert U.S. military flights aggravated the already tense situation in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.”

She also asked them to “weigh

the risks to public safety” of the presence of U.S. military planes in the country.

Citing information from international flight tracker AirNav Systems, the senator said a Boeing C-17 Globemaster plane, with flight code MC244/RCH244, arrived in Manila at 6:03 a.m. on July 7. Earlier, Marcos also complained about the arrival of another military cargo plane on June 26. g

Third year nursing students of University of Perpetual Help System receive their caps and pins during the university’s 43rd thanksgiving and commitment rites at Ernesto Crisostomo Palanca Hall in Las Piñas City on June 21. Philstar.com photo

Daly City, Quezon City renew sister...

American Law Enforcement Officers (FALEO) Association, he was instrumental in establishing a chapter in Quezon City, located in Camp Crame. The organization conducted goodwill missions to the Philippines which he regularly participated in.

“I welcome all of you. It’s a great pleasure. We exchange ideas, and so does FALEO with law enforcement and the fire services. I wish you the best. Enjoy your stay in Daly City. Maraming, maraming salamat,” he concluded.

Councilmember DiGiovanni, who said that she loves how Filipinos celebrate life, stated that she looks forward to visiting Quezon City, where she wants to “explore the people, and that is what to me resonates… the heartwarming, embracing not just the food, but the culture, the vibrancy, the love of the people. When you are welcomed into that community, that is the essence.”

“I look forward to welcoming Quezon City and the sisterhood, and let’s just see… I bet we can do great things together. As a matter of fact, I know we can,” she stated.

“This is just the beginning.”

Aside from the exchange of Keys to the City, representatives from Assemblymember Phil Ting’s office handed over certificates to members of the Quezon City delegation.

A day later, on Tuesday, July 11, the Quezon City delegation was treated to a dinner reception by the Pilipino Bayanihan Resources Center (PBRC) at Original Joe’s in the Westlake area of Daly City. City Administrator Michael Alimuring

of the Quezon City government was able to join the delegation.

According to Cheryll Cuasay-Catuar of the sister city committee, the Quezon City delegation presented a wish list of activities that they wanted to accomplish during their working visit, which they were more than happy to arrange and even add onto.

Aside from visiting various Daly City departments (police, fire, library & recreation services, water & wastewater) and exchanging information with counterparts, the delegation will also visit iconic Silicon Valley businesses and institutions like Stanford University and Google, in addition to attending a Mile Marker ceremony and the PAMANA Gala Awards, among other things.

Cuasay-Catuar told the Asian Journal in a brief interview that what is being envisioned as one of the next steps in the sister city relationship is an exchange of ideas, and goods and services based on

Fil-Am golfer makes history, wins US...

At Pebble Beach, no less. The 25-year-old from Hawaii was calm and cool, no matter the shot or the circumstances, until reality set in as she took a threeshot lead down the 18th fairway. It’s a path taken over the years by the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Tiger Woods, all of them U.S. Open champions at Pebble Beach.

the needs of Daly City and Quezon City.

For Quezon City, Cuasay-Catuar said, it may involve learning about the various systems and processes in place in the various departments in Daly City and adapting that to facilities in the homeland. It may also involve sending equipment to the Quezon City when the opportunity arises.

For Daly City, it may be the opportunity for Quezon City leadership to send Filipino books to Daly City libraries, which are sorely needed. The sister city committee may also seek help in procuring celebrities for possible future events like the Kasayahan sa Daly City and a planned Filipino Day within the San Mateo County Fair schedule.

Additionally, the Daly City-Quezon City Sister City Committee is working on scheduling a delegation visit to the Philippines, possibly in 2024 when Quezon City plans to host their sister cities from around the world. g

“Just knowing the history … Tiger just absolutely annihilated this place. Yeah, it’s really special,” Corpuz said. “Twenty, 30 years from now, I think just the fact that it’s a U.S. Open means a lot to me. But know that it’s at Pebble makes it even sweeter.”

She won by three shots over Charley Hull (66) and Jiyai Shin (68) and claimed the $2 million prize, the richest ever for an LPGA major champion.

Corpuz couldn’t contain a wide smile when she tapped in for par, only to cover it with her hand as the tears began to flow. She wiped them with her Aloha-print tower.

Former President Barack Obama was among the first to congratulate her on Twitter. Both went to Punahou School in Honolulu.

“Unreal,” Corpuz said. “This week has felt like a dream come true.”

Hilary Lunke in 2003 at Pumpkin Ridge was the last American to get her first win at the U.S. Women’s Open, that one in a three-way Monday playoff. Corpuz, who finished at 9-under 279, was the only player to break par all four days. Corpuz never gave anyone

much of a chance. Hataoka lost her one-shot lead on the opening hole when Corpuz hit her approach to 5 feet for birdie, and the 24-year-old from Japan dropped too many shots down the home stretch.

They were tied at the turn until Corpuz hit her approach to just inside 10 feet for birdie on the 10th. The key moment was at the par-3 12th, when Corpuz came up short in the bunker and had 15 feet for par. Hataoka rolled her birdie putt from the fringe 5 feet by the hole. Corpuz made her par, Hataoka missed her putt and the lead was at two. It only got larger, Corpuz stretching it to four shots with superb wedges to 8 feet on the par-5 14th and 4 feet on the 15th, both birdies that made the final act a battle for second place.

Hull, who started the final round seven shots behind, closed to within two shots early on the back nine and stayed in the game with a 30-foot birdie putt on the 16th. Only later did she realize Corpuz was pulling away. Hull kept firing, hitting 3-wood from under the cypress tree in the middle of the 18th fairway and nearly pulling it off.

“Shy kids don’t get sweets,” she told herself on the 18th before lashing away and dropping to a knee to watch its flight.

Shin made a birdie on the 18th to join Hull as a runner-up. The two-time major champion from South Korea never had a serious chance to win, but she celebrated a big moment for Corpuz and for women’s golf.

“I’m only watching the TV to Pebble Beach and then finally we are here to play,” Shin said. “This course has a great history, and then finally the women’s history is in.”

That history belonged to Corpuz. She joined Michelle Wie West as the only major champions from Hawaii — Wie West won the Women’s Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2014 and played her final major this week at Pebble Beach.

They are linked by the Aloha State, their high school (Punahou) and their emphasis on education

— Wie West graduated from Stanford, Corpuz got a business degree and an MBA from USC — and their early start in USGA events. Corpuz broke Wie West’s record as the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links as a 10-year-old.

“I never really thought I’d get this far. Just watching Michelle, she’s been such a huge role model to me, and it was really awesome to break her record for the Public Links,” Corpuz said.

“But I’ve never really compared myself to her. I’ve always wanted to make my own name. She’s just served as a really big inspiration.” Corpuz was playing in her 19th USGA championship. She knows the USGA formula of fairways and greens, and loads of patience. She is built for this, especially given her concentration that not even a gorgeous day on the Monterey Peninsula could crack.

Officiating behind the fifth green was Mary Bea Porter King, the pioneer of junior golf in Hawaii and one of the most influential figures in the game. Corpuz first came into the Hawaii junior program at age 7.

“She’s always been calm, cool and … I won’t say serious, but she just plodded along. She was sort of a giant killer,” Porter King said. “I don’t think she was fearful of anything.”

That much was obvious at Pebble Beach, which had enough wind to be challenging as ever. Only seven players finished under par.

Hataoka, whose 66 on Saturday was nearly nine shots better than the field, had a 40 on the back nine and tied for fourth with Bailey Tardy, the 36-hole leader who went 75-73 on the weekend for her best finish in her LPGA rookie season.

Rose Zhang, who dominated the amateur scene and then won her first LPGA Tour start as a pro, never got on track and closed with a 72 to tie for ninth. She now has top 10s in both majors as a pro, though this time she was never in the mix. (Inquirer.net with repots from AP)

LA’s huge immigrant population...

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undocumented folks, but even documented folks in mixed status families who are worried about what being connected to the government will mean for your undocumented family member.

72% of undocumented Angelenos have been in the country for longer than a decade. And that means there are a lot of people who are in situations where they make either too much money or the family makes too much money to qualify for MediCal. They’re not MediCal eligible, but they might still be in very difficult economic circumstances. And health care is very expensive. So I think that’s a part of the population that’s going to need to be considered as we move forward.

(EMS note: An individual seeking to qualify for MediCal must have an income below $18,756 for 2023. Immigrant advocates have suggested raising the income threshold to 250 percent of the federal poverty line, about $34,875 in annual wages.)

EMS: Are we lagging behind in providing culturally specific resources, given the huge demographic changes in who immigrants are?

Pastor: Yeah, I think there’s a tendency to think that if we deliver everything in Spanish, we’ve done our job. It is true that a very large share of Guatemalans and Hondurans are undocumented. But there are big numbers of Indian and Chinese who are undocumented. For the new undocumented, more than half are visa overstayers, people who came in on tourist or student visas. There is also a sizable Black population that is undocumented.

We need to be reaching people in languages that they understand and providing interpreters, particularly for important circumstances, dealing with legal authorities and

government services. Having everything available in every language can be quite difficult. But it’s one of the reasons why we need a county wide approach to some of these issues so that there would be a go to place for at least some of the smaller language groups to be able to get the interpreters and translators they need to be able to access the services that are necessary.

EMS: There is a huge shortage of culturally appropriate mental health providers and similarly in healthcare at large. What would you say about the need to create pipelines of people of color to better serve the immigrant population?

Pastor: This is a big concern of mine: there’s just simply mental stress and trauma that’s associated with being an immigrant, leaving your home, an uncertain journey, and for many, a risky and dangerous journey. And then you arrive in a place where you’re dislocated, don’t know the language and are scrambling to establish ties. That’s a lot of stress, often accompanied by mistreatment at work, and fear about being deported.

And when you couple that together with a common migratory ethos of ‘you got to be tough and get through this journey’ and the fact that Asian, Latino, and African cultures are not necessarily open in terms of talking about their feelings, then you really have this very difficult recipe for a lack of mental health support because you’ve got all these stressors coupled with cultural reluctance.

And then you meet a health system that you might be worried about being too associated with the government and doesn’t have a whole lot of people who look like you or understand the culture that you’re coming from. That’s really challenging in the face of an emergency. (Sunita Sohrabji/ Ethnic Media Services)

Allisen Corpuz was born to May and Marcos Corpuz on March 20, 1998. Allisen’s father is from Ilocos Norte, Philippines, and her mother is of Korean descent. Corpuz was also an avid golf player who moved to Hawaii with his parents when he at eight years old.

Photo from Instagram/@allysoncorpuz

DINNER RECEPTION FOR QC DELEGATION. A delegation from Quezon City, Philippines, headed by City Administrator Michael Alimuring and District 4 Councilor Marra Suntay, was treated to dinner reception by the Pilipino Bayanihan Resources Center (PBRC) on Tuesday, July 11. The delegation's visit to Daly City and other parts of the Bay Area coincides with the renewal of ties between Daly City and Quezon City as sister cities. Photo above shows members of the Quezon City delegation and the officers and board members of the PBRC. Photo by Joseph L.

DOT chief going on family leave

by Ghio onG Philstar.com

MANILA — Has the controversy over the discredited promotional video for the “Love the Philippines” tourism rebranding campaign – launched just two weeks ago – taken a toll on Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco?

The STAR learned from sources that Frasco will take a break from her work starting this week to take a vacation overseas with her family, including husband Cebu 5th District Rep. Vincent Franco Frasco, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives. It’s not clear yet how long and where she will spend her vacation.

She might not be able to attend the second State of the Nation Address of President Marcos on July 24.

Without directly confirming Frasco’s leave, some officials who spoke to The STAR emphasized it is “common practice” for any official going on leave to tap the next ranking official to take over his or her place.

According to the Department of Tourism’s list of officials available on its website, Frasco’s chief of staff and Undersecretary for legal and special concerns Mae Elaine Bathan ranks next to the secretary and her head executive assistant.

Since the outbreak of the controversy over the rebranding campaign, Frasco has been elusive to members of the media who wished to hear more from her about the issue.

The controversy was spawned by the use of stock footage shot in other countries for the “Love the Philippines” promotional video shown at the launch of the program last June 27 attended by President Marcos.

DDB Philippines, the ad agency tapped for the project, has since apologized for the blunder. Frasco later announced the termination of the DOT’s contract with DDB and emphasized “not a single peso was paid.”

Asked repeatedly by the media if the DOT would retain the controversial slogan, she kept on saying “Love the Philippines!”

The department was still using the “Love the Philippines” logo

and slogan during its events last week. It was visible in the photo booths, in buses used for the Philippines Hop-on/Hop-off bus tours in Manila and even on tokens for guests.

Business as usual

Meanwhile, it’s “business as usual” for private tourism stakeholders who insist they are undeterred by the furor over the discredited “Love the Philippines” tourism rebranding campaign.

In an interview on Monday, July 10 with dwPM Radyo 630, Philippine Tour Operators’ Association (PHILTOA) president Fe Abling-Yu said there is no letup in their “aggressive” drive to promote the country’s tourism, which has been slowly recovering from the impact of the more than two year pandemictriggered lockdown.

While the slogan for the new tourism campaign could “help” promote Philippine tourism, Yu emphasized tourism businesses such as tour operators “did not bank on the slogan that much kasi kaya namin sa (because we can manage anyway in the) private sector.”

She also lauded the DOT for coming up with a new tourism campaign and addressing the mistakes early on.

“The DOT is properly performing its task of developing tourism. They’re not perfect but Secretary Frasco, being a lawyer, is quick to act,” Yu said mostly in Filipino.

Yu said the issue has not diminished the interest of both foreign and local tourists in exploring the Philippines.

“In the domestic scene, it didn’t pose a problem. We ourselves do the packaging –with images – when we make presentation before clients,” she said.

Meanwhile, Yu said the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions starting last year has contributed to the so-called “revenge tourism” and “revenge tourism spending.”

She cited rising figures of foreign tourists availing themselves of their tour packages.

According to DOT data as of July 5, the country has welcomed a total of 2,767,138 tourists, composed of 2,529,971 foreigners and 237,167 overseas Filipinos.

Travelers from South Korea were so far the most numerous at 683,983, followed by the United States with 506,496, Australia with 136,606, Japan (131,939), Canada (122,865), China (112,837), Taiwan (94,308), United Kingdom (79,513), Singapore (76,778) and Malaysia (50,850).

According to Yu, they would offer tour packages in Manila –which she said is rich in history and heritage – to foreign tourists upon arrival in the country. Eventually, they would choose to proceed to destinations where they could relax.

“We would take them first to nearby places like Tagaytay and Pampanga where is lot to experience. And then slowly we take them to island destinations like Boracay, Coron, El Nido and Puerto Princesa in Palawan, Cebu and Davao,” she said. g

On World Population Day, governments urged to invest in gender equality

MANILA — The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Tuesday, July 11 called on governments to invest in gender equality, emphasizing its critical role in building a resilient global population. The organization made this call during the observance of World Population Day. Established by the United Nations in 1987 when the global population reached five billion, the World Population Day serves as a global platform to raise awareness about populationrelated issues, focusing on the urgency and significance of these concerns annually on July 11th.

“We must advance gender equality to create a more just, resilient and sustainable world. The creativity, ingenuity, resources and power of women and girls are fundamental to addressing demographic and other challenges that threaten our future, including climate change and conflict. Women play a powerful role in advancing consensus and building peace at

all levels,” the UNFPA said.

According to the UNFPA, gender inequality is the root of a global problem that excludes and marginalizes women and girls, despite comprising nearly half of the world's population.

“They make up 49.7 percent of the global population, yet women and girls are often ignored in discussions on demographics, with their rights violated in population policies,” the organization said.

Women and girls facing exclusion from education, employment, and leadership roles, restricted autonomy in health and reproductive decisions, and heightened vulnerability to violence and preventable maternal mortality continue to grapple with a pervasive injustice.

“This process starts by listening to the voices of women, girls and other marginalized people and introducing laws and policies that enable them to exert their rights and make meaningful choices,” the UNPF said.

This year, World Population Day's theme is "Unleashing the power of gender equality: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world's infinite possibilities."

In line with this, the United Nations underscored the crucial role of gender equality in sustainable development.

World Population Day serves as a global reminder to address population issues, promote gender equality, and create a thriving world while highlighting challenges and opportunities tied to global population growth, encompassing healthcare access, family planning, gender equality, poverty alleviation, sustainable development and the environment.

Meanwhile, last month, the Philippines remained among the leading countries in East Asia and the Pacific in terms of gender equality in this year’s Global Gender Gap Report of the World Economic Forum (WEF). It garnered a parity score of 0.791. (Sheila May Balagan/ Philstar.com)

ourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco Philstar.com photo

Victim of our success?

HOSPITALS both state-run and private are so hard-pressed to find nurses that the new health secretary has proposed hiring graduates who flunked the nursing board exams to augment health workforces.

Nursing continues to be in demand as a career, but many graduates are jobless by choice, waiting mainly for the opportunity to leave for work overseas. The COVID pandemic heightened this problem. Nurses, worried about catching the virus in the workplace and infecting their households, stopped working.

As of December 2020, the first year of the pandemic, an estimated 200,000 nurses were reportedly out of work – not because of lack of employment opportunities, but because they didn’t want the work conditions starting with the pay in the Philippines.

The problem is about to get worse, as highincome countries facing a nursing shortage ease their rules for migrant workers and dangle incentives such as resettlement for nurses’ families in the destination country. This could mean a slowdown in remittances as nurses are joined abroad by their families who are the recipients of their earnings. Addressing this problem on Monday, July 10, President Marcos tried to put a positive spin, reiterating his assessment that Philippine nurses have become so in demand all over the world that

Babe’s Eye View

WHEN the Philippines initiated arbitration proceedings before the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague in January 2013 against China’s expansive claims and assertions about its supposed “historic rights” over the South China Sea on the basis of its so-called “ninedash line,” many – including the United States based on the information we received –were initially doubtful about the initiative taken by the late Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario.

During the Obama presidency, the United States was not too eager in supporting the PCA suit. Their policy then was, “The United States does not get involved in territorial disputes.” There were also those – including within the Philippines – who were skeptical about such a move because China, after all, was a giant in terms of economic and military might, while the Philippines “did not have much conventional power,” as one analyst described it. In

the country has become a victim of its own success. In a meeting with the U.S.-based Business Executives for National Security, the president said that in his numerous jaunts across the planet, world leaders ask him to send more health workers.

The problem is how to replace those health workers. As of the third quarter last year, the Department of Health said the country faced a shortage of 194,000 health personnel including 106,000 nurses and 67,000 physicians. Also lacking are pharmacists, medical technologists and physical therapists. The DOH itself had over 2,000 unfilled plantilla positions, including 624 for nurses, 1,332 for midwives and 63 for dentists. This is in state-run hospitals, where the pay is better than the smaller private facilities. Imagine what the problem is like in private hospitals.

The impact is felt in the inadequacy of public health care. Affluent economies can afford to hire health workers from all over the world. Developing countries like the Philippines cannot make up for the loss. It’s no success at all, but abject failure to provide decent jobs to our own people. (Philstar. com)

PCA arbitral ruling: Seven years after

fact, former Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi stated during an ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in 2010, “China is a big country and other countries are small countries, and that’s just a fact.”

With legal research coming from former Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio as outlined in his presentation titled “Historical Facts, Historical Lies and Historical Rights in the West Philippine Sea” with corresponding maps, international cases and decisions that sunk China’s supposed “historic” claims, Secretary Del Rosario went ahead with the filing of the case, oftentimes standing alone in his beliefs during international gatherings.

Saying that our nation “has long placed its faith in the rules and institutions that the international community has created to regulate relations among States” in his impassioned statement before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in July 2015, the late foreign affairs secretary highlighted the “equalizing power of international law.”

Believing that the dispute

far inspires confidence that she will fix the problem and that the campaign of Love the Philippines will be as successful as we hope for it to be.”

resolution provisions on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea allow “the weak to challenge the powerful on an equal footing,” Secretary Del Rosario was proven correct in his conviction that “principles trump power; that law triumphs over force and that right prevails over might” when the PCA unanimously ruled that China’s claims on the South China Sea had “no legal basis.”

Some dubious individuals who tried, and are still trying, to thrash the landmark win of the Philippines are totally wrong – because today, many nations recognize the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling as legally binding, among them the most powerful nations known as the G7 – the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy, as well as the European Union. India, which simply said it has “noted the Award of the Arbitral Tribunal” when the ruling came out, has now revised its position – calling for adherence to the arbitral ruling.

In a joint statement during the recent 5th India-Philippines Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation, the Philippines and India “underlined the

blown scandal.

need for peaceful settlement of disputes and for adherence to international law, especially the UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea in this regard.”

Other claimant nations to the disputed territories in the South China Sea are also using the 2016 arbitral award as basis for their submissions that contest the excessive claims of China over the South China Sea, such as Malaysia that made a submission to the UN in December 2019 rejecting China’s historic rights and its nine-dash line claims; in May 2020, Indonesia submitted a note verbale to the UN challenging China’s wide-ranging claims in the South China Sea as having no international legal basis; in March 2020, Vietnam also submitted a note verbale objecting to China’s historic rights claims, saying Vietnam’s position is compatible with the key findings of the 2016 arbitral ruling.

Non-claimant nations such as Japan have also challenged China’s position in the South China Sea through a submission to the UN, citing the 2016 arbitration award, along with Australia, the UK,

the U.S., France and Germany that rebuked China’s claims as being inconsistent with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which China is a signatory.

China’s reclamation activities and construction of artificial islands have also endangered marine biodiversity, causing irreparable harm to the coral reef ecosystem. As early as 2019, marine scientists from the University of the Philippines’ Marine Science Institute have warned that the Philippines loses about P33 billion a year due to China’s reclamation and illegal fishing activities. A group of scientists also said the country’s food security is threatened with fish and marine species losing their habitat, while over 600,000 Filipino fishermen could lose their livelihood due to harassment and bullying by Chinese vessels.

Filipinos are alarmed at Chinese Coast Guard vessels continuing to harass, bully and obstruct our Philippine Coast Guard patrol vessels escorting boats on a resupply mission for Philippine Navy troops at the Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, conducting dangerous maneuvers and coming within

ang Pilipinas’

INSPITE of the hue and cry over some “stock footages” featuring tourism attractions in other countries, the freshly launched country brand “Love the Philippines” of the Department of Tourism (DOT) is here to stay. And after what were all said and done, so to speak, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco also remains in the Cabinet of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM). Claiming no public funds were paid for the “mood video,” Frasco asserted the rights of the DOT to terminate the contract with the agency that produced the P49-million video used in the launch of “Love the Philippines” last June 27.

PBBM virtually saved the day for the embattled Sec. Frasco whom he credited for taking decisive actions on the matter.

Asked over the weekend if Frasco still enjoys his trust and confidence, the chief executive retorted: “I think she has it under control. She knows what to do. What she has done so

The new country brand “Love the Philippines” initially raised the hackles of Albay Rep. Joey Salceda. The feisty lawmaker deplored in strongest terms the depiction of the iconic Mt. Mayon of Albay into mere pixel in the country brand logo.

Following the furor, the DDB Philippines that produced the unwanted “stock footages” apologized for it. While describing the use of “mood video” as a standard practice in their industry, the agency accepted its full responsibility.

When the dust settled, the DDB Philippines was the only party, so far, held accountable for the entire brouhaha. A lawyer by profession, Frasco immediately announced the DOT will investigate how such “stock footages” came into this DOT contract with the DDB Philippines. Even after the advertising agency issued a public apology and its contract terminated, Frasco absorbed the full blowback of the DOT fiasco. However, this averted what could have been a full-

Congressman Salceda still believes though Sec. Frasco still has a lot of explaining to do on this DOT fiasco. As far as lawmakers are concerned, Salceda pointed out, Sec. Frasco must present and submit the results and recommendations of the DOT’s internal investigation into this controversy-rocked contract with the DDB Philippines. Since the 19th Congress is still in recess, the congressional inquiry won’t happen yet until sessions of both chambers resume this July 24.

Salceda and Frasco are actually political allies dating back during the vice presidential campaign of former Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte who run and won in the May, 2022 elections. Running for reelection as Mayor of Liloan City in Cebu, Frasco was the official spokesperson of then Mayor Sara. Salceda, on the other hand, coined the Ro-Sa tandem that pushed for the campaign for exVP Leni Robredo as presidential bet with Mayor Sara as her VP runningmate.

Long before “Love the Philippines” got mired in the DOT controversy, its Tagalog translation – “Mahalin ang

The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do

Pilipinas” – has been the battle cry, so to speak, of VP Sara since she first became an elected politician. So it should not be surprising that the DOT adopted “Love the Philippines” country brand which loosely translated in English means: “Mahalin ang Pilipinas.”

Following the career track in politics of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, she first got elected as vice mayor of Davao City in 2007 to 2010 while her father was then mayor of their home city. The father-anddaughter switched positions as mayor and vice mayor of Davao City.

With a maternal grandfather a Jewish who fled to the Philippines from Germany during World War II, VP Sara was born to a half-German mother, Elizabeth Zimmerman (nee) Duterte. When she became VP, Sara kept her public espousal for love of her birthplace – the Philippines.

As VP, she has kept standard extro or ending of her public speeches which she always caps with ardent appeals: “Mahalin natin ang Pilipinas.”

Salceda believes VP Sara’s love for country is much more demonstrated as the concurrent

Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd). Being a mother of three children, he credited VP Sara for being able to ensure that children and students went back to school safely without any COVID-19 resurgence. The gradual resumption last year to the face-to-face classes at all levels of schools that got underway nationwide paved the way for the “national reopening” of the Philippines after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, Salceda recalled.

To Salceda, this is the top “executive accomplishment” of the PBBM administration in its first year in office. After more than two years of the closures of schools during the pandemic, Salceda believes the onsite and physical return to schools of students contributed a lot to the economic recovery of the country as well.

Giving PBBM a grade of eight in a scale of ten as the highest, Salceda credited VP Sara to some of the better performances in key areas of governance in the first year in office of this administration. This is the same love for country, Salceda explained, where VP Sara is obviously coming from in her

100 yards of the PCG vessels. Last Friday, July 7, the Armed Forces of the Philippines also reported the presence of 48 Chinese fishing vessels in Del Pilar (Iroquois) Reef and Escoda (Sabina) Shoal within our exclusive economic zone, describing it as “alarming” and a “potential threat” to Recto Bank.

This Chinese aggression simply tells us one important fact: We must continue to push for strengthening our defense capabilities and working with our allies and partners in standing up for freedom of navigation and the international rule of law.

In any event, we are confident a peaceful resolution of issues between claimant nations to the disputed territories will eventually take place. More importantly, the ASEAN community would like to see the United States and China resolve their differences peacefully. (Philstar.com)

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

* * * babeseyeview@gmail.com

strong support for the approval of the bill on the return of the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) as mandatory in the college curriculum.

VP Sara is herself a member of the ROTC. She got confirmed by the Congressional Commission on Appointments on her promotion as Army Colonel.

Naturally, VP Sara also publicly rants against intrusions of communist ideology in the country’s education system.

The ROTC bill is pending passage in Congress and is among the new set of priority bills approved by the LegislativeExecutive Advisory Council (LEDAC) that PBBM convened last week at Malacanang.

“This (ROTC bill) is to instill love for country, especially by our youth as future leaders of the Philippines,” Salceda enthused.

So by complementarity, the DOT keeps “Love the Philippines,” or “Mahalin ang Pilipinas” as the new country brand hallmark. (Philstar.com)

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

‘Mahalin

USAID donates P7-M for PH human rights promotion

by MiChael PunonGbayan Philstar.com

MANILA — The United States government recently donated nearly P7 million to help promote human rights in the country through the PhilippinesUnited Nations Joint Program for Human Rights.

U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson announced on July 6 that the contribution was made through the US Agency for International Development

(USAID). The funds were given to support the Philippine government in strengthening accountability mechanisms and promoting human rights in the country.

U.S. President Joe Biden expressed support for advancing human rights in the Philippines during his recent meeting with President Marcos in Washington. Promoting respect for human rights and the rule of law, as well as ensuring the safety of civil

society leaders and marginalized communities, are among the key priorities in the US-Philippines relationship.

“Human rights are a critical pillar in development, and we believe it is not possible for any country to rise to its full potential without them,” Carlson said.

“We are proud to join the international community in supporting the Philippines to protect human rights and uphold every person’s individual dignity,” she added. g

Higher voter turnout for overseas Pinoys eyed with online voting

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday, July 11 underscored the need for internet voting to ease the conduct of elections and increase voter turnout for overseas Filipinos.

The Comelec made the remark on the sidelines of the demonstration of internet voting in preparation for the 2025 national and local elections.

In a Facebook livestream, Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said it is high time to take advantage of the technological advancements to explore the country's options for automated voting.

"We should now venture (into) the other modes of voting. And therefore during the en banc session, the en banc adopted a policy to proceed the internet voting, and we interpreted the provision of the law, authorizing the Commission on Elections to venture (into) other modes of voting such as internet voting," he said.

Garcia recalled that just for the 2022 polls, the Philippines spent around PHP417 million just to ensure that 600,000 voters would be able to cast their votes.

"Per capita, that would be about PHP400 per voter, (that's) too expensive considering that we only have a 39-percent voter turnout. That's the reason why the Comelec is now thinking outside the box," he added.

In a separate statement, Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said the poll body is mandated to "study and explore the use of the internet to cast votes for overseas Filipino voters," pursuant to Republic Act 9189 or the Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003.

Meanwhile, the demonstration included the presentation of eight multinational internet voting solutions providers.

Among the participating solutions providers are Miru, Smartmatic, Dermalog, Indra, E-Corp, Tambuli Labs, Voatz and Thales.

Laudiangco said the output derived from the demonstration shall be crafted as the country's term of reference (TOR).

"Such TOR will then be the subject and basis of a competitive public bidding in time for the 2025 national and local elections," he said.

The crafting of TOR is also expected to fit in the country's situation in terms of its requirement for "cybersecurity, accuracy, cost-effectiveness, efficiency, integrity, convenience, sustainability,

transparency, inclusivity, and auditability."

Other agencies also supported the demonstration to assess the technology systems used by the internet voting solutions providers.

Participating offices include the Comelec Advisory Council, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Department of Science and Technology, and some representatives from the IT community in the country.

‘Step into the future’

OFW Party-list Representative Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino lauded the Comelec for its persistent efforts towards the fulfillment of an advocacy where the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) will be able to vote online.

“Ngayong araw ay nakita na natin ang konkretong plano ng technology providers at ang malaking posibilidad na ito’y maisagawa sa 2025 elections. (Today, we witnessed the concrete plan of our technology providers and the big possibility for it be implemented in 2025 elections). We’re finally stepping into the future of democracy,” Magsino said in a statement on Tuesday.

She said the House fully support the innovations being taken by the Comelec.

“However, to prevent any legal impediments that may derail this endeavor later on, we will pursue our proposed legislation. This will be a parallel effort of the OFW Party-list to ensure that internet voting will be a reality for the 1.8 million overseas voters by 2025 on top of supporting the allocations for the project in the budget deliberations for FY 2024 and years thereafter,” she said. (PNA)

BI says thorough inspection crucial to combat human trafficking

MANILA – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Tuesday, July 11 underscored the importance of thorough inspection in preventing Filipinos from being human trafficking victims.

In a statement, BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the BI's series of inquiries, particularly on its secondary inspection, help them uncover possible human trafficking schemes.

"Our immigration officers play a crucial role in preventing these illegal activities at our airports. Their dedication and thoroughness in identifying potential victims are key in our fight against human trafficking," he said.

Tansingco made the statement following another report of an

online recruitment wherein a 49-year-old Amsterdam-bound Filipina has been reportedly urged to come up with false departure claims.

The interception happened at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 last July 4.

"During secondary inspection, the victim claimed to be a businesswoman on vacation to Amsterdam. She presented various business documents in an attempt to support her claim," the BI said.

An immigration interview further resulted in the victim's disclosure that she paid around PHP148,000 for her ticket and fake documents as a businesswoman.

To date, the Inter-Agency

Council Against Trafficking initiated assistance to the victim to file possible charges against her employer.

Meanwhile, Tansingco maintained a stance to pursue stringent measures to ensure the protection of Filipino travelers amid complaints about long immigration queues and lengthy inspection procedures.

"We remain steadfast in our commitment to combat human trafficking and protect the rights and welfare of individuals who may fall victim to these illegal activities," he said.

The BI earlier confirmed NAIA's commitment to expanding immigration areas to address challenges in queues. (PNA)

DENR ‘diversifying’ water sources as El Niño looms

by Gaea Katreena CabiCo Philstar.com

MANILA — The government is diversifying its water sources to include recycling wastewater and constructing new infrastructure to ensure water security in the face of El Niño, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said on Tuesday, July 11.

Environment Undersecretary Carlos Primo David said the government is trying to reduce its dependence on Angat Dam in Bulacan, which is the main source of water for Metro Manila and neighboring provinces.

David noted the water level in Angat dropped to 178.8 meters—below the dam’s water 180-meter minimum operating level.

“One strategy is to diversify our sources of water and not to rely too much on Angat. There have been a couple of efforts over the last months to increase our sources of water,” said David, who is in charge of the newly-created Water Resources Management Office.

David cited the Kaliwa Dam project as one of the government’s medium-term strategies to solve the capital region’s water problem. Kaliwa Dam is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. El Niño is projected to last until early next year.

Some members of the Dumagat-Remontado indigenous

group have expressed concern that the P12.2-billion dam project—which will be funded by a loan from China—will submerge their ancestral domain, threaten their livelihoods and destroy their cultural heritage.

David added that the government—along with water concessionares Manila Water and Maynilad—is also implementing short-term fixes such as tapping Laguna de Bay as a water source and treating wastewater.

'Conserve water'

The government has issued several directives to government offices, barangay officials and residential managers, and reminders to the public to conserve water.

David said the government does not want a repeat of the 2019 El Niño phenomenon that caused Angat Dam’s water level to plunge to record lows, causing

a water shortage in the capital region and nearby areas.

“We’re not in that situation yet. But we are fasttracking interventions so we do not reach that situation,” David said. “Hopefully, the rain comes sooner or later.”

The WRMO is also helping plug leaks in government agencies that had water billions amounting to millions.

David said that the water bills of some government agencies amounted to P15 to P17 million. He noted that some of these offices are compounds composed of dozens of buildings, and that their buildings have undetected leaks.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said Monday that the DENR, Department of Public Works and Highways and Department of Agriculture are working together to mitigate the effects of El Niño. g

Comelec office in Quezon City. Philstar.com file photo

The Angat Dam is photographed as its water level continues to decline due to dry season on July 6. Philstar.com photo

THE ASIAN JOURNAL MAGAZINE

Olivia Rodrigo stuns as the rst Fil-Am on the cover of Vogue US

by NATHALIE TOMADA Philstar.com FILIPINO IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

28-year-old Bubble Gang reinvents itself

IT’S a welcome change.”

A FILIPINO American is finally on the cover of American Vogue, and another Fil-Am got to profile her for the story.

Ahead of the release of her upcoming “Guts” album, Olivia Rodrigo makes her story as she stuns on the latest Vogue cover, and writer Jia Tolentino is dishing details on their East Village meet-up where they talked about Rodrigo’s twenties and how all Filipinos can, purportedly, sing.

On the cover, the 20-year-old from Riverside County, Southern California, stuns in a metallic Emporio Armani dress. Other notable looks in the spread include a whimsical Loewe top and Prada skirt pairing. There are also ’60s callbacks with Miu Miu dresses.

Tolentino gushed about getting to hang with Rodrigo at the A-1 Record Shop in East Village and Mogador on St. Marks “just before she got the keys to her new apartment, her SATC era, her whole twenties.”

“Her paternal family is Filipino, as my family is, and in A-1 Records, we joke about the more-or-less accurate ethnic stereotype about Filipinos: We all know how to sing,” writes Tolentino in the profile.

Living the Dream Rodrigo opened up about pursuing her Hollywood dreams at a young age. She also talked about heartbreak, “Peter Pan boys,” her penchant for writing autobiographical, and the public’s

A photo of Olivia Rodrigo at the A-1 Record Shop taken by Jia Tolentino.

abortion that Tolentino wrote in 2022. “The reproductive rights rollback, [Rodrigo] says, feels ‘actually insane—I think it’s sickening.’ We talk about how many girls in her generation, and in my daughter’s, and in mine, will be ‘forced to give birth if they get pregnant,’ she says.”

Said Michael V. of the latest developments — from new timeslot, new cast members to new live-audience format — in the country’s longest-running comedy program, which is now also called as BBLGANG.

“We’re giving it a new face, of course, because habang tumatagal, you always have to really reinvent yourself, especially for a program that has lasted this long,” said Lilybeth Rasonable, senior vice president for GMA Entertainment Group.

The GMA 7 show, which is turning 29 years old this year, will officially be relaunched tonight, moving from its late-night Friday schedule to its new primetime and more family-friendly timeslot at 6 p.m. every Sunday.

“For the longest time, Bubble Gang has been airing on Friday nights. The Sunday night timeslot is more wholesome,” said Michael V during a mediacon.

“(The timeslot is) for a wider audience and we’re very, very conscious of the content we’re creating.”

The timeslot change is also connected to the relevance of the show.

Gang and so for the longest time, I knew the flavor of the show. But this time around, nagbago ng konti. That for me is the biggest change.”

He pointed out that the good thing about BBLGANG is that its creative team is “always in the present.”

“Palaging aware sa mga nangyayari sa paligid. Parang naging requirement na yan for the creative team, for the writers, and whoever is part of that team,” he explained.

“Even the cast, we have to be aware of what’s happening right now. As long as there’s material na pinanggagalingan, hindi ka mauubusan ng material i-produce.”

Bubble Gang, is not one person, we are a gang for a reason,” Michael V said.

“And that’s not just within the cast, it’s the same with the creative team, with the production, with the network and all those who are helping us. As long as we are like that, as long as we’re a definitive gang, ‘di kami mauubusan ng material.”

Matteo Guidicelli and Sarah Geronimo

Another interesting anecdote in the story is how Rodrigo brought up a piece about

Preorders for “Guts” began on June 26, and it is set for release on Sept. 8. Its massive lead single “Vampire” is out and climbing towards a #1 debut on music charts.

The rst thing Matteo did after he married Sarah

by MARINEL CRUZ Inquirer.net

A WISE man once told me, ‘Just say sorry,’” quipped actor Matteo Guidicelli to explain how he has managed to maintain a harmonious home with pop superstar Sarah Geronimo, his wife of three years.

baker after finishing a course at the Heny Sison Culinary School.

“She makes good lunch, too.

Sarah stopped eating meat (in 2017), so she serves plant-based and seafood dishes.”

Certified baker

The proud husband continued:

“Recently, she finally succeeded in making croissants. While she was still practicing, I would usually smell butter and dough in the kitchen. One day, I smelled them in our bathroom. She did her ‘proofing’ there because she said the place was cooler and more humid. She then brought it to our bedroom, and the dough finally rose. Sarah used to make good tres leches, too.”

According to director Frasco Mortiz, “Pinu-push namin maging more relevant ang show in the advent of social media, where every day you see comedy content. So how do you stay relevant when your competition is social media?

“So, we make our topics relatable to the wider audience… and that would make people more engaged.

“Yes, it’s more wholesome, but maloko pa rin kami. ‘Di mawawala ang tatak Bubble Gang.”

Another big change for the cast is the instant reaction they get via the live audience.

Frasco said that the artists now deliver a different kind of energy while doing sketches and skits. “You feel that they’re all on their toes,” he said.

The director also came up with the idea of a rooftop setting, reimaginging BBLGANG as a hangout place for family and friends to chill, relax and have some laughs.

Asked if social media is a boon or bane to the show when it comes to content creation, direk Frasco said, “We get something from online, they get something from what we do. I think that’s the new norm na kailangan namin makasanayan, mag-iiba at mag-iiba talaga yung means of how we devour content. It’s up to us kung paano maging up to date in the things that we do.”

He further said the only advantage of social media is in terms of speed or how fast it reacts to events and issues.

“Let’s say, may issue na pumutok ngayong umaga, sa hapon may spoof na sila. Before, yung Bubble Gang known for that. If may issue ngayon, next episode may makikita ka ng parody or something,” Frasco said.

“But in terms of creativity and content, nanggagaling pa rin talaga dun sa creative team and the cast yung humor that audiences look for every week.”

In this new era of Bubble Gang or BBLGang, they are introducing fresh faces like EA Guzman, Buboy Villar and Chesca Fausto. Paolo Contis, Chariz Solomon, Kokoy de Santos, Betong Sumaya and Analyn Barro are still part of the show, but Valeen Montenegro, Faye Lorenzo, Sef Cadayona and Archie Alemania were let go. “Maliit lang naman ang mundong ginagalawan,” said Michael V. “Even with our former cast members, there was a time when we made it a point to guest ‘graduates’ like sila Rufa Mae Quinto, Ara Mina… It was going to happen. It’s inevitable.”

The ideal cast members for him are “kelangan magaling ka na artista, that’s No. 1. Hindi lang kasi pagpapatawa ang comedy, a good chunk of it is acting so as long as you’re confident in doing characters and being someone else other than yourself, I think that’s a good sign. That’s a plus factor when it comes to joining the show.”

"Sometimes, I also stand beside her at the sink and pretend to wash one plate. But really, I would often walk away (from the dining table) right away,” said Matteo, laughing, after another item in the game revealed that Sarah is more likely to be the one to wash the dishes at home.

Sarah joined Matteo as a brand ambassador of the international financial services company in its latest campaign, titled “Partners for Life.”

“Sarah, on the other hand, likes washing dishes,” Matteo declared. “It’s not like I enjoy it,” Sarah interjected. “It’s just that I don’t like seeing our dishes and kitchen stuff all piled up in the sink.”

Sarah then recalled the time she saw Matteo washing plates for the first time. “We were just boyfriend-girlfriend then. When I saw him do it, I thought, ‘This guy could be my husband in the future,’” she said.

Matteo then proudly disclosed that Sarah is already a certified

The couple got married on Feb. 20, 2020 and were forced to live by themselves—”and one dog”—for six months during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. “While it was a challenge, I also had a great time,” said Matteo. “We learned a lot,” added Sarah.

Matteo said this marked the start of their life together so he had to make sure that they started it right. “The first thing I did was open an Excel spreadsheet. This was on Feb. 22, 2020. All of our expenses are listed there up to this day. I did this because I wanted to be a responsible husband,” he said. “We also have your Papa, Tito Gian, to thank because he has been very supportive and helpful to us as a married couple when it came to how to handle our finances and investments,” added Sarah.

Matteo said that whenever they had to sit down with their accountants, especially when it was time to file their taxes, he would make sure that Sarah was present during the meetings. “I told

her that she wouldn’t understand everything in one sitting, but it’s good that we’re both exposed to ‘adulting’ stuff like this. At least, when it comes to our finances, we both know what we’re talking about,” he said.

Legs and brains

Matteo then said that he would notice growth and maturity in Sarah each day. “She has now become a very talented and independent woman. She knows what she wants and is very eager to learn,” he said. In the businesses they’ve put up together, so far— like G Productions Inc. and G Studios—Matteo said he was merely “the legs that keep things moving, while Sarah is the brains.”

He added: “I always discuss with Sarah, ‘Let’s prepare not for today or for the next day, but for when we already have kids, and for when they go to high school or college. We want to think long term.”

While the Guidicellis are undoubtedly one of the most hardworking talents in the industry, they also make time for their favorite form of leisure: traveling. “I keep telling Matteo that I’m not a materialistic person. I’m fine as long as we have enough funds for travel and good food,” Sarah declared. “Of course, our work requires us to be mindful of our aesthetics. It is our responsibility to protect our image and reputation, but other than that, I’m OK. What’s more important to me is to be able to create beautiful memories with him.”

Incidentally, Sarah is the voice behind the new Sun Life jingle, titled “Kasa-Kasama,” a duet with Iñigo Pascual, who cowrote the song and is himself a Sun Life ambassador.

“True enough, I think it has a different flavor…. because there’s instant reaction from the audience. Nakukuha namin kaagad ang pakiramdam kung maganda ba yung ginagawa namin. For me, it’s still the same Bubble Gang with different sketches. (At the same time), it’s a different vibe. Parang nabuhayan ulit.

Michael V said that an inspiration for the live audience is the American sketch-comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL).

“Even before direk Frasco (came onboard in 2021), SNL was an inspiration. We tried that several times during the lifespan of Bubble Gang,” he said.

The most notable was Parokya Bente Dos, which “was really a big endeavor for Bubble Gang and a milestone of the show.”

“This time, we will give it a try once again and will see what happens,” Michael V added.

The veteran comedian also suggested as much that the materials for this new phase of the comedy show will be somewhat “different in flavor.”

“For the longest time I was also the creative director of Bubble

For Michael V, it’s a symbiotic relationship. He admitted that social media is now a “big part of mainstream television and entertainment.” It does provide some ideas, he noted, especially “if it’s a gem, talagang dapat you have to do something about it. Pero hindi mo dapat gayahin. You have to do something better and improve.”

But he also pointed out, “If you analyze yung mga ginagawa sa social media, if you dig deeper, madalas ang source niyan Bubble Gang. It’s very evident na ang inspiration ng gumagawa ng comedy sa social media, it’s also the show. But it’s not just this show but even the (comedy) movies that came before us and …. other sitcoms, not just in GMA but also in other networks.

“So, it’s safe to say mainstream is still at this point inevitable, necessity pa rin siya to produce content,” he said.

One thing is for sure, everyone on the show is dependent on each other, in creating content and making the comedy click with its viewers.

“I always say that the gang, the

For his part, direk Frasco said, “That person should also be fearless, not afraid to join the gang. Because if you’re a newcomer, you will really feel intimidated to be in the company of these people (referring to Michael V, et. al.). And may hilig din magpatawa, magpasaya because if the comedy is innate in that artista, it will show. It’s a team effort.”

As the only remaining original member and one-time creative director of Bubble Gang, Michael V stressed that they’re not strangers to major casting changes.

“Being the eldest in the show, we’re a bit used to the reformat. This is not the first time na nangyari,” he said. “I’m always open to welcome new faces to the show. It’s an opportunity for the older cast to train and work with the younger talents.

“Hopefully, we can produce a bunch of new comedians and talented performers under our tutelage,” he added.

Besides the possiblity of having former cast members as guests, Michael V wants It’s Showtime host and Kapamilya comedian Vice Ganda to appear in the show for a collab skit with his signature character, Mr. Assimo.

“Vice Ganda has always been open to collaboration. And the last time we met, the last time we talked… He has always said, ‘I hope to guest in Bubble Gang.’”

Paolo Contis, Michael V., Betong Sumaya, Kokoy de Santos, Chariz Solomon and Analyn Barro GMA photos

Photo from Instagram/@matteog

interest in her relationships. The pop star also shared being possibly not single and moving to New York, where she’s currently living her “Sex & The City” fantasy.

On her IG Story, Tolentino also shared how when she told Rodrigo that her daughter is “half white, half Filipino, like she is,” the singer replied, “OMG! She’ll probably look like me!”

Matteo tried to clarify why an item in a game that he and Sarah played with selected members of the show biz press recently, called “Who’s Likely To,” revealed that, between him and Sarah, he is more likely to say sorry first whenever they find themselves in an argument or misunderstanding.

Graton Resort & Casino launches mobile app for hassle-free slot play alongside ongoing $1B expansion

Come and Catch Your Winnings!

ROHNERT

rewards and tracks funds for slot play. The app’s Resort Wallet™ is the first of its kind in Northern California, providing guests a truly cashless solution for visiting the casino/ resort.

Guests can download the free app on Google Play or the App Store. Guests who sign up for the Rewards Program receive free slot play upon joining. All guests must be at least 21 years of age to qualify for a Rewards Card or the Graton App. Complete Graton Rewards information is available https://www.gratonresortcasino. com.

Come to Graton Resort & Casino in July and let you be lucky all summer! Every Saturday, 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., the UP

TO $500,000 CASH CRAZE GIVEAWAY will be held. Step inside the cash blast™ machine and catch your winnings! Win up to $20,000 cash, 50 winners guaranteed!

And, from now to August 31, every Thursday, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., the ALL ABOARD SUMMER SLOT TOURNAMENTS will be held. Top prizes include $5,000 cash, 7-day cruise, and entry into the $250,000 slot championship tournament! 50 winners are guaranteed at each tournament. All reward members get one free entry into each tournament. Last month, Graton Resort & Casino broke ground on a $1

billion expansion project. New construction began on the parking structure and will eventually include additional casino and resort buildings. The casino floor expansion will add approximately 144,000 square feet, adding 2,000 new slot machines, a new poker room, and a new high-limit area. The expansion project will also include a new five-story hotel wing with over 200 rooms, a 28,000 square foot rooftop restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating for 480 guests, a five-level parking structure with solar panels and EV charging stations, and a 3,500seat theater. Stay tuned for more updates!

In addition, the pool is opening NOW! Come soak up the sun at Graton’s resort style pool. Sip on ice-cold drinks, enjoy delicious food, and listen to poolside tunes all summer long with DJ performances every weekend. Day passes, cabanas and daybeds are available daily. See you poolside!

Currently, Graton Resort & Casino offers a full gaming experience with 3,000 slot and video poker machines, more than 130 table games including Blackjack, Baccarat, and Pai Gow Poker, and a live poker room. The high limit lounge is a luxurious getaway tucked off the main casino floor where players enjoy a VIP experience. Breathe easy in the casino’s popular 9,000 square feet non-smoking gaming area which offers 300 slot machines and video poker. Graton Resort & Casino’s awardwinning hotel ensures a first-class experience during your stay. The

PATRICK was petitioned for a green card by his aunt as a cook for her restaurant. Interestingly, not many people are aware that family members can petition other family members for an employment-based green card,

provided it is a real job and the employer is earning enough to pay the worker’s salary.

After establishing that the position at his aunt’s restaurant was a bona fide job, and after the aunt was able to provide

AIKO Melendez was ecstatic as she shared that her 16-year-old daughter Marthena completed a course in law in a summer school in Oxford, England.

The actress-politician gave a glimpse of what appears to be a completion ceremony held at Somerville College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford, via her Instagram page on Saturday, July 8.

"Congratulations on graduating! You are an achiever. You make me so proud of being your mother!” Aiko addressed her daughter. “We are all rooting for you, my dear Mimi.”

additional evidence and documents, the Department of Labor approved the labor certification application, and eventually, the immigrant petition for an alien worker was approved.

Kris Aquino reveals break up with Mark Leviste

by Iza IglesIas ManilaTimes.net

TELEVISION and multimedia

personality Kris Aquino has announced her separation from Batangas Vice Governor Mark Leviste, citing the impossibility of maintaining a long-distance relationship due to her health condition.

On Monday, July 10 Aquino took to social media to share a heartfelt open letter dedicated to Leviste, accompanied by a photo of them together. This marked the first time where the 52-yearold publicly addressed their relationship since their dating rumors emerged in January.

As she bid him farewell to fulfill his responsibilities as a public servant in Batangas, Aquino acknowledged the profound impact Leviste had on her life.

"Marc (yes it's with a C) @ markleviste is leaving to go home to fulfill his obligations to his Batangas constituents. Nobody I've ever been in a relationship with has ever given me as much love & encouragement.

He wasn't only my boyfriend, he became my best friend and confidante, talagang maaasahan (truly dependable). The usage of WAS is correct," Aquino wrote. She also opened up about her deteriorating health condition, citing her connective tissue disease, which appears to be a combination of Churg Strauss, the progression of Crest Syndrome, and the onset of rheumatoid arthritis and SLE which "has gotten progressively worse, from all [her] physical manifestations." She further described the

physical manifestations she experiences, such as swollen knees, excruciating pain in her legs, back swelling, and purplish blue toenails.

The severity of her condition has led Aquino to realize the challenges a long-distance relationship would bring, prompting her to request a pause in their relationship to prioritize her well-being.

"I asked Marc for a pause because with my condition the way it is now, I'm self-aware enough to know that a long distance relationship will be next to impossible for us to maintain.

For the Filipinos working all over the world, I know I'm blessed to have Kuya Josh and Bimb with me – but most moms reading this will agree, we don't want our kids to suffer from anxiety about our health, especially if you're a solo parent like me," she continued.

Expressing her deep appreciation for Leviste, Aquino recognized the physical and geographical barriers that have come between them.

"Thank you Marc for being here for me, especially when my 2 "giants" went home BUT our reality is that there's a Pacific

Ocean that divides us, a 15 hourtime difference, and a 13-hour flight. You know how much I believe in you and the last thing I want is to be an obstacle in your career as a public servant. This isn't just a line, you will always have a place in my heart," she added.

"We may not have had our "happily ever after" but being sick has really taught me to look at the glass half full- thank you for giving me the chance to again experience the magic of Once Upon a Time," Aquino ended.

Meanwhile, Leviste reshared Aquino's post in his Instagram story on Tuesday and accompanied it with the song "Love Never Fails" by Jim Brickman and Amy Sky playing in the background.

In addition, he included a meaningful Bible verse from the First Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians), specifically Chapter 13, Verses 4 to 8 which says "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

Leviste also took to Twitter to emphasize the last verse and wrote, "Love Never Fails," with the same yellow heart emoji that Aquino used to end her Instagram post. Since June 2022, Aquino has been residing in the United States to undergo medical treatment for several autoimmune disorders.

Facts and trivia

PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS

HOW many cells do we have in our body?

The figures often quoted are between 50 to 75 trillion cells. The average life span of the cells: red blood cells, 120 days; white blood cells, over a year; platelets, ten days; bone cells, 25-30 years; brain cells, lifetime; colon cells, 3-4 days; skin cells, 19-34 days; stomach cells, 2 days; and sperm cells, 2-3 days. Obviously, these cells regenerate under normal conditions.

What is the force of a human bite?

Tightly clenched teeth can generate a force as much as 55 pounds (25 kilos) on the incisors and 200 pounds (90.5 kilos) on the molars. For the molars, a greater force at 268 pounds (122 kilos) has been recorded.

Which is the largest organ in our body?

The skin is the heaviest and largest organ in the human body. The total surface area is 20 square feet or 1.98 square meters for an average individual and 25 square feet or 2.3 square meters for a larger person, and a weight of about 5.6 pounds or 2.7 kilograms. The liver is the second largest organ (1.1 to 1.5 kilos) and serves about 500 functions as the main chemical factory of the human body. How long is the human intestine?

Our small intestine is about

seven meters (22 feet) long, and the large intestine (colon) is about 1.5 meters (5 feet) in length.

How much blood do we have?

A male weighing about 70 kilos (154 pounds) would have about 5.5 quarts or 5.2 liters of blood. A female of about 50 kilos (110 pounds) would have about 3.5 quarts or 3.3 liters.

This blood is circulated through blood vessels that stretch to about 60,000 miles (95,500 kilometers), if placed end to end.

The largest artery in the body is the aorta, the largest vein, the vena cava.

How fast does human hair grow?

On average, human hair grows about nine inches each year. It grows faster in the summer because warm weather increases blood circulation to the hair follicles. The fingernails, on the other hand, grow about 0.8 inches (2 centimeters) every year. The middle fingernail grows the quickest. Fingernails grow four times faster than toenails.

What does the term LASER stand for?

The acronym LASER stands for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.”

The applications of laser technology is far reaching and wide: micro matching of components and circuit boards for our computers; fiber-optic communications in long distance telephone networks; bar coding scanners; medical diagnostics and therapeutics; desktop printers, color scanners, etc; military target designators, etc.

Why the dimples in golf balls?

Dimples reduce the drag that will slow down the golf ball as it travels (some up to 300 yards or more) by minimizing the eddies or wake effect that drain the ball’s energy and velocity. This is achieved by the air clinging to the dimpled balls longer.

Can human voice break glass?

Yes, this has been proven in several experiments. The amplified high-pitched singing voice of a soprano or a tenor standing about ten feet from a wine glass cracked the glass in less than half a minute. Without amplification, this could conceivably be done with the glass about two feet away. The sheer force of the vibration from the vocal cords does it.

Do babies feel what moms feel?

Research has shown that the baby inside the womb feels what the mother is feeling. If the mother is happy, crying, or depressed, the baby could feel the emotion of the mother and feel the same. And it also cries in the womb but without sound. At this stage, the baby could also feel pain.

Will a resected heart beat?

Yes, a human or animal heart cut out of the body will continue to beat on its own, until all the stored energy (glucose and derivative enzymes, etc.) in the cardiac muscle cells is used up. This is usually within five to eight minutes. The heart is the only organ in the body that has automaticity and rhythmicity, hence it beats automatically and with rhythm even after resection from the body (as in the preparation for heart transplant).

How does icy temperature cause frostbite?

Prolonged exposure to ex-

tremely low temperature, mostly during winter in parts of the world where subzero weather is the rule, causes the capillaries (most distal tiny blood vessels), arterioles and venules (small arteries and veins), and regular sized blood vessels to constrict (go into spasm) and shut off the circulation to the toes, fingers, and ears, depriving these parts of the much-needed blood. Frostbites, and even gangrene, are very common. Holding your finger directly against ice for prolonged period can also cause frostbite. Do our hands have bacteria?

Yes, as a rule, everybody’s hands and fingers, the entire body, are full of “resident” bacteria 24/7, about 10 million in each hand. They do not get infected because the intact skin is a tough protective layer that prevents the bacteria from gaining access into the soft tissues and muscles, etc. underneath the dermal shield. Severe abrasion, contusion or cut will allow the bacteria to invade and infect the inner parts of these structures. Washing our hands daily, before and after eating, after using the bathroom or touching money, or any activity that will add more bacteria to our hands and fingers, would minimize the number of bacteria and ward off infection. And the same is true with our mouth, where a lot of bacteria reside, about 20 billion, of 700 different species. The intact mucus membrane in the mouth, like the intact skin, protects the deeper structures from getting infected.

How many muscles do we use to smile?

To produce a smile, we use seventeen (17) facial muscles.

To frown, we use 40% more muscles, 43. So, let’s exert less effort, use less muscles, and use less energy, by smiling more and having a happier and more attractive face.

When was the first shopping mall built?

In 1896, built at Roland Park, Baltimore, Maryland, United States. West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada, is one of the world’s largest, covering 5.2 million square feet (480,000 square meters) on a 121-acre (49 hectares) lot. There are 828 stores and service centers in it, with parking space for 20,000 cars.

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

* * *

The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health.

* * * Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He was a recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry Truman, President George HW Bush,

Success story: Triple triumphs...

PAGE 9

Patrick was also able to apply for lawful permanent status and was able get his green card in the U.S. without having to return to the U.S. Embassy in Manila, and his green card was approved without an interview.

Watch this success story on

an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, July 16 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app.

(Advertising Supplement)

Batangas Vice Governor Mark Leviste and Kris Aquino Photo from Instagram/@

A lift for life after foster care

REDWOOD CITY – In a unanimous vote, San Mateo County supervisors agreed on Tuesday, July 11 to provide current and former foster youth ages 18 up to 22 with $1,000 a month in the county’s first guaranteed income program.

About 70 eligible young adults will receive a direct deposit for up to 18 months.

“Our goal is to disrupt the cycle of poverty,” said Supervisor David Canepa, who sponsored the proposal with Supervisor Noelia Corzo.

“Foster youth face so many challenges that most of us cannot imagine,” Canepa said. “We as a community want to help these young adults finish high school and go on to college or trades programs without so much of the crushing burden of making ends meet in a county with such a high cost of living.”

Corzo said foster youth “remain very vulnerable” to housing instability and homelessness as they age-out of the system.

“Concrete economic support allows for some relief from the economic pressures that might otherwise push them out of San Mateo County and away from their support systems and friends,” Corzo said.

The funds come with no spending restrictions. Recipients can use the monthly stipend as they see fit, for education, transportation, housing, food and other needs.

With a secure monthly income floor, it is anticipated that partic-

the program as a pilot that includes a thorough evaluation that will test the impact. The evaluation will include analysis and cross-comparison with local, state and national outcomes for foster youth. This will include comparing high school completion, post-secondary enrollment, attainment of gainful employment, housing stability and proximity to county of origin.

Megaworld International launches KKK raffle promo in partnership with NHCP

ipants will be better able to take advantage of services provided to transitional age foster youth. These include access to educational and financial counselors and a range of support staff that will provide linkages to health and mental health services, employment services and enrichment activities.

The encouragement and financial support are needed to help current and former foster youth navigate the complexities of lease agreements, school and work applications and other responsibilities without families to guide them.

The first $1,000 direct deposits are expected to begin around the New Year. Supervisors approved

Canepa noted that a disproportionate number of youth in foster care as well as former foster youth are people of color. “This accelerates social justice,” Canepa said. Corzo said, “As a community, we think this is a win for all of us because we are addressing the racial disparities in the child welfare system. We certainly hope this creates more opportunities for transitional age foster youth to remain in San Mateo and to thrive.”

Supervisors voted to allocate $732,000 in local Measure K fundstoward the $2.032 million pilot project. The balance will come from a pool of funds reserved for youth-focused services managed by the County’s own Human Services Agency and $100,000 from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

Supervisors voted 5-0 to approve the “San Mateo County Guaranteed Income Pilot Program for Transitional Age Foster Youth” – item Number 4 on the Board’s regular agenda. (Supervisor Canepa’s Office Release)

Aiko proud mom as daughter completes...

“Mama’s sleepless and tireless night over taping and shootings is all so worth it. And if Mama AIKO would have to do tons of work just to send you to all the best schools, I would, without a doubt!” she added. Aiko advised Marthena to “never get tired of learning,” as the ac-

tress looked forward to her daughter reaching other milestones.

“I can proudly say soon we have a future lawyer in the family. This is just the beginning of beautiful things to come,” Aiko stated. “PS!

Teary-eyed mama here.”

Fellow celebrities Ogie Diaz, Vina Morales and Sylvia Sanchez were among those who re-

joiced with Aiko over Marthena’s achievement.

Aiko has two children—Andrei and Marthena, who is her child with former model-actor Martin Jickain. Andrei, 24, is her son with actor Jomari Yllana.

Aiko is currently in a relationship with politician Jay Khonghun.

Graton Resort & Casino launches mobile app...

AAA 4-diamond hotel boasts 200 premium rooms and suites filled with modern luxuries and a full house of amenities, including our award-winning full-service Spa & Salon, fitness center and more.

Dining options at the casino include 630 Park Steakhouse for luxury dining, Tony’s of North Beach for authentic Italian cuisine, and Boathouse Asian Eatery for an eclectic mix of Japanese and East

Asian cooking. The Marketplace is the spot for casual dining and features everything from burritos to award-winning barbeque at Everett & Jones. Graton’s six bars and lounges feature something for everyone – from the sports lover at G Bar to the high energy of the Sky lounge to live music five nights a week throughout the casino.

Located in Sonoma County, Graton Resort & Casino has a commanding presence among

the rolling hills of Northern California's wine country. Owned and operated by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Graton Resort & Casino features table games, the latest slot machines, upscale and casual dining, plus entertainment options for visitors and locals alike. For more information, please visit www.gratonresortcasino.com or call 707-588-7100.

(Advertising Supplement)

MEGAWORLD International celebrates the Philippines’ 125th Independence anniversary in partnership with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) through the Kalayaan, Kinabukasan, at Kasaysayan (KKK) raffle promo that offers a chance to win a brandnew condominium unit at One Eastwood Avenue, an investment for education, and a limited-edition home furniture piece from the renowned Filipino designer Ito Kish, among other prizes.

The global marketing specialist of Megaworld Corporation –Megaworld International – aims to join the NHCP in igniting nationhood, promoting Philippine history and cultural heritage among the Filipino people with the KKK, highlighting the marketing group’s biggest raffle promo to date.

The raffle promo will run from June 25, 2023 to June 25, 2024. Participants will get more chances of winning minor prizes with three quarterly draws and the major prizes in the grand raffle draw [per DTI Fair Trade Permit No. FTEB-170502 Series of 2023].

Kalayaan, Kinabukasan at Kasaysayan raffle promo hopes to showcase Filipino artistry, hospitality, and world-class investments to the global community. Megaworld International ties with the best and the biggest brands to date: Megaworld Corporation, Global-Estate Resorts, Inc., Suntrust Properties Inc., Emperador Inc., Megaworld Hotels and Resorts, Megaworld Club Access,

Pick-A-Roo, Ito Kish, Makina Watches, and Roots Collective.

The promo is open to everyone who purchased or sold one (1) unit of Megaworld Corporation, Global-Estate Properties, Inc., Suntrust Properties, Inc., and Stateland Inc. projects from any of the participating projects – for a minimum of P6,000,000.

Major prizes are categorized into three: The Kalayaan Package, Kinabukasan Package, and Kasaysayan Package.

In the spirit of nationhood, Megaworld International affirms its corporate vision to uplift lives, impact society and help shape the nation through the KKK raffle promo. At the core of this endeavor, the international marketing group visualizes a financially-free country by investing in world-class Megaworld properties. The company is exerting efforts to increase the demand for the nation's real estate landscape, so its homegrown brands and partners may reach the worldwide market.

This raffle promo aims to connect with the different Filipino societies all over the globe: whether to the permanent residents abroad, dual citizens, or Filipino workers who stay overseas – all in

an effort to bridge the country’s heritage and financial freedom objectives to the countrymen, wherever they may be.

Megaworld International implements various activities – both in online and offline platforms –such as roadshow presentations, conferences, expos, recruitment events, events sponsorships, business summits, and financial literacy talks. For this year-long promo, Megaworld International will participate in NHCP's series of events in celebration of the 125th Philippine Independence anniversary.

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines is a recognized government agency whose mission is to promote the history and cultural heritage of the Philippines through various means such as conducting and supporting research, information dissemination, and implementation of educational activities to popularize Philippine history.

Megaworld International is the international marketing specialist of property giant Megaworld Corporation, the Philippines’ leading residential condominium developer office space developer, and pioneer of the live-work-playlearn lifestyle concept. The international group has been proudly showcasing world-class MEGA townships for 23 years to over 60 countries worldwide.

For more information, visit www.megaworldinternational. com; on Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/megaworldintlmktg; and on Instagram: https://instagram.com/megaworld_intl/.

San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa File photo/www.smcgov.org

The memorandum of agreement was signed on January 2023 between Megaworld International’s Executive Vice President and Managing Director Maria Victoria M. Acosta (center left); National Historical Commission of the Philippines’ OIC Executive Director Carminda R. Arevalo (center right); witnessed by Vice President for Marketing and Customer Care Mia A. Buenaventura (left); and Deputy Executive Director for Programs and Projects Alvin Alcid (right).