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Volume 19 - No. 28 • 14 Pages

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Trump admin drops visa restrictions on int’l DATELINE USA Meet the Filipina American university students after mounting pressure ensuring Californians FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

fill out the 2020 Census

AS the United States’ decennial population count is underway in the midst of the pandemic, one Filipina American is tasked with making sure California residents, particularly those that are the hardest-tocount, respond to the 2020 Census.

Going into July, the state’s self-response rate now stands at 63.2%, but Ditas Katague, director of the California Complete Count Committee, is continuing to urge communities across the state to submit their questionnaires to increase the percentage and achieve a complete count.

To date, California has allocated over $90 million for its census outreach efforts.

by RAE

ANN VARONA AJPress

AFTER receiving backlash and pressure from universities, students, and technology companies, the Trump administration on Tuesday, July 14, reversed a policy that prohibited international university students from continuing their studies in the United

States if their colleges went fully online.

The directive — announced last week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — made it so non-immigrant international students who were taking a fully-online course load would have to leave the U.S. or take “other measures” like transferring to a university with in-person instruction.

International students outside the U.S. would not

New closures hit California as coronavirus cases continue to rise

by AJPRESS

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Social justice advocate, community ally Robert Gnaizda passes away COMMUNITY advocate and pioneering civil rights lawyer Robert Gnaizda passed away on July 11, 2020 surrounded by his loving family. He was 83.

Gnaizda, known as Bob to his colleagues, friends and even to his adversaries across the aisle, was a fiery, articulate and thoughtful community advocate who fought for equality, minority rights and social justice throughout his career which spanned over six decades.

He was born on August 6, 1936 and spent his youth in the Brownsville area of Brooklyn, which was a tough Jewish neighborhood.

A graduate of Columbia University and Yale Law School, Gnaizda co-founded many groups involved in the fight for his advocacies, including California Rural Legal Assistance (1976), Public Advocates in San Francisco u PAGE A3

have been able to return to the U.S. for classes.

The students were allowed to stay in the U.S. if their universities decided to take a hybrid approach of both online and in-person instruction.

The rule announcement was immediately met with lawsuits from universities and tech companies as many universities had already decided to offer u PAGE A2

DRIVE THRU TESTING CENTER. Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso (right), and Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna (left) lead the launch of “Drive-thru Testing Center” in front of the Andres Bonifacio Monument on Wednesday, July 15. Manila Health Department (MHD) personnel will take blood samples of motorists, which will be processed using the recently-purchased COVID-19 serology testing machines.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

CALIFORNIA Governor Gavin Newsom this week announced another round of closures, from bars to indoor shopping malls, as positive cases and hospitalizations associated with the coronavirus continue to be reported across the state.

The order, made in coordination with the California Department of Public Health on Monday, July 13, directed the closure of indoor operations statewide for restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, family entertainment centers, zoos, museums and cardrooms effective immediately.

“This is a new statewide action, effective today,” Newsom said in a press conference on Monday. “This continues to be a deadly disease. This continues to be a disease that puts people in our ICUs and our hospitals. and is currently putting a strain on our hospital system and our ICUs.” The state also expanded its order for brewpubs, breweries, bars, and pubs to close, both indoors and outdoors, unless they are offering sit down meals outdoors and comply with guidance issued on June 28.

The new measurers will remain in place until the State Public Health Officer determines it is appropriate to modify it.

Meanwhile, 30 counties across the state — such as Contra Costa, Fresno, Los Angeles, Napa, Orange and San Diego — were ordered to close indoor operations u PAGE A7

Solon urges gov’t to use ABS-CBN’s radio-TV ‘Filipinos Feed The Frontlines’ campaign in San frequencies for alternative distance learning Francisco reaches $100,000 goal, seeks to bring initiative nationwide as pandemic continues

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

HOUSE Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte on Tuesday, July 14, filed a resolution proposing that the government temporarily use ABS-CBN’s former television and radio frequencies for effective distance learning.

This came after the House of Representatives rejected the bills seeking to grant the network giant a fresh 25-year franchise.

Voting 70 to 11, the House Committee on Legislative Franchises adopted the recommendation of its technical working group to deny ABS-CBN a new franchise. Two congressmen in-

hibited, while one abstained.

Villafuerte was one of the 70 lawmakers who voted to deny ABS-CBN’s franchise bid.

In House Resolution 1044, which was sent to the media on Wednesday, July 15, he said: “Exhausting all possible delivery modes such as the use of u PAGE A7

Over 8,900 overseas Filipinos now infected with COVID-19

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, July 15, registered 43 additional cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) among Filipinos abroad, bringing the official count to 8,915.

Thirty-four new recoveries were also recorded by the agency, which raises the total number of recovered patients to 5,311.

“With 43 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 34 new recoveries recorded in Asia and the Pacific and Europe today, the DFA

reports that the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among Filipinos abroad and the total numbers of those who have recovered have breached the 8,900 and 5,300 marks, respectively,” it said.

The death toll, meanwhile, remains at 618, as the DFA confirmed no new fatalities among overseas Filipinos due to the virus.

Overall by region, Europe – which comprises 16 countries – has recorded 1,063 Filipino cases, including 498 undergoing treatment, 470 recoveries and 95

deaths.

The Middle East and Africa, covering 24 countries, has reported 6,431 cases: 2,240 are undergoing treatment, while there are 349 deaths and 3,842 recoveries.

The Asia Pacific region, which spans across 17 countries, has 772 cases – 128 under treatment, 589 recoveries, and five deaths.

The Americas – covering seven countries, including the United States – have 699 reported cases: 120 undergoing treatment, 410 recoveries, and 169 deaths. u PAGE A7

by CHRISTINA

M. ORIEL

AJPress

SINCE the start of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, Filipino Americans across the country have shown their bayanihan spirit by supporting workers on the front lines of the pandemic and families in need.

In the Bay Area, non-profit economic development and arts organization Kultivate Labs launched the #FilipinosFeedtheFrontLines campaign in April to raise $100,000. #FilipinosFeedTheFrontLines has partnered with community organizations like South of The funds would help stabilize Market Community Action Network (SOMCAN) to deliver meals and groceries to seniors 10 Fil-Am-owned restaurants and and families during San Francisco’s “shelter-in-place” mandate. provide 10,000 meals for health care workers and scientists and Filipino seniors and low-income families in the South of Market (SOMA) and Excelsior neighborhoods of San Francisco.

Four months later, the campaign has surpassed its goal, raising $101,512 from 1,075 donors nationwide.

“With the help of over 1,000 donors from around the nation, we were able to hit our lofty goal

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July 17-23, 2020 • NORCAl ASIAN JOuRNAl

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

From the Front Page

3-PRONGED STRATEGY VS. COVID-19. Taguig City Mayor Lino Cayetano announces the three-pronged strategy to promote the national government’s programs in addressing the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic during a press conference at Taguig LGU drive-thru testing center in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig on Tuesday, July 14. Cayetano said the strategy is incorporated in its approach dubbed as the Systematic, Mass Approach Responsible Testing (SMART) program which features hospital, house-to-house, community-based testing via health centers, and drive-thru testing.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

Trump admin drops visa restrictions...

PAGE A1 t online-only classes due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) sued ICE just two days after the announcement to stop the policy from taking effect.

Quick to show support were other universities like Northeastern University and Princeton University, and some of the nation’s biggest tech companies like Adobe, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Spotify, and Twitter.

Also separately challenging the policy were 20 state attorneys including California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.

As the universities prepared for their arguments in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on Tuesday, Judge Allison Burroughs announced that the U.S. government would be rescinding the rule.

“The Court was informed by the parties that they have come to a resolution to the combined temporary restraining order/preliminary injunction motions,” read the court docket. “The Government has agreed to rescind the July 6, 2020 Policy Directive and the July 7, 2020 FAQ, and has also agreed to rescind their implementation.”

With the rule withdrawn, the guidelines that applied to the

previous Spring 2020 semester will be reinstated, thus allowing international students on F-1 visas to keep their visa status while still taking classes fully online.

Harvard University President Lawrence S. Bacow called the policy rescission a “significant victory.”

“The directive had disrupted all of American higher education,” wrote Bacow in an email to its affiliates on Tuesday. “I have heard from countless international students who said that the July 6 directive had put them at serious risk. These students — our students — can now rest easier and focus on their education, which is all they ever wanted to do.”

In light of reports of U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) senior officials saying that the federal government still had plans to present regulation of the same nature, universities have pledged to stand by their international students should they again face challenges.

“While the government may attempt to issue a new directive, our legal arguments remain strong and the Court has retained jurisdiction, which would allow us to seek judicial relief immediately to protect our international students should the government again act unlawfully,” wrote Ba-

cow.

The University of California (UC) Board of Regents Chair John A. Pérez and President Janet Napolitano said in a joint statement, “UC will continue putting our students’ health and safety first — and we will be keeping a watchful eye on what the administration might propose next should we need to step in again.”

Last week’s policy change left international students suddenly unsure of what would happen to their academic and career plans.

Many students faced added uncertainty due to travel restrictions made by their home countries.

More than 1 million university students in the U.S. come from overseas, according to the Institute of International Education (IIE).

Data released by Open Doors last December revealed that 3,320 international students enrolled in the U.S. in 2019 were Filipino.

“I’m thankful that there are universities out there fighting to keep their international students — it shows us that the work we put in to come here was valued and worth it, and it also encourages us,” a Filipina international student studying in Tennessee told the Asian Journal last week. n

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Dateline USa

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JULy 17-23, 2020

A

Meet the Filipina American ensuring...

PAGE A1

Bob Gnaizda (in wheelchair), gives a thumbs up, along with Faith Bautista (behind) and NAAC/NDC members at a press conference in Sacramento in August of 2019.

Photo by Joseph Peralta/AJPress

Social justice advocate, community ally Robert...

PAGE A1 (1970), the Greenlining Institute (1993), and most recently was involved with the National Asian American Coalition (NAAC)/National Diversity Coalition (NDC) as its General Counsel.

He was a key advisor to the administration of California Governor Jerry Brown in the 1970s where he served as deputy secretary of health and welfare for the state.

Even prior to his involvement in the many groups he co-founded, Gnaizda showed his mettle by collecting testimony in 1965 on how white police and officials were preventing Blacks from voting, which helped influence the Voting Rights of 1965.

Perhaps, people will most recognize Bob Gnaizda as he was featured in the Oscar-winning documentary Inside Job, which focused on the financial crisis in the late 2000s directed by Charles Ferguson and narrated

by Matt Damon. Prior to the crisis, the Stuyvesant High School alumnus had repeatedly warned the Federal Reserve about the coming subprime mortgage crisis and predatory lending.

It was with NAAC and NDC that Bob devoted his time in his later years, joining the organization when he was in his late 60s, and continuing to fight for access to equal opportunity, affordable housing and loans for small and minority-owned businesses.

The NAAC and NDC work with government institutions and corporations, aiming to seek policy changes so that underserved communities may benefit through different programs offered or developed by these entities, including supplier diversity programs. Areas tackled by NAAC/NDC-supported programs have focused on issues like homeownership, financial literacy education for youths and adults, digital and broadband literacy, affordable housing and healthcare.

It was at this time that Bob continued to build alliances and coalitions to open a gateway for underserved communities, and he was known to reach across lines to collaborate and negotiate a solution to problems. He also mentored many young people from different ethnicities and backgrounds who today continue to fight for the same advocacies that he cared about.

Faith Bautista, president and CEO of both NAAC and NDC, told the Asian Journal via email that “Bob is the hero of Filipino community, he won the suit for Filipino CPAs to have reciprocity. He worked with Larry Itliong to help Filipino and Hispanic farmworkers, he fought against Marcos regime, he built NaFFAA with Alex Esclamado, and most of all he made me who I am to follow his footsteps and continue the advocacy work [he started] since 1960.”

She further said: “I worked with Bob since 2002, spent thousands of hours fighting for small business and homeowners, changing policies. If there’s a message that Bob will continue to preach is to have more Filipinos in power! Now it’s all up to us to make that happen. I lost my partner, colleague, mentor and most of all, I lost the other half of me.”

“Bob was an inspiration for all of us. He fought till his last breath.

I thank him for his hard work and dedication for helping the underserved people in America. Bob, all your work will not go in vain. If you are a member of International Giraffe Appreciation Society, Inc., you will continue Bob’s work. For those who doesn’t know International Giraffe Appreciation Society, Inc., that is how Bob recruits you to stick your neck out to join an organization that has no benefits to you, no membership fees and all one has to do is selflessly go good deeds in this world. Bob preached this throughout his life and lets all continue his legacy.

His work will not be forgotten, and we will continue to further his noble deeds. We will miss you,” Bautista added in a NAAC/ NDC release.

NDC Board chair Jin Sung also sent a message to Asian Journal on Gnaizda’s passing, saying, “Our general counsel Mr. Robert Gnaizda was a true hero who fought the financial structures that deepened the wealth inequality and racial discrimination in our times. National Diversity Coalition is tremendously honored to have worked along-side with him, as he actively taught the next generation how to be the change through indirect public policymaking. His brilliance and tactics supersede all strategists that I have come across, and I am found grieving for the loss of this magnificent man of justice.

Thank you, Bob, for your dedication and love for the minority communities and shedding light on the power of people in this nation.”

Steven Sugarman, former General Counsel of NDC and founder of The Capital Corps, LLC, said, “Bob Gnaizda was an inspiration to me and so many others. He stood for doing right, putting the community first, speaking on behalf of society’s voiceless, and challenging others to live up to their ideals. I was proud to meet Bob’s challenge to help finance his vision for the National Diversity Coalition; I was humbled by the opportunity to assume the General Counsel role at NDC upon Bob’s retirement; and I am proud of The Capital Corps’ progress meeting his challenge to build a revolutionary CDFI focused on expanding access to capital for those ignored and left out of the banking system.”

“Bob, we thank you, remember you and honor you and your legacy. Your inspiration, patience, and wisdom built a legacy that demanded our community, business and political leaders do more and do better. You demanded more than words, you acted with integrity and decency, and you were not afraid to give credit where credit was due. May you Rest in Peace. We all miss you,” added Sugarman.

The Greenlining Institute issued a statement after Gnaizda’s passing, extending its “deepest sympathies to Bob’s family during this difficult time.”

“Since the mid-1970’s Bob was a tireless leader who created community around a simple, shared and powerful vision,” said Greenlining Institute President and CEO Debra Gore-Mann. “To bring together grassroots community leaders from the African American, Asian American, Latino and disabled communities to both fight institutionalized discrimination and redlining and to proactively bring investments and

Gnaizda was a community advocate and pioneering civil rights lawyer.

opportunity into these communities. Bob was fearless. He and John Gamboa forced big banks and other institutions to listen, and brought billions of dollars in investment into communities that had been redlined.”

“Before racial and economic justice was a popular hashtag, Bob was bold enough to say what others wouldn’t and brave enough to do what most wouldn’t,” said Greenlining Board Co-Chair Tunua Thrash-Ntuk. “He wielded a pen and paper that was guided by his vast and unrivaled knowledge of our national economic and banking system. Coupled by his love of people, Bob never shrank in the face of the racial justice fight against outsized circumstance -- be it a financially endowed CEO, a Federal Reserve Chairman or a powerful member of Congress or the Cabinet.

His uncanny knack for stra tegy

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“With our percentage, we’re still outpacing the nation by a little bit. I like to stay in front of the national average, which is at 61.8%. It’s a huge achievement considering what we’re facing,” Katague told media during a recent virtual briefing.

“But we still have a lot further to go.”

The census, which can be done by phone, online or mail, counts where individuals live as of April 1. Currently, the counties that are leading in responses are San Mateo, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Marin, Orange and Ventura.

Katague — who served in the governor’s office of planning and research as director of the 2010 census and was chair of the Census Bureau’s national advisory committee on race, ethnic and other populations since 2015— credited the higher response rates this year to the longer time to plan outreach and the analysis of previous data to see what the structural barriers were that “prevent us from getting an accurate count and prevent our communities from being counted and seen.”

“I got to see the operations of the U.S. Census Bureau and how it’s designed and how it will continue to miss a lot of people of color,” she said, adding that children under five years old are another demographic at risk for being undercounted.

With California having the largest Filipino population in the country at over 1.6 million

Filipinos, Katague reminded that the latest census will continue to divide more than $675 billion in federal funding and resources, from medical services to infrastructure projects, to communities. States lose approximately $2,000 per person each year for the 10 next years for those who are missed in the count.

It also is used to determine the number of seats each state gets in the House of Representatives and to draw legislative districts.

“It’s so important because it brings the fair share of our representation back to our communities. That’s why the census is so important, it brings money,” she said. “But most importantly as a Filipino American, it shows how we’re growing and to have the data and to not just lump us in with [Asian and Pacific Islanders].”

In Los Angeles County, which is the hardest-to-count city and county in California and where a majority of Fil-Ams in the state call home, the response rate from the demographic has been above average (64.7% of Tagalog speakers versus 57.4% for the entire county), as of mid-June.

However, an area that continues to fall below the average response rates includes Historic Filipinotown, due to factors like residents being foreignborn and not understanding the importance of the census or multiple families living in one household. (The 2020 Census is available in 12 languages, in-

Ditas Katague, the director of the California Complete Count

cluding Tagalog.)

“The key thing for our community is many households have multi-generations — living with lola or lolo and saying with them, or tita is staying over and then they’ll often see an undercount because they won’t report everyone. Maybe tita’s not supposed to be living there at that time or maybe they think they’ll get their own forms,” Katague said.

Among the reasons why many in the community are still not filling out their census forms is fear about what the data is going to be used for, despite the

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July 17-23, 2020 • NORCAl ASIAN JOuRNAl

Dateline USa

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

Filipino US passport holders, foreigners temporarily barred from entering PH

by Joseph

peralta AJPress

FILIPINOS who have become naturalized citizens of other countries and are not dual citizens, as well as foreign nationals, are temporarily barred from entering the Philippines as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic surges on.

This was confirmed to the Asian Journal by the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco (PCGSF) as advisories on the internet began popping up, warning Filipino Americans with impending travel plans to the Philippines to double check with the airlines and authorities lest they get turned away at the airport when trying to board their flights.

According to Consul Raquel Bago-Llona, pursuant to the Immigration Memorandum Circular No. JHM-2020-004 issued by the Bureau of Immigration on July 7, 2020 all foreign nationals (subject to exemptions) are restricted from traveling to the Philippines.

However, Filipino Americans who are dual citizens would be allowed to board even if they are carrying U.S. passports provided they have the necessary original documents for Dual Citizenship (Identification Certificate, Oath of Allegiance and Order of Approval). Spouse and children accompanying the dual citizen will also be allowed entry into the

Philippines.

Per Consul Bago-Llona, only accredited foreign government and international organization officials and their dependents, foreign spouses and children of Filipino nationals and foreign airline crew are the categories of foreign nationals allowed in the country.

Consul Bago-Llona added that Philippine Airlines (PAL) is aware of these travel restrictions, and that airlines are advised to exercise extra prudence in marketing services and keep in mind the existing restrictions imposed by the government so that passengers can be spared needless inconvenience.

In a text message sent to a community advocate Lorna Dietz, Consul General Henry Bensurto, Jr. said this is only temporary, and is part of the efforts by the government to limit the entry of people into the country to reduce COVID-19 infection.

Dell Merano, area manager of PAL in the Bay Area, told the Asian Journal that there have been limited instances when passengers were not allowed to board their flights in San Francisco International Airport (SFO) because they are U.S. passport holders, but that the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco expedited these passengers’ dual citizenship applications upon being advised by PAL. The passengers were able to board the next available flight

to the Philippines when they presented their documents.

“Majority of our passengers have been able to board their flights to the Philippines,” Merano said. “Based on our experience, passengers who have had problems come from the interior of the U.S. who use domestic flights coming from their cities to connect with their international flights. These are very minimal in number.”

Merano revealed that they do advise their passengers on the current travel restrictions/regulations to the Philippines and have posted a reminder for passengers to check Philippine government and provincial websites.

She encourages Filipinos who become naturalized citizens of other countries to apply for dual citizenship in order to prevent unnecessary complications when traveling to the Philippines, as this pandemic has shown.

Filipino Americans who are not dual citizens and foreigners who are traveling to the Philippines are advised to call the Philippine consulate in their area and check with airlines representatives for any requirements needed to gain entry to the Philippines if they fall in exempted categories. n [In the Bay Area, visit www. philippinessanfrancisco.org or call (415) 433-6666 for the Philippine Consulate General. PCGSF is located at 447 Sutter Street, 6th Floor, in San Francisco.]

‘Filipinos Feed The Frontlines’ campaign in...

PAGE A1 of $100,000 to stabilize Filipino food businesses and send food to hard-hit communities and front line health care workers. The only problem is that the crisis is not over. COVID-19 continues to decimate communities and the restaurant industry,” Kultivate Labs Executive Director Desi Danganan said in a statement.

The tiers for pitching in include: $10 for a meal; $50 for a family of five; $100 to feed a staff of 10. The campaign has also expanded into limited-edition merchandise, such as $33 for a tote bag that will send groceries to a senior; a $35 face covering that will send two meals to frontliners, and $23 commemorative shirts that will send one meal to the front lines. (Donations can be made at www.filipinosfeedthefrontlines.org.)

As of this writing, 9,791 meals have been delivered to front-line health care workers at hospitals and facilities, such as Seton Medical Center in Daly City and Chan Zuckerberg BioHub, as well as to seniors and families through partnerships with community organizations like United Playaz, SOMCAN, WestBay, and the Filipino Community Center.

Though the initial goal was to hit 10,000 meals, the initiative has upped it to 100,000 meals.

In a survey conducted by Kultivate Labs earlier this spring, 40% of Filipino businesses reported having to lay off their staff and 67% of these businesses only had two months until they are insolvent.

The participating restaurants selected for the initiative have been involved with the UNDSCVRD Night Market network of businesses or are part of the Kusinerio Alliance of Filipino Food, Danganan previously told the Asian Journal.

They include: The Sarap Shop, Senor Sisig, Mestiza, Little Skillet, Manila Bowl, IVSF Catering and SF Chicken Box, FK Frozen Custard, Lumpia Company, Nick’s on Mission and Grand, Ox and Tiger, and Pinoy Heritage.

The campaign has generated

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors recently voted to unanimously support the Health and Recovery Obligation Bond intended for the November 2020 ballot which was first introduced by Mayor London Breed in May. Photo from www.sfgov.org

Health and recovery bond passes unanimously at Board of Supervisors The $487.5 million Bond for the November 2020 ballot will fund essential City infrastructure and support San Franciscans’ mental and physical health with new investments in parks, open spaces, behavioral health facilities, and housing and shelter for the vulnerable SAN FRANCISCO – The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to support the Health and Recovery General Obligation Bond for the November 2020 ballot.

Mayor London N. Breed introduced the Bond in May to fund priority investments in mental health and homelessness, parks and recreation spaces, and essential public infrastructure.

“The Health and Recovery Bond comes at a critical time for our city. We are still in the midst of a public health emergency and we’re seeing record rates of unemployment as a result. We need to invest in the health and economic wellbeing our entire community,” said Mayor Breed.

“COVID-19 has shown us just how important it is to have safe and accessible outdoor spaces and recreation opportunities, and has underscored the need to create more permanent supportive housing, while improving our behavioral health resources.”

The Health and Recovery Bond is the result of a collaborative effort, and reflects input from multiple City departments, the Board of Supervisors, and community members. If approved by voters with a 2/3 vote in November 2020, the Bond will provide $487.5 million for three main categories of investment: health and homelessness; parks and open spaces; and right-of-way repair, including street resurfacing, curb ramps, and street structures and plazas, all with the goal of supporting economic recovery and the health of those experiencing homelessness and struggling with substance use and mental

health disorders.

In November 2019, Mayor Breed asked the City Administrator to reprioritize the General Obligation Bond program to reflect and address the urgency of San Francisco’s mental health and homelessness crisis. More recently, with the rise of the COVID-19 and associated increase in unemployment, there is also an urgent need to invest in shovel-ready projects and programs which can put San Franciscans back to work and stimulate our economy. It is estimated that for every $1 million spent on construction, an estimated 5.93 jobs are created.

Health and Homelessness An estimated $207 million from the Health and Recovery Bond will fund investments in public facilities that provide housing and/or treatment to people struggling with homelessness and mental health and substance use disorders. Specifically, the Bond will provide funding for Permanent Supportive Housing, transitional housing and shelter, and mental health and substance use disorder facilities Parks and Open Spaces Approximately $239 million of the Bond will be dedicated to neighborhood parks projects and a variety of programs that support recreation and open spaces.

The funding will improve several of the City’s parks and recreation centers, playgrounds, and open spaces. The Bond includes funding for citywide parks and investments in priority recovery parks, which are City parks that will increase residents’ quality of

life and provide places to relax, enjoy nature, play, and exercise.

Additionally, the Bond will allow the City make investments in sustainability programs, the Community Opportunity Fund, community gardens, and trails.

Right-of-Way Repair An estimated $41.5 million will go toward right-of-way repair, including street resurfacing, curb ramps, and street structures and plazas. These improvements will make it safer and more accessible for people to move around the city. This includes $31.5 million for investing in street resurfacing; $5 million for the design, construction and maintenance of ADA-compliant accessible curb ramps; and $5 million for the repair and maintenance of street structures.

“Recovery takes on a new meaning for all of us. Not only do we need to recover from the economic downturn, but we need to heal the collective trauma felt by communities devastatingly impacted by the health crisis, isolation, and ongoing uncertainty,” said President Norman Yee. “This Bond is about San Franciscans’ overall health. It will support jobs, expand mental health services, and revitalize our treasured open spaces and playgrounds, which have become critical to our well-being during Shelter-in-Place, especially for children and families.”

“This November, San Francisco voters have the opportunity to secure a major investment in our City’s recovery and the wellbeing of our communities,” said Su-

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Meet the Filipina American ensuring...

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Fil-Am owned business SF Chicken Box prepares meals as part of Kultivate Labs’ #FilipinosF eedTheFrontLines campaign in the Bay Area.

an average of 22% income to participating restaurants, Kultivate Labs said.

Aside from individual donations, #FilipinosFeedTheFrontlines has also gained funding from the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development / SOMA Stabilization Fund, SF Foundation, and corporations, such as Wells Fargo Foundation, Brookfield, Alexandria, Boston Properties, URW / Westfield, and Filipino Googler’s Network.

To celebrate reaching the $100,000 goal, the Lumpia Company will host a pop-up, at Merkado’s outdoor patio (130 Townsend Street, San Francisco)

on Friday, July 17th, from 5-8 p.m. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased in advance on the campaign’s website. Each ticket includes six (6) pieces of lumpia, a dessert, a drink, and sends one meal to a front line worker.

Given the success of the Bay Area campaign, Kultivate Labs is now seeking to take the campaign nationwide to other cities with sizable Fil-Am populations and restaurants in need.

“Our model of community stabilization works, so we’re going to scale it nationwide, to support Filipino American restaurants across the country, and their respective communities,” Danganan said. n

Census Bureau assuring that it is “safe and confidential.”

“I get the fear. Many of our hardest-to-count populations… our TNTs within the Filipino community are definitely like, ‘I’m not going to answer that.’ But I would tell them, it’s safe…and we need the data to understand the impact that Filipino Americans are having on a lot of different things,” Katague said.

Another excuse is being busy at work, as many Filipinos continue to be on the front lines as essential workers during the pandemic.

“It’s about knowing how many Filipinos are out there to really say that we’re a force and we need to represent…both positively and then if there are some negative impacts in terms of, you know, getting sick or not getting that funding to those communities,” she said, adding that other ways to get essential workers’ attention are by going to their places of work and bringing the importance of the census directly to them.

Under a pre-coronavirus schedule, those who had not filled out their forms by May would subsequently be visited at home by a census taker.

However, the field operations have been postponed until August 11 for nonresponse followup and must conclude no later than October 31, according to the Census Bureau.

“We’ve seen systemic racism, we’ve seen these barriers that are out there because we haven’t been able to be seen and heard. We’ve had to work, unfortunately, through a system that has these barriers built in it.

So agents of change, the census and voting, are definitely that foundation of getting folks to rise up, be heard and to participate,” Katague said. (Christina M. Oriel / AJPress)

Social justice advocate, community ally Robert...

PAGE A1 yielded Greenlining and the communities it serves countless wins that bent the arc of justice toward righteousness.”

Greenlining Institute co-founder John Gamboa, who along with Gnaizda initially served as the organization’s staff as both formulated a strategy that used the Community Reinvestment Act to push banks to lend and invest in long-redlined communities of color, said, “Bob is one of the most underappreciated civil rights leaders of our time because he never cared about being honored or celebrated, he cared about the work,” John Gamboa said.

“Bob Gnaizda was a social justice creative genius,” said Orson Aguilar, who led Greenlining after Gnaizda and Gamboa retired.

“He mixed his vast legal skills with a creative organizing approach that often mixed baseball statistics with current and historic events. He always sought to uplift leaders of color and never backed away from talking about race. Nobody has worked harder than Bob to build a long-lasting, multi-ethnic coalition. Bob had an enormous spirit that will leave a long-lasting impact on all of us who were fortunate to have worked alongside him in our march towards social and racial justice.”

“Bob was a brilliant lawyer, advocate and comrade for social and economic equity for, with and in our communities,” said Ortensia Lopez, another co-founder and longtime Greenlining Insti-

tute board member. “Bob was always ahead of his times and always had great insights and strategies to address our issues. I am honored, privileged and thankful to have worked with him on so many issues.”

Many also have given tributes to Gnaizda, who touched many lives in his legendary career, in a statement distributed by the NAAC. Gilbert R. Vasquez, Managing Partner of Vasquez & Company LLP, said, “I met Bob Gnaizda in 1979 on a Filipino matter before the California Board of Accountancy. It was a ‘small racial matter’ to some but it was a big deal and blatant discrimination to Bob. Bob won this battle and justice was served. What a man and he was no ordinary man. A man to be admired and who was a dear friend.”

Joseph Otting, 31st Comptroller of the U.S. Currency, remembered, “Bob was a giant amongst mankind in caring and supporting low to moderate communities and individuals in America.”

Eugene Ludwig, CEO of Promontory Financial Group and 27th Comptroller of the U.S. Currency, expressed, “Bob Gnaizda, was someone I cherished as a friend. I had deep respect for Bob. To me he combined the highest standards of a concern for his fellow man, particularly those in the greatest need, with considerable talent and energy.

Bob made things happen for the common good. I often remember when I was Comptroller of the

Currency how he would come to visit me and inspire me to do more for low- and middle-income Americans of all races, genders, ethnicities and religion. He led the charge. An activist with a sense of humor, he leaves behind a legacy of achievement in which friends and family can take pride.”

Dr. Mark Whitlock, Pastor, COR Church, said, “He was the wise beginning to a living end.

Thank you for living to end red lining for others to have a greener living.”

George McDaniel, president and co-founder of African Americans for Economic Empowerment in Oakland, CA, said, “I was very saddened to learn of the passing of Bob Gnaizda, one of the most notable and stalwart Champions for Social Justice in the nation over the 20th Century. He was one of my idols and heroes in large part because of his intellectual prowess and his courage in speaking truth to power unashamedly and with great positive effect on the economic and quality of life outcomes for many powerless people of color around the Nation. He blazed a trail for so many others to follow. Rest in Peace my Friend!”

Gnaizda is survived by his wife, Claudia Viek, sons Josh and Matt and granddaughter August. A private funeral is planned in Petaluma, CA on Saturday, July 18.

Plans for a public online memorial are being developed and will be announced later. (Joseph Peralta/AJPress)

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Dateline PhiliPPines

Dateline PhiliPPines

Philippines, China agree to manage West Philippine Sea row through ‘friendly consultation’

by Patricia Lourdes

Viray

equality, both sides will continue to manage issues of concern and promote maritime cooperation MANILA — The top diplomats in friendly consultation,” the Deof the Philippines and China partment of Foreign Affairs said agreed to address the West in a statement.

Foreign Affairs Assistant SecPhilippine Sea dispute through retary Ed Menez said the discus“friendly” consultations.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Te- sion between the two foreign odoro Locsin Jr. and Chinese ministers were “frank, open but State Councilor and Foreign Min- cordial throughout.”

“The two Foreign Ministers ister Wang Yi discussed the issue during a virtual meeting on Tues- recognized that Philippinesday, July 14 upon the request of China bilateral relations have achieved a positive turn around the latter.

“With mutual respect, sincer- and a sound momentum of develity, and adherence to sovereign opment through the joint efforts Philstar.com

and mutual trust of both sides,” the DFA said.

Locsin and his Chinese counterpart reiterated that the West Philippine Sea dispute is not the sum of the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

China claims indisputable sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, in its so-called nine-dash line. In July 2016, the United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration issued a ruling invalidated Beijing’s expansive claims over the

u PAGE A7

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. met virtually with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the latter’s request on Tuesday, July.

Photos courtesy of DFA

Survey lists biggest economic crimes in PH ASSET misappropriation, bribery and corruption, as well as customer fraud are among the biggest economic crimes in the Philippines.

This is according to Alex Tan, PwC Malaysia’s partner for forensics services and risk consulting leader, who discussed “PwC’s Global Economic Crime and Fraud Survey — The Philippine Report” during the Management Association of the Philippines’ 5th online general membership meeting on Tuesday.

“What are the top frauds in the Philippines? Asset misappropriation, which is another word of stealing the money. Bribery and corruption and then lastly custom-

er fraud,“ he said.

According to the survey, asset misappropriation fraud continues to be the most disruptive to Philippine businesses, with at least 26 percent or one out of four businesses having experienced it since 2018.

Meanwhile, bribery and corruption picked up again over the last 24 months to 21 percent in 2020 from 18 percent in 2018 but lower than 25 percent in 2016.

While Tan did not provide the survey results for customer fraud, he noted that this type of fraud was increasing, especially during this Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

“That is fraud committed by

your customers by you and it could also be in collusion with your staff members or so forth,” Tan said.

“And when we looked at what sort of level in the organization committed the fraud for the Philippines, it was primarily middle management,” he added.

The survey pointed out that internal perpetrators are mostly from middle management and to some extent, operations staff. It said “middle management, to a certain degree, may have more fraud opportunities than both senior management and operational staff. At the same time, the pressure coming from above and below can motivate them to commit fraud.” (ManilaTimes.net)

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JULy 17-23, 2020

A

A6

JULY 17-23, 2020 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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

FeatURes

OPiniOn

Phishing season

ANYONE with a cellular phone or computer has received messages offering a prize, soft loan facility, product or service while seeking sensitive personal information from the user.

Most people know enough to reject the messages. But there are still many who are victimized by the cyber crime called phishing, especially when the message comes from someone posing as a major organization or legitimate institution. The crooks can pose as the user’s bank, internet service provider or telecommunications provider, and succeed in getting the user to give passwords, banking and credit card details.

Information gathered by the Department of Justice’s Office of Cybercime from March to June, while the country was under various degrees of community quarantine to contain the COVID pandemic, showed that phishing has overtaken online sexual exploitation of children as the top criminal activity in cyberspace. The OCC said online selling scams and dissemination of fake news or disinfor-

mation followed closely.

Because of the COVID lockdowns, online communication and transactions have surged, and fraudsters have pounced. The problem has become so bad that an official of the National Bureau of Investigation called the COVID pandemic “phishing season.”

While many people have become tech-savvy enough to foil phishing attacks, others need help.

Internet service providers, telcos and social media companies need to beef up capabilities to protect users from phishing and other forms of fraud.

Banks and companies engaged in ecommerce should do the same. With people increasingly relying on online transactions amid the pandemic, government agencies must also ramp up capabilities to detect and prevent cyber crimes as well as apprehend their purveyors. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS CONGRESS has ruled to deny a new franchise to ABS-CBN, the nation’s biggest broadcasting company that has been serving the Filipino people for more than 65 years.

The company has spearheaded the growth of the industry from analog to digital in providing news, information, entertainment and public services to Filipinos wherever they may be — from Manila to the far-flung islands of the Philippines to the different parts of the world kababayans call home.

On Friday, July 10, Filipinos all over the world, international news organizations and press freedom advocates were shocked to hear the verdict of the House committee on legislative franchises, which overwhelmingly voted, 7011, against granting a franchise to ABS-CBN. Perhaps the word “shocked” was not the most accurate word to use, because President Rodrigo Duterte had threatened to shutdown ABS-CBN several times for its reporting news and investigative stories that were critical of him and his war on drugs.

Duterte had likewise an axe to grind when the network was

Street Talk GREG B. MACABENTA SAN Francisco, California is said to be a bastion of liberal and progressive folks. The city has a black mayor, London Breed, who replaced a Chinese-American mayor, the late Ed Lee. Governor Gavin Newson, who was first to recognize same sex marriage, was mayor before Ed Lee and after Willie Brown, who is black.

And yet, the following disturbing incident was reported on social media by a couple of friends, Lloyd LaCuesta and his wife, Mona Lisa Yuchengco. Lloyd was South Bay Bureau Chief for the San Francisco Bay Area of KTVU TV’s news division. A Hawaiian-born GI (Genuine Ilocano), Lloyd was a familiar oncamera personality up to his retirement a few years ago.

Lisa Yuchengco was founder and original publisher of Filipinas Magazine and is one of the highly-respected leaders of the Filipino-American community.

She also currently publishes the online magazine, Positively Filipino.

I hope Lloyd and Lisa will not mind my reposting and circulating their narrative. I do not want to unduly create any tensions or resentments among those who consider the US home – whatever their race, creed, nationality or

Philstar.com photo

Duterte’s minions in Congress kill ABS-CBN franchise: The chilling effect on the Philippine free press gets more real than ever not able to air some of Duterte’s campaign ads during the 2016 Presidential Election and had not refunded the campaign for the unaired advertisements.

Contrary to the claims of his administration that the president is “neutral” on the franchise renewal issue and had no hand on the outcome of the hearing, Duterte, in no uncertain terms, had vowed to block the renewal of the franchise of ABS-CBN. And he had his army of supporters and allies in government to make sure that happens.

ABS-CBN was ordered to shut down the by the National Telecommunications Commission(NTC) after its old franchise expired on May 4, without any hearing pursuant to the rule of law. House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano failed to do his job to hear numerous petitions filed before House, with others dating back to 2014, during the time of President benign Aquino III. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, Cayetano already determined that the issue was not a priority, and waited for the franchise to expire.

This tactic went against the industry practice, whereby a company could expect an automatic renewal of license/franchise, especially when the company has

been employing 11,000 employees as in the case of ABS-CBN, especially during a coronavirus pandemic.

Moreover, the renewal of the franchise would be warranted when such a franchise had been used by the company for the greater good of the people, which ABS-CBN has proven through its decades of service to the Filipino people.

Unless there were violations to the terms and conditions of the original franchise. Should this be the case, then the hearings would be conducted in a timely manner, according due process to the company.

During such period that the issuance of franchise renewal was pending, companies were also allowed to continue operating until a final decision following a fair hearing had been made on franchise renewal. This was not the way it went with Congress in handling the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN. After backlash following the shutdown of the network, Congress finally conducted “hearings”. But the hearings were used by lawmakers to grandstand for political purposes and to make sure the “vow” of the president is fulfilled.

And so even after all issues tac-

The anti-immigrant virus political persuasion and whether native born or naturalized citizens, immigrants or are in the process of making their stay permanent. However, I believe we should all be aware of what is happening in our midst that can – or will – affect us, the better for us to be prepared for it.

The Facebook narrative of Lloyd LaCuesta and Mona Lisa Yuchengco (Posted Juy 9, 2020): My wife and I live in the “liberal” San Francisco Bay Area and yet this is what happened to her that morning: Dear All, We have seen so many videos of white racist people attacking Asian Americans lately, and you do not think it would happen to you. Well, this morning, I had a very close call.

I went to the office to pick up the mail. Since the concert is already tomorrow, I wanted to see if there would be additional donors that needed to be included in the credits. So this was not a regular trip as I only go in on Fridays. I thought it would be an opportunity also to buy my favorite kronuts (croissant and doughnut fried together). I parked in the handicap zone. Beside me was another car with two white male occupants who were just getting out of their car. I think they were father and son. The older man was already grumbling. My car door was open as I was about to get out of the car. Then I heard the older man

yell at an Asian lady who just exited from the doughnut shop, “It took you fucking 20 minutes just to get coffee?” At that point, the younger man, started cursing too: “Fucking people. Why don’t you go back to your fucking country? I served in the war, but not for fucking people like you (something like that).” And he kept going on cursing for another 30 seconds maybe, saying the same things, and at the same time walking near my car (he went around his car to go to my side) since he saw I was Asian.

I was tempted to take out my phone to record the incident, but feared that it would just further anger them and didn’t want to be spat on! So I just quickly got out of the car, ran to my office to pick up the mail and got out of there. The irony is, the doughnut shop they went into is owned and run by Asians!!!

The hate is very real, friends.

If you need to go out, have somebody else accompany you.

Please be careful and cautious.

Lisa The reactions to the incident ranged from shock to outrage to pugnacity, to one that could only have come from a military man, retired US Army Major General Antonio Taguba: “I would turn on my cell and calmly confront him and his son.

This hate will not go away but I would want to know why he hates so much. And offer to buy

tically and maliciously raised in the court of public opinion even before the hearings had been addressed by ABS-CBN in testimonies under oath, substantiated and affirmed by government agencies like the Department of Justice, Bureau of Internal Revenue, National Telecommunications Commission, Department of Labor that the network has not violated any terms of the franchise, the House committee on legislative franchises still ruled to kill the franchise of ABS-CBN. “It is what is – a denial of a privilege granted by the State because the applicant was seen as undeserving of the grant of a legislative franchise. By no means can this franchise application be related to press freedom,” the lawmakers said in the House committee on legislative franchises resolution.

House Speaker Alan Cayetano even claimed the House legislative franchises panel did Filipinos a favor by moving against one of the country’s “oligarchs,” the Lopezes who own ABS-CBN. But what is an “oligarch”?

Merriam-Webster defined it as “member or supporter of an oligarchy.” Oligarchy is defined as “a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish pur-

poses.”

Are the Lopzes oligarchs? In this case, the government has singled out the Lopezes from among the many oligarchs in the Philippines, especially those of Chinese descent and connections, many of them with strong ties to this government.

Moreover, whatever happened to the “oligarchy” in political terms - political power held by families to protect their own political and economic interests.

Ever heard of nepotism? The practice among those in power or influence of favoring relatives or friends. Or family members - parents, spouses, siblings, children of the same family and same last name all in government at the same time, generations after generations. You know who they are.

Rappler reported on the response of Vice President Leni Robredo on the shutdown of ABSCBN: “Robredo then released a statement saying it will no longer be far-fetched for newsrooms to think twice when making editorial decisions after what lawmakers did to the country’s largest media network., Senator Grace Poe was also quoted from her statement saying: “The non-renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise indeed sets

a dangerous precedent for all other franchises. The high and unforgiving bar to which the media entity was judged affects the legitimacy of all other franchise holders which use Philippine Depositary Receipts, tax schemes, and digital platforms – all of which were treated legal before the instant case.”

Speaker Cayetano responded: ”Both Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Grace Poe have also warned of the ‘chilling’ effect this will have on journalists and the freedom of expression.

This is completely false,” insisting that the denial of ABS-CBN’s franchise will have a chilling effect only on those who have breached the law.

So what law was breached to rationalize the shutdown of ABSCBN? Or is this a blatant use and abuse of power to silence critics and warn against the toxic venom of vendetta? ***

his coffee and his happy pill his donuts!”

Of course, not everyone can face enemy bullets as calmly as a military officer, either. A pair of racists would hardly rattle the general.

The reaction of Jon Melegrito, founding executive director of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) and “forever” information officer of the federation, as well as the entire Fil-Am community, was typical of someone who wouldn’t budge an inch during the repressive years of President Ferdinand Marcos: “This is no longer an isolated incident. It’s happening everywhere, almost daily. But we’re not going to let these haters drive us out. This is as much our country as theirs. Their forbears were immigrants too. We are staying and we’re not moving an inch.”

My own reaction was more prudent and, I think, practical: “Hi Lisa and Lloyd, it was prudent to avoid a confrontation, but I suggest that the next time this happens, we should take a photo of the car license plate so that the bullies can be traced and exposed.”

The harsh fact is that there is a virus that has infected America.

The people whom Lisa and Lloyd described are just two among a group of Americans who may be characterized as “anti-Asian” or “anti-Chinese” or “anti-immigrant” or “anti-colored,” depending on where they stand in the American racial spectrum.

“Anti-colored” obviously re-

fers only to white folks. Among them, there are those who believe that only they have a right to live in the U.S. because “they were here first.” The bigoted father and son apparently belong to this group.

That attitude, of course, is an exercise in self-denial because it glosses over the fact that native Americans were in this land ahead of these father and son’s ancestors, as well as Christopher Columbus, the Vikings, the Spaniards, the Portuguese, the Pilgrims and the Puritans.

That means that these bigots who verbally assaulted the Asian woman could also be told to go back to their country. But that kind of trash talk sets back America several hundred years.

This anti-immigrant virus has been around for a long time, but folks were more discreet about displaying their affliction. Unfortunately, President Donald Trump made it fashionable to openly bare the virus when he recently told a group of nonwhite members of Congress to “go back to your country.”

Trump may not have realized that he was spitting in the wind, because he also can be told to go back to Germany, where his relatives reportedly had their roots.

And his wife Melania could be told to go back to Slovenia.

Aside from the anti-immigrant virus that Trump unleashed he also made it fashionable to attach an anti-Chinese label to the other virus that the world has had to struggle with: COVID-19, also called Kung Flu by Trump.

It is, in fact, possible that in Trump’s bigoted mind, Kung Flu applies to everyone who isn’t white. We could all come from South of the border, for all he cares. It’s the attitude of white supremacists and neo-Nazis – including the father and son in Lisa’ post.

Fortunately, not everyone who is white is a bigot like Trump.

There are many enlightened Americans who don’t care about race, color, creed or even sexual orientation. Being a human being is good enough for them.

But what is sad is that there are some Filipino-Americans who have mindlessly jumped on Trump’s anti-Chinese bandwagon, conflating the coronavirus with other perceived Chinese “sins,” from fake products to the trade war.

What these anti-Chinese Pinoys may not realize is that they are also showering in their own saliva like Trump, mainly because, to many non-Asians, everyone who comes from “that part of the world” (i.e., Asia), is “Chinese.”

And that includes Pinoys.

That brings to mind that classic Mad Comics strip where the Lone Ranger and his faithful sidekick, Tonto, were surrounded by Indians.

“Hey Tonto,” the Lone Ranger warned, “looks like we’re surrounded.”

At this, Tonto replied: “What you mean we?”

Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos.

* * *

(gregmacabenta@hotmail. com)

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

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Dateline PhiliPPines

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JULy 17-23, 2020

Over 8,900 overseas Filipinos now...

PAGE A1 “As we celebrate World Youth Skills Day today, the DFA commits to not only monitoring the status of our people abroad but also in continuing its efforts to promote their welfare and development, including the youth, during and beyond this current crisis we are in,” the DFA said on Wednesday.

The agency also welcomed home 373 Filipinos stranded in

Singapore through special flight PR 8508 coordinated by the Philippine Embassy in Singapore and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

Of the number, 91 completed their employment contracts, 87 were not renewed or terminated from their contracts, 61 were stranded tourists, 34 were pregnant passengers, 15 were senior citizens, 15 were passengers with illness, and 13 were students or

A

minors.

“This was the seventh repatriation flight directly organized by the Philippine Embassy in coordination with DFA. Previous repatriation flights were on 20 and 27 April, 20 and 31 May, 26 June, and 03 July 2020,” said the DFA. “So far, 1,432 of our kababayans in Singapore have benefited from these repatriation flights,” it added. n

New closures hit California as coronavirus...

PAGE A1 for gyms and fitness centers, places of worship, offices for non-critical industries, personal care services (nail salons, massage and tattoo parlors), hair salons and barbershops and malls.

Other The sectors identified in the BACK IN BUSINESS. A vendor assists a customer in choosing among souvenir religious items being sold at the Antipolo Pasalubong Center in Antipolo City, Rizal. Small business owners are getting back on their feet as the government gradually reopens the economy, which has latest announcement were all at been severely affected by quarantine restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic PNA photo by Joey O. Razon higher risk of transmission because they promote mixing with others outside of one’s household. Bars, wineries and restau-

BI deports suspected American pedophile

by Neil

ArwiN MercAdo Inquirer.net

MANILA — A suspected American pedophile who allegedly sexually exploited girls in Cebu City during his travels in the country has been deported, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported on Tuesday, July 14.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente identified the American as 64-year-old Craig Alex Levin, who was deported on July 9, aboard a chartered special flight of the US Embassy from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The immigration bureau said agents from the US Marshals Service fetched Levin at the airport from his detention cell at the BI Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

Morente said BI Board of Commissioners decided to expel Levin for being an undocumented and

undesirable alien on top of his status as a fugitive wanted by the US government.

“He has been placed in our immigration blacklist, thus, he is now perpetually banned from re-entering the Philippines. Henceforth, he would no longer pose a threat to our Filipino children,” Morente said in a statement.

Citing records, BI said that Levin was arrested at his condominium unit in Barangay (village) Cogon Ramos in Cebu City in May 2019, after he was seen accompanying a 15-year-old girl to his room.

The arrest came after American authorities informed local authorities that Levin is wanted to stand trial before a US district court in Philadelphia on charges of sexually exploiting minors in the Philippines and for engaging in child sex trafficking, the immigration bureau said.

Solon urges gov’t to use...

PAGE A1 untapped television and radio frequencies as those vacated by ABS-CBN is important in keeping students engaged.”

“The unused frequencies may also be used for information on COVID-19 prevention and control, risk reduction and preparedness,” Villafuerte added.

According to him, ABS-CBN’s former frequencies will be useful especially in areas not yet reached by digital infrastructure, such as some of the communities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARRM).

He also noted that the Philippines is among the countries that are experiencing a “learning crisis” due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“Inequality and inaccessibility of opportunities such as those pertaining to internet connectivity and possession of a laptop pose a variety of challenges for teachers and learners,” Villafuerte said.

“Engaging our students

require[s] going beyond exclusive reliance on online strategies. The reduction of losses in learning require[s] creativity in remote learning strategies,” he added.

ABS-CBN stopped its operations on May 5 in compliance with the National Telecommunications Commission’s cease-and-desist order due to the expiration of its congressional franchise.

The order directed ABS-CBN to shut down its various TV and radio broadcasting stations nationwide “absent a valid Congressional Franchise as required by law.”

Republic Act No. 7966, which granted the network a 25-year franchise to operate TV and radio broadcasting stations expired on May 4, 2020.

On June 30, NTC issued two separate orders shutting down ABS-CBN’s digital broadcast on TVPlus in Metro Manila and SKY’s satellite broadcast nationwide. n

Health and recovery bond...

PAGE A4 pervisor and Budget Chair Sandra Lee Fewer. “This bond also delivers resources to our parks and public spaces, funding much needed repairs, renovations and fulfilling commitments to the San Francisco community. This is a difficult time for so many, but also an opportune time to pass a bond that invests so deeply in San Francisco’s health and recovery.”

“For San Francisco to reopen everyday life, including schools and businesses, we have to be able to contain the contagion and prevent ongoing spikes,” said Supervisor Hillary Ronen. “Now, more than ever, it is essential that we have safe housing options for vulnerable people on our streets, address major gaps in mental and behavioral healthcare, and expand access to parks and urban agriculture opportunities.

This bond is an essential piece of our recovery, and I hope that the voters will join me to enthusiastically support it in November.”

“The Health and Recovery Bond meets critical needs like parks and healthcare identified in San Francisco’s Ten-Year Capital Plan,” said City Administrator Naomi M. Kelly. “In these tough times, it is critical to build a resilient and vibrant future for San Francisco and create high paying construction jobs while ensuring that that property tax rates will not increase.”

“Safe, healthy public spaces are essential to our mental and physical health, as well as our city’s recovery,” said San Francisco Recreation and Park Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg. “The park projects invest in the wellbeing of our communities, particularly those hit hardest by the pandemic and its economic impact. It is an investment that will pay dividends for

generations.”

“People experiencing homelessness, substance use disorder and mental illness are among the most vulnerable in our City. We are fortunate that so many San Francisco leaders and residents care about improving the circumstances, housing support and systems of care for people struggling with these difficult issues,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, Director of Health. “We know that wellness and recovery are possible, but it takes smart investment, a commitment to improvement and a recognition that housing and treatment cannot be decoupled. I am grateful to the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors for including these important services in the upcoming bond.”

“By investing in shovel-ready public infrastructure projects, this bond will help rebuild San Francisco’s economy while addressing capital needs in the public right of way and public spaces,” said Acting Public Works Director Alaric Degrafinried. “If passed by voters in November, this bond measure will help make our outdoor spaces safer and more accessible.”

The Health and Recovery General Obligation Bond is in line with the most recently updated 10-year Capital Plan. Property taxes levied for general obligation bonds including this bond, if approved by the voters and issued by the Mayor and Board of Supervisors, are expected to be maintained at or below the Fiscal Year 2006 rate.

More information about the 2020 Health and Recovery General Obligation Bond is available by visiting https://sfgov.legistar. com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=866 1240&GUID=695A83C0-83C94A84-996E-B8381F39EC67.

(From SF Mayor’s Press Office)

Following his arrest, Levin was turned over to the BI where he was detained until his deportation.

“US prosecutors have described Levin as a dangerous sexual predator who targeted vulnerable children in the Philippines,” BI said.

“They also alleged in their indictment that Levin used the internet to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a child into sex trafficking, and that he frequently traveled to the Philippines to engage in illicit sex with minors,” the bureau added. n

rants, for example, are centered on eating and drinking so covering one’s face is not possible for the entire duration spent at these establishments, the state’s Department of Public Health said.

As of Wednesday, July 15, California has reported 347,634 positive COVID-19 cases and 7,227 fatalities. Meanwhile, 6,786 individuals have been hospitalized with the virus, with 1,907 in the ICU. A majority of confirmed

cases (207,574)are between the ages of 18 to 49.

There have been 5,793,276 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 118,321 over the prior 24-hour reporting period. As testing capacity continues to increase across the state, an increase in the number of positive cases has been expected – increasing the importance of positivity rates to find signs of community spread. n

Philippines, China agree to manage West...

PAGE A5 South China Sea. Aside from the maritime dispute, Locsin and Wang also discussed possible ways to move forward in the “new normal” brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, which first emerged in China late last year.

Wang’s call came two days after Locsin released a statement on the fourth anniversary of the issuance of the award in the

South China Sea arbitration.

Citing the arbitral ruling, Locsin stressed that “certain actions” within the Philippine exclusive economic zone violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights and were unlawful.

“The arbitral tribunal’s award of 12 July 2016 represents a victory, not just for the Philippines, but for the entire community of consistently law-abiding nations,” Locsin said.

The DFA chief was referring to Beijing’s large-scale reclamation and construction of artificial islands in the Spratly Islands that severely damaged the marine ecosystem.

China continues to reject this arbitral ruling and has since installed anti-ship cruise missiles, surface-to-air missile systems and electronic jamming equipment on its artificial islands in the Spratlys. n

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JULy 17-23, 2020 B IN NORTHEN cALIfORNIA

Friday, July 17, 2020

OMETHING

ILIPINO

LIfESTyLE • cONSUMER GUIdE • cOMMUNITy • MARkETPLAcE

Fixed fiancée visa is same as fixed marriage U.S. citizen. When he appeared for his interview at the U.S. Consulate, the case was put under investigation and interrogation.

Both he and the U.S. citizen fiancée provided inconsistent answers about their relationship, and the petition was sent back to USCIS for revocation. There was no dispute that the person’s engagement with his U.S. citizen fiancée was not bona fide.

Years later, the person’s U.S. citizen mother filed a petition for him as the single adult child of a U.S. citizen (F-1). Although that F-1 petition was initially approved, USCIS later revoked the approval on the grounds that because his relationship to his U.S. citizen fiancée was fixed, he was, thereafter, subject to a lifetime ban for having entered into a fixed relationship.

He appealed to the BIA. The issue on appeal was, “whether an alien who has entered into a fictitious or ‘sham’ engagement that served as the basis for a K-1 nonimmigrant fiancée visa petition has attempted or conspired to enter into a marriage for the purpose of evading the immigration laws and is therefore subject to the bar at Section 204(c) of the Act.” In other words, if a person is caught in a fixed marriage, they are definitely subject to a lifetime ban of ever having any future petition approved. The issue here was whether that same lifetime ban applied to a fiancée visa, where the couple had not yet married.

CSPA VICTORY FOR AGED OUT CHILD: PAOLO NEVER GAVE UP HOPE, DESPITE BEING REFUSED The BIA concluded that the same A VISA AT THE U.S. EMBASSY BECAUSE HE HAD AGED OUT. Paolo (left) was only a small child lifetime ban that applies to fix marwhen his U.S. citizen aunt petitioned his father. But when the priority date became current and Paolo went to the U.S. Embassy in 2015, his immigrant visa was refused because he had riages would also apply to fixed fi“aged out.” He then consulted with the Law Offices of MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL, Inc. Atty. ancée visas.

I want to emphasize that you Gurfinkel sought reconsideration from the U.S. Embassy, arguing that Paolo was still under 21, based on the Child Status Protection Act’s (CSPA) age calculation. Find out how leading should only marry for love, and U.S. immigration attorney MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL was able to turn a denial into a visa, by on your wedding day have the convincing the Embassy that Paolo was eligible for immigration benefits under the CSPA, on intention to have a life together. an encore episode of Citizen Pinoy on Sunday, July 21 at 6:15 PM (PST) on TFC. If the relationship is fixed and

fiancée visa in a “fixed relationship” (meaning having no intention to have a life together), is subject to the same lifetime ban as a person caught in a fixed marriage.

Therefore, whether you are applying for a green card through a Atty. MichAel marriage, or a K-1 visa, there must Gurfinkel, eSQ be love, or no future petition in any THE Board of Immigration Ap- category can ever be approved.

In that particular case, a person peals (BIA) recently held that a person caught applying for a K-1 was petitioned for a K-1 visa by a

Immigration Corner

(Adverttising Supplement)

Fil-Am makeup guru Patrick Starrr on defying beauty standards and debunking misconceptions about being an ‘influencer’ IntervIew by ChrIstIna M. OrIel / AJPress

SEVEN years ago, Patrick Starrr wasn’t given a shift at a MAC Cosmetics store he was working at in Orlando, Florida, so he turned to YouTube and uploaded his first tutorial walking viewers through his daily makeup routine.

To date, Starrr has become a leading beauty guru in the online space, amassing over 4.4 million followers on the video hosting platform and 4.6 million on Instagram.

Born Patrick Simondac, Starrr grew up in Orlando as the eldest of three boys. Like the pressures in many Filipino families, he was encouraged to study nursing, but his heart was in all things beauty after experimenting with photography and Photoshop to eliminate blemishes and add makeup.

His digital following has garnered him opportunities to have famous faces from Naomi Campbell to the Kardashians in his videos and brand collaborations, including a five-collection line with MAC Cosmetics.

Most recently, he worked with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire for its “Drag Queen Mukbang” series for Pride Month in June, during which he filmed a video talking about his foray into makeup and first drag experience — while eating a spread of food and mixing cocktails using the whiskey.

On top of his collaborations, Starrr recently announced that he will be launching his own beauty brand called ONE/SIZE, PAGE B3 debuting on Sephora online on

Patrick Starrr, a leading beauty expert online, has amassed over 4 million followers on various platforms from YouTube to Instagram.

Photo courtesy of Patrick Starrr

July 17 and in stores on July 30 through a joint venture with Luxury Brand Partners. The brand’s moniker comes from Starrr’s mission of inclusivity and body positivity.

“ONE/SIZE is diversity, variety, for everyone,” Starrr told WWD. “This is an overweight,

bald, Asian American man. But I’ve somehow been able to break through the glass ceiling to be celebrated. It is all-encompassing diversity and I think that is gonna be something special.”

In a recent interview with the Asian Journal, Starrr talks PAGE B2

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Actor Wendell Ramos becomes a firefighter

By Ferdie Villar puso actor recently finished his training to become a firefighter in the Philippines.

In an article in The Inquirer recently, the “Prima Donnas” star said he is encouraging people to add training and becoming a firefighter to their bucket list as a way to help citizens during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Wendell became a certified firefighter after undergoing his training with a non-governmental organization named “Ang Bumbero ng Pilipinas,” whose aim is to unite and provide the latest information and updates to firefighter groups in the Philippines.

The actor says he did not go into the training as a ploy to get people to talk about him. He has other reasons.

“To be honest po, hindi ko po talaga ginawa ‘to para, alam niyo ‘yun, mapag-usapan lang po… I’m doing this to encourage lang po (To be honest, I did not do this just to be talked about… I’m doing this to encourage others),” he was quoted as saying in the article.

“Ang pagbubumbero kasi hindi lang sa pagpatay ng apoy Roxanne Baeyens, a Filipino-Belgian beauty and hindi lang ho sa pag-resfrom Baguio, was crowned Miss Philippines cue ‘no, pero ‘yung paglilinis, Earth 2020 in the annual pageant organized which is ‘yun ‘yung very imby Carousel Productions. portant sa panahon po ngayon.

WHILE some celebrities have pursued other interests and hobbies (baking, cooking, painting, making TikTok videos, or posting self-help/do-ityourself projects online) during the quarantine, others have decided to give physical and financial assistance to foundations, nonprofits and organizations geared for the less fortunate and front-liners.

Wendell Ramos, though, has gone a different route. The Ka-

Paglilinis ng kalsada, pagsusupply po ng tubig, ‘yun po ‘yung maganda ngayon (Firefighting is not only about putting out fires and rescuing. It also entails cleaning, which is very important in these times.

Cleaning the streets and giving water supply are especially appropriate these days),” he further stated.

“Kaya sa tingin ko po, itong nagawa kong ‘to ay talagang tamang-tama lang po at hilig ko rin ho talaga simula nung bata ako eh (So for me, I think what I did is very appropriate and this is something I have really wanted since I was a child),” Ramos added.

In a Facebook post, Wendell said that the experience truly humbled him and that it is an honor to train and become a certified firefighter. He also gave a shout-out and a salute to the nation’s firefighters, but also said that he needs to learn and experience more.

Congratulations to Wendell! *** 2018 Miss Universe winner Catriona Gray and actor Sam Milby have been busy helping the less unfortunate families in Tondo in partnership with a charity group, it was recently revealed in a Philippine Star article.

Kapuso actor Wendell Ramos recently became a firefighter after undergoing training with Ang Bumbero ng Pilipinas (ABP).

It was last May that the two revealed that they are in a relationship.

Instagram posts from Sam and Catriona showed the work they are doing to help ease the situation for some of the needy families in Manila.

While Sam thanked Catriona for letting him know about the outreach project for Young Focus and a video showing him helping distribute rice to families in his post, Catriona talked about her #PassTheKindness campaign which she launched last June in her post.

Gray, who was the fourth Filipina to win the Miss Universe title, wrote in her post: “Sharing with you some amazing individuals who have been working to spread kindness throughout the community to help them overcome these challenging times.

Sharing these because I want to show, that it doesn’t matter how big or small an act, it can still make a difference for someone today.”

Catriona added, “I’m encouraging you to share your good works or nominate someone using the #PassTheKindness hashtag in hopes to inspire the people around you! I’ll be featuring submissions on my platforms to help spread positivity!”

In these times of trouble, isolation and worry, it’s very nice that we have people who are trying to spread a message of hope and positivity, while also Lola Leonadora Francisco, originally from General Trias in Cavity City, celebrated her 100th birthday last July 3 at the Hayward HealthCare and encouraging others to be chariWellness Center with her beloved care family. In addition, Mayor Barbara Halladay of Hayward presented Leonadora with the City and Congressional table and kind to their fellowgreetings. The centennial celebrant migrated to the U.S. in 1976 where she raised her four children.

Photo provided by Che Giron Arquisola men.

Facebook Images

2018 Miss Universe winner Catriona Gray launched her #PassTheKindness campaign last June to help share the good works done by people in the hopes of inspiring others to do the same.

File Photo from Philstar.com

Actor Sam Milby was recently seen helping distribute rice to families in Tondo, Philippines via an outreach program by Young Focus.

File Photo from Philstar.com

Fil-Am makeup guru Patrick Starrr on defying beauty...

PAGE B2 about developing relationships with major brands and how he’s defying Filipino beauty standards through his platform.

Asian Journal (AJ): During June as Pride month, you took part in a campaign with Jack Daniel’s. How did you get involved and what was the process of filming yourself for that?

Patrick Starrr (PS): With my manager, who I’ve had for five years now, it’s always been a thing to get a Jack and Coke

with a little lime at events. It was organic when this partnership happened because she was like, ‘You love Jack Daniel’s.’ Never in my life would I have known Jack Daniel’s to be an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. For me, I had to jump on this because the magic of my social media and my [YouTube] channel was to partner with people larger than my own to create a presence and make a difference in the room and in the space that I live in on social media. For example, partnering with celebrities, I was

Starrr posted a 10-year challenge showing an old photo of him before his YouTube days in contrast to him now.

Starrr (center) with his two younger brothers and parents during their 2019 holiday photo.

able to create a conversation and utilize the viewership and spark conversation. The same goes for the brands that I chose to work with. It was so exciting to see Jack Daniel’s want to partner with drag queens and myself.

AJ: It’s now July but what do you want viewers to learn from your episode and how can they continue to support the LGBTQ+ community?

PS: Social media is not enough. I think people assume that a retweet or a post is enough. It does spark change, but what are we doing that’s action-based and that we can actually grow intention within our community? In working with Jack Daniel’s, I was able to highlight my favorite centers in Florida, which is where I’m from, and what we can do to spark conversations. During COVID-19, there’s so much more to consider like living situations for the LGBTQ+ community and it’s hard even finding a job. It was hard for me to find a job growing up in Orlando and I was reprimanded for wearing makeup. I can’t even imagine my trans brothers and sisters having a hard time keeping up a substantial livelihood.

These centers provide refuge for those who don’t have the means to carry on and to find people who are like them to talk to. The places I highlight are like the LGBTIQ Center in Orlando, which has programming, activities and testing.

Also, GaYBOR District Coalition in Tampa and here in Los Angeles, the Trans Wellness Center. I think it’s amazing to just spark conversation to encourage them to participate in any way that they can, whether it’s through donation or participating in programming. Social media is what we’re depending on, especially now because of quarantine. So I want to challenge people what we can do within our means and reach to do something to make a difference in people’s lives?

AJ: In the episode, you talk about growing up in Orlando and being encouraged to do your first drag pageant. What was that conversation like with your Filipino family about this form of self-expression and your identity?

PS: It’s funny because being Filipino and Asian American, I had to come at it with a business angle — this is makeup, this is what I love to do, and to reassure

my family that this is a potential livelihood. I’m first-generation, born here in the U.S., with my parents who immigrated and eventually became citizens of the U.S. So for me to prove to them economically that I could make it…that conversation was long and hard and just proving it to them. I’m sure a lot of POC members of the LGBTQ+ community have had a hard time relating to their traditional families and their ideologies of what it is to be new and to evolve and to be LGBTQ+.

Through the spectacle of drag, my fellowship and followers, they were able to see that I was making a positive difference. Simply eating at a restaurant, people would come up and say, ‘Oh my god, are you Patrick Starrr? I love what you do. I love what you stand for.’ I think that brought the change in their minds that this was with positive intent and with good faith to bring a voice for myself and millions of other people.

AJ: What does this mean for you to inspire a new generation of Filipino Americans and show that they’re represented on social media and in big partnerships with brands like Jack Daniel’s?

PS: It means everything. When I tell you I was at the grocery store last night, with my mask on and a fitted hat, and this girl looked at me and was like, ‘Do you know Patrick Starrr’ and I’m like, ‘Yes.’ And she goes, ‘Are you Patrick Starrr?’ It’s funny because I didn’t have makeup, a turban or [acrylic] nails on.

She was Filipino and to see just through my eyes that have been viewed over 300 million times on the internet, my connection, and that they see a little bit of themselves and their heritage in me, means so much. I’m very proud to have sparked a change in the Filipino community and represent them in the beauty community as well.

AJ: How has quarantine been for you? I know you’re so used to doing things at home and through a screen, but has anything changed in terms of what kind of content you’re putting out there or connecting more with your audience?

PS: I would say, if there was a FaceTime bill, I would be way past my bill and my limit. FaceTime has been such a saving grace to me in connecting to my peers in the influencer com-

Starrr has collaborated with major brands, including most recently, with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire for its Pride Month “Drag Queen Mukbang” series.

Photos courtesy of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire

In the Jack Daniel’s video, Starrr talks about his journey from living in Orlando to being a makeup YouTuber and LGBTQ+ causes he supports.

Patrick Starrr shows off a Filipina inspired look, while donning a yellow terno.

Photos courtesy of Patrick Starrr

munity and with all my friends back home. I encourage people to continue to connect with people with the power of technology and to make a difference.

We have a purpose and that is to make the world a better place for humanity through Pride, Black Lives Matter.

AJ: With the Black Lives Matter, I’m sure you’ve found in a lot of Asian American, especially Filipino American, conversations is how people

are talking to their families about the movement. It’s also opening up questions about anti-blackness and colorism in our culture given how Filipinos have put lighter skin on a pedestal. How have you used your platform to defy those beauty standards and show that Filipinos are diverse in skin tones and no one type of skin is superior?

PS: In 2017, I met the one PAGE B3

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Darren Criss, Jake Zyrus honor ‘Glee’ co-star Naya Rivera Fil-Am makeup guru Patrick Starrr on defying beauty...

Mendiola AJPress

PAGE B2

By Ritchel

FILIPINO American actor Darren Criss on Monday, July 13, paid tribute to his “Glee” co-star, the late actress Naya Rivera, who was found dead after drowning in a river in Southern California.

He took to social media to remember Naya as someone who was “bold, outrageous and a lot of fun.”

“Naya made me laugh like no one else on that set. I always said it while we were working together and I’ve maintained it ever since. Her playful, wicked sense of humor never ceased to bring a smile to my face,” wrote Criss.

“She played by her own rules and was in a class of her own.

She had a brashness about her that I couldn’t help but be enchanted by. I also always loved her voice, and savored every chance I got to hear her sing. I think she had more talent than we would have ever been able to see,” he continued.

Criss also talked about how Naya took care of her family and friends, and how grateful he is for her friendship.

“I was constantly moved by the degree to which she took care of her family, and how she looked out for her friends. She showed up for me on numerous occasions where she didn’t have to, and I was always so grateful for her friendship then, as I certainly am now,” he said.

“And even as I sit here, struggling to comprehend, gutted beyond description- the very thought of her cracks me up and still brings a smile to my face.

and only Kris Aquino. I was fortunate enough to have a collaboration internationally with MAC Cosmetics. She was a such a fan. She looks at me over some lumpia, pancit, adobo, the whole nines — she had showered the table with all the food at her favorite restaurant — and goes, ‘You’re so tan.’ The video was viewed millions of times on Facebook and her YouTube channel. My image was plastered everywhere in the Philippines and I proudly have my tan skin. For the Asian community to see someone that is unconventionally beautiful at the top of their game, whether it’s me, Bretman [Rock] or anyone else, it really speaks volumes. I told her, ‘Yes, I’m tan and I’m plusOn his Instagram, Fil-Am actor Darren Criss wrote a moving tribute to his former “Glee” co-star sized and I’m different. Yet I’m Naya Rivera (right). Also in photo is their fellow “Glee” star Amber Riley (left).

Photo from Instagram/@darrencriss here eating with you with my MAC collaboration.’ She was That was Naya’s gift. And it’s Josie. very surprised after our inter“We know from speaking with a gift that will never go away. view. It was so thrilling to have Rest in peace you wild, hilarious, her son, that he and Naya swam that experience and to praise in the lake together at some beautiful angel,” he concluded. diversity and adversity all at the Meanwhile, Filipino singer point during their journey,” said same time.

Jake Zyrus, who appeared on Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub AJ: There are times when the second season of “Glee” as at a news conference. you share yourself without a “It was during that time that a transferee named Sunshine full face of makeup and open Corazon, posted Naya’s name on her son described being helped up about what’s going on in his Instagram story as tribute to into the boat by Naya, who your life. How do you balance boosted him onto the deck from the actress. being vulnerable and sharing Naya disappeared last week, behind. He told investigators that your life for everyone to watch on July 8 while boating with her he looked back and saw her diswhile having a sense of prifour-year-old son on Lake Piru in appear under the surface of the vacy? water,” he added. “The idea perVentura County, California.

PS: This younger influencer Her body was found on Mon- haps being that the boat started asked me the same question day, which coincidentally was drifting, it was unanchored, and in regards to how we go about the seventh anniversary of the that she mustered enough enstanding for what we believe death of her “Glee” co-star Cory ergy to get her son back onto in and balancing our privacy. the boat, but not enough to save Monteith.

I said, ‘Who you are on social Authorities believed that the herself.” media, no boundaries, tell them Rivera was 33 years old. actress died after saving her son, who you are — your race, your ethnicity, everything.’ For what you stand for, I think there’s a balance between you know, asking your friends and educating been in a loving relationship and case. The information and opinions contained yourself. That way you can prointended to have a life together herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, tect and really make the right with the petition, but the USCIS endorsements and re-enactments) are of a move because sometimes peowrongly concluded it was a fixed general nature, and are not intended to apply ple share too much and then it’s marriage. It could be possible in to any particular case, and do not constitute a almost like an IOU to the audithose situations to “unfix” such prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice ence when that’s not what you a finding, by proving and docu- regarding the outcome of your legal matter. originally came to do to serve menting the original relationship No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, your community. I’ve been able was for love. I would strongly rec- established with any reader. to develop authentic friends in WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com ommend the person consult with my close circle, being my makeFollow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw, up artists and family. You’ll start and have an attorney handle their case to help prove the original re- Twitter @GurfinkelLaw and YouTube: US to find a sense of balance and Immigration TV lationship was for love. where you fit and where you’re Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for called. For me, if I’m going to *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney anywhere in the US: talk about something that may 1-866-487-3465 for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active or may not get me in trouble, (866) – GURFINKEL member of the State Bars of California and New I’m able to talk to my family and Four offices to serve you: York. All immigration services are provided by, or best friends to vent to them. If LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK it’s something that I’ve evaluunder the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different and ∙ PHILIPPINES ated and considered to post on(Advertising Supplement) line, then I’ll take that next step. results may depend on the facts of the particular

Fixed fiancée visa is same as fixed marriage PAGE B1 you are caught, no future petition can ever be approved, even if the new relationship is real and there is true love. Many times, I have people coming to me for consultation where they have married a U.S. citizen for love, have several children with them, and that U.S. citizen now wants to petition them. Or, the person now has a U.S. citizen child over 21 years of age. However, they were previously caught in a fixed marriage.

That means any future petition, whether by a new loving spouse or an adult U.S. citizen child or a U.S. citizen parent may not be approved.

On the other hand, there are situations where a person truly had

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Patrick Starrr, born Patrick Simondac, grew up in Orlando, Florida. His parents were originally from the Philippines.

It’s still unfiltered but I want to make sure it’s said in the right way. That to me is balance in having a sense of community both in personal and public life.

AJ: What are some of the misconceptions about being an online influencer that you want to debunk?

PS: The misconception is that being an influencer is easy and that we are not entrepreneurs.

But people need to understand that we have our own wheelhouse, a business. I have an amazing team close to 10 people that no one may see or know.

I’m here to support the business and the messaging, whether it’s amplifying through PR, beauty, production value or storytelling and how we authentically tell that. Influencers in general, beauty or not, we may not have inventory or a distribution center to fulfill our supply and demand.

We’re here as advertisers in the space and how we go about advertising and voicing who we are and what we stand for is a misconception. People think we just TikTok. But that’s the point of difference between me as Patrick Starrr and a younger influencer. In a matter of seven years that I’ve done this, that’s what I’ve learned. Also being Asian, Filipino, that’s the other part of it too, and having to build a business as a minority. I encourage people to really find

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their voice and their business to become a successful entrepreneur and influencer.

AJ: Any beauty and makeup trends you foresee in the coming months. People aren’t really going anywhere right now but they’re taking the time to focus on their skincare versus makeup.

PS: The biggest trend I foresee happening is skincare and how we go about removing the makeup. I’ve been talking to a few of my friends about how do you take off your makeup here and how do you do that there? That way we can have a proper skincare [routine] because those of us who love makeup aren’t properly taking it off. That’s something I found really interesting on how to remove makeup in a very performative way, but also beneficial. I’ve been looking at brands like Tatcha, Glam Glow, Ole Henriksen and Drunk Elephant — they have so much in their positioning when it comes to what they put into their brand.

But for us in makeup, we have to make sure that they perform to the highest levels. So I think makeup removal will become the trend.

AJ: Anything else you want to add or what we can expect from you later this year?

PS: More content! For me, my mantra is that makeup is a one size fits all.

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July 17-23, 2020 • NORCAl ASIAN JOuRNAl

Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS THE best way to answer that question convincingly for yourself is to not to sleep for one night, or more. If you are still alert and feeling well after this trial of sleep deprivation, ask yourself the same question and you will have the answer.

Alpine swifts, fly continuously (non-stop from Switzerland to West Africa) for 6 months, with no sleep; bullfrogs can survive without sleeping for months; giraffe and elephants, sleep about 30 minutes a day; walruses can stay awake for 84 hours; calves of killer whales and baby dolphins remain fully awake the first few months of their lives. We, on the other hand, need a restful sleep every day to maintain health and normal function.

Sleep experts recommend a minimum of 7 to 9 hours of sleep in 24 hours. Lack of sleep translates to lesser mental acuity and concentration, poorer health, greater driving hazards, reduced productivity and diminished sex drive. Inadequate sleep increases our risk for major illnesses, like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s and even cancer.

Richard Gelula, the chief executive officer of the Sleep Foundation, said there’s a link between sleep and quality of life. “People who sleep well, in general, are happier and healthier,” said Gelula. “But when sleep is poor or inadequate, people feel tired or fatigued, their social and intimate relationship suffer, work productivity is negatively affected, and they make our roads more dangerous by driving while sleepy and less alert.”

Quality besides quantity Obviously, the quality of sleep, besides the number of hours, is very important. Chris Drake, senior scientist at the Henry Ford Sleep Center in Detroit and co-chair of the 2005 poll task force, stated that some of the nation’s sleep habits can be attributed to an “always-onthe-go society.”

The commercial world of today stretches business to 24 hours a day, with 24-hour pharmacy, restaurants, casinos, supermarkets, etc., so people tend to stay up late, watch late night shows on television, surf the web or internet, etc. All these reduce people’s time to sleep. And some people even need more than 9 hours of sleep to feel refreshed and rested.

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Do we need sleep?

This study also showed: (1) Sixty percent of adults stated they have driven a vehicle while drowsy from lack of sleep the past year, and 4 in 10 reported they have had an accident or near accident because of tiredness or falling asleep at the wheel; (2) Seventy five percent claim their partner has a sleep problem, with snoring as the most common complaint; (3) Four out of ten of those surveyed reported lack of sleep adversely affected their sexual relationship, having lost interest in sex, having poorer performance or having sex less often; and (4) Seventy percent claimed that their physician never asked them about their sleep.

Lack of sleep reduces the normal “recharging time of our body battery, our energy source” causing a chain of reactions in our physiology and body chemistry. This “lo-bat” condition leads to physical and mental stresses to our system. All these alter the normal homeostasis (internal balance) within us, weakening our immune system, and increasing our risk of developing metabolic diseases, hypertension (high blood pressure), stroke and heart attack, among others, or aggravating existing illnesses.

The recommendations of the National Sleep Foundation and experts in the field are abstinence from any stimulant, coffee, alcohol, television, arguments before bedtime, and to seek medical help if they think they are having sleep problem and/or snoring, or not getting enough rest at night.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) About one billion people in the world have Obstructive Sleep Apnea (frequent prolonged breath holding leading to oxygen deficit), majority undiagnosed and dismissed as “normal snoring.”

The prevalence of OSA in the United States is about 25 million, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Untreated OSA reduces the integrity of the white matter fiber of many areas in the brain. More than 90 percent of people with OSA have heart irregularity, due to diminished oxygen in the body because of frequent (more than 100 times during sleep in some people) prolonged breath holding (apnea). Many obese persons and snorers (not all) have OSA. Untreated, OSA increases the risk for major illnesses from sleep deficit listed above, including cancer.

For people who usually feel tired and sleepy in the middle of the day, a sleep study is needed to confirm the diagnosis. Sleep

and rest deficit are unhealthy and shorten longevity. The only effective treatment for OSA is the use of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine, to keep the collapsing (obstructed) airway by the throat open and humidified air pushed into the lungs with measured gentle pressure. This prevents dangerous breath holding (also stops snoring permanently) and enables the person to have good level of oxygen while asleep.

CPAP prevents potentially fatal heart irregularity and heart attack due to hypoxia (lack of oxygen) with frequent breath holding (apnea). All the items on the market claiming to prevent or cure OSA are ineffective and are actually very harmful as their use delays proper diagnosis and early treatment. CPAP mask or nasal pillow, which is surprisingly comfortable to use and even psychologically “addicting” for the protection and sense of security it offers, is one of the wonders in medicine.

In our own hands We are not born with a set destiny. Our future depends on our discipline and behavior. What we do or not do to our body mostly determines our health. The prescription for a healthy lifestyle, for maintenance of good health, disease prevention, and maximal longevity, besides regular medical check-up, includes the following ingredients: Adequate, refreshing sleep; rest and relaxation; total abstinence from tobacco; strict moderation in alcohol intake; daily exercises (like brisk walking); low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-carb, high-fiber diet (vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, etc); and, equally important, having a happy and positive attitude in life.

The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people to live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities, and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our articles 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, a Health Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United NetworkUSA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Visit our websites: philipSchua. com and FUN8888.com; Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com.

Supervisor Canepa reminds residents to follow pandemic guidelines SUPERVISOR David Canepa of San Mateo County reminded county residents to follow guidelines issued by state, county and city officials designed to combat the wide spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the community in a July 2020 newsletter sent out by his office.

Canepa, who represents District 5, said that the recent order

by California Governor Gavin Newsom is a step back for the county, which was granted a variance in June based on its capacity to handle new cases.

Gov. Newsom this week ordered statewide mandated shutdown of the following services, which includes San Mateo County: dine-in restaurants (indoors), wineries and tasing rooms (indoors), movie theatres (indoors), family entertainment centers (indoors), zoos and museums (indoors), cardrooms (indoors), and brewpubs, breweries, bars and pubs (indoors and outdoors).

However, the following establishments may remain open in the county as it is not in the county watchlist established by the state: fitness centers, places of worship, offices for non-critical sectors, personal care services, salons and barbershops, and malls.

“My heart breaks for the small business owners who are paying the price for the surge in coronavirus cases. But the data is clear – when hospitalizations go up, the dimmer switch goes down. This is a result of individuals not respecting very simple rules: Wear your masks! Wash your hands! Practice social distancing! Until we can all take personal responsibility to stop the spread of this disease, more people will die. This is about saving lives!,” Supervisor Canepa said in the newsletter.

He further said: “Before Newsom ordered the statewide shutdown, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution I co-sponsored with Supervisor Warren Slocum urging face covering compliance and directing staff to develop a community outreach plan.”

“If you don’t wear a face mask and practice social distancing

Supervisor David Canepa of San Mateo County

during this pandemic, then you are putting the entire community at risk of the deadly COVID-19 virus. I’m not interested in putting anyone in jail but there must be some consequences to violating this order. We are developing the community outreach plan to urge compliance but if that doesn’t work we may have to take it a step further and start fining people,” Canepa added.

In another development related to COVID-19, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors has created a $2 million relief fund for immigrants economically impacted by the coronavirus during its July 7 meeting.

The county’s $2M contribution will be accompanied by a $5.2 million grant from Sobrato Philanthropies and another $1.7 million from private and nonprofit partners. It is expected to support around 9,000 individuals financially impacted by the pandemic.

More information about the fund can be found at http://missionassetfund.org/immigrantfamilies-grant-sm/.

Meanwhile, Supervisor Canepa will be hosting a 5:30 p.m.

Image capture from smcgov.org

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Real Estate Knowledge Martin Santiago, Broker-aSSoCiate WHAT’S a jumbo loan? A jumbo loan is any loan that exceeds the loan limits set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are nicknames for the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLM), respectively.

The median value of a home in California is more than double the median values of homes for the United States as a whole, even though the median income is only slightly higher. Certain home loans are secured by government-sponsored entities if they conform to loan limits, but higher loan amounts are called jumbo loans and are not secured.

A few counties in California have higher jumbo loan limits than others due to the high cost of the average homes in certain areas. It’s harder to qualify for a “jumbo” loan because lenders generally can’t sell them in the secondary market and therefore must retain the risk. You’ll notice that most counties within California have a 2020 conforming loan limit of $510,400 for a singlefamily home. Higher-priced areas, like in the San Francisco Bay Area, have conventional limits of up to $765,600 due to higher

Jumbo loans during pandemic home values.

Pre-coronavirus, the jumbo mortgage market relied on investors (often banks) to purchase the loans they originated. In the face of economic uncertainty and continuing high numbers of new unemployment claims – which means it’s trickier to predict who won’t default on a loan – that secondary market has largely dried up. This investor pullback means lenders now often must keep these mortgages in their own portfolio — and retain the risk.

While there are signs that lenders may be easing their requirements for these larger mortgages, the squeeze that started when the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. economy in March has continued, experts say. For consumers, it means more roadblocks to buying a pricey home or refinancing a big mortgage.

While it may be harder to qualify for a jumbo loan than it was just months ago regardless of where you apply, at least one major lender has eased its jumbo refinance requirements for existing customers after tightening them several months ago. If you hold assets – regardless of the amount – with Wells Fargo, you can pursue a jumbo refinance there. It also applies to current mortgage customers and those who have home equity line of credit through the bank. This is a change from a temporary requirement imposed in early April that customers have at least $250,000 in assets at Wells

Fargo to be eligible for its jumbo refinancing program.

Underwriting criteria for jumbo loans are stricter because the loans are larger and riskier for lenders. Lenders may require your FICO score to be higher than 700, and sometimes as high as 720, to qualify for a jumbo loan. Lenders will also consider your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) to ensure you don’t become over-leveraged, though they may be more flexible if you have plentiful cash reserves. Some lenders have a hard cap of 45% DTI, however. You’re more likely to be approved for a jumbo loan if you have ample cash in the bank. It’s not uncommon for lenders to ask jumbo loan borrowers to show they have enough cash reserves to cover one year of mortgage payments.

To prove your financial health, you’ll need extensive documentation, perhaps more than for a conforming loan. You should be prepared to hand over your full tax returns, W-2s and 1099s when applying, in addition to bank statements and information on any investment accounts. *** Martin Santiago is a broker associate at Compass Burlingame, a full-service residential brokerage firm. The information presented in this article is for general information only and is not, nor intended to be a formal legal advice nor the formation of a broker-client relationship. Call or email Martin at (415)850-7704; teammsquare@gmail.com; www.teammsquare.com.

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From quarantine baking to a pastry business:

Deaf Pinay bakers serve up traditional Filipino goodies in Southern California

By Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

AT a time when the supply for motivation and optimism in humanity is not meeting the demand, it is important to remember that goodness is still the rule and not the exception.

Throughout the past four and a half months of the COVID-19 pandemic, local Filipino-owned businesses have done more than their share, staying open to provide food staples like rice and bread for a community in a time of cloudy uncertainty.

Case in point, meet Aina Mulleda and Sunshine Enriquez, the owners of A&S Sweet, a new Filipino bakery in Panorama City, California that has been serving the greater Los Angeles community with traditional Filipino baked goods via their Instagram and Facebook pages.

Both born and raised in the Philippines, millennial partners Mulleda and Enriquez were inspired to start their business the way that many people have started new hobbies in the age of quarantine: out of boredom and the need to do something fulfilling.

“It was one of those days when we’re not doing anything at home and decided to bake pan de sal and Spanish bread for our family,” Mulleda told the Asian Journal in an email. “My aunt decided to have her co-workers try our home-made Filipino breads and we got good feedback from them and that’s when people started ordering.”

Although the business is young, A&S Sweet’s affordable menu ranges from simple staples like pan de sal ($5 for a dozen) and ensaymada ($7 for eight pieces) to delectable desserts like ube custard cake ($16) and mango cake ($23). Every baked good is homemade and made to order and can be customized to address a variety of dietary limitations.

“As long as our customers are satisfied and happy with our breads, we will do our best to serve them,” Mulleda said.

Both Mulleda and Enriquez are deaf, which, to some business owners, can be seen as a major obstacle that could negatively affect business. Strength in customer-to-business commu-

Aina Mulleda and Sunshine Enriquez started A&S Sweet, a new Filipino bakery business in Panorama City, California.

Photos courtesy of A&S Sweet

nication is the backbone to any successful enterprise, but in a world that is becoming more accepting and inclusive of all people regardless of ability, Mulleda doesn’t perceive their deafness as a deterrent.

In many ways, it is an asset that reminds other folks in the disabled community that no weapon formed against them will prosper.

“Communication is the most common issue in our deaf community but we always find a way to solve it,” Mulleda said, noting that social media has made it easier for business owners of all abilities to operate. “Nothing will stop us from achieving our dream despite [the] communication barrier.”

Aside from this new business venture, Mulleda is a graphic design student at the California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and part-time sales associate at Urban Outfitters, Enriquez has an extensive background in baking.

After graduating from the Center for Culinary Arts, Manila in the Philippines, Enriquez worked at Malacañang Palace for 8 years, cooking and baking. The couple has also traveled around Asia, strengthening their palettes and further invigorating their love for

virtual town hall on Wednesday, July 22 to discuss the impact that COVID-19 has had on its public schools. Panelists for the town hall include Daly City Mayor Glenn Sylvester and Colma Mayor John Goodwin.

“With Gov. Gavin Newsom saying that decisions on opening schools in the fall should be made locally based on state and county guidance, the state is expected to release new guidance related to masks, contact sports, choir, school bussing and addressing children’s social and emotional needs during distance learning,” Supervisor Canepa said. “We must do all that we can to protect the students, teachers and staff at our schools. Whether distance learning continues or a hybrid version of in-class instruction is developed will be part of the conversation.”

Those wishing to attend the town hall are asked to register with Tony Bayudan by emailing him at tbayudan@smcgov.org or by calling (650) 270-7485. Questions for the panelists can be submitted to https://forms.gle/ LXeBEsjpXQ6G14BGA. (Joseph Peralta/AJPress) A&S Sweet’s offerings also include ensaymada and pistachio sans rival.

cuisine and cooking.

“She learned a lot from working with other chefs. Her passion for cooking and baking turned into [a] business,” Mulleda remarked. When we bake, we want our breads to serve as a sweet reminder of the days when we were living back home.”

Though neither Filipina has ever owned a food service business, they hope that their business continues on after the pandemic. Though they started A&S Sweet during the height of the COVID-19 crisis, the young, tenacious bakers don’t fear the precarity plaguing businesses across all industries.

As a small, currently homebased bakery, A&S Sweet operates with the knowledge that there will always be a demand for the flavors of the motherland and the inherent desire to serve the community.

“Apart from rice, we Filipinos can’t live without bread,” Mulleda shared, adding that the bakers plan to expand their menu and, hopefully, open up a brick and mortar shop in the future. “And since most Filipino stores are closed, we still want our Filipino customers to be able to eat their favorite Filipino breads for breakfast or even merienda.”

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July 17-23, 2020 • NORCAl ASIAN JOuRNAl

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