US museum to return Filipinos’ remains from ‘racial brain collection’
THE Philippine government is coordinating with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) in Washington D.C. for the repatriation of Filipino remains from its “racial brains collection.”
An investigative report made by The Washington Post stated that the Smithsonian “still holds the brains of people from at least 10 foreign countries, including the Philippines, Germany, the Czech Republic and South Africa.”
The Post said the Smithsonian’s brain collection had included four brains from Filipinos who were part of the Philippine Exposition during the 1904 St. Louis World Fair.
“Smithsonian officials told The Post that, in addition to the four brains from the fair, the museum had collected the brains of 23 other Filipinos,” The Post wrote.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has confirmed the meeting between the Philippine Embassy in Washington and the Smithsonian about the return of the Filipino remains.
“The Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. was involved at the start of the discussions,”
COVID makes a comeback, but new vaccines are around the corner
COVID-19 cases are rising once again, possibly fueled by the emergence of the EG.5 variant. Hospitalization rates jumped by 12.5% nationwide in July, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This uptick comes even as the public health emergency has ended, taking with it free testing and therapeutics. And COVID fatigue has set in. People no longer wear masks in public, and a study has determined that the majority of Americans will forego new boosters, which will be available this fall.
At an Aug. 11 panel discussion organized by Ethnic Media Services, three eminent COVID experts examined the rise in cases, the new variant, and the new monovalent vaccine which will be available this fall.
Panelists included:
• Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, Associate Dean for Regional Campuses, University of California, San Francisco and Medical Educator, specializing in treating infectious diseases
DFA: Help underway for Hawaii wild re-stricken Filipinos
by CHARIE ABARCA Inquirer.net
THE Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday, August 15 said operations to assist distressed Filipinos in Hawaii following the catastrophic wildfires are ongoing.
In a text message to INQUIRER.net, DFA
Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu, Hawaii, will help Filipinos there.
“Our consulate is proceeding to Wailuku in Maui today to assist distressed kababayans and to get verified information on casualties,
Pres. Marcos: COVID-19 pandemic exposed dangers of fake news
by JEAN MANGALUZ Inquirer.net
MANILA — The dangers of fake news were exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of the government’s Media Information Literacy campaign on Monday, August 14.
Marcos said that fake news has infiltrated many facets of life and poses dangers.
“It goes into every part of our lives. It becomes dangerous, it became dangerous during the pandemic because people were giving some very outrageous advice, and this was hurting other people,” said Marcos in his speech in Pasay City.
While Marcos did not specify a specific scenario, his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, had said gasoline could be used as a disinfectant.
The Department of Health had to clarify that Duterte could have just made a joke.
“You would look, these people will say, ‘This is a thing that you can do.’ What they are saying can be
missing persons, etc. They are in constant touch with the local authorities, as it is the latter who are responsible for these operations,” he said.
“The Filipino nation commiserates with the people of the State of Hawaii over this terrible tragedy,” he said.
Asked if the DFA already has the number of Filipinos affected by the wildfires, de Vega answered, “No exact data yet,” adding that there’s “no confirmed data on Filipino citizens affected by the disaster.”
Citing data from the government of Hawaii, de Vega said the wildfires have already claimed the lives of at least 96 people and
‘BBM foreign trips, economy’s reopening major job creators’
by CATHERINE S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s foreign trips and the reopening of the economy are the main drivers of the increasing employment rate in the country, the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) said on Friday, August 11.
ECOP President Sergio OrtizLuis Jr. made the statement after the Philippine Statistics Authority reported the country’s employment rate increased by 95.5 percent in June this year.
During the Laging Handa
public briefing, Ortiz-Luis cited a marked increase in Board of Investments and Philippine Economic Zone Authority registrations.
Also the president of the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc., he said the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been entertaining delegations that are looking for potential business partners in the country.
“Unang-una talaga tuluytuloy ‘yung pag-alis natin doon sa pandemic era at tuluy-tuloy ang pag-hire (First of all, we
LAS Vegas – On Saturday, August 12, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and federal immigration representatives welcomed 250 new U.S. citizens during a special naturalization ceremony at halftime of the Las Vegas Lights soccer game at Cashman Field. Cortez Masto is leading legislation to help immigrants and refugees overcome common obstacles to naturalization—including
language barriers and challenges navigating the search for employment.
“I’m the proud granddaughter of immigrants, and I know that many people from across the world come to Nevada in search of the American Dream,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “As new citizens, I encourage you to exercise both the rights and the responsibilities of U.S. citizenship, PAGE 2
LAS VEGAS Volume 34 - No. 33 • 12 Pages Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY DATELINE USA FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA AUGUST 17-23, 2023 2770 S. Maryland Pkwy., Suite 201 Las Vegas, NV 89109 Tel: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879 T HE F ILIPINO A MERICAN C OMMUNITY N EWSPAPER PAGE 3 PAGE 2 YOUNG CHAMPS. The Philippine team that won the recent 2023 Junior League Softball World Series 12-14 division in Kirkland, Washington receives commendation via Senate Resolution No. 723 at the Senate session hall on Wednesday, Aug. 16. The Senate said the country is immensely proud of the girls for not only representing Asia-Pacific and the Philippines but also Bago City, Negros Occidental as well. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan PAGE 2 Most Filipinos want expanded PH-US military cooperation in WPS - survey PAGE 2 by RED MENDOZA AND CATHERINE S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net Sen. Cortez Masto welcomes 250 new US citizens during halftime of Las Vegas Lights Pro Soccer Match MOST Filipinos favor strengthening and expanding the Philippines' military cooperation with the United States to address the territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea, according to a survey commissioned by OCTA Research. In its Tugon ng Masa survey from July 22-26, 2023, only 11 percent said that they are not in favor while 32 percent remain undecided. Broken down into major regions, more than half of the respondents in Balanced Luzon and Mindanao were in favor of expanding U.S. military cooperation. Only 46 percent of respondents in the National Capital Region and the Visayas agree to the proposal. Meanwhile, 58 percent of Filipinos who were surveyed also agree that the PH should explore increased military cooperation with the
overall. Only 12 percent are not in favor and 28 percent are undecided. PAGE 2
U.S.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos Malacañang file photo
‘BBM foreign trips, economy’s reopening...
PAGE 1
continue to recover from the pandemic era and the hiring also continues),” Ortiz-Luis replied when asked about factors that contributed to the increase in local employment.
“Ang gobyerno naman tuluy-tuloy ang pag-encourage ng investment, at maraming biyahe ni presidente. Hindi naman inaasahan na marami talagang iuuwing investors at ‘yun ay tuluy-tuloy (The government continues to encourage investment, and the president travels a lot. It is not expected that he will bring home many investors, and that will continue),” he said.
The ECOP head also said industries that generated more jobs were construction, agriculture, administrative and food services, and public administration and defense on the government side.
To help the government improve the labor force, OrtizLuis added that ECOP has been carrying out an advocacy campaign and forged an agreement with various state agencies, manufacturers, business process outsourcing and tourism industry to create 1 million jobs.
“These are additional jobs, and we continue to conduct trainings and job matching to help create more jobs,” he said.
“And we are working with the DoLE (Department of Labor and Employment) on how to address
the problems, particularly the job mismatch,” Ortiz-Luis added.
Meanwhile, the ECOP head attributed the gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 5.3 percent in the first half of 2023 to the continued opening up of the economy.
He, however, suggested that the government has to boost its spending to meet its GDP growth target this year.
“Our target is a high of 7 percent, 6 percent, between that is the target for this period. We did not meet that. We have just moved little by little, so we have to catch up,” Ortiz-Luis said. He also cited the need to accelerate the government’s spending to boost the country’s economic growth.
“Those budgets of the departments that are not spent, it is understandable because the people, new administration, new people, they are still studying, they do not yet know how to use the money. But maybe they need to spend their budgets more quickly,” the ECOP chief said.
The Marcos government said it would accelerate spending in the coming quarters to recover the momentum following the 4.3 percent economic expansion of the country’s economy in the second quarter of this year.
“While government expenditure contracted by 7.1 percent in the absence of election-related spending in the
first half of the year, government spending will accelerate in the coming quarters to allow us to recover our growth momentum,” the administration’s economic managers said in a joint statement on Thursday, August 10.
The Economic Development Group, according to the officials, has already been discussing how various government agencies can expedite the implementation of programs and projects for the rest of the year.
The economic team expressed optimism on the strong and positive prospects of the Philippine economy, believing it could sustain the momentum of its initial gains.
“We firmly believe that the prospects of the Philippine economy remain strong and positive. Our economy has weathered the worst and most challenging times during the pandemic. Now, we are better equipped and more resilient to withstand the various risks and challenges on both the external and domestic fronts,” the economic managers said.
“Our robust growth strategies and the active participation of all sectors of society, especially our private partners, will keep us on track to achieving our social and economic transformation agenda toward a prosperous, inclusive and resilient Philippines,” they added. g
Most Filipinos want expanded...
PAGE 1
The survey had 1,200 respondents and had a margin of error of plus minus three percent nationwide and six percent among major geographical regions.
Greatest threat
In a separate poll, a majority of Filipinos consider China as the "greatest threat" to the Philippines, and backed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s approach of not yielding to Asia's superpower amid its provocative actions in the disputed South China Sea, according to the latest survey conducted by PUBLiCUS Asia.
In the Pahayag 2023 First Quarter survey, majority of Filipinos have
expressed trust toward Japan, the member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Canada, South Korea, Australia, and the United States, Aside from China, Filipinos also distrust Russia, the survey said.
The survey, conducted between March 2 and March 6, 2023 with 1,500 respondents, showed that 55 percent of them expressed trust toward Japan, followed closely by ASEANand Canada, at 45 percent and 44 percent, respectively.
Interestingly, PUBLiCUS Asia said South Korea (39 percent), Australia (39 percent), and the U.S. (39 percent) "share comparable levels of trust."
However, it said that reservations are slightly more apparent in relation to the U.S., similar to
attitudes toward the UK (34 percent) and the European Union (30 percent).
In contrast, the survey indicated a distinct lack of trust in China at 9 percent with Russia at 14 percent.
"Significantly, the survey highlights a considerable amount of mistrust towards China, largely attributed to the widespread belief that China poses the most significant threat to the Philippines at 79 percent," the polling firm said.
The Pahayag First Quarter Survey is a nationwide purposive survey with 1,500 respondents randomly drawn from a market research panel of over 200,000 Filipinos maintained by PureSpectrum, a U.S.-based panel marketplace with a multinational presence. g
Pres. Marcos: COVID-19...
‘We’re pro-vax, anti-vax, wear your masks, don’t wear a mask. It’s a political statement.’ We were all confused, and there was very little that you could do to find out except to find out
who these people were,” said Marcos. Marcos hoped that with the signing of the MOU, citizens, especially the youth, could be equipped with the tools to identify fake news. g
US museum to return Filipinos’...
the DFA said on Tuesday, August 15.
“But the National Museum of the Philippines is now taking the lead on this,” the DFA said in a text message.
Apparently some Filipinos, including an Igorot community, want the remains returned so that they will be accorded proper burial according to their tradition.
In a statement dated August 9, the NMP welcomed the Smithsonian’s initiative to repatriate the remains of the Filipinos “some but not all of whom can be specifically identified, which have been kept in their collection for many decades.”
The NMP said that these are apparently remains of Filipinos, mostly members of various indigenous groups in the Philippines, who were brought to the United States “for the St. Louis World’s Fair held in 1904 who died there during the period of the exposition” or those who had chosen to remain in the U.S.
Some historians had described the St. Louis exposition as a “human zoo” wherein indigenous people from around the globe were converted into “attractions.”
According to asianamericanedu.org, after the Philippine-American War ended in 1902, the Americans became “fascinated by the natives of the the newly-acquired territory, which led to the development of anthropological exhibits showcasing what life was like in the Philippines.”
“The United States government spent over $1.5 million transporting over 1,000 Filipinos to the World’s Fair. The Igorot Village was one of the most popular attractions at the Fair,” the asianamericanedu. org added.
The NMP said, “In some if not all cases, there is no evidence of consent being given for the collection and scientific use of the remains.”
The remains were collected by the Smithsonian for research purposes in “biological anthropology in line with practices that at the time were considered acceptable though not uncontroversial,” the NMP said.
“Of course, most if not all museum institutions around the world have long discontinued such collections of human remains and, in recent decades, there has been a growing effort by concerned institutions to try to correct or remedy actions of the past that are today regarded as objectionable or worse,” it added.
“In adherence with today’s standards of ethical museum practice, the NMP accepts and supports this effort of the Smithsonian NMNH to do the right thing and facilitate the return of the Filipino remains home as a way of rectifying this unfortunate situation,” the NMP said.
As its Philippine counterpart, the NMP said it has extended to the Smithsonian NMNH its commitment to extend necessary assistance in repatriating and safekeeping these Filipino remains.
The NMP said it has been coordinating with the DFA and the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts on this matter.
“In all cases, the ultimate objective is to turn over the remains to the rightful lineal descendant family or community for proper appropriate action,” the NMP said. (Bernadette E. Tamayo/ManilaTimes.net)
Sen. Cortez Masto welcomes...
and I will always fight for you and working families across Nevada.”
The AAPI population is the fastest growing demographic in Nevada, making up about 12% of Nevada’s population. The citizenship candidates originate from 53 countries, with 86 new citizens coming from Asian Pacific countries, such as The Philippines, Thailand, South Korea, and more.
The first and only Latina Senator, Senator Cortez Masto has consistently supported
immigrant communities in Nevada, calling on the administration to take action to protect TPS holders and other immigrants, as well as leading commonsense legislation to fix our broken immigration system. She has worked to pass meaningful immigration reform that balances critical border security measures with a path to citizenship for Dreamers and essential workers, and she’s pushed legislation to allow Dreamers to work in Congress. g
AUGUST 17-23, 2023 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678 2 From The FronT Page PAGE 1 PAGE 1 PRICE DROP. Good news for fruit lovers as the price of durian is now down to P50 to P150 a kilo from the previous P380 per kilo as of Aug. 17 at the Ramon Magsaysay Park Fruit Stand in Davao City. The mangosteen is also at P80 pesos per kilo from the previous P350, as vendors say the supply of these two fruits are now back to normal. PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.
PAGE 1
Statewide Filipino leaders endorse Christopher Cabaldon for California Senate
by AJPress
THE campaign for Filipino American Christopher Cabaldon announced a series of endorsements from prominent Filipino public officials and community leaders throughout the state of California.
Cabaldon was the longestserving mayor in West Sacramento’s history, and was the first openly gay Filipino elected mayor in the United States.
The 57-year-old Democrat is now running for the state Senate seat for District 3.
The district stretches over the northern San Francisco Bay Area and the southern Sacramento Valley, and includes parts of North Bay, Napa and Sonoma counties, and the SacramentoSan Joaquin River Delta.
Cabaldon's endorsements
include:
Public officials
· Ruth Uy Asmundson, Mayor of Davis (Ret.)
· Vigdis Asmundson, Trustee (Ret.), Davis Unified School
District
· Pamela Bulahan, Mayor of Isleton
· Quirina Orozco, Vice Mayor of West Sacramento
· Mona Pasquil Rogers, former Acting Lieutenant Governor of California
· Mark Pulido, National CoChair, Filipinos for Biden
· Joselyn Geaga-Rosenthal,
Christopher Cabaldon
Past Chair, CDP Filipino American Democratic Caucus
· Dave Tamayo, Sacramento Municipal Utilities District Board Member
· Frank Aurelio Yokoyama, Treasurer, CDP Filipino American Democratic Caucus Community leaders
· Sorcy Apostol, Tagalog professor, UC Davis & Sacramento City College (Ret.)
· Alex Avera, President, Ilocano Foundation of California
· Ling Avera, President, Filipino Family Fraternity
· Cynthia Bonta, Past President, Philippine National Day Association & Founder, Outstanding Filipino Youth Awards
· Ben de Guzman, former National Coordinator for the National Alliance for Filipino
Veterans Equity · Derek Ledda, Secretary, Filipino American Lawyers Association
· Elmer Manaid, President, Filipino American Association of American Canyon (Napa County)
· Dick Mazon, President, Filipino Community of Sacramento & Vicinity
· Murray Navarro, President, Filipino Fiesta
· Joey Palma, Board Chair, Filipino American Chamber of Solano County
· Connie Pasquil, Retiree
· Jose Patria, Past President, Filipino Women’s Club
· Leila Pereira, President, Filipino Women’s Club
· Anthony Quicho, Past President, Filipino American Association of American Canyon
· Eloise Escano Scott, Chairperson, Vallejo Pista Sa Nayon cultural committee & Past President, Hinunangan Association
· Danny Yap-Diangco, President, Aklan Association
In response to these endorsements, Cabaldon released the following statement: "I am deeply honored to receive the endorsement of such incredible Filipino leaders from across the state. As a Filipino American, our shared heritage and values have always been a driving force of my public service. To have the trust and support of so many leaders throughout the district and the state is truly humbling." g
Proposed rule would make hospital prices even more transparent
by Julie Appleby KFF Health News
“HOW much is the ice cream?”
A simple enough question, featured on a new TV and online advertisement, posed by a man who just wants something cold.
A woman behind the counter responds with a smile: “Prices?
No, we don’t have those anymore.
We have estimates.”
The satirical ad pretends to be a news report highlighting a “trend” in which more retail outlets take up “the hospital pricing method”: substituting estimates for actual prices for the cost of meals, merchandise
on store shelves, and clothing. The scene ends with a partially deleted expletive from the ice cream-seeking man. While the use of estimates in retail settings is imaginary and preposterous, the advertisement is part of an ongoing campaign by the advocacy group Patient Rights Advocate, which contends that some hospitals are still falling short of a law that went into effect in 2021 requiring them to publicly post their prices. Even then, said Cynthia Fisher, the group’s founder and chairperson, too many post estimates rather than exact dollar-and-cent figures.
COVID makes a comeback, but new vaccines...
PAGE 1
• Dr. Benjamin Neuman, Professor of Biology and Chief Virologist, Global Health Research Complex, Texas A&M University
• Dr. William Schaffner, Professor of Preventive Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
What are the origins of the EG.5 variant? Does it differ substantially from its predecessors?
we have now, it looks like new variants like EG.5 are close enough that a vaccine against XBB seems to work against it pretty well. So I think it’s a good move, and I wish they’d hurry up to release it. Hospitalization rates remain relatively stable despite the summer surge of infections. Do you expect that hospitalization rates are going to rise at some point?
although it’s speculative at this point — there’s the role of how EG.5 might relate to this uptick. We’re seeing so many people get COVID in the community. But we’ve all been so exposed to COVID already, so it’s coming on inhospitable soil. More than 95% of us have had an exposure or have had a vaccine at some point. So that probably minimizes or mitigates the risk of serious disease.
“People need price certainty,” said Fisher. “Estimates are a way of gaming the people who pay for health care.”
Although government data shows that hospitals’ compliance with price transparency rules has improved, updating the requirements of that law is the focus of a new proposal by the Biden administration, which aims to further standardize the required data, increase its usefulness for consumers, and boost enforcement. Even with all that, however, the goal of exact price tags in every situation is likely to remain elusive.
Dr. Neuman: EG.5 is one of the variants that’s spreading the fastest right now. It is a child of a thing called XBB 1.9. Basically, it’s another version of Omicron. And everything that is circulating in the world right now has about 100 to 110 differences from the original version. This variant is spreading because it has a lot of changes at the receptor binding site that is the target of most of the vaccines and of some of the most useful parts of the immune system. Will the new vaccines recognize the new variant and be effective against it?
Dr. Neuman: When the target changes, you have to change your aim. It has been over a year since we have had an updated version of the vaccine. It’s coming slowly, but uptake has not been great. The total uptake in the US for the bivalent vaccine is only 17%. The formulation of the new booster is supposed to be a monovalent against the XBB variant. From the studies that
Dr. Chin-Hong: There has been a slight uptick in hospitalizations, not a tsunami, not even a surge. The way I think about it is a swell. It’s kind of like a general wave coming. It doesn’t overwhelm you. You don’t get submerged into it, but you kind of ride it until it goes to the shore.
So if you look at California, for example, one year ago, we had about 4700 people hospitalized at one point. And right now we have about 890 people hospitalized. So in perspective, it’s nothing compared to even one year ago when it was 4700.
Why is there a slight swell of cases now?
Dr. Chin-Hong: Four reasons. There are big concerts like Taylor Swift, bringing a lot of people together. And unprecedented heat waves have driven a lot of people indoors. So it’s kind of like a winter almost, even though it’s the summer.
People’s immunity is kind of waning from the last time a lot of people got infected, which was last winter. And then —
Paxlovid and Remdesivir are currently the only therapeutics we have in our arsenal to battle. But they are problematic.
Dr. Schaffner: We know that if you administer Paxlovid — particularly to people at high risk — very shortly after they are infected, we can reduce their risk of developing severe disease. But Paxlovid has limitations, as any therapy does. There are drug interactions. So if you’re taking certain medications, you have to be careful about taking Paxlovid. Or you may not be able to get it if you have kidney failure.
Remdesivir we now use very quickly once the patient is admitted to the hospital. But wouldn’t it be better if we had more therapeutic agents aimed at keeping people out of the hospital?
Will we soon have new therapeutics?
Studies still continue on other therapeutic agents, but I cannot tell you when they will become available. I think we’ll just u PAGE 4
(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com 3 LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUST 17-23, 2023 Dateline USa TRAFFIC JAM. Motorists experience moderate to heavy traffic along España Boulevard in Manila on a cloudy Thursday, Aug. 17. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said generally fair weather will prevail over the rest of the country while many areas will still experience rains due to the southwest monsoon. PNA photo by Yancy Lim u PAGE 4
Proposed rule would make hospital prices...
“We’re closer to that, but we’re not there,” said Gerard Anderson, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who studies hospital pricing using the data that hospitals have already posted.
The proposed rule is designed to make it easier for consumers to learn in advance exactly what they might owe for nonemergency hospital care — though that was what the original price transparency rules were supposed to do.
Requiring hospitals to post their prices is part of a larger effort to make medical costs less opaque, which could help individual consumers predict their expenses and possibly slow health cost inflation, if it leads employers and insurers to contract with less expensive providers.
But the data files themselves are massive, often hard to find, and complex to decipher.
“Even for us, it’s really hard to use,” said Anderson.
Under current regulations, hospitals must publicly post prices for every service they offer, from drugs to stitches to time a patient spends in an operating room, as well as show all the bundled costs associated with 300 “shoppable” services, which are things people can plan for, such as a hip replacement or having a baby. Several different prices are required, including those they’ve negotiated with insurers and what they charge cash-paying customers.
Similar regulations, but with more prescriptive details and tougher penalties for noncompliance, went into effect for insurance companies in 2022, requiring them to post prices not only for hospital care, but also for outpatient centers and physician services.
The new hospital requirements proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services help “catch up to what they did with health plans,” said Hal Andrews, CEO and president of Trilliant Health, a market research and analysis company.
“It’s a step down the path to making the data more accessible” to data analysis firms that create online price comparison tools, said Jeff Leibach, a partner at the consulting firm Guidehouse. “And, ultimately, consumers
who want to shop will then find this data more easily.” Many hospitals, insurers, and thirdparty data firms have made such cost comparison tools available.
Even the new requirements may not resolve the demand that is central to the dystopian ad’s ice cream-seeking man: getting exact prices, in dollars and cents. Such specificity may remain elusive for some consumers, if only because of the nature of medical care.
“Each patient is unique and uses a slightly different bundle of services,” said Anderson of Johns Hopkins. “You might be in the operating room for 30 minutes, or it might be 45. You might need this lab test and not that one.”
The proposed rule would, for one thing, further standardize the data required so that reporting is more comparable between facilities. It also mandates hospitals make their data sets easier to find on their websites, which could help data aggregators and consumers alike, and puts administrators in the hot seat to attest that their hospitals have posted all the required information accurately.
Individual hospitals that fail to post properly would face additional publicity by federal regulators: “Consider it a public naughty list,” said Marcus Dorstel, vice president of operations at data analysis firm Turquoise Health, which provides an online tool consumers can use to check prices across hospitals.
In addition, the proposal adds a data category awkwardly called “consumer-friendly expected allowed charges,” aimed at giving more information tied to the varied ways hospitals set prices. In plainer language, those allowed amounts are what hospitals expect to be reimbursed by insurance companies.
Some experts say that will be helpful.
For example, Dorstel said, currently a service might not be listed as a particular dollar amount, but the hospital will show the price is based on “70% of charges.”
“Without the expected allowed amount, that doesn’t tell you anything,” Dorstel said.
Still, critics — such as Patient Rights Advocate, the group behind the new ad campaign — say that nodding to such allowed amounts will lead to even more estimates, rather than what they prefer: dollar-and-cent
assessments.
“You and I would not buy a blouse at an average estimated amount,” said Fisher. Health care isn’t like blouses or ice cream, responded executives from the American Hospital Association when asked about the advertisement and Fisher’s concerns about exact, upfront amounts. In many situations, for example, it may be hard to know ahead of time exactly what kind of care a patient will need.
“Very few health services are so straightforward where you can expect no variation in the course of care,” which could then result in a different cost than the original assessment,” said Molly Smith, AHA’s group vice president for public policy. “Organizations are doing the best they can to provide the closest estimate. If something changes in the course of your care, that estimate might adjust.”
While hospitals’ compliance with posting price information has improved, it still falls short, said Fisher, whose group in a July report said only 36% of 2,000 hospitals it reviewed complied with all aspects of the current law, marking as deficient those that had incomplete data fields or used formulas instead of dollar prices.
But the American Hospital Association says Fisher’s group “misconstrues” hospital compliance, in part because hospitals are allowed to leave spaces blank, if, for example, they don’t have a cash-only price. And formulas are allowed if that is how the prices are set.
The hospital group points instead to a CMS report from earlier this year that showed compliance was increasing year over year. It said 70% of hospitals were compliant with the current requirements of the law.
It took some doing to get that far. Since 2021, the federal government has sent more than 900 warning letters to hospitals about their posted data, with most resolving those concerns, according to the proposed rule.
Four hospitals have been fined for failing to comply with the transparency law.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.
COVID makes a comeback, but new vaccines...
PAGE 3
have to see. But the research community continues, I think, to make some of the very best contributions to the control of COVID around the world. Can you get long COVID from the vaccines or boosters?
Dr. Schaffner: Let us make it clear the vaccine is not associated with long COVID. There are some people who have received the vaccine who nonetheless can get COVID. We all know that that can happen. The vaccines seem to have some effect in reducing the likelihood of long COVID. But, yes, you can get COVID, and as a consequence, long COVID, even though you have been vaccinated. But the vaccines really reduce the risk of long COVID. Minority populations and low-income communities have always been at a higher risk for hospitalization and death from COVID. With the end of the Public Health Emergency, how can we ensure that everyone gets the tests, vaccines, and therapeutics they need to stay healthy?
Dr. Chin-Hong: Throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen a lot of disparities, including and particularly amongst the African American communities, both in terms of who is dying first of all and who is being hospitalized.
But then we began to address some of the root causes, which were related to access to testing and related to probably a lot of structural racism. Of course, politics played a role, but even after the new administration, those disparities still persisted.
I think one silver lining was that vaccinations increased uptake in all communities, probably given the advocacy of a lot of grassroots organizations and community-based organizations.
So what is still free, after the Public Health Emergency ended May 11? Vaccines are still free. There’s a bridge program that’s going to probably come into effect nationally that allows people — without demonstrating ability to pay — to get them at least until the end of the year in California, and probably extended with a national bridge program.
And then if you have insurance or MediCal or MediCare, people are obligated to give you the vaccine for free without a copay because of the Affordable Care Act.
Final remarks?
Dr. Neuman: The moon is far away. Mars is far away. We’ve been to both of those. It seems like the end of COVID is far away right now, but I have to believe that with human ingenuity, we can get there. I think the
biggest challenge was and is in people’s hearts, convincing them not to fear the new and the newly approved and to do everything in their power to stop this virus. Because it doesn’t add anything to life, it only takes it away.
Dr. Schaffner: We have to remind ourselves that although the pandemic has receded, the virus is still with us and will be for the foreseeable future. It has the capacity to make people very, very ill. As I like to say, the virus is bad, vaccines are good. Take advantage of the new updated booster vaccine that will be available this fall, starting sometime in September. That will provide the best protection for yourself. Make sure your family is protected, and contribute to the protection of your own community.
Dr. Chin-Hong: Who would ever believe that we rallied together as a world to have so many tools to solve this crisis? It’s going to be around with us for a while: the 1918 flu influenza pandemic, there’s still vestiges still today. But the point is, we have these tools and it’s up to us to use it. And science and taking care of ourselves is not a political issue. We have to take care of all populations and make sure everybody has access and ability to get these tools. (Sunita Sohrabji/Ethnic Media Services)
AUGUST 17-23, 2023 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678 4 Dateline USa
WORLD CALLIGRAPHY DAY. Rechilda De la Cueva, 30, creates a hand-made present for her mother’s birthday on the occasion of World Calligraphy Day at a shopping mall in Quezon City on Wednesday, Aug. 16. Since she was eight, De la Cueva has displayed a strong affinity with calligraphy and now makes a living out of it, offering her services to make envelope calligraphy, wax seals, personalized signages, table numbers, resin coasters, bookmarks and business card holders. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P.
PAGE 3
Dateline PhiliPPines
Sandigan junks Napoles appeal on ‘pork’ case
by ElizabEth MarcElo Philstar.com
MANILA — The Sandiganbayan has denied another attempt of detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles to be cleared of a plunder case in connection with the alleged misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel of former congressman Edgar Valdez.
In a resolution promulgated last Aug. 8, the court’s Fifth Division said Napoles failed to raise any new meritorious argument in her motion for reconsideration that would warrant the reversal of its July 4 resolution, in which the court refused to admit her memorandum containing the summary of arguments and evidence her camp presented during trial.
Napoles, in her memorandum, prayed to the court to acquit her of the case, insisting that the Office of the Ombudsman’s prosecution panel failed to prove her guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
In its new resolution, the Fifth Division maintained that the memorandum must not be admitted for being filed beyond the 30-day deadline.
The Fifth Division had earlier noted that while Valdez and the prosecution filed their memoranda last Feb. 15 and Feb. 20, respectively, Napoles only filed her memorandum on March 31, more than a month from the deadline of filing.
Besides, the Fifth Division pointed out, refusal to admit Napoles’ memorandum will not
result in violation of her right to due process as the filing and admission of a memorandum is not mandatory and is solely upon the discretion of the court.
Furthermore, the court said, all the parties were already given the opportunity to be heard and present their evidence during the trial.
Meanwhile, in the same resolution, the Fifth Division also denied Napoles’ appeal to take judicial notice of the transcript of stenographic notes (TSNs) of the testimony of primary state witness Benhur Luy, in which Luy supposedly admitted that he has no proof that the kickbacks allegedly received by Valdez came from Napoles’ JLN Corp. or from non-government organizations (NGOs). “After careful examination of the issue at hand, we are not persuaded to take judicial notice of TSNs pertaining to the cross-
examination of witness Benhur
Luy by accused’s counsel,” the Fifth Division said.
With the denial of Napoles’ appeal to have her memorandum admitted by the court, the case is now deemed submitted for decision.
Filed by the ombudsman in 2015, the case stemmed from the alleged misuse of Valdez’s PDAF from 2004 to 2010 during his term as representative of the party-list group Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives.
Valdez allegedly received P57.78 million worth of kickbacks from Napoles in exchange for allocating his PDAF to the businesswoman’s bogus NGOs for the supposed implementation of his livelihood projects. The ombudsman said the projects turned out to be fictitious or were never implemented.
Valdez and Napoles were granted bail by the Fifth Division in April 2016.
Valdez had earlier posted P1.71 million bail for his provisional liberty while Napoles remains in detention at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City following her conviction of plunder in connection with the misuse of PDAF of since reelected Sen.
Ramon Revilla Jr.
Napoles is also named as coaccused in the pending plunder cases against former senator Juan Ponce Enrile, reelected Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and former Masbate Third District representative Rizalina SeachonLanete. g
PRA defends Manila Bay reclamation projects
MANILA — Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) assistant general manager Joseph Literal is defending reclamation projects in Manila Bay, maintaining that the projects are compliant with government requirements.
“(The 13 Manila Bay reclamation projects which were all underway) have scrupulously obtained their Environmental Compliance Reports, area clearances and necessary certifications while adhering to additional prerequisites,” Literal said in a radio interview over the weekend.
He added that the projects
underwent “meticulous environmental evaluations, encompassing comprehensive studies delving into climate change impacts, geological analyses and holistic ecological ramifications.”
In a statement sent to The STAR, Literal claimed that the projects would not cause flooding in the mainland as reclaimed lands would be situated 20 to 200 meters from Manila Bay’s coastlines.
The 13 approved reclamation projects would develop only 5,000 of the estimated 199,000 hectares in Manila Bay from Navotas
‘No public funds spent on Palace fashion show’
MANILA — Malacañang defended on Monday, August 14 a fashion show held inside the Palace last week, saying no public funds were used for the event.
Deputy social secretary Dina Arroyo Tantoco made the response following criticism of the fashion show dubbed “Isang Pilipinas,” which was held at the Goldenberg Mansion on Aug. 8, featuring the collection of fashion designer Michael Leyva.
“The government does not spend anything on the event because it is paid for by the
designers and private institutions they partner with,” Tantoco said in a statement. This was the third of the “Fashion at Goldenberg” series project of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos. Tantoco said the objective of the fashion show series is to provide a platform for Filipino artists to show their work in a historical setting “relevant to our cultural Identity.”
“The output is a collaboration between various creatives in the industry and creates awareness, thereby generating demand, for local fabrics and designs which
have always been instrumental in our cultural identity,” she said. Militant farmers group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said on Saturday, Auugst 12 the fashion show was inappropriate as the county “is deep in debt.” KMP chairman Danilo Ramos earlier challenged other sectors to criticize the “extravagant” spending habit of the First Family. He said the event happened after many Filipinos were affected by recent calamities and the rising prices of rice, food and other commodities. (Helen Flores/Philstar.com)
City to Tanza in Cavite, he noted. There are a total of 22 reclamation projects nationwide.
President Marcos suspended the 22 reclamation projects last week pending review of their compliance with environmental laws.
As for Chinese companies blacklisted by the United States and involved in the reclamation projects, Literal said they “possess Philippine Contractor’s Accreditation Board special licenses, substantiating their non-blacklisted status and compliance with Philippine laws, evading blacklisting.” (Philstar.com)
(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com 5 LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUST 17-23, 2023
Janet Lim-Napoles Philstar.com file photo
PLASTIC COLLECTION. Plastic Bank founder and chairperson David Katz (right) visits Peñaflor Envirocycling in Barangay San Isidro, Rodriguez, Rizal on Wednesday, Aug. 16. To help prevent plastic from polluting the oceans, Plastic Bank empowers communities to collect and exchange plastic waste for cash. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon
Image from her Facebook page shows First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos with designer Michael Leyva during a fashion show held at the Goldenberg Mansion within the Malacañang complex last week.
Sentinels of sovereignty
THE Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague has spoken, and awarded the Philippines sovereign rights over Ayungin or Second Thomas Shoal. The United States, the European Union, the Group of Seven and Australia, among others, have publicly recognized the PCA ruling, which also invalidated China’s so-called nine-dash-line claim over nearly all of the South China Sea.
So it’s time for the Philippines to more forcefully assert those sovereign rights, awarded in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which both the country and China have affirmed. Based on UNCLOS, the PCA defined the Philippines’ maritime entitlements within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.
Editorial
The PCA ruling specifically awarded the Philippines sovereign rights over Ayungin, Panganiban or Mischief Reef and Recto or Reed Bank, and ruled that China has no right to shoo away anyone from Panatag or Scarborough Shoal. Beijing has refused to vacate Panganiban, where it first built huts that it claimed were fishermen’s shelters. The reef has since been converted into an artificial island, with the huts transformed into a multistory concrete military installation.
With the arbitral award, the Philippines can claim the right to develop Ayungin, or at least to upgrade the facility that houses a Marine outpost. The rusty, World War II-vintage BRP Sierra Madre looks like a badly injured whale beached on Ayungin. In 1999, the administration of Joseph Estrada deliberately
Babe’s Eye View
PHILIPPINE Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela correctly called out a few misguided Filipinos who defend China’s aggression and even act like its mouthpiece as unpatriotic and a traitor to our country.
“If you are a Filipino, whether in government or private sector, regardless of your politics, defending and making excuses for China’s aggressive behavior should deem you unpatriotic, and a traitor to the Philippines and to our people. Given current developments in the West Philippine Sea, it is important to show loyalty to country.
“While I recognize freedom of speech as an important right guaranteed by our constitution, it should not be misused as a means to justify unpatriotic actions by acting as China’s mouthpiece,” Tarriela posted on Twitter, underscoring that all Filipinos should “stand united in protecting our nation’s interest” in the wake of China’s unlawful and aggressive behavior in the
ran aground the vessel on the shoal. His defense secretary at the time, Orlando Mercado, has denied that Estrada made any promise to the Chinese that the ship would be removed. President Marcos has said that even if any such commitment was made, he was rescinding it. What the current administration can do is support moves in Congress to upgrade the Ayungin outpost to something befitting the military personnel assigned to the shoal, who are sentinels of the nation’s sovereignty. Unlike the artificial island building undertaken by the Chinese, the improvement of the Ayungin outpost should not destroy the marine environment.
Several senators are pushing for the allocation of at least P100 million in 2024 for permanent improvements in Ayungin, such as the provision of a pier and decent lodgings for the personnel stationed there as well as fishermen of all nationalities who might seek shelter during bad weather. The proposed funding will be under civilian agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Philippine
Coast Guard, which is under the Department of Transportation.
The Chinese coast guard, unlike other such services in most countries, is not a civilian agency but is under its Central Military Commission. The
Philippines cannot match the military resources of the world’s second largest economy. But the Philippines can give its Marines stationed in Ayungin the decent facilities that they deserve. (Philstar.com)
We support and stand by our Philippine Coast Guard
West Philippine Sea, whose rich resources are for Filipinos. Commodore Tarriela’s post – which has since garnered hundreds of thousands of views and shared on social media platforms such as Facebook –has elicited strong reactions and angry comments, describing these “traitors” as descendants of the “Makapili” who collaborated with the enemy and betrayed fellow Filipinos during World War II. No one can really blame the PCG spokesman for expressing such sentiments because if anything, the members of the Philippine Coast Guard are at the frontline in defending our country’s maritime territory from encroachment, with no less than President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recognizing the PCG’s role in “defending our economic zones and our baselines.”
Aside from defending our territory, the PCG is also tasked with protecting Filipino fishermen and ensuring their safety while they engage in fishing activities which have been their source of livelihood for generations. Absolutely no one doubts the kind of harassment and bullying that
his water cistern project at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City, was met with vehement opposition from the local politico.
Filipino fishermen have been subjected to by Chinese Coast Guard and militia vessels that shadow the fishing boats, forcing them to leave traditional fishing grounds that are within our exclusive economic zone.
Filipinos rely on our fishermen for the supply of fish which is a staple food, but according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Chinese incursions have contributed to the decline of fish production in 2022 –which is ironic considering that we have one of the longest coastlines in the world, even longer than the United States or China.
China’s bullying and aggression is a highly emotional issue for patriotic Filipinos so when they hear a few misguided, “intellectually stupid” people acting like China’s apologists, justifying the reprehensible actions of Chinese Coast Guard and militia vessels in the West Philippine Sea, it really makes them feel so angry. It will not be surprising if it drives them to become a lynch mob.
The recent incident where the Chinese Coast Guard conducted dangerous maneuvers and sprayed water cannons at two
Philippine boats carrying rice, water, vegetables and other food supplies for troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal is just another example of the relentless harassment and bullying that we have been facing for years. While China keeps professing that it wants to resolve maritime disputes through “peaceful means,” clearly its actions indicate otherwise.
At the Singapore Shangri-La Dialogue last June, Commodore Tarriela pointedly asked Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu: “While China is talking about dialogue, China’s actions show confrontation. Why is there a big difference between China’s words and its actions?” The Chinese Defense Minister did not give a direct answer.
Like so many Filipinos, we commend the men and women of the Philippine Coast Guard who are true patriots, and it’s no surprise that they are getting a lot of support from our countrymen, including patriotic legislators like Senator Francis Tolentino and Senate President Migz Zubiri who declared, “I stand… with our Coast Guard men and
women as they face hostile actions by intruders right on our very own seas.”
Senator Risa Hontiveros, who has been very outspoken, is also getting so much respect. “China is not a friend. She is not even a good neighbor. Hindi tayo papayag na wala tayong gawin habang inaabuso at inaalipusta niya ang ating mga kababayan sa sarili nating karagatan (We will not just do nothing while they abuse and insult our countrymen in our own seas),” she said.
The response of the president to China’s claims that the Philippines promised to remove the BRP Sierra Madre, an active Philippine Navy commissioned vessel (which was deliberately grounded in Ayungin Shoal in 1999 and currently a military outpost manned by Philippine Marines), also uplifted the spirits of Filipinos.
“I’m not aware of any agreement that the Philippines should remove from its own territory, its own ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, from the Ayungin Shoal. And let me go further – if there does exist such an agreement, I rescind that agreement as of now,” the president said.
Saying “the Philippines has not and will never enter into any agreement abandoning its sovereign rights and jurisdiction over Ayungin Shoal,” National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya challenged the Chinese government to identify the person or persons who made such promise to them.
Support is mounting for the proposal to refurbish BRP Sierra Madre, with Senate President Migz saying the Senate will fund a request, hailing our “brave men and women of the Marines and Navy” who deserve “our unconditional support as they sacrifice themselves for us.”
More and more countries are joining Filipinos worldwide in condemning China’s aggression and violation of our sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea. More importantly, true Filipinos support our troops. (Philstar.com)
* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. * * * Email: babeseyeview@gmail.com
PERCHED at the very center, flanked by a legion of national and local politicos eager to make their mark, he remained cool and composed. Although there were hints of exhaustion, he remained focused throughout the hour-long briefing. Though the nation’s most powerful man, he acted more like a school principal—gently listening to the counsel of various officials in attendance.
Far from a domineering patriarch, President Marcos gently moderated back-andforth exchanges among those in attendance. The occasion was a very public “situation briefing” among multiple stakeholders on the persistent flooding crisis in Pampanga. He kept his cool, politely directing questions and seeking clarification from various quarters.
And then, all of a sudden, the temperature in the room rose to a boiling point. Former public works secretary Rogelio Singson’s proposal for a water impounding system, similar to
“We will not allow the impounding of Candaba Swamp … If you want a security problem, go ahead and ruin the livelihoods of all the farmers in Candaba. We will walk out from here,” Pampanga Rep. Anna York Bondoc said, clearly asserting her authority as a local government leader. At this point, however, Mr. Marcos immediately stepped in. He firmly, yet politely, explained the science as well as economics behind Singson’s proposal. He also reassured his local government counterpart that “[w]e have no interest in destroying the livelihoods of our farmers [in Candaba]. We will not leave them behind …”
Instead of engaging in populist antics or bullying subaltern politicos to please his ego or base, he pellucidly explained the rationale behind the proposal of Singson, who served as former president Benigno Aquino III’s infrastructure czar. In barely a single minute, he also evinced a respectable degree of familiarity with the fundamentals of environmental science, which
clearly took some in the audience by surprise. At once, he was both presidential and authoritative. The curious episode was refreshingly revealing. It stood in stark contrast to preconceptions about Mr. Marcos prior to his assumption of power. Forget about the whole host of sensational rumors— and, at times, slanderous comments—circulating among his supposedly progressive critics. No less than former president Rodrigo Duterte, in a thinly veiled public rant, tried to justify his refusal to endorse Mr. Marcos in last year’s elections: “I am not impressed by him. He is really a weak leader.”
In fairness, Mr. Marcos’ tenure, so far, can be credibly criticized for a whole package of gaffes. From trafficking in historical distortion to multimillion “rebranding” projects and a multibillion Maharlika sovereign wealth fund, there is no shortage of questionable moves. And mind you, we are yet to see whether this administration will have any robust form of anti-corruption initiative, which is crucial both to our democratic health as well as economic dynamism. Having said that, Mr.
Marcos has clearly exceeded expectations on many fronts, most notably on foreign policy. By all accounts, it was the former president who was a “weak leader” when it came to defending the West Philippine Sea. Instead of prosecuting our national position, he repeatedly echoed Beijing’s version of geopolitical reality. By alienating our closest allies, he empowered our rivals.
And his self-styled trip to Beijing last month, which effectively made him a “special envoy” to China, is a telltale sign of the former president’s foreign policy track record: Tough on the crimes of the West a century or half a millennia ago, but totally diffident (if not enabler) in face of Oriental imperialism in the Philippines’ own backyard.
In stark contrast, Mr. Marcos has consistently adopted an uncompromising stance, including on the finality and binding nature of our 2016 arbitral tribunal award victory under the aegis of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Crucially, the president has been flanked by an impressive group of individuals, including Defense Secretary Gilbert
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the
Teodoro, Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez, and Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela, who have taken up the cudgels for the rule of law in our region. So far, Mr. Marcos has shown that one need not become a “strongman,” like Duterte or his father, in order to be tough where it counts. It remains to
be seen, however, if this is more signal than noise for his full term in office. (Inquirer.net)
* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
* * * rheydarian@inquirer.com.ph
AUGUST 17-23, 2023 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678 6 FEATURES OPINION ASIAN JOURNAL PUBLITIONS, INC. publishes the Los Angeles Asian Journal, published twice a week; Northern California Asian Journal, Las Vegas Asian Journal and the New York / New Jersey Asian Journal which are published once a week and distributed to Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange Counties, Northern California, Las Vegas and New York and New Jersey respectively. Articles published in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Letters to the Editor are welcome. Letters must contain complete name and return address. The materials, however, are subject to editing and revisions. Contributions and advertising deadlines are every Mondays and Thursdays. For advertising rates and other informations, Asian Journal Publitions, Inc. (“AJPI”) reserves the right to refuse to publish, in its sole and absolute discretion, any advertising and advertorial material submitted for publition by client. (“Client’s Material”) Submission of an advertisement or advertorial to an AJPI sales representative does not constitute a commitment by AJPI to publish a Client’s Material. AJPI has the option to correctly classify any Client’s Material and to delete objectionable words or phrases. Client represents and warrants that a Client’s Material does not and will not contain any language or material which is libelous, slanderous or defamatory or invades any rights of privacy or publicity; does not and will not violate or infringe upon, or give rise to any adverse claim with respect to any common law or other right whatsoever (including, without limitation, any copyright, trademark, service mark or contract right) of any person or entity, or violate any other applible law; and is not the subject of any litigation or claim that might give rise to any litigation. Publition of a Client’s Material does not constitute an agreement to continue publition. Client agrees and covenants to indemnify AJPI and its officers against any and all loss, liability, damage, expenses, cost, charges, claims, actions, uses of action, recoveries, judgments, penalties, including outside attorneys’ fees (individually and collectively “Claims”) which AJPI may suffer by reason of (1) Client’s breach of any of the representations, warranties and agreements herein or (2) any Claims by any third party relating in any way to Client’s Material. AJPI will not be liable for failure to publish any Client’s Material as requested or for more than one incorrect insertion of a Client’s Material. In the event of an error, or omission in printing or publition of a Client’s Material, AJPI shall be limited to an adjustment for the space occupied by the error, with maximum liability being ncellation of the cost of the first incorrect advertisement or republition of the correct advertisement. Under no circumstances shall Asian Publitions, Inc. be liable for consequential damages of any kind. ADVERTISING AND ADVERTORIAL POLICIES
predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal. ROGER LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board CORA MACABAGDAL-ORIEL President MOMAR G. VISAYA Executive Editor ROBERT MACABAGDAL Vice President & General Manager Las Vegas Asian Journal Main Office: 1210 S. Brand Blvd Glendale, CA 91204 Tels: (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797 Fax: (818) 502-0858 • (213) 481-0854 e-mail: info@asianjournalinc.com http://www.asianjournal.com Las Vegas Sales Office: 2770 S. Maryland Pkwy., Suite 201 Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Tel.: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879 With offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York/New Jersey, Las Vegas, San Diego. Philippines RICHARD HEYDARIAN Horizons
Marcos:
leader’ after
Not so ‘weak
all
BABE ROMUALDEZ
ManilaTimes.net photo
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Malacañang photo
Rice prices surge to P56 per kilo
by Ramon efRen LazaRo, Romina cabReRa Philstar.com
MANILA — The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is probing manipulation or hoarding that has jacked up rice prices that have reached P56 per kilo in the market.
DA deputy spokesman Rex Estoperez said the government is monitoring and taking steps to stabilize rice prices.
“If rice prices right now are reaching P56 (per kilo), that’s not right. We will import if needed. This is what we do to stabilize (prices),” Estoperez said in Filipino.
He said the DA can task its Inspectorate and Enforcement Office to conduct monitoring even if the National Food Authority (NFA) has lost its regulatory powers.
Nonito Donaire Jr. reacquires Filipino citizenship
by Lance agcaoiLi Inquirer.net
MANILA — Former fourdivision champion Nonito Donaire Jr. reacquired his Filipino citizenship on Monday, August 14 at Romulo Hall of the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco.
The Filipino Flash, an American citizen whose paternal grandfather was born in Hawaii, became a dual citizen under Republic Act No. 9225 after taking his Oath of Allegiance with his wife Rachel and their two sons.
"I am very proud and whole now that I have my Philippine citizenship. Being Bohol-Born,
for years I have tried to get my citizenship but I was always missing a paper,” Donaire told PCG San Francisco.
“With my mom’s help, I was able to complete my package of requirements for me to get my Philippine citizenship here at the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco. Aside from being able to give pride to my roots, my citizenship will allow me to stay in the Philippines longer and create change and growth for Filipinos through economical, sociological, l and environmental projects through action.”
The Donaire family took the oath in front of Deputy Consul
General Raquel Solano, Consul Jed Llona, Consul Rowena Pangilinan-Daquipil, and Vice Consul Adrian Baccay.
According to the DFA, Donaires’ sons have also become dual citizens as his derivatives.
Donaire and his wife bared their social initiatives in the Philippines, including building typhoon-resilient homes, settingup sustainable waste management systems, and installing water filtration systems in rural communities. The 40-year-old boxer last fought on July 29, losing to Alexandro Santiago in 12 rounds by unanimous decision in Nevada. g
Senators see Locsin fit as special envoy to China
MANILA – Senators on
Thursday, August 17 expressed their confidence in former Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary and Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom Teodoro Locsin Jr. to serve as the country's Special Envoy of the President to the People's Republic of China for Special Concerns.
For Senator Grace Poe, she said Locsin's appointment is impressive and an interesting choice of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
"He (Locsin) is an adroit diplomat and skilled leader, unafraid to go to whatever lengths
necessary for the best interest of the Filipinos," Poe said in a statement.
"We hope he can help the country navigate through the rough waters of the West Philippine Sea to defend and protect what belongs to us," she added.
Meanwhile, Senator JV Ejercito cited Locsin's track record as a "seasoned diplomat, legal expert, and accomplished legislator."
"Given his experience as Department of Foreign Affairs secretary, lawyer and former legislator, I'm sure Ambassador Teddy Locsin could be the best one for the job as special envoy for
special concerns," Ejercito said in a separate statement.
"It is also a good timing as it is still important to keep lines open in the midst of the West Philippine Sea conflict," he added.
Ejercito believes that Locsin stands as the most fitting candidate for the role as "he is known as a troubleshooter during his DFA days."
Locsin previously served as the secretary of Foreign Affairs under the Duterte administration from 2018-2022.
He was also a member of the House of Representatives from 2001 to 2010, representing the 1st district of Makati. (PNA)
“Someone is saying there is stockpiling of palay and rice; that will be our focus. Even if the NFA has lost its regulatory function, we will ask the Inspectorate and Enforcement Office to grant visiting powers to see if someone really is manipulating (prices) or hoarding,” Estoperez said in an interview on radio dwPM.
He said they are verifying reports that boatloads of rice were imported into the country, and that some traders were overpricing their stocks.
Still, Estoperez noted that rice prices have been affected, as the harvest season is over and won’t begin again until October. Prices of imported rice have also increased, particularly in Vietnam, that has also led to price increases.
Estoperez said some traders are playing with the prices, offering as low as P38 per kilo for very limited quantities, and that is affecting the price structure.
“It’s ruining the price structure. They’re selling in low quantities and raising prices. People are panic buying,” he added.
The DA official said the department is willing to help out private traders and retailers if they need assistance in logistics.
Estoperez also called for the review of the Rice Tariffication Law, but noted that they are still awaiting data from the private sector in terms of
buffer stocks to ensure that the country has enough rice.
He noted that the NFA only has nine days of buffer stock, while the rest of the 81 days should be shouldered by the private sector.
“If it’s less than 81 days with the private sector, there will be trouble and our national inventory will be lacking. That’s what we need to address,” he said.
No manipulation
Rice traders in the Intercity Industrial Estate and Golden City Business Park – two of the country’s major rice trading centers – have denied allegations by some quarters that they are involved in rice price manipulations.
Rice stakeholders claimed that the Bureau of Internal Revenue has started conducting revenue inspections on rice traders in the two major rice trading centers, but wondered why the inspections are being conducted when rice and palay stocks are currently thin and business is on a slump.
A text message in Filipino forwarded to The STAR states, “They (BIR) said issued receipts must have the buyer’s address… the penalty would be P5k per receipt.”
On the other hand, Malou Tolentino, Bulacan coordinator of the Philippine Rice Industry Stakeholders Movement, confided that many wholesale rice traders in Bulacan are thinking of temporarily shutting down their business due to the high cost of palay that translates to the rising prices of rice.
Meanwhile, rice trader Tony Santos said that the country is now currently at the peak of the “rice lean months” wherein stocks of the grain are thinly spread throughout the country.
He cited that rice prices usually increase during these times, as palay traders and rice traders have thin volume stocks of the staple grains, and prices follow the law of supply and demand.
Santos explained that the law of supply and demand states that prices are determined on the volume and supply of a product, wherein if the supply of a good or service outstrips the demand for it, prices will fall. If demand exceeds
supply, prices will rise.
Citing reports from some quarters that rice traders manipulated the spike in rice prices, Santos urged these sectors to first assess the meaning of rice lean months; assess if the NFA or what government agency has enough rice buffer stocks for the country’s rice lean months; the effect in the increase of fuel prices and the rising dollar-peso exchange rate.
“What really happened is that rice prices in the world market increased,” Santos said in Filipino.
On the other hand, Rosendo So, president of the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG), in a telephone interview, denied there is a rice cartel.
Just like Santos, So said the country is at the peak of the rice lean months and the DA can conduct inspections on rice/palay warehouses.
The inspections can only show thinly stocked volumes of rice/palay, he said. So added that based on their monitoring, rice farmers engaged in a three-cycle crop season are currently harvesting their rice crops like in Pangasinan. Farmgate price of fresh palay is pegged at P25 per kilo and farmgate price of clean and dry palay at P30 per kilo, he said.
However, So noted the bulk of the country’s rice harvests is expected to take place in October, and farmgate prices of fresh palay is expected to go down to P23 per kilo and clean and dry palay to P28 per kilo.
At these price ranges, production cost of rice would translate to P2,146 per 50-kilo sack or P42.93 per kilo. Plus, the mark-up price of retailers will cost less than P50 per kilo.
Currently, imported Vietnam rice is being sold in the local market at P2,500 per 50-kilo sack or P50 per kilo, while imported Thailand rice is being sold in the local market at P2,600 per 50-kilo sack or P52 per kilo.
That’s why rice importers have only orders until October, since these will have stiff competition from locally produced rice that is cheaper compared to imported rice. g
(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com 7 LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUST 17-23, 2023 Dateline PhiliPPines
Nonito Donaire Jr. and his family taking his Oath of Allegiance as he reacquires his Filipino citizenship. DFA photo
VEGAS&STYLE
Manay
Gina Perez de Venecia: Lessons in life
by Mons RoMulo Philstar.com
GINA de Venecia, more known as “Manay Gina” to friends and supporters, was thrust into the spotlight when her husband, Jose De Venecia, became Speaker of the House of Representatives.
With her husband’s position came her new role as the head of the Congressional Spouses Foundation Inc., where she was well loved, because of how hardworking and accommodating she was to everyone.
On May 10, 2010, Manay Gina finally entered the political arena and won as congresswoman of the Fourth District of Pangasinan.
When she ran for her second term, she won by a landslide and after her proclamation she immediately extended the hand of friendship and peace to her opponents. She had one more term but opted to give way to her son Christopher to help fulfill the dream of her husband, Joe, who wanted to see his son succeed in public service like him. As she was to Speaker Joe, she always makes herself available for her son in case he needs advice, especially on women’s issues — their health, their family’s welfare and their rights.
For now, Manay Gina is content serving her loved ones and being there for them. But she has not closed the door on the possibility of running again. “I learned in this life is to never say no to anything; the future is yet to unfold before me,” shares Manay Gina. “Everything is fluid. My decision to run again depends on the clamor for my kind of public service.”
Here are some of the valuable lessons Manay Gina has learned in life.
1. Now is the only time we have, because tomorrow is not promised. I realized this when I lost my dearest daughter KC in a fire that also burned our home on Dec. 16, 2004. No amount of affection or careful planning for the future, even strong fortification, can shield anyone from death. To live meaningfully, it is important to accept that now is the only time we have control over. All else will be a bonus.
2. Make certain that your children will have a happy childhood to look back on. I survived the depression that followed KC’s death because I had a happy childhood. My happy childhood protected and cushioned me from the blows and falls that I later experienced in life. My childhood was solid and happy. We grew up with the movie stars and their fans. Growing up, my parents gave me and my brothers and sisters so much love. It was like we were living in an enchanted kingdom. As a result, I became a complete person. So, when storms came into my life, and in times when my dreams crumbled before my eyes, what helped me pull myself together was that anchor. I hold on to the happy memories of that special place, where I was truly cared for — my happy childhood. I became a complete person.
3. Learn how to “walk with kings and eat with paupers.” My parents taught us how to “walk with kings and eat with paupers.”
Papa (Doc Perez) said, “You have to love our people, the masses, because they are the ones who support our movies.” So, early on, we felt at home with them, and every year, Papa saw to it that we had outreach programs
for them, especially when there were typhoons and floods. We were taught that when you give, you give all.
4. Love is never wasted. Genuine love for others is never wasted. It will always come back to you. I remember my father would always tell me, ‘Hija, lagi niyong isipin na gumawa kayo ng tama because kung hindi sa inyo babalik, sa mga anak mo.” All the people who have showered grace into my life, my parents were once good to them.
5. Power is fleeting. This one, I learned from Manay Ichu (Maceda). Kung sino ang makikita mo sa iyong pag-akyat, sila din ang makikita mo sa iyong pagbagsak. Power is fleeting. When you’re up there, there’s no other way but to go down. Power and popularity can be likened to a wheel. That’s why you have to be cognizant and appreciative of the people who helped you in reaching your goals, for they will be the same faces who will comfort you when things aren’t as rosy anymore.
6. Political ties are tenuous, but personal relationships are iron-clad. When I celebrated my birthday in 1999, a year after JDV lost in the presidential elections, the multitudes that once trooped to my home on my birthday when I was still the Speaker’s wife had dwindled to about 50. It was then that Mama Nene told me how lucky I was. “Hija, this early, you now know who your true friends really are.” Among the first to greet me was the late Tita Cory Aquino, who gifted me with one of her paintings. She said, “I may not have been there for you when you were up, but I will always be there for you when you are down.” President Estrada and his wife Loi also sent
Jolina dreams of acting with Charo
by Dale Calanog Inquirer.net
ALREADY a veteran in show business, Jolina Magdangal shared there’s still a lot of roles she wants to play, and hopes for an acting project with Charo Santos.
“Gusto ko makatrabaho si Tita Charo — si Ma’am Charo (I would like to work with Tita Charo — Ma’am Charo),” said the actress-singer during an interview uploaded on Star Magic’s YouTube channel.
Magdangal, who has been in the entertainment industry for over 30 years, recalled having a chance to work with Santos while the former was filming for her “
Payong Kaibigan” segment of the 90s youth-oriented program Ang TV.”
“Kasi dati no’ng nakatrabaho ko siya no’ng bata pa ‘ko, parang ininterview ko lang siya (I got to work with her when I was young, but I only sort of interviewed her),” shared the Kapamilya host, who added that they shot the segment’s interview scene while the former ABS-CBN president was on the set of “Maalaala Mo Kaya.”
The “Magandang Buhay” host, who has appeared in a couple of “Maalaala Mo Kaya” episodes during its 31-year run, mentioned the idea of collaborating in a “drama” that would also cater to Santos’ “forte.”
Aside from the opportunity to work with an actor of Santos’ caliber, Magdangal is also looking forward to learning from the Kun Maupay Man It Panahon” actress off-cam.
"[G]usto ko siyang makawork kasi alam ko na habang hindi kami nagte-take, maramingmarami akong matututunan [sa kanya] (I would like to work with her because I know that while we’re not filming, I’ll learn so much from her),” she said, adding how there’s learning in just observing Santos’ actions. Magdangal, who — earlier in the interview — shared that there’s still a lot of roles she has yet to portray, hopes to take on parts that involve suspense and thriller, if an opportunity outside of hosting comes her way.
After starring in “FlordeLiza,” her first series since returning to the Kapamilya network in 2014, the mom of two mentioned how she had been mostly doing hosting projects.
me a beautiful flower arrangement and Imee Marcos dropped by at my birthday lunch. My friends, of different political hues and colors, had formed a rainbow of friendship for me.
7. Believe in the beauty of a second chance. Joe and I both emerged from difficult relationships, and we wanted to get it right together. Joe’s coming into my world transformed my life. Together, we have scaled the highest mountains with his political victories and knelt in the deepest valleys with the tragic loss of our daughter. But instead of adversity driving us apart, it cemented our love for each other. Without my husband’s trust and support, many of my dreams would have remained just dreams. I soared under his care and direction. He is the “wind beneath my wings.”
8. Credibility is the hallmark of great leadership. Leadership isn’t only about excellence and having good values; to me, credibility is the hallmark of great leadership. Trust, being the trademark of healthy relationship, inside and outside of the leadership realm. It was my misfortune to experience the most harrowing grief of losing a child, when my youngest daughter, KC, died. Losing your own child is the most harrowing grief that can be experienced by a mother. The pain is so extreme, it defies description; there’s no word for a parent who loses a child! When I lost my dearest KC, I also realized that a support group for “orphaned” mothers is needed to help us recover from the paralyzing grief. More so in a matriarchal country like the Philippines, where mothers are considered the “ilaw ng tahanan.” As the “heart” of every home, the
by Kathleen a lleMit Philstar.com
NADINE Lustre is at a loss for words at her second Best Actress award at the recently concluded Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) awards night.
The actress won for her performance in "Greed," her second from the award-giving body after her award for the 2018 film "Never Not Love You."
Nadine posted photos of her with her FAMAS trophy on Instagram.
"Lost for words. Full in heart," she wrote in her caption.
mothers in our country cannot afford to be paralyzed by the debilitating pain of losing a child, and in the process, jeopardize the welfare of the other loved ones in the family. Having experienced that deep personal heartache, and having survived that numbing grief of losing a child also gave me credibility to lead the Inang Naulila sa Anak (INA) Foundation, and deliver speeches on the most enduring lessons on ‘orphaned’ mothers’ survival, in various forums.
9. Helping others can be a healing experience. I learned that listening to the brave testimonials of my fellow orphaned mothers in the INA Foundation could be very therapeutic. In the course of time, the heartfelt synergy among us slowly transformed even our most
daunting challenges into a series of small, manageable steps until we learned how to live with our pain and become functional again.
10. On jealousy. My mother, Mama Nene (Vera Perez), showed me how to be a confident woman. Mama Nene was never a jealous wife. Her reason? She had always felt that she was the most beautiful woman, in the eyes of my father. My mom used to say, “Doc Perez was surrounded by the most beautiful women all the time, but he chose me, not them, to be his wife and the mother of his children. So, I, probably, am the most attractive of them all.” * * * For suggestions and comments, send email to monsrt@gmail. com, or follow on Instagram @ monsromulo.
“Tsaka, ‘yung gusto ko ‘yung [role na] parang hindi mo akalaing siya pala ‘yung masama… Gusto ko mag-kontrabida (And also, I want a role that, like, you won’t expect is actually the villain… I want to play the role of an antagonist),” she further said.
For seven years now, she has co-hosted “Magandang Buhay” with “Pinoy Big Brother” winner Melai Cantiveros and — since last year — Regine Velasquez, who officially replaced Karla Estrada.
Before joining “Ang TV,” the Tawag ng Tanghalan” judge was part of the musical group 14K — under the guidance of National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab — which also had Arnee Hidalgo and Radha Tinsay.
Awra faces more charges after posting bail
COMEDIAN Awra Briguela is facing more charges at the Makati Prosecutor's Office.
According to an ABS-CBN News report, Awra is now facing charges for light treats, grave coercion and violoation of the Safe Spaces Act. The charges were filed on Wednesday, August 16.
Awra has been released from police custody after posting bail last July 1.
The actor allegedly figured in a brawl with another group of guests in a bar in Makati City. Videos that have since gone viral showed Briguela being taken into custody by police outside the bar in Makati's Poblacion district last June 29.
According to the police chief, Briguela allegedly asked a certain Mark Christian Ravana to remove his shirt and started a fight with his group outside the bar. He said the actor cursed at the police that prompted them to arrest her. He was initially charged with physical injuries, direct assault, alarm and scandal and disobedience to person in authority. (Jan Milo Severo/Philstar.com)
The two posts show the actress wearing the fringe terno called "Swing" by Rajo Laurel. One photo shows her facing the camera with the trophy on her left hand, while the other photo shows her back profile with the trophy.
Nadine's other film entry "Deleter" was also nominated at FAMAS but it failed to win any award. The drama "Family Matters" won four awards, including Best Picture, at the ceremony held last Sunday, August 13, in Manila Hotel.
by KRistofeR PuRnell Philstar.com
ACTRESS Claudine Barretto managed to lose 84 pounds (38 kilograms) in two months because of Intermittent Fasting (IF), among other disciplinary health changes.
Claudine appeared on the recent video of Karen Davila's YouTube channel where she discussed with the broadcast journalist about her past relationships and the personal struggles that followed.
Toward the end of the video, Karen commended Claudine for how thin she looked, and the former was visibly surprised upon learning how much Claudine managed to lose in just two months because of IF.
"I do 20, 24 hours [of fasting] and tuloy-tuloy na, naging habit already," Claudine explained, adding that she would eat meals at four in the afternoon.
Karen then reminded viewers not to imitate Claudine unless given the green light by one's doctor, something that the actress agreed with, "You have to start ng mga 12, 13 hours muna, don't go beyond that."
"You are so tiny!" Karen exclaimed as she spun a smiling Claudine around. "Look at that, ang payatpayat."
Claudine said she now weighed 100 pounds (45 kilograms) again, the same weight she was after she officially split with ex-husband Raymart Santiago.
Asked by Karen what the most difficult part of IF was, Claudine answered it was the cravings, which
she managed to control by cleaning and sleeping earlier.
"I clean the bathroom, I clean and clean and clean, para makalimutan ko," the actress continued. "I try to wake up late... tinatagalan ko 'yung tulog ko."
Claudine ended by saying she stopped eating beef and pork, though she still ate chicken and donuts.
The actress will next be seen in Gabby Ramos' "Loyalista: The Untold Story of Imelda Papin" as the titular character during her years in Hawaii with the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos in exile following the People Power Revolution. g
AUGUST 17-23, 2023 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678 8
JOURNAL LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL LIFESTYLE • CONSUMER GUIDE • COMMUNITY • MARKETPLACE August 17, 2023 INSIDE
Claudine credits intermittent fasting for 84-pound weight loss in 2 months Nadine flaunts FAMAS 2023 Best Actress look
Former Pangasinan Rep. ‘Manay’ Gina de Venecia with husband, former Speaker Joe de Venecia.
Jolina Magdangal
Photo from Instagram/@mariajolina_ig
Nadine Lustre
Photo from Instagram/@nadine
Awra Briguela Photo from Instagram/@awrabriguela
Claudine Barretto Philstar.com photo
Downtown
Container Park hosts ‘9th Island
Love For Lahaina’: A Maui strong benefit event
LAS VEGAS — In honor of the victims and tragedy of the Maui fires, Downtown Container Park will host a community fundraising event featuring Hawaiian artists, vendors and entertainers.
In partnership with the AAPI Chamber, and Mahalo-Halo Las Vegas, Container Park will host ‘9th Island Love For Lahaina’ a Maui Strong fundraising event and benefit. On Sunday, August 20 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., guests of Container Park and Las Vegas community members are invited to an evening of aloha featuring a variety of local vendors like Vintaged LV and Les Kekahuna, over a dozen live entertainers, Hawaiian food trucks lining the block and more. Partial proceeds from sales made during the event will benefit various organizations providing services to those effected by this tragedy including the Maui Fire Relief Fund, Salvation Army and Maui Food Bank while the afternoon’s entertainment will forgo their performance fees to aid in the donation. Embracing the island spirit, Container Park’s stage will host an array of inspiring entertainers beginning at 3 p.m. including appearances by Bounce & Lady Reiko, Desiree & LeeHuh, BTR Kids Breakin’, Melody Rosa, Inafa’Maulek, Creed Chameleon, Hypnotiques, Mahi, Kennedy King and Sugatone. “Las Vegas is home to a large Hawaiian population and we take our designation as the ‘9th Island’ seriously,” said Container
Park General Manager James Gonzales. “The Hawaiian community here has always been a big part of Container Park’s success so hosting this event and helping any way we can is very important to us.”
Entry to this all ages event
Social Security administration expedites decisions for people with severe disabilities
KILOLO Kijakazi, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, announced 12 new Compassionate Allowances conditions: 1p36 Deletion Syndrome, Anaplastic Ependymoma, Calciphylaxis, Cholangiocarcinoma, FOXG1 Syndrome, Leber Congenital Amaurosis, Metastatic Endometrial Adenocarcinoma, Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration, Pineoblastoma – Childhood, Primary Omental Cancer, Sarcomatoid Carcinoma of the Lung – Stages II-IV, and Trisomy 9. The Compassionate Allowances program quickly identifies claims where the applicant’s medical condition or disease clearly meets Social Security’s statutory standard for disability. Due to the severe nature of many of
by HAnnAH MAllorcA Inquirer.net
these conditions, these claims are often allowed based on medical confirmation of the diagnosis alone. To date, nearly 900,000 people with severe disabilities have been approved through this accelerated, policy-compliant disability process, which now includes a total of 278 conditions.
“The Social Security Administration remains committed to reducing barriers and ensuring people who are eligible for benefits receive them,” said Acting Commissioner Kijakazi. “Our Compassionate Allowances program allows us to reinforce that commitment by expediting the disability application process for people with the most severe disabilities.”
When a person applies for
disability benefits, Social Security must obtain medical records in order to make an accurate determination.
The agency incorporates leading technology to identify potential Compassionate Allowances cases and make quick decisions. Social Security’s Health IT brings the speed and efficiency of electronic medical records to the disability determination process. With electronic records transmission, Social Security can quickly obtain a claimant’s medical information, review it, and make a faster determination. For more information about the program, including a list of all Compassionate Allowances conditions, please www.ssa.gov/ compassionateallowances.
‘romance’ with Sandro
is free. Clothing drop-off and additional donation opportunities will be available at Container Park’s ‘9th Island Love For Lahaina’ Maui Strong event. For more information, please visit www.downtowncontainerpark. com.
Netflix casts Ai-Ai as ‘AI’
EVEN if it's just to promote Gal Gadot's newest action-packed Netflix film, "Heart of Stone," Philippine Comedy Queen AiAi de las Alas has leveled up once again.
Kudos to the global streaming giant for tapping the Filipino comedienne to star with popular TikTok influencer Fonzi in a high-tech video skit inspired by the big, blazing Hollywood movie.
Our AiAi steps into the role of Agent Rachel Stone's (Gadot) tech aid Jack (Matthias Schweighöfer), who, via a supercomputer called "The Heart" uses surveillance data to guide her on the field in missions to save the world. Stone only needs to stick a tiny diamond device in her ear and she hears Jack's voice to fight the bad guys and stay alive.
Delas Alas's "A-I," therefore, becomes Jack to Fonzi's Rachel. The only difference is when Fonzi calls on A-I to help him with an escape plan amid a dubious meeting, she gives him a bunch of botched routes to save his life.
Very much in character, all Gadot could do was cross her arms in disbelief.
Directed by Tom Harper, "Heart of Stone" is now streaming on Netflix. To watch Delas Alas and Fonzi's video — "A.I. Ba Kamo?Ai-Ai de las Alas ang Sa 'Yo!" — visit Netflix Philippines's official channel on YouTube. (ManilaTimes.net)
YASSI Pressman denied rumors of a romance with presidential son, Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos, weeks after a video of them enjoying each other’s company at a private gathering went viral on social media.
Pressman, who just admitted to breaking up with Canada basedentrepreneur Jon Semira, told a 24 Oras interview on Tuesday, Aug. 15, that she and Marcos are just friends.
"‘Yung mga nakikita ko po (na balilta) kay Sandro [Marcos], hindi po ‘yun totoo at all. Tawang-tawa nga po kami (The reports linking me and Sandro Marcos are not true at all. We find those funny),” she said.
The actress then noted that their viral video, which has since been taken down from @_kitkatsz’s Tiktok page, added malice to their friendship due to the use of certain editing effects.
“Nalagyan lang po ng malisya dahil na-slow mo, nalagyan ng music (It just added malice because the video had a slow-mo edit and music),” she pointed out.
During the interview, the “Kurdapya” star also revealed that she and Semira have been separated for quite some time, although she didn’t clarify how long it has been since their split.
"Sa totoo lang, matagal na po
kaming naghiwalay. I’m very, very grateful to Jon. He’s a great person, sobrang mabait po talaga. Pero sana, people just respect our privacy and siya rin po, he’s a very private person,” she said.
(Honestly, we’ve broken up a long time ago. I’m very, very grateful to Jon. He’s a great person, he’s very nice. But I hope that people just respect our privacy and he’s a very private person.)
Semira confirmed his split with Pressman through a joint Instagram post on Aug. 16, where he also denied a third
party was involved in their break-up. This comes after their engagement video, which was uploaded sometime in March, surfaced on social media after it was obtained by INQUIRER. net from a source.
While both Semira and PrThe “Black Rider” star is currently linked to a scion of a political clan, Camarines Sur Gov. Luigi Villafuerte, where they’ve been spotted together on recent sightings. Despite this, she has yet to address the romance rumors between them.
(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com 9 LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUST 17-23, 2023 Agency adds to its compassionate allowances list Imagine if it were AiAi delas Alas in charge of the supercomputer Gal Gadot’s Agent Rachel Stone relied on to save the world in Netflix’s newest action flick, ‘Heart of Stone?’ Netflix Philippines photo
Yassi Pressman
Photo from Instagram/@yassipressman
Features
Yassi on alleged
CONSCIOUS brushing
Oro-dental health parallels cardiac health. Poor oral hygiene from neglect or improper oral care does not only lead to disgusting halitosis (bad breath) and dental carries/gingivitis, but also to increased risk for heart attack and stroke.
Conscious brushing is a method of dental care that provides the greatest chance of cleaning all the teeth, gums, tongue, and the whole mouth. The individual focuses and concentrates totally on flossing all the inter-dental (between teeth) crevices, and brushing each tooth consciously, the top and all reachable sides of each tooth. I prefer a soft brush and toothpaste with baking soda and peroxide, but most dental pastes are acceptable. The gums and the entire mouth are brushed gently, including the throat. Using a tongue scraper, from all the way back, forward to the tip, removes bacteria loaded thick mucus. The tongue is a great major source of bacteria and halitosis. Gurgling helps flush out food particles in between teeth. The final step is the use of mouth rinse, preferably with stabilized chlorine dioxide.
The less expensive alternative is to add a teaspoon of salt or two tablespoonful of hydrogen peroxide to a glass of water and use this as a mouth rinse, at least twice a day. And visit your dentist every 6 months, or more often if needed.
Food for the brain
With the scary threat of developing Alzheimer’s dementia, most everyone wonders what could be done to ward off this terrible nightmare, a disease worse than any other – even cancer, even death. The severe toll is not only on the individual but on the entire family, especially the spouse. While the Alzheimer’s syndrome is not totally known, especially on how to fully prevent it or treat it, one thing is clear: our diet affects our brain, our heart, and our whole being.
Currently, plant-based diet (rich in polyphenols, flavonoids, and other antioxidants) is the now evidence-based approach to disease prevention and in some cases, to cure, and even to maximize longevity, as stated in the book, “Let’s Stop ‘Killing’ Our Children” (link: philipSchua.com), which is listed in the U.S. Library of Congress.
The book is a primer on healthy
lifestyle starting from the womb and in the crib to protect DNA and to prevent major illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer’s and even cancer from ever occurring when children grow up, which also includes daily exercise; abstinence from tobacco, vaping, illegal drugs; adhering to a disciplined approach to alcohol; and stress management with weekend breaks and regular vacation/staycations with friends and family.
The simple strategy is to fill up 3/4 of your plate with vegetables of various colors, some fruits and nuts, and the remaining 1/4 with fish (wild-caught, not farmraised), chicken (without the skin), or beef or pork (not more than 12 ounces). Abstaining from red meat and processed meats (bacon, hot dogs, sausages, etc.) is a healthier option to reduce the risk for heart attack, stroke, T2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer. Most cancers, like pancreatic and colon cancers, are linked to eating red meat.
Soft drinks are slow-acting poison
Soft drinks in general, cola or uncola, diet or regular, caffeinated or flavored or not, are all toxic to the body, especially to children. These beverages increase the risk for metabolic syndrome, a cluster of medical conditions that leads to the development of high blood pressure, T2 diabetes, heart attack, and stroke. The effective use of cola drinks to unplug a blocked sink drain or toilet or its use to clean car carburetors illustrates the abrasiveness of this beverage. Imagine what it does to our body when we ingest them. The harmful effects take years. Taking this slow-acting poison ourselves and allowing our children to do the same is irrational, careless, and endangering the health of the entire family. The healthiest drink is still clean, unadulterated, filtered water. And less expensive too. Our filthy environment It might be surprising to some that our whole environment – our entire home, office, public areas – is literally filthy, becoming evident when various surfaces are tested and cultured for germs and examined under the microscope. We constantly live and cohabitate with bacteria, viruses, fungi, molds, parasites, etc., from the day we were born, and have developed a certain level of tolerance of them. That’s because our immune system has adapted to our Mother Earth. When our immunity goes down, through poor nutrition or care, or illnesses, or immuno-suppressed by chemo/radiation treatment
for cancer, or by AIDS, or when born with immune deficiency syndrome, the dose of these germs around us could overpower us and cause diseases. Hand washing, or bathing, does not totally eliminate the germs in us; they merely reduce the dose to a level that our individual immune system is able to handle and prevent illnesses. Even surgeons brushing their hands for 1015 minutes in preparation for surgery still has residual germs in their hands, the reason why they follow this up with alcohol or betadine soak. All our rooms at home are teeming with bacteria, especially the kitchen, more than the toilet, believe it or not. This why personal cleanliness is utmost, and cleaning our home regularly, daily for the kitchen and bathrooms, more intensely every week, is important in warding off contamination and diseases. I personally stay away from chemical cleansing agents, which has some health and ecological hazards. I use a new modified quadruple 5 formula for a concoction as a home-made cleansing spray agent: 50 cc regular vinegar, 50 cc alcohol, 5 cc dishwashing soap, mixed with 500 cc water, poured into two spray bottles. Safer, cheaper, and readily (refill) available than chemical cleansing agents sold in stores.
* * *
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
* * *
The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health.
* * *
Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He was a recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, presented by then Indiana Governor, later Senator, and then presidential candidate, Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry Truman, President George HW Bush, Muhammad Ali, and Astronaut Gus Grissom (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com;
Heart Evangelista breaks silence over alleged rift with former glam team
by Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com
KAPUSO actress Heart Evangelista broke her silence over the issue surrounding her former glam team.
In her interview with GMA News, Heart said that "life is like that."
"Marami tayong pagdadaanan with our careers and our personal life and everything is for a reason, and everything is for us to, you know, be stronger so we can face everything else in life,” she said.
Heart also shared the piece of advice she received from husband Chiz Escudero.
“My husband would always tell me, ‘With the glory comes the punches'," she said.
"So, you can’t have a perfect life, and nobody’s perfect. So everything’s made for a reason
Why Cinemalaya win ‘a big deal’ for Dolly de Leon
by Marinel Cruz Inquirer.net
IT felt so good,” said Dolly de Leon, who, after personally accepting trophies she has won in different parts of the globe, admitted that it was her first time ever on Sunday night to ascend a local stage for an award. Dolly bagged the best supporting actress honor for Carl Joseph Papa’s “Iti Mapukpukaw” at the recently concluded 19th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
She has already brought home five trophies for her performance in Swedish director Ruben Ostlund’s “Triangle of Sadness” from awardgiving bodies in Sweden, Portugal and the United States.
“It’s my first time delivering a speech in front of a local audience while accepting an award. I’ve won [in 2020], but the trophy was just delivered to my house,” Dolly said of her best supporting actress recognition for Raymund Ribay Gutierrez’s “Verdict” from the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences.
“I have not had this experience before. I’m so happy, especially because Cinemalaya is a big deal to me,” added Dolly, who also appeared in another full-length finalist, Dustin Celestino’s “Ang Duyan ng Magiting.”
In “Iti Mapukpukaw,” Dolly plays a mother to a mute portrayed by Carlo Aquino. “The message of the film is that if you have been dealing with trauma for quite a while now, it’s OK, you have someone who will listen to you; and if you are too afraid to talk, that’s OK, too. We will give you all the space to heal. Just know that we’re here for you,” she pointed out.
best actress for Samantha Lee’s “Rookie,” which follows the queer romance between two volleyball stars, her character Ace and Aya Fernandez’s Jana.
Just like Mikoy, Pat said, “I still can’t believe that this happened to me. To think that I haven’t gotten used to the fact that I played Ace. I hope to continue acting. Sayang naman since I’m already here.”
Understood
Pat said she felt thrilled to have witnessed the support that the LGBTQIA+ community gave to the project. “I guess they all felt and understood what the two characters are going through. I’m happy that they’ve embraced the movie. For people who are like Ace, just accept yourself for who you are and be brave. It’s as simple as that,” she said.
the best picture victory of “Iti Mapukpukaw” as “bittersweet.”
The film, which is Cinemalaya’s first animated full-length feature, also won the Netpac (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) Award.
“I’m happy because any form of recognition is a validation of the work of everyone in the production team. The experience is quite bittersweet because, in a perfect world, this kind of story wouldn’t exist. But here we are, convinced that this story needs to be told. Hopefully, Cinemalaya will become a vehicle to get its message across,” he said.
A showcase
to make us better people and stronger,” she added.
Rumors about the rift between Heart and her glam team began when DJ Jai Ho talked about a "famous celebrity" who allegedly kicked out her "stylist and makeup artist" for maxing out her credit card.
Heart’s makeup artist Justin
Louise Soriano denied the credit card rumors in the comments section of his Instagram account.
Responding to a social media user's query on Instagram, Justin said he can't let the issue pass because it's all about money.
"Sorry but I can’t let this pass lang, especially pera ‘yung pinopoint out,” he said.
“The falling-out has nothing to do with money matters. Please, let’s stop making issues. We are over it already. Patahimikin na po natin ito,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mikoy Morales was heralded best actor for his performance in Gian Arre’s “Tether.” Mikoy said he felt “shocked” upon hearing the good news. “It hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m just on ‘function mode’ right now until I get home, where I imagine I’ll most likely break down,” he told Inquirer Entertainment after the awards show held at Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on Sunday night. “This community really means a lot to me. My first film ever was also a Cinemalaya finalist [Adolfo Alix Jr’s ‘4 Days’]. Almost a decade later, this happened. It’s too much for me right now.”
Talking about what he hoped the audience would learn from the experience of James, his character in “Tether,” Mikoy said: “Be aware of toxic relationships. It’s hard to distinguish one when you’re in it. ‘Tether’ is also based on the concept of empathy, which is important in order to get to know your partner. Also, you have to be sensitive enough so you won’t end up hurting each other.”
Newcomer Pat Tingjuy won
Bon Andrew Lentajan is this year’s best supporting actor for Ryan Machado’s “Huling Palabas.” The movie also bagged the best director prize for Machado. Bon, who grew up in Bulacan, said it was a challenge for him to speak Bisaya for the movie, which was shot entirely in Romblon.
“It was really all about how to deliver my lines naturally. I also had to deliver it in a specific tone. We had to make sure to do it right because whatever error we commit would reflect on the image of Romblon,” he pointed out. “We studied the language for two to three weeks. While we had a language coach on the set, we also tried to talk with the locals in Bisaya.”
Bon dedicated his award to fellow actor JM Canlas, who passed away a few days before the festival concluded. “We attended acting workshops together. We also saw each other at auditions. His brother, Jerom, is part of the movie as the assistant director. His other brother, Elijah, as well as their parents, also helped when we were raising funds for this film,” said Bon.
Meanwhile, Carl described
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“I’m happy for the animation team. We rarely get to see original animated content from the Philippines, so this is a showcase for them. This shows that there are good animators here who could also do Filipino stories,” he declared.
“Ang Duyan ng Magiting” won the award for best ensemble, as well as the Special Jury Prize. “Tether” was also awarded best sound design for Gian Arre.
Kevin Mayuga’s “When This is All Over” won the best original music score for Kindred Music Productions, best production design for Kaye Banaag, and best cinematography for Martika Escobar.
“Gitling” won best screenplay for Jopy Arnaldo, while “Rookie” won best editing for Ilsa Malsi, as well as the Audience Choice award.
Kim Timan and Sam Villareal’s “Hm Hm Mhm” won the Special Jury Prize for short feature, while Mike Cabarles copped the best director for the short film “Makoko sa Baybay.”
Januar Yap’s “Sibuyas ni Perfecto” is this year’s best short film, while “Hinakdal” won the Netpac Award for shorts, as well as best screenplay for Arvin Belarmino and Kyla Romero.
AUGUST 17-23, 2023 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678 10 Features
Health tips PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS Health @Heart
Dolly de Leon (second from left) with the cast of “Ang Duyan ng Magiting” Photo from Instagram/@dollyedeleon
Director Carl Joseph Papa (center) accepts best picture award for “Iti Mapukpukaw.” Inquirer.net photo
Heart Evangelista Photo from Instagram/@iamhearte
(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com 11 LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUST 17-23, 2023
AUGUST 17-23, 2023 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678 12