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AUGUST 20-26, 2020

T H E F I L I P I N O –A M E R I C A N C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R

Volume 31 - No. 33 • 12 Pages

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Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY

DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Fil-Ams Democrats in Clark County find alternate ways to get out the vote, express support for Biden-Harris ticket

by CHRISTINA

M. ORIEL

AJPress

WITH Election Day less than three months away, Filipino Americans in Southern Nevada are ramping up efforts to ensure that the community shows

its voting power as the largest Asian American group in the state.

For Gloria Caoile, a labor leader who has been involved with civic engagement efforts for the past two decades, an election cycle has meant hosting events that would be culturally relevant

Filipina American activist Amy Agbayani represents Hawaii during DNC roll call

With the selection of the first Asian American VP candidate, policy experts highlight importance of data disaggregation, visibility in politics

CELEBRATED Pinay activist and professor Amy Agbayani represented the Aloha State during the state roll call on the second day of the 2020 Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, Aug. 18 Agbayani, an immigrant from the Philippines, announced the final Democratic delegate vote from the state: 23 for former Vice President Joe Biden and nine for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

“I came from the Philippines to Hawai’i, the land of indigenous native Hawai’ians,“

by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

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AMBASSADOR Enrique A. Manalo officially commenced his duties as Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Philippines to the United Nations last July 27 after presenting his credentials to the UN. Ambassador Manalo was received virtually by the Chief of Protocol of the United Nations, Ms. Beatrix Kania.

Before his posting in New York, Ambassador Manalo was Undersecretary for Policy of the Department of Foreign Affairs. It was the second time he has served in this position, having been Undersecretary for Policy from 2007 to 2010. He served as Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Acting Foreign Minister) of the Philippines from March 9 to May 17, 2017.

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As the 2020 US election ramps up, experts assess the Asian American electorate

Amy Agbayani

Ambassador Manalo assumes as PH Permanent Representative to UN in New York amid COVID-19

for Fil-Ams, be it kamayan feasts with elected officials or in-language canvas trainings.

“The citizen age population, those who are eligible to vote, total over 200,000 and again, half of that are Filipino Americans. Most [of them] live in

WAITING. One of the jeepney drivers climbs the side of a truck of rice as they wait for the arrival of TV host Willie Revillame at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) central office on East Avenue in Quezon City on Wednesday, August 19.

Revillame has pledged PHP5 million through LTFRB office and sacks of rice to the jeepney drivers affected coronavirus pandemic.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

AS the contentious 2020 election looms in the balance of a disaster-ridden year, the coronavirus pandemic is undoubtedly the top priority among voters.

For Asian Americans, the issue is twofold: in addition to a health crisis, it is also a social justice issue.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a string of anti-Asian sentiments and acts of hate plaguing the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, according to previous reports by the Asian Journal.

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Filipinos abroad with COVID-19 nearing 10K mark PH House subcommitte

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday, August 20, recorded 14 additional cases of the novel coronavirus among overseas Filipinos, bringing the official tally of infections to 9,973.

It also logged one new recovery, raising the number of recovered Filipinos to 5,860.

Meanwhile, the death toll remained at 733 as there were no reports of new fatalities due to COVID-19.

“With reports from only two countries in Asia and the Pacific and the Middle East,

the DFA confirms 14 new COVID-19 cases, 1 new recovery, and no new fatalities today among Filipinos abroad,” it said.

“Meanwhile, no updates were received from the Americas and Europe,” it added.

Overall by region, Europe — which comprises 18 countries — has recorded 1,156 Filipino cases, including 501 undergoing treatment, 560 recoveries and 95 deaths.

The Middle East and Africa, covering 27 countries, has reported 6,927 cases; of which, 2,350 are undergoing treatment, 452 deaths and 4,125 recoveries.

The Asia Pacific region, which spans across 20 countries, has 1,099 cases, with 361 undergoing treatment, 730 recoveries,

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US funds $37.5-M project for out-of-school youth in PH

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

Philippine Education Secretary Leonor Briones, NEDA Director General Isidro Lapeñ,a and U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim join more than 500 participants from across the country for the launch of USAID’s Opportunity 2.0 project.

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Manila

AROUND 180,000 young Filipinos out of school will be supported with a new P1.9 billion ($37.5 million) educational and employment program funded by the United States government, the U.S. Embassy in Manila announced Wednesday, August 19.

The Opportunity 2.0: Secondchance Opportunities for Out-ofschool Youth is a five-year project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

The project aims to augment on-going programs such as DepEd’s enhanced Alternative Learning System and TESDA’s skills training programs to provide relevant education, employability skills, and work experience, the U.S. Embassy said.

The program was launched on Wednesday and featured U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim, DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones, and TESDA Director-General Isidro Lapeña. Over 500 participants from across the country joined the virtual event.

“Through this new partnership, we can leverage a range of resources to maximize the potential of the Filipino youth, particularly those who are out-

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approves ‘Eddie Garcia Bill’

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

A measure seeking to institute workplace safety protocols for television and movie productions was recently approved by the Philippine House subcommittee on labor standards.

The Actors Occupational Safety and Health Standard Bill, or the “Eddie Garcia Bill,” aims to avoid any more accidents, especially ones that could lead to death, like what happened to veteran actor Eddie Garcia last year.

1-Pacman Partylist Rep. Mike Romero, Garcia’s stepson and one of the co-authors of the bill, thanked his colleagues for passing the measure.

Romero said he is expecting the bill’s “swift and prudent approval at committee and later on second and third readings at the soonest.”

“The Eddie Garcia bill assumes even greater importance and significance now given the workplace safety issues that have come with the COVID19 pandemic,” Romero said Wednesday, August 19.

“Workers and employers throughout the creative industries can gain much from implementing this measure when it is finally enacted into law. Safety first must be the rule not just

Eddie Garcia

GMA photo

in the construction and engineering fields, but in all career sectors, including the creative industries,” he added.

The Eddie Garcia Bill will provide: 1. Mandatory actors and production insurance; 2. Specific working hours for a) below 18 years old, b) 18-59 years old and c) 60 years old and above (senior citizen); 3. Medical and safety procedures on the production set and within its area of responsibility; 4. Mandatory

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From The FronT Page

As the 2020 US election ramps up, experts...

PAGE A1 As the pandemic rages on, so do the social and political implications of the crisis, making it the driving issue for the AAPI electorate this coming election.

The national party conventions signal the election’s vicinity, when the major party candidates become more than just media fixtures and potential leaders of the “free” world; and, the stakes are higher in an election taking place during a global pandemic.

In other words, things become real once the conventions roll around.

As a way to gauge the AAPI community’s place in the national conversation, the National Council of Asian Pacific Islanders (NCAPA) held a press briefing highlighting the crucial role AAPI’s play in elections and the magnitude of AAPI visibility in national politics.

AAPI groups hope that with the selection of Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), who is half-Indian American and the first AAPI vice presidential candidate in American history, will punctuate the importance of the AAPI community on a national level.

“Whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, it is a benchmark of progress, and it is a reminder that diversity should be embraced, not feared,” Gregg Orton, national director of NCAPA, said in the briefing held on Wednesday, Aug. 12. “But it is also important to recognize that as important as it is for governments to look like the people they represent, it’s also important for policies that they create be inclusive as well.”

Getting Congress to approach legislation inclusively — that is, to propose bills and measures that address the issues of the oftignored AAPI community — has been an ongoing struggle for AAPIs for years. There are presently 17 AAPI members in Congress, meaning that AAPIs currently serving in either chamber make up nearly half of the number of congressional AAPI’s in history.

(Since 1957, a total of 45 AAPIs have served as representatives and senators.)

But although AAPI representation in Washington is better than ever before, unifying the entire community as a political bloc continues to be an uphill battle.

Finding ways to combat antiAsian racism in relation to the

pandemic chief among the pressing issues that call for solidarity across ethnic and racial lines.

One hate crime tracker reported 1,500 anti-Asian harassment, bullying and violence signaling AAPI lawmakers and political coalitions like NCAPA to push for legislative solutions.

“It’s critical that political leaders recognize and address the needs of our diverse AAPI community,” said Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), who last week organized a forum with the congressional Black and Hispanic caucuses to work on legislation to address the “alarming uptick” in anti-Asian attitudes and harassment ahead of the November election.

The term AAPI itself is a controversial aggregate in itself that is used to describe the vast population of not just Asians and Pacific Islanders but also Native Hawaiians. Disaggregating data to reflect the concerns of the hundreds of culturally disparate ethnic groups under the AAPI label has been a cause for concern for years as the community continues to widen and diversify within itself.

In a pandemic that also has catalyzed a trend of anti-Asian sentiments across the U.S., the need for disaggregated data is especially crucial. The Filipino American community, for example, has been struggling to find answers to how the virus affects their own with many turning to whatever paltry data is available.

“These are critical disparities that we only know because certain states have elected to disaggregate their public health data by race and ethnicity,” Chu remarked, adding that there should be larger federal effort to disaggregate medical and health data.

The pitfalls of reaching for numerical paydirt, however, leads to fallacious media reports utilizing weak data to attempt to answer crucial questions about specific communities, like the Los Angeles Times story in July that reported a 40% mortality rate among Filipinos, a conclusion based on an unsubstantiated and rough list of 48 COVID-19 patients from the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles.

The lack of nuanced data is fur-

ther couched in the lack of language accessibility for the Asian ESL population, of which about one-third of AAPI and Asian immigrants are limited English proficient. The disproportionality of this has led to difficult outreach efforts to the AAPI community, making it more difficult for AAPI subgroups “to access critical resources,” Chu said.

“The information gets conglomerated as a general Asian American or Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander so for us, providing health care and for those who are the ground workers in the grassroots, it’s really hard for us to use that very, very lump sum data to really target the specific vulnerability of people who need more attention,” Katrina Dizon Mariategue, acting executive director of the Southeast Asia Action Resource Center, told the Asian Journal.

That being said, while prioritizing disaggregated observations of the massive AAPI community is important, so is the notion of a unified racial bloc that leads with cultural solidarity internally and externally, said Sefa Aina, Board Chair of Empowering Pacific Islander communities, who previously worked with President Barack Obama’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs. “Our number one priority [in Obama’s advisory commission] was to get federal agencies to disaggregate data internally, [but] we understand that there’s a lot of issues that cross ethnic lines,” Aina told the Asian Journal, urging communities to make the effort to simultaneously work to increase the visibility of their unique needs while investing in issues that don’t directly affect their own.

Dizon Mariategue mirrored Aina’s remarks, emphasizing that neither race-wide unity nor fighting for individualistic visibility of subcultures are mutually exclusive.

“Disaggregated data is very important for a number of Asian American groups, but I believe that the collecting of this data and the relevance of this data also shouldn’t hinder the ability for our organizations and groups to also work together collectively,” Dizon Mariategue said. “We can collect this necessary data but still work as a broad Asian American identity as well.” n

MEMORIAL FOR DIRTY HARRY. The urn containing the ashes of the former Manila mayor Alfredo Lim is placed at the Bulwagang Antonio Villegas, in Manila City Hall on Thursday, August 20. During the necrological services, people may view the urn and pay their last respects.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Fil-Am Democrats in Clark County...

PAGE A1

Clark County so we are aggressively reaching out to them to make sure they are registered to vote,” Caoile, who is volunteering as a senior advisor for the national Fil-Ams for Biden group, told the Asian Journal.

The presence of Fil-Ams in the state, and particularly in Clark County, is significant that election materials are available in Tagalog, in addition to English and Spanish, Caoile added.

The cards for this year’s caucus were translated into Tagalog for the first time.

The county is also in need of poll workers, especially those who can speak Tagalog, for the early voting period and on Election Day, and is increasing the hourly pay rate. (In response to coronavirus concerns, state lawmakers earlier this month approved a plan to send absentee ballots to all active voters this November.)

As Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) comprise 10% of the Silver State’s electorate — and 61% of them in the county alone — candidates have made it a point to visit the communities to court their votes.

Nevada, similar to recent cycles, is a battleground state where these voters can have the most impact in races down the ballot, according to a recent analysis by AAPI Data.

“Nevada has and continues to be a swing state. In communities like these, the Asian community can be the difference in an election,” Dan Santos, chair of Clark County’s Asian American Pacific Islander Democratic Caucus, told the Asian Journal.

Ahead of the state’s caucus in February, Biden, now the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, held an event in Las Vegas’ Chinatown, wherein he boasted the Obama administration’s strides on a record number of AAPI appointees and on issues like the long-awaited compensation payments for Filipino World War II veterans. Likewise, Biden’s running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, held an event with the AAPI community last year while she was still seeking the presidential nomination.

Under a pandemic, voter outreach this time around means

getting creative and employing other socially distant tactics.

“Unfortunately, social gatherings, one of our more loved customs, have been taken away from us. We have come up with programs that increases communication via virtual meetings, phone calls and text-messaging. Our message is ‘every vote counts,’” Caoile said.

Santos said that there will be more phone banks and virtual spaces to engage with elected officials and to speak up about the issues that are affecting the community.

As Fil-Am History Month falls right before the election, there’s also an opportunity to put this year’s election into context with the month’s theme celebrating the history of Fil-Am activism in the U.S. “Most folks don’t know that historically, our activists were directly involved in pushing for issues that the Democratic party continues to champion today,” Santos added, referencing labor organizer Larry Itliong’s role as a delegate at the 1972 Democratic National Convention. “My colleagues and I at AAPIDC hope to continue to share these stories to remind folks of the importance of voting and standing up for democratic values and principles.”

In addition to getting eligible voters registered and training on voting under the pandemic, local Democrats are doubling down on what the next administration would look like under Biden and Harris and how the Fil-Am community fits into that.

“As a proud son of immigrant parents from the Philippines, I was devastated by Trump’s inhumane family separation policy. Additionally, Trump’s response to the Black Lives Matter movement speaks volumes about the immense power and privilege he holds as a white man – law and order cannot be demanded at the expense of human lives,” said Craig Valdez, 24, a community activist and program manager for an organization that prepares individuals with immigrant heritage for civic leadership. “His continuous utter disregard for families, children, and humanity is completely unacceptable.

I’m optimistic that a Biden-Harris admin will restore dignity to the White House and this country’s people.”

Also a second-generation Fil-Am, immigration is another policy that hits home for Santos, citing the Trump administration’s policies against immigrants, such as changing the public charge criteria and separation of families at the U.S.Mexico border.

“I trust that the Biden-Harris ticket will modernize America’s immigration system and push for a pathway to citizenship for thousands of undocumented individuals who have called this country home for years,” Santos said. “We must continue to protect Dreamers and their families and develop a more humane and sensible approach to immigration.”

But with a majority of FilAms in the county as front-line workers in the medical field and other service-related jobs and small business owners, managing the COVID-19 spread and recovery afterward will continue to be top of mind as they cast their ballots.

“The pandemic has revealed the importance of the government’s role in our lives,” Santos said, adding, “Even before the shutdown, our Asian American small business owners bore the brunt of this treatment, leading many to close down shops entirely. Our front line workers, including nurses and caregivers, have been putting their lives at risk to combat this pandemic. The lack of adequate PPE and the need for hazard pay are huge issues that need to be addressed nationwide.”

Early polling data released this week by AAPI Data showed that registered Asian American voters nationwide are leaning toward Biden (54%), whereas 29% say they are inclined to vote for President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, 16% of the voters surveyed say they’re still undecided.

“If they vote for Trump, then they don’t have hope. He will continue to promote racism, bigotry, anti-immigration sentiments. Trump is incapable of leading our country out of this health care and economic crisis,” Caoile said. n

PH House subcommitte approves ‘Eddie...

PAGE A1 installation of safety officers within its area of responsibility; 5. Emergency standards and procedures; and 6. Penalties and liabilities for violation.

“The Eddie Garcia Bill would be the lasting legacy my stepfather will leave for all Filipinos,” Romero said.

Garcia on June 8, 2019 tripped on cable wires while

taping a scene for a GMA-7 television series in Tondo, Manila. He remained in a coma for nearly two weeks before he died on June 20 at the age of 90. n

Filipinos abroad with COVID-19 nearing...

PAGE A1 and eight deaths.

The Americas — covering seven countries like the United States — have 791 reported cases, with 159 undergoing treatment, 454 recoveries, and 178 deaths.

“The DFA shall continue to

keep track of the status of Filipinos abroad and stands ready to assist and facilitate repatriations, whenever possible,” the agency said.

More than 141,531 overseas Filipinos have been repatriated since the pandemic began, of which 87,569 are land-based workers

while 53,962 are seafarers.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola, for her part, said the DFA is expecting more repatriates in the coming days from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the United States, Japan, and Papua New Guinea. n

US funds $37.5-M project for out-of-school...

PAGE A1 of-school or unemployed. With the right knowledge, attitudes, and skills, they will play a pivotal role in this great country’s growth and success over the long-term,” Kim said.

USAID will partner with local governments in 12 cities across the country to set up Youth Development Alliances which will mobilize resources to help their out-of-school youth.

The project will also work

with over 2,200 employers and at least 50 education or training institutions, including major hubs like Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Davao.

The program is implemented by the U.S.-based Education Development Center, with partners Accenture, Philippine Business for Education, Catholic Relief Services, Voluntary Services Overseas, and SEAMEO-Innotech.

Briones, for her part, said

Opportunity 2.0 is “very important especially for parents who have lost their jobs and workers who used to attend ALS sessions are not able to do so anymore.”

“Parents cannot send their children to school. Preparing our learners as alternatives (sic) to formal education, giving them skills, preparing them to prepare for the world outside will surely contribute to the resuscitation of our economy,” she added. n

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Filipina American activist Amy Agbayani...

PAGE A1 agbayani, 77, said. “Today, I want to speak to my fellow immigrants, to the essential workers on the front lines, to the service members who wear our flag, to the parents with big dreams for their children.” “no matter where we came from, immigrants belong in our country’s long fight for justice.

We belong in the america we are building together.”

It’s no wonder agbayani was chosen to represent Hawai’i given her life-long dedication to civil rights and fair treatment of Filipino immigrants.

“Manang amy is our Rosa Parks,” a student told the Filam courier in 2017 following her retirement.

Born in the Philippines to a school teacher and diplomat, agbayani received a degree in political science from the University of the Philippines. She immigrated to Hawaii in 1964 and earned her Ph.D. at the University of Hawai’i, where

she participated in sit-ins and protests during the civil rights era.

Understanding her privileged background, she started to notice in the mid-1960s, when the 1965 Immigration and nationality act led to an influx of Filipino immigrants, that Filipino youth were bullied for lack of English proficiency.

She kickstarted Operation Manong at the University of Hawaii, the first-of-its-kind diversity outreach program in which university students mentored immigrant children. The program expanded to reaching out to underrepresented communities to encourage schoolaged children to attend college.

Securing funding for the program proved to be a difficult task, but agbayani and other Filipino educators pushed for it, even threatening to sue the Hawaii Dept. of Education.

“We really had to deal with

policy and make changes in the public schools to make sure [the Dept. of Education] didn’t blame the kids all the time,” agbayani told Honolulu civil Beat in 2017, adding that the department often blamed immigrant children for their lack of ambition.

Since the 1960s, agbayani built herself into a formidable figure in Hawaiian politics, befriending then-U.S. Rep Patsy Mink in 1975. She then served as a campaign manager and was even appointed to the Judicial Selection committee by then-gov. Ben cayetano of Hawaii.

“She became really the symbol of civil rights in the State of Hawaii. She can be very charming when she’s telling you that you’re messing up,” said former Hawaii gov. John Waihee.

“She’s one of those many unsung heroes in our state that don’t get the recognition that they should have [gotten].”

(Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

Ambassador Manalo assumes as PH...

PAGE A1 He has represented the Philippines and has served as chairman of various international meetings and conferences.

While acting Foreign Secretary, he chaired the aSEan Ministerial Meeting in april 2017. He also chaired various aSEan Senior Officials Meetings, especially during the Philippine chairmanship of aSEan in 2017. last week at the Un Security council High-level Open Debate (VTc) on “Pandemics and the challenges of Sustaining Peace” under the council Presidency of Indonesia, the Philippines recognized that the cOVID-19 pandemic threatens the gains already achieved in finding just and lasting peace in conflict-affected areas.

“Recognizing the potential impact of the cOVID-19 pandemic on the work to achieve peace, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte declared a unilateral ceasefire with the communist Party of the Philippines and its affiliates from 19 March to 15 april 2020, days before the Un Secretary-general issued his appeal for a global ceasefire on 23 March 2020,” ambassador Manalo said.

This initiative was recognized

by the Secretary-general who conveyed in late March 2020 that “upholding these commitments will be crucial to enabling an effective response to, and recovery from the cOVID19 crisis,” encouraging “both sides to build on this momentum and translate these expressions of good will into a lasting political solution”. The ceasefire demonstrated the Philippine government’s commitment to the swift and unimpeded provision of public health assistance, especially the safe movement of healthcare workers, to stricken communities in dire need of immediate medical care.

Manalo has also chaired meetings in a number of Un bodies, and has led the Philippine Delegation in a number of multilateral, regional and bilateral meetings.

The open debate last week aimed at exchanging views on the impacts of cOVID-19 on sustaining peace, and explored how more effective support can be harnessed for countries affected by or emerging from conflicts. Security council resolution 2532 adopted on July 1, 2020 demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities in all situations in support of the Un Secretary-general’s appeal for

a global ceasefire to combat the pandemic.

Manalo has previously served as Philippine ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2011 to 2016; non-Resident Philippine ambassador to Ireland from 2013 to 2016; Philippine ambassador to Belgium and luxembourg and Head of the Philippine Mission to the European Union from 2010 to 2011; and Philippine ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Philippine Mission to the United nations and Other International Organizations in geneva from 2003 to 2007.

He received three Philippine Presidential awards: the gawad Mabini award with the rank of grand cross (Dakilang Kamanong), the Order of Sikatuna with the rank of grand cross (Datu) (Gold Distinction) and the Order of lakandula with the rank of grand cross (Bayani).

In light of the ongoing situation presented by cOVID-19, letters of credentials of new Permanent Representatives are submitted electronically. When the situation allows, ambassador Manalo will have an inperson meeting with the Secretary-general for the ceremonial presentation of credentials. (Momar G. Visaya/AJPress)

Dateline PhiliPPines

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PH allows deployment of health workers with contracts as of March 8

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

Malacañang on Thursday, august 20, said that healthcare workers with overseas employment contracts as of March 8 will be allowed to leave the country.

“The [cOVID-19 task force] this afternoon decided that health professionals with papers, meaning [Overseas Employment certificate] issued by the [Philippine Overseas Employment administration] and employment contracts verified as of March 8, 2020, can leave the country,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.

The Inter-agency Task Force (IaTF) on Tuesday reinforced the deployment ban on medical workers seeking employment overseas. “considering the continuing State of Public Health Emergency, the overseas deployment of the medical and allied health

workers is hereby temporarily suspended,” IaTF’s Resolution no. 64 read.

However, Filipino nurses United sought for the lifting of the restriction as many of them remain jobless.

Roque, for his part, urged healthcare workers to stay in the country. according to him, the government is already providing medical front-liners additional benefits like risk allowance, P15,000 for those who get infected with cOVID-19, life insurance, free accommodation and transportation, as well as free and frequent testing.

“Sa tingin ko po, sa panahon ng pandemiya, mananaig naman po ang nasyonalismo sa puso at damdamin ng ating mga nurses (I think in the time of pandemic, nationalism will prevail in the hearts and feelings of our nurses),” Roque said.

“Kahit mangibang bansa ang ating mga health workers, mai-

iwan silang mga mahal sa buhay dito at sana maisip din ng mga health professionals na wala namang mag-a-attend sa mga pamilya dito kapag kailangan ng mga health workers (Even if our health workers go abroad, they’ll leave their loved ones here. I hope they also consider that nobody would attend to their families here),” he added.

Philippine Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire also stressed that medical front-liners are needed in the country. “nakikiusap po kami sa aming mga healthcare workers na sana yung nationalism natin ay manaig sa panahon ngayon na meron tayong pandemya (We appeal to our healthcare workers hoping that their sense of nationalism will prevail at a time of pandemic),” she said. as of Thursday, august 20, there are a total of 178,022 cOVID-19 cases in the country, with 2,883 fatalities and 114,114 recoveries. n

Appeals court rejects Ressa motion to go to US for talks, press freedom award ManIla — The court of appeals rejected Rappler cEO Maria Ressa’s motion to be allowed to leave the country for a series of events in the United States, saying her trip is unnecessary.

The ca’s Special Fourteenth Division threw out the motion filed by Ressa, who was convicted on cyber libel in June, to be allowed to leave for the US on late august, while her appeal remains pending.

Ressa and Rappler’s former researcher Reynaldo Santos had elevated their case to the appeals court after the Manila Regional Trial court Branch 46 upheld its earlier ruling that convicted them on cyber libel. They are currently out on bail.

Ressa sought the ca’s nod to be allowed to leave for the US on august 23 and return on September 19, saying she intends to attend various events related to the theatrical release of and panel discussions on the “a Thousand cuts” documentary.

She also said she is set to be conferred with the “2020 Inter-

national Press Freedom award” from the US national Press club.

She cited that the Manila court previously allowed her to leave the country by posting a bail bond of P100,000 and committing to notify it within 24 hours of her return.

OSg opposition The People of the Philippines, represented by the Office of the Solicitor general, opposed her motion and said that while she was previously permitted to travel abroad, her conviction warrants stricter restriction.

The OSg also argued that Ressa made public statements “indicative of her lack of respect for the Philippine judicial system,” and also faces other charges. “according to the OSg, these circumstances, along with her views on the justice system, make her a flight risk,” the ruling made public on Wednesday read.

The OSg also said that there are other ways that would allow Ressa to participate in the events

without her needing to leave the country.

The court’s ruling The ca said that while liberty of travel is a constitutional right, it is not absolute. “[T]he bail puts the accused under the jurisdiction of the court, and it operates as a valid restriction on a person’s right to travel,” the ruling read.

The court also held that Ressa failed to show “necessity and urgency of her intended travel” to the United States. It said it took note of the OSg’s argument that traveling to the United States is not necessary as Ressa can participate through video conferencing and other technological applications.

“In view of Ressa’s failure to prove that her travel to the United States of america is necessary and urgent, there is no basis to grant her motion,” the ruling, penned by associate Justice geraldine Fiel-Macaraig, read. associate Justices Danton Bueser and carlito calpatura concurred with the decision.

(Philstar.com)

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Reinfection

FOR the second time, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año has tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019. Año himself announced this as he went into self-isolation. Cabinet members who interacted with him in recent days have also undergone selfquarantine.

Año’s case deserves careful study by epidemiologists, who are still unsure if surviving COVID-19 infection gives the patient immunity, and how long the immunity lasts. Catching measles, for example, gives lifelong immunity, but the common cold keeps recurring, and there is still no cure or vaccine for it. Dengue can recur, with subsequent infections potentially riskier. In certain viral afflictions, however, the next infections are milder than the first.

Another possibility is that the results of Año’s previous tests were wrong, and that he actually had not yet rid himself of COVID19. This can pose problems for the reliability of existing tests for the COVID-causing SARS-coronavirus-2, and aggravate the risk of community transmission. There is also no definitive study on whether the antibodies developed by COVID survivors make them

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completely free of SARS-CoV-2, and whether the survivors remain capable of passing it on to others.

Amid all these uncertainties, and in the absence of a vaccine or cure, the best defenses against SARS-CoV-2 infection remain the health protocols already prescribed by scientists: physical distancing; cough and sneeze etiquette; wearing of face mask and, where appropriate, a face shield; regular handwashing with soap and water, or else disinfection of the hands with alcohol or sanitizer; avoiding touching the face with unwashed hands, and staying home as much as possible.

In the meantime, public health experts must study Año’s case thoroughly because of its implications on health safety protocols as the country continues the gradual reopening of the economy.

The possibility of reinfection is on top of reports that a mutated COVID strain has been detected in Quezon City, which appears to be more infectious than the original. The last thing the country needs is the emergence of a more virulent strain of COVID. Every effort must be made to determine if this can be ruled out.

(Philstar.com)

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective Gel SantoS-ReloS ELECTION fever is heating up this August as the two major political parties hold their respective national conventions for the next two weeks to formally nominate the next presidential and vice-presidential candidates. The members of each party will also work together to adopt the official platform which will be our guides as voters in choosing the direction they plan the steer the country to and how to get there.

We may watch the livestreaming of the Democratic National Convention scheduled for August 17-20, 2020 from Milwaukee, Wisconsin (www. demconvention.com), while the Republican National Convention will kick off on August 24-27, 2020 in Charlotte, North Carolina (www.2020gopconvention.com).

These political conventions are happening amid the coronavirus pandemic and the worst economic recession we are now living in since the Great Depression. As voters, we will have the opportunity to discern conscientiously who among the candidates share our core values and aspirations, and how these values and aspirations are reflected in their statements of their principles, goals, and strategies to help solve our economic hardships, as well as the moral, social and cultural division that has been threatening our Union.

As we Americans look forward to this very important and consequential civic exercise of casting our votes for the 2020 presidential election on November 3, most of us are daunted by the threat of COVID-19, which has now infected close to 22 million people

As Trump tries to sabotage USPS and mail-in voting, this is what we should do to cast our votes and make sure they count to protect the sanctity of our elections around the world, with a death toll of 777,150 people and counting.

Most developed nations have successfully defeated the virus and have slowly and safely started to open their countries again, but the spread of the virus in the United States continues to be in the uptick under the Trump presidency. The number of confirmed cases has gone up to almost 5.5 million, killing more than 171,340 people.

Despite the pandemic and with the urgency of the times, we are empowered to continue exercising our constitutionally protected right to vote through what many generations of Americans have been doing since the 1760s during the time of the Civil War — voting by mail. Spearheaded by the Republican Party led by President Abraham Lincoln, they wanted Union soldiers to be able to exercise their right to vote from the battlefield.

For many years thereafter, these mailed-in ballots have been helpful for people who could not go to the polling place on election day. Mail-in-voting has increased voter turnout, especially in places where people can be challenged to go to the polls because of the weather, their work schedule, or other health, logistical and personal reasons. Even President Donald Trump and his family have been casting their votes through mail-in voting.

We are now on the battlefield, at war with COVID-19, and We, the People, will want to make sure we cast our votes and have them counted in this democracy to chart our future.

However, as the cash-strapped 108-year-old USPS anticipates the

surge in mail-in ballots, Trump has repeatedly refused to sign any legislation with a bailout provision for the essential service. “‘The Postal Service is a joke,’ said the President in May. His administration nixed a bipartisan attempt to provide $13 billion to the Postal Service in March and previously recommended measures to privatize parts of the service,” Fortune reported.

In June, Trump appointed a new Postmaster General for the USPS — Louis DeJoy, a Trump ally and Republican donor —who implemented drastic cost-cutting measures that cripple operations and slow down the delivery of mail. No overtime. No new hiring. The removal of mail sorting machines, the very machines that are responsible for sorting ballots.

USPS mailboxes in our neighborhoods, where we conveniently drop off our ballots, are seen and confirmed to be hauled away in trucks in many states.

On Friday, August 14, USPS warned 46 states that it can’t guarantee delayed mail-in ballots will be counted!

“Lawmakers from both parties and postal union leaders have sounded alarms over disruptive changes instituted by DeJoy this summer,” CNN reported. “Democrats claim he is intentionally undermining postal service operations to sabotage mail-in voting in the November election — a charge he denies.”

The Inspector General is now investigating Trump’s new USPS appointed chief DeJoy. “DeJoy still owns at least a $30 million equity stake in his former company — a USPS contractor — and that he recently bought stock options for Amazon, a USPS competitor.

These holdings likely create a major conflict of interest,” ethics experts told CNN. How ironic and blatantly hypocritical is it that at the same time he was attacking mail-in voting, Trump’s own absentee ballot to vote in Florida’s primary election on Tuesday, August 18, was en route to Mar-a-Lago. How can this president allow and even promote mail-in-voting in Florida, while demonizing and stopping voting by mail in other states, especially those that tend to vote Democratic?

In response to this national emergency, Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California announced on Sunday, August 16, that “she would call the House back from its annual summer recess for a vote this week on legislation to block changes at the Postal Service that voting advocates warn could disenfranchise Americans casting ballots by mail during the pandemic,” the New York Times reported.

Former President Barack Obama posted a message on Twitter on Friday, August 14, saying, “Everyone depends on the USPS. Seniors for their Social Security, veterans for their prescriptions, small businesses trying to keep their doors open.

They can’t be collateral damage for an administration more concerned with suppressing the vote than suppressing a virus.”

“If you’re in a state where you have the option to vote early, do that now. The more votes in early, the less likely you’re going to see a last minute crunch, both at polling places and in states where mail-in ballots are permitted.

Then tell everyone you know,” he added.

Meanwhile, many Americans find help by going to the website https://represent.us/how-to-vote2020/, which posted a state-bystate interactive guide to help Americans vote safely.

“Get prepared to #VoteSafe by seeing if you qualify to vote by mail in your state and requesting your ballot early to avoid flooding election officials. Then, share this page with your friends and family to help them #VoteSafe,” the site reads.

The website has laid out important deadlines for each state, but reminds us of the rule of thumb: “The earlier you request and return your ballot, the better.”

MEANWHILE, this advice has been shared on social media to make sure we vote and that our votes are received and counted: 1. Request a mail-in ballot.

2. Do not mail it.

3. Google your supervisor of elections to see where you can drop off your mail-in ballot. It’s usually NOT THE POLLING PLACE. All states allow this!

Here is what you’re accomplishing by doing this: 1. Your ballot gets in on time no matter what happens to the USPS. 2. You don’t have to worry about standing in long lines and risking infection. You’re just stopping by to drop it off.

3. You still voted! Hooray!

Also, when you drop it off, find out how to track it online to make sure it is verified. California, Oregon, Washington, and Colorado have systems that can track your ballot just like tracking a package from Amazon.

All CA vote centers (which are open for weeks to a month before election day) have ballot drop-

community now numbers over 4 million (2018 American Community Survey) yet the majority of our community (69%) are foreign-born or immigrants. This means that immigration played a huge part in shaping our community. Immigration is the selective recruitment of Filipinos where priority is given to the highly educated and skilled. We have heard of the term, “brain drain” where the brightest, most highly educated and trained Filipinos are recruited away from the Philippines to work in another country, such as the United States.

Through selective recruitment, aka immigration policy, more than 2/3rds of our community are among the most educated, most skilled, and the most motivated among Filipinos. They mostly come from middle-class families who can take advantage of educational opportunities in the Philippines, and leverage these for jobs abroad created by labor shortages in different sectors. My brother, a civil engineer and computer programmer with experience in the petrochemical industry, was able to immigrate with his whole family (wife and three children) due to a severe labor shortage of computer programmers to fix the Y2K bug, a couple of years before our calendars turned over into the year 2000. Around the same time, I met a group of Filipino teachers in science and math, fresh off the boat, so to speak, who were recruited to fill shortages of math and science teachers in Los Angeles County.

These are not individuals who experienced racial bigotry growing up. They do not come from families who have been historically denied educational opportunities and jobs. And who had to struggle against discrimination, poverty, and a history rooted in slavery.

There is an ironic twist in our historical confrontation with American style white supremacy. At the turn of the 20th century, America sought to annex the Philippines as a colonial territory. Filipinos who had just declared independence from Spain resisted that effort. We lost that war. As a fig leaf for their intentions, the U.S. declared a policy of “benevolent assimilation.”

This led, among other things, to the establishment of a nationwide system of public education, and the recruitment of thousands of white teachers to teach at these schools. Americans even established a public university, the University of the Philippines (1908) to give Filipinos access to American style higher education. Since the early decades of the 20th century, Filipinos were being given access to educational opportunities that were being denied African Americans by Jim Crow laws.

To be sure, the policy of Benevolent Assimilation was racist at its core since it presupposed that we were subhuman, illiterate savages no different from African Americans. Ample evidence of this is provided in a book, which I coauthored, “The Forbidden Book,” a collection of editorial cartoons from the Philippine-American war period. Contrary to our depiction as subhuman savages, by mainstream American media of

the period, we had an educational system that included the University of Santo Tomas, a European style university founded 30 years before Harvard. We had painters like Juan Luna who were winning awards in Europe, writers like Jose Rizal, whose work was admired even by the Spanish. His two novels, “Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo,” were unfortunately thought to have incited the rebellion against Spain, and Rizal was arrested and executed him for them.

The American style educational system did turn us into docile colonials for American purposes, a model minority that they could hold up against African American demands for freedom and equality.

This disparate treatment between African Americans and Filipinos, plus the selective recruitment of Filipinos via immigration, is largely responsible for the disparate conditions between Filipino and African American communities today. The wedge created by the model minority image enabled Filipinos to occupy that liminal space between white privilege and white supremacy, African Americans meanwhile continued to be kept across that border defined by white supremacists.

Filipinos in America have been spared the worse effects of white supremacy by our initial resistance against white America’s efforts at empire. But we have a brotherhood with African Americans that extends back to the Philippine American war when black soldiers broke ranks with their

Filipinos and the model minority myth

Commentary

enRique

de la CRuz

COMMENTING on my previous essay entitled “Utang na Loob,” (published in the Los Angeles Asian Journal issue on July 29, 2020), a family friend wrote: “Why did Asians rise a bit higher than Blacks? Is it their thirst for a good education, a lot of self-esteem and pride in their heritage as well as close family ties that encouraged them to target a higher vision?”

To this, I am tempted to just give a short answer. The idea that Asians, particularly Filipinos, are “better” than blacks is a key ingredient of that kool-aid that we have been drinking as former colonial subjects. It is a wedge intended to divide us in the manner of “divide and conquer” from other communities of color As former colonial subjects of the United States, tutored via an American style educational system — which historian Renato Constantino singles out as the main reason for the miseducation of Filipinos — we have a baked-in inferiority complex about white Americans. So it feels good to hear that we are better than Blacks, and eagerly subscribe to the “model minority” myth.

This is the idea that Asians,

despite a shared history of racial discrimination with blacks and Native Americans, have been able to overcome their marginalization due to a strong work ethic and family values. And have become America’s model minority.

When the idea was first proposed in the mid-1960s, amid protests for civil rights led by African Americans, it was intended to minimize the demands of African Americans, by saying: “Look, if Asians can rise above their oppression and marginalization, then African Americans can too — under the current system — if they adopt the values that make Asian Americans successful.” This is a well-worn but dangerous cliché that white privileged America has fomented upon blacks, and Native Americans to minimize their demands for equality. It is not only misleading, it drives a wedge between Asian Americans and African Americans. For Filipinos who have been miseducated into thinking that their culture is inferior to white western culture, it feels good to hear that there are others in America, Blacks, who are inferior to us. We eagerly and uncritically drink the kool-aid.

I do not dispute that our community today, exudes an image of success, and that on a per capita basis, we are doing better than African Americans. But I do not believe that we have overcome in the sense that our values have enabled us to transcend racial oppression and marginalization.

Let me explain. Statistically, our

off boxes too! Many government buildings have them as well, so there’s no need to wait until election day when it’s crowded to drop them off. The list of dropoff sites is always posted on each county’s voter info website.

NEWSFLASH: USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced on Tuesday, August 18, that all changes being made to the Postal Service will now be suspended until after the November 3 elections. However, he also needs to return all the mailboxes hauled back to the neighborhoods so the people, especially the seniors, can conveniently drop off their ballots. The sorting machines should also be returned to speed up mail delivery process, and overtime pay as well as new hiring should be authorized to support surge in mailed in ballots so our votes will all be counted.

“At least 20 Democratic attorneys general across the country are launching a multi-pronged legal effort to push back on the recent changes that disrupted mail delivery across the country and triggered accusations that Trump and his appointees are trying to undermine mail-in voting,” CNN reported.

VOTE! SEND YOUR BALLOTS EARLY, AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE COUNTED. Our livelihoods and the future of this nation that we love depend on this process. *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community.

You may contact her through email at gelrelos@ icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.

A political cartoon from June 10, 1899 that bore the caption, “The Filipino’s First Bath.

McKinley - ‘Oh, you dirty boy!’”

Image from “The Forbidden Book” (2004)

white counterparts and defected into the Filipino rebel army.

One such noted soldier is David Fagan, of the 24th Regiment of the U.S. Army. Fagan’s heroic exploits with Filipinos even drew notice from the New York Times. He was our “General Lafayette,” in our war against American imperialism.

Our robust presence here today, where our communities are able to flourish in the space opened up by historic civil rights legislation passed in the 1960s, is owed to African Americans and their allies who dared to confront racism and white supremacy. We have to be critically wary of suggestions that it is our family values and work ethic that set us apart from African Americans. Those are the myths in that kool-aid calculated to divide us from other communities of color.

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

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‘Babae at Baril’ and ‘John Chef Alvin Cailan returns to LA with new meat shop, releases Denver Trending’ join lineup at the New York first cookbook on upbringing as American-born Filipino Asian Film Festival 2020 From egg sAndwiChes to burgers

by

Christina M. oriel/AJPress

LAST December, Alvin Cailan put a down payment on the former Chego spot inside Far East Plaza in Los Angeles’ Chinatown without the immediacy, or a defined concept, to occupy it.

One possibility was a 12-seat steakhouse offshoot of his “Amboy” project — based on his childhood nickname referring to an American-born Filipino — with select cuts of meat paired with Filipino-inspired side dishes.

Cailan, the chef behind breakfast sandwich empire Eggslut, had been living in New York for nearly four years, running his first fullservice eatery called The Usual at the Nolitan Hotel, while traveling across the country in search of the perfect hamburger as documented in First We Feast’s “The Burger Show,” a digital series on YouTube and Hulu.

“The plan was always to be bicoastal, having a presence in New York and LA,” Cailan told

the Asian Journal in a recent interview.

Then, the pandemic hit, prompting the closure of his 125seat restaurant that was built on the premise of “American comfort food cooked by the children of immigrants” and that had garnered glowing reviews, especially for its fried chicken, in magazines like The New Yorker and Vogue.

The move back to LA became a chance to test out another idea relating to the “Amboy” brand that would make sense under the safer at home order. What he brought home were lessons from New York on how to pare down The butcher shop features 4 types of burgers operations, a stark contrast from his previous projects.

“As a chef, I realized I am more of a small batch guy who likes to have control over every dish that comes out and the prep involved,” Cailan said.

His footing in Chinatown’s Far PAGE B4

Cailan at Amboy Quality Meats & Delicious Burgers in Chinatown, Los Angeles Contributed photo

by

MoMar G. Visaya / AJPress

TWO films from the Philippines have made it to the official selection of the 19th New York Asian Film Festival, which has pivoted to a special virtual edition and will run from August 28 to September 12, 2020.

The Girl and the Gun (Babae at Baril) and John Denver Trending are both screening at the festival which offers more than 50 films from 10 countries including first timers Bhutan and Kazakhstan.

Set as the Opening Film is Contributed photo the North American Premiere of The Girl and the Gun (Babae at Baril), written and directed by Rae Red, led by actress Janine Gutierrez, and produced by Iana Celest Bernardez and Bianca Balbuena.

“So proud to be part of this female-led team,” Gutierrez posted on her Instagram account. In the film, she plays the role of a department store saleslady whose life changes when she finds a gun right on her doorstep one night.

The film, which earned a Best Director award for Red at the QCinema International Film Festival also stars Felix Roco, JC Santos, and Elijah Canlas. Red cowrote with her cousin Mikhail Red the film Birdshot, which screened at the 2017 NYAFF and was the Philippine entry to the Oscars.

NYAFF continues to highlight women both behind and in front of the camera and this year, they are proud to spotlight an exciting lineup of titles directed and led by women: Heavy Craving from Taiwan, Lucky Chan-sil and Kim The elements of creating the perfect pan de sal sandwich.

Excerpted from AMBOY: Ji-young, Born 1982 from South Recipes from the Filipino-American Dream © 2020 by Alvin Cailan. Korea, My Prince Edward from Photography © 2020 by Wyatt Conlon. Hong Kong, and Victim(s) from

John Denver Trending won Best Film and Best Actor (for newcomer Jansen Magpusao) at the 2019 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival and was an Official Selection at the 2019 Busan International Film Festival.

Photos courtesy of NYAFF

Malaysia, among others.

“At a time when the work of festivals might seem like a rearguard battle, I’m glad to take a leap into the unknown, and search east, not only for the films, but for new ways of exhibiting those films,” said Samuel Jamier, executive director and president of the New York Asian Film Festival & Foundation.

A generous share of the program is devoted to new filmmakPAGE B5

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Filipino film about trans caregiver ‘Lingua Iza teeming with gratitude for new TV show Franca’ wins top prize at US film festival by ricky

calderon ManilaTimes.net

by ian

Biong

Sandoval, a Filipino transwoman Inquirer.net herself, took on the lead role of OlA FILM about a Filipino trans- ivia, an undocumented immigrant woman caregiver in the United in Brighton, New York, who gets States titled “Lingua Franca” into a romantic relationship with bagged the top prize at this year’s a Russian-Jewish slaughterhouse Bentonville Film Festival. worker who does not know she The film, written and directed by is trans.

New York-based filmmaker Isabel “Lingua Franca,” the critically Sandoval, was hailed as the Best acclaimed director’s third feature Narrative Feature by the award- film, had its world premiere last giving body on August 16. year at Venice Days (Giornate degli

Director-actress Isabel Sandoval as Olivia in her film “Lingua Franca”

IZA Calzado, who just celebrated her birthday last August 12, is grateful that their new ABSCBN show titled “Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin” premiered this week. The show was supposed to air last March but the COVID-19 pandemic stopped it on its tracks.

“I am grateful that despite the many things we went through during this pandemic, we are finally opening,” said the actress who also got infected by Covid19 but was able to recover. “We have been chosen by God to do this on a new platform. I am beyond grateful that despite the many challenges, were able to pull through.”

The actress added they are excited to share “Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin” to the viewers now tuned in to the new Kapamilya network.

“Life goes on and I am truly grateful that I survived Covid-19.

God moves in mysterious ways.

From where started last March and now we are here, it is God’s will. We just lift everything to God.” Iza Calzado Iza is working with Maricel Soriano, Jodi Sta. Maria and Sam Milby in the series directed by F.M. Reyes and Avel Sunpongco, and produced by JRB Creative Production.

Iza first worked with Jodi in the movie “Maria Leonora Teresa” where they became good friends.

They would message each other every day and looked forward to working together on the set of Photo screengrabbed from YouTube/ARRAY their new show despite the social

Autori), the independent section that runs alongside the Venice Film Festival.

The film is “very personal to Sandoval” and “will go down in history as the first film written and directed by a transwoman of color,” producer Darlene Malimas told the Philippine Daily Inquirerin an interview last year.

Sandoval’s first feature film, titled PAGE B5

Photo from Instagram/@missizacalzado

Iza with co-stars Jodi Sta. Maria, Maricel Soriano and Sam Milby

distancing being imposed on the cast and production team.

“Our friendship grew deeper while doing this series. I appreciate her as much as I did before.

I know she is a good person and I believe we were both handpicked by God to be together,” Iza shared.

Iza added that there is no contest between her and Jodi on the set, “We are team players. If your co-star has the highlight, you’ve got to play your part well to support her. If you think that you should be better than your co-star, then that would not work.

Dapat walang sapawan. Dapat

ABS-CBN photo

tulungan kayo.”

Besides, she added, she is not competing with Jodi but with herself. “I am competing with myself because I want to be better. I want to be good that’s why I always asked after every take if I did well. I want to outdo myself and be better. If there is a second take, I always think how to make it better.”

Iza also cherished the opportunity to work with Diamond Star Maricel Soriano whom she described as “a generous actress” because the latter always shares acting tips and makes them feel good in every scene.

Gerald, Arci team up for the third time

by Honey

orio-escullar Philstar.com

DURING a virtual presscon for Love Unlock, Gerald Anderson begged off from questions pertaining to his personal life, especially not about colleagues who were not present and who should be respected.

“I’m just going to stay silent,” he said. “Ganun po talaga ‘yung character ko, you know. I mind my own business at ipapayo ko rin yun sa ibang tao.”

Airing tonight at 7:30 on the Kapamilya Online Live, Love Unlock is a mini-movie original digital special made up of episodes E-numan, starring Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia, and Hook-Up in which Gerald is again paired with Arci Muñoz. Their previous projects together are the Star Cinema films Always Be My Maybe (2016) and Can We Still Be Friends? (2017).

In Hook-Up, they play lovers who try to spice up their relationship by romancing online.

The mini-movies were written

by Benson Logronio and Arah Jell Badayos, and directed by Dado Lumibao.

Gerald and Arci had to shoot their respective scenes from home while ensuring that the set had proper lighting, clear and crisp audio, and the right camera angles.

“It was very challenging,” admitted Gerald. “It wasn’t easy preparing the production set without the help of the technical people. Direk Dado had to send

his instructions virtually. Hindi po biro yung ginawa namin, eh. It was difficult to set up dahil online lahat. Mahirap siyang trabaho but you know working with Arci has always been very light at kita naman ‘yung fun sa mga projects that we did. I hope that when everything is finally okay, we will again (physically) work together.”

Arci agreed. She herself had to set up her bedroom for a scene.

“It was really tough. I had to make a lot of adjustments. Eh, diba ‘pag (normal) taping you only have to worry about your lines, your script, how to execute your scenes. This one was hard and I almost gave up, hahaha! I just used a ring light, a tripod and my cellphone,” she shared.

On working with Gerald again, Arci said it was always a breeze.

“Sobrang kumportable ako kay Ge. I’m just glad to have worked with him again. Actually, he was my first leading man in the movie (Always Be My Maybe) where I play the lead actress so to reunite with him (virtually) during lockdown is a plus for me para makapangumusta rin ako sa kanya.”

Direk Dado said directing both episodes of Love Unlock was something he described as “nanganay” because the experience is also new to him.

“At first, I didn’t know what to do. But we’ve managed it because of the supportive team and the professionalism of the actors. It was hard but very, very fulfilling. It will really challenge you creatively and technically. We are so happy with the outcome.”

Gerald Anderson and Arci Muñoz topbill “Hook-Up,” one of the two episodes of the digital mini-movie “Love Unlock.”

Star Cinema photo

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Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS COVID-19 affects only the lungs This pandemic has so far victimized (as of August 18, 2020) more than 22 million and killed almost 800,000 people around the globe – nearly 5.6 million, with about 174,000 deaths in the United States alone; and almost 170,000 cases and close to 2,700 deaths in the Philippines.

In all cases worldwide, clinical findings have shown that COVID-19 affects multiple organs, foremost of which is the heart. The devastating killer cytokine storm in a full-blown COVID-19 case destroys the lungs and causes inflammation and damage to the heart, the liver, kidneys, and even the brain. Studies the past six months have also shown that people who wash their hands and face often; wear a cap, a mask/face shield, gloves; and practice social distancing when in public have significantly less chance of getting infected. It is prudent to follow this health guideline to protect ourselves and others, especially the vulnerable seniors. While we minimize non-essential travels and are home-bound, let us have a positive mental attitude and hope in our heart. This, too, shall pass.

Heart disease is inherited Rarely, certain congenital (inborn) structural defects of the heart may be genetic, but in general, we cannot blame our ancestry for the heart diseases that are very common today like coronary artery disease (cause of heart attacks) or heart valve diseases (due to Rheumatic Fever). Although some families seem to be more prone to heart attacks, and the traits could be a part of the genes, the important causative factors in this situation are mostly not heredity but environmental – the lifestyle of family members. These significant etiologic factors include smoking; eating red meat, eggs and other high cholesterol foods; lack of exercise; obesity; unmanaged stress; hypercholesterolemia (elevated cholesterol blood level); untreated hyper-

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Myths about heart disease tension; and diabetes mellitus (especially poorly controlled ones).

Sex is bad for the heart On the contrary, sex is good for the heart. The morphinelike opiates and other feelgood hormones our own body secretes during sex or during any happy activity or thought process we have – the physical exercise during sex, and the healthy outlet it provides both partners – actually benefit the heart. Only those with untreated coronary artery disease or heart failure could get into trouble during sex. With proper treatment and medical guidance, these patients can indulge in sex safely. Heart attack is a treacherous enemy. It must be detected and treated before it strikes. This is why medical consultation is important among men or women over 40 years old, or among the younger ones who have symptoms or concerns about their health.

Children of heart attack victims will have the same fate This is not true. Even if both parents have had heart attacks or coronary artery disease, their children are not necessarily condemned to the same fate, provided the children live a healthier lifestyle, unlike their parents. If these children stay on a low cholesterol diet; eat fish (instead of red meat), a lot of vegetables, fruits, and high fiber foods; do not smoke; exercise at least 5 times a week; maintain a normal weight; and know how to relax and manage stress, they can escape significant coronary artery disease.

Women rarely have heart disease Wrong. As one of the old cigarette commercials stated, “You’ve come a long way, Baby.” Since today’s modern women have entered the “men’s world” – working, smoking, drinking, competing, hustling like men – they have indeed “come a long way,” approximating men in most respects, even in the incidence of coronary artery disease and heart attacks among them.

Young women as a rule have greater resistance to coronary artery disease because of the protective effects of the female hormone called estrogen. However, women with unhealthy lifestyles negate the benefits

of estrogen and suffer heart disease like men. The 2-to-1 (male to female) vulnerability has been narrowing the past 3 decades.

Executives are prime victims of heart attacks Not so. We used to believe that top job responsibility and stressful executive positions led to higher incidence of heart attacks. Recent studies have proven this to be a fallacy. In a study, bartenders were found to be more vulnerable to heart attacks than barbers, and barbers more prone than physicians. In another series, bluecollar workers were found to be more susceptible to heart attacks than supervisory personnel and executives. It is obvious that lifestyle, and not the line of work, position or rank, is more of the determinant factor in heart attacks.

Those below 40 do not get heart disease Another myth. The youngest patient we did coronary bypass surgery on in Indiana was a 28-year-old diabetic Caucasian female who had very high cholesterol level, high blood pressure, and was a cigarette smoker. At Cebu Cardiovascular Center in Cebu City, the youngest heart bypass patient we had was a 34-year-old man.

Coronary artery disease does not respect any age, gender, or any person who abuses himself/herself with an unhealthy lifestyle.

Exercise damages the heart Definitely does not. The heart can take a lot more challenges than one can imagine. It is one of the strongest muscular organs in the human body.

Exercise has beneficial effects on the heart. Even heart attack patients who have recovered from the acute phase are prescribed an exercise regimen.

Exercise dilates (opens wider) coronary arteries that supply the heart muscles with oxygen and nutrition. The benefits conferred by regular moderate exercise are “cumulative and lasting.” If in doubt about your fitness to do exercises, consult your physician.

High blood pressure is due to heart disease This is another misinformation. The reverse is true: untreated or poorly controlled hypertension (high blood pressure) can lead to coronary

APALA-NV and PNA-NV recognize front-liners in memory of Lt. Erik Lloyd

THE Nevada chapters of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA-NV) and the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA-NV) teamed up last Thursday, Aug. 13 to recognize local frontliners in memory of the late Lieutenant Erik Lloyd. Joined by Lt. Lloyd’s wife, Minddie, and his squad members, volunteers distributed meals, masks, and shields to health care workers at UMC, the facility where he was hospitalized while battling COVID-19. Sadly, Lt. Lloyd passed away on July 29 after developing complications associated with the disease.

“This is a terrible loss for our community,” says Gloria T. Caoile, Director of Civic Engagement, APALA-NV. “Lt. Lloyd was a 30-year veteran of the LVMPD; he dedicated his life to serving our community.

We wanted to honor him and also those who treated him.

Frontliners like Lt. Lloyd and

our health care workers have worked tirelessly to keep us safe, not just during this public health crisis but every day.”

Lt. Lloyd was active in the community, notably supporting wife Minddie as she ran for local political office. He also served as the president of the Injured Police Officers’ Fund, raising funds for officers hurt

in the line of duty. On top of that, Lt. Lloyd was a beloved father, grandfather, family member, and friend.

“The outpouring of support for Lt. Lloyd speaks to who he was,” says Doris Bauer, President, PNA-NV. “We’ve lost a hero, but it was very meaningful to pay tribute him in this way.”

artery disease or even heart failure. High blood pressure is, in most cases, essential or idiopathic (cause unknown), but definitely not due to heart disease. High blood pressure taxes the heart and makes the cardiac muscles work harder, and in many cases this causes cardiac hypertrophy (enlarged heart). Early effective treatment for hypertension reduces morbidity and prolongs life.

A heart attack dooms a person

False. There are millions of heart attack victims who have survived around the world and fully recovered from it and led a normal life. Many have even become much healthier than before by following cardiac rehabilitation, having better discipline, through behavioral modification, and after living a healthier lifestyle like switching to a heart-smart diet, quitting cigarettes, avoiding alcohol abuse, doing daily exercise and practicing stress manage-

ment. Those with a positive attitude in life usually have a higher rate of recovery. * * * 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, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian and anti-graft foundation in the United States. Visit our websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.

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Chef Alvin Cailan returns to LA with new meat shop...

PAGE B1 East Plaza spans back to 2015 when he juggled running Ramen Champ on the second floor as Eggslut continued to attract buzzing lines at Grand Central Market a mile away.

A year later, he occupied a space on the ground floor for Unit 120, an incubator that housed pop-ups for fellow Fil-Am chefs like Isa Fabro’s IsaMADE and the Valencia brothers’ LASA, while operating Amboy as a takeout window for Filipino dishes and barbecue. (LASA permanently took over the space in 2017 when Cailan moved east.)

Despite LA’s closure of indoor dining and warnings of a looming meat shortage nationwide, Amboy Quality Meats and Delicious Burgers opened up in the plaza this past May as a “micro-steak boutique” reminiscent of the butchers and delis Cailan frequented in his adopted city.

“It’s the way of life back east to talk to someone who is knowledgeable about fish, cheese, bread or meat,” Cailan said, noting that LA’s Chinatown has several poultry shops, but limited options for raw meat.

The shop, operating from Wednesday to Sunday, features meat sourced from smaller producers Cailan has forged relationships with over the years. The options range from the signature Amboy filet cut from the short loin ($11 per person) to a Brazilian-style picanha steak ($20/pp).

There are also other items for

Bibingka (Coconut-Rice Cake)

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purchase like a half dozen organic brown eggs or bottled dry rubs.

“We’re not like a full-scale whole animal butchery but we do carve out meat and we pull the best steaks that we can out of that…Being able to explain where the meat comes from and how to cook it is something you can’t get much of in Los Angeles,” Cailan said.

With his digital show and past pop-ups devoted to burgers, it was a seamless play to have variations of a grilled patty, cheese and toasted bun on the menu.

Bearing distinct “regional influences,” the four choices range from the no-frills Ordinaire ($8) to the DH Burger ($17) that packs a 10-ounce dry-aged beef blend, caramelized onions, provolone cheese, garlic confit mayo and burger pickles in between a toasted custom bun. Two types of bundles are available for those who want to cook and assemble burgers at home.

“We have a great selection of burgers for really any type of mood. That, I learned by eating at some of the best and longestrunning burger places across the country. You can’t really just survive off of one kind of burger.

You have to be flexible and cater to everyone and not just a trend,” Cailan mused.

On cultivating an Amboy In reaching his level of celebrity, a cookbook was bound to be an imminent milestone in Cailan’s career. A deal was inked back in 2016 with the basis of “modern”

Filipino recipes and his involvement in the national push for the cuisine’s visibility.

However, leaving LA and starting to outline a structure led to a self-reflection on how he came to this point, as a child of immigrants from the Philippines, taking that leap to attend Oregon Culinary Institute and subsequently having to cut his teeth at various fine dining establishments.

“I wanted to talk about what I wanted to talk about, which was being a brown kid from a neighborhood where no one really makes something of themselves because the education system wasn’t funded properly,” Cailan said of growing up in Pico Rivera.

“There are struggles in creating your own path to success that’s not traditional and the flavors and recipes that got me through those times.”

The final iteration is “AMBOY: Recipes from the Filipino-American Dream,” with co-author Alexandra Cuerdo, set to be released on August 25 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Cuerdo met Cailan at a 2015 NextDayBetter event themed around the burgeoning, next-generation Filipino food scene in LA. After the chef’s keynote speech, she privately pitched him the idea of a Filipino food documentary, which would later become “ULAM: Main Dish,” released in 2018.

“When Alvin came to me with the book, it was a slam dunk. After working with [him] on ULAM

Cheeseburger Lumpia Excerpted from AMBOY: Recipes from the Filipino-American Dream © 2020 by Alvin Cailan. Photography © 2020 by Wyatt Conlon.

Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

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for five years, I have deep respect for him as a chef and creative. So I wanted to do it right,” Cuerdo told the Asian Journal. “Through the telling of Alvin’s unique story, I hope I can add another narrative to our history — a voice that is unapologetic and unafraid, that proudly celebrates our culture, and that paints a picture for the bright future of Filipino cooking around the world.”

The 13 chapters tread between an autobiography and cookbook as anecdotes give a sense of how the recipes appeared in Cailan’s life, whether they were learned from his parents and lola to those creations served at his restaurants.

“It’s a culmination of what it means to be an Amboy — being Filipino and cooking modern or new American cuisine and really making a career out of it but always having the Philippines in mind and heart,” he said.

Early on in the preface, however, the authors caution that readers expecting the secret recipe behind the Instagram-worthy egg sandwiches will be “extremely disappointed.”

“But this is not a story about a shiny, subway-tiled egg restaurant and its campaign to be America’s next major food chain,” Cailan writes. (Though he rarely speaks now about the expansion of Eggslut, it’s worth noting that the sandwich shop has four locations in the LA area and one in Las Vegas, and has expanded internationally to London, Seoul, Tokyo and Kuwait.)

A later chapter covers the company’s origins and then the subsequent accolades and fame it summoned, such as Cailan being named LA’s Rising Star Concept Chef in 2014 and the celebrities who became frequent customers.

One familiar recipe is for “The Slut” — a coddled egg on top of a smooth potato purée, poached in a glass jar and served with toasted bread — a dish that Calian said “changed [his] life” after food critic Ruth Reichl wrote that it was “the most decadent breakfast,” forever charting the course of his food truck and later the first brick-and-mortar location.

The rawness unearths during the Q&As between Cailan and Cuerdo, based on a month of interviews that felt “like therapy,” they said. One particular angle never captured in the buzzy headlines or “best of” lists were the long hours put in and the relationships frac-

“AMBOY: Recipes from the Filipino-American Dream,” Cailan’s first cookbook is set to be released on August 25.

tured while building Eggslut.

“We went deep. Old wounds, old fears, how to handle success, how to handle heartbreak.

I asked about it all. Alvin was an open book. After that intense process, something clicked. The book wasn’t ‘The Eggslut Cookbook’ or even the Alvin Cailan story. It was something greater,” Cuerdo described, adding that she suggested the book’s final title to place the story into the context of “the eyes of a Filipino American intimate with sacrifice and struggle.”

Despite Cailan’s training in fine dining, the cookbook promises to be accessible for any level of cook.

“Anyone could cook through this book. You don’t have to be a chef.

Nothing is too crazy,” he said. One caveat is that there are instructions on how to build a fire pit to roast a lechon for a backyard party.

What will resonate with many Fil-Ams, or even children of other immigrant groups, is having to scrape together a meal based on available ingredients as their parents worked. The ingenuity of this Amboy left with pan de sal, canned meats, Costco-sized frozen dishes and American condiments comes out in the formula of building the “ultimate pan de sal sandwich; in the cheeseburger lumpia based on memories of sneaking Kraft Singles as lola rolled the wrappers; or while watching his family

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caretaker “Auntie Cita” make bibingka (coconut rice cake) with Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

“When I show other first generation Filipino Americans [these creations], they all relate to them.

They have done some things similar and I think that this is a cool angle because you don’t read that in the Filipino books before me,” Cailan said.

What Amboy will look like once indoor service and larger gatherings resume is something to anticipate. For now, it’s bringing the experience home to quarantine chefs, whether through the cookbook recipes or weekly meat supply, or amplifying fellow Fil-Am restaurants nearby.

“There are plenty of options to support local restaurants, but there’s something different when you’re actually supporting your own kababayan, the Filipino Americans who own restaurants,” Cailan said. “If you make that your priority like you would ordering tacos, then I think we’ll be able to at least weather this storm. Just keep us a part of the conversation and don’t forget we exist.”

Amboy Quality Meats & Delicious Burgers is located at 727 N. Broadway No. 117 in LA’s Chinatown. “Amboy: Recipes from the Filipino-American Dream” (August 25) is available for pre-order at nowservingla.com.

EntErtainmEnt

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Social Security expedites decisions WGU Nevada awarding $25,000 in scholarships for people with severe disabilities to Honor University’s 5th Anniversary in Nevada Agency adds to compassionate allowances list

ANDREW Saul, Commissioner of Social Security, recently announced five new Compassionate Allowances conditions: Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumors, GM1 Gangliosidosis - Infantile and Juvenile Forms, Nicolaides-Baraister Syndrome, Rubinstein-Tybai Syndrome, and Secondary Adenocarcinoma of the Brain. Compassionate Allowances is a program to quickly identify severe medical conditions and diseases that meet Social Security’s standards for disability benefits.

“Social Security’s top priority is to serve the public, and we remain committed to improving the disability determination process for Americans,” said Commissioner Saul. “Our Compassionate Allowances program gets us one step closer to reaching our goals by helping us accelerate the disability process for people who are likely to get approved for benefits due to the severity of their condition.”

The Compassionate Allowances program quickly identifies claims where the applicant’s condition or disease clearly meets Social Security’s statutory standard for disability. Due to the severe nature of many of these conditions, these claims are often allowed based on medical confirmation of the diagnosis alone. To date, more than 600,000 people with severe disabilities have been approved through this accelerated, policycompliant disability process. Over the last decade, the list has grown to a total of 242 conditions, including certain cancers, adult brain disorders, and a number of rare disorders that affect children.

The agency incorporates leading technology to identify potential Compassionate Allowances and make quick decisions. When a person applies for disability benefits, Social Security must obtain medical records in order to make an accurate determination. 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 is able to quickly obtain a claimant’s medical information, review it, and make a determination faster than ever before.

Social Security National Press Office Baltimore, MD For more information about the program, including a list of all Compassionate Allowances conditions, please visit www. socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances.

To learn more about Social Security’s Health IT program, please visit www.socialsecurity. gov/hit.

People may apply online for disability benefits by visiting www. socialsecurity.gov.

To create a my Social Security account, please visit www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.

Online, competency-based university will award five students with $5,000 scholarships LAS VEGAS — WGU Nevada, a state affiliate of Western Governors University (WGU), announced today that it will award five new students with $5,000 scholarships to celebrate its 5th anniversary. The nonprofit, online university that launched in 2015 as part of former Gov. Brian Sandoval’s initiative to advance critical sectors in building Nevada’s economy, has grown to the largest private, nonprofit university in Nevada based on full-time enrollment.

The state-endorsed university, which officially launched June 16, 2015, currently has 3,300 active students, and has achieved several other milestones in its first five years, including: • Conferring more than 4,000 degrees • Awarding almost $500,000 in scholarship funding to 238 Nevadans • Enrolling students in all 17 of

Nevada’s counties “As we reflect back at our accomplishments from the previous five years, we are proud of what we have accomplished,” said WGU Regional Vice President Rick Benbow “We look forward to continuing to create opportunities for Nevadans who have the desire to further their education or career.”

The WGU Nevada 5th Anniversary Scholarship is valued at up to $5,000 per student and is open to new students in any of the more than 60 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs offered at WGU, including programs in business, information technology, education, and health professions. Students can now apply for the scholarship through October 15, 2020.

The scholarships will be applied at the rate of $1,250 per six-month term, renewable for up to four sixmonth terms. Multiple scholarships will be awarded through a competi-

tive program. Scholarships will be granted based on a candidate’s academic record, financial need, readiness for online study, current competency, and other considerations.

WGU pioneered competencybased education, which measures learning rather than time spent in class. This allows working adults to earn career-enhancing degrees while meeting work and family obligations. Students complete their programs by studying on schedules that fit their lives, advancing as soon as they demonstrated that they have mastered course materials. Many students can apply prior learning and work experience to help them accelerate their time to degree, saving both time and money.

To learn more about WGU Nevada’s 5th Anniversary scholarship or to apply, visit https://www.wgu. edu/financial-aid-tuition/scholarships/nevada/anniversary.html

PAGE B2 “Señorita” (2010), was nominated for Best Picture at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland and won her the Emerging Director Award at the 2012 Asian-American International Film Festival.

Her 2012 film “Aparisyon” starring Jodi Sta. Maria and Mylene

Dizon, meanwhile, bagged several international awards including the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema Award at the 2012 Hawaii International Film Festival and the Audience Award at the 2013 Deauville Asian Film Festival in France.

The Bentonville Film Festival is “a one-of-a-kind event, uniquely

dedicated to championing underrepresented voices in film, entertainment and media,” according to its official website. It was cofounded by Oscar winner Geena Davis and is now in its sixth year.

“Lingua Franca” will be available for streaming on Netflix on August 26.

‘Babae at Baril’ and ‘John Denver Trending’ join... Filipino film about trans caregiver ‘Lingua...

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ers, including striking directorial debuts and sophomore efforts.

Integral to NYAFF’s mission is showcasing the Asian cinema vanguard that emerges largely from new talent and fresh voices.

This edition reflects today’s particularly kinetic innovations, much informed by social media and the hyper information highway. An impressive cross-section of work highlights new ideas in storytelling and tackles social mores and personal demons, including the aforementioned John Denver Trending, Korea’s Beauty Water and Taiwan’s Detention and IWeirDo. John Denver Trending is about a 14-year-old farm boy whose life is suddenly upended when a video of him brutally attacking a classmate went viral. The film marks the directorial debut of Arden Rod Condez, who previously worked as an ABS-CBN writer for 15 years.

“Millions of Filipinos, including me, live away from our families because of work. For us to quell the longing, we use social media. This is why even if we have one of the slowest internet speed, we are still one of the largest number of social media users worldwide,” Condez said in his director’s statement at the Cinemalaya Film Festival last year. “But in recent years, we begin to witness the danger of social media particularly to the vulnerable Filipino millennials.”

Condez said various real life stories he has heard and read - a neighbor’s son fled after a video of him bullying another kid surfaced online; a boy in a town committed suicide when he was accused of stealing a gadget and girl in another city

killed herself live on Facebook - made him think hard about the inherent and dangerous power of social media.

“These troubling tales of Filipino millennials make me question, how does someone come of age in the time of social media?” he asked.

John Denver Trending explores this pressing question and as a backdrop, features the local color of his hometown, Pandan, Antique. The film was shot with almost all non-professional actors, speaking their very own language of Kinaray-a.

The film has received critical acclaim and won Best Film and Best Actor (for newcomer Jansen Magpusao) at the 2019 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival and was an Official Selection at the 2019 Busan International Film Festival.

In regional terms, South Korea is front and center in this year’s selection. Faithful to tradition, the Festival presents a balance of arthouse and genre titles with an emphasis on outstanding storytelling and accessibility: Secret Zoo, Hitman Agent Jun, Moving On. As the boundaries between what is strictly film and TV blur, NYAFF has found, in its tireless search for exciting, new content, an extraordinary example of the convergence of both formats in SF8, a series of eight stand-alone 52-minute science fiction films that will make their International Premiere at this first virtual edition.

NYAFF has partnered with Smart Cinema USA to showcase the best films from all over Asia even during this global pandemic. Smart Cinema, a technology and data driven platform, is the virtual cinema destination for movies in Asia as they have

The Girl and the Gun (Babae at Baril), written and directed by Rae Red, makes its North American premiere at the New York Asian Film Festival. The film, which earned a Best Director award for Red at the QCinema International Film Festival stars Janine Gutierrez, Felix Roco, JC Santos, and Elijah Canlas.

John Denver Trending is a film that tells the story of a 14-year-old farm boy whose life is drastically changed because of a viral video.

created a unique, cutting-edge, virtual “Almighty Cinema” ecosystem to accommodate all the various demands from international festivals, distributors as well as traditional exhibitors.

(The 19th New York Asian Film Festival will run from August 28 to September 12, 2020.)

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seafood city fpfc