MANILA — The Philippines is asking the Intertnational Criminal Court’s (ICC) pre-trial chamber (PTC) to deny the request of the Office of the Prosecutor to resume its investigation into alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, including under the "war on drugs."
Peso plunges further to P57.18 vs USD
“I think if you ask Americans broadly, they say they still favor democracy,” Weiner told EMS. “But one of the challenges is the erosion of norms. Most Americans don’t understand the extent to which democratic stability depends on unwritten rules.”
PAGE 4 PAGE 3
"Maliban po sa pakikipagpulong sa mga opisyal ng Indonesia at Singapore at pagkuha ng kanilang patuloy na suporta sa ating bansa at sa ating
“Secretary Austin reiterated that the U.S. commitment to the alliance remains ironclad,” the agency also said.
currencies and in US Treasury yieldsRicafortlately.added that a weaker peso could lead to higher inflation and more aggressive local policy rate hikes to help stabilize both the peso exchange rate and overall inflation.
Filipino American U.S. Navy veteran Angelo Quinto Photo screengrabbed from CBS News
Michael Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said the peso also weakened further after the latest gross international reserves data that declined to new two-year lows.Ricafort said the local currency also depreciated after the Fed Beige Book Report high prices and tight labor markets weighing on US economic prospects over the next RCBC'syear.chief economist said the inflation showed signs of decelerating. It led to slight downward corrections in the US dollar against the major global
The peso traded within the P57.06 to P56.22 band, averaging P57.149.The weighted average
The Office of the Solicitor General on Thursday, September 8 said that it transmitted the country’s observations on the alleged crimes against humanity through the Philippine Embassy at The Hague in Netherlands, as required by the ICC PTC.
It also maintained that the "ICC has no jurisdiction over the situation in the Philippines" and argued that the incidents that happened between July 1, 2016 to March 16, 2019 and November 1, 2011 to June 30, 2016 “do not constitute [as] ‘crimes against humanity.’’’ TheOSGsaid that the situation in the Philippines is inadmissble under Article 17 of the Rome Statute, which, among others — provide that states with jurisdiction already investigating or prosecuting the case may be considered inadmissible.
The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) authorization of updated COVID-19 boosters, and CDC’s recommendation for use, are critical next steps forward in our country’s vaccination program—a program that has helped provide increased protection against COVID-19
MANILA — The head of the Philippines’ Department of National Defense (DND) and his American counterpart reaffirmed commitments to the Mutual Defense Treaty of the two long-time allies.
June“Undersecretary30. Faustino highlighted that the treaty is the basis of the PhilippinesU.S. alliance and joint defense capability programs,” the DND said in a statement released on Friday, September 2.
As an example, Weiner points to the process of presidential succession, the transfer of
PTC the extent of the drug problem in the Philippines and the process of investigating and prosecuting drug-related offenses under the Philippine legal and judicial system," the OSG said.
According8. to the Bankers Association of the Philippines, the peso trading opened at P57.07 against the dollar.
Voter suppression, partisan gerrymandering, money in politics, the Electoral College, the looming threat of authoritarianism: across the board the cracks in our beleaguered democratic system are numerous and gaping.
LAS VEGAS Volume 33 - No. 36 • 12 Pages Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY DATELINE USA FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA SEPTEMBER 8-14, 2022 2770 S. Maryland Pkwy., Suite 201 Las Vegas, NV 89109 Tel: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879 T HE F ILIPINO A MERICAN C OMMUNITY N EWSPAPER by AJPRESS PAGE 4 PAGE 4 PAGE 3 by TIZIANA CELINE PIATOS Philstar.com
MASAMIREY BEACH. Local tourists enjoy playing in the sand and swimming at the Masamirey Cove Resort in Sual, Pangasinan on Thursday, Sept. 8. Masamirey Cove is a hidden paradise resort nestled amid a fishing village in one of Pangasinan’s pristine beaches. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon
Cops won’t be criminally charged in police custody death of Fil-Am
well as members of the country’s economic team.
He said the recent new record high for Thursday's exchange rate may also be partly attributed to the seasonal increase in importation by some manufacturers and producers in July-September to prepare for the seasonal increase in demand/sales for many businesses and industries
For Dan Weiner, director of the Brennan Center’s elections and government program, it’s the combined “normalization” of illiberal, even violent political tactics with an increasingly frail legal framework — a framework that is ostensibly meant to undergird our democratic system — that is cause for alarm.
THE U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended on Thursday, Sept. 1 that eligible Americans receive an updated coronavirus booster shot that would help fight the omicron variant.
WHAT is happening today in America “is not normal.” That was the gist of President Biden’s prime-time on Thursday, September 1 delivered in front of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were both drafted.
The commitment was made after Defense Senior Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr. and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III talked over the phone on Thursday, September 1.
MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. wrapped up his state visits to Indonesia and Singapore from September 4 to 6, coming home with several bilateral agreements with both countries.Hewas accompanied by his wife, Louise Araneta-Marcos, and several Cabinet officials such as Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Migrant Workers Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople, as
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendations to use updated COVID-19 boosters from Pfizer-BioNTech for people ages 12 years and older and from Moderna for people ages 18 years and
However, the same article also provides an exception if the state "is unwilling or unable genuinely to carry out the investigation or prosecution."
"The Philippine government emphasized that the complaints filed before the ICC are already being investigated and prosecuted by the proper agencies and that the state is neither unwilling nor unable to carry out these domestic proceedings," the OSG said.
THE four officers involved in the death of a Filipino American U.S. Navy veteran in Antioch, California while he was in police custody will not face criminal charges, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office announced.
exchange rate was P57.14 while the previous session reached P57.216.Thursday's volume reached $1.151 billion, lower than $1.2327 billion during the previous session.The local currency also depreciated against the US dollar by P6.181, or 12.1 percent, since the start of 2022.
PH asks ICC: Don’t resume drug war probe
SPECIAL VISIT. Filipinos in Singapore – just like in Indonesia – have experienced what it was like when Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was still campaigning to win votes for his presidential bid during the May polls. In his first state visit here, Marcos told Filipinos that he wants to make them feel what it was like during their presidential campaign – and so he made sure that his meeting with the Filipino community in this rich city state won’t be anything but festive with several performers providing entertainment. PNA photo
Philippines, US Defense o cials vow commitment to Mutual Defense Treaty
The call marked the first bilateral engagement between the two defense officials since Faustino assumed his post on
The family of Angelo Quinto expressed
PAGE 3
The chief executive met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and, while in Singapore, with President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Pres. Marcos returns from Singapore with investment pledges, job opportunities
"The Philippine government explained to the ICC
The peso was again weaker against the US dollar for the sixth straight day, by 0.045 centavos or 0.1 percent, to a new record close for the fifth straight trading day at P57.18 against the previous day's P57.135.
THE Philippine peso depreciates further at P57.18 against the United States dollar (USD) at the Philippine Dealing System, data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines show on Thursday, September
by JOHN ERIC MENDOZA Inquirer.net
The MDT, signed on August 30, 1951, states that both countries would support each other if an external party attacked the Philippines or the United States.
Both officials also discussed the importance of deepening cooperation under the Enhanced
Biden attacks new normal in speech on democracy
Theolder.updated COVID-19 boosters add Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 spike protein components to the current vaccine composition, helping to restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination by targeting variants that are more transmissible and immune-evading.
PAGE 3
CDC recommends updated COVID-19 boosters targeting omicron variant
SEPTEMBER 8-14 2022 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-66782
(Aside from meeting with the officials of Indonesia and Singapore and getting their continuous support for our country and our government, I also witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral agreements that would foster our cooperation in different sectors.)
(Inquirer.net)
There was also a $20-million pledge for a "innovation platform for start-ups and another $20-million investment was made for 'Women in Technology'."
Concerning the Assignment of a Team to the Regional Counter-Terrorism Information Facility in Singapore (Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Singapore Armed Forces)
Philippines, US Defense officials vow...
doing its own investigations into the alleged However,crimes.even with the National Bureau of Investigation, ICC Prosecutor Kharim Khan previously said that the investigations are "still far far short of seeking accountability for the thousands of killings attributable to police (and other
Aside from the bilateral agreements inked with Indonesia, the country also signed six deals with•TheseSingapore.include: Arrangement
Pres. Marcos returns from Singapore with...
• 500 workers • 300 workers
(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com 3LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 8-14, 2022 From The FronT Page PAGE 1 PAGE 1
Singapore, including:
groups) in the [‘war on drugs’] context."Thegovernment’s tally as of February this year showed 6,235 individuals died due to the anti-drug operations of former President Rodrigo Duterte, but human rights groups estimate the number of people killed is at around 30,000. g
$6.54 billion in FDI
Singapore are also working to expand their bilateral Air Transport Agreement that will “increase connectivity and create more opportunities for collaboration and growth.”
"There never was an occasion for the POLO to garnish the bond in favor of an aggrieved worker in the past because complaints are promptly handled by the [Ministry of Manpower] which strictly monitors its accredited recruitment agencies," Ople said. (Philstar.com)
• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the Field of Digital Cooperation (Department of Information and Communications Technology of the Philippines and the Ministry of Communications and Information of •Singapore)MOUto collaborate on the development of New Clark City (Bases Convention and Development Authority of the Philippines and Enterprise Singapore)•Renewal of the MOU on Cooperation in Personal Data Protection (National Privacy Commission of the Philippines and the Personal Data Protection Commission of Singapore)
Agreements with Singapore
gobyerno, nasaksihan ko rin po ang pagpirma ng mga bilateral agreement na magsusulong ng ating kooperasyon sa iba’t ibang sektor," Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday evening.
Defense Cooperation Agreement.
• Joint Communiqué on the Recruitment of Filipino Healthcare Workers (Department of Migrant Workers of the Philippines and Ministry of Health of Singapore) Both the Philippines and
• 1,000 skilled workers
Secretary Ople said that the lifting of the 27-year-old guarantee bond for Singapore will also lead to more employment opportunities for Filipino workers.
Cops won’t be criminally charged in police custody...
While in the Lion City, Marcos Jr. also reportedly secured $6.54 billion or P374.57 billion worth of foreign direct investments. This translates to around 15,000 job opportunities for Filipinos back home. One of the top Singaporean investments is identified as a $5-billion deal on electric tricycles. In a press statement from the Office of the Press Secretary, this investment would cut air pollution caused by an equivalent to 3.5 million trillion tricycles nationwide.ThePhilippines was also able to attract investments in renewable energy, such as floating solar worth $1.2 billion, and a $200-million investment in an incountry Data Center.
It can be recalled that some 8,900 Philippine and American
disappointment and outrage at the DA’s conclusion that the police officers’ method of restraining Quinto was “objectively reasonable” and not excessive force, according to CBSOnNews.December 23, 2020, Quinto’s sister called 911, saying Quinto was having a mental episode and threatening their mother. Family members said he did not resist the police officers when they arrived, disputing the officers’ claim that he was re-examineAttorneydepartment.lawsuitfederalwearingupNicholasPerkinson,officersbreathing.andandinsteadaftershouldQuinto-Collins,Quinto’suncooperative.mother,CassandrasaidtheofficershaveletAngelositdowntheyhandcuffedhim,oflayinghimfacedownkneelingonhisshoulderneck,preventinghimfromSheaccusedthefourArturoBecerra,JamesDanielHopwoodandShipilovofcoveringthefactsastheywerenotbodycameras.TheQuintoshavefiledawrongfuldeathcivilagainstthepoliceTheywillaskStateGeneralRobBontatothecriminalcase.
More Filipino workers
PAGE 1
PAGE 1
"A report on the progress of these investigations was included in the Thesubmission."Philippines also emphasized that state-level investigative proceedings "should take precedence" and said that the ICC prosecutor’s investigation would no longer beJusticeneeded.Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla previously said that the Philippines will respond to the ICC out of courtesy and "not complying in any demand." The government has been adamant in keeping international investigators from visiting the country, maintaining that it is
the return of regular military exercises and laying the groundwork for responsive maritime security cooperation between the Philippines and the U.S.,” the agency further said.
• 3,000 healthcare workers
Meanwhile, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Singapore also approved nearly 10,000 job orders for Filipinos in
The Philippines previously required Singaporean employment agencies and employers to submit a banker’s guarantee and performance bond when hiring Filipino domestic workers. The policy came about following the 1997 case of overseas Filipino worker Flor Contemplacion.
PH asks ICC: Don’t resume...
As of last year, there were 215,155 Filipinos living and working in Singapore and 180,605 are temporary migrant workers. Over half or 99,333 are working professionals in highly skilled and semi-skilled job categories, while over 81,272 are domestic workers. Department of Migrant Workers
• Renewal of the MOU on Water Collaboration (Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System of the Philippines and the Public Utilities Board of Singapore)
Some 300 personnel from the Coast Guard of the Philippines and the U.S. will also conduct a joint search and rescue operation on September 3, Saturday. g
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos meet with officials of Temasek Foundation in Singapore on Tuesday, September 6 shortly upon arrival in the citystate following a two-day visit in Indonesia. Malacañang photo
military members had joined forces for the Balikatan war games from March 28 to April 8, 2022.
• 5,000 aircraft technicians
“Secretary Austin expressed appreciation for Undersecretary Faustino’s support in advancing the bilateral defense cooperation between the Philippines and the U.S., particularly in spearheading
Biden attacks new normal in speech...
power from one president — or one political party — to another. For over two hundred years that process has played out in the United States, the world’s oldest democracy (though not nearly the world’s healthiest). That is, until 2020.“There is no law that says the incumbent should cooperate with successors,” Weiner explained. “It has just been a norm and voters in both parties expected presidents to do this. As this norm erodes, it is evident that the law doesn’t speak to these things.”
But for Weiner, the fact that Americans are prioritizing the threat to democracy offers a ray of light in an otherwise dark time.
She added, “If you are eligible, there is no bad time to get your COVID-19 booster and I strongly encourage you to receive it.”
PNA photo by Gil Calinga
(Peter Schurmann/ Ethnic Media Services)
Peso plunges further to P57.18...
in the fourth quarter for export and local markets.
by Zacarian Sarao Inquirer.net
(Many ordinary citizens will be deprived of services especially the expensive procedures at the GOCC hospital due to the MOOE budget cut of P362 million in our hospital.)
The group also noted the budget on the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases P4.171 billion, as well as on the Epidemiology and Surveillance by P112.9 PhilHealth’s budget,million. on the other hand, was increased by P20“Alambillion.naman ng Presidente na bagsak ang ekonomiya at maraming mamamayan ang lugmok sa kahirapan. Imbes na maibsan sana ang kalagayang ito sa pamamagitan ng libreng pagpapagamot ay napunta sa PhilHealth ang malaking budget imbes na idiretso sa mga ospital para mas maraming magamot na pasyente,” said AHW national president Robert Mendoza.
“Americans are focused on this issue to an unprecedented degree compared to a decade ago,” he noted. “This is an incredibly salient issue for many voters… and the idea that popular support for democracy is falling away, I am not sure that is true. I see evidence that it is more important to people than ever.”
It noted that the budget “gives premium” to PhilHealth while cutting the budget for Maintenance and Other Operating Expense (MOOE) of the government-owned and -controlled corporation (GOCC) hospitals, including the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC), Philippine Heart Center (PHC), and the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP) by a total of P881 million.
“It is very alarming that many ordinary patients will be deprived of these specialty services considering that these GOCC hospitals were pet projects of the Marcos Sr. Maraming ordinaryong mamamayan ang pagkakaitan ng serbisyo lalo na
“Too much of what is happening
For its part, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said it has room to further hike policy rates this year to support the peso as the US Federal Reserve (Fed) is expected to continue its aggressive policy
A Quinnipiac poll released the day before Biden’s address found a majority of Americans agree with the president that American democracy is on the ropes, though they are divided as to the reasons. While Republicans buy into the lie that the 2020 election was stolen, Democrats cite the “Big Lie” as the key corrosive to our democratic institutions.
causes most causes of COVID-19 in the U.S. and are predicted to circulate in the fall and winter.
“Katumbas ‘yan ng mahigit 242 na kidney transplant na pasyente ang hindi ma subsidize. Ganun din sa ibang GOCC hospital. Sa aming ospital, umaabot ng P1.5 million ang isang kidney transplant maliban pa sa gamot na pang-maintenance. Wala namang pampublikong ospital ang pwede nilang mapuntahan kundi dito sa NKTI,” he added.
in Singapore on Wednesday, September 7.
In his speech, which came just nine weeks out from the upcoming primary elections in November, Biden took aim at what he has increasingly termed the “MAGA Republicans,” supporters of the former president who Biden says, “do not respect the Constitution.”
Dateline PhiliPPines
tightening."Theseare challenging times because US interest rates are not just high but these should get higher. In turn, that means possibly a weaker peso as shown in the case of yen [and] euro," BSP Governor Felipe Medalla said at a Philippine economic briefing
PAGE 1 PAGE 1 PAGE 1
SEPTEMBER 8-14 2022 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-66784
in our country today is not normal. Trump and MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the foundation of our country,” Biden warned. “They are working right now in state after state to give power to partisan cronies, empowering election deniers to undermine democracy itself.”
disease and death.
appropriated for it.
“Bakit dinagdagan pa ang pondo ng PhilHealth samantalang ilang beses nailabas sa media na milyon-milyon ang corruption ang ahensyang ito,” he added.
But Weiner says while such efforts are welcome, they are “not remotely enough” considering the depth and gravity of the challenge.
CDC recommends updated COVID-19 boosters...
Health workers slam proposed 2023 health budget
“The updated COVID-19 boosters are formulated to better protect against the most recently circulating COVID-19 variant. They can help restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination and were designed to provide broader protection against newer variants,” Walensky said in a statement.
YLANG-YLANG RIVER CLEANUP. The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office workers in Cavite, with the cooperation of the Imus City government, launches a simultaneous cleanup drive of the Ylang-Ylang River in Barangay Toclong 1-C on Thursday, Sept. 8. The river cleaning was requested by the leadership of the Kapatirang Poong San Jose Foundation “Bahay Pag ibig at Pag asa,” a home for the elderly, to keep the senior citizens in the area from contracting dengue.
booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent if it has been at least two months since they have completed primary vaccination or have received the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine. Individuals 12 years of age and older are eligible for a single booster dose of the PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent if it has been at least two months since they have completed primary vaccination or have received the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine. g
MANILA — Health workers on Thursday, September 8 slammed the government for its proposed health budget for 2023 as it further privatizes public health services for the public by cutting the budget for government-owned hospitals.Inastatement, the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) said that the budget remains insufficient even though it has been increased from P242 billion in 2022 to P296.3 billion in 2023.
“The COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters, continue to save countless lives and prevent the most serious outcomes (hospitalization and death) of COVID-19,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf.
(That is equivalent to more than 242 kidney transplant patients who will not be subsidized. The same goes for other GOCC hospitals. In our hospital, a kidney transplant costs P1.5 million excluding maintenance medicine. There is no public hospital they can go to but here at NKT.)
A bipartisan bill now making its way through Congress is looking to close some of the loopholes that former President Trump sought to exploit in his bid to hold on to power after losing in 2020. The bill would amend portions of the Electoral Count Act, making it harder for states to arbitrarily throw out appointed electors and raising the threshold for members of Congress to challenge election results.The bill already has nine Republicans on board, nearly enough to make it filibuster proof assuming all 50 Democrats are behind it as it wends its way through Congress.
The PGH even had a budget cut of P19.444 million for 2023, with All UP Wokers Union- Manila PGH vice president Benjamin Santos, Jr. noting that despite the lack of lifesaving apparatus like ventilators, there is still no budget
On Aug. 31, the FDA signed off on the updated boosters, saying that the BA.4 and BA.5 strains of the omicron variant are currently
And it is communities of color who bear the brunt of the impact, says“WhenWeiner.you look at efforts to disenfranchise people, more often than not it is communities of color who are the targets. That to me is a crucial part of the story and one we can never ignore. Efforts to make it harder to vote never fall equally on all Americans.”
“As we head into fall and begin to spend more time indoors, we strongly encourage anyone who is eligible to consider receiving a booster dose with a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulatingIndividualsvariants.”18years of age and older are eligible for a single
(The President knows that the economy is failing and many citizens are in poverty. Instead of ameliorating this situation through free treatment, the large budget went to PhilHealth instead of going directly to the hospitals so that more patients can be treated.)
"We have increased policy rates by 25 [basis points] (bps), 25 (bps), 75 (bps) and then another 50 (bps). And, of course, you cannot say it's the end of it because if the US keeps doing 75 [bps hikes], we cannot, not react," he added. g
ang mga mahal na procedure sa GOCC hospital dahil sa pagtapyas ng budget sa MOOE ng P362 million sa aming ospital.” said NKTIEA-AHW president Edwin Pacheco.
“The reemergence of the idea of disenfranchising people as a legitimate political tactic… which had been discredited in the wake of Civil Rights Movement is chilling,” he said. “And it is coupled with increasingly ferocious attacks on ordinary civil servants who administer elections. Those two tactics – disenfranchisement and going after the folks who run our elections – are deeply troubling.”
(Why was the Philhealth fund increased even though the media has released millions of corruption in this agency several times.) g
(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com 5LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 8-14, 2022
OFEATURES PINION
* * * Email: babeseyeview@gmail.com
BROADCAST giant TV5 abruptly terminated its talks for a partnership with the Lopez-owned ABS-CBN after its executives learned that the congressional committee scrutinizing the proposal would be zeroing in on exposing the multi-media conglomerate’s allegedly blatant violation of the constitutional ban on foreign investments in media.
chairman of Philippine Star, is certainly Filipino. But he doesn’t represent himself since he has only token shares in Philstar, as required for him to be on the board. He is in Philippine Star’s board because he ultimately represents First Pacific, where he is an associate director.
Salim First Pacific is tightly controlled by the Indonesian tycoon Anthoni Salim, who owns 45 percent of its shares, with the rest widely distributed in the Hong Kong stock market. Manuel V. Pangilinan is Salim’s prime executive, whose PR though has very successfully portrayed him as the First Pacific’s Philippine conglomerate’s main stockholder, with media even calling it the MVP Group. Pangilinan actually owns only 1.6 percent of the holding firm, and roughly the same tiny percentages in its companies. Pangilinan has a mere 0.13 percent shares of PLDT.
Con rmation hearings are an important part of our democratic system
health care services to poor Filipinos in Metro Manila and beyond. A substantial part of the disconnection from reality can be attributed to the administration of PGH itself.
for cases like mine where I am already in my host country, saving the government expenses for me having to travel to the Philippines and be physically present.
Rappler
As I said during the hearing, you can’t have your cake and eat it, too, when it comes to relationships. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Sometimes, we have to make a choice – one that is best for our nation, which is paramount. For me, that is the most important thing on my mind, and which is what I do here in Washington, D.C.
A PDR represents the holder’s right to the dividend income of a share in a company but without the formal ownership of it. Thus, a foreigner owning a PDR in a media firm isn’t — technically at least — violating the constitutional ban on foreign participation in a media firm.
ManilaTimes.net photo
PAGE 7
Why TV5 threw out ABS-CBN
Last Wednesday, August 31, I went through the confirmation process conducted by the CA’s Committee on Foreign Affairs chaired by Senator Jinggoy Estrada. I thank Senate President Migz Zubiri, who is also the chairman of the CA, for his kind consideration and concern that it was early morning in Washington, D.C. during my confirmation hearing, which I attended virtually.
The budget for PGH in the 2023 national budget proposal delivered to Congress by Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman is P5.9 billion (not P5.4 billion as initially reported), which is a reduction of P400 million from this year's P6.3 billion. This year's budget in turn was a P600million reduction from the P6.9 billion allotted to PGH in 2020.
the Filipino people. We have had a relationship with the United States for over 75 years, and more than 70 years with the Mutual Defense Treaty in place. Our people-topeople ties have been in existence for over a hundred years, and close to 90 percent of Filipinos consider the U.S. as the most trusted nation and still our number one ally.
While previous administrations looked the other way when confronted with this colossal anomaly, officials of PLDT — which owns TV5 through its multi-media arm, MediaQuest Holdings — were reportedly wary that the congressional hearings would train a strong spotlight on it, drawing the attention of new President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s whose stand on it cannot as yet be determined.Indeed,it’s a demonstration of a foreign conglomerate’s vast control of a people’s consciousness and of government regulatory bodies that TV5 as well as its sister companies in media — BusinessWorld, Philippine Star and partly, the
We find it terribly ironic that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) would propose another budget reduction for PGH while at the same time, arguing to Congress that the 2023 budget proposal is in line with the Marcos administration's "8-point economic agenda."
We have to ask, given the chronic understaffing and under-equipping of PGH to serve all the patients who need it, what exactly is its administration doing with the funds it is given? As our columnist Marlen Ronquillo recently pointed out, citing information shared by PGH staffers, the hospital cannot afford to hire more nurses, or regularize its roughly 300 contractual workers — something that is required by law. Training more doctors, a key part of PGH's mandate, is at present completely out of the question due to its financial constraints. And while the staff of PGH does heroic work day in and day out to provide medical services despite the lack of resources, obviously the number of people they can help and the quality of care for those who they can serve have been severely degraded.
One of those points, according to the DBM's own statement to Congress, "prioritizes protection of individuals, households and communities from the persisting effects of the pandemic, as well as future unprecedented catastrophes through the strengthening of social services and health care, as well as the safe resumption of face-to-face education."InDBM's defense, however, it should not bear all the blame for a lack of awareness and compassion for the needs of PGH to deliver badly needed
BABE ROMUAL
PGH needs a budget increase, not further cuts
Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez expressed displeasure with the PGH's reduced
FOR the third year in a row, the government has proposed a budget cut for the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), the nation's second largest public hospital, in spite of the persistent COVID-19 pandemic and other public health threats. This is frankly unconscionable, and we join those in Congress and the dedicated but hard-pressed workers of PGH itself who are calling for a budget increase, rather than more cuts.
In a recent statement in response to a call from the All UP Workers Union-Manila/ PGH to double the hospital's budget to P10 billion, PGH spokesman Dr. Jonas del Rosario informed the media that PGH Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi also agreed that the proposed allocation is "more than enough" to fund the hospital's programs. Del Rosario pointed out that PGH had actually asked for P6.1 billion in the 2023 budget, but "we were hesitant to ask for more" because "we have not really spent some of the budget that was given to us last year."
budget proposal in a hearing last week, which gives us hope that the responsible officials — either in the DBM, or in Congress, which exercises the power of the purse for the government — will come to their senses. "We should be increasing the budgetary allocations of state universities and colleges, which are the poor student's schools of choice, and government hospitals, which are the pauper's go-to health facilities, instead of reducing their funds," Rodriguez said, also referring to the reduced budget for PGH's mother institution, the
University of the Philippines.
The legislature has some power to correct the budget, but it would be better if the DBM follows Rodriguez's recommendation, and submits an erratum to that effect to Congress. After all, it would be in keeping with President Marcos' expressed ambition to expand and improve public health services in the country; if cuts need to be made to compensate, there are surely many far less critical areas of the budget where the money could be found. (ManilaTimes.net)
RIGOBERTO Commentary
ONE of the critical aspects of a democracy like ours is the existence of checks and balances to ensure that none of the three branches of government – the Executive, the Legislative and the Judicial – would be able to abuse its jurisdiction or powers.
Editorial
A very important constitutional body that can perform such checks and balances is the Commission on Appointments, which has the power to approve or reject the appointees or nominees of the president for certain positions in government. Composed of 25 members coming from the Senate and the House of Representatives, the CA conducts confirmation hearings to help determine whether a nominee or appointee is suitable for the position or has the capability to undertake the responsibilities required of him or her. In past confirmation hearings,
For something as important as that – no problem at all. Apps like Zoom have become necessary
* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
The Securities and Exchange Commission in fact ruled in the Rappler case that the ban on foreign ownership and control is absolute, that not a single peso nor the slightest control in a media firm can be made by a foreign entity. The SEC even emphasized that Presidential Decree 1018 had also declared that “the ownership and management of mass media be limited to citizens of the Philippines or to corporations wholly owned and managed by suchTV5citizens.andits sister media firms are 100 percent-owned by a firm called MediaQuest which was funded with P14.5 billion in 2012 by PLDT Inc.’s pension fund called Beneficial Trust Fund (BTF). The fund is controlled by a five-man board of trustees, three of which are PLDT executives, and all five appointed by its board of Outdirectors.ofPLDT’s 13-man board, nine are designated by the foreign First Pacific Co. and NTT Docomo. Control by these two foreign firms is therefore transmitted first through the Beneficial Trust Fund to MediaQuest and then to the media firms, a clear violation of the Constitution if the corporate veil is pierced.
I was very pleased that the questions asked by the members coming from the majority and the minority both from the Senate and the House of Representatives –all sides of the political fence, so to speak – were very precise and incisive.These confirmation hearings are actually good for those of us who have to go through the process because we will have an idea about the kind of issues that our legislators are concerned with based on the questions they ask. I shared that my marching orders from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is to increase economic activities between the Philippines and the U.S. The pandemic has really upended the global economy and he believes that the U.S. can play a major role in our efforts to economically recover from the impact of the pandemic by having more investments come
For instance, Ray Espinosa,
EyeBabe’sView
It is important for us to always look at everything based on what is best for our country. Our national interest comes first, and implicit in that is the need to feel the pulse of the people and listen to their sentiments, which President Marcos himself has emphasized on many occasions.
BTF’s funds, however, were not enough to fund the huge requirements of Salim’s media enterprises, since its capital in MediaQuest had eaten up 80 percent of its MediaQuest’sassets. media investments in fact hasn’t been generating profits in the tight,
competitive media market, so PLDT had to report huge actuarial losses on these: P6.8 billion, P11 billion and P5.1 billion for 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively. As a result, the value of the pension plan’s assets — which determines its capability to meet pension payments — was drastically reduced to P6 billion, or onefourth of its P24 billion value in 2011. Salim could no longer raise funds from his employees’ BTF to fund his media MediaQuest’sempire.*rapidexpansion as a media conglomerate was due to PLDT’s massive infusion of capital, disguised as Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDRs). That is, PLDT gave MediaQuest additional capital, a violation of the constitutional ban as PLDT is 36-percent owned by foreigners. These were disguised though as PDRs issued by MediaQuest.
Shortly after my confirmation hearing at the CA, I had a meeting with Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink. What he shared on Twitter summed up the attitude that the U.S. has towards the Philippines today –that our meeting reminded him of “just how fortunate the United States is to have friends, allies and partners like the Philippines.” (Philstar.com)
The process is similar to what they have here in the United States where every appointee or nominee for Cabinet-level positions and even the Supreme Court is grilled by the U.S. Senate, which can confirm or reject such nominees or appointees. This is known as the “Appointments Clause” that serves as an example of the underlying principle of checks and balances in the U.S. Constitution.
However, the SEC decision on the Rappler case declared: “The Commission’s definition of
Philippine Daily Inquirer — have been operating even if these are owned through corporate layers by PLDT Inc. This telecom giant is owned 25.6 percent by the Indonesian-controlled First Pacific Co. (according to its 2021 annual report) and 10.6 percent by the Japanese NTT Docomo (according to the PLDT’s general information sheet submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission last month).
‘control’ is neither limited to stock ownership nor to management in the board, but rather embraces a broad range of schemes that grant influence over corporate policy.” Indeed, except for its chairman (currently Ray Espinosa, a First Pacific executive), the BTF’s board members are obscure PLDT executives obviously put there to comply with the legal requirements for a pension fund.
SEPTEMBER 8-14 2022 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-66786 ASIAN JOURNAL PUBLITIONS, INC. publishes the Los Angeles Asian Journal, published twice a week; Northern California Asian Journal, Las Vegas Asian Journal and the New York / New Jersey Asian Journal which are published once a week and distributed to Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange Counties, Northern California, Las Vegas and New York and New Jersey respectively. Articles published in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Letters to the Editor are welcome. Letters must contain complete name and return address. The materials, however, are subject to editing and revisions. Contributions and advertising deadlines are every Mondays and Thursdays. For advertising rates and other informations, please ll the L.A. office at (213) 250-9797 or the Las Vegas Sales Office at (702) 792-6678 or send us an email at info@asianjournalinc.com Asian Journal Publitions, Inc. (“AJPI”) reserves the right to refuse to publish, in its sole and absolute discretion, any advertising and advertorial material submitted for publition by client. (“Client’s SubmissionMaterial”) of an advertisement or advertorial to an AJPI sales representative does not constitute a commitment by AJPI to publish a Client’s Material. AJPI has the option to correctly classify any Client’s Material and to delete objectionable words or phrases. Client represents and warrants that a Client’s Material does not and will not contain any language or material which is libelous, slanderous or defamatory or invades any rights of privacy or publicity; does not and will not violate or infringe upon, or give rise to any adverse claim with respect to any common law or other right whatsoever (including, without limitation, any copyright, trademark, service mark or contract right) of any person or entity, or violate any other applible law; and is not the subject of any litigation or claim that might give rise to any litigation. Publition of a Client’s Material does not constitute an agreement to continue publition. Client agrees and covenants to indemnify AJPI and its officers against any and all loss, liability, damage, expenses, cost, charges, claims, actions, uses of action, recoveries, judgments, penalties, including outside attorneys’ fees (individually and collectively “Claims”) which AJPI may suffer by reason of (1) Client’s breach of any of the representations, warranties and agreements herein or (2) any Claims by any third party relating in any way to Client’s Material. AJPI will not be liable for failure to publish any Client’s Material as requested or for more than one incorrect insertion of a Client’s Material. In the event of an error, or omission in printing or publition of a Client’s Material, AJPI shall be limited to an adjustment for the space occupied by the error, with maximum liability being ncellation of the cost of the first incorrect advertisement or republition of the correct advertisement. Under no circumstances shall Asian Publitions, Inc. be liable for consequential damages of any kind. ADVERTISING AND ADVERTORIAL POLICIES 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. ROGER LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board CORA MACABAGDAL-ORIEL President MOMAR G. VISAYA Executive Editor ROBERT MACABAGDAL Vice President & General Manager Las Vegas Asian Journal Main Office: 1210 S. Brand Blvd Glendale, CA 91204 Tels: (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797 Fax: (818) 502-0858 • (213) 481-0854 e-mail: http://www.asianjournal.cominfo@asianjournalinc.com Las Vegas Sales Office: 2770 S. Maryland Pkwy., Suite 201 Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Tel.: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879 With offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York/New Jersey, Las Vegas, San Diego. Philippines
ourCertainly,way. we need to know what are foremost in the minds of our legislators because we have to work with them in terms of how we can proceed with our relationship with major countries such as the UnitedQuestionsStates. regarding our relationship with China and the United States can become a contentious issue, with concerns that the tension between these two countries could escalate and result in an outbreak of hostilities. As I told the CA, I am convinced that the United States does not want to have that conflict, and neither does the Philippines and many other countries, including our ASEAN neighbors. We are working with our ASEAN colleagues here in Washington, D.C. to pressure, to a certain extent, these two major powers to ease up the tension and prevent a potentialClearly,conflict.ourrelationship with these two countries is very important, but at the end of the day, we must listen to the sentiments of
While we want to reach out to China, engage in economic activities and have a good relationship with them, it is evident that a big majority of Filipinos are angry with what our giant neighbor in Asia is doing, particularly in the West Philippine Sea. It is not surprising therefore that most Filipinos want to remain within the realm of our friendship with the United States.
First Pacific and NTT Docomo were recently able to legalize their investments in PLDT because of the passage of a law in March this year that in effect excludes telecoms from the list of industries in which the Constitution allows only 40 percent of capital to be owned by foreigners. This was done through the really preposterous maneuver of redefining telecoms not as “public utilities” — as the Constitution referred to restricted industries — but “public services.”However, the constitutional requirement for 100 percent Filipino ownership of mass media remains, and only through the tedious process of amending or totally rewriting the Constitution can the ban be lifted.
From 2012 to September 2013, PLDT subsidiary ePLDT invested P9.6 billion in MediaQuest’s PDRs, which was then used to fund Cignal TV, the direct-tohome satellite television service. The massive infusion of funds explains why Cignal TV has in just a few years become the largest in theInindustry.March2013 and then March 2014, ePLDT bought another P2.45 billion MediaQuest PDRs, in order to fund its subsidiary Hastings Holdings, the holding company for First Pacific’s newspaper investments in the country. This was reportedly used to partly pay the P4 billion that the Belmonte family asked for its Philippine Star shares in 2012.
PLDT took another tack in funding its TV5 network, especially since the broadcast
especially during President Rodrigo Duterte’s term, a couple of appointees for Cabinet secretary were rejected outright by the CA.
by Gaea Katreena CabiCo Philstar.com
Salim’s media enterprises, combined with his telecom industries, make up a powerful political and opinion-forming force, which is the reason the framers of our Constitution totally banned foreigners from these sectors. A foreigner in fact now has in place a perfect machine for controlling a population’s views and way of thinking. He has a content generator made up of his news enterprises in print, broadcast and the Internet. In addition, he has a content disseminator consisting of his cellphone firm, Smart Communications, the biggest in the country, and his direct-tohome satellite television service Cignal TV and his cable news network.
*This as well as First Pacific’s growth in the Philippines is described in detail, with sources provided in my 2016 book Colossal Deception: How Foreigners Control Our Telecoms Sector, available for online at rigobertotiglao.com/shop and at amazon.com. Neither First Pacific nor PLDT has contested anything written in the book. A new edition is scheduled for publication at the end of this year. (ManilaTimes. net)
If it were up to DOH, face masks would stay mandatory even outdoors named Asia’s leading dive, beach destination anew
The Boston Consulting Group revealed in 2017 that Manila's traffic congestion cost motorists an average of over an hour lost in traffic every day, putting it at third worst in Southeast Asia. (Franco Luna with a report from Kaycee Valmonte/Philstar.com)
Intramuros, meanwhile, won over other competitors such as the Angkor Temples of Cambodia; Borobudur Temple Compounds of Indonesia; Ha Long Bay of Vietnam; Sengan-en and Shoko Shuseikan Museum of Kagoshima in Japan; Taj Mahal of India, teamLab SuperNature of Macao, Great Wall, The Forbidden City, and Terracotta Warriors, all in China; Tokyo Imperial Palace of Japan; and Victoria Peak of Hong Kong.Frasco said the Philippines is ready to receive tourists while continuing to promote the "Filipino brand" of hospitality.
for more intensified dive tourism promotion and development.
congestion rate and used Urban Access Regulations to get the countries with the highest amount of low emissions zone schemes implemented.Nocountry outside of North America and Europe finished in the top 15 countries in terms of low emission zone schemes.
However, by having the BTF as an investor in the media empire, Salim isn’t risking his own nor his conglomerate’s funds in companies in the media sector, but the employees’ pension money. More importantly, by having BTF as the stockholder in his media firms, Salim thinks he is skirting the constitutional ban on foreign investments in local
Just last week, Vergeire said that wearing a mask is “just a small sacrifice to protect ourselves” after the Cebu City government issued an order making masking optional outdoors.ThePhilippines has confirmed 3.89 million cases, with over 62,000 deaths, since the pandemic started in 2020.
Manila is the world’s 8th city with longest hours spent in traffic - study
The Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving, an attached agency of the DOT in charge of marine sports, has recently appropriated a budget of PHP9.53 million for the first time by the national government
MANILA — With schools and industries opening up to on-site operations, a new research has found that Metro Manila is the eighth worst in the world in hours spent in traffic among cities.
WTA awarded the Philippines for the sixth time as the leading beach destination in Asia besting India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam, and at the same time achieving Asia’s Leading Dive Destination title for four straight years since 2019, edging Indonesia, Malaysia andFrascoThailand.said the dive citation from WTA cemented the premise of the DOT in hosting the Philippine International Dive Expo (PHIDEX) 2022, which is considered the country’s largest platform to network and promote the dive industry.
One of the largest cities in the world, Bogota, ranked second with a congestion level of 55 percent.
apply to everyone? "[N]ot the senior citizens, not those with comorbidities, not children, and definitely not those who are having symptoms of COVID-19," sheVergeiresaid. said the COVID-19 infections in the Philippines are still manageable, noting that severe and critical cases were plateauing, while the proportion of people seeking treatment in hospitals was less than 30%.
More than 72.6 million Filipinos have completed vaccination against COVID-19. However, only 18.1 million people have gotten boosters. g
Why TV5 threw out...
company was in dire need of more money since it hadn’t been able to get a significant share of the advertising market from the two major networks, ABS-CBN andPLDTGMA7.and its subsidiary, Smart Communications, gave advanced payments for its advertising placements, which it committed to total P868 million in 2013 and a further P758 million in 2014. It is not clear how much the total placements amounted to although these could have reached P1 billion annually from 2010 to 2014 — a credible figure given PLDT and Smart’s P8 billion annual advertising budget. PLDT actually entered into a contract with TV5 for these advertising placements starting in 2010 for a five-year term. The contract has been renewed for another five years, to continue up to 2021.
"Usually this means that vehicles with higher emissions cannot enter the area. In some low emission zones the more polluting vehicles have to pay more if they enter the low emission zone," a briefer on the Urban Access Regulations site reads.GoShorty said it gathered data from the TomTom Traffic Congestion Index to get the congestion rates and time lost to traffic for both worldwide cities and UKItcities.then ranked each city on its
"A lot of people all over the world use a car for their daily commute or to run errands, it’s a source of transportation that is readily available. Yet, one of the most significant downsides is when you are unfortunately stuck in gridlocked traffic," the study said.
GoShorty identified the countries with the highest amount of low emissions zone schemes implemented to determine which of the world’s cities have the busiest roads.Under the Urban Access Regulations in Europe, low emission zones are defined as "areas where the most polluting vehicles are regulated."
In 2021, Bogota lost 126 hours to traffic, making a drive in the city look a little less appealing.
The health official stressed the new policy will be done by low-risk individuals and implemented in low-risk settings. "[This means] those would only be done outdoors in settings where it is not crowded, in settings where there is good ventilation, and this would be done among low-risk individuals," Vergeire said.
Other cities Istanbul, the most populated city in Turkey and Europe, was listed as the most congested city in the world, with a congestion level of 62Residentspercent. of the Turkish capital spend around 142 hours in traffic jams - the equivalent of nearly 6 whole days. The city saw an 11-percent increase in traffic from 2020, meaning that on average, car journeys will take 62 percent longer.
Data from the World Health Organization published in 2018 said that the total life expectancy in the Philippines for both men and women is 69.3 years.
"The Philippines is a beautiful country and you (WTA) having given these awards is such an affirmation to all of our tourism stakeholders and workers who have greatly sacrificed throughout the pandemic," she said.
and we will get back stronger than ever," she added.
"We are ready to receive you in the Philippines. We look forward to your visit and I invite each and every one of you to visit our beaches, our dive sites, and our tourist destinations," she said. (PNA)
DOH is chair of the IATF, a recommendatory body whose resolutions had the force of law in the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic."Theposition of the DOH is for us to continue masking. But there were several [pieces of] data that were presented that also led to this decision," Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, officer-in-charge of the DOH, said in an interview
The proposal has already received the "verbal approval" of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. but the policy shift will take effect only after he issues an executive order.Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said the Philippines and Myanmar are the last countries in Southeast Asia still requiring masksAccordingoutdoors.toVergeire, economic managers also said the number of tourist arrivals will increase if the mask mandate is removed.
"We look to the future with hope that through our combined efforts under the Marcos administration that has identified tourism to become a major pillar for economic recovery that not only will we survive the pandemic but we will thrive, we will endure
media enterprises, since BTF is technically a Filipino entity as its beneficiaries are Filipinos who constitute the overwhelming majority of PLDT’s staff.
The incontrovertible reality though is that the controlling entity of these media conglomerates is a foreigner, the Indonesian Salim, which the Constitution bans. He can rely on the executives he appoints in PLDT, in BTF, and in his main media holding firm MediaQuest to follow his orders.
Never in our post-war history has there been a foreigner with such a media empire, and in all media platforms. This is a fact largely hidden by the Salim group’s tremendous control of media — including journalists working in his competitors’ firms. It would have been exposed if Congress had continued its investigation of the deal being worked out by TV5 and ABS-CBN.
"In 2020 we saw a drop in congestion and traffic, due to the pandemic. However, in 2022 we’re seeing more people going places again, returning to a form of normal. As such, there has been a worldwide rise in congestion, despite the rising cost of fuel prices."
MANILA – The Philippines was again named as Asia's leading dive and beach destination by the 2022 World Travel Awards (WTA) in Vietnam on Sept. 7. Intramuros also reclaimed its title as Asia's leading tourist attraction.Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco on Thursday welcomed the back-to-back win, saying it proves the beauty of the Philippines.
Traffic in Manila In a 2018 study, the Japan International Cooperation Agency said that traffic costs the Philippines P3.5 billion in "lost opportunities" daily. The amount is expected to triple in number by the year Former2030.Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chair Romando Artes said that in 2021, 300,000 vehicles were sold; 60 to 70 percent of which go in and out of Metro Manila each day.
Topping the list is Mumbai, the eighth most populous city in the world with around 20 million people. The Indian city has a congestion rate of 53 percent as of 2021.
(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com 7LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 8-14, 2022Dateline PhiliPPines
PH
‘Low-risk’
Will the relaxed rules
PAGE 6
MANILA — The Department of Health said Thursday that it would prefer to keep wearing face masks mandatory even as the government's pandemic response task force has voted to recommend relaxing masking The Inter-Agencyrules. Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is recommending making wearing face masks voluntary in open areas that are not too crowded.
* * * Facebook: Rigoberto Tiglao Twitter: BookArchives:@bobitiglaowww.rigobertotiglao.comorders:www.rigobertotiglao.com/shop
with ABS-CBN News Channel.
A research by insurance technology site GoShorty showed Manila has a 43 percent congestion level and 98 hours lost to traffic annually, or more than four days that Filipinos spend in the Metro's infamous traffic jams every year.
* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
The show, which is now on its fifth episode, started out with 12 prominent names in the Philippine drag circuit — Minty Fresh, Precious Paula Nicole, Brigiding, Corazon, Eva Le Queen, Gigi Era, Lady Morgana, Marina Summers, Prince, Turing, Viñas DeLuxe and Xilhouete.
A regular host in the longest-running noontime show Eat Bulaga, Paolo also revealed that he tries to inject Eat Bulaga humor into his hosting style.
PAOLO Ballesteros is feeling both proud and pressured to be the host of the very first Drag Race Philippines, the local spin-off of the Emmy-winning US show RuPaul’s Drag Race, where drag artists compete for the honor of being named first Filipino “Drag Race Superstar.”Theseries, which is co-produced by World of Wonder and Fullhouse Asia Production Studios, Inc., airs Wednesdays on WOW Presents Plus, Discovery+ and HBO Go in the Philippines, Crave in Canada and WOW Presents Plus in other parts of the world.
Besides being a host, Paolo is also the head judge on the show. He is joined on the judging panel by what he called as the “best of the best,” namely Jiggly Caliente, who’s best known for competing in RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 4 and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 6, and writer, presenter, producer and impersonator KaladKaren. The show also features celebrity guest judges, including Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach in the latest episode.
Santos last starred in the 2016 comedy-drama film “Everything About Her” with Angel Locsin and Xian Lim.
“As for me, the intros and closing, of course, have to be in English but I insert Eat Bulaga humor here and there, and that’s what makes it exciting. I have fun with the queens and the judges as much as I have fun with my Dabarkads. It’s just like Eat Bulaga na may English haha!” he added.
“Had a lunch meeting with Direk [Erik Matti] and [Dondon Monteverde]. EXCITING!” she toldMeanwhile,fans.
Photo from Instagram/@pochoy_29
VILMA Santos is making her way back to the big screen as acclaimed film director Erik Matti revealed that he is developing a project with the Star for All Seasons.Theactress teased her collaboration with Matti by showing themselves in a meeting alongside film producer Dondon Monteverde, via her Instagram page on Wednesday, Sept. 7.
LAS VEGAS ASIANLIFESTYLEJOURNAL • CONSUMER GUIDE • COMMUNITY • MARKETPLACESeptember 8, 2022 INSIDE
by nathalie tomaDa Philstar.com
a “third priority” for some time, but she has since become more active in communicating with fans through vlogging. g
THOUGH more physical stores have opened, many shoppers who got used to the comfort and convenience of buying online are not giving up their habit that formed during the pandemic. One of them is no less than Marian Rivera."Same pa rin, online shopping pa rin. Hindi na mawawala yun kasi ito yung pinakamadali especially kung marami kang ginagawa, may inaasikaso ka sa bahay," the actress and Shopee brand ambassador said at the e-commerce platform's latest event.She added that she could use the time she would save from
Meanwhile, speaking more about the most exciting and challenging parts of hosting Drag Race Philippines, Paolo shared, “The challenging part would be the language, of course. It’s how to translate a Pinoy
Marian PhotoRiverafrom Instagram/@marianrivera
A proud hands-on mom, she said she's an "aligagang nanay" who would wake up her children — Zia, 6 and Sixto, 3 — bathe them, prepare their meals and personally drop them off to their schools."Gustong gusto kong gawin yun for my kids. Kaya naman din swak sa akin yun online shopping kasi pwede ng di lumabas at mas marami kang time sa mga anak mo."Online shopping also proves to be Rivera's choice when it comes to holiday shopping. For not only does it save her time, the Shopee deals are also hard to pass up. g
“This is our premiere season and we want to showcase the Philippines’ finest,” Paolo added.
After 23 years of holding office in Batangas—as Lipa City mayor, Batangas governor and Lipa City thatPiatheinterviewelections.shecareerannouncedrepresentative—SantosthatherpoliticalwouldtakethebackseatasoptednottorunintheMay9SantosthennotedduringanwithPiaArcangelforlatter’s“SpecialGuestwithArcangel”podcastlastMarch,hershowbizcareerbecame
Marian gets practical with her time and money
The weekly competition is replete with funny moments and antics, but the elimination and farewell segments can get very emotional. After all, the drag artists aren’t just in the show to fight for the crown, but also to fight for their dreams.
He believes the timing couldn’t have been more right for the arrival of a show like Drag Race Philippines.
by Christina alpaD ManilaTimes.net
For him, all the drag queens in the first Drag
thought or humor or joke into English, but still make sure it’s funny. We don’t necessarily have to speak English the whole time but of course, it’s much better if we do. And we try to as much as we can.”
going to physical stores now that her two children with Dingdong Dantes are in school.
PAGE 10
Vilma gears up for comeback film with Erik Matti Paolo on PH drag community: ‘We are world-class’
VEGAS&STYLEJOURNAL
No spoilers here, but as of the last episode, the number is now down to the Top 7 after the drag queens battled it out in a beauty contest extravaganza and channeled beauty queen archetypes because Drag Race is “not a contact sport but a pageant,” as the show put it.
by Dana Cruz Inquirer.net
Santos] in a few commercials but I’ve always wished to do a movie with the Philippine film industry’s most iconic star for all seasons,” he said. “We will be developing two projects with her and after hearing the stories, Ate Vi gave it a nod. A very happy, excited nod.”
Matti expressed excitement over working with Santos and noted that two projects with her will be developed, as seen on his Instagram page, also on“I’veWednesday.worked with [Vilma
“It’s time for the world to see not just how talented and amazing our queens are, but also our culture and artistry. We are world-class, matagal na and we are grateful for this show,” he said.
Paolo Ballesteros
SEPTEMBER 8-14 2022 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-66788
“I feel honored and proud to present to the world our amazing and talented queens. I do also feel a bit pressured because I am tasked to fit a rather big shoe but that only makes me and everybody strive for the best,” the host, actor, comedian and drag artist told The STAR in an exclusive e-mail interview.
Vilma Santos and Erik Matti Photo from Instagram/@erikmatti
from the iconic “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign that attracts thousands of visitors every year.
available in the market, especially when there’s a lull. Aside from the ability to look over many properties that may suit your needs, you don’t need to cater to all of the seller’s demands, unlike before.
by RealtoR Fely Quitevis-Bateman
(Advertising Supplement)
FOR the third consecutive month, home prices have fallen in Southern Nevada, including Las Vegas.
Behind Russ Bateman in photo above is the Fontainebleau Hotel (tall blue building) which is undergoing massive construction. It is scheduled to have its grand opening in October of 2023.
Now, house hunters have more of a bargaining chip with sellers as there are more choices in the real estate market. Unlike the last couple of years when buyers had to pull out all the stops or squeeze their budget to be able to participate, buyers now have the option of negotiating with a seller due to the slowdown in home sales.
Falling home prices in Southern Nevada a boon to home buyers
lower than June’s 5.52%), but still above the 2.84% range in August of 2021, according to a report from Freddie Mac.
The past few months have seen acres of land sell for millions in Las Vegas, including 10 acres just across the Strip from Resorts World Las Vegas acquired by the Siegel Group that will in probability be developed into a hotel/casino and entertainment arena, and 2.2 acres of land just across the from the Mandalay Bay Convention Center that sold for $12.8 million.
The former has been called the last great piece of land available in the north end of the strip, while the latter is just walking distance away
area and neighboring communities as those who may have been priced out before due to high home prices and bidding wars can again participate in the market.
Higher borrowing costs have contributed to the lull from home buyers as the average rates for a 30-year home loan have risen to 5.22% in August of 2022 (slightly
It is a different story though when it comes to commercial properties in Las Vegas, particularly along theItStrip.isvery hard to find a piece of land that is not going to sell for a good amount. Everyone wants a piece of the pie, so to speak. Casino/ resort groups are continually improving their operations by buying when it suits them and offloading or closing properties when they become liabilities, and billionaires and venture capitalists want to stake their claim in Las Vegas before it becomes too expensive to enter the market.
This has, in turn, allowed more inventory to flow into the market as house hunters have pulled back on home purchases, unlike in 2020 and 2021 when sellers were having multiple buyers having a bidding war on their properties.
Consider this: In 1940, the median home price in Nevada was at $20,700. The median price grew to $136,000 by 1980, and
Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman helps those who need business financing, including loans for small businesses. For more information, call (702) 538-4948, or send email to fely@preciousproperties.com or fely.precious@gmail.com.
(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com 9LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 8-14, 2022Features
Las Vegas is a unique place to be at, as many projects are in construction that will contribute their fair share of jobs and economic opportunities for those who are able to take Evenadvantage.withthecurrent slowdown in home sales, median home prices continue to be above level from past years and decades. In fact, through the years, median home prices have continued to improve, even when there are housing market crashes, as what happened in 2008.
A combination of factors are contributing to falling home sales, although industry experts say that Southern Nevada is still in the buyer’s market category.
was pegged at $142,000 in 2000. In 2010, the median price was at $143,651, right smack in the middle of the housing crash. About a decade later, there was a surge in home prices as the median home price was placed at around $345,000 in 2020.
Russ Bateman and Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman strolled along Las Vegas Blvd. and saw developments going on that may keep the “buyer’s market” around due to massive job creation from these ongoing projects.
Certainly, property appreciation in Nevada, especially in hot markets like Las Vegas, is a given. And with the rapid development in the area, it is not a surprise that per square foot prices in different neighborhoods have skyrocketed in the past few decades.Ifyou are looking for property in Las Vegas or neighboring communities like Pahrump, Henderson or Boulder City, now is the time to take a look at what’s
I have been a Realtor for many decades now and have seen the growth of many Nevada communities. I consider Nevada as one of the best states to live in, especially as it has no state income tax and there are many other advantages to having a business in Nevada. With many residential and commercial developments in Las Vegas and neighboring communities, and many planned projects that will continue to add to the diversity to each city’s or town’s entertainment offerings, Nevada is truly is a good place to look for a home, an investment property or a piece of land where you may want to construct your dream home in or sell for a profit later.Some of my clients who have taken the plunge and purchased properties are now reaping the benefits of their good choices by setting up their place as Airbnb or as a rental property.
During the most frenzied time in the home buying arena, many properties were flooded with offers and more often than not sold far more from their original selling point. Builders put buyers on waiting lists and it was not uncommon for prices to be raised regularly. At times, lotteries were even put in place to determine who would be able to purchase a property.According to Realtors and industry experts, the price drop is actually good for the Las Vegas
From a median sales price high of $482,000 in May 2022, the median price of homes dropped to $450,000 in August 2022, which is a $15,000 drop from the previous month (July 2022), according to a report in the Las Vegas ReviewJournal. Despite the $32,000 drop from its highest point, home prices are still up substantially from about a year ago, with median home prices at the $375,000 range in August of 2021.
My company, Precious Properties, is a full-service company that has served its clientele since 1992. You can reach me at 775513-8447, 805-559-2476 and 702538-4948 for more information, or send me an email at fely@preciousproperties.com or fely.precious@ gmail.com. We have investors who buy houses in California and Nevada for cash and quick escrow in as short as 7 days.
A table from the Las Vegas Review-Journal shows the price drop of median sales prices of homes in Southern Nevada. From a high of $482,000 in May 2022, the current median sales price was pegged at $450,000 in August 2022, which is still substantially up from figures last year (2021).
Paolo’s artistry first gained public attention and media mileage not only locally but also internationally, after he posted on Instagram, starting in 2015, his makeup transformations to the likes of Angelina Jolie, Mariah Carey, Julia Roberts and other international celebrities.Thisled him to playing the lead role in the film Die Beautiful, where he also expressed his take on the art of drag. The 2016 film went on to gain local and international acclaim, including the Best Actor award for Paolo
for happiness right now.
“I’m not going to deny, I’ve been going through some personal struggles like I feel a lot of pressure in my life, and basically now, I’m really in a search of just being happy,” she said.“It’s about the simplest things in life that are very important and that really makes a person happy — that’s where I’m at now. I feel like at the end of the day, it’s really your inner strength and you being independent about what you want to do in life and not rely on anyone that matters,” she added.
THE average life expectancy in the United States “dropped for a second straight year from 2020 to 2021, with the COVID-19 pandemic once again playing an outsize role in the decline,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This has been the lowest since 1996, dropping from 77.0 years to 76.1. The U.S. had the largest drop since World War II, with a fall from 78.8 years in 2019 to 77 in 2020, and now down to 76.1. That’s a 2.7-year drop from 3 years ago! On the other hand, the life expectancy in The Philippines is 71.41 years in 2021, a surprising increase of 0.18 percent from 2020.
KAPUSO actress Heart Evangelista admitted that she's going through a rough patch right now after rumors circulated that she and husband Chiz Escudero have broken up.
Asked if he was going for a signature style throughout the series, he said, “With the looks for the show, I chose to wear darkcolored hair. I actually veered away from using blonde or white or any light-colored hair kasi napanood ko in other franchises like España, Holland, magkakamukha kami pagnaka-drag haha (we all look alike when in drag).
asisSucceedingPhotoEvangelistafromInstagram/@iamhearteinowningtheirownrestaurantbutanaturaloffshootofpeoplewhoworkhardasSarahandherhusbandRyando.PAGE 8 EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT FOR RENT
also have lots of talented fashion designers, established ones and some up-and-coming ones that will be worn in the show.”
“Not really a bad thing because they are really great in their shows, it’s just my personal preference. We
Sarah enjoys spending as much time as she can with her husband, Ryan, and her sons Dylan, Gavin, and Cash. Family is her priority. She also finds joy in exercise - for fitness and stress reduction. She used to compete in "muay thai," and she still actively practices the martial art today.
Also, natural immunity from infection is less stable, less reliable, and not as effective as immunity conferred by the vaccines.Worldwide, 12.6 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccines have been administered safely, 610 million of those in the United States. Almost 8.5 million doses a day are being given globally and it would take another 9 months to achieve around 75 percent vaccination rate, to usher in “normalcy.” If the more than 50 million unvaccinated people in the United States get their shots now, the COVID-19 pandemic would be contained sooner. This is actually in their hands. That’s why I said in a previous column that our best weapons to defeat COVID-19 are wisdom, love of our fellowmen and compassion, besides the vaccines, hygiene, masking, distancing, and avoiding crowds.
PhiliP S. Chua
"limitless potential." She mentors young women through initiatives like "Girls on the Run," which aims to produce strong women by empowering them on all fronts.
As a host, Paolo is expected to deliver inspirational messages and give pep talks to the Drag Race Philippines contestants. Asked what advice he can give to them about nurturing creativity and achieving success in showbiz, Paolo stressed, “Host or not, I will be of help to our queens as much as I can. Because we are a family. I always tell them to be yourself and have fun. Show the world what you can do. Let it all out, because we are limitless.”
* *
* * *
*
Her Mrs. Nevada platform was "Keys to Empowerment," designed to assist young women and girls in realizing their
Dementia affected about 35.6 million people worldwide in 2010, and is expected to double every 20 years. Around 6.2 million among age 65 and older have had Alzheimer’s dementia in 2021, and seventy-five percent among age 75 or older. While a severely impaired memory renders the person unaware of his/her environment, the pain and hardship are graver for those family members and caregivers. Taking care of these unfortunate persons is much more complex and difficult than taking care of babies and Personally,infants.ifIdevelop severe Alzheimer’s, I would rather go fast to save my family and friends from long-term suffering and heartaches. But I am optimistic science will discover effective preventive measures and a miracle cure for this debilitating and devastating illness.
In the show, Paolo gets to explore and exhibit his creativity as a drag artist as well by flaunting different looks in each episode.
Remember, refusing the vaccines and waiting for COVID-19 infection to acquire immunity is dangerous. A significant number of people doing this have died, like the five talk show hosts in the U.S. who at the last minute changed their no-vax advocacy to “hurry-and-
Giving back to the community was perfectly linked with the Mrs. America program.
anything and everything we want. We just have to be willing to put in the work,” says Sarah.
In her latest vlog on her YouTube channel, Heart said that she's still grateful and hoping that all will be well soon.
*
In case you don’t know, Paolo comes from a family of artists. His great-grandfather is the Philippines’ first National Artist and painter Fernando Amorsolo.
This year, the Banda Family experienced one of the biggest moments of their life.
If China had locked down Wuhan City when the novel coronavirus was first detected there on December 8, 2019, this catastrophic pandemic that devastated the economies of 230 nations and areas around the globe (more than 610 million COVID-19 cases and greater than 6.5 million deaths worldwide; almost 97 million cases in the U.S., with higher than 1 million deaths; and, more than 3.9 million cases in the Philippines and greater than 62,000 deaths) could have been avoided. It could have been contained and kept within Wuhan, preventing COVID-19 from spreading to other parts of China and to various nations around the globe.**
Race Philippines are ready for the international stage. “Just like our drag community in general. There is so much passion and artistry that is just waiting to be tapped and recognized worldwide,” he said.
Chinese authorities have locked down Chengdu, a southwestern city with 21 million people, because of a surge in COVID-19, according to the Associated Press Around 70 percent of the flights to and from that city have been suspended. Those with special needs (negative test) are allowed to leave the city.
ATTY. Sarah Banda, who is a native of Nevada and who won the Mrs. Nevada-America title last year, identifies as a go-getter who is constantly trying to step beyond her comfort zone and improve herself. She focuses on pursuing personal development while assisting those around her to do the same and realize their goals.Sarah’s day-to-day activities include being a wife, mother, by working as a civil litigation attorney at Naqvi Injury Law, and serving her community.
“I’ve always been such a happy person and I’ve always been somebody who just goes against the tides and just let the waves crash on me. I’m not going to lie — I’ve been going through a lot of personal stuff in my mind,” she said. "But you know, at the end of the day, I’m still very grateful and as long as there’s life, there’s hope,” sheHeartadded.said that she's searching
* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. * * * The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health. * * *
Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday. com, and philipSchua.com; Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com.
Sarah Banda: Giving back to the community is her passion News capsules
What the “American Dream” is for Sarah
To Sarah, the accolades she earned for her volunteer work as Mrs. Nevada-America are the most significant ones she has achieved. She collaborated with more than 30 different community groups while serving as Mrs. Nevada, including ones that supported local childhood cancer survivors, as well as initiatives for youth development and food distribution to community members in need. She received honors for giving back to the community she loves, including recognition as a 2022 Las Vegas Bowl Community Champion.
Ryan and Sarah purchased Verrazano Pizza, located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Verrazano Pizza has been a local favorite since 1978, focused on serving their original-recipe New York Style Pizza. Verrazano takes pride in being a part of the community, offering great food and a friendly face.Ryan has been in the food and beverage industry for the past thirty years, opening and managing restaurants throughout the Las Vegas Valley. One of their lifelong aspirations and goals as a couple has been to own a restaurant, and because of Ryan’s wealth of knowledge and experience in the industry and his drive to achieve his goals, they were recently able to fulfill that dream. Sarah is excited to embark on this new adventure with her best friend and the love of her life and to continue to build a legacy for their Succeedingchildren.in owning their own restaurant is but a natural offshoot of people who work as hard as Ryan and Sarah do. This is their “American Dream,” fulfilled.
A new study showed that music therapy may improve social interactions between individuals with dementia and their caregivers, family included. It also reduces strain and distress on the part of the caregivers, whose job is tough, sometimes abused by their patients who are no longer
The U.S. FDA has cleared the first redesigned COVID vaccines since they came out in late 2020. This reformulated bivalent vaccine booster targets Omicron (BA.4, BA.5) subvariants, the current predominant viruses. The Pfizer-made version is for persons as young as 12, and the Moderna vaccine for 18 and older. These improved vaccines may be given also to those who had booster shots as long as the last shot was at least 2 months ago.
at the Tokyo International Film Festival.When asked about the kind of fulfillment he gets out of makeup transformations and the art of drag, Paolo said, “For me, it is more like a superpower. It allows me to be bigger than life itself. I can do things that I normally couldn’t, and it makes my creative and artistic juices flow.”
“I love that America is still the land of opportunity. We can be
* * *
Speculations about their rumored break up began when social media users noticed that Heart changed her name on Instagram, removing Escudero as her surname. (Philstar.com)
SEPTEMBER 8-14 2022 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-667810 Features
Giving back through pageantry
A new, recent milestone: restaurant ownership
Sarah believes that her parents, who are also her role models, are the epitome of the “American Dream.” When he was merely 19 years old, Sarah's father left Thailand for America with little more than the money in his pocket. Her mother, born to a large Irish-Catholic family in Nebraska, was raised with endless love, but with limited financial resources.Herparents met in Las Vegas in 1975, married, and created a wonderful life full of possibilities for Sarah and her brother. Without the great and inspirational example of her parents, she would not be the person she is today. She was raised to believe in herself, work hard, and reach for the stars.
Heart drops ‘Escudero,’ admits ‘personal struggles’ amid split rumors with Chiz
get-your-shots,” and sincerely apologized before they died. Their misinformation had, obviously, led to countless (possibly in the millions) infections and deaths.
and
Actress Heart
Sarah loves pageants because she enjoys encouraging young girls and women to step beyond of their comfort zones and become "anything and everything" they want to be in life. Pageantry "forces you to focus on yourself, determine what is most important to you, and develop into the best version of yourself."
Atty. Sarah Banda, who is a native of Nevada and who won the Mrs. Nevada-America title last year. Photos courtesy of Sarah Banda
California legislators are considering a bill aimed at disciplining physicians who disseminate false information or misinform people about COVID-19 infection, vaccines, etc. While other nations have becausefrompunishedshouldcommittingjustprofession.isphysicianandanbecausephysicians,metedeadlyeveryonephysicians.deadpeople,onotherandthepoliticians,lawyers,misinformation,Anyoneagainstonly?thanthehesitancyscientificbeenaboutmisinformation/disinformationcriminalizedthevaccines,theU.S.hasweakinfightingthiswithdata,leadingtovaccinethatpromotesinfection,spreadofthevirus,andmoreamilliondeaths.ButwhyzeroinonphysiciansIsn’tthisdiscriminatoryacertainprofession?spreadingfakenews,doctorsororengineers,ororlaypeople,aboutvaccines,masking,distancing,treatmentofCOVID-19(orillnesses)onsocialmediaoranymediumcouldequallykillandthevictimsnotlessthanthosemisinformedbyThelawshouldincludeguiltyofthispotentiallycrime.Iftheywanttoaharshersentencetoguiltythat’sfinewithme,we,physicians,tookoathtoprotectthehealthsafetyofourpatients.AnywhocommitsacrimeadisgracetothemedicalButalawmustbeandfairforall.Allothersthesamecrimealsobecommensuratelyandnotbeexemptjustice,andgofree,simplytheyarenotphysicians.
mentally alert. Some patients with dementia/Alzheimer's may be belligerent, confrontational, or physically abusive, not conscious of what they are doing. Hopefully, more progress in conquering dementia peeks on the horizon.
Paolo on PH drag community: ‘We are...
The newly-announced reformulated shots are most welcome since COVID-19 infections still averages around 90,000 infections and 475 deaths every day. The government is warning the people who think COVID-19 is gone that the country could see 100 million cases in the coming fall and winter. If we are having nearly 500 deaths a day now, you can imagine how many lives could be lost with 100 million cases. Life is precious. Let us protect it, since we have no spare.
@HeartHealth
(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com 11LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 8-14, 2022
SEPTEMBER 8-14 2022 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-667812
