090823 - New York & New Jersey Edition

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SEPTEMBER 8-14, 2023

Volume 16 - No.46 • 16 Pages

Marcos to raise South China Sea issue with ASEAN

by ALEXIS ROMERO Philstar.com

Jazz honor Clarkson for Gilas stint

WHILE three members of its team are still participating at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, NBA side Utah Jazz has honored Jordan Clarkson for his stint with Gilas Pilipinas.

“Still thinkin’ about this one,” wrote the Jazz on their social media handles on Tuesday, September 5, showing photos and videos from Clarkson’s 34-point night for the Filipinos against China over the weekend.

During that game, Clarkson netted 20 points during the 3rd period against China, which had Minnesota Timberwolves player Kyle Anderson.

Throughout the tournament, Clarkson had accumulated 130 points, averaging 26 points per game.

Fil-Am NBA hype man hits pinnacle of career with FIBA World Cup gig

MANILA – Filipino-American hype man

Franco Finn is no stranger to NBA arenas and top-level basketball, as he’s spent the last two decades working NBA games as the Golden State Warriors’ hype man.

But now during the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Finn is presented with a new opportunity he hasn’t done before – strutting his stuff on the world stage.

Having been used to doing his job at the Oracle Arena and at Chase Center with the Warriors, Finn now gets to experience a

MANILA — The South China Sea issue will remain high on the agenda for President Marcos, who is joining the 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit on Tuesday, September 5 in Jakarta, Indonesia, where he would again push for a rules-based

order in the region long troubled by China’s expansionist moves.

In his departure speech delivered at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Monday, Sept. 4 Marcos said he would discuss with fellow world leaders “developments” in the South China Sea. His pronouncement came days after Beijing released a supposed new standard

map, which covers what it now calls a 10dash line.

He said the second ASEAN Summit for this year, which ends on Sept. 7, provides a strategic opportunity for ASEAN to deepen its robust partnership with its dialogue partners Australia, Canada, India, China, Japan, Korea, the U.S. and the United Nations.

Philippines, US hold ‘bilateral sail’ in Palawan waters

by MICHAEL PUNONGBAYAN Philstar.com

MANILA — The Philippines and the United States, utilizing one of each other’s most advanced warships, on Monday, September 4 cruised the waters of the West Philippine Sea in what the military called a bilateral sail activity aimed at enhancing interoperability.

The Philippine Navy’s guided-missile frigate BRP Jose Rizal and the U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided missile-destroyer USS Ralph Johnson sailed side by side in Philippine waters 12 to 24 nautical miles from Palawan. The joint activity was led by the Naval Task

the progress of the ASEAN-ROK relations, celebrate shared success, and recommit to a future of mutual growth and

Philippine in ation rose to 5.3% in August

by RONNEL W. DOMINGO Inquirer.net

MANILA – Headline inflation revved up to 5.3 percent in August, after waning throughout the previous six months, bringing the average since January to 6.6 percent, according

VP Duterte con rms requesting P125M secret fund for OVP in 2022

to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The result for August is closer to the upper end of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ expected range of 4.8 percent to 5.6 percent.

National Statistician Dennis Mapa said the latest

by MAILA AGER Inquirer.net

MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, September 4 confirmed at the Senate hearing requesting the controversial P125 million confidential fund of her office last year.

P221.4 million budget transferred to the Office of the President (OP) by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in December 2022.

“The amount is correct and that is correct,” Duterte said, responding to the query of Senate Minority Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel during the  PAGE 3

The amount was part of the

REGIONAL PEACE. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. underscored on Wednesday, Sept. 6 the need for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to fully comply with the UN Security Council Resolutions as he expressed concern over its recent surge of intercontinental ballistic missile tests. Marcos said in his intervention during the 24th Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Republic of Korea (ASEAN-ROK) Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia that he is honored to assess

Jordan Clarkson ManilaTimes.net

photo by Rio Deluvio

hearing of the Senate committee on finance on the OVP’s proposed 2024 budget of P2.3 billion, which included a big confidential and intelligence funds of P500 million.

“We requested confidential funds to the Office of the President as early as August 2022 and we’re only granted the confidential funds in December 2022,” she further explained.

However, Pimentel pointed out that the confidential fund did not “exist” in the 2022 budget of the OVP.

“Parang na augment, for [the] year 2022 kasi ito eh,” Pimentel said. “There was no item in the OVP budget for confidential

expense[s] in [the] year 2022. So it’s not even one peso, it’s nothing, it’s zero.”

“It’s not even mentioned in the line budgeting for the OVP, and yet at year’s end calendar 2022, we will now have an entry P125 million charged to a line which did not exist at the very beginning,” he pointed out.

Duterte reiterated that her office requested the fund, and the OP granted this through the DBM.

“I think the DBM can better answer the question of the transfer of funds from their source to the OVP,” she said.

“[Nevertheless], we complied with the reportorial requirements of the use of the funds as confidential funds,” the vice president stressed.

House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro earlier claimed that Duterte’s office spent the P125 million confidential fund in just 19 days – from December 13-31, 2022.

“This translates to P6,578,947.37 or almost P7 million per day,” Castro pointed out in a statement last week.

Castro even believes funds were illegally realigned because the 2022 OVP budget, crafted during the term of former vice president Leni Robredo, did not include a secret fund.

In her six-year tenure, Robredo never requested or included confidential funds in her office budget. g

Fil-Am NBA hype man hits pinnacle of...

whole new ball game.

“This is a homecoming. This is literally full circle now. I’ve been in the NBA for 21 seasons, going on my 21st, and to do this after two decades to come to Manila, Philippines for the World Cup, this is a dream come true,” Finn told the local media before his first assignment at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“I’m representing not only Dub Nation back home, but all the Filipinos worldwide, you know, being the first and only Filipino hype man in the NBA. It’s been an honor and a pleasure, and now coming here to the biggest stage around the world, I’m very excited.”

Finn was born to a Filipino mother and has been very vocal about his heritage. Working for Golden State, where there are also many Filipinos in their community and fan base, he is grateful for the chance to do this in his home country.

“I’m excited to see all my kababayans here and I know everyone’s tuning in from around the world and the Philippines is the perfect backdrop for the World Cup,” he said.

“We know that basketball is such a big global sport but in the Philippines, this

lot of Filipinos there, I know that’s just a sample size of what the world loves so much about this game,” he added.

Not many know but the hype man actually worked to get here, making sure that his schedule was clear.

And after everything he’s accomplished in his career, Finn says this is one of the biggest milestones in his life.

“It’s funny because after my [NBA] All-Star this year, I thought that was one of the biggest moments in my 20year career as a hype man and then maybe a few months ago, I got a direct message on my Instagram about hey, you know, Manila’s hosting

the FIBA World Cup. I said, oh are they? I looked it up and oh my gosh, it is here,” narrated Finn.

“And at first, I was like, okay, how can I make this happen? How do I take the time off before the season to make this happen? And I looked at my schedule, I worked around a couple of things, moved some stuff around, and I said, this is an opportunity I cannot miss. This is literally, probably, the gold stamp in my 21 years now being a hype man and I got to say, I’m so proud and honored.”

Finn begins his World Cup stint by announcing the quarterfinals games on Wednesday. (By Luisa Morales/Philstar.com)

Jazz honor Clarkson for Gilas...

Clarkson is one of five members of the Jazz that are in the World Cup, alongside Italy’s Simone Fontecchio, Finland’s Lauri Markkanen, Canada’s Kelly Olynyk, and the United States’ Walker

Kessler. Gilas ended their World Cup stint on a high note, after defeating China 9675 in the classification round at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, Sept. 2, finishing in 24th out of 32

countries and have clinched a place at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, that will take place a few weeks before the start of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. (Aric John Sy Cua/ ManillaTimes.net)

PRICE HIKE. Due to weather disturbances and high cost of fuel, prices of fish rise at the Bankerohan Public Market in Davao City on Monday, Sept. 4. According to a vendor, the price hike per kilo ranges from P50 to P80. PNA photo by

Vice President Sara Duterte Inquirer.net file photo

After everything he’s accomplished in his career, Franco Finn says this is one of the biggest milestones in his life. Photo from Franco Finn’s Instagram is like Number 1, so when I go to Chase Center and I see all my kababayans, a

Philippine inflation...

Marcos to raise South China Sea issue with...

“We will foster cooperation with these countries in areas such as trade and investment, climate action, food security, clean energy and maritime cooperation,” the president said.

“I will also participate in the ASEAN Plus 3 and East Asia Summits during which we will discuss the developments in the South China Sea, the situation in Myanmar and the conflict in Ukraine as well as on other major power rivalries,” Marcos added.

Southeast Asian leaders led by host Indonesian President Joko Widodo are gathering for their final summit this year, besieged by divisive issues with no solutions in sight: Myanmar’s deadly civil strife, new flare-ups in the disputed South China Sea and the longstanding United

the 10-state bloc’s traditional show of unity and group handshakes.

The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier filed a diplomatic protest against China over its new 10-dash line map, which includes waters and features within the Philippine territory.

Marcos earlier said the Philippines “will respond” to Beijing’s new map but refused to disclose “operational details.”

“Now, once again, we received the news, that now the nine-dash line has been extended to the 10-dash line. So, these are the – we have to respond to all of these

and we will but again, these are operational details that I would prefer not to talk about,” Marcos said in an interview in Palawan last week.

The Philippines lodged another note verbale against China over an incident wherein a Chinese coast guard ship fired water cannon at Filipino vessels in Ayungin Shoal on Aug. 5.

The Philippine vessels were delivering food, water, fuel and other supplies to troops stationed on BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, a World War II era transport ship deliberately beached in 1999 to serve as military outpost and a tangible proof of the country’s sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the area.

In a rebuff of Beijing’s claim, Marcos said the Philippines has never agreed to remove the decrepit boat from the shoal.

The Philippines has been demanding that China adhere to international laws, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

and the 2016 arbitral ruling, which invalidated Beijing’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea. Beijing continues to ignore the arbitral award.

In May, Marcos attended the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara in Indonesia.

Aside from the South China Sea issue, Marcos said he would also highlight his administration’s priority advocacies including food security, climate justice, digital and creative economies, protection of migrant workers in crisis situations, as well as combating trafficking in persons.

“Once again, I will use this opportunity to advance Philippine priorities in ASEAN and work with our other ASEAN memberstates not only in addressing the complex challenges facing the region but also in pursuing opportunities for ASEAN as an epicentrum of graowth,” he said.

Marcos is also scheduled to have bilateral meetings with other leaders during his four-day visit to Jakarta. g

FLOODED. The corner of UN and Taft Avenues in Ermita, Manila is still flooded on Sunday morning, Sept. 3 as the southwest monsoon brings intermittent moderate to heavy rains. Typhoon Hanna and the enhanced southwest monsoon or “habagat” will bring rain showers and gusty winds over most parts of the country, the weather bureau said. PNA photo by

President Marcos said he would discuss with fellow world leaders “developments” in the South China Sea.

Biden administration proposes new standards to boost nursing home staffing

by Jordan rau KFF Health News

THE nation’s most thinly staffed nursing homes would be required to hire more workers under new rules proposed on Friday, Sept. 1 by the Biden administration, the greatest change to federal nursing home regulations in three decades.

The proposed standard was prompted by the industry’s troubled performance earlier in the coronavirus pandemic, when 200,000 nursing home residents died. But the proposal falls far short of what both the industry and patient advocates believe is needed to improve care for most of the 1.2 million Americans in nursing homes.

The proposal, by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, would require all facilities to increase staff up to certain minimum levels, but it included no money for nursing homes to pay for the new hires.

CMS estimated that threequarters of the nation’s 15,000 homes would need to add staff members. But the increases at many of those facilities would be minor, as the average nursing home already employs nurses and aides at, or very close to, the proposed levels.

“The standards are a lot lower than what a lot of experts, including myself, have called for over the years,” said David

Grabowski, a professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School. “There are some real positives in here, but I wish the administration had gone further.”

The government said it would exempt nursing homes from punishment if they could prove that there was a local worker shortage and that the facilities had made sincere efforts to recruit employees.

“Fundamentally, this standard is wholly inadequate to meet the needs of nursing home residents,” said Richard Mollot, the executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition, an advocacy group based in New York.

Executives in the nursing home industry said that without extra money from Medicare or Medicaid — the two federal insurers that pay for most nursing home care — the requirement would be financially unattainable.

“It’s meaningless to mandate staffing levels that cannot be met,” Katie Smith Sloan, the president and chief executive of LeadingAge, an association that includes nonprofit nursing homes, said in a statement. “There are simply no people to hire — especially nurses. The proposed rule requires that nursing homes hire additional staff. But where are they coming from?”

The new staffing standard would require homes to have daily average nurse staffing levels amounting to at least 0.55 hours per resident. That

translates to one registered nurse for every 44 residents. But that is below what the average nursing home already provides, which is 0.66 hours per resident, a 1:36 ratio, federal records show.

At least one registered nurse would have to be on duty at all times under the proposed plan — one of the biggest changes for the facilities, as they currently must have nurses for only eight consecutive hours each day.

The proposed rule also calls for 2.45 nurse aide hours per resident per day, meaning a ratio of about one aide for every 10 residents. While the federal government sets no specific staffing requirements for nurse aides, the average home already provides 2.22 nurse aide hours a day, a ratio of about 1:11.

“The federal minimum staffing standards proposed by CMS are robust yet achievable,” the agency said in a statement. “The proposal also makes clear that the numerical staffing levels are a floor — not a ceiling — for safe staffing.”

Registered nurses are at the top of the chain of command at nursing homes, overseeing assessments of residents and handling complex clinical tasks. Nurses delegate more straightforward clinical roles to licensed practical nurses.

Certified nurse assistants, often called nurse aides, are generally the most plentiful in a nursing home and help residents with basic needs like bathing, getting out of bed and eating.

On average, registered nurses make $37 an hour while licensed practical nurses earn $28 an hour, according to CMS. Aides often start at minimum wage or slightly above, earning $17 an hour on average.

“People have more choice,” said Tina Sandri, the chief executive of Forest Hills of DC, a nursing home in Washington, D.C., referring to nursing home staff. “They can go to hospitals and make more and do less than they do here in a nursing home.”

“We’ve lost staff to hospitals that had $20,000 signing bonuses,” she added, “and as a nonprofit, we can’t compete with that.”

Nursing home officials

say they cannot afford to pay higher wages because state Medicaid programs reimburse them too little. Patient advocates, however, note that some for-profit homes are providing substantial returns to investors.

Medicare and Medicaid spent $95 billion on nursing home care and retirement community care in 2021, according to CMS. The agency estimated that the new standards would cost homes another $4 billion in three years, when all homes except those in rural areas would need to comply. Rural homes would have five years.

Ellen Quirk, a retired certified nurse assistant in Hayes, Virginia, recalled that sometimes she would care for all of the residents on a single floor in the nursing home, which could be 20 or more people, by herself. It’s challenging for an aide to care for more than five to seven people at a time, she said.

“If it’s more than that, then things aren’t done properly,” Quirk, 63, said. “Things are skipped over, like a bath or changing them every couple of hours or feeding them properly.”

“I’ve seen patients that roll over and fall out of bed,” she added. “Sometimes they get bed sores because beds are saturated in urine for hours and hours.”

The nursing home industry has been pressing federal and state governments to pay for a bevy of enticements to long-term care workers, including educational subsidies for those who have worked in nursing homes, loan forgiveness and career opportunities for certified nursing assistants working toward their nursing degrees.

The administration said it would offer $75 million in scholarships and tuition as part of the new proposal. The administration is accepting comments for the next 60 days before it finalizes the new standard.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

Philippines, US...

Force 41 of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western

U.S. Seventh Fleet.

AFP Public Affairs Office chief Lt. Col. Enrico Ileto said the two warships carried out a division tactics rehearsal that sought to enhance interoperability between the two navies.

Ileto said the bilateral sail was a testament to a robust maritime cooperation between the Philippines and the U.S. under the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board framework.

The AFP official emphasized that the event particularly aimed to provide an opportunity for the Philippine Navy and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Navy to test and refine existing maritime doctrines and demonstrate their defense capabilities in line with the shared commitment of upholding peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region.

The AFP shall continue to be involved in bilateral and multilateral activities that will contribute to its capability development to perform its mission of protecting the country’s national sovereignty and national territory, according to Ileto.

AFP-WESCOM spokesman Commander Ariel Coloma said the one-day activity is different from the planned joint maritime sovereignty patrols of the Philippines and the U.S. and other countries like Japan and Australia.

“The joint sail is being done within our territorial waters while the joint patrol is somewhere outside of our territorial sea,” Coloma explained.

He also noted that the joint sail is not related to recent issues with China or directed at any country as the Philippines is only exercising and implementing a maritime activity with the U.S.

“This particular activity … has been agreed upon by both forces of the U.S. and the Philippines and as host country, we actually have the leeway to do this as long as it is both planned by two forces to develop and further strengthen our cooperative ties and also interoperability with our foreign counterparts,” he said.

He added that the goal of enhancing interoperability is focused on external security and territorial defense operations, but the activity is not about China and is different from plans to hold joint maritime patrols in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea.

Manila has repeatedly complained against what it described as China’s “aggressive” actions in the South China Sea, including the use of a water cannon by its coast guard against a Philippines vessel engaged in a resupply mission on Aug. 5.

China has built militarized, manmade islands in the South China Sea, and its claim of historic sovereignty overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

The Philippines won an international arbitration award against China in 2016, after a tribunal said Beijing’s sweeping claim to sovereignty over most of the South China Sea had no legal basis. g

The Philippine Navy’s BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) (right) and US Navy’s USS Ralph Johnson (left) are seen carrying out “division tactics” rehearsal at an undisclosed location off the waters of Palawan province on Monday, Sept. 4.

Photo courtesy of AFP Western Command

Command (WESCOM) and the

NO OBJECTIONS. Vice President Sara Z. Duterte (2nd from left) confers with (from left) Senators Pia Cayetano, Francis Escudero and Imee Marcos during the Committee on Finance budget hearing at the Senate in Pasay City on Monday, Sept. 4. The committee approved the proposed P2.385 billion budget for 2024 of Duterte’s office.

OPINION Capping prices

Beginning September 5, “rice monitors” were mobilized by the Department of Trade and Industry and Department of Agriculture, in coordination with local government units, in enforcing price ceilings on rice: P41 a kilo for regular milled and P45 for well milled – way below the prevailing retail prices of P50 to around P60.

Rice prices began climbing after India banned exports of non-basmati white rice last July 20, followed by the imposition of a 20 percent duty on nonbasmati parboiled rice. India, the world’s largest supplier of rice, accounting for 40 percent of the global trade, had banned its export of broken rice in September last year. It imposed the measures to ensure sufficient domestic supply and stabilize prices amid warnings of a severe El Niño, and after torrential flooding last year devastated the rice harvest in neighboring Pakistan, affecting global supply.

The Philippines’ biggest sources of imported rice are Vietnam and Thailand, but the two countries also tightened their exports to secure their domestic supply following India’s move. Officials have stressed that the Philippines currently has enough rice supply,

and that a good harvest is seen this October. But because of the developments in the global rice trade, the government believes there have been speculative actions among rice traders that have led to the spike in rice prices by up to P10 per kilo in recent weeks.

To address what the government sees as speculative pricing and hoarding, President Marcos, the concurrent agriculture chief, approved the imposition of price ceilings began on Tuesday. The government will have to balance its efforts to counter speculation and hoarding with the impact of the price cap on other sectors of the rice industry. Smallscale retailers are complaining that they will lose money because they bought their supplies at high prices. Several have said they would be forced to close shop.

The government cannot simply brush aside

the concerns of such retailers, which are the sources of rice for low-income consumers who buy food from the wet markets and small grocery stores. The usual business practice when one faces the prospect of selling at a loss is to hold on to the stocks. If the rice retailers are forced to sell at a loss or nearloss, or prosecuted for hoarding, it could be

construed as a confiscatory policy that could wreak havoc on rice trading. While consumers always welcome lower prices, price caps usually go against normal market forces and may tighten supply. The government will have to be mindful of this possibility as it moves to stabilize rice supply and prices. (Philstar.com)

US farm technology can help our rice production

know these are temporary measures that need longterm solutions to cope with the soaring prices of the household staple.

rice, saying that traders and retailers will not go bankrupt as the farmgate price of the current rice stocks are from P20 to P23.

THE decision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to put a cap on the price of rice nationwide – effective immediately – is definitely welcome news to many Filipinos, especially the most vulnerable. But we all

Agricultural group SINAG (Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura) expressed support for the president’s imposition of the price ceiling of P41 per kilogram for regular milled rice and P45 per kilogram for well-milled

Based on the statement of the Department of Agriculture during the recent House committee on appropriations hearing and from their own computation, the country should have no rice shortage, according to

SINAG executive director Jayson Cainglet. However, a statement from the National Food Authority a couple of weeks ago that they only have two weeks’ worth of buffer stock may have triggered a sense of panic – with unscrupulous traders taking advantage of the situation to manipulate the price of rice and make them skyrocket.

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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Babe’s Eye View

BABE ROMUALDEZ

PAGE 10

PUBLIC GOOD. A rice trader in Bansalan town, Davao del Sur, buys from area farmers on Tuesday, September 5. The trader said he will abide by the national government’s price cap, which he praised as a move aimed at public good.

PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.

Dateline PhiliPPines

Go for Gold aids Filipino wrestlers eyeing 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

MANILA – Go For Gold

Philippines founder Jeremy Go recently handed out pairs of fighting shoes to the national wrestlers who engaged in battle during the Cambodia Southeast Asian Games.

That act of generosity surely won’t be the last as it signals Go For Gold’s clear intention to help bring the country’s grapplers back to the world stage, specifically in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“Pinag-usapan namin na gumawa ng program para sa 2028 (Olympics). We have been asked kung sino sa mga athletes namin ang may kakayahan na mag-qualify at willing tumulong si sir Jeremy hanggang makarating sila sa Los Angeles,’’ said national wrestling coach Efrelyn Calitis-Crosby.

It’s been a while since a Filipino wrestler grappled at the Olympics, and a thorough five-year plan to reach Los Angeles comes as a welcome proposition.

Freestyle wrestler Jiah Pingot is a prime candidate to join that elite core, having consistently claimed a silver medal for the past three editions of the SEA Games as well as Uzziah Asher Gulay, a 16-year-old prized find from Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

“We believe that like weightlifting and boxing, wrestling can bring honor for our country. We aim for no less than a GOLD Medal in the 2028 Olympics. We will have a five-year road map to bring a Pinoy wrestler to the highest of highs,” said Go. Gulay has already begun to stack up his room with medals

President’s budget passes unchecked; House panel ends deliberations in 30 mins

by Cristina Chi Philstar.com

MANILA — The House appropriations panel just spent around 30 minutes on the proposed 2024 budget of the Office of the President before terminating the budget deliberations out of “parliamentary courtesy.”

Similar to the budget deliberations of the Office of the Vice President (OVP), lawmakers at the lower chamber on Tuesday, September 5 ended the deliberations early just after the representative of the OP — Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin — delivered their opening statement.

This time, however, Makabayan bloc lawmakers were allowed to make manifestations but not to ask pointed questions on the line items in the OP’s proposed 2024 budget as practiced in the budget briefings of other agencies.

Appropriations Act in 2022,” Manuel said. Rep. France Castro (ACT Teachers) also pointed out that every year, the allotment of confidential and intelligence funds in agencies has been increasing and the budget deliberations are the prime opportunity to question its necessity.

“The number of those who used to refuse the ‘black budget’ is increasing, while the top-secret funds of those who used to receive them are growing. And the highest official also has the largest hidden funds with no audit, no public accounting, not even a single second of explanation on how it was spent and will be spent,” Castro said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“This trend should not continue,” Castro added.

Parliamentary courtesy questioned

from both international and local meets after recently dominating the secondary boys’ 67kg freestyle event of the Palarong Pambansa last month.

His Palaro victory, however, paled in comparison to the two gold medals Gulay won last year in the 14-17 cadet -70kg and +70kg freestyle categories at the Singapore Beach Wrestling Fiesta in Sentosa, Singapore.

“Pag-uusapan ulit namin ni sir Jeremy kung sino ang mga athletes na susuportahan kapag nailatag na namin ang programa,” said CalitisCrosby.

Go For Gold is a consistent backer of the national wrestlers since the 2019 Philippine SEA Games when they were provided with singlets and living quarters before the Olympic village opened up for the athletes at New Clark City in Tarlac.

“Never kaming hinindian ni sir Jeremy,” said CalitisCrosby.

Go For Gold, a sports

sponsorship program of the Powerball Marketing and Logistics Corporation, is committed to identifying, nurturing and supporting talented athletes across various sports.

Apart from wrestling, the Go For Gold program has supported athletes in cycling, triathlon, sepak takraw, dragonboat, skateboarding, chess, basketball and volleyball, among others.

Florentino Tirante (men’s -52kg freestyle/Greco Roman) and Dean-Carlos Manibog (men’s -60kg freestyle) were the last Filipino wrestlers who figured in the Olympics back in 1988 held in Seoul, South Korea.

The Philippine wrestling team is hoping to break the long wait for another Pinoy grappler to show up at the biggest sports spectacle in the world.

The five-year plan that Go For Gold Philippines intends to support will reinforce that objective in LA 2028. (Philstar.com)

The OP stands to get P10.7 billion for 2024. Of this allocation, at least P1.41 billion will be spent on local or foreign trips -- a 58% increase from 2023.

In his manifestation, Rep. Raoul Manuel (Kabataan Partylist) said that Filipinos have a right to scrutinize how public funds are spent and stressed that the insertion of confidential funds should be discussed in budget deliberations.

For 2024, OP is proposing P2.25 billion in confidential funds while P2.31 billion will be allotted for intelligence funds. In total, these make up about 43% of the proposed budget of Marcos’ office, Manuel pointed out.

“Also, the OP has to explain why it approved the P1.25 million in confidential funds for the OVP even though this was not in the General

The Makabayan bloc also called to end the “abused” tradition of extending “parliamentary courtesy” during budget deliberations in Congress.

Lawmakers invoke the “parliamentary courtesy” tradition in Congress when they want to recognize an agency, like the OVP and OP, as a co-equal branch in government.

The long-standing tradition of allowing the budget of the two highest offices in the land to pass virtually unchecked and unscrutinized in Congress “entrenches the culture of corruption in government,” Makabayan bloc lawmakers said in a statement.

“The abused ‘parliamentary courtesy’ tradition has allowed unscrupulous individuals to manipulate the budgeting process and divert funds away from essential services and development projects,” the lawmakers said. g

Climate change may hamper PH income goals

by Pia Lee-Brago Philstar.com

PH

says ‘ready’ to chair ASEAN in 2026 instead of Myanmar

THE Philippines is ready to chair ASEAN in 2026 instead of Myanmar, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Tuesday, Sept. 5 as the bloc wrestles with how to engage with the country’s junta rulers.

Myanmar has been

ravaged by deadly violence since a 2021 military coup deposed Aung San Suu Kyi’s government and unleashed a bloody crackdown on dissent.

“It is my pleasure to announce that the Philippines is ready to take the helm and chair ASEAN in 2026,”

Marcos told Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders in the Indonesian capital Jakarta.

“We will fortify the foundations of our community-building and navigate ASEAN as it embarks

MANILA — Climate change is exacting a heavy toll on Filipino lives, properties and livelihoods, the United Nations said, warning that it could hamper the Philippines’ ambition of becoming an upper middleincome country by 2040 if left unaddressed.

Multiple indices rank the Philippines as among those most affected by extreme climate events. Over the past decade, highly destructive typhoons have hit almost every year, with related annual losses estimated at 1.2 percent of overall gross domestic product.

In July, Typhoon

Egay (Doksuri) brought widespread flooding and landslides to the Philippines, killing at least 39 people and forcing 12,000 from their homes.

The UN cited the mountainous province of Bukidnon in the southern Philippines where “local indigenous groups are being forced to adapt to the alarming impacts of climate change.”

With UN support, communities are making significant strides, using centuries-old knowledge to forge sustainable solutions.

Local tribal leader Jemuel Perino discussed the success of local initiatives, supported by the UN Development Program’s Adaptation Fund

Climate Change Innovation

Accelerator (AFCIA), in educating his community on effective prevention and mitigation techniques to deal with the growing impacts of climate change.

“The indigenous cultural communities have their own centuries-old knowledge, systems and practices and have kept them alive,” Perino said. “In the Philippines, the government is promoting their use in environmental protection and conservation.”

As chairman of the Council of Elders of the Bukidnon Umayamnon community, Perino has seen the impact of climate change up close. Erosion, deforestation and biodiversity loss have

Go For Gold founder Jeremy Go (left) provides wrestlers from the Philippine team with fighting shoes. With Go during the simple turnover is national coach Melchor Tumasis (right). Philstar.com photo

Over half a million people impacted by cyclones, ‘habagat’

by Gaea Katreena CabiCo Philstar.com

MANILA — The southwest monsoon intensified by cyclones Hanna and Goring has affected over half a million people in Luzon and Visayas, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported on Monday, Sept. 4.

The heavy rain and strong winds resulting from these weather disturbances have affected around 514,153 people in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Western Visayas.

Of the affected population, 13,303 individuals remain displaced.

According to NDRRMC, one person from Western

PH security adviser promotes Church’s role to end terrorism

MANILA – The Catholic Church plays an important role in ending violence and terrorism in the country, National Security Adviser Eduardo M. Año said recently.

He said that with the CBCP’s representation in NTF-ELCAC, they can immediately address concerns raised by the Church or by cause-oriented groups supported by them.

the entry of the CBCP to NTF-ELCAC is one of the changes we implemented under the Marcos Jr. Administration,” he said.

Helping the people

still validating a fatality from CAR.

Meanwhile, one person from Central Luzon was reportedly injured, and one from Western Visayas is currently missing.

Nearly 17,000 farmers and fisherfolk have been impacted by the enhanced southwest monsoon, leading to damage amounting to P584.7 million in crops and agricultural infrastructure.

The preliminary assessment of infrastructure damage stood at P130 million.

The government has so far provided P33.6 million in assistance to affected residents.

Goring (international name: Saola) and Hanna (international name: Haiku) enhanced the southwest monsoon, leading to heavy rain and gusty conditions.

Hanna left the Philippine

This was after the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs (CBCPECPA) became the first private-sector representative to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

“We are opening the doors of NTFELCAC to the Church because it has an important role to play in ending violence and terrorism in the country. For more than 50 years, we have lived under the scourge of the communist armed conflict. With peace now in sight, the Church has an important role to play in ensuring peace and development in the long term,” said Año, who is also the National Security Council director general, in a statement.

He added that they are looking forward to working with the CBCP in pursuing peace and development in all parts of the country, especially in conflict-affected areas.

Año said they are also eyeing a productive engagement with the CBCP and are open to suggestions from the Church in adopting “moral and ethical approaches in addressing communist insurgency” as earlier mentioned by

“Because of this development, the Church will have more opportunity to relay its concerns, since its mandate is to act as a liaison of the CBCP to (the) government,” he added.

CBCP-ECPA executive secretary Fr. Jerome Secillano attended the NTFELCAC’s executive committee meeting last Aug. 31 presided by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in Malacañang.

Año said the NTF-ELCAC’s main mandate is to formulate a whole-ofgovernment approach to end armed conflict in the country and that the CBCP-ECPA’s membership in the task force ensures a whole-of-nation participation because the religious sector is an important component of the nation.

Año added that he sees the CBCP making a significant contribution to the development of areas previously under NPA influence as well as facilitating societal inclusivity in pursuit of peace.

With 19 guerilla fronts weakened out of 20 remaining guerilla fronts in the country, Año sees the end of the New People’s Army under the current administration.

“Given that we are now on the road to total victory, it’s necessary that we recalibrate the way we do things and

Secillano, meanwhile, appealed to the public to be more “prudent” in issuing statements against the group’s decision to join the NTF-ELCAC Executive Committee with the sole intention “to help the people.”

“We meant well sa aming (in going about with this) engagement na ito. We’re allowing ourselves to be a member of the NTF-ELCAC in good faith… Sa pagiging member namin dito sa NTF-ELCAC, we’re provided with a platform for the betterment of the people in the country,” he added.

Secillano is also the alternate representative for Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista, who is also from ECPA.

He also clarified that only the ECPA and “not the whole CBCP” would be the point of convergence for the task force because the commission’s mandate is to deal with issues and concerns on public and private matters that affect the Church.

“We don’t want to be myopic in joining the NTF-ELCAC… Sana magkaroon tayo ng bukas na kaisipan at malawak na pang-unawa (I hope that we will all have an open mind and better understanding) Nakita naman namin ‘yung shift tulad ng development

PH says ‘ready’ to chair ASEAN...

on a new chapter,” he said, according to a statement from the presidential palace.

Marcos did not say why Manila was taking over the chair from Myanmar.

However, two Southeast Asian diplomats attending the summit said the move was agreed by leaders so the crisis would not hijack the bloc’s agenda and prevent “external partners” coming to Myanmar for their gatherings.

“It’s been decided. It was announced at the leaders’ meeting and there was no objection,”

US farm technology can help...

There are several factors why the price of rice has continued to skyrocket, especially in the past few weeks. Obviously, one of the reasons is price manipulation by the rice cartels as well as the practice of hoarding by opportunistic traders, as seen in the discovery of some 154,000 sacks of imported rice worth P431 million being hoarded in several warehouses in Bulacan during a surprise inspection jointly conducted by government agencies that include the Bureau of Customs.

The recent typhoons locally named Falcon and Egay have already caused billions worth of damage to agricultural crops that include rice and corn. Global prices of rice and other staples have also been impacted by the war in Ukraine, especially after Russia decided to end an agreement that allowed Ukraine to export its grain to the rest of the world through the Black Sea.

The situation was also exacerbated by the decision of India to ban the exportation of rice, sending shock waves across the world, triggering panic buying and causing prices to soar to a near 12-year high, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. India is the largest exporter of rice and accounts for some 40 percent of the global trade in 2022, with exports totaling 22 million tons to 140 countries that include the Philippines.

India does not have a rice shortage and has around 41 million tons of buffer stock in their government warehouses, and yet their domestic price for rice as well as other food prices has been rising. India’s imposition of the rice ban, however, has raised fears that other countries such as Thailand and Vietnam, which also supply rice to the Philippines, would follow suit because of the El Niño dry spell expected to hit next year.

But the biggest culprit in our current rice dilemma is the land reform program which was, in many people’s view, a big failure. It had so many loopholes that enabled big hacienderos to go around the program by converting or reclassifying agricultural land into residential and commercial areas.

Hacienda Luisita was a glaring example of how the flaws in the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program was taken advantage of because it was exempted from the coverage, with farmers given a stock distribution option instead of land.

The land distributed to farmer-beneficiaries was also limited to five hectares, making it difficult to make the farmland productive. For a farmer to be productive, he should be

able to expand his land to 10 hectares at the very least. Sadly, many of the beneficiaries also ended up selling the land as they had no money to pay for tractors to make farming more efficient, buy seeds, fertilizers and other farming necessities.

There is no question that we should all be very concerned about the issue. Aside from going after smugglers, hoarders and price manipulators, the president is looking for ways to resolve our rice dilemma, among them the use of hybrid, climate-resilient rice varieties to boost production and improve rice yields. Another is the use of modern technology and innovation to transform agriculture in the country and modernize the rice sector.

“It’s up to us now in the Philippine government to make sure those technologies, those products go down to the grassroots,” the president had said.

We have had several offers of help from our friends in Washington, D.C. to improve our rice production through modern farming technology as well as knowledge transfer and cooperation on agricultural innovation and food security.

I had dinner the other night with Paul Taylor, the commercial attaché of the U.S. embassy. He informed me there will be a large group of about 15 to 20 U.S. agricultural technology companies coming to Manila early next month – an offshoot of the president’s visit to Washington, D.C. last May when he met with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack.

These American companies are ready to help the Philippines achieve its food security agenda through digital and precision agriculture to efficiently reduce water use; improve production and reduce crop losses; drone technology; crop protection solutions; automated postharvest facilities and many others. We are arranging for them to meet with the president during their visit.

I am extremely pleased that all the good work put in by our embassy in Washington, D.C., especially in the area of food security, is clearly moving in the right direction. (Philstar. com)

* * *

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

said one diplomat on the condition of anonymity.

ASEAN wrote to the Philippines to ask if it was willing to accept the chair for that year and Manila accepted, the diplomat said.

A second diplomat, who also declined to be identified, said the switch had been agreed after “leaders’ assessment on the progress” of a five-point plan agreed two years ago that the junta in Myanmar has largely ignored.

Laos will host next year’s summit and Malaysia will chair the event in 2025. (Philstar. com)

Climate change may hamper...

emerged as key threats with devastating implications for the culture, youth and livelihood of his people.

“In the Philippines, most of our forest lands and headwaters fall within the ancestral domains of the various indigenous cultural communities,” he said. “There is a real need for the world to fully recognize their important contributions in conserving the environment that benefits the entire population.”

To combat the growing impacts of climate change in the region, Perino coordinates a locally organized project under the community-based organization, Bukidnon Umayamnon Tribe Kapuunan To mga Datu.

Supported by the UN via an AFICIA grant, the project also seeks to tackle deforestation and pollution while generating sustainable income for indigenous

on cultivating, harvesting and marketing.

Perino explained that the initiative is slated to plant 20 hectares of vegetation along the Pulangi River. He added that bamboo is favored by the community to build houses

that are more resistant to floods and storms.

After creating new bamboo and cocoa plantations in July 2022, farmers have already started to benefit. The project is currently providing income to farmers through temporary labor opportunities and is supporting families to buy food and other basic items. g

PH security adviser promotes Church’s...

PAGE 9

(we all saw the shift towards development)” he said, referring to the “paradigm shift” the government has been aggressively implementing in insurgentcleared barangays in farflung areas through the flagship project, Barangay Development Program.

On the issue of the socalled “red-tagging” and alleged human rights violations by government units, Secillano pointed out that the ECPA’s membership in the NTF-ELCAC will serve as an opportunity for closer dialogue.

“Everytime may (there is) red-tagging that also includes some of our priests and even bishops, we always reach out naman sa kanila at napapansin naman (to them and we always get the attention we need),” Secillano

admitted, adding he sees the venue as the proper forum to prod the government to always give paramount for the promotion and protection of human rights.

“We also would want in the ExeCom (to give importance) to human rights. Mahalaga po itong component na ito dahil kabahagi po sa adbokasya ng ating Simbahan (this is important component because this is part of the advocacy of the Church),” he emphasized.

Meanwhile, NTFELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. said the CBCPECPA’s membership in the Execom is a “blessing” that provides an enormous boost in finding peaceful solutions to put an end to the decadesold violence espoused by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic

Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

“We’re blessed to have the CBCP,” Torres said, adding that critics should “listen to the voice of reason rather than throw stones” at the task force and the CBCP.

Last week, the government announced the inclusion of the CBCP into the NTF-ELCAC Executive Committee, a development that drew a slew of negative reactions from different groups, including the front organizations of the CPPNPA-NDF, like the socalled “Makabayan Bloc” in Congress.

Torres further explained that there is nothing new about the “collective mission” of the task force and members of the CBCP when it comes to the government’s programs on peace, unity and development in the country. (PNA)

GOLD RIBBON. Marking the International Childhood Cancer Month, an oncologist in Davao City shows a gold ribbon symbolizing the tenacity and resilience of children who are diagnosed with cancer during a press briefing on Monday, Sept. 4. Childhood cancer is highly curable, but the current survival rate in the Philippines is at a meager 30 percent, according to doctors.

PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.

Motorists and commuters wade through a gutter-deep flood along Taft and UN Avenue in Manila, following a heavy downpour on September 3, 2023. STAR / peoples by promoting the planting of bamboo and cocoa by local farmers in Mindanao. That includes training people

COMMUNITY JOURNAL

Success story: Parents’ ultimate sacrifice pays off when the family is finally reunited, on Citizen Pinoy this Sunday

ROMEO and Connie came to the U.S. in 1994 to visit, leaving behind their five children. They remained in the U.S. after friends convinced them to pursue

a better life here. While it was an agonizing decision to make, the couple knew their sacrifice was going to provide better education for their children, and a better

life for their family.

After 13 years, their green card finally arrived and they immediately filed a petition for their youngest, Remuel, who was only eight years old when they left him behind in 1994. Their previous lawyer said that Remuel had already aged out and nothing could be done.

However, Mommy Connie saw a similar case on Citizen Pinoy, and she insisted and convinced her husband, Romeo, to consult with Atty. Gurfinkel.

During their consultation, Atty. Gurfinkel informed

FROM TWO (2) TO 14 – HOW THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE OF A COUPLE PAID OFF, AND CHANGED THE LIVES OF THEIR WHOLE FAMILY, ON A BRAND-NEW SUCCESS STORY ON CITIZEN PINOY THIS SUNDAY! When Dad Romeo (standing, left) and Mom Connie (standing, 2nd from right) came to the U.S. to visit in 1994, they did not know that they would not be returning to the Philippines for a very long time. Friends convinced them to stay and find work in America to support their five children whom they left behind. It was a sacrifice that was heart-wrenching for any parent to bear, but they tried to focus on the end goal of being reunited in the U.S. When their previous lawyer said that they could not get their youngest since he had aged-out, Mommy Connie insisted they see leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel who had a similar successful case on Citizen Pinoy. Atty. Gurfinkel was able to deliver and bring the youngest three children and their families. The family of two, Romeo and Connie, has now grown to 14, and Atty. Gurfinkel is working on bringing the rest of the clan to the U.S. Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, September 10 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. (Advertising Supplement)

At first, there were only two. Dad Romeo (left) and Mom Connie (center) arrived in the U.S. in 1994.

COVID deaths up!

previous strains.

PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS

THE Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that COVID-19 hospitalizations rose by 19 percent and COVID deaths by 21 percent last week. A recent report stated that the United States has 2,690 new cases, with a total of 108,174,265 cases and 1,174,146 deaths since the pandemic started.

Twenty-six states had a substantial increase in hospital admissions recently, with South Dakota taking the lead at 127 percent increase.

The culprit is “Pirola” (nickname for COVID-19 BA.2.86), a new highly mutated strain sparking grave concern around the world, first detected in Denmark on July 24, 2023, then Michigan. This variant has undergone a large number of mutations compared to previous omicron subvariants, the dominant strain in 2021. Pirola has been found in humans and wastewater samples in several countries, including the U.S.

“As of Aug. 31, the BA.2.86 variant has been linked to 28 cases in 10 countries,” per the global virus database GISAID. These include United States, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, Israel, the United Kingdom, South Africa and France, according to CDC.

More virulent?

The fear, expressed even by the World Health Organization (WHO), is that BA.2.86 may be capable of bypassing immunity and infect people who have recovered from COVID infection or who are fully vaccinated. So far, since there are only a few cases, scientists are still observing its behavior.

“Early sequencing data show BA.2.86 has 34 more mutations in its spike protein than BA.2, which drove a COVID surge in 2022, and 36 more than XBB.1, which rapidly took over the U.S. in early 2023,” according to an August 24 paper in medical journal The BMJ. The number of mutations can affect how contagious a virus is, how it responds to treatment, and how severely it affects people. The symptoms are basically the same as of the

The current variant, EG.5 or Eris subvariant of Omicron XBB, accounts for the largest proportion, 20.6 percent, of infections in the U.S. The next most common is FL.5.1, followed by XBB.1.16 as of August 19.

Globally, EG.5 and XBB.1.16 are the most prevalent, 21 percent, according to WHO. There are not enough cases of BA.2.86 to fully understand its behavior, transmissibility, response to vaccines, and how the immune systems may interact with this virus.

A ‘different’ disease

Remember, this is a “new disease” and should be treated like one. All the shots, including the two last boosters, may not be effective for this new strain, BA.2.86.

My suggested concept that any NEW strain of COVID-19 be treated like an entirely “different” disease entity is an over-simplification to

sick people and maintaining good hygiene,” according to the CDC.

Masking controversy

It is most unfortunate that even laymen are joining the fray in the medical community “expressing their personal medical opinion” about the value of masks during an epidemic or pandemic. The common misconception is that masks are useless in preventing the spread of an infectious disease, like COVID-19. The KN-95 mask is NOT useless; otherwise surgeons and nurses in the operating room would have done away with masks – used in the OR to protect the patient. And during this pandemic, physicians and all first responders would not have been wearing masks if masks were of no value. Masks minimize the viral dose hitting the face. With a massive dose, the body’s immune system is overwhelmed, and the

and nose reduce the dust particles, fart, and fumes we inhale? Wouldn’t you feel more secure if a stranger near you who sneezes or coughs was wearing a mask and you were also wearing one? Plain common sense.

The idea of using a mask and doing social distancing is to minimize the viral dose that hits our face/ nose. Masks certainly do that. If there are 100 people wearing masks and the other hundred are not, and you spray talcum powder into their faces, which group do you think will have more powder on their face? Masks are valuable, albeit not 100 percent. Like bullet-proof vests, as I stated.

If masks (worn by surgeons for the past 103 years) are useless, would you allow the surgeons (and nurses, techs) operating on you or your loved ones not to wear them, or would you go close to a COVID-infected person without a mask, not wearing a mask yourself? Mis- or dis-information kills worse than the virus. Indeed, a no-brainer.

Success story: Parents’...

PAGE 11

them that Remuel (left) was eligible for a visa under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA), and Atty. Gurfinkel was able to bring their youngest to the U.S. as an immigrant in 2011.

Since then, Atty. Gurfinkel also worked on Rina’s employment petition, and in 2019, Rina arrived in the U.S. with her husband and their children.

Atty. Gurfinkel also worked on Karen’s family petition. She arrived in November 2022, together with her two children.

True to his law firm’s mission of “Bringing Families Together,” Atty.

Gurfinkel is committed to keeping that promise. To this day, he is working on bringing the rest of the Padlan family to the U.S. From the original two members, Connie and Romeo, the family has now grown to 14 members who now reside in the U.S., living the American Dream. Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, September 10 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app. (Advertising Supplement)

make my readers understand easier why we need a NEW vaccine for this new strain, and why all the vaccines we received so far may not be effective for this new strain. A new strain may need a new vaccine. Time will tell.

All strains of COVID viruses are related but each strain behaves differently and responds differently, like the original Wuhan virus, the Delta, and the Omicrons. So, here comes BA.2.86, which is making everyone in the medical community nervous.

New booster

Since this new strain should be considered a “different disease,” we need a new vaccine, tailored to this virus, to control BA.2.86.

It is anticipated that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will authorize the updated “reformulated” booster, which will be available by mid- or end of September, especially for high-risk individuals, like the immunocompromised and those 65 and over with health issues. Added to the new booster, “people can protect themselves by wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, avoiding

person gets infected.

Some of the reasons why the value of masks was not maximized the past 3 years are: some people refused to wear them (freedom of choice, civil rights, etc.), others used them improperly with noses uncovered, many not using the recommended KN-95 or any mask at all.

And some do not do social distancing! In an epidemic or pandemic, mitigating measures would be highly effective if there was 100 percent compliance by at least 95 percent of people.

Of course, masks are not 100 percent protective (because they are not airtight, so viruses could still get in), and so with bulletproof vests worn by security and military personnel when bullets are flying all over. Some of those wearing bullet-proof vests have died from gunshot wounds. Does this mean we should do away with bullet-proof vests, because they are “useless,” of no value, simply because they do not prevent deaths 100 percent? During a dust storm or when someone farts, or during a gas leak, doesn’t covering our mouth

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.

* * *

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.

* * *

Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He was a recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, presented by then Indiana Governor, later Senator, and then presidential candidate, Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry Truman, President George HW Bush, Muhammad Ali, and Astronaut Gus Grissom (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday. com, and philipSchua.com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.

Bea says dream intimate wedding with Dominic hard to achieve

By HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net

BEA Alonzo said she really wanted her dream wedding with fiancé, actor Dominic Roque, to be an intimate event, but she lamented that it would be hard to pull off as they’re friends with many people.

Alonzo spoke about her upcoming wedding in response to a fan’s question about her “preferences” for her special day, as seen on her YouTube channel last Saturday, Sept. 3, saying she always wanted to have an “intimate” ceremony since she was a “little girl.”

Atty. Gurfinkel (right) has successfully brought three children to the U.S. – Remuel (left), Karen (2nd from left), and Rina (5th from left).

Atty. Gurfinkel (standing, 3rd from left) makes it his mission to “Bring Families Together.”

The current variant, EG.5 or Eris subvariant of Omicron XBB, accounts for the largest proportion, 20.6 percent, of infections in the U.S.

Robi, Maiqui to push wedding despite battle vs rare autoimmune disease

By Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

HOST Robi Domingo revealed that he is the “groomzilla” as he is working on the preparations of his wedding with fiancee Maiqui Pineda, who is battling a rare autoimmune disease.

In his recent interview with the media, Robi revealed that he suggested to Maiqui that they delay their wedding, but she declined.

“We talked about it. And honestly, because of her condition, I was the one who told her baka dapat i-delay natin ng konti, kasi medyo iniisip ko na ‘yung health niya. And then, siya ‘yung nagsabi na, ‘Don’t. Give me something to hope for,’” Robi said.

“And upon hearing that siyempre, iyak ako. ‘Lalaban tayo, lalaban,’” he added.

Robi also told the press that his fiancee is now getting better.

“Long way to go pero malayo doon sa image ko na nakikita ko sa kanya nasa

hospital bed. Now she can walk properly,” he said.

“Of course, ang dami kong question especially about my faith. Bakit siya? Bakit ngayon pa? Bakit sa dinamirami ng tao, bakit kami pa ‘yung naapektuhan? But you have to cling on to those strands of faith. And also just looking at her and her progress, ‘yun ang nagbibigay ng lakas sa akin na, ‘Ah okay lumalaban siya.’... Mas iyakin talaga ako.

“Now, we have accepted the fact that we have a working prognosis, not just in terms of her health pero how we could fix our relationship, not just with

Bea says dream intimate wedding...

“Sa totoo lang, I always get questions about this but we haven’t started the preparations for the wedding,” she said. “Gusto ko talaga intimate wedding ever since I was a little girl, gusto ko talaga intimate wedding.”

us but with the Lord,’” he added.

The host also said that he is the one doing the wedding preparations.

“Ako ang groomzilla ngayon. Ako ang naghahandle ng lahat ng mga bagay kaya medyo nakakapressure, nakaka-stress. But it’s the details that count eh na, okay kailangan ako na bahala, relax ka na diyan,” he said.

Maqui was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Dermatomyositis, a condition that causes muscle weakness, inflammation and skin rash. g

(To be honest, I always get questions about this but we haven’t started the preparations for the wedding. I have wanted an intimate wedding ever since I was a little girl. I really want an intimate wedding.)

Despite this, the actress admitted that having a private ceremony would be tough, as she noted that she and Roque have a lot of friends and acquaintances.

“Nag-iisip kami ni Dom ng guest list pa lang, parang ang dami pala naming friends. Kasi si Dom extrovert siya ang dami niya talagang friends. Ang dami niyang group of friends. And ako, I have a small circle of friends, but outside of that circle, and dami ko ring mga acquaintances, ang dami kong mga nakatrabaho,” she

Dominic Roque and Bea Alonzo Photo from Instagram/@beaalonzo said.

(Dom and I are thinking of our guest list, and I realized that we have a lot of friends. Dom is an extrovert so he has a lot of friends. He has a lot of friend groups. While I have a small circle of friends, I have a lot of acquaintances, I’m on good terms with a lot of my colleagues.)

“I’ve been in this business for 22 years. Ang hirap niya talagang i-dilute into a very small number (It’s hard to dilute them into a very small number). One thing I’m sure about is that it’s going to be

amazing cause I’m gonna be marrying the love of my life,” she further added, as she was visibly excited for her special day.

The couple announced their engagement in July 2023, with Roque proposing to Alonzo in the guise of a photo shoot.

Before accepting her partner’s proposal, the “One More Chance” star admitted that while she did a lot of engagement scenes throughout her acting career, she noted that “nothing beats the real thing.” g

Robi Domingo proposes to his girlfriend of four years, Maiqui Pineda, during their trip to Japan in 2022. Photo from Instagram/@iamrobidomingo

A perfect blend of co ee, art, and Filipino culture  HUDSON VALLEY WELCOMES LIKHA ART CAFE

by MOMAR G. VISAYA / AJPress

IN the quaint village of Hawthorne, New York, just a stone’s throw away from the MetroNorth station, lies a place where the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingles with the vibrant hues of art—a place known as Likha Art Café. This charming café is more than just a spot for coffee; it’s a haven for families, artists, and the creative community.

Officials from the town of Mount Pleasant led by Councilman Tom Sialiano and Highway Superintendent Rich Benkwitt helped cut the ribbon at the grand opening of Likha Art Gallery Cafe on Elwood Ave in Hawthorne. The town’s social media page expressed its support to the newly-opened business.

“It’s a beautiful cafe, serving Filipino specialties, coffees and pastries, along with some great artwork. Stop in and try some of their menu items. Wishing them the best of luck!,” they posted.

Founded by a group of friends originally from Batangas in the Philippines— Emma Songalia, Eddie Manongsong, Ruel and Aileen Jusi—Likha Art Café seamlessly blends the love for art with the joy of savoring delicious coffee. The café exudes a warm and welcoming atmosphere, adorned with captivating artworks from local Filipino and FilipinoAmerican talents. Stepping inside, you’re immediately transported into a world of creativity, culture, and community.

Emma quit her 9-to5 job to embark on this entrepreneurial adventure. “I work long hours for 7 days, it is tiring but I am having so much fun,” Emma said with enthusiasm. “I always look forward to coming here because I love what we do. It makes me so happy!”

Aileen, Ruel’s wife, shares Emma’s sentiments, emphasizing how their

journey from a mere dream to a flourishing business has been both challenging and rewarding.

“It was just a dream, and now it’s a big blessing. We worked hard full-time, and now we have our own small business,” she said. “We look forward to coming here every time we have our day off.”

Her husband Ruel added, “We worked hard full time and now we have our own small business. It was just

adding that some clients have driven a couple of hours from upstate New York. “We were welcomed with open heart, the support from the community has been overwhelming.”

“Nakakataba ng puso na malaman na sa iba ibang lugar galling ang mga ciustomers,” Eddie quipped.

Aileen claimed that this is their American dream and she couldn’t be prouder that they all took that giant step. She admitted being scared at first but she realized that they are not just doing it for themselves but for Filipinos in the area so they have a place to visit and for the nonFilipinos in the area to have a taste of Filipino culture.

a dream and now it’s a big blessing. Pinaghirapan namin ito.”

“Mahirap talaga sa umpisa but you can do everything if you work together,” Emma said. “We believe that we have something new to offer, our place is inviting and the people are warm and friendly.”

She and her partner Eddie are relishing the moment.

“It’s such a nice feeling, getting the local community’s support,” she said, proudly

The team’s dedication to creating a welcoming space for both Filipinos and the broader community is commendable. “We are not just doing it for ourselves, but for Filipinos in the area so they have a place to visit and for the non-Filipinos in the area to have a taste of Filipino culture,” Aileen explained. Their location in Hawthorne, a 40-minute train ride from Grand Central Station, is right smack in the heart of Westchester County.

This passion for sharing Filipino culture extends to their menu, which features a delectable array of Filipinoinspired breads and pastries. Their current bestsellers, such as the ube latte, pan de sal, chocolate pan de sal with hazelnut, ube cheesecake, sans rival, and mini ube flan,

Among Likha’s bestsellers are their ube latte, ube flan, and a variety of pan de sal flavors.

Ruben and Loreta Macaraig

AJPress photos by Momar G.

Ruel and Aileen Jusi

Eddie Manongsong and Emma Songalia

A perfect blend of coffee, art, and...

allow patrons to savor the rich flavors of Filipino cuisine.

The Hudson Valley café doesn’t just stop at food and coffee since it is also a platform for artists to showcase their talents. Likha Art Café hosts rotating art exhibits that highlight the diversity and creativity of these artists, giving them a space to express themselves and share their work with the community.

Surviving 9/11: A tale of resilience and art

Rhian graces Venice Film Festival 2023 red carpet

By Kathleen a. llemit Philstar.com

RHIAN Ramos made heads turn for her custom Mark Bumgarner gown and for looking like a familiar face for many music and Hollywood fans at the red carpet of the 80th Venice Film Festival currently being held in Italy.

The “Royal Blood” star walked the red carpet in a custom champagne-colored gown by the notable designer.

Bumgarner described his creation as a “simple, clean,

crisp silhouette.”

Rhian expressed her delight at walking one of the most popular red carpets in the world.

“What a life this is. Walked the red carpet of the #VeniceFilmFestival2023 and felt like royalty in @ markbumgarner,” she shared on Instagram.

Many of her fans and fellow actors complimented the actress’ look. Some could not even help but say that she looks like Grammy-winning singer Taylor Swift or actress Anya Taylor-Joy. g

Among the artists featured during their grand opening were Hamilton, New Jersey-based couple Ruben and Loreta Macaraig. While their art is a testament to their creativity, it’s their remarkable story of survival during the September 11 attacks at the World Trade Center that truly inspires.

Ruben, now 76 years old, is a survivor of the September 11 attacks at the World Trade Center. He worked on the 50th floor of Tower 2 at a law firm specializing in computers and information technology.

Ruben was working at a law firm on the 50th floor of Tower 2 when the tragic events of 9/11 unfolded. When the towers were hit, he and his coworkers were initially told to return to their offices. However, Ruben made a life-altering decision to leave the building, ultimately saving his life.

“Pinababalik kaming lahat, but I decided to go, and that saved my life,” he recalled. As he evacuated the building, he witnessed the unimaginable sight of people jumping from the towers.

Loreta, meanwhile, was in her midtown office and watched the events unfold from her window. In those terrifying moments, she screamed, “Oh my God, my husband works there!”

Their daughter, who usually worked in the Financial District, had reported to their Jersey City location that day. She called Loreta, frantic, asking if she had heard from her dad. Loreta had no news to offer.

Ong’s greetings cards, tote bags, and various blends of coffee are also for sale at Likha Art Cafe. AJPress photos by Momar

having a place like Likha Art Café, where she can finally display her art. Previously, she painted on silk and sold her creations at a gallery in Lambertville, New Jersey, but the gallery eventually closed its doors.

Choosing early retirement, Ruben picked up his brush and easel once more, pouring his thoughts and emotions onto canvas. His paintings, created using oil and acrylic, often take the form of abstract art.

However, every September brings back poignant memories of that fateful day, along with thoughts of friends and colleagues who were not as fortunate.

“We’re always anxious every time September comes around,” Loreta said.

not only resonated with patrons but has also sparked conversations about culture and language.

Maymay Entrata Photo from Instagram/@maymay

Maymay featured on Times Square billboard in NYC

By Jan milo Severo Philstar.com

MAYMAY Entrata

surprised her fans after announcing that she has been featured on the iconic Times Tower billboard in New York City’s Time Square.

On her Instagram account, Maymay posted a photo of the billboard.

“All Glory to God!

Maraming salamat sa lahat ng suporta mula sa MAYloves ko

sa journey ko dito sa musika,” Maymay wrote.

“Di ko akalaing magkaka billboard ako sa NYC. Thank you @spotify @spotifyph @ spotifyasia @starpopph for making this possible po,” she added.

Maymay was part of the “Equal” campaign, which highlights women musicians from around the world.

She released her new song “Tsada Mahigugma” last month. g

In the midst of the chaos, Ruben managed to reach his wife from a restaurant to assure her he was okay. But as they spoke, the second tower collapsed, filling the air with debris. Outside, he witnessed the unimaginable as people jumped from the burning towers.

In the years that followed, art became a form of therapy for Ruben, who had been drawing and painting since high school. He found solace and relaxation in painting, and this passion soon extended to Loreta, who began quilling— meticulously rolling tiny strips of paper, gluing them together, and shaping them into delicate and beautiful creations.

He was so pleased when Loreta also developed an interest in art. To nurture their shared passion, he constructed a his-and-hers studio in the basement of their home in Hamilton.

“During the pandemic, I had nothing to do, so I thought about it. It was challenging, but I watched YouTube tutorials and I ended up mastering it and making a lot,” Loreta shared.

Loreta expressed her delight in

Despite the hardships and traumas they endured, the Macaraigs continue to create art, finding strength in each brushstroke. Their journey is a testament to the human spirit’s ability to overcome adversity and find solace in the world of art.

Neighborly collaboration

Also among the artists featured was Erwin Ong from White Plains who describes himself as a self-taught artist.

Erwin recently made headlines for his illustrations in the “Filipino Flavors” zine, which celebrates the vibrant Filipino restaurants and bars of New York City. This zine serves as a guide for those visiting the city to experience “Here Lies Love” and its all-Filipino cast, currently gracing the Broadway Theatre eight times a week.

Erwin’s artistic contributions extend beyond zines. His bilingual greeting cards, now proudly displayed at Likha Art Café, bridge cultures seamlessly by featuring Filipino phrases alongside their English translations. These unique cards originated from a pop-up event last year, where he sought to reach a wider audience by including English translations of Filipino phrases.

“I feel happy and surprised about the feedback I’ve been receiving,” Erwin humbly shared, referring to the positive response to his cards being displayed and sold at the café. His artwork has

During his visits to the café to set up his artwork, Erwin encountered fellow Filipinos who expressed their joy at the emergence of a place like Likha in Westchester. Interestingly, Erwin and one of the café’s owners happen to be neighbors in White Plains so when he learned about this local Filipinoowned café promoting Filipino art and artists, Erwin was immediately drawn to it, recognizing the opportunity for collaboration. “It’s a perfect match,” he remarked, emphasizing the synergy between his art and Likha’s mission. Erwin’s art, characterized by its inspiration from plants, animals, and nature, finds its roots in his formative years spent in the Philippines. A pivotal moment occurred when he had the chance to visit El Nido at a young age. There, he was mesmerized by the vibrant marine life, the intricate corals, and the kaleidoscope of fish. These experiences left an indelible mark on his artistic sensibilities.

Likha Art Café not only provides a platform for artists like the Macaraigs and Erwin Ong to display their creations but also serves as a testament to the power of art to transcend boundaries and connect people across cultures. It’s a place where art tells stories of survival and healing, reminding us of the power of the human spirit.

In the long run, Likha Art Café’s founders want Likha to become not just a place to grab a cup of coffee; it’s a sanctuary of art, culture, and community. It’s a testament to the power of dreams, hard work, and the enduring spirit of Filipino culture.  Emma, Eddie, Ruel, and Aileen have not only created a thriving business but also a place where people from all walks of life can come together to appreciate the beauty of art and the flavors of Filipino cuisine. It’s a place where coffee meets creativity, and where stories, like Ruben’s, find a canvas to be told. g

Rhian Ramos on the red carpet of the 80th Venice Film Festival as posted on her Instagram on September 2. Photos from Instagram/@whianwamos

G. Visaya