090920 - Southern California Midweek Edition

September 9-11, 2020 Volume 30 - No. 71 • 2 Sections - 14 Pages

USA

DATELINE Gender-neutral terms ‘Filipinx,’ ‘Pinxy’ added to online dictionary FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

DICTIONARY.com recently announced that it has updated thousands of its entries as well as 650 new terms related to race and ethnic identity.

Of the new additions, five are related to the Philippines: “Filipina,” “Filipinx,” “Pinay,” “Pinoy,” and “Pinxy.”

“Filipinx,” pronounced filipineks or filipinks, is a gender-neutral noun or adjective that relates to natives or inhabitants of the Philippines. It is used in place of the masculine form Filipino or the feminine form Filipina.

“Pinxy,” pronounced pinksee, is used in place of the masculine form Pinoy or the feminine form Pinay, which are the informal versions of Filipino and Filipina.

Dictionary.com connected the historical usage of “Filipinx” and “Pinxy” to “Latinx,” a gender-neutral term that relates to people of Latin American origin or descent, especially those living in the United States.

According to the online dictionary, Spanish and other Romance languages have

Duterte grants Pemberton absolute pardon

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, September 7, granted absolute pardon to U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton who was serving time in the country after killing transgender Filipina Jennifer Laude in 2014.

Pemberton was convicted of homicide on Decem-

ber 1, 2015 for the murder of Laude. He was sentenced to six to 10 years imprisonment.

Duterte said that it was unfair to keep Pemberton detained, pointing out that it was not Pemberton’s fault that his good conduct time allowance (GCTA) was not recorded.

“You have not treated Pemberton fairly. So, i-release ko. Pardon. Eh ang pardon, walang mga question ‘yan (So, I’ll release him. Pardon. There are

no questions there),” the president said during his televised public address on Monday.

He added, “It is not the fault of Pemberton na hindi na na-compute because we should allow him, the good character presumption kasi wala namang nagreport na Marines na nagsabi na nagwawala siya (It is not the fault of Pemberton that his good conduct was not computed because we should al-

u PAGE A2

Photo from Pexels.com

No plans to censor Netflix in PH – MTRCB

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

u PAGE A2

439 positive COVID-19 cases, 7 new deaths in LA County LOS Angeles County recorded 7 new deaths and 439 positive cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, September 8.

Tuesday’s latest reports bring the total county cases to 249,241 and 6,036 deaths.

Of the fatalities, three were over the age of 80, one person was between the ages of 65 and 79, and three were between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, LA County Department of Public Health said. All had underlying conditions.

Of the total cases, 942 people are currently hospitalized and 33% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for more than 2,385,000 individuals with 10% of all people testing positive.

Despite the low number, public health officials said they reflect a lag in reporting and less testing availability over the Labor Day weekend holiday.

“We thank everyone who modified their holiday plans and actions to avoid exposures to COVID-19. As we prepare for schools reopening to provide services for high need students that require in-person support, we

u PAGE A2

President Rodrigo Duterte confers the Order of Sikatuna on U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim who paid a farewell call on the president at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang on Monday, September 7. See story on A4.

Malacañang photo by Karl Norman Alonzo

THE content on Netflix and other video-on-demand (VOD) providers in the Philippines will not be censored, the country’s Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) said on Tuesday, September 8.

“We were not censoring. I hope that you don’t see MTRCB as a censorship board… We’re asking the VOD providers (to) do self-regulation with the parameters set forth by law,” said MTRCB chairperson Rachel Are-

u PAGE A4

US: China most flagrant UNCLOS violator Bacolod, Lanao Sur on strict lockdown

by PIA LEE-BRAGO Philstar.com

A UNITED States official has accused China of being the most “flagrant” violator of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), with an “intensifying” bullying pattern evident in the South China Sea and unlawful energy surveillance and activities in the Philippines’ economic zone.

“That bullying is alsoevident in the South China Sea,” U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said during a press briefing. “The United States imposed sanctions and visa restrictions on Chinese individuals and entities responsible for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party)’s imperialism there, doing things such as unlawful energy surveillance, activities in

the economic zones of our ally the Philippines and other countries.”

In light of China’s maritime “lawlessness,” he said it is no surprise that Beijing’s candidate in the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea received more abstentions than any other candidate.

“China is the most flagrant violator of the Law of the Sea Convention, and nations all across the world are registering their disapproval,” Pompeo added.

The U.S. urged all governments, parties and institutions around the world to assess the risk and reconsider business deals with the “predatory” Chinese state-owned enterprises including the company central to militarization and coercion in the South China Sea.

u PAGE A2

FOR three weeks starting Sept.

8, Bacolod City in Negros Occidental and Lanao del Sur will be under stricter quarantine measures after President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, September 7 approved the recommendation of the national task force overseeing government efforts to stop the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

In a statement, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the recommendation of the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to put Bacolod and Lanao del Sur under modi-

fied enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) status was presented by National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 chief implementer, Carlito Galvez Jr., to the President.

Roque, quoting IATF Resolution No. 69, also said inbound travel of stranded residents to Western Visayas, Iligan City and Lanao del Sur were suspended on the request of local officials.

The moratorium is effective from Sept. 7 to Sept. 21.

Mr. Duterte, in an earlier order, also placed Iligan in Lanao del Norte under MECQ for Sep-

u PAGE A4

Historic Filipinotown event encourages community to respond to 2020 Census, get tested for COVID-19

by AJPRESS

HISTORIC Filipinotown in Los Angeles has experienced a disproportionately high rate of COVID19 infections, yet when it comes responding to the 2020 Census, the neighborhood’s response rate remains low.

To tackle the two issues at hand, a pop-up event was held at the LA Downtown Medical Center — a Fil-Am co-owned hospital along West Temple Street — on Saturday, September 5 so community (L-R) LA Board of Public Works Commissioner Jessica Caloza, LA Downtown Medical Center members could be tested and get (LADMC) CEO Bill Nelson, Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, LADMC co-owner and president Vicki in-language assistance to fill out Rollins, and Rep. Jimmy Gomez attend the joint COVID-19 testing, census outreach event on the census.

Saturday, Sept. 5 AJPress photo by Christina M. Oriel “It was so intentional for the

city and for all of our partners to make sure that we combine these two events…It’s something that’s really a priority for us to make sure our immigrant communities know that these resources are available in their neighborhood and that they can access them right outside their doorstep,” said LA Board of Public Works Commissioner Jessica Caloza, who spearheaded this event.

The Office of the Mayor, Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell of the 13th District, the Census 2020 Initiative and the county Office of Education, also participated in Saturday’s event, which included census giveaways, an ice cream

truck and a chalk art display.

“It’s always good to partner up with the city of LA. I think that is a good unifying even with the hospital that’s in the heart of LA and the community that we serve.

The community that we serve really deserves the best health care…,” said Vicki Rollins, the Filipina American co-owner of LA Downtown Medical Center, which is one of two hospitals in LA that has a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

She added, “Our Filipino community really needs a catalyst to really bring them out and educate them on the importance of

the census…because at the end of the day, it goes back to them.”

The U.S. Census Bureau is ending all counting efforts, which include door-knocking, phone banking and other digital outreach, on Sept. 30, a month earlier than previously planned.

The decennial count, which can be completed by mail, on the phone, or online, guides how federal agencies distribute more than $675 billion in funds each year. For every non-response, the community risks losing out on $1,000 per person annually over the next 10 years.

“Those are taxpayer dollars on

u PAGE A3

A September 9-11, 2020 • SoCal ASIAN JOUrNAL

US: China most flagrant...

PAGE A1 The State Department and Commerce Department said the blacklisting of Chinese companies and Pompeo’s announcement on the imposition of visa restrictions on Chinese individuals, including executives of state-owned enterprises responsible for Beijing’s reclamation, construction and militarization of disputed outposts and coercion of Southeast Asian claimants are in line with the new U.S. policy on Chinese maritime claims in the South China Sea. The Commerce Department announced that it added 24 of Beijing’s state-owned enterprises, including subsidiaries of the China Communications Construction Co. to the entity list for their role in these South China Sea activities.

Pompeo announced the imposition of visa restrictions on nationals, including executives of stateowned enterprises, responsible for Beijing’s reclamation, construction, or militarization of disputed outposts and coercion of Southeast Asian claimants.

Meanwhile, according to commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific

Command Phil Davidson, an emboldened Communist Party of China seeks to change the world to one in which Chinese national power is more important than international law.

“Beijing is using a whole-ofparty approach to coerce, corrupt and contest the rules-based international order,” he said at the 75th Commemoration of the End of World War II in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

The U.S., Davidson said, continues to defend the values of a free and open Indo-Pacific, to keep America, and its allies and partners free from tyranny, and to defend their shared values.

In a new report, the U.S. Department of Defense said China plans to double its stockpile of nuclear warheads in the next decade, including those designed to be carried atop ballistic missiles that can reach the U.S..

In its annual “China Military Power” report to Congress, the Pentagon said the modernization and expansion of China’s nuclear forces is part of a broader effort by Beijing to develop a more asser-

http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797

From the Front Page tive position on the world stage and to match or surpass America by 2049 as the dominant power in the Asia-Pacific region.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for China Chad Sbragia said the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is “not intended to be merely a showpiece of Chinese modernity” but a tool of Chinese statecraft.

China defended its growing military power, saying it means growing strength for “world peace” after the release of the Pentagon’s latest report.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said China’s strategic intentions are “transparent” and “consistent” but Beijing’s military power is “far behind” of the U.S. “The development of China’s military power means growing strength for world peace,” Hua said in a press conference in Beijing.

“China’s strengthening of national defense is to safeguard national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and is PAGE A3

Duterte grants Pemberton...

PAGE A1 low him, the good character presumption of good character since the Marines did not report anything about him acting out).”

The Olongapo City Regional Trial Court on Sept. 1 ordered Pemberton’s release, saying that the convicted American serviceman has completed the minimum of his sentence after serving a total of 2,142 days or over five years and eight months in prison as well as accumulating GCTA of 1,548 days or more than four years.

The order was signed by Presiding Judge Roline Ginez-Jabalde. However, Pemberton’s release was put on hold by the Bureau of Corrections (Bucor) following the motion for reconsideration filed by Laude’s family.

Duterte said he informed Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra about his decision before announcing it.

“So sabi ko kay Justice Secretary, Medialdea, pinatawag ko sila kanina, sabi ko it’s my decision to pardon. Correct me if I’m wrong but ito ang tingin ko sa kaso (So I told Justice Secretary, Medialdea, I called them over and said it’s my decision to pardon. Correct me if I’m wrong but this is my opinion about the case). We have not treated Pemberton fairly,” he said.

Duterte also clarified that he isn’t taking any sides.

“I am not favoring anybody — neither Pemberton, nor the family [of Laude],” he stressed.

Pemberton walks free Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Pemberton may now go home to the U.S. after being granted absolute pardon.

“Ano ibig sabihin ng absolute pardon? Ibig sabihin na makakalaya na si Pemberton. Wala na pong isyu kung siya entitled sa GCTA, wala na pong isyu kung applicable ang batas dahil hindi siya nakulong sa national penitentiary (What does absolute pardon mean? It means Pemberton can now walk free. There is no more issue if he is entitled to GCTA. There is no more issue if the law is applicable since he was not jailed in the national penitentiary),” he said.

Roque, who once served as the private legal counsel for the Laude family, maintained that Pemberton is still a murderer despite his pardon.

“Binura na po ng Presidente kung ano pa yung parusa na dapat ipapataw kay Pemberton.

Ang hindi po nabura ng Presidente yung conviction ni Pemberton, mamatay tao pa rin siya (The president erased any additional punishments that may be given to Pemberton. What the president did not erase was Pemberton’s conviction, he is still a killer),” the spokesman said.

Rowena Flores, Pemberton’s lawyer, said Duterte’s decision to grant Pemberton absolute pardon came as a surprise.

LGBTQ+ rights group Bahaghari and other progressive groups held an indignation rally in front of the Department of Justice office in Manila on September 3 to condemn the court’s early release order for U.S. Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton.

Philstar.com photo by Krizjohn Rosales

According to her, she didn’t personally apply for any pardon from the president.

“I didn’t know that any was forthcoming or that anybody filed an application for pardon [on] his behalf,” Flores told ANC. She also thanked Duterte “for applying the law to Pemberton.”

Laude family denounces pardon The Laude family, on the other hand, condemned the absolute pardon granted to Pemberton.

“On behalf of the Laude family and the entire membership of KILUSAN and KAISA KA, we strongly denounce the ABSOLUTE PARDON given by Duterte,” said Atty. Virginia Lacsa-Suarez, the legal counsel of the Laude family.

“This is another injustice not only to Jennifer Laude and family but a grave injustice to the Filipino people,” she added.

Suarez stressed that Laude’s murder “reflects the systematic discrimination and violence inflicted by U.S. to Filipino women, children and the LGBTQ community.”

“There is so much disrespect in the manner by which Jennifer was killed — reflective of the disrespect [the] U.S. has for the Philippines’ democracy and sovereignty,” she said.

“The pardon given to Pemberton is a mockery of our judiciary and legal system, too,” she added.

Several groups, senators, and celebrities also joined the Laude family in denouncing the president’s decision.

“Karapatan strongly denounces President Rodrigo Duterte’s granting of absolute pardon to convicted U.S. marine Joseph Scott Pemberton as a despicable and shameless mockery of justice and servility to U.S. imperialist interests,” said human rights group Karapatan.

“By granting absolute pardon to Pemberton, Duterte is mocking the Filipino people, who, through decades, have been violated by U.S. military intervention in the country — with the cold-blooded killing of Jennifer

Laude as the latest of such reported crimes,” it added.

The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, meanwhile, said the decision was “unbelievable.”

“What makes it even more atrocious is that his entitlements and liberty were apparently politically bartered through an onerous and servile military agreement.

What cheap price sovereignty and national dignity,” NUPL President Edre Olalia said.

ABS-CBN actress Liza Soberano called out the national government for its concept of “unfairness.”

“So a murder was just released for good conduct. Are we supposed to just forget that he killed Jennifer Laude because he’s done some good? #JusticeForJenniferLaude #TransLivesMatter,” she said in a tweet.

“Another question, you think this murderer (I’m not even gonna say his name) wasn’t treated fairly but, was it fair that Jennifer Laude was murdered out of hate just because of her sexual orientation? #TransLivesMatter,” the actress added.

LGBT rights advocate Naomi Fontanos likewise called out the government, saying Duterte’s independent foreign policy is all for show.

“This is clear proof that #PresidentDuterte’s independent foreign policy is all for show & that he doesn’t value the lives of #LGBTQIA+ Filipinos in spite of what his supporters claim. A terrible #injustice to #JenniferLaude & her family & entire nation. #JusticeForJenniferLaude,” she said.

Senator Risa Hontiveros lamented that Duterte’s decision was “an unbelievable affront” to the LGBTQ community and the Filipino people.

“While Filipinos who are convicted even of lesser crimes are never accorded such a privilege, an American who brutally killed a Filipina is allowed to walk free by the president himself,” she said.

“This current move also gives the lie to the so-called support of the president for the trans and LGBTQI community,” she added. n

439 positive COVID-19 cases, 7 new deaths...

PAGE A1 all must do our very best to minimize participating in non-essential activities that create risk of virus transmission,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer

said in a statement.

Because LA County remains among the counties in the state with high rates of community transmission, getting the number of positive cases down is vital

before schools and certain businesses reopen, Ferrer added.

To date, 839 cases (or 15%) of the total number of county deaths have been individuals of Asian descent. n

Gender-neutral terms ‘Filipinx,’ ‘Pinxy’ added...

PAGE A1

“gendered grammar,” classifying males and females by using words that end in -o and -a, respectively.

“The spellings Latinx or Chicanx are particularly embraced by groups that wish to include members whose gender identities are nonbinary,” it said.

“By respecting the gendered grammar of Spanish in our English use of these loanwords, biological sex and binary gender identity are imposed onto English discourse in ways that otherwise would not have occurred,” it added.

John Kelly, a senior editor at Dictionary.com, said that the work of a dictionary is more than just adding new words.

“It’s an ongoing effort to ensure that how we define words reflects changes in language — and life,” he said.

Other changes include the capitalization of Black in reference to people, which many news organizations have adopted, as the United States continues to tackle issues around race; replacing references of homosexual with “gay” and homosexuality with “gay sexual orientation”; and destigmatiz-

ing suicide and addiction by recognizing language preferred by mental health professionals, such as “die by suicide” or “end one’s life,” and addict with “person addicted to” or “a habitual user of.”

“Among our many new entries are thousands of deeper, dictionary-wide revisions that touch us on our most personal levels: how we talk about ourselves and our identities, from race to sexual orientation to mental health. Our revisions are putting people, in all their rich humanity, first, and we’re extremely proud of that,” Kelly added. (AJPress)

(818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797 • http://www.asianjournal.com

Dateline USa

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • SeptembeR 9-11, 2020

Historic Filipinotown event encourages...

PAGE A1 the table that we really need to get back to our communities to make sure that our hospitals, our schools, our parks, and our roads get the resources they need, not just because this happens every 10 years, but especially this year when we’re in the middle of a pandemic, in the middle of a heatwave, and so many other extreme weather conditions [where] we need valuable resources,� Caloza said.

LA County continues to be the hardest-to-count region in the United States and COVID-19 has made in-person collection efforts more difficult, especially for communities of color, which have traditionally could have been reached at local gathering places, such as markets or places of worship.

Even before the pandemic, certain communities have already been hesitant to fill out the census as there was debate around adding a citizenship question.

However, the final questionnaire does not ask respondents for their status. “It’s been a constant battle to make sure that people who are

.07& '038"3%

.3A2? . ;.AB?.9 16@.@A2?

The City of LA provided free COVID-19 testing on Saturday, Sept. 5 at the LA Downtown Medical Center in Historic Filipinotown.

AJPress photo by Christina M. Oriel

undocumented fill it out. Here’s the thing: they don’t ask the citizenship question. They don’t ask your status. Fill it out. It’s completely confidential, secure and they don’t need to worry about their safety,� said Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who represents the state’s 34th congressional district, which covers Historic Filipinotown.

Another component of the census data is how many congressional seats each state gets, which is important for political representation. “Right now, if we don’t get our

numbers up, we might lose one to two congressional seats. That means we have less political power as a state, less political power as minority communities, less political power as Los Angeles�

Gomez said. “So it does make a difference. The more people you have, the better the chances you are getting what you need for your community.�

As of this writing, Historic Filipinotown has 412 positive cases of COVID-19, according to LA County Department of Public Health. n

US: China most flagrant...

PAGE A2

exercising the legitimate rights and interests of a sovereign state, which is beyond reproach,� she said.

She explained that the Constitution of China clearly stipulates that China adheres to the path of peaceful development and promotes the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Hua said China, which has also pursued a national defense policy that is defensive in nature, is a “builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of international order.� “As we all know, China’s military power is far behind that of the U.S.. The United States spends as much on its military as nearly the next 10 countries combined,� Hua said.

Highlight on peace, freedom Speaking before audiences in Manila and Baguio City, simultaneously linked together as one event via Zoom, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. highlighted the peace and freedom that the Philippines gained and used to rebuild and secure its future out of the ashes of the Second World War 75 years ago.

Locsin joined Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim and Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda in reflecting on the end of the bloodiest war in history and the value of having strong allies, partners and friends among nations, especially at this time when the entire world struggles with a pandemic.

Special guests at the in-person but socially distanced event, hosted by Deputy Chief of Mission John Law in the chancery of the U.S. embassy, included Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso and Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Maria Lumen Isleta.

The program also saw a presentation by professor Charita delos Reyes on the history and significance of Baguio City as the place where World War II in the Philippines began and ended, with the signing of surrender documents

by General Tomoyuki Yamashita at Camp John Hay on Sept. 3, 1945, and a virtual walk-through of the war photos exhibited at Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila.

Locsin stressed that the peace that ensued after the war has been crucial to the Philippines’ present and future.

“That future of peace and freedom is our present; and we guard it fiercely and without compromise; so that we and those who come after us shall ever live with the fullest reality and the most certain promise of peace and harmony without end,� Locsin said.

For his part, Kim said “Today, we find ourselves facing an entirely new and unprecedented set of challenges to our people, our economies, and our nations.�

In the global battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, he pointed out that the long-standing partnership is enabling the strong U.S.-Philippines cooperation on display. “From our soldiers and the vast network of support personnel serving together on the battlefield in 1945, to our scientists and public health experts collaborating today, the U.S.-Philippines relationship continues to evolve to meet whatever challenges that come our way,� Kim said. “Time and time again, history has demonstrated that the United States, Philippines and Japan are strongest when we work together as friends, partners and allies,� he said. n

F\b PN[ P\b[a \[ @\0NY4N`” NSaR_ N [Nab_NY QV`N`aR_ DVaU \b_ 2ZR_TR[Pf 1V`N`aR_ ?RYVRS ]_\T_NZ dR ]_\cVQR SV[N[PVNY OVYY _RYVRS a\ URY] f\b N[Q f\b_ SNZVYf Z\cR S\_dN_Q DR NY`\ \SSR_ SYReVOYR ]NfZR[a N__N[TRZR[a` N[Q dVYY [\a OVYY Pb`a\ZR_` S\_ `R_cVPR Qb_V[T aRZ]\_N_f \baNTR` 3\_ Z\_R V[S\_ZNaV\[ cV`Va' TPDBMHBT DPN #JMM3FMJFG

`\PNYTN` P\Z i %%% ! $ • @\baUR_[ 0NYVS\_[VN 4N` 0\Z]N[f .YY P\]f_VTUa N[Q a_NQRZN_X _VTUa` _R`R_cRQ

A

A September 9-11, 2020 • SoCal ASIAN JOUrNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797

Dateline PhiliPPines

DENR insists Manila Bay ‘white sand’ project safe

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

THE Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) maintained that the dolomites used to beautify the stretch of Manila Bay’s shore are safe following claims of its potential health hazard.

“It is not listed by the Mines Safety and Health Association, Occupational Safety and Health Association or even in the International Agency for Research Of Cancer as a carcinogen,” Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said on Tuesday, September 8, during the budget deliberation of the agency before the House committee on appropriations.

Cimatu explained that the hazardous ones are the dolomite dust particles with the size of 10 to 15 microns.

He then pointed out that the size of the dolomites being used in Manila Bay is 2,000 to 5,000 microns or 100 times bigger than dust.

“Therefore, [they are] not suspended in air and it cannot be inhaled,” he said.

The DENR confirmed last September that piles of crushed dolomite were being poured on the stretch of Manila Bay”s shore to act as white sand and beautify the area.

The makeover project, which will fill 500 meters of the Manila Bywalk with white sand, is covered under the P389-million Manila Bay rehabilitation program launched by Cimatu in January last year.

However, several government officials as well as environmental groups opposed the implementation of the project.

Health hazard According to the Department of Health, dolomite dust — made of calcium magnesium carbonate — can cause respiratory issues when inhaled. “‘Yung dolomite dust, it can cause respiratory issues or effects to a person. Kapag napunta sa mata, nagkakaroon ng irritation so you just have to wash it off with water (If it comes in contact with the eyes, it can cause irrita-

tion so you just have to wash it off with water),” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Monday, September 7.

“Kapag na-ingest ito, it can have discomfort sa gastrointestinal system natin and magkakaroon lang ng kaunting sakit ng tiyan at pagtatae (If this is ingested, it can have discomfort in a person’s gastrointestinal system, causing pain and diarrhea),” she added.

For her part, Senator Nancy Binay called for the suspension of the project, insisting that it was not properly researched.

“Placing dolomite as a substitute for white sand only means the project did not go through proper processes and studies for the Manila Bay rehabilitation,” Binay said in Filipino.

“There was no public consultation, no environmental clearance, and it was clear that the plan was not comprehensive and was done hastily,” the senator added.

Binay also pointed out that the DENR should’ve prioritized Manila Bay’s water quality instead of its appearance.

“In the right order of things, DENR should have prioritized fixing the water quality of Manila Bay before the aesthetics.

It is just saddening that instead of first addressing the sewage system in Baseco, it prioritized the funding of white sand from Cebu,” she said.

Rodne Galicha, executive director of environmental group Living Laudato Si Philippines, echoed this sentiment, stressing that Manila Bay’s water pollution should be addressed first.

“The root cause of the problem is pollution. If the root cause of the problem is pollution and you just put bandaid or makeup there, it will not solve the problem, Manila Bay will not be rehabilitated,” he said.

Writ of kalikasan University of the Philippines (UP) law professor Jay Batongbacal noted that it is possible to secure a writ of kalikasan and injunction against the project due to its potential health hazard.

The writ of kalikasan is a remedy for unlawful actions violat-

ing the right to a balanced and healthful ecology.

“This is why any agency should have conducted a thorough assessment of a project first,” Batongbacal said.

“The DENR definitely violated several laws. Even something as basic as a consultation with the local government[s] was not done,” he added.

Advocacy group Oceana Philippines, meanwhile, also said the DENR violated laws governing ecological and heritage conservation.

It claimed that the agency failed to comply with the mandatory environmental impact assessment study required under Presidential Decree No. 1586 and the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 — both of which require a thorough assessment of possible effects of any project deemed to have an adverse impact on the environment and surrounding communities.

Oceana also said the Wildlife Conservation Act was violated by the DENR for mining dolomite boulders from Cebu.

“Cebu is even one of the 10 provinces considered to be [landslide-prone areas],” Oceana Vice President Gloria Estenzo-Ramos said.

“This is why the [environmental impact assessment] is necessary for both [Manila and Cebu],” she added.

Ramos confirmed that several environmental groups are going to meet and discuss filing a petition for a writ of kalikasan against the white sand project.

“It’s always an option under the rules of procedure for environmental cases, even a threat to destruction...It is a ground for applying a writ of kalikasan,” she said.

“Environmental groups will meet and discuss what will be the next steps, what actions will be taken,” she added.

Robredo: P300-M budget could have fed families amid pandemic Vice President Leni Robredo, for her part, slammed the project, calling the agency’s move “insensitive” for focusing on beautifying the area while the

ry mechanism?” Presquito said.

Lawmakers slam MTRCB’s plan Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said censoring Netflix is absurd.

“This is the kind of bureaucratic thinking that gives government workers a bad name ….

Our countrymen have so many problems and this is what the MTRCB chooses to prioritize?” he said in a post on Facebook.

“The irony here is while Congress and other government agencies are doing everything it can to open up lines of communication with the public, and increase transparency, the MTRCB is focused on the outdated mindset of information regulation and censorship,” he added.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, meanwhile, reminded the MTRCB that regulating the contents of online movie services would violate the 1987 Constitution, which prohibits prior restraint on mass media and guarantees the right to free expression.

He urged the MTRCB to promote self-regulation instead.

“The ratings are very specific.

Upon subscription to Netflix, the parents can set what content their children can view. It has mechanisms that limit children’s access, a feature that free TV does not have,” Drilon said.

“If the platform is able to effectively self-regulate and has installed features through which access, particularly by certain age groups can be limited, then there is no role left for the MTRCB to play,” he added.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who wondered whose “bright idea” was it to regulate Netflix’s content, also advised self-regulation.

“Leave it to the parents,” he said.

“We should not be relying too

country is fighting against novel coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s really insensitive for you to do it at the height of the pandemic when so many people are starving. A lot of people are struggling, but what you’re doing is to beautify,” Robredo said in Filipino during her weekly radio show.

The vice president also noted that the project for the white sand project could have gone to the poorest households affected by the global health crisis instead.

“How difficult is it to reassess the budget?...Why did they prioritize this?” Robredo said.

Likewise, Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said that the government should be putting Filipinos affected by the pandemic first before the beautifying project.

“It is completely unacceptable that while our people are going hungry, parents have lost their jobs, and children have no gadgets to use for online classes, we are wasting money for a project that can only contribute to the destruction of our environment and our health,” he said.

According to the senator, the project’s budget could have been used to procure sacks of rice as well as provide students with internet connection and laptops.

“The last thing we want in the middle of this pandemic is causing more risks to the health and safety of our people,” Pangilinan stressed.

“Our healthcare system is already overwhelmed due to COVID-19 and the corruption in PhilHealth and we’ll just be adding more problem to that,” he added.

DENR: Funds for Manila Bay white sand can’t be used for pandemic The DENR, in response, said the budget for Manila Bay’s makeover can’t be diverted to projects addressing the pandemic.

According to DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda, the project was bankrolled and bid out more than a year ago.

“This is not a new project. We cannot connect this with the pandemic,” he told ANC. “If this were money that we can juggle from one place to

another, the government would do that. But that is not possible.

That is prohibited,” he added.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque backed the DENR, saying that the project was planned before the pandemic.

“The budget for the project is included in the 2020 national budget. It was approved in 2019.

We did not expect to encounter the COVID-19 pandemic. Budget rules also state that if it is a line item, the money can only be spent for that specific purpose,” he said in Filipino.

“The project was not planned amid the pandemic. The budget was approved in 2019,”he added.

Earlier, Roque expressed support for the white sand project.

“I was born at the Philippine General Hospital and as a Manila resident, I am glad that there is a Manila Bay beautification project. The people of Manila also need access to a beautiful beach especially now that there are travel restrictions,” he said.

“I am glad that there is a new attraction in the City of Manila,” the Palace official added. n

Duterte confers Order of Sikatuna to outgoing US envoy

No plans to censor Netflix in...

PAGE A1 nas during an interview with The Chiefs on Cignal TV’s One News.

She added, “There’s nothing actually to fear in terms of saying that we will curtail your freedom to choose. We just want the VOD providers to align with our classification.

Arenas also asked the VOD providers in the country to register with the MTRCB. “This (plan to regulate) is not yet cast in stone. We will have to wait for them to read our guidelines. They’re (VOD) amenable to our proposal. Since you’re doing business here in the Philippines, and you have a lot of subscribers coming from the Philippines, can we ask you to, you know in good faith, register with us,” she said.

On Sept. 3, the MTRCB called for a policy that allows them to regulate content on Netflix and other online streaming services.

“We have to regulate those platforms,” Jonathan Presquito, the agency’s legal affairs chief, said during a Senate hearing on proposed measures on online transactions.

According to him, any motion picture falls under the MTRCB’s jurisdiction, from films to television shows to advertisements.

However, all of Netflix’s content is unrated by the MTRCB. “Under the MTRCB law, those are prohibited materials. You cannot distribute that in the Philippine territory,” Presquito said.

He added that registering VOD services with the MTRCB and subsequent regulation would ensure films and shows are given age-appropriate classifications.

Prohibited content will also not be shown.

“We want an environment of growth. Let’s allow these streaming services to flourish. But how to balance that with the regulato-

The Manila Bay white sand project continues to pique the public’s curiosity as bikers and other passersby on Sunday, September 6 stop and try to take a look at the large heap of white sand at the bayfront. Manila Bay has always been famous for its breathtaking sunset.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

much on the government, let the parents themselves regulate,” he added.

Sen. Grace Poe, a former MTRCB chair, called MTRCB’s plan “counterproductive and ridiculous.”

Poe also questioned the board’s ability to classify every show on the online streaming service.

“As it is, there isn’t enough manpower or even resources to view or evaluate every single program on cable [television],” she said.

Drilon echoed this sentiment.

“There are thousands of shows on Netflix alone – how will MTRCB review each one? Can the MTRCB review every single content that can be accessed through the internet? What will they do about virtual private networks (VPN) that allow users to access content from other countries?” the senator said.

Palace urges MTRCB to consider views of critics Malacañang also urged the board to consider the lawmakers’ view on the proposal.

“We respect the decision of chairman Rachel Arenas and members of MTRCB. My only suggestion is, Ma’am Rachel, during budget season, it may be difficult to disregard what Congress is saying, especially now that the Speaker of the House has spoken,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Monday, Sept. 7.

“While the president does not micromanage, (MTRCB) should consider the suggestions of lawmakers because they are the ones who will decide on the budget of agencies. It is also their duty to ensure that the money of the people is spent properly. So my suggestion is evaluate carefully, especially the opinion of Speaker Alan Cayetano that it is not necessary,” he added. n MRT SECURITY. A security guard wearing personal protective equipment waits for passengers to board at the doors of the MRT-3 at Quezon Avenue in Quezon City on Tuesday, September 8. The MRT management has deployed security personnel to ensure that health protocols are observed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.

by KRissy

aguilaR Inquirer.net

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, September 7, conferred the Order of Sikatuna with the rank of Datu to outgoing U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim. The President thanked Kim for his almost four years of ser-

vice in the country.

“The President expressed appreciation for Ambassador Kim’s vital contributions in strengthening the alliance and partnership between the Philippines and the United States,” a Palace statement said.

The Order of Sikatuna is an order of diplomatic merit conferred upon individuals who have rendered exceptional and

meritorious services to the Republic of the Philippines.

Kim, on the other hand, thanked Duterte for a “productive bilateral engagement with the Philippines,” assuring the U.S.’ commitment to partner with the country.

The US returned the Balangiga Bells to the Diocese of Borongan, Eastern Samar during Kim’s stint in Manila. n

HEALTH AND SECURITY MEASURE In this photo taken on Sept. 6, the streets of Bacolod City are empty as border control checkpoints are set up as part of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Photo From Facebook Page Of Bacolod City Public Information Office

Bacolod, Lanao Sur on strict...

PAGE A1 tember.

Critical locations Galvez said officials in Bacolod and Lanao proposed a stricter community quarantine due to a continuous increase in COVID-19 cases in their areas.

He noted the need to upgrade the quarantine status in Lanao del Sur, as it is adjacent to Iligan, where MECQ was imposed starting Sept. 1.

Iligan and Lanao del Sur were immediately placed under MECQ because these are “critical locations,” he said.

“Once we are unable to control the spread of COVID-19 in Iligan City, [the virus] can spread to Lanao del Norte, Ozamiz City, and even Cagayan de Oro City. These areas need to be protected because they are our economic hubs, like Cagayan de Oro City,” Galvez said.

But cases in Bacolod, he said, were “much higher” than those in Iligan.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Bacolod’s new cases increased by 462 in just four days, or an average of 135 each day.

The Department of Health’s COVID-19 tracker showed that as of Monday, Bacolod had 2,224 cases, of which 1,255 were active with 939 recoveries. Forty-

four new cases were recorded on Monday.

Lanao del Sur recorded 381 cases, with 143 considered as active and 227 recoveries. Only seven cases were recorded in the province on Monday.

“The critical [health] care capacity in Bacolod City is really getting critical,” Galvez said, adding that task force officials would go to Bacolod to “complete interventions and fasttrack” efforts to stop the further spread of COVID-19.

Caught by surprise Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu and members of his team, who succeeded in stopping the spread of infection in Cebu City, would also join Galvez’s group to share their experience in handling the pandemic.

But many Bacolod residents, including local officials, were caught by surprise and were unprepared by the decision of the national task force to place the city under MECQ. “We slept last night thinking of ways to improve our businesses.

We woke up with our businesses slipping away from us,” said Frank Carbon, chief executive officer of Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Carbon said there was no discussion on placing the whole city under MECQ and added that

the city’s economy would be significantly affected.

Confused “Everybody is confused. Ninety percent of employees and customers of businesses rely on public transport. With no public transport, businesses will ground to a halt even if some are allowed to operate,” he said.

In a video statement on Monday, Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said he was expecting the matter to be discussed in a meeting with NTF officials on Wednesday.

“However, because the resolution has been issued, the only thing to do now is to implement it,” Leonardia said.

“The inconvenience and adjustments will only be temporary. What is important is that we lessen COVID-19 in Bacolod City. Let us abide by all regulations because this is for our welfare,” he said.

Several residents lamented the lack of notice, saying they had not prepared for a threeweek lockdown.

“I understand the need to contain the disease but if those who are better off are affected, those who are already struggling in life suffer worst,” a retiree told the Inquirer. With reports from Julie Aurelio, Jeannette Andrade, Nestor Burgos Jr. and

(818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797 • http://www.asianjournal.com

Dateline PhiliPPines

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • SeptembeR 9-11, 2020

A

OpiniOn & Features

A September 9-11, 2020 • SoCal ASIAN JOUrNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797

Manila’s white beach

IT will be nice to look at, but there are several issues being raised in connection with the ongoing creation of a “white beach” along Manila’s Baywalk: the cost and timing of the construction, and its sustainability.

As the government responds to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country keeps sinking deeper into debt. In this public health and economic crisis, can the country afford the P349million price tag for the Boracay in Manila project? Environment officials have said the project was conceptualized as part of the Manila Bay cleanup that began last year, and funding was appropriated in the 2020 budget, long before the coronavirus disease 2019 struck.

Officials are hoping that the 500-meter stretch of manmade white beach, with the water clean and safe enough for swimming, will serve as a model for bayfront communities around Manila Bay to undertake and maintain their own coastal cleanup and rehabilitation.

One concern is how long the area can serve as a model. Keeping the shoreline clean and the water quality safe for swimming will require sustained compliance with sewage and solid waste management regulations, not just along the bay but also all over Metro Manila, where most of the rivers and

tributaries wash out into the bay.

There are also concerns that the meter-high layer of “white sand” – actually crushed dolomite boulders shipped to Manila from Cebu – might simply be washed away in the next storm surge to hit the bay.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau says Geotubes – a type of marine construction technology – will hold the crushed dolomite in place to prevent erosion into the sea. The MGB has also brushed aside a warning from the Department of Health, that the dolomite particles could pose health risks.

It can be risky, the MGB said, only if you inhale the particles. The bureau pointed out that dolomite is sourced from the sea and the crushed particles consist of calcium magnesium carbonate, which will contribute to “bay nourishment.”

The government has pointed out that crushed Philstar.com photo dolomite has also been used in creating manmade beaches in Cebu, Singapore and France. Environment officials have said they are prepared to With the project tentatively set to be opened by explain and defend the project before any forum. Sept. 19, they must also prepare for investigations

Editorial

and possible indictments in case something goes wrong. (Philstar.com)

Decisions 2020: How Joe Biden has made our lives better, more just and equitable in his 47 years of service to the American people

The Fil-Am Perspective

do not have representation protect their constitutional rights.

From 1970-1972, Joe was on the New Castle County Council in Delaware, and his most notable accomplishment was his “fight against a massive 10-lane highway project that threatened to pave over Wilmington’s neighborhoods and push back on the oil companies building refineries on the Delaware coast.”

Biden was elected Senator in 1972 at the age of 29, and became one of the youngest people ever elected to the United States Senate. Joe has served as Delaware’s longest-running senator, serving as Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary from 1987-1995, and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2001-2003, and again on 2007-2009.

In 2008, President Barack Obama named Joe as his running mate, and was elected by the American people as the 47th Vice President of the United States. On January 20, 2009, he was sworn in to office and served for two terms after being re-elected with Obama in 2012.

As his life as an elected public servant was just beginning, Joe experienced a grave loss when his wife Neilia and daughter Naomi were killed, and sons Hunter and Beau were critically injured in an auto accident in 1972.

Joe’s eldest son Beau, who served the country as attorney general of Delaware and as a major in the Delaware Army National Guard, died in 2015 at the young age of 46 after battling brain cancer.

Joe’s life story reminds me of the story of Job in the bible. Job lost everything he had, became seriously ill, his wife left him — yet through these unimaginable

losses, Job remained faithful to God. Joe Biden is a Christian, a Catholic to be more precise, like many of us Filipinos.

Like Job, Joe’s faith in God remained strong even when he could and did not understand why God would allow these tragedies and afflictions to happen in his life. In fact, it was Joe’s faith in God that strengthened him and gave him the resolve to use his losses to find his purpose in life.

God fulfilled His promise in Job’s life. He granted Job “beauty for ashes.” God blessed Job for his trust and faithfulness to God’s will, for doing the right thing even when the wrong things were happening in his life. By the same mercy and grace, God rewarded Joe with a new wife and life partner in Jill, and more opportunities and a bigger platform to serve God’s people through Joe’s life in public service.

Joe Biden has been serving God through his service to the American people.

Since the early 70s, Joe has been fighting for the mantra “government of the people, for the people, by the people” to be a reality in America.

As shared on his campaign site, Joe has been doing this since his “first calls for the public financing of campaigns in the early 1970s.

In the decades to come, he’ll continue to take action to restore and strengthen our democratic institutions, starting with protecting the right to vote.” Joe contended, “The United States Constitution says We the People. Not We the Donors.”

Biden helped in the efforts toward arms control for global peace and security.

“He led a delegation of senators to meet with Kremlin offi-

cials in Moscow to present U.S. conditions for the ratification of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks–SALT II. It is the beginning of his decades-long leadership on nuclear arms control and strategic security negotiations to keep the American people safe, prevent an unchecked nuclear arms race, and establish norms of international conduct. Later, as Vice President, he will be critical to Senate approval of the New START Treaty with Russia, which brings deployed strategic nuclear weapons by the two countries to the lowest level in history.”

“As Chairman or Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for 12 years, Senator Biden plays a pivotal role in shaping U.S. foreign policy.

He is at the forefront of issues and legislation related to ending Apartheid, terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, post-Cold War Europe, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia.”

As a woman, I am most grateful for Joe in his fight on our behalf when he introduced the bill that addresses sexual assault and domestic violence in 1990, which was enacted into law as the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 1994 — “the landmark legislation that criminalizes violence against women, creates unprecedented resources for survivors of assault, and changes the national dialogue on domestic and sexual assault.”

Joe cares not just for this generation, but for the generations to come by introducing legislation to combat climate change.

“Joe calls for action to address climate change and protect the environment before it was a mainstream issue, introducing the Global Climate Protection Act. Later, as Chair of the Foreign

Relations Committee, he organizes several hearings on climate change and rallies support on a number of non-binding resolutions on the issue, in an attempt to build momentum for action to address climate change.”

Biden has been working toward protecting the lives of the American people from the irresponsible and dangerous use of military-style weapons by civilians because of the influence of the powerful lobbyist National Rifle Association (NRA).

“Joe takes on the National Rifle Association and wins—twice. In 1993, he secures the passage of the Brady background check bill, ushering the bill through conference and defeating an NRA-supported filibuster. And in 1994, he champions the passage of bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.”

As vice president, Joe Biden was President Barack Obama’s partner in governance, continuing on and leading “interagency efforts, and works with Congress in his fight to raise the living standards of middle-class Americans, reduce gun violence, address violence against women, and end cancer as we know it.”

When Obama led the country in our recovery from the deepest recession since the Great Depression, which eventually paved the way for the biggest continuous job growth Trump only benefited from, Biden worked hard with the president.

“President Obama turns to Joe to first help pass and then oversee the implementation of the Recovery Act—the biggest economic recovery plan in the history of the nation and our biggest and strongest commitment to clean energy.

The president’s plan prevents an-

COVID could make or break presidents

mayor that they could deliver their respective vaccine before yearend – with the public left wondering if it would just prevent infection, or mitigate symptoms, or cure the COVID patient outright.

Putting his own daughter’s life on the line, Putin had her join those who were inoculated as part of the Russian early trials on humans. That was a most dramatic testimonial, something missing in Xi’s sales talk.

Additionally, Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s $50-billion Sovereign Wealth Fund that bankrolled the vaccine’s development, put his (group’s) money and his life where his mouth is and announced: “I am confident enough in Russia’s Gamaleya vaccine that I received an injection of it… and developed a strong immunity in 20 days.”

The medical community in the West is generally not easily impressed. Skeptics point out that Moscow’s Gamaleya Research Institute has not been transparent about its testing process and has not even completed Phase-3 trials.

The Lancet, a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal and one of the world’s oldest, reported Friday that early results

from trials of Russia’s vaccine showed no major negative side effects on the 76 participants that included 38 healthy adults.

It added: “Large, long-term trials, including a placebo comparison, and further monitoring are needed to establish the long-term safety and effectiveness of the vaccine for preventing COVID-19 infection.”

The vaccine was the first in the world to be registered after its approval in August by Russia’s health regulators. Putin said at the time that full-scale production would start in September, potentially pulling what looks like a global scoop.

Dmitriev told CNBC that the Lancet report had generated much interest: “It is very important to share information with the world... the results have been very good but basically the study showed there is very strong both antibodies and cell immune response.”

He said Russia was on track to export the vaccine by November, and aimed to release data from the Phase-3 human trials at the end of October. (We assume that must be the same encouraging news that Putin also told Duterte.

– fdp)

Dmitriev said: “Right now we have 40,000 clinical trials going on in Russia, we started it at the end of August, and there will also be clinical trials in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Philippines and many other markets. So basically we’re on track to have registration not only available in Russia... but also available to key other countries already around November.”

Reporting that Russia became on Aug. 11 the first country to approve a vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the Lancet described the vaccine as based on two adenovirus vectors, as developed by the Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology.

Lancet reported that at the time of approval, the vaccine had not even started Phase-3 trials, nor had any results on the earlier stage trials been published. But since then, it said, the Phase-1/2 results have been published. The vaccine induced a strong immune response in all 76 participants, it added. (Philstar.com)

Gel SantoS-ReloS WITH 47 years in government, what has Joe Biden, former vice president and senator and now presidential candidate, accomplished?

This is a timely moment to talk facts about what the candidates have really done to help the American people live a better, more just and equitable life in their years as government officials, accorded with public trust and power of the position they hold.

After all, the commitment to serve the American people, and not to be served, should be the bedrock of why a person runs for public office.

The headlines from the past days have further revealed why our country and our people are in chaos and are deeply divided; why more than 189,000 Americans have been killed by the coronavirus pandemic; why the gap between the rich and the poor has grown wider than ever; why the planet we will pass on to the next generations has been under continued threat; and why the fulfillment of the American dream as envisioned by the founding fathers has been elusive.

What we are going through right now is because of the failed leadership by the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.

The reason why is not necessarily because he does not want to be a true leader and public servant in the very essence of the word. As Former President Barack Obama said during the Democratic National Convention, “Donald Trump hasn’t grown into the job because he can’t.”

We have heard testaments from Trump’s own family who really know him. We have heard

Postscript

Federico Pascual Jr. AS the Philippines keeps its lead in the regional race to the top of the COVID heap, China and Russia are in another competition to win the favor of Filipinos fending off the invisible coronavirus that has infected more than 238,000 of them and killed 3,800-plus.

President Duterte has made it known that he welcomes the kind offers of his president-friends Xi Jinping of China and Vladimir Putin of Russia, both of whom promised him a vaccine before Christmas.

It is significant that while Duterte publicly offered himself as a guinea pig for the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, he did not voice a similar vote of confidence in the other product that is Made-in-China.

Duterte’s words were still reverberating around the world

and read reactions from veterans themselves. Captain C.B. Sully Sullenberger, the pilot who saved peoples’ lives from the crash of the plane in the Hudson River in New York in 2009, encapsulated what is required of a leader to be a true public servant so poignantly.

Aside from being a retired Air Force fighter pilot, Sullenberger is a veteran who volunteered for military service during wartime just like his father, whose generation he proudly said, “saved the world from fascism.”

“For the first time in American history, a president has repeatedly shown utter and vulgar contempt and disrespect for those who have served and died serving our country.

While I am not surprised, I am disgusted by the current occupant of the Oval Office. He has repeatedly and consistently shown himself to be completely unfit for and to have no respect for the office he holds.

He took an oath of office that is similar to the one that each person takes who enters the U.S. Military. But he has completely failed to uphold his oath.

Now we know why. He has admitted that he cannot comprehend the concept of service above self.

Going back to Joe Biden. What has he done as a public servant for 47 years?

Joe Biden, who had a stuttering problem as a child, overcame this barrier and enrolled at the University of Delaware, where he double-majored in history and political science. He then went to Syracuse University, where he earned his law degree.

Biden served as a public defender (defense attorney) for Wilmington, Delaware from 1968 to 1970, helping the accused who

when his interpreter Harry Roque deadened their impact by clarifying that the President still has to wait for the conclusive results of the final tests and the vaccine’s approval by the Food and Drug Administration.

But many Filipinos reared in ayuda politics and bahala na fatalism – and some of them possibly out of desperation – may just start thinking they have nothing to lose anyway except their miserable lives and accept a free vaccination whether from China or Russia.

If only we had the luxury of time – which in Duterte’s favorite Ecclesiastes is either a time to rush into inoculation or to wait for a sure shot – more Filipinos could study more carefully their options of either playing Russian roulette or Chinese checkers.

But with our long exposure to poor-quality Chinese products and with our conditioned bias for Western (erroneously meaning non-Oriental) medicines, we dare say that more Filipinos are likely to be less trusting of a Chinese vaccine and more tolerant of one made in Russia.

A Palace team, btw, was to meet

last week with Pfizer reps to discuss “arrangements” for securing vaccines being developed by the New York-based pharmaceutical giant, and with Russian reps and the makers of Sputnik V vaccines.

In the US, where COVID has scored the biggest number of deaths at more than 193,000, Americans will line up at election centers or mail their ballots for the Nov. 3 election with the White House’s handling of the pandemic and the postal service possibly affecting the vote.

Most experts doubt that a safe and effective vaccine could be rushed before the election, although President Trump, who looks like he is running scared, is bent on gifting the population with a vaccine before they vote.

Candidate vaccines pass several clinical stages, capped by a Phase-4 testing on at least 30,000 humans to be given several doses at an interval of no less than a month. With that, experts ask how a vaccine could hit the mass market by November, whether in Washington or in Manila.

But Xi and Putin seem to have already convinced the Davao

u PAGE A7

*** Nota Bene: All Postscripts are archived at manilamail.com. Author is on Twitter as @ FDPascual. Feedback can be emailed to fdp333@ yahoo.com.

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

ADVertISING AND ADVertOrIAL pOLICIeS

Main Office: 1210 S. Brand Boulevard Glendale, CA 91204 Tels: (818) 502-0651 Fax: (818) 502-0858 e-mail: info@asianjournalinc.com http://www.asianjournal.com

Manila Office: 2nd Floor Units D&E, Fort Palm Springs 30th St., Cor 1st Ave, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig Tel.: (632) 856-4921 • Fax: (632) 856-1661 New York: 133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, NY 11354 Tel.: (212) 655-5426 • Fax (818) 502-0858

Northern California: New Jersey office: 1799 Old Bayshore Hwy, Suite 136 2500 Plaza 5, Harborside Financial Center, Burlingame, CA 94010 Tel.: (650) 689-5160 • Fax: (650) 239-9253 Jersey City, NJ 07311 Tel: (212)655-5426 • Fax: (818)502-0858 Las Vegas Sales Office: 2770 S. Maryland Pkwy., Suite 201, Las Vegas, NV 89109 Tel.: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879

ROGER LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board

CORA MACABAGDAL-ORIEL President

ChRISTINA M. ORIEL Editor-in-Chief

MOMAR G. VISAYA Executive Editor

IVY MANALANG Vice President - Marketing Los Angeles Asian Journal

MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA Senior Vice President Los Angeles Asian Journal

DING CARREON Videographer

ANDY TECSON Photographer

Asian Journal Publications, Inc. (“AJPI”) reserves the right to refuse to publish, in its sole and absolute discretion, any advertising and advertorial material submitted for publication by client. (“Client’s Material”) Submission of an advertisement or advertorial to an AJPI sales representative does not constitute a commitment by AJPI to publish a Client’s Material. AJPI has the option to correctly classify any Client’s Material and to delete objectionable words or phrases.

Client represents and warrants that a Client’s Material does not and will not contain any language or material which is libelous, slanderous or defamatory or invades any rights of privacy or publicity; does not and will not violate or infringe upon, or give rise to any adverse claim with respect to any common law or other right whatsoever (including, without limitation, any copyright, trademark, service mark or contract right) of any person or entity, or violate any other applicable law; and is not the subject of any litigation or claim that might give rise to any litigation.

Publication of a Client’s Material does not constitute an agreement to continue publication.

Client agrees and covenants to indemnify AJPI and its officers against any and all loss, liability, damage, expenses, cost, charges, claims, actions, causes 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 publication of a Client’s Material, AJPI shall be limited to an adjustment for the space occupied by the error, with maximum liability being cancellation of the cost of the first incorrect advertisement or republication of the correct advertisement.

Under no circumstances shall Asian Publications, Inc. be liable for consequential damages of any kind.

ASIAN JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS, INC. publishes the Los Angeles Asian Journal, published twice a week; the Orange County and Inland Empire Asian Journal, 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 call the L.A. office at (213) 250-9797 or send us an email at info@asianjournalinc.com

(818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797 • http://www.asianjournal.com

OpiniOn & Features

Cayetano leaves term sharing fate to Duterte

by Delon

Porcalla Philstar.com

MANILA — It would be up to President Duterte if he would honor his promise to Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco to take over the reins of the House of Representatives by November, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said.

“The President will decide on who among the coalition will lead (the House). Having said that, I sincerely thank the President for respecting the authority of the legislature,” he said in an interview yesterday over dzBB. Under the term-sharing agreement that the Chief Executive brokered in July 2019, Cayetano will be Speaker for the first 15 months while Velasco will be taking over the helm for the next 21 months, from October 2020 until June 2022.

But Cayetano clarified that, if ever, his successor will have to take over by November. “It’s not October actually, because October will just be the 15th month.

So it will be in November. November, I want to finish all of our reforms and budgets.”

“We don’t really know what will happen to the future and if ever, there will still be a caucus

and discussions with the President. But right now, I’d rather really focus on the budget deliberations,” he said.

The House leadership, according to the Speaker, will have its hands full for the month of September where they hope to finish the budget hearings of agencies before Congress goes on recess in mid-October.

“It’s not perfect, we have to do much more and that is what we will do during this September and October. We will focus on the national budget,” Cayetano, a congressman representing Taguig-Pateros, said.

Last March, he assured Velasco – his supposed successor – that he will not be affected by the minor revamp he implemented at the House, which he attributed to Velasco’s alleged plot to oust him.

“Well, out of respect, because he is the presumptive Speaker (we will not remove him),” the House leader said in an interview, where it was asked if Velasco will be removed as chairman of the House committee on energy.

“So I really don’t know about his chairmanship, and I don’t want to meddle. Because I wouldn’t want – when he be-

comes the Speaker – to undermine him, and I don’t want him to mistreat me, Cayetano stressed in Filipino.

While the lone Marinduque congressman refused to dignify the Speaker’s accusations, his allies led by Oriental Mindoro Rep. Doy Leachon – who was removed as chairman of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal – vehemently denied the ouster moves.

Cayetano then recalled that Velasco kept on refusing the positions he offered him after the term-sharing deal was agreed upon in mid-2019, where he even wanted the latter to sit as senior House deputy speaker, for purposes of familiarizing himself with the leadership.

After flexing his muscles, Cayetano promised that no realignments will be made at the House for as long as lawmakers will toe the line of his leadership and that of President Duterte’s administration.

“I don’t want to ask any more members of Congress to leave their post. I don’t want to remove any more chairpersons, but that is with the agreement that they will be supportive of our legislative agenda,” he told reporters in a press conference. n

Decisions 2020: How Joe Biden has...

PAGE A6 other Great Depression, creates and saves millions of jobs, and leads to 75 uninterrupted months of job growth by the end of the Administration, which has continued until today. And Joe did it all with less than 1% in waste, abuse or fraud—the most efficient government program in our country’s history.”

Like Obama, Joe believed ALL Americans should have access to health care, not just a privileged few.

“President Obama and Joe secure the passage of the Affordable Care Act, which will have reduced the number of uninsured Americans by 20 million by the time they leave office and banned insurance companies from denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions.”

Joe believed that in this country, all men are created equal, even in choosing whom to love, and should therefore be accorded the same rights and protections provided for in the Constitution.

“Vice President Biden vocally supports marriage equality for LGBTQ individuals at a time

when most political pundits said it wasn’t a good idea. He later shows the same leadership by expressing early support for the Equality Act.” He worked with President Obama to fight against gun violence.

“After 26 first-graders and educators are killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Joe leads an effort to take more than two dozen actions to make our schools and communities safer, including improving the gun background check system and narrowing the gun show loophole.”

He used his pain and grief when he lost his son to cancer to help other people fight against cancer.

“In his final State of the Union address, President Obama asks Joe to head up a new national effort to end cancer as we know it— he ends up calling it his ‘Cancer Moonshot,’ with the goal of making a decade’s worth of advances in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in five years.”

THESE are but a few of his accomplishments. Indeed, Joe Biden has earned the Presidential Medal

of Freedom with Distinction — the nation’s highest civilian honor — given to him by President Barack Obama.

Yes, the 24/7 news cycle can be overwhelming. But it’s too important of an election to sit out if you have the privilege of being a voter in America.

To learn more about candidates running for office, visit their websites, revisit news articles, and watch videos of what candidates actually said and did to separate facts from misinformation. Their personal lives, responses to crises, judgment calls and their vision will help us get to know the candidates’ values and character better, and will lead us in our discernment on whom to vote for come this November. *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community.

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

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • SeptembeR 9-11, 2020

A

A September 9-11, 2020 • SoCal ASIAN JOUrNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797

seafood city fpfc

The

Asian Journal

mdwk The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - September 9, 2020

Wednesday SEpTEMbEr 9, 2020

mAGAZINE

Â†ĂœÂŻÂ†Ă…ÂşĂŠĂĽĂ™Ă…Â†ÂżĂ–ĂĽÂ’ÂżÂŻÂ“Â†Ă˘ÂŻĂŠĂ…Ăœ

Ç†Â†ĂœÂŻÂ†Ă…ÂşĂŠĂĽĂ™Ă…Â†ÂżÂ“ĂŠĂ„

Ç†Â†ĂœÂŻÂ†Ă…ÂşĂŠĂĽĂ™Ă…Â†Âż

XXX BTJBOKPVSOBM DPN -PT "OHFMFT LJ -BT 7FHBT LJ 0SBOHF $PVOUZ *OMBOE &NQJSF LJ /PSUIFSO $BMJGPSOJB LJ /FX :PSL /FX +FSTFZ

Pinay scientist and rapper Ruby Ibarra’s 2020 mission: Help develop a COVID vaccine, release a sophomore album

F

by

Christina M. Oriel / AJPress

OR Filipina American rapper Ruby Ibarra, 2020 was slated to be more of this balancing act as in the past few years — juggling live performances after work and on the weekends, while fine-tuning her sophomore album.

Before COVID-19 hit California, the 29-year-old did two sold-out shows at the Getty Center in Los Angeles in February and performed at the Sacramento Kings’ Filipino Heritage Night in early March.

Now, her performances have been strictly virtual.

And the pandemic has put an emphasis on her 9-5 job as a scientist at a biotech company in the Bay Area, where she’s been involved in the quality control of COVID-19 test kits and research around a vaccine. “When the pandemic was more visible, we shifted gears at work to make sure all hands By day, Ruby Ibarra is a scientist at a biotech company in the Bay Area. Currently, her work revolves were on the table and we could around COVID-19 tests and development of a vaccine.

Photo courtesy of Ruby Ibarra help in any way possible. Early on, we started with test kits,�

Ibarra said during a recent Zoom interview with the Asian Journal. “Since then, we’ve just been continuing to run tests on a daily basis, more so for research. With the pandemic still being very real, my company is focusing on work towards the development of a vaccine.�

As of the beginning of September, the United States has reported more than 6 million positive cases and over 185,000 deaths. California alone bears the most cases out of any state with more than By the end of the year, Ibarra hopes to release 707,000 cases and 13,018 faBy night, Ibarra, 29, is a performer who raps her sophomore album, as a follow-up to her through her perspective as a Filipina American. acclaimed “Circa91.�

Photo by Donna Ibarra talities, according to the state’s

Music has always been a passion, but another field that piqued her curiosity and fascination as a child were the sciences. Young Ibarra would read encyclopedias and science books for fun. “I’ve always been such a big nerd when it came to reading books and learning new facts‌I’d be the one to read the dictionary. I think that’s why I fell in love with words in the first place,â€? Ibarra said, adding that a childhood dream was to be a pediatrician. “I gravitated towards science because, to me, it ultimately explained how the world works.â€?

Pre-pandemic, Ibarra would perform after work or on weekends. Now, her performances are virtual.

She went on to study Photo by Tojo Andrianarivo biochemistry and molecular an early age, which kickstarted biology at the University of Department of Public Health. her love for hip-hop.

Ibarra added, “The ultiCalifornia, Davis because in With threads like colorism mate goal is to ramp up testa first-generation immigrant — the culture of skin tone dis- household, “education and ing, specifically in this country, crimination in the Philippines and to help with the research finding a stable job� were — to unifying Filipinos found in any way toward a vaccine ingrained early on. in FrancisM’s music, she would so that we can gain a sense of “If music was not a viable continue those conversations normalcy again.� career for me, I’d have this two decades later from the Ibarra, who was born in backup plan in the sciences so lens of a Filipina American mil- I ended up working for this bioTacloban, Philippines, moved lennial raised in the Bay Area to San Lorenzo, California at technology company straight through her debut album, four years old. As she’s shared out of college,� said Ibarra, in a previous interview with the “Circa91,� released in October whose work has revolved 2017. Throughout the 18Asian Journal, albums by Filiaround molecular diagnostics. track album, Ibarra shifts from pino rapper Francis Magalona Going seven months into English, Tagalog and Waray, and American artists Tupac, the pandemic, the public is the language spoken in the Lauryn Hill and the Wu-Tang aware of coronavirus-related Eastern Visayas.

Clan were on heavy rotation at Continued on Page 2

entertainment

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - September 9, 2020

Fil-Am musical drama ‘Yellow Rose’ scheduled for Oct. 9 theatrical release

Single mom Sunshine on raising 3 daughters By ricky lo Philstar.com

SINCE her marriage fell apart (in 2013), Sunshine Cruz has been acting as both mother and father to her three beautiful daughters Angelina, 18; Samantha, 16; and Francheska, 15.

From plain housewife, Sunshine turned into a full-fledged workBy klArize MedenillA AJPress ing woman carefully balancing and dividing her time between SONY Pictures Worldwide home and showbiz with amazing Acquisitions announced that success. the Filipino American film Up to now, seven years “Yellow Rose” will be reafter she separated from Cesar leased in theaters on Oct. 9.

Montano (their marriage was Filipina American filmannulled in Sept. 2018), Sunmaker Diane Paragas’ “Yellow shine hasn’t stopped working.

Rose” tells a spellbinding She is in the cast of “Love Thy story about an undocumented Woman,” a family drama about Filipina teenager Rose (Tonyfeuding factions within a Filinominated actress and singer pino-Chinese family.

Eva Noblezada) living in Luckily, before her social-meTexas who fights to achieve dia accounts were hacked (hope her dream of becoming a already restored by this time), country music star.

Sunshine had a free-wheeling Caught in the middle of an virtual interview with Funfare. identity crisis, Rose’s undocu- Noblezada as Rose and Lea Salonga, who plays Tita Gail.

Photo courtesy of August Thurmer Asked what the hard part mented mother (played by of raising her daughters is, home 13 film festival jury and Sunshine candidly replied, “The Princess Punzalan) is detained ten on a piece of paper. audience awards, including The film also co-stars by immigration officials. As hardest part of raising them the Special Jury Award - Best alone is that time that I had to Rose tries to find her place in Tony winner and Broadway legend Lea Salonga as Rose’s Narrative Feature at the the only country she knows, work full time but I also have Asian American International aunt and country star Dale she finds her voice and realFilm Festival and the Grand Watson. izes that being an American In 2019, the film took means more than what is writContinued on Page 3

Diane Paragas’s award-winning debut feature was picked up by Sony Pictures in late 2019

How COVID-19 scare became productive for Ogie

By AllAn

PolicArPio Inquirer.net

WHEN Ogie Alcasid, the singer, has been terribly missing being in front of a live audience, Ogie Alcasid, the songwriter, has been thriving, creating new material that hopes to uplift weary souls in these troubling times. And interestingly enough, one of his most productive moments happened in self-quarantine, after a COVID-19 scare last July. The seasoned artist had false positive results with antigen tests, then tested negative with the more accurate swab test.

“I was alone for a couple of days, so I was writing. One Ogie Alcasid Photo from Instagram/@ogiealcasid is called ‘Panginoon Ikaw La-

Sunshine Cruz with daughters Angelina, Samantha and Francheska: Showbiz is in their genes so it’s okay for mom to let them follow in her footsteps.

Photo from Instagram/@sunshinecruz718

to be there for them. They had gotten used to my being with them at home all the time. My task as a plain housewife was to just take care of my family; 13 years of routine then suddenly everything changed. At first, they didn’t understand why I had to leave and go home late or morning na.

“But thank God, my children are understanding and smart

kids. I made them understand and be thankful kapag may opportunity for work si mommy kasi that’s what gives us food on the table. Naintindihan naman nila and sila pa ang No. 1 supporter ko kapag may projects ako.”

Even if there are the SOP do’s and don’ts when the girls were small and now that they Continued on Page 3

Pinay scientist and rapper Ruby...

From Page 1 symptoms, from difficulty breathing to loss of taste, and safety measures like maintaining six feet from others and wearing a mask. However, mang.’ It was a crazy episode, there is still a lot of uncertainty but something came out of it. around the disease and its Maybe it was just God wantlong-term effects. ing me to be with him alone,” “There’s still a lot of things he said in a video conference. that we don’t know about this Praise and worship are the disease, but again, it comes overarching themes of Ogie’s with time and research,” Ibarra work in the past couple of said. “But what gives me hope months. The ballad “Beautiand optimism is that there is a ful,” which Ogie released last lot of work being done, not just month under Star Music, is a by my own company, but multicollaboration with Moira dela ple labs and companies across Torre. He started working on it the world.” as early as December last year, These days when she arrives but it wasn’t until the lockhome from work, she heads down that he finally finished it. straight for the shower — not “This pandemic has been because she has to get ready the backdrop of this entire for a night gig, but because song … And it got bigger, I she’s been taking extra precaufelt I had to get it done and tions to keep herself and her release it,” he said. fiancé safe, especially after Aside from “Panginoon” working alongside co-workers.

Continued on Page 5 Knowing how serious COV-

ID-19 is, and how it has been affecting essential workers and her own Filipino American community, Ibarra is not shy about calling out folks who aren’t following the guidelines and has been vocal about the reopening of certain industries.

“It’s not lost on me that when I look on social media or turn on the news, we see people, around [my] age or generation, more dismissive towards the pandemic. We have been where we are since March as long as we don’t have a vaccine or clear research so I’d like to remind people to really trust the science,” she said.

Though Ibarra had some live performances scheduled for this year, the bright sides of staying at home are being able to rest and spending time with family.

She is hopeful that her second album will be released by the end of the year, as well as “7,000 Miles,” a documentary

documenting her 2019 trip to the Philippines with her band, The Balikbayans.

Ibarra said that the album will have similar themes as heard on “Circa91” but will showcase her maturity as an individual and artist and weave in current events, such as the push for racial justice. Her latest song, “A Thousand Cuts,” to accompany Fil-Am filmmaker Ramona Diaz’s documentary of the same title parallels her use of music with veteran journalist Maria Ressa’s fight for press freedom.

“If anything, it will allow me to explore other parts of my identity as well. But I am definitely going to continue, to push Filipino culture forward.

When it comes down to it, my music will always be a reflection of my experiences and who I am as a person, so I don’t want to ever escape from my music being Filipino,” she said.

Marichu Vera-Perez Maceda, 77

By Iza IglesIas ManilaTimes.net

RECOGNIZED as one of the matriarchs of the Philippine Movie Industry, Maria Azucena Vera-Perez Maceda–affectionately known as “Manay Ichu”–died Monday at age of 77.

In an official statement sent out to news outlets by the Vera-Perez and Maceda families, the wife of the late statesman and senator Ernesto “Ernie” Maceda succumbed to cardio respiratory failure. She is survived by her five sons Emmanuel, Ernesto Jr., Erwin, Edmond and Edward.

Maceda’s nephew Rep. Christopher De Venecia–son of Maceda’s sister Gina De Venecia–paid tribute to his aunt on Facebook, writing, “Mami-miss kita nang tahasan Mama Tutu. Isang haligi ng industriya ng pelikulang Pilipino na nag-alaga at nagaruga sa akin sa aking paglaki, hanggang sa aking pagtanda.

Mahal na mahal ka namin.

Rest in love, rest in power, and rest in peace Mama Tutu.

Ngayo’y malaya ka na sa sakit at karamdaman. Ipagpapatuloy namin ang iyong nasimulan at ang legacy ng Vera Perez family.”

Meanwhile, actor and Senate President Vicente Sotto 3rd also mourned Maceda’s passing through his Twitter account and said, “Our Beloved Manay Ichu will now rest at the bosom of the Lord our God. The movie industry will never be the same. We owe her a lot. We love her deeply.”

Maceda grew up in the realm of show business with Jose Vera-Perez, founder of Sampaguita Pictures, for a father. The family company is a trailblazer in Filipino movie production and considered to be the country’s biggest and leading film outfit from

Marichu ‘Manay Ichu’ Vera-Perez Maceda

the 1930s to the early 1980s.

Under her watch, critically acclaimed movies such as “Dyesebel” (1979) and “Batch ’81” (1982) emerged, which today are firmly etched in Filipino pop culture.

Besides producing movies, Maceda was revered as an industry matriarch for she also helped establish film-related agencies such as the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation (Mowelfund), the Film Developmental Council of the Philippines, the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), the Film Academy of the Philippines, the Philippine Motion Picture Producers Association (PMPPA), and the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines (ECP), among others. She further headed the International Film Festival Committee (IFFCOM) at one point in her very productive career.

In June 2018, FDCP led by its Chairman and The Sunday Times Magazine columninst Liza Diño honored Maceda in a momentous event titled “A Spotlight on Mothers of Philippine Cinema.”

In receiving her Ina ng Pelikulang Pilipino recognition, Maceda’s speech laid out the lessons she learned in the industry for others to benefit.

Tony Award-nominated actress Eva Noblezada stars as Rose in “Yellow Rose.”

Photo courtesy of August Thurmer

Fil-Am musical drama...

From Page 2 Jury Prize - Best Narrative Feature and Best Breakout Performance for Eva Noblezada at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. “’Yellow Rose’ has been a labor of passion for over 15 years and I’m thrilled that we

can now share this very relevant story with the world,” Paragas said in a previous interview. “We have the added honor of representing the real experiences of Filipino Americans, Asian Americans, and all immigrants seeking a better life in America.”

“Remember that aside from being an art form, this is basically a business, so you have to at least break even so you can recover your investment and produce the second film. Para que pa kayo magpoproduce ng bagong pelikula (kung) kayo lang ang nakakaintindi, wala namang manonood? Hindi na kayo makakagawa ng pangalawang pelikula, tandaan nyo yan.

Never make a film solely to satisfy yourself. Make your film for a wide audience,” she declared.

More poignantly, she also bade both creatives and movie entrepreneurs that one must love the industry without expecting any in return.

“Love your craft and love the industry. Don’t expect anything back aside from your investment of course. Huwag mong asahang ibalik kaagad sa’yo ang ipinakita mong pagmamahal sapagkat balang araw babalik yan sa inyo tulad ng tinatamasa ko ngayon.”

A mass will be held for Maceda Monday evening, 6 p.m. at Arlington Chapel A, after which her remains will be cremated immediately. Her ashes will then be inurned at the Sampaguita Chapel beginning Tuesday, September 8 at 1 p.m. until her family decides on their final plans.

Meanwhile, the Vera Perez and Maceda families request that in in lieu of flowers for their beloved matriarch, donations may be made in her honor to MOWELFUND.

entertainment Single mom Sunshine...

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - September 9, 2020

From Page 2 are grown-ups, Sunshine has never been the controlling type.

“We don’t hide secrets from each other, we always have to be honest. We share and discuss whatever bothers us. I always tell them walang magulang na ayaw mapabuti ang mga anak kaya if something bothers you, I am always here to help, protect and support them whatever issues or whatever worries them.

They cannot go out of the house without my permission and I should always know the friends they hang out with. But I always remind them that school should always be their top priority.

Napaka-importante para sa akin ang makatapos sila ng pag aaral.”

Minus a patriarch, their home is ever sunshiny, full of girlish laughter.

“We are like barkadas most of the time. We joke around, naglalambingan at kulitan but when I need to be strict, they must listen and follow my rules.

I am grateful that they are respectful children.”

At their age, the girls are attracting attention from boys who have crushes on them and vice-versa. It usually comes with the territory and what parents are alert about. Sunshine is no exception.

“Yes,” said Sunshine, “they have crushes. Kinikilig sila at mayroong mga may crush din sa

kanila. They know their limitations when it comes to boys. As a mom, I am always praying and hoping that they will make the right decision when it comes to love and boys. Andito lang ako to guide them.

“I always tell them to learn from their mom’s mistakes.

Hahahaha!!! I did not listen to my mom before kaya huwag gumaya sa pagkakamali ko. Don’t be in a hurry dahil mga bata pa kayo. Magtapos muna ng pag aaral at sana maghanap ng magandang trabaho. Darating ang oras para sa love. Sana makinig sila sakin. Always praying that they will choose whatever is best for them.”

Since showbiz is in their genes (remember, Sunshine is descended from the showbiz Cruz clan), she understands her daughters’ decision to follow in her footsteps. Showbiz can be, well, somewhat risky, especially if people don’t know how to handle it (the temptations and all).

How does Sunshine prepare (train) her daughters to deal with, for example, gossip?

“Honestly,” admitted Sunshine, “wala namang nakakatakas sa ganyan, especially fake news na masyadong personal.

I’m 43 and I still get hurt or affected. I want to think my kids are stronger and smarter than me. Palagi kong pinagdarasal ang safety nila and to always

protect their hearts and mind.

And that they will always choose their battles even online.”

What lessons did Sunshine learn from her parents that she is applying in raising her own children?

“To always have an open communication with the kids, don’t be overly strict and always listen to what they have to say kapag may misunderstanding kami.” And she proceeded to describe them. “Angelina is very Sunshine Cruz, parang akongako. She would rather lock herself in a room, very introvert kaya madalas ma misinterpret na suplada pero ang totoo very shy siya. Samantha is pilya, malambing, funny and outgoing. Chesca is an artist (magaling mag-sketch), outspoken, very smart (palaging honor student) and she speaks her mind. All three are singers. Mahuhusay umawit.”

September has a special spot in Sunshine’s heart. It was in September two years ago when the petition for the annulment of her marriage was granted by the court and it was also in September four years ago when she met Macky Mathay, her current love.

Isn’t she and Macky ready to settle down? Didn’t she develop a phobia for marriage?

Sunshine broke into a triumphant laughter.

“Next question, please!

Hahahaha!!!”

community The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - September 9, 2020

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond monette AdevA mAglAyA ABBY Johnson is a woman through whose eyes the 2019 movie about abortion from her book, “Unplanned” is based.

She was a former worker for Planned Parenthood, the biggest and most vile abortion factory in the world responsible for millions of deaths of the unborn. She is the founder of an organization, “And then There Were None (ATTWN),” that helps workers in abortion clinics to leave the evil industry behind.

Abby Johnson told a riveting, damning testimony of an abortion procedure using the ultrasound guided suction action at a Planned Parenthood facility in Central Texas. She started her career at the abortion chain in 2001 and rose up the ranks of Planned Parenthood (PP) as Center Director in the 8 years she spent there.

She tells of the story of how one tiny, 13-week old baby in the womb valiantly put up a fight moving away from the suction until his or her body finally went limp, his or her spine swirling up to the vacuum as the doctor callously remarked, “Beam me up, Scotty.” The story was so revolting, I had to close my eyes and say a prayer.

PP, a tax-exempt supposedly non-profit organization, gets taxpayer funding of half a billion dollars per year. Our taxes fund this evil enterprise which reported 345,672 abortions for a year, from October 2017 to September 2018. Think about it — 345,672 unborn lives snuffed out – just like that. Let that sink in for a moment.

How does this criminal enterprise get away with it? Working under the guise of fighting for women’s right to choose and the spurious pretext of women’s healthcare issues, Planned Parenthood is responsible for the outright murder of millions of the unborn, the most vulnerable of human beings. The womb has become

EMPLOYMENT

The murder of innocents “I am a woman’s advocate.

I stand against abortion.”

—Abby Johnson the most dangerous place for human life.

There is serious money to be made in abortions. Baby parts are sold like commodities.

These tiny parts are used for research purposes purportedly to search for ways to enhance and extend the life of existing humans. How ironic! IThink about the barbarity and the inhumanity of such an enterprise existing and thriving in the world today. Ronald Reagan once remarked that those advocating abortion have already been born.

Abortion and eugenics were championed by Margaret Sanger beginning in 1916.

Sanger was a true racist to the core, whose goal was to eradicate the black community.

It is no wonder that PP clinics are located in minority communities.

For decades under different administrations of both parties, PP has flourished and it is only now that it is getting some serious pushback from the current Trump administration through defunding and other ways.

The funding spigot for funds going internationally for abortions in countries around the world has been turned off in the last three years. Praise God. Hallelujah for this respite!

However, here in the US, there are many states that still fund the wholesale murder of the unborn.

Depending on whether the state is run by Democrats or Republicans, it has become clear that the unborn has a much better chance of surviving and thriving in places that consider protecting and caring for human life as a moral mandate from God in whose image and likeness we are all created.

Life begins at the moment of conception. There should be no equivocation on this. That tiny clump of cells is not just a fetus, it is a baby.

God hears the unceasing, fervent prayers of warriors who fast and abstain imploring him for His direct intervention in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds in fighting the abortion abomination.

In the story of Christian redemption, God tapped Saul to become St. Paul whose life and work have become pivotal in the spread of Christianity. In the beginning, Saul, as a young, ambitious Jew holding Roman citizenship wanted to rise in the hierarchy of the Jewish Sanhedrin. He was eager to prove his mettle. Saul was hellbent on persecuting and murdering early Christians. There is a biblical account of him watching the cloaks of those who were stoning to death the first Christian martyr, St. Stephen, who staunchly refused to deny Christ as Savior.

God seems to tap into service human beings most unlikely to do His will. Abby Johnson’s life, as it unravels, seems to be a case in point as she sheds light on the horrors of abortion.

Abortion is just one of the evils of our time. So is human trafficking. We canot remain feckless fencesitters thinking abortion does not affect us. It does. We will all be held to account one day.

The war between good and evil rages. Which battles are we going to sign up for? There are no excuses no matter our station in life. We can do so in word, in deed and in fervent, unceasing prayers, fasting and abstinence. Depending on our situation in life, we can choose just one or do all we can until abortion is no more. For this battle, we need all hands on deck. ***

Can I qualify for a green card despite the petitioner’s death?

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth uRsuA Reyes CONSIDER this common factual situation. You are over 21 years old and your US citizen parent petitions you while you are inside the United States. Since this is a preference category, you have to wait many years for your priority date to be current. As the years go by, your petitioning parent dies which in turn revokes the petition.

Can you still apply for your green card when your priority date becomes current?

Minding Your Finances Atty. RAymond BulAon

Under Section 204(l) of the immigration and nationality act, you may apply for a green card despite the death of the petitioner once your priority date becomes current as long as 1) you were in the United States at the time of the Petitioner’s death, and 2) you continuously resided in the United States until the present time when you apply for adjustment of status. This provision does not apply to beneficiaries that are outside the United States. This provision also applies to both approved and pending Petitions.

This avenue is available to all family based petitions as outlined in INA section 204(l)(2). This includes 1)immediate relative petitions and 2)preference family petitions

such as unmarried sons and daughters of us citizens, spouses and unmarried sons and daughters of lpr, married sons and daughters of us citizens, and brothers and sisters of us citizens.

Derivative beneficiaries of pending or approved employment- based immigrant visa petitions are also covered by this section. This includes the spouse and unmarried children under age 21 of an individual who was sponsored under the employment-based category.

If you fail to meet the requirements of INA 204(l) because you did not continously reside in the US since the death of the Petitioner, you may still try to reinstate the Petition under 8 CFR Continued on Page 5

When there’s no other choice but bankruptcy

backfire. Property can be lost. Creditors may get the upper hand and take adTHIS is one thing I hear vantage of the fact that you from people all the time: “If don’t know your legal rights. you ask me, I really hate doI always tell people that ing this, but I feel I have no bankruptcy laws were crechoice.” ated to protect people, not Of course, no one ever hurt them. This is one area wakes up one morning and of the law where you can decide to just file bankruptcy use the legal system to your without seriously thinking it advantage if you really need over. Usually, people spend help. a lot of time going over this A lot of people who option in their head before file for debt relief also go deciding and the questions through a wide range of seem endless. emotions. Most of them, of What will happen to me course, are relieved to find and my family if I file bankout that they do not need ruptcy? Can I keep my home, to struggle with their debt car, and other assets? Is this problems anymore and that going to ruin me forever? they could finally start over.

How long will the bankruptcy Life becomes normal stay on my credit? once again. They don’t need Even picking up the to be afraid of picking up the phone to call an attorney phone anymore or opening can be a scary thing for most their mailbox not knowing people because they have what they may find. Finally, never had to deal with the le- these people can open a gal system or any court their bank account again and start entire life. That’s understand- saving for the future. able when you are dealing As I said, a lot of people Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is with something you are not who end up filing for BankSVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To familiar with. ruptcy usually do so as a last send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ However, waiting too long resort. Deciding to file right asianjournalinc.com to seek legal help can also away may not be the best

EMPLOYMENT

FOR SALE

FOR RENT

SERVICES

thing to do in some situations. In other cases, it is necessary to file immediately in order to protect property, wages, bank accounts and other assets from being taken by creditors.

An experienced Bankruptcy attorney should be consulted without delay when there are doubts as to when a case should be filed.

This is especially true when you have a lot of assets that may be at risk if creditors file lawsuits.

Once a creditor obtains a judgment, that creditor may proceed to place a lien against property that you own, garnish your wages or clean out your bank accounts.

Listen to me! You may be broke but you don’t have to be broken. If you are honestly doing your best to pay your creditors but simply can’t, the law provides a remedy for your situation.

Being bankrupt is not a conscious choice that people make but rather a negative consequence of poor financial decisions that have Continued on Page 5

community

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - September 9, 2019

How COVID-19 scare...

From Page 2 and “Beautiful,” another new composition he has put out recently is “Live for Jesus,” which features his wife, Regine Velasquez, Jaya and her husband, Gary Gotidoc. “I hope the song inspires us to keep believing that despite the crisis, we will survive this,” Ogie said.

Whenever he browses his phone’s photo gallery and sees all the photos of him doing different projects, Ogie couldn’t help but think

how hectic his schedule was prior to the pandemic. “It was crazy … I was flying from one country to another, singing and doing all sorts of things,” he said.

But while the 53-year-old artist can’t do any of those right now, he would still like to believe that he has been spending his time productively—just in a different way.

“I have been washing the dishes, doing the laundry. We didn’t have house help during the first months of the lock-

down, so we did all the work,” related Ogie.

On top of the fundraising concerts he takes part in, Ogie also holds online shows like “Mondays with Kuya O” and “OPM Night.”

This has been more or less the norm for most artists these days. And they will have to get used to it, Ogie pointed out. “I don’t see live performances coming back in the near future … The thing we’re doing now will be part of our lives for quite some time.”

When there’s no other choice...

From Page 4 already been made in the past. But the past is gone and life must go on.

If you’ve made some mistakes (who hasn’t?) in the past, be willing to accept responsibility for where you are, forgive yourself and then move on. Accept the fact that you may need to file bankruptcy even if you don’t want to- if that’s your only hope of starting over.

When appropriate, Bankruptcy may allow you to turn your situation around and help you get your life back on track. I have seen countless cases where Bankruptcy relief helped people save their businesses, their homes, their property and even their marriages. *** NOTE: Due to COVID-19 concerns, I am offering free

consultations BY PHONE OR VIDEO to anyone who needs help in dealing with their debt problems. ***

None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped over 5,000 clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call RJB Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866477-777.

(Advertising Supplement)

Can I qualify for a green card...

From Page 4 Sec. 205.1(a)(3) Humanitarian Reinstatement. The DHS (Dept. of Homeland Security) may exercise discretion “for humanitarian reasons” to reinstate the petition and to allow the Affidavit of Support requirements to be satisfied by the qualifying I-864 of a spouse, parent, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, grandparent, or grandchild or legal guardian of the beneficiary, as long as the petition was “approved” prior to the Petitioner’s death.

DHS discretion does not mean “guaranteed” approval.

The case will be evaluated on a case by case basis. Some of the factors that the DHS may consider are 1) disruption of an established family unit; 2) hardship to US citizens or lawful permanent residents;

3) beneficiary is elderly or in poor health; 4) beneficiary has had lengthy residence in the US; 4) beneficiary has no home to go to; 5)undue delay by USCIS or consular officer in processing petition and visa; 6) and Beneficiary has strong family ties in the United States.

The beneficiary must be prepared to show proof of the original I-130 that was filed, proof of I-130 approval if approved, a copy of the Petitioner’s death certificate, proof of substitute sponsor’s relationship to the beneficiary, and meet all the I-864 requirements.

*** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice.

The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information.

This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed.

The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State U n iversit y, S a n B er na rdi n o S ch o o l of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. L AW OFFICE S OF KENNETH REYES, APLC is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010.

Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com. Visit our website at Kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

T h e A s ian Jour nal M D W K M A G A Z I NE - Septembe r 9 , 2 0 2 0

ISLAND PACIFIC FPFC