091022 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

THIS month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially endorsed the new COVID-19 booster shots, which were updated to target both the original strain and the Omicron subvariants of the coronavirus.

The endorsement followed the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the reformulations of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. In recent months, the omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants have been the primary source of infection across the U.S., prompting Moderna and Pfizer and BioNTech to update their vaccines to combat these new strains.

The updated Pfizer booster has been cleared for anyone 12 years and older, while Moderna’s new booster is available for those 18 and older.

Following the recommendations laid out by the CDC and the FDA, officials from the California Dept. of Public Health and community health leaders are preparing to vaccinate residents across the Golden State, which is expected to receive 1 million

PH asks ICC: Don’t resume drug war probe

MANILA — The Philippines is asking the Intertnational Criminal Court’s (ICC) pre-trial chamber (PTC) to deny the request of the Office of the Prosecutor to resume its investigation into alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, including  under the “war on drugs.”

The Office of the Solicitor General on Thursday, September 8 said that it transmitted the country’s observations on the alleged crimes against humanity through the Philippine Embassy at The Hague in Netherlands, as required by the ICC PTC.

“The Philippine government explained to the ICC

AS Los Angeles County continues to experience fewer cases and hospitalizations, spread of the virus can be further decreased when those infected or exposed adhere to isolation, testing, and masking guidance.

Similar to requirements for the general population, students and staff with COVID-19 can end isolation after day five if: a COVID-19 test on day five or later is negative, there is no fever for at least 24 hours without feverreducing medicine, and existing symptoms have subsided or are improving. Those with a known exposure can continue their customary activities, including attending school and extracurricular activities, provided they are asymptomatic, have a negative test between days three to five, and wear a mask when around others indoors.

The county has continued to report improved COVID-19 metrics. The 7-day average case count in the county is 1,745, a 28% decline from one week ago when an average of 2,438 cases were reported.

QUEEN Elizabeth II, the United Kingdom’s (UK) longest-serving monarch, has died at age 96. Throughout her 70-year reign, the Queen has made connections with the Philippines and the Filipino people.

Buckingham Palace announced the Queen’s death in a statement on Thursday (September 9)—hours after her family was seen rushing by her side at her beloved Scottish home, Balmoral Castle, when doctors expressed concern about her health.“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the statement read.

“The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will

return to London tomorrow,” it added.

Queen Elizabeth II, whose reign spanned 15 British prime ministers, came to the throne when she was just 25 following the death of her father, King George VI, on February 6, 1952. She was the world’s oldest and longest-serving head of state.

As the Royal Family, the UK, and the rest of the world mourn the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, INQUIRER.net looks back at the ties and connections between the late British monarch and the Philippines.

Filipinos recognized by Queen Elizabeth Over the past decades, Queen Elizabeth II has awarded high honors to several Filipinos for their outstanding service to the British community.

Peso plunges further to P57.18 vs USD

by TIZIANA CELINE PIATOS Philstar.com

THE Philippine peso depreciates further at P57.18 against the United States dollar (USD) at the Philippine Dealing System, data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines show on Thursday, SeptemberAccording8. to the Bankers Association of the Philippines, the peso trading opened at P57.07 against the dollar.

The peso traded within the P57.06 to P56.22 band, averaging P57.149.Theweighted average exchange rate was P57.14 while the previous

session reached P57.216.

Thursday’s volume reached $1.151 billion, lower than $1.2327 billion during the previous session.

The local currency also depreciated against the US dollar by P6.181, or 12.1 percent, since the start of 2022.

The peso was again weaker against the US dollar for the sixth straight day, by 0.045 centavos or 0.1 percent, to a new record close for the fifth straight trading day at P57.18 against the previous day’s P57.135.Michael Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said the peso also

However, the same article also provides an exception if the state “is unwilling or unable genuinely to carry out the investigation or prosecution.”

“The Philippine government emphasized that the complaints filed before the ICC are already being investigated and prosecuted by the proper agencies and that the state is neither unwilling nor unable to carry out these domestic proceedings,” the OSG said.

PTC the extent of the drug problem in the Philippines and the process of investigating and prosecuting drug-related offenses under the Philippine legal and judicial system,” the OSG said. It also maintained that the “ICC has no jurisdiction over the situation in the Philippines” and argued that the incidents that happened between July 1, 2016 to March 16, 2019 and November 1, 2011 to June 30, 2016 “do not constitute [as] ‘crimes against humanity.’’’ TheOSGsaid that the situation in the Philippines is inadmissble under Article 17 of the Rome Statute, which, among others — provide that states with jurisdiction already investigating or prosecuting the case may be considered inadmissible.

by CATHERINE S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. announced that he secured $14.36 billion or P804.78 billion in investment pledges from his state visits to Indonesia and Singapore.

Marcos, who returned home Wednesday, September 7, described his visits as "fruitful and engaging.""I'mglad to be back from Indonesia and Singapore.

However successful and productive, it is always going to be good to come back home, lalong lalo na kung may magandang balita na sasabihin natin (especially if I have good news)," Marcos said in his arrival speech.

The president said the Philippine government inked several bilateral deals with Singapore and Indonesia, which are expected to strengthen key sectors — defense and security, creative economy and culture. He said he also met with business communities to explain the administration's policies and economic priorities, and to promote the country as an investment destination.Heassured the public that his government will work harder "to bring all these proposals to fruition." n

President Marcos, other Filipinos mourn queen’s passing

by HELEN FLORES Philstar.com reaps pledges from state visits

MANILA — President Marcos joined world leaders on Friday, September 9 in mourning the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, whose reign of 70 years was the longest among English monarchs, saying the world has lost “a true figure of majesty.”

“It is with profound sadness that we receive the news of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in Balmoral Castle on Thursday evening, September 8,” Marcos wrote on Facebook.

The President headed to

the official residence of UK Ambassador Laure Beaufils in Makati to sign a condolence book after attending an event in San Pedro, Laguna.

Beaufils posted photos of the President signing the condolence book with his family on Twitter.

Marcos was accompanied by First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and sons Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro and Simon, and cousin Speaker Martin Romualdez.

In a Facebook post earlier in the day, the 64-year-old Marcos said Queen Elizabeth “exemplified to the world a true monarch’s great

by CRISTINA ELOISA BACLIG

CHAOS ON THE ROAD. Motorcycle riders are forced to squeeze between vehicles because the lane (with blue lines) meant for them are occupied mostly by private vehicles along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on Wednesday, Sept. 7. Riders face fines or revocation of their licenses under House Bill 1419 or the Anti-Lane Splitting measure that prohibits motorcycles from lane filtering or splitting, defined as using or sharing a lane occupied by one vehicle by another vehicle on a road or highway.

PNA photo by Ben Briones

President Marcos signs the condolence book for Queen Elizabeth at the British embassy on Friday, September 9. Looking on are first Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, their son Simon and British Ambassador Laure Beaufils. Photo courtesy British Embassy in Manila at schools

Philstar file photo by Miguel de Guzman

Queen Elizabeth’s connection to PH...

A few months ago, on July 13, Queen Elizabeth II awarded the George Cross to the staterun National Health Service (NHS) for its work over the past 74 years. The Queen presented the medal to health leaders— including Filipino-British nurse MayParsons,Parsons.aside from fighting at the frontlines against COVID-19, administered the world’s first shot of the COVID vaccine.

The George Cross is the highest award bestowed by the British government on nonoperational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, it was instituted in 1940 by King George VI for “acts of the greatest heroism or of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger.”Lastyear, Charito Romano, a staff nurse at the Arbrook House Care Home in the UK, was among the recipients of the Medal of the Order of the British Empire in Queen Elizabeth II’s New Year Honours List 2021.

Romano, along with her fellow health care workers, has worked tirelessly to ensure that no one at the Arbrook House Care Home would contract SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19.

From March to December 29, 2020, the private nursing home was declared COVID-free.

“I am sharing this award with all my colleagues and to the whole Arbrook team. If not for them, I will not be able to have this award. It is a team effort,” Romano had said.

In 2020, the Queen also awarded the British Empire Medal to Filipino nurse Minerva “Minnie” Klepacz in recognition of her “tireless work to support her colleagues and the community” during the COVID pandemic.“Thisaward is not just for me, it’s for everyone who works here and goes above and beyond. As a Filipino, I’d also like to share this award with all staff from a BAME background. I’m truly humbled to work with amazing colleagues. They inspire me and give me confidence,” Klepacz told UHD NHS Foundation Trust.

The British Empire Medal is awarded for “hands-on” service to the local community—which

could be a long-term charitable or innovative work of relatively short duration (3 to 4 years) that has made a significant difference.

In 2019, two Filipinos— Joy Ongcachuy and Rolando Quetevis—were awarded high honors by the Queen.

Ongcachuy, who works at The Royal London Hospital, has been conferred the Officer of the Order of British Empire (OBE) for her crucial role in responding to and treating victims of the London Bridge terrorist attack in 2017.

The OBE is the second-highest ranking Order of the British Empire Award given to someone for making a great impact in their line of Quetevis—whowork. has served as driver for several British envoys to the Philippines—was awarded the British Empire Medal for his 33-year service at the British Embassy in Manila.

Aside from having been the official driver to eight British ambassadors, Quiteves said he was also able to drive for some members of the British royal family—including Prince Andrew, Duke of York; Princess Anne; and Prince Charles (now King Charles) III.

Over seven years ago, two Filipino consular officers at the British Embassy in Manila received high honors from Queen Elizabeth II for their exemplary work in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

Vice Consul Victoria Buenaventura and Pro-Consul Joanna Teh have been recognized for showing “courage, resilience, and professionalism” amid the calamity as they helped assist British nationals in the Philippines who had been affected by the typhoon.

Filipino nurses hailed Queen Elizabeth II and her son, Charles, have also hailed and acknowledged the contribution of Filipino nurses and health care workers in the UK’s health sector.“We are fortunate to have many nurses from the Philippines in the National Health Service,” the Queen said in her message to then-President Rodrigo Duterte in celebration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the UK and the Philippines.TheQueen said Filipino nurses bring “exceptional care and

comfort to their patients.”

“I wanted to express my sincerest gratitude for their work, especially in response to the coronavirus,” the Queen added in a statement coursed through the British Embassy in Manila.Last June, a month before the Queen’s message for the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the UK and the Philippines, then still Prince Charles expressed his “most heartfelt” gratitude to Filipino health care workers in the UK, who he described as “wonderfully selfless people.”

“We are more fortunate than we perhaps realize to have many thousands of nurses and other health care workers from the Philippines working in the United Kingdom, particularly in the National Health Service. To these wonderfully selfless people, I wanted to offer my most heartfelt gratitude for the outstanding care and comfort you give to your patients,” he said in a special message to the Philippines in celebration of the Queen’s 95th birthday.

The Philippines and the UK established formal diplomatic ties on July 4, 1946, and “have worked tirelessly to foster stronger political, economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties,” according to the Philippines Embassy in AccordingLondon.to a report published on the University of Bristol’s website, there are around 40,000 Filipino nurses working in the UK as of 2021.

A March 2019 report on the NHS’ workplace diversity found that at least 19,000 Filipinos serve the UK’s public health system either as medical professionals—nurses and allied health professionals—or as support staffers.

Ties with the Royal Family

Aside from the Filipinos who have received high honors and various awards from the Queen, there is one Filipina who has had a close relationship with Queen Elizabeth’s grandsons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

Royal nanny Araceli “Lillie” Piccio made headlines in 2011 when she received an invitation to the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

According to a report

PH asks ICC: Don’t resume...

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“A report on the progress of these investigations was included in the submission.”

The Philippines also emphasized that state-level investigative proceedings “should take precedence” and said that the ICC prosecutor’s investigation would no longer be needed.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla previously said that the Philippines will respond to the

ICC out of courtesy and “not complying in any demand.” The government has been adamant in keeping international investigators from visiting the country, maintaining that it is doing its own investigations into the alleged However,crimes.even with the National Bureau of Investigation, ICC Prosecutor Kharim Khan previously said that the investigations are “still far far

short of seeking accountability for the thousands of killings attributable to police (and other groups) in the [‘war on drugs’] context.”Thegovernment’s tally as of February this year showed 6,235 individuals died due to the anti-drug operations of former President Rodrigo Duterte, but human rights groups estimate the number of people killed is at around 30,000. 

President Marcos, other Filipinos mourn...

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dignity, commitment to duty and devotion to all those in her realm.”“The world has lost a true figure of majesty in what she demonstrated throughout her life and throughout her reign as Queen,” he said.

“We, together with many Filipinos living and working in England, though not subjects of the Queen, have found ourselves having developed a great sense of affection for her as a Queen, as mother and as a grandmother,” the Chief Executive said.

In July last year, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch lauded Filipino nurses employed by Britain’s National Health Service, whom she said “bring exceptional care and comfort to their patients” during the pandemic.Inher message to former president Rodrigo Duterte on the celebration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the Philippines and UK, the Queen said: “I wanted to express my sincerest gratitude for their work, especially in response to the coronavirus.”

There are around 190,000 Filipinos in the UK, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.Considered the most recognized woman in the world, Queen Elizabeth II assumed the British throne at 25 following the death of her father, King George VI, in The1952.British embassy in Manila has opened a condolence book at its gates at 120 Upper McKinley Road, Taguig City. The book of condolence is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Monday through Friday. 

YLANG-YLANG RIVER CLEANUP. The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office workers in Cavite, with the cooperation of the Imus City government, launches a simultaneous cleanup drive of the Ylang-Ylang River in Barangay Toclong 1-C on Thursday, Sept. 8. The river cleaning was requested by the leadership of the Kapatirang Poong San Jose Foundation “Bahay Pag ibig at Pag asa,” a home for the elderly, to keep the senior citizens in the area from contracting dengue. PNA photo by Gil Calinga

Isolation and quarantine guidelines can help...

Over the past seven days, the average number of daily COVID-positive patients in LA County hospitals was 772, a 5% decline from one week ago when the average number of daily COVID-positive patients per day was 813.

Deaths, which typically lag hospitalizations by several weeks, have started to decrease slightly to an average of 11 deaths reported each day this past week, compared to an average of 13 daily reported deaths one week ago.

And the 7-day average test positivity rate is 6.3% over the past week, down from one week ago when it was 7.1%.

The county’s lower transmission rate is reflected on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Community Level framework, which measures COVID-19 stress on the hospital system. The county is in the second week of the Low Community Level, with a weekly case rate of 159 cases per 100,000, a hospital admission rate of 7.8 new admissions per 100,000 people, and 4.6% of total hospital admissions among COVID-19 patients.

The Omicron variant continues to account for 100% of sequenced specimens in the county, with the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron as the predominant subvariant. For the week ending Aug. 20, 95% of all sequenced specimens were BA.5. The CDC has reported an increase in the BA.4.6 sublineage of Omicron

across the country, especially in the Midwest, estimating that 8.4% of sequenced specimens were BA.4.6 as of Sept. 3.

However, BA.4.6 has remained at very low levels in LA County, and for the week ending Aug. 20, the most recent data available, BA.4.6 accounted for 1.4% of specimens.

Since schools reopened in August, the number of clusters of three or more linked cases and outbreaks declined last week after a month of steady increases. For the week ending Sept. 3 there were 309 reported clusters of three or more cases, nearly a 31% decrease from the week prior when 446 clusters of cases were reported. There has also been a total of 926 school clusters reported that involved more than 6,000 individuals, of which 5,702 were students.

Also, in the month since schools reopened, 63 outbreaks have been documented in schools, with 36 reported in elementary schools, 12 reported in middle schools, 10 associated with youth sports programs, and four reported at high schools.

“I send my deepest sympathies and wishes of peace and comfort to the many families who have lost a loved one from COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “As the new school year is underway, it’s important for all students and staff to follow isolation and quarantine guidelines when they are infected or are exposed to someone with COVID-19. With

a highly transmissible variant, continued concerns related to mortality, reinfections and longCOVID, and tens of thousands of vulnerable residents, taking sensible steps to avoid infecting others remains important. We know how quickly one case can infect others, creating clusters and outbreaks in classrooms, sports teams, and other settings. When everyone looks out for each other by staying home when ill and masking indoors when exiting isolation early and when identified as a close contact, there are likely to be fewer disruptions at schools andPublicworksites.”Health reported 15 additional deaths and 2,228 new positive cases. Of the 15 new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 30-49, four people were between the ages of 65-79, and eight people were aged 80 years or older. Information on the two deaths reported by the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach. gov. Of the 15 newly reported deaths, 13 had underlying health conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 33,348.

Public Health has reported a total of 3,425,863 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is

There6.3%.are 765 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,499,068 individuals, with 24% of people testing positive. (AJPress)

Peso plunges further to P57.18...

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weakened further after the latest gross international reserves data that declined to new two-year lows.Ricafort said the local currency also depreciated after the Fed Beige Book Report high prices and tight labor markets weighing on US economic prospects over the next RCBC’syear.chief economist said the inflation showed signs of decelerating. It led to slight downward corrections in the US dollar against the major global currencies and in US Treasury

yieldsRicafortlately.added that a weaker peso could lead to higher inflation and more aggressive local policy rate hikes to help stabilize both the peso exchange rate and overall inflation.

He said the recent new record high for Thursday’s exchange rate may also be partly attributed to the seasonal increase in importation by some manufacturers and producers in July-September to prepare for the seasonal increase in demand/sales for many businesses and industries in the fourth quarter for export and local markets.

For its part, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said it has room to further hike policy rates this

year to support the peso as the US Federal Reserve (Fed) is expected to continue its aggressive policy tightening.“Theseare challenging times because US interest rates are not just high but these should get higher. In turn, that means possibly a weaker peso as shown in the case of yen [and] euro,” BSP Governor Felipe Medalla said at a Philippine economic briefing in Singapore on Wednesday, September 7.

“We have increased policy rates by 25 [basis points] (bps), 25 (bps), 75 (bps) and then another 50 (bps). And, of course, you cannot say it’s the end of it because if the US keeps doing 75 [bps hikes], we cannot, not react,” he added. 

Queen Elizabeth’s connection to PH...

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published in the Philippine Star in March 2011, Piccio—called “Miss Lillie” by the late Lady Diana, Princess of Wales— is a nurse from Bacolod who was a member of Lady Diana’s household staff for eight years until Diana’s untimely death in 1997.Piccio was also one of the three royal nannies who took care of Prince William and Prince Harry.

“I cried at the wedding. It was both a happy and sad occasion for me,” Piccio told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a telephone interview. She also shared that Prince William thanked her twice for coming to his wedding.

She added that the Prince, along with his bride, came to her and gave her a kiss upon seeing her at the reception at Clarence House.

“The princess (Lady Diana) would have been so proud of him,” she said.

Royal Family members’ visits to PH

Although Queen Elizabeth II—who was reportedly fond of Philippine mangoes—did not go to the Philippines during her lifetime, her connection to the Philippines remained through official visits by prominent members of the Royal family.

In April 1980, the Queen’s sister, the late Princess Margaret, made a state visit to the Philippines and was welcomed by then-first lady Imelda Marcos at the Duringairport.her stay, she attended the inauguration of the Philippine Children’s Medical Center. Some photos and accounts of the visit also showed that the Princess stopped by Jose Rizal’s tomb at the Rizal Monument in Manila.

The Princess also viewed locally-made handicrafts before attending an Official Dinner at the Malacanang Palace held in her honor—which was hosted by the then-first lady.

Years after Princess Margaret’s visit to the country, Queen Elizabeth II’s children— then-Prince Charles III, Prince Andrew, and Princess Anne— also went to the country.

In 1997, following Hong Kong’s turnover to China after 156 years of British colonial rule, Charles left for an official yet brief visit to Manila. According to then British Ambassador Adrian Thorpe, the visit signified that Britain still wanted to have a “strong commitment” to Asia, even after the turnover.

“The Britannia got a warm

welcome in Manila, with a 21gun salute. President Fidel Ramos ordered a special cleanup of the stretch of polluted Manila Bay where the yacht docked,” a report published by the Associated Press on July 3, 1997, wrote.Upon arriving at Malacanang Palace, Prince Charles—who was not scheduled to make public statements during his 10hour visit to Manila—signed the Malacanang guestbook and was presented with a tarsier by then tourism secretary Mina Gabor. Prince Andrew, Duke of York, went to the Philippines in 1996 for a two-day visit aimed at enhancing defense and military relations between the UK and the Philippines.Likehis brother, Prince Andrew met Ramos during his visit to the country. He also met Philippine military officials, including then Navy Commander Commodore Eduardo Santos when he inspected Philippine Navy

Theships.royal was given full military honors upon his visit.

In March 2015, Princess Anne, the Princess Royal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, visited the Philippines for her charity and various humanitarian work.

The Princess Royal, who is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth, first visited the Philippines in March 1999.

Upon arriving in the country, Princess Anne paid a courtesy call on then-President Benigno Aquino III at the Malacañang Palace. Some photos showed the Princess Royal shaking hands with prominent Filipino personalities and politicians— including former Vice President Leni Robredo, who was then still a congresswoman.ThePrincess also visited communities in Leyte that were severely affected by Yolanda.

Princess Anne—who is the president of the Save the Children rights group in the UK— visited the Save the Children foundation’s projects and interacted with the foundation’s beneficiaries.TheRoyalalso stopped by the British School Manila, wherein she was greeted with a song performed by the students.

The Princess also met with Ramos during a private dinner hosted by former British Ambassador Asif Ahmad before leaving the country on March 19.



Inquirer.net photo

HUGE CRUCIFIX. A group of local tourists looks at the huge crucifix at the Candelaria of the Epiphany of Our Lord Parish, commonly known as Lingayen Church and formerly known as Los Tres Reyes or Three Kings Parish, in Lingayen, Pangasinan on Friday, Sept. 9 in Lingayen, Pangasinan. The parish is one of the historic Catholic churches in Pangasinan. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

5 things to know about the Omicron-targeting...

updated booster shots in the coming weeks.

“The approval of an updated booster vaccine is great news as over the past two and a half years, Covid vaccines have been a tremendous tool that has literally saved millions of lives, help us protect us against the worst outcomes, and frankly, helped us move on as a community and as a state,” Dr. Gil Chavez, deputy director for the CDPH’s Center of Infectious Diseases, said in a press briefing held on Wednesday, Sept.

Chavez7. added that those who completed the initial series of coronavirus vaccines — i.e. received the necessary twodose round of either Pfizer or Moderna or the one-and-done Johnson & Johnson shot — are eligible for the vaccine.

But as communities are learning to “live with the virus,” information about booster shots may be confusing. Here are five things to know about the updated coronavirus vaccines, according to California’s top health experts.

1. The new boosters will replace the old ones and access to them will be the same as previous vaccine rollouts

Chavez noted that the updated booster shots from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech will replace the previous boosters, which will no longer beHeavailable.also noted that the updated booster will be available in primary care clinics, pharmacies and other providers that have previously offered the COVID-19 vaccine, and that they continue to be free of charge.

“It’s always been a concern for us to make sure that our vaccine access is equitable, that everyone who needs access has access,” he said.

2. Individuals who received the previous booster are eligible for the new one

As previously reported in the Asian Journal , booster shots of vaccines offer smaller doses of immunity that are administered after receiving a full dose. With the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, individuals needed two shots administered weeks apart, and those who received the Johnson & Johnson shot only

needed one dose. As with the initial rollout of the booster in late 2021, you can “mix and match.” For example, if you received the initial full dose of Moderna, you may receive the Pfizer booster, Chavez said.

3. Those who are immunocompromised and 60 years old or older should get boosted as soon as possible Dr. Maggie Park, public health officer of San Joaquin County’s Public Health Services, noted that those who are immunocompromised or 60 years or older — who are more likely than the average person to suffer more severe effects of coronavirus — should not wait to get the updated booster.

“We don’t wait until we feel pain to go to the dentist, so why would you wait til you’re in the hospital to ask for a vaccine?” ParkButsaid.she also noted that “COVID fatigue” and the general misconception that COVID-19 has gone away has led people to become careless about transmission and not think they need to update their immunity.Those who have been recently infected with coronavirus develop natural antibody responses that create a natural immunity, according to the CDC as well as Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert.

But that doesn’t mean individuals should forego plans to get the new booster shot, Park“Peoplesaid. think COVID is over, but this virus isn’t going away just because we want it to. It’s evolving. It’s actually becoming more highly transmissible and getting smarter about evading our immunity, whether that’s natural immunity from prior infection or immunity from vaccination,” Park said, noting that the newer subvariants have been able to infect those who have been vaccinated because of the ever-adapting nature of viruses.

4. The new booster shots don’t entirely prevent the chance of infection

But rather, they make the chances of hospitalization, the need for intensive care, and death far, far less likely.

Recent CDC data found that those who have received one or two booster shots have

a 0.024% chance of being hospitalized with COVID-19 complications — for individuals under 50 years old, that chance lowers to 0.014%.

Chavez also noted that these updated boosters would make it far less likely to experience severe infections, reminding everyone that vaccines don’t completely prevent infection, but that they protect from the more severe causes of the disease.“The critical importance of getting a booster is not because you don’t want to get a mild case, but because you want to prevent a serious illness,” Chavez explained.

5. As with the flu, there may be the need for an annual booster shot for maximum protection

Despite the hesitance to continue receiving vaccine boosters to protect against the coronavirus, doctors still maintain the importance of updating your immunity. As the virus continues to evolve, Chavez said that there’s a strong likelihood that COVID-19 boosters will provide necessary protection against serious illness for the foreseeable future.“We’re moving in the same direction where we believe that it will be important to have at least one annual booster that contains the most important and latest available protection,” Chavez

Aboutsaid.72% of all people in California are vaccinated with at least the first full dosage(s) of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Friday, Sept. 9. However, only 58.8% of Californians who are eligible for the booster have received it.

Park mirrored Chavez’s sentiments and reminded Californians, who may be hesitant to get boosted, that vaccines and booster shots have always been a necessary precaution, especially as the weather starts to cool.

“The majority of folks in the United States get a flu shot every year, and here we are in less than three years in the pandemic, and we’re already tired. So hopefully, we get to a point where the COVID shot is an annual thing like the flu shot. But in the meantime, we need to be patient and need to protect ourselves,” she said. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

Alex Eala outbattles Canadian foe to reach US Open nal

by LUISA MORALES Philstar.com

MANILA — Alex Eala is

through to her first-ever US Open final after besting Victoria Mboko in the semifinals, 6-1, 7-6(5), on Friday, September 9 (early Saturday morning, September 10, Manila time).

Eala, a two-time Junior Grand Slam doubles winner, kept her dream for a maiden singles grand slam alive with the tough victory in a 1 hour, 21 minute netfest.

After disposing of Mboko easily in the opening set, 6-1, Eala needed to dig herself out of a two-game deficit in Set 2 to avoid the third set decider and come away with the sweep.

Mboko gained a 3-1 advantage early against Eala after she broke the latter's serve in Game 4. She also pushed Eala to the limit when she was one game win away from taking the contest into a third set, 6-5, when she held her serve in the 11th game.

But Eala dug deep to blank Mboko in her service game to

force the tiebreak at 6-all.

Eala and Mboko, seeded 10th and 9th respectively in the tournament, were neck-and-neck in the tiebreak at 4-all.

But the Filipina netter created some space with a forehand winner and forced Mboko into a backhand error to move to match point.While Mboko was able to save

one match point with a winner of her own, she shot herself in the foot with a double fault as Eala was able to hang on for the win.

Eala faces two-seed Lucie Havlickova in the final on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

Havlickova defeated seventh seed Diana Shnaider, 6-4, 6-4, in the other semifinal on Friday (Saturday). 

Filipino tennis star Alex Eala during a match in the 2022 U.S. Open girls’ singles in New York. Photo from Alex Eala’s Facebook

OFEATURES PINION

Revised mask-wearing policy should have exibility

THE Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has recommended lifting the mandatory wearing of face masks outdoors, and Malacañang announced that an executive order to implement the revised mandate is likely to be signed soon by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

His predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, had set this mandate in stone, vowing that it would be in force until the coronavirus pandemic is over.

Up until early this week, the mask mandate had staunch defenders. Both the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government were questioning the decision of the Cebu City government to unilaterally declare mask-wearing outdoors optional. But the IATF's recommendation ended that, and now everyone is on the same page.

Press Secretary Rose Beatrix "Trixie" CruzAngeles said the task force wanted mask-wearing "optional in open spaces or noncrowded outdoor areas with good ventilation."

Senior citizens and immunocompromised individuals are highly encouraged to wear masks whileDOHoutdoors.Officer in Charge Rosario Vergeire, who was openly critical of the Cebu government's policy, said face masks should still be worn inside buses, trains and other public transport, which she described as a "crowded setting."

Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., who brought up Cebu City's optional mask-wearing decision with the IATF, has also deferred to the task

Abalosforce. now notes that the Philippines and Myanmar were the only members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that are yet to relax or discard their mask mandate.

EditorialCountries in the region that have adopted a more lenient masking policy, like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, have not experienced a rise in Covid-19 cases, he said.

After almost two years of coping with the pandemic, it is time for the government to aggressively fine-tune its COVID-19 policy to make it more responsive to rapidly shifting developments.

More specifically, the expected executive order on optional mask-wearing must be flexible enough to adjust to our situation. A centralized approach to containing the spread of Covid-19 had proved to be inadequate, burdened as it was by a serious lag in case reporting and logistical flaws in delivering vaccines, among other problems.

The order must also press local government units (LGUs) to become more involved in COVID-19 response and management. LGUs have a far better feel of what is going on in their communities than the national government, and can react faster and more effectively.

We understand the impatience to recover from the pandemic as soon as possible. Our economy was ravaged, but its recovery has been slowed by other crises, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a crippling currency slump.

The modified mandate must not be a one-sizefits-all scheme, which could, in the long run, prove to be Liftingcounterproductive.themaskmandate might work well in

Cebu, but would it be as effective in areas like the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, where the number of unvaccinated individuals is still high?

Vergeire said that, besides wearing masks, there were other "layers of protection" against Covid-19 that have to be factored in, such as frequent and thorough handwashing, physical distancing, avoiding crowds, good ventilation and vaccination.

"Our countrymen should understand the risk factors, which can be mitigated if we implement these different measures. If you do all of them... you have adequate protection," she said.

But more than these measures, we believe that all decisions regarding the pandemic must be

rooted in science. Vergeire herself has stressed the need for a science-based protection through an intensified booster vaccine program.

In many areas in the United States, wearing masks on public transportation is no longer required, although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still recommends that people wear masks indoors and in public transportation settings, such as bus terminals and airports. But because new COVID variants continue to emerge, the CDC said it would not hesitate to recommend wearing masks again.

That's the kind of flexibility our government needs in crafting a more lenient masking policy. (ManilaTimes.net)

Stepping into the global arena

PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. has undertaken his first state visits, initially to Indonesia, and later to Singapore, from Sept. 4-7.

As the “chief architect” of Philippine foreign policy, the President is considered the country’s top diplomat. To carry out that role and responsibility, it is vital that the President visits and receives his foreign counterparts, and be involved in various summits. It is part of his mandate and duty to advance and protect our national interests in the international arena.

Aside from promoting the welfare of millions of Filipinos working on foreign shores, the government also needs to

advance our economy that is extensively connected to the global economy. While the President may, at times, be personally represented by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs or ambassadors assigned to various embassies around the world, there will be instances when his presence becomes necessary or is more effective. For one, it would signal a stronger commitment or weigh more heavily in a foreign country’s consideration should a request be made by a president rather than just a Cabinet official or Theambassador.effortmade by the highest official of the land to visit another country is a clear manifestation to that country’s government of the importance placed in the relationship of both states. As is often said when it comes to diplomacy, form is just as

important as substance. The former is projected and shaped by the various protocols put in place whenever world leaders meet each other at international summits. The details are myriad and need to be precise, as a blunder may be perceived as an insult, or negate the benefits sought to be achieved by the visit.

Furthermore, personal diplomacy and face-to-face contacts between leaders bring added value, which cannot be achieved in a virtual setting.

As United Nations Secretary General Antonío Guterres noted during a press conference on June 25, 2020, “Nothing replaces personal diplomacy with human contact … that can generate empathy, consensus, a common feeling to work together, (and) address the dramatic challenges that we face.”

BBM’s obsession

The first two state visits of Mr. Marcos will definitely be followed by others. The choice of the first countries to be visited is important, and the Palace has followed the customary practice of visiting an Asean membercountry first. Indonesia and Singapore are good candidates because our strong and friendly ties with both countries provide good prospects for a productive visit.Next on the list of such visits is the UN General Assembly in New York on Sept. 20, where the President is reported to be heading the Philippine delegation. The dynamics for this type of visit are different from bilateral ones, but this is not to say that it is less important. The UN, and other multilateral fora such as the Asean summits, the World Economic Forum,

and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, are venues where world leaders discuss global issues, a number of which impact the Philippines. Our country’s voice also needs to be heard in these gatherings so we can push for our interests. Such representation becomes more relevant and impactful when carried out by the President.

The President has likewise been invited by the United States and China. Unlike Indonesia and Singapore, visiting these two economic giants will be more challenging. Against the backdrop of the great power rivalry between them, our top diplomat will need to clearly articulate our positions and uphold our interests in relation to what the US and China, respectively, expect from the Philippines on a number of

contentious issues, particularly those pertaining to regional security. Both will do what they can to make the Philippines choose a side, and the President needs to effectively manage and navigate such pressure.

The visits to Indonesia and Singapore will serve as a good warmup to the bigger challenges that lie ahead for Philippine foreign relations, and its chief architect. (Inquirer.net)

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

AS President Marcos wrapped up his first overseas trips last Wednesday, September 7, galunggong or round scad was being retailed in Metro Manila’s wet markets at around P140 to P160 per kilo.

Before leaving Indonesia, where he pushed for fisheries cooperation, Marcos said he was obsessing over the fact that the Philippines had to import galunggong. He found this unacceptable, he said: “Obsessed ako dito sa Pilipinas nag-i-import ng galunggong. Hindi ko talaga matanggap ’yan.”

He might want to get some insights on the problem from marginal fisherfolk.

aren’t allowed to go, and into the massive nets of the large fishing boats of PamalakayaChina. head Fernando Hicap estimates that the West Philippine Sea accounts for 70 to 80 percent of the Philippines’ GG supply. Since Chinese ships effectively took control of the waters some years ago, however, Hicap says Filipino fishermen’s catch not only of GG but also other fish species have plummeted.InManila Bay, which used to be a major source of tamban or Indian oil sardine used by the canneries and also for tuyo, ongoing airport and commercial reclamation projects – with more ahead – have caused a drastic drop in the tamban population, says Hicap. He noted that this is a peak season for catching tamban, but instead sardine canners are warning of a*     shortage.*     *

catch, even when there is a glut in domestic supply.

Perhaps the imports are cheaper? Hicap concedes that this could be the case.

The exporting capability, however, didn’t just drop into their laps from nowhere. Their governments provide the necessary support, from seedling and fertilizer support to postharvest and marketing, to make even small farms viable.

are flooded with the cheaper imports.It’sdisheartening to see this week those mountains of native garlic in Batanes, unsold and headed for the garbage bin because the farmers said they could sell only half of their 50 metric tons of harvest.

constituents in the agriculture sector, to sustain dependency that they find useful for winning elections.Itmakes good business sense to buy a commodity at the best price, and consumers always welcome low-priced items regardless of the source.

*      *      *

He attributes this to marginal fisherfolk going through several layers of middlemen before their catch reaches consumers. Naturally, every layer of trading adds to the price.

A similar problem with rice farmers was raised by Emmanuel Piñol when he was agriculture chief. He said eliminating or cutting the number of middlemen, combined with providing accessible postharvest facilities and assisting farmers in selling directly to wholesale buyers for retail distribution, would bring down ricePiñolprices.resigned from the Department of Agriculture in 2019 before any action could be taken on the middlemen.

Those citing the “proper” environment for farming should look at Israel, which has coaxed a bountiful harvest of crops from desert land not only for its domestic needs but even for export.I’ve seen banana plantations in what seems like inhospitable land along the Dead Sea; the Israelis told me they sell bananas and mangoes to Europe. The Israelis, who also developed hydroponics, don’t engage in arguments on which country produces the best banana or mango; as long as they can sell to the world, they’re OK.

Just as disheartening was the reaction of DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, who said farmers should plan properly to avoid overproduction.BBM,whose home region is the largest producer of native garlic, should find the garlic situation as unacceptable as the importation of GG and up to 93 percent of the country’s salt needs.

*      *      *

The large, fat galunggong in the market are likely to be balikbayans, as members of the Pamalakaya fishers’ group describe “GG.”

Balikbayan GG are spawned in the municipal waters of the West Philippine Sea. As they grow, they swim deeper, outside the municipal waters 15 kilometers from the shoreline, into pelagic waters where small fishing boats

There is no shortage, Hicap insists, since tamban can also be caught in other waters around the country. And this season’s sardine catch in these areas has beenThehigh.problem, Hicap told “The Chiefs” on One News last Wednesday, is getting the catch to buyers. The canneries prefer imported sardines to the local

But President Marcos, who is concurrent DA secretary, surely sees some logic in Piñol’s views.We’re often told that the environment for farming is better among the major exporters of basic agricultural commodities that we need, notably China, India, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Taiwan, with its tiny land area, is not only exporting rice, but also selling high-yield rice seedlings to us. And the Taiwanese are selling tons of garlic to us – the large variety native to them, but lacking the pungency of our native Ilocos garlic.

I use Taiwan garlic only as decoration in my roasts. The Ilocos garlic is superior in everything except size, and it deserves to be priced double the Taiwan variety. But consumers

At the heart of our problems related to food security is the fact that peasant empowerment, higher farm productivity and food self-sufficiency have taken a backseat to profit-making for the entrenched landowning class and agricultural traders.

In several areas, local politicians who are supposed to work for peasant empowerment are themselves part of the oppressive chain of middlemen and post-harvest players, buying crops and fish catch at dirt-cheap prices.Such politicians prefer giving dole-outs to their impoverished

ANNA MARIE PAMINTUAN its officers against any and all loss, liability, claims, actions, causes of action, recoveries, judgments, penalties, including and collectively “Claims”) which AJPI may suffer by reason of (1) Client’s of any of the and agreements herein or (2) any Claims by any third party relating in any way to Client’s

But governments cannot ignore the plight of marginal players in the agriculture sector, especially in a country like ours that is still largely agrarian. Marginal farmers and fisherfolk belong to the poorest of the poor. Endangering their livelihoods with a regular flood of cheap imports renders poverty alleviation programs meaningless.Acountry that relies on others for its basic food needs will always be in a state of food insecurity. Apart from imported GG, President Marcos should also be obsessing about imported salt, sugar, white onions and even rice. It is defeatist to say that the Philippines cannot be rice

Reversingself-sufficient.thisstate of import dependence deserves to be a national obsession. (Philststar. com)

* * *

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

AJPI will not be liable for failure to publish any Client’s Material as requested or for more than one of a Client’s

ManilaTimes.net photo

* * * Moira G. Gallaga served three Philippine presidents as presidential protocol officer, and was posted as a diplomat at the Philippine consulate general in Los Angeles and the Philippine Embassy in Washington.

Intramuros named best tourist draw

INTRAMUROS, the Spanishera walled city in Manila, regained its title as Asia's Leading Tourist Attraction at the 29th World Travel Awards (WTA) 2022 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on Wednesday.ThePhilippines was also named Asia's Leading Dive Destination and Asia's Leading Beach Destination at the same event."The Philippines is a beautiful country and you [WTA] having given these awards is such an affirmation to all of our tourism stakeholders and workers who have greatly sacrificed throughout the pandemic," Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said.

"We look to the future with hope that through our combined efforts under the Marcos Administration that has identified tourism to become a major pillar for economic recovery, not only will we survive the pandemic but we will thrive, we will endure and we will get back stronger than ever," Frasco said.

The Philippines has won the WTA title of Asia's Leading Beach Destination for the sixth time, defeating India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand andTheVietnam.country has also been named Asia's Leading Dive

Destination for four years in a row, beating Malaysia and Thailand.

In winning the best tourist attraction award, Intramuros outshone other destinations like the Angkor Temples in Cambodia, Borobudur Temple Compound in Indonesia, Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, Sengan-en and Shoko Shuseikan Museum in Kagoshima, Japan, the Taj Mahal in India, teamLab SuperNature in Macau, The Great Wall, The Forbidden City, and Terracotta Warriors in China, Tokyo Imperial Palace in Japan and Victoria Peak in Hong Kong.

"We are ready to receive you in the Philippines. We look forward to your visit, and I invite each and every one of you to visit our

beaches, our dive sites and our tourist destinations," Frasco said in a pitch to tourists.

"May this recognition remind us that all of us have a shared responsibility towards the success of the tourism industry, not only in our country but in Asia and the world. We remain committed to purveying the Filipino brand of hospitality and to heralding the Filipino brand to the world," she added.The London-based World Travel Awards, known as the "Oscars" of the travel industry, was founded in 1993 to recognize achievements in the travel and tourism sector at national, regional, and global levels. (ManilaTimes.net)

Marcos: PH shouldn’t fall behind in tech

MANILA — To serve the people better, create more jobs, and achieve economic revitalization, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Friday, September 9 said the Philippines needed more technological innovation to compete with other countries. He said the pandemic sped up technology and digitalization, enabling a “viable way of doing business.”“Weingovernment have gone a step further than that, not only, is it viable way of doing business, it is the only way that we will be doing business in the years to come, and therefore, we cannot allow the Philippines to get left behind,” Marcos said during the inauguration of the UnionBank Innovation Campus in San Pedro City,TheLaguna.president hoped endless

possibilities would be explored and experts’ “bright ideas” turned into jobs and revitalized the“Toeconomy.sustain growth and promote new advances in this sector, it is my hope that you will explore the limitless possibilities and take advantage of the many bright ideas that our experts have so that we can generate more jobs and secure our nation’s economic revitalization,” he noted.Marcos said the new UnionBank campus is the kind of innovation, forward-thinking, operations, and actions the country needs, private and public.“The opening of the UnionBank Innovation Campus shall intensify our collective efforts to bring our banking and ICT industries into the future,”

heTheadded. president was accompanied by several executives during the inauguration, including Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual, Private Sector Advisory Council chief and UnionBank Board Director Sabin Aboitiz, UnionBank Chairman Erramon Isidro M. Aboitiz, UnionBank President and CEO Edwin Bautista, UnionBank Board Director Samel Aboitiz, and San Pedro Mayor Art Mercado.

The chief executive recently returned to the country after his inaugural state visits in Indonesia and Singapore from September 4 to 7 aimed at strengthening the economic, cultural, defense, and security ties of the two Southeast Asian nations and the Philippines. (Christian Paul Dela Cruz/Inquirer.net)

MANILA’S PRIDE. Tourists take selfies at the walled city. ManilaTimes.net photo

Manila is the world’s 8th city with longest hours spent in tra c - study

MANILA — With schools and industries opening up to on-site operations, a new research has found that Metro Manila is the eighth worst in the world in hours spent in traffic among cities.

A research by insurance technology site GoShorty showed Manila has a 43 percent congestion level and 98 hours lost to traffic annually, or more than four days that Filipinos spend in the Metro's infamous traffic jams every year.

GoShorty identified the countries with the highest amount of low emissions zone schemes implemented to determine which of the world’s cities have the busiestUnderroads.the Urban Access Regulations in Europe, low emission zones are defined as "areas where the most polluting vehicles are regulated."

"Usually this means that vehicles with higher emissions cannot enter the area. In some low emission zones the more polluting vehicles have to pay more if they enter the low emission zone," a briefer on the Urban Access Regulations site reads.

GoShorty said it gathered data from the TomTom Traffic Congestion Index to get the congestion rates and time lost to traffic for both worldwide cities and UK cities.

It then ranked each city on its

congestion rate and used Urban Access Regulations to get the countries with the highest amount of low emissions zone schemes implemented.Nocountry outside of North America and Europe finished in the top 15 countries in terms of low emission zone schemes.

"A lot of people all over the world use a car for their daily commute or to run errands, it’s a source of transportation that is readily available. Yet, one of the most significant downsides is when you are unfortunately stuck in gridlocked traffic," the study said."In 2020 we saw a drop in congestion and traffic, due to the pandemic. However, in 2022 we’re seeing more people going places again, returning to a form of normal. As such, there has been a worldwide rise in congestion, despite the rising cost of fuel prices."

Other cities Istanbul, the most populated city in Turkey and Europe, was listed as the most congested city in the world, with a congestion level of 62 Residentspercent.of the Turkish capital spend around 142 hours in traffic jams - the equivalent of nearly 6 whole days. The city saw an 11-percent increase in traffic from 2020, meaning that on average, car journeys will take 62

percent longer. Oneofthelargest cities in the world, Bogota, ranked second with a congestion level of  55 percent. In 2021, Bogota lost 126 hours to traffic, making a drive in the city look a little less appealing.

Topping the list is Mumbai, the eighth most populous city in the world with around 20 million people. The Indian city has a congestion rate of 53 percent as of 2021.

Traffic in Manila

In a 2018 study, the Japan International Cooperation Agency said that traffic costs the Philippines P3.5 billion in "lost opportunities" daily. The amount is expected to triple in number by the year Former2030.Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chair Romando Artes said that in 2021, 300,000 vehicles were sold; 60 to 70 percent of which go in and out of Metro Manila each day.

Data from the World Health Organization published in 2018 said that the total life expectancy in the Philippines for both men and women is 69.3 years.

The Boston Consulting Group revealed in 2017 that Manila's traffic congestion cost motorists an average of over an hour lost in traffic every day, putting it at third worst in Southeast Asia.  (Franco Luna with a report from Kaycee Valmonte/Philstar.com)

PH named Asia’s leading dive, beach destination anew

MANILA – The Philippines was again named as Asia's leading dive and beach destination by the 2022 World Travel Awards (WTA) in Vietnam on Sept. 7.

Intramuros also reclaimed its title as Asia's leading tourist attraction.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco on Thursday welcomed the back-to-back win, saying it proves the beauty of the Philippines.

"The Philippines is a beautiful country and you (WTA) having given these awards is such an affirmation to all of our tourism stakeholders and workers who have greatly sacrificed throughout the pandemic," she said.

"We look to the future with hope that through our combined efforts under the Marcos administration that has identified tourism to become a major pillar for economic recovery that not only will we survive the pandemic but we will thrive, we will endure and we will

get back stronger than ever," she added.WTA awarded the Philippines for the sixth time as the leading beach destination in Asia besting India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam, and at the same time achieving Asia’s Leading Dive Destination title for four straight years since 2019, edging Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.Frascosaid the dive citation from WTA cemented the premise of the DOT in hosting the Philippine International Dive Expo (PHIDEX) 2022, which is considered the country’s largest platform to network and promote the dive industry.

The Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving, an attached agency of the DOT in charge of marine sports, has recently appropriated a budget of PHP9.53 million for the first time by the national government for more

intensified dive tourism promotion andIntramuros,development.meanwhile, won over other competitors such as the Angkor Temples of Cambodia; Borobudur Temple Compounds of Indonesia; Ha Long Bay of Vietnam; Sengan-en and Shoko Shuseikan Museum of Kagoshima in Japan; Taj Mahal of India, teamLab SuperNature of Macao, Great Wall, The Forbidden City, and Terracotta Warriors, all in China; Tokyo Imperial Palace of Japan; and Victoria Peak of Hong Kong.

Frasco said the Philippines is ready to receive tourists while continuing to promote the "Filipino brand" of hospitality.

"We are ready to receive you in the Philippines. We look forward to your visit and I invite each and every one of you to visit our beaches, our dive sites, and our tourist destinations," she said. (PNA)

Health workers slam proposed 2023 health budget

by ZACARIAN SARAO Inquirer.net

MANILA — Health workers on Thursday, September 8 slammed the government for its proposed health budget for 2023 as it further privatizes public health services for the public by cutting the budget for governmentowned hospitals.

In a statement, the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) said that the budget remains insufficient even though it has been increased from P242 billion in 2022 to P296.3 billion in 2023.

It noted that the budget “gives premium” to PhilHealth while cutting the budget for Maintenance and Other Operating Expense (MOOE) of the government-owned and -controlled corporation (GOCC) hospitals, including the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC), Philippine Heart Center (PHC), and the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP) by a total of P881 million.

“It is very alarming that many ordinary patients will be deprived of these specialty services considering that these GOCC hospitals were pet projects of the Marcos Sr. Maraming ordinaryong mamamayan ang pagkakaitan ng serbisyo lalo na ang mga

mahal na procedure sa GOCC hospital dahil sa pagtapyas ng budget sa MOOE ng P362 million sa aming ospital.” said NKTIEA-AHW president Edwin Pacheco.

(Many ordinary citizens will be deprived of services especially the expensive procedures at the GOCC hospital due to the MOOE budget cut of P362 million in our hospital.)

“Katumbas ‘yan ng mahigit 242 na kidney transplant na pasyente ang hindi ma subsidize. Ganun din sa ibang GOCC hospital. Sa aming ospital, umaabot ng P1.5 million ang isang kidney transplant maliban pa sa gamot na pang-maintenance. Wala namang pampublikong ospital ang pwede nilang mapuntahan kundi dito sa NKTI,” he added.

(That is equivalent to more than 242 kidney transplant patients who will not be subsidized. The same goes for other GOCC hospitals. In our hospital, a kidney transplant costs P1.5 million excluding maintenance medicine. There is no public hospital they can go to but here at NKT.)

The PGH even had a budget cut of P19.444 million for 2023, with All UP Wokers UnionManila PGH vice president Benjamin Santos, Jr. noting that despite the lack of lifesaving apparatus like ventilators, there is still no budget appropriated

forTheit. group also noted the budget on the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases P4.171 billion, as well as on the Epidemiology and Surveillance by P112.9 presidentP20otherPhilHealth’s budget,million.onthehand,wasincreasedbybillion.“AlamnamanngPresidentenabagsakangekonomiyaat maramingmamamayan anglugmoksakahirapan.Imbesnamaibsansanaangkalagayangitosa pamamagitannglibrengpagpapagamotaynapuntasaPhilHealthangmalakingbudgetimbesnaidiretsosamgaospitalparamasmaramingmagamotnapasyente,”saidAHWnationalRobertMendoza.

(The President knows that the economy is failing and many citizens are in poverty. Instead of ameliorating this situation through free treatment, the large budget went to PhilHealth instead of going directly to the hospitals so that more patients can be treated.)

“Bakit dinagdagan pa ang pondo ng PhilHealth samantalang ilang beses nailabas sa media na milyon-milyon ang corruption ang ahensyang ito,” he added.

(Why was the Philhealth fund increased even though the media has released millions of corruption in this agency several times.) 

FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. Rotary Club president Richard “RG” Salazar (seated right) and Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) executive director Gertie Duran-Batocabe (in blue striped shirt) lead the tree planting activity during the Work Environmental Health Day at the NPF property along Seaside Drive Entertainment City, Parañaque City on Friday, Sept. 9.  Project organizers said around 170 saplings will be planted in the area. PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.

Falling home prices in Southern Nevada a boon to home buyers

by RealtoR Fely Quitevis-Bateman

FOR the third consecutive month, home prices have fallen in Southern Nevada, including Las Vegas.

From a median sales price high of $482,000 in May 2022, the median price of homes dropped to $450,000 in August 2022, which is a $15,000 drop from the previous month (July 2022), according to a report in the Las Vegas ReviewJournal. Despite the $32,000 drop from its highest point, home prices are still up substantially from about a year ago, with median home prices at the $375,000 range in August of 2021.

A combination of factors are contributing to falling home sales, although industry experts say that Southern Nevada is still in the buyer’s market category.

Higher borrowing costs have contributed to the lull from home buyers as the average rates for a 30-year home loan have risen to 5.22% in August of 2022 (slightly

lower than June’s 5.52%), but still above the 2.84% range in August of 2021, according to a report from Freddie Mac.

This has, in turn, allowed more inventory to flow into the market as house hunters have pulled back on home purchases, unlike in 2020 and 2021 when sellers were having multiple buyers having a bidding war on their properties.

During the most frenzied time in the home buying arena, many properties were flooded with offers and more often than not sold far more from their original selling point. Builders put buyers on waiting lists and it was not uncommon for prices to be raised regularly. At times, lotteries were even put in place to determine who would be able to purchase a property.According to Realtors and industry experts, the price drop is actually good for the Las Vegas

area and neighboring communities as those who may have been priced out before due to high home prices and bidding wars can again participate in the market.

Now, house hunters have more of a bargaining chip with sellers as there are more choices in the real estate market. Unlike the last couple of years when buyers had to pull out all the stops or squeeze their budget to be able to participate, buyers now have the option of negotiating with a seller due to the slowdown in home sales.

It is a different story though when it comes to commercial properties in Las Vegas, particularly along theItStrip.isvery hard to find a piece of land that is not going to sell for a good amount. Everyone wants a piece of the pie, so to speak. Casino/ resort groups are continually improving their operations by buying when it suits them and offloading or closing properties when they become liabilities, and billionaires and venture capitalists want to stake their claim in Las Vegas before it becomes too expensive to enter the market.

The past few months have seen acres of land sell for millions in Las Vegas, including 10 acres just across the Strip from Resorts World Las Vegas acquired by the Siegel Group that will in probability be developed into a hotel/casino and entertainment arena, and 2.2 acres of land just across the from the Mandalay Bay Convention Center that sold for $12.8 million.

The former has been called the last great piece of land available in the north end of the strip, while the latter is just walking distance away

from the iconic “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign that attracts thousands of visitors every year.

Las Vegas is a unique place to be at, as many projects are in construction that will contribute their fair share of jobs and economic opportunities for those who are able to take Evenadvantage.withthecurrent slowdown in home sales, median home prices continue to be above level from past years and decades. In fact, through the years, median home prices have continued to improve, even when there are housing market crashes, as what happened in 2008.

Consider this: In 1940, the median home price in Nevada was at $20,700. The median price grew to $136,000 by 1980, and

was pegged at $142,000 in 2000. In 2010, the median price was at $143,651, right smack in the middle of the housing crash. About a decade later, there was a surge in home prices as the median home price was placed at around $345,000 in 2020.

Certainly, property appreciation in Nevada, especially in hot markets like Las Vegas, is a given. And with the rapid development in the area, it is not a surprise that per square foot prices in different neighborhoods have skyrocketed in the past few decades.Ifyou are looking for property in Las Vegas or neighboring communities like Pahrump, Henderson or Boulder City, now is the time to take a look at what’s

available in the market, especially when there’s a lull. Aside from the ability to look over many properties that may suit your needs, you don’t need to cater to all of the seller’s demands, unlike before.

I have been a Realtor for many decades now and have seen the growth of many Nevada communities. I consider Nevada as one of the best states to live in, especially as it has no state income tax and there are many other advantages to having a business in Nevada. With many residential and commercial developments in Las Vegas and neighboring communities, and many planned projects that will continue to add to the diversity to each city’s or town’s entertainment offerings, Nevada is truly is a good place to look for a home, an investment property or a piece of land where you may want to construct your dream home in or sell for a profit later.Some of my clients who have taken the plunge and purchased properties are now reaping the benefits of their good choices by setting up their place as Airbnb or as a rental property.

My company, Precious Properties, is a full-service company that has served its clientele since 1992. You can reach me at 775513-8447, 805-559-2476 and 702538-4948 for more information, or send me an email at fely@preciousproperties.com or fely.precious@ gmail.com. We have investors who buy houses in California and Nevada for cash and quick escrow in as short as 7 days.

(Advertising Supplement)

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman helps those who need business financing, including loans for small businesses. For more information, call (702) 538-4948, or send email to fely@preciousproperties.com or fely.precious@gmail.com.

Behind Russ Bateman in photo above is the Fontainebleau Hotel (tall blue building) which is undergoing massive construction. It is scheduled to have its grand opening in October of 2023.

Russ Bateman and Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman strolled along Las Vegas Blvd. and saw developments going on that may keep the “buyer’s market” around due to massive job creation from these ongoing projects.

A table from the Las Vegas Review-Journal shows the price drop of median sales prices of homes in Southern Nevada. From a high of $482,000 in May 2022, the current median sales price was pegged at $450,000 in August 2022, which is still substantially up from figures last year (2021).

Atty. Gurfinkel answers immigration questions from Kapamilya in San Diego on part 1 of Citizen Pinoy’s ‘Your Tanong,

After her ‘surreal’ Cannes experience, Fil-Japanese actress Stefanie Arianne to pursue Hollywood dream

By Marinel Cruz Inquirer.net

THAT has always been the goal,” declared Filipina Japanese actress Stefanie Arianne when Inquirer Entertainment asked whether she has plans of making it to Hollywood.

“I’ve dreamed of making it there ever since I was young, after telling myself that I wanted to appear in TV commercials,” said the Japan-based actress during a recent virtual chat. We then told her that her Hollywood dream may not be too far to achieve, especially since her film, the dystopian drama “Plan 75” by Chie Hayakawa, won the Special Mention award, under the Caméra d’Or competition category, of the prestigious 2022 Cannes Film Festival in France.

“I told myself that when I went to Japan, I will take acting seriously. I joined an agency that enabled me to be both—a model and an actress. Of course,

How Chesca is reminded of God’s goodness amid injustices

CELEBRITY mom Chesca Garcia-Kramer spoke about how faith in God can make people survive injustices.“Wheninjustice is done to you it’s so easy to be hateful, anger filled and vindictive. But Jesus always

has a way of reminding me of his goodness [in spite] of the situation,” she said via her Instagram page on Wednesday, Sept. 7, where she shared a photo of herself seeing the sunset at her house’s pool area.

‘YOUR TANONG, MY SAGOT’ IN SAN DIEGO, PART 1. Leading U.S. Immigration Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel answers immigration questions from Kapamilya in San Diego, in Part 1 of Citizen Pinoy’s “Your Tanong, My Sagot.” Some of the questions Atty. Gurfinkel answers are – From Jefferson and Virginia: Virginia petitioned his son, Jefferson, as single but he got married. Is there a way to revive Mommy Virginia’s petition?; From Kathy of Mira Mesa: Can a person visit the U.S. as a tourist if they are under petition?; From Edith of National City: I am waiting for my green card through another daughter’s petition. My 15-year-old daughter is in the U.S. on a tourist visa extension. Is there a way my 15-year-old can stay in the U.S. with me? The Cruz family: Grandpa Lando, Dad Allan, and grandson Chean drop by to visit Atty. Gurfinkel who worked on their case and successfully reunited the family. Watch Part 1 of “Your Tanong, My Sagot” in San Diego on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, September 11 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. (Advertising Supplement)

Stefanie Arianne Photo from Instagram/@stefanie.

Iza hopeful to end ‘name-calling’ culture in the Philippines

By Catalina RiCCi S. MadaRang Philstar.com

“I HOPE we can stop normalizing in our culture where young girls have to live under the shadows of the names people callIzathem.”Calzado expressed this on a social media post on September 8 where she shared her struggle with her weight and appearance before.The seasoned actress also accompanied her post with a photo of herself when she was younger and her recent photo.

In the post, Iza introduced her younger self as “Big”, a person who has received a lot of teasing from her loved ones because of her“Meetsize. Big. She was teased a lot by her family and friends. A lot of them were well-meaning and even came from a place of love and concern but the truth with name calling or labels is that it sticks and you may carry it with you or believe in it,” Iza said.

“It takes a whole level of confidence, courage, and strength to break free from these names thrown your way,” she added.Izathen expressed hope that people can end the name-calling

culture, especially to young girls.

“I hope we can stop normalizing in our culture where young girls have to live under the shadows of the names people call them,” she said.

The actress ended her post by sharing an empowering message.“From being big to dreaming big, here now is Iza. No longer making size a source of pain but rather a source of power. Shine bright, ladies. You are enough,” sheIza’ssaid.post received a lot of support and cheers from her colleagues in the industry and from her fans.

“No matter your size, the beauty and joy in your eyes are the same!!! But – your amazing transformation is a testimony of what is possible! What an inspiration you are Iza!” reporter Karen Davila said.

“Gorgeous then, gorgeous now!” one Instagram user said.

Other Filipinos also shared similar experiences of their own or from that of their friends about past struggles in dealing with criticisms on their weight and

‘Gary V Re-Energized - Live US Tour’ at Pechanga Theater Oct. 8

WORLD-RENOWNED Filipino singer Gary Valenciano is poised to hold another wholesome, musical family entertainment live in Pechanga Resort Casino on Saturday, October 8, 2022, at 8 p.m. This performance forms part of his planned U.S. live tour this coming PechangaFall.Resort Casino is well-known for hosting only the best and the brightest Filipino entertainers and performers aimed at providing the ultimate experience, especially to its Filipino American patrons.

Just recently, the most sought-after and multi-awarded singer Gary V released a brand new accompanying music video for his latest heart-on-sleeve and empowering single, “Pwede Pang Mangarap” (You Could Still

TheDream).newly-released track was said to be a collaborative effort between Gary V’s team and his home label for over 30 years, Universal Records. The album is a motivational anthem inspired to empower the music industry to overcome the dream-crushing effects of the pandemic, as well as to revive the economy and inspire people’s lives.

The album bears the best signature ‘Pinoy Pop” sound and has been hailed as Mega

Atty. Gurfinkel answers...

old daughter can stay in the U.S. with her.

• Jefferson was petitioned as single by his mother, Virginia. However, he got married. Jefferson now asks if there is a way to revive his mother’s petition.

Atty. Gurfinkel also gets a surprise visit from the Cruz family. It was nearly 10 years ago when Atty. Gurfinkel helped the grandfather, Lando Cruz, after the U.S. Embassy in Manila denied his son Allan’s visa because of a misunderstanding. The Law Offices of Michael Gurfinkel were able to help bring Allan and his son, Chean, to the U.S. It was a memorable success story featured on Citizen Pinoy.

Atty. Gurfinkel answers these questions in Part 1 of “Your Tanong, My Sagot,” with Kapamilya from San Diego and adjacent areas. Watch this encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, September 11 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET thru select Cable/Satellite providers), right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app. (Advertising Supplement)

“When you’re hurt it is so easy to not see the wonderful things that God continues to do for us,” she said. “That whatever was taken away he has generously given back ten folds better. We just need to learn to count what is there and not look for what is no longer there or what was never there.”Kramer believes there are things that are “not within our control anymore” at times, and all that one needs is to “focus on what is ahead and let God do the rest.”“All good things work together for good for those who love God,” she

Marriedstressed.to retired professional basketball player Doug Kramer, the actress shares with him three kids, namely Kendra, Scarlett and Gavin. (Alex Brosas/ Inqurer.net)

intimate concert experience. With 1,200 seats in its theater, each show features state-ofthe-art, acoustically perfected sound, plus comfortable chairs, and an up-close view from every theater seat.

paved the way to draw some 12,000 fans in his successful concert in Bicol province. Don’t miss this chance of a lifetime experience with Gary V, only in Pechanga Resort Casino! Shows in the Pechanga Theater offer a comfortable and

Pechanga Resort Casino offers one of the largest and most expansive resort/casino experiences anywhere in the United States. Voted the best casino in the west by USA Today and rated a Four Diamond property by AAA since 2002, Pechanga Resort Casino provides an unparalleled getaway, whether for the day or for an extended luxury stay. Offering 5,400 of the hottest slots, 152 table games, worldclass entertainment, 1,100 hotel rooms, dining, spa and golf at Journey at Pechanga, Pechanga Resort Casino features a destination that meets and exceeds the needs of its guests and the community. Pechanga Resort & Casino is owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians. For more information, call toll free (877) 711-2946 or

Gina Alajar impressed by Bea Alonzo’s talent, work ethic and kindness

By allan PoliCaRPio Inquirer.net

PRIOR to “Start-Up” Gina Alajar knew Bea Alonzo only through her films and other acting projects. But now that they have finally met and worked together, Gina couldn’t help but be impressed—not only by Bea’s acting talent—but also by her intelligence and kindness.“Itwas my first time meeting and working with her. If she hadn’t transferred to GMA 7, we probably wouldn’t have this chance,” she said at a recent virtual conference. “Bea is such a kind kid; it’s obvious that she was raised well by her mother whom she’s really close to. She’s very intelligent and has a clear vision of how to live her life.”

In the upcoming local adaptation of the popular South Korean series, Gina plays the turon vendor, Lola Joy (Filipino counterpart of Choi Won-deok). She’s the grandmother of sisters Dani Sison (Bea) and Katrina Sison (Yasmien Kurdi) —young entrepreneurs trying to work their way up in the tech world.

Because they have a lot of scenes together, Gina and Bea got to know each other better. “In our conversations, she tells me that she still has a lot of films she wants to do. She’s interested in writing. Or eventually she may direct or produce,” Gina said. “She thinks clearly. She has plans and she knows what to do to achieve them.”

‘Really good’ acting

When it comes to acting, there’s “no doubt” about Bea’s talent, Gina said. “I have seen a couple of her films and I thought she was really good in ‘Four Sisters and a Wedding,’” said the veteran actress-director, who also commended Bea’s work ethic. “She comes to the set early and well-prepared. She already knows her lines,” she added. “She memorizes her lines quickly. Give her long lines and she will have them down pat. She would just give the script a quick glance and she’s off. Grabe—to think that she had a lot of scenes. And I can already feel her character and emotions even if we’re just rehearsing.”

Gina is a grandmother herself. And that helped build the chemistry and dynamics between Lola Joy and Dani. “At times I look at Bea as my apo. I think the lola-apo scenes had a very nice feel to them. Nag-swak kami We were very happy doing our scenes. I think Bea and I nailed the relationship,” she said.

“I can relate to my character because we’re both hardworking. We love our grandchildren very much. We fight for our loved ones,” she added. “The difference is that I’m not as impulsive. I’m more cautious as a She’sperson.”alsoa fan of Bea’s teamup with Alden Richards, who plays Tristan Hernandez (Han Ji-pyeong or “Good Boy”). “They have a good chemistry. I watch them do their scenes and… kilig ako. That’s something to look forward to,” she said.

Despite being one of the industry’s most experienced and decorated actresses, Gina admitted that she still gets nervous and has her fair share of “insecurities.” In this case, the pressure comes from the fact that she’s playing a well-loved character.

“There’s already a point. The role is loved by many and in a way, she was the heart of the story. So, the pressure comes from there. I find myself wondering if I would be able to contribute the same way to the show,” she said. “You can’t be lax. It’s an adaptation so I’m always on my toes. I want to give something at par with and as enjoyable as the original.”

Something new Gina, who started out as a child actress in

the 1970s, has been in the industry for more than 50 years now. And she’s at a point in her career where she wants to deliver something new. “I want this to be different from what I have done in the past. That’s why I was overthinking [my performances],” she said. In fact, she critiques her own performances and notes them down in her script. “I watched the show in 2020, but I checked it out again to see if what I was doing was right. I got nervous and asked our directors if we could reshoot some of them; I was worried that my reactions and expressions were wrong. I showed them my script and the scenes we have already finished—beside them were my comments, like ‘Palpak,’ ‘Pwede na,’” she related.ButDirek Jerry (Lopez Sineneng) told me not to worry too much. He said I should trust him. He was very reassuring and told me that if there’s anything wrong, he would be the one to ask for a reshoot. So that boosted my confidence,” Gina said.

“Later on, I realized that I shouldn’t be trapped in what the Korean version of the character was like. I had to do things on my own. I should go for what I feel and what I think Lola Joy should feel, because my intuition won’t let me down,” she said. g

what I really want is to set up a career in Hollywood, for people there to see the kind of talent Filipinos have,” she declared.

“I’m not just representing Filipinos, but also the ‘halves,’ since I’m half-Filipino and halfJapanese. This is something I’ve learned to embrace eventually.”

Four months after her “surreal” Cannes experience, we asked Stefanie if she has already gotten over it, especially since she was already preparing for a new film project to be shot two days after our interview.

To this, she replied: “I don’t think I’ve ever moved on from it. It’s also such an amazing experience and it really took some time for it to actually sink in. I saw a lot of actors from around the globe. It felt awesome for me to be there to represent both Japan and the Philippines. It’s such a dream come true.

Grabe, ang saya-saya lang! I want to relive it again and again. It happened so fast, like a blink of an eye, and I was like, ‘What’s happening? We’re done?’”

What Stefanie said she appreciated the most about attending the festival was, “just being surrounded by a lot of creatives and a lot of talented people. It’s so surreal! I

appreciated how everyone made an effort to be there to see our film, and how all the audiences liked it. It was so touching.”

She continued: “One of my most memorable moments there was when they gave us a standing ovation. I was told it lasted for five minutes, but it felt like it happened so fast, especially because the organizers were very strict with their schedules. Another set of people had to come in for another movie, so I remember all of us getting kicked out of the venue while we were still hugging and applauding.”

New project

Stefanie, who just came from a trip to the salon prior to our interview to have her hair color changed as preparation for her new project, said she felt sad because she was not allowed to share any detail about it just yet. “All I can say is that I’ll be working with other Filipinos as well,” she beamed.

Stefanie said that while she is a Japanese citizen, there is so much Filipino blood flowing through her veins. She explained: “My dad is Japanese and my mom is Filipino. Her family also has Spanish blood in them, and their surname is very Filipino—Miranda. I moved to Japan when I was 18, but

when I was in the Philippines I lived in multiple places: Quezon City, Cainta in Rizal, San Pedro in Laguna, and then Parañaque City. I usually stayed with my relatives there.

“It was kind of cute how my parents met. My mom used to work as a singer and my dad is a businessman, who also dabbles in music. According to my dad’s version, he saw my mom while she was playing her guitar at a shop, and since my dad is also a musician, he told her that her guitar was out of tune. My mama got angry with him, and the rest is history,” she said, laughing.

Stefanie’s mom recently moved back to the Philippines, while her dad opted to stay in Japan. “They don’t do music anymore,” she declared.

Stefanie also shared how she got involved with the production of “Plan 75,” which began filming just when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020.

“The Japanese borders closed down and so they were unable to get a Filipino actress in. That’s how they found me here in Japan, 11 days before the shoot started” she recalled.

Filipino accent

“I can understand Tagalog, but it was hard for me to explain myself in the language. What

I did was watch a lot of videos of Angel Locsin and Angelica Panganiban—I really like their accent and I was a huge fan of them back when I was still living in the Philippines. Also, I needed to have a Filipino accent in my Japanese. It was good that, during shooting, I had my accent coach beside me all the time. He’s amazing! One of our producers, Sir Alemberg (Ang), who watched the shoot through Zoom, said my acting was great but when it was time for me to say English words with a Filipino accent he could see that I was super stressed. He told me to just relax. When I finally got to watch the film in full, all I could say was ‘Oh my God!’”

“Plan 75” discusses a government program that encourages senior citizens to be euthanized to remedy an aged society. An elderly woman whose means of survival is vanishing, a pragmatic Plan 75 salesman, and a Filipino laborer face choices of life and death.

The film is co-owned by Loaded Films, Urban Factory and Fusee. It was screened nationwide in Thailand in August and has been showing in France since Sept. 11, according to Fusee founder and president Will Fredo. g

The Cruz family is one of the success stories featured on Citizen Pinoy. Photo above shows (from left) grandson Chean, dad Allan, and petitioner Grandpa Orlando, with leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel.

From left: Edith, Jefferson and his mother, Virginia, and Kathy. Their questions will be answered on this episode of Citizen Pinoy.

Iza Calzado shared two photos of herself on September 8. The photo on the left showed her appearance when she was younger and the other one was a current photo of herself. Photos from Instagram/@missizacalzado

Gina Alajar with Alden Richards, Ayen Munji-Laurel, Yasmien Kurdi and Bea Alonzo GMA photo

Magazine’s Musical Icon of the Year — Gary V’s unparalleled performance scenes in this music video are simply “top-notch.” Observers have noted his new-found sense of effort and dedication all combined in his new album, and as a You-Tuber,

CornerBarrister’s

PARENTS that are going through divorce and legal separation sometimes have to make a decision to move out of state for various reasons. It may be because their family network is in another state. This decision often have a significant impact on the visitation of the other parent because it would be more difficult for the noncustodial parent to exercise his or her visitation rights in a frequent and continuing manner if the custodial parent moves to a different state hundreds or thousands of miles away from the non custodial parent.

The parent that has Custody of the child has a presumptive right to change the child’s residence unless the non custodial parent can show that the move would be a detriment to the child. In cases where there has not been any final custody order, the court has to make a custody

Parent’s right to change child’s residence to another state in custody cases

determination using “the best interest” standard. Court will look at the factors and decide what is in the best interest of the child. Custody is usually given to the parent that is more likely to allow frequent and continuing contact between the child and the other parent. On the other hand if there has been a final Custody determination, then the noncustodial parent would have to show a “significant change in circumstances” to change the custody arrangement.

The Court would then consider certain factors laid out in the case Marriage of LaMusga in deciding whether the child would suffer detriment from the relocation and whether a change of custody should be ordered. The La Musga factors which the Court will consider are 1) the children’s interest in stability and continuity in the

custodial arrangement; 2) the distance of the move; 3) the children’s age; 4)the children’s relationship with both parents; 5) the relationship between the parents including, but not limited to, their ability to communicate and cooperate effectively and their willingness to put the children’s interests above their individual interests; 6) the children’s wishes if they are mature enough to make that inquiry appropriate; 7) the reasons for the proposed move; and 8) the extent to which the parents currently are sharing custody.

* * *

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, P.C.  This article is not a solicitation.

* * *

Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Board 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 University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com.(AdvertisingSupplement)

NotesPastor’sJesus

Christ, the center of our lives

our faith in Jesus, we would have faltered or given up fulfilling our responsibilities and pursuing our dreams and goals? Can we say that being part of a Christian parish community has been a supportive experience?

RReveRendodelG. BalaGtas

THE fundamental question we Christians should ask ourselves is: What difference does our faith in Jesus have in our lives?

Any affirmative answer would strengthen our belief in Jesus and our allegiance to him. It would also keep us following him and convincing others to do the same. And it would inspire us to keep supporting the Church’s mission of evangelization.

Indeed, can we say that our faith in Jesus and love for him keep us firm in facing life with all its uncertainties and challenges?

Can we say that it’s what gives us joy in life and the wisdom to make some tough decisions?

Can we honestly say that without

If our answer is yes, then we have all the reason to testify to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus, to proclaim Christ’s love and power in our lives. Furthermore, we would do everything to support those who continue his mission on earth.

The difference that Jesus makes in our lives is how we must understand the Gospel this Sunday. In this Gospel, Jesus told the vast crowd following him this bold and shocking statement: “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”

Coco Martin, all-star cast featured in ‘Ang Probinsyano’ Pasasalamat Tour Oct. 1 at Sycuan Casino in San Diego

WATCH Coco Martin with an all-star cast of “Ang Probinsyano” Pasasalamat Tour Concert Live that will take place in San Diego on Saturday, October 1 at Sycuan Casino.

Concertgoers will have the opportunity to see Coco Martin, joined by Jodi Sta. Maria, Raymart Santiago, Shaina Magdayao, Smuglazz & Basilyo and Michael de Mesa, among others. Hear these icons reveal behind-the-scenes stories, be entertained with song and dance musical numbers, participate in hilarious comedy routines and more, all in one night in this oneof-a-kind variety show.

The concert is produced by Liberty Entertainment in cooperation with ABS-CBN Entertainment, Dreamscape Entertainment, iWantTFC, and TFC.

The San Diego leg of “Ang Probinsyano” Pasasalamat Concert Tour will be held at the Heritage Ballroom at Sycuan Casino (5469 Casino Way, El Cajon, CA 92019) on Saturday, Oct. 1 starting at 8 p.m.

Ticket prices start at $68. Call 1-866-81-LIBERTY (5423789) or email Tickets@ libertyent.us for inquiries.

Follow @libertyentus on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more updates! (Advertising Supplement) Coco Martin

Iza hopeful to end ‘name-calling’...

appearance.SomeFilipinos agreed with Iza. They also expressed hopes that people should stop “bodyshaming” even if it is expressed as a joke.

“I hate this side of the Filipino Culture. Masyadong normalized ang body shaming to the point that we joke about someone

being fat or ugly like it means nothing,” one Twitter user said. “No one ever benefits when you comment about someone’s weight. So don’t,” another online userIzatweeted.hasbeen vocal about her weight struggles in the past through public interviews and in endorsements.The“Encantadia” actress

soon became an inspiration for being fit and healthy and setting realistic beauty standards for other people.

Iza shared these photos of herself in partnership with a new campaign from Dove Philippines called #StopTheNameCalling. She also attached a link to Dove’s video advertisement on her posts. g

When something bad happens to employees for doing the right thing How whistleblower laws protect them

Rights&EmployeeProtectingConsumer

Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr

DENISE Bertone worked as a coroner investigator for the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner (DMEC). For most of her 25year tenure, she was the expert pediatric coroner investigator for most child deaths.

In 2013, a disabled child was found nearly drowned in a washing machine and was comatose. The child was taken to UCLA Medical Center where he was placed in a ventilator. One Legacy, a nonprofit organization that harvests organs and tissues in Southern California, obtained consent from the child’s guardians to have the child’s organs harvested for donation after cardiac death.

While the child was still alive, he was taken off the ventilator, but then continued to gasp for air, and did not go into cardiac arrest. When the child failed to go into cardiac arrest, the attending physician administered 500 micrograms of Fentanyl to the child. Fentanyl is a strong narcotic and the large amounts injected was meant to induce the child’s death while the organ harvesting team was waiting in the operating room. After the 500 micrograms of Fentanyl were administered, the child went into cardiac arrest and died. One Legacy then harvested his kidneys and liver. This was done without a pathologist from the Coroner’s office being present, as legally required.

Ms. Bertone investigated the child’s death and concluded that the Fentanyl administered to the child was the cause of death. The autopsy surgeon and Dr. Mark Fajardo (the then-Chief Medical Examiner and Ms. Bertone’s boss), attributed the death to brain damage from the near-drowning. Bertone insisted that the child had been killed by an overdose of Fentanyl prior to organ donation. She reported her conclusion that the child’s manner of death was a homicide. Ms. Bertone testified

that Dr. Fajardo told her, “They killed him for his organs, but you just can’t say that.”

Dr. Fajardo eventually closed the death investigation of the child, stating on the death certificate that the cause of death was “near drowning.” Unsatisfied with this conclusion, Ms. Bertone requested, several times, that the blood obtained during the child’s autopsy be tested for narcotics. When she finally received the test results, it confirmed her opinion that the amount of Fentanyl injected to the child after he was removed from the ventilator was extremely high. However, before she could discuss the results with Dr. Fajardo, she was diagnosed with cancer and went out on medicalWhenleave.Ms.Bertone went back to work, she was not returned to her former assignment. However, she continued to raise the child’s case again with Dr. Fajardo, and later, his successor after he resigned. She also began to vocally advocate that whenever a decedent’s organs or tissue were harvested by One Legacy, the Department should always perform a toxicology test on the autopsy blood to prevent concealment of evidence of criminalDespiteacts.the evidence, Dr. Fajardo refused to change the cause of death on the death certificate. Ms. Bertone testified that Dr. Fajardo told her to the effect of: While you work for me, you will never criticize One Legacy!Ms.Bertone continued to ask to be returned to her former assignment, which was denied. She had applied to be promoted as Lieutenant, which was also denied, and the promotion was given to a less qualified individual.

After Ms. Bertone was removed from her assignment, the Coroner’s Department received many complaints from local law enforcement, prosecutors, and family services agencies that the quality of the Department’s child death investigations is suffering, and that the child death notifications that are necessary to ensure the safety of siblings are not being made in a timely manner, or even at all.

In 2017, Ms. Bertone learned from a co-employee that an effort was underway to gather complaints against her in order to terminate her. Multiple complaints from co-workers were filed against her for minor violations. Due to harassment and ostracism, Ms. Bertone, worried about her health and the thought of being terminated, retired from her job. She later sued her former employer, alleging constructive termination as a result of employer retaliation against her for her Whistleblowing activities.

The California Whistleblower Protection Act specifically protects employees from being retaliated against after reporting to a government agency that their employer has violated the law. The Act also protects employees who report of a suspected violation internally (for instance, to a supervisor within the organization) or externally to “any public body” conducting a hearing or investigation. Employees are protected if they truly believed the conduct they complained about was unlawful, even if it was not. The employer is also prohibited from retaliating against an employee who refuses to participate in activities that violate the law.

The case went to trial and the jury concluded that Ms. Bertone was illegally retaliated against by the employer. The jury awarded her $8.4 million in damages.

* * *

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

* * *

The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www.joesayaslaw. com. [For more than 25 years, C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is a past Presidential Awardee for Outstanding Filipino (AdvertisingOverseas.]Supplement)

Jodi Sta. Maria

Instagram photo/@jodistamaria Raymart Santiago

Pauleen on being on first name basis with Vic’s children

The celebrity mom, who has been married to Vic since 2016, opened up on her relationship with her stepchildren during a conversation with actress Camille

Prats, for the latter’s YouTube vlog yesterday, Sept. 8. Luna, 33, has a close age gap with Sotto’s children: Danica Sotto, 40, Oyo Sotto, 38, Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto 33, and Paulina Sotto-Llanes, 31. Luna admitted she is still not used to being a stepmom, but noted that her relationship with Vic’s children is “organic.”

“I’m going to quote Danica,

‘Lahat ‘to, this is all organic. Walang pinilit, walang pinuwersa.’ Kumbaga, everything fell into place,” she told Prats. “Siyempre mahal ko sila lahat, anak sila ng asawa ko. That will never change.”

(I’m going to quote Danica, “All of this, this is all organic. Nobody was coerced, nobody was forced. In other words, everything fell into place.” Of course I love them all, they are my husband’s children. That will never change.)

Prats then asked Luna about what Sotto’s children call her.

“My name. I have no issues with it. Andaming nagtatanong, ‘Ah, bakit ganyan?’ You know, wala akong issue, huwag niyong problemahin,” she answered. “May pangalan ako. Okay na iyon.”

(My name. I have no issues with it. Many ask, “Ah, why is it like that?” You know, I have no issues, do not worry about it. I have a name. That is okay.)

When Prats pointed out that she could be called “ate” (sister), “tita” (aunt) or “mudrabels” (gay lingo for “mother”), Luna noted that she is okay to be called just by her name.

“I’m very much okay with just my name. Okay naman iyon. Alam mo, there’s more to that. Hindi lang naman iyon ang basehan na nirerespeto ka nila,” she said.

(I’m very much okay with just my name. That is okay. You know, there’s more to that. That is not the only basis for me to say they respect me.)

Luna and Vic started dating in 2011, but opted not to confirm their relationship until 2013. The couple got married in a church ceremony in Alabang, Muntinlupa, in January 2016. They have a daughter, Tali, who they welcomed in November 2017.  (By Dana Cruz/Inquirer.net)

Senior needs fresh start Chapter 7 for $80K credit cards after becoming a widow

ReliefDebt

Atty. LAwrence yAng

THE client is 67. Her husband

passed away five years ago after a long fight with kidney failure. He was on dialysis for eight years waiting for a kidney transplant.  It’s a long wait to get new kidneys from a donor. The average waiting period is 10 years. However, just because it’s been 10 years already doesn’t guarantee that a kidney will be available. That’s just the way it is. So the government pays for all dialysis treatment and the transplant when or if it happens. In the meantime, your world is turned upside down. You won’t be able to do anything much because for three or four times a week, you have to undergo dialysis for several hours each time. Your kidneys don’t work anymore so you depend on mechanical filtration done through dialysis. There are just too many people on the waiting list for a healthy kidney vs. a shortage of donors.

We don’t want to be on dialysis. I pray that our loved ones and we never have to need it. So take care of your kidneys. If you have hypertension, get that under control immediately. Uncontrolled hypertension is a major cause of kidney failure because there’s too much blood going through them requiring your kidneys to be working overtime at full throttle every day. Many people don’t know this simple fact because doctors don’t tell you this. In this regard, many doctors are just negligent in giving the correct advice to theirThepatients.client’s husband died while on dialysis. His blood pressure dropped too low while on it. I had another client who was so bold as to go abroad expecting to be treated for dialysis while abroad. He also died while on dialysis abroad because his blood pressure went down too low.

After her husband passed away, the client found out that they owed $80,000 in credit cards. The husband took care of their finances and the client was unaware that the husband was making minimum payments of $2,400 every month to keep their $80,000 of credit cards current. Their combined household

income was about $150,000 so even if $2,400 a month for credit card minimum payments was even bigger than their mortgage payment of $1,950, they could still “afford” their $80,000 of credit cards.

The problem of course became apparent when the husband’s $8,000 monthly income was replaced by a pension of $2,000 and no social security benefits because surviving wife’s social security was bigger than his. So now the client is left with her own social security of $2,000 and the husband’s pension of $2,000, giving her a monthly income of $4,000, which is actually good for retirement income. With $4,000 of retirement income, the client has no problem paying the mortgage of $1,950 and other necessary expenses. She has a car lease payment of $500 for a nice Lexus. With these 2 payments, she still has $1,500 left. With some budget tightening she can actually still save $1,000 a month but for the fact that she’s still saddled with $80,000 of credit cards, which requires a $2,400 minimum monthly.Themath just doesn’t add up. The $80,000 credit cards have to be obliterated. They have to be wiped out. She needs a fresh start without accumulated debt. This step must be taken, there are no if or buts about it. It’s just the right thing to do. Walt Disney did Chapter 7 twice to get rid of accumulated debt before Disney became a huge success, the same thing for the client in a subdued way. She needs Chapter 7 to get rid of her accumulated debt of $80,000 for her fresh start so she can start saving $1,000 a month in her retirement. Besides, and it’s good for her, the client now plans to travel the world when things get back to normal. Back to normal means no more virus because the vaccine becomes available in good supply to all Americans and everyone who needs it anywhere in the world.  Otherwise, it still won’t be safe to travel. So if it’s still not safe to travel, at least she can start saving $1,000 a month and do whatever she wants with it. In a year she will have saved $12,000, and in two years, $24,000. She can just invest that in index funds to get hopefully an annual return of 7%. That’s not bad at all. Soon enough she’ll have $50,000 set aside that will give her $300 a month of additional income, instead of

having to squeeze out another $2,400 which she just does not have anymore since her husband passed away. Even big businesses have to go through bankruptcy reorganization when income decreases. Since the virus reared its ugly head, many well-known retailers have filed for bankruptcy reorganization, such as Nordstrom, Sears, 24-Hr Family Fitness, Cirque du Soleil, to name a few. The owner of Ann Taylor filed. Once income goes down and you have a lot of debt, debt service becomes a big problem because there’s just not enough money coming in Butanymore.allis not lost when this happens. We don’t have debtor prisons here. What we have here is a fresh start for those who are burdened by too much debt. You can get rid of accumulated debt, keep most if not all your assets, and get a fresh start in life, just like Walt Disney.

Businessowner uses $200K credit cards to improve restaurant now closed

The next client is young. Maybe she’s 40. She started a restaurant from scratch near of all places — Disney in Anaheim. The restaurant was doing well and profitable every month until the virus appeared. With the lockdown, her restaurant has just started to reopen but business is really way down. With business not being able to recover to previrus levels, she is not able to make minimum payments on her $200,000 of credit card debt.

It appears that she used these cards to make improvements to the restaurant. It looks really nice and welcoming with these improvements and people like her food. She was grossing about $100,000 a month before the pandemic Now the restaurant is doing about $20,000. The rent is $15,000. Let’s not even go to the other expenses, there’s just no money to pay the $6,000. required for minimum payments of $200,000 in credit cards.

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* * * Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South, Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement)

Can you become debt-free without filing bankruptcy?

Minding Your Finances

Atty rAymond BuLAon

DEBT is a common problem that a lot of people struggle with and many people want to know how they can become debt-free. Of course, in today’s society, you can’t afford to spend cash on everything and sometimes you have to use a credit card or get a loan. The problem is that when those debts spiral out of control, it becomes very difficult to get out of the debt trap.

If you have more debts than you can handle, fortunately, we have bankruptcy laws in this country that can provide relief. But since bankruptcy is often a last resort, you may want to see if you have other options to fix your debt situation on your own. In some cases, it is possible to pay off debt even without adding income. It will take time and discipline but if you are committed to living a life without any debt, you may still be able to avoid bankruptcy.

A lot of people find reducing

their debts too difficult and so they don’t even start trying. They begin to look for easy ways or aim at solutions that end up getting them in even deeper trouble. In order to be successful, you need to work towards a specific plan of attack.

If you stick to the plan no matter what happens, you can become debt-free. Here are a few simple steps that you can take towards freeing yourself from the debt trap.Step One: No more debt. If you are trying to reduce your level of debt, then it’s vitally important to stop adding to your balances at once. It is impossible to borrow your way out of debt.

If you have bills that need to be paid or things that you want to buy, you will have to find other ways to pay for them. Don’t use any more credit.

Step Two: Reduce Expenses.

If things are tough for you financially at this time, you need to begin tightening your belt.

Work on reducing your largest expenses. Find ways to reduce how much you pay each month on your repayments. Catch up any past due payments so those penalties and late charges stop.

Trim your budget so that you are able to cover nothing more than your basic living expenses.

Determine what expenses can be eliminated immediately. If it’s an expense that you can live without, get rid of it right away.

Step Three: Prioritize. The next time you’re tempted to spend money on an impulse item, ask yourself if that same money could go towards getting rid of a debt somewhere else. When your next paycheck arrives, allocate your money carefully towards paying your bills and expenses first. Whatever is left is yours to spend on other things. If your debt situation has gotten so out of control and everything you’ve done on your own hasn’t worked up to this point, I would like to help you find the right solution. For a free consultation, call Toll-Free 1-866-477-7772.**

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NOTE: Due to COVID-19 pandemic, I am offering free consultations BY PHONE 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 1-866-477-7772.(Advertising Supplement)

Jesus Christ, the center of...

The word “hate” that Jesus used is hyperbole to indicate his expectation from us who follow him: total and single hearted dedication to him and his teachings. Family relationships and possessions are subordinate to the following of Jesus and whatever cross-bearing. Priority in Christian life must go to a relationship with Christ, and all other considerations, even those of family, are secondary. Wecanfind concrete examples of total dedication to Christ among fellow Christians, particularly among lay people. Some married couples have given up a prosperous livelihood to serve the poor in Latin America, Asia, or Africa. Others make room in their homes for unwanted or parentless children

at a considerable personal sacrifice. And some are less consumerist and more simple in their tastes to help God’s poor.

There are also parents and their children who prioritize church participation and Mass attendance on Sundays. They come to Church because of their love for Jesus, their faith, and their commitment to putting God at the center of their family life.

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

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DISCLAIMER: NONE OF THE FOREGOING IS CONSIDERED LEGAL ADVICE. EACH CASE IS DIFFERENT.

Pauleen Luna and Vic Sotto

Photo from Instagram/@pauleenlunasotto

PAULEEN Luna has stressed that she does not see an issue with her husband Vic Sotto’s children calling her by her first name, and that it should not be a cause for worry.

Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.