091423 - Las Vegas Edition

PH, US agree on more EDCA site projects

JOHN ERIC MENDOZA Inquirer.net

MANILA — The Philippines and the United States agreed on more projects inside the nine existing Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites.

U.S. Indo-Pacific commander Admiral John Christopher Aquilino revealed this on Thursday, Sept. 14 after the meeting of the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board in Camp Aguinaldo also led by Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. "We have increased the

‘Duterte has no plans for politics’

by EDITH REGALADO Philstar.com

API Equity Budget in jeopardy as California faces $20 Billion de cit

SACRAMENTO — The state’s $247 million API Equity Budget, set to expire next year, may not be renewed as California faces an unprecedented $22 billion budget deficit, said California Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus Chair Assemblyman Evan Low Sept. 8, on the sidelines of the first AAPI Leadership Summit.

“I need our community to understand hard facts and truth. In reality, we are in the midst of an economic collapse. There were years of extraordinary revenue when the API Equity Budget was created in 2021.”

“But we’re coming out of the COVID pandemic, and we haven’t recovered yet. We don’t have the resources we previously had,” Low told this reporter, noting that he expects no additional funding for the API Equity Budget next year.

The Democrat, who represents portions of California’s Silicon Valley, encouraged

P zer and Moderna are pushing the new COVID booster. Should you get it? The CDC is about to decide

A SMALL percentage of Americans got the most recent COVID-19 booster shot, and even fewer probably realize the federal government is preparing to recommend yet another shot as early as Tuesday, September 12.

Until a week or two ago, William Schaffner read that indifference as a sign the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should advocate vaccinating only those most at risk from the virus.

MANILA — Former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo may have egged her political ally, former president Rodrigo Duterte, to once again dip his fingers in politics after he stepped down from office last June 30, 2022. But former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea said Duterte has not contemplated a political comeback after spending 40 years of his life in politics.

“Nothing, he has no plans for politics,”

Medialdea, who was Duterte’s long-time legal counsel, said in Filipino.

Sen. Bong Go said that Arroyo encouraged Duterte to go back to politics.

“I’ll talk to my family about it,” Duterte was reported to have quipped after Arroyo asked him to get back to politics during a dinner over the weekend in Manila that was also attended by Go, former Senate president Vicente Sotto III and Medialdea. But according to Medialdea, who has remained close to Duterte, he doubts if the former president will run again, not even for

Maria Ressa cleared of tax evasion charges

by JOSE RODEL CLAPANO Philstar.com

MANILA — News agency Rappler and Nobel Peace laureate Maria Ressa were acquitted on Tuesday, September 12 in the fifth and final tax evasion case filed by the previous Duterte administration. Rappler, a Filipino-owned company critical of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s policies, described the ruling as a victory for “everyone who has kept the faith that a free and responsible press empowers communities and strengthens democracy.”

“All the dismissed tax cases were based on the false and flimsy premise that, when Rapper issued Philippine Depositary Receipts in 2015, it was not raising capital but earning

DepEd hit for rebranding of Marcos dictatorship

by MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB Philstar.com

MANILA — Sen. Risa

Hontiveros on Tuesday, Sept.

12 scored the Department of Education (DepEd) under Vice President Sara Duterte for having a role in the rebranding of the Marcos family by not affiliating the late Ferdinand Marcos with the dictatorship.

Hontiveros was reacting to a memorandum released by the

DepEd’s Bureau of Curriculum Development (BCD) dated Sept. 6, ordering a change in the nomenclature in the Grade 6 Araling Panlipunan curriculum on the martial law years – from “Diktadurang Marcos” (Marcos dictatorship) to just “Diktadura” (Dictatorship). The move was met with strong opposition from the education sector, students and critics of the martial law years, which were marked with corruption

a taxable profit, which it supposedly willfully did not declare. We are pleased that the court saw through that,” Rappler said in a statement.

Presiding Judge Ana Teresa CornejoTomacruz of the Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 157 issued the court’s decision on Tuesday, eight months after the Court of Tax Appeals dismissed four other tax cases.

The court also dismissed the civil aspect of the case.

“This is one of the five cases... filed by the government in relation to the PDR (Philippine Depositary Receipts) transactions of Rappler. We’re thankful that the court finally dismissed the fifth one and hopefully that’s the end of it,” Francis Lim, Ressa’s

Marcos birthday wish: A better state of agriculture

by HELEN FLORES Philstar.com

MANILA — For his birthday wish, “a better state of agriculture” is top of mind for President Marcos.

The president, who marked his 66th birthday on Wednesday, September 13, concurrently heads the Department of Agriculture (DA), which is struggling to stabilize the supply and prices of rice and vegetables.

Marcos voiced his birthday wish when asked about it during an interview at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) central office in Quezon City. He also expressed hope for a more accurate and timely weather forecasting in the Philippines.

“Also for us to determine what the weather

really is – is it wet season or dry season? – so we can help our farmers,” he said. “That’s my only prayer up to now.” Marcos was scheduled to fly to Singapore on Wednesday to address economic managers and business leaders at the 10th Asian Conference, as well as watch the finals of the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix 2023 this weekend.

While in Singapore, the president will also meet with business leaders to strengthen economic ties and further forge possible partnerships in select industries, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said.

Also on Tuesday, September 12, President Marcos approved a two-year moratorium on the collection of amortization and interest from agrarian reform beneficiaries.

EASING FARMERS’ BURDEN. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (center) signs on Tuesday, Sept. 12 an

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte Philstar.com file photo

PH, US agree on more EDCA...

number of projects in the already approved sites, we have gone from 32 [and] added 63 others,” Aquilino said in a press conference after the meeting.

“[The] United States has identified investment of almost

a hundred and ten million dollars to those sites,” he added.

Malacañang in April announced the approval of four new EDCA sites in Gamu, Isabela; Lal-lo and Sta. Ana town in Cagayan; and Balabac, Palawan.

Meanwhile, there are also

existing EDCA sites located in Palawan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro City.

The EDCA sites are inside the Philippine military bases in which the United States’ forces are allowed to rotate and store defense equipment and supplies. g

DepEd hit for rebranding of Marcos...

and human rights abuses until the elder Marcos’ ouster through the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution. For the critics, this was yet another effort of the Marcos family to burnish their names at the expense of thousands killed, tortured and imprisoned during the late strongman’s martial rule.

“My position has not changed over the years – memory and truth-telling are the cornerstones of justice,” Hontiveros said.

The opposition senator stressed the importance of education in making sure that the country’s dark period in history will not repeat itself.

“An accurate historical record is a guide to a better future. There are things that should not have allowed rebranding to happen,” Hontiveros said.

Removing the Marcos family name in the grade school syllabus for social studies containing the lesson on the Marcos dictatorship was not ordered by President Marcos

nor Duterte, who is concurrent education secretary, according to the DepEd.

Jocelyn Andaya, director of the DepEd’s BCD, said the decision was made through collective discussions among agency executives and insisted that the move did not involve politics amid questions on its timing now that the Marcos family is back in Malacañang.

“We had a very robust discussion about it … a very spirited discussion, and after a while, we had a consensus as to what will be included in the curriculum, what to place and what not place in the curriculum,” Andaya said in an interview on dzBB radio.

“No one ordered this. It was a collective decision,” she added.

Andaya explained that the process of revising or crafting curricula falls solely under the jurisdiction of the BCD, which then gathers experts to validate their proposal. The BCD is an office under the undersecretary for curriculum and teaching.

After it goes through BCD, the proposal is processed in other offices to evaluate the documents, the curriculum guide and the guidelines in delivering the curriculum, according to the DepEd official.

“Tackling issues need to be thematic. The subject is challenges to democracy, so under it, it includes the declaration of martial law, the implementation of the dictatorship, its effects on our democratic institutions such as freedom to legislate, a weakened economy, violations of human rights and ill-gotten wealth,” she said.

“It also includes the fight to end it. So we really just adjusted things… (The Marcos name) may not be in the title of the topic, but it’s in the lessons because, at the end of the day, our learners should be able to think critically about what really were the problems and challenges in the democracy at the time when martial law was declared,” she added.

Andaya said the delivery of the adjusted lessons on the Marcos dictatorship would be pilot-tested.

“It will be implemented now while we are working on a pilot implementation, during which we can see whether it requires major changes,” she added.

Private schools, however, may opt out of renaming the topic as they can go beyond the standards imposed by the DepEd even if they are within its regulation and supervision, according to the Coordinating Council of Private Education Associations (COCOPEA).

Maria Ressa cleared of tax evasion...

PAGE 1

lawyer, told reporters. According to the Philippine Stock Exchange, a PDR is a security that grants its holder the right to the delivery or sale of underlying shares but does not grant ownership rights to the holder. If bought by a foreign entity, it gives the owner the right to all the dividends due the underlying shares.

In 2017, Duterte falsely claimed that Rappler is fully owned by Americans and funded by the Central Intelligence Agency.

In 2018, Rappler Holdings Corp. (RHC) was accused of failing to declare “correct and accurate” information in quarterly sales receipts from the issuance and sale of PDRs worth P2.45 million, which allegedly resulted in a P294,258.58 valueadded tax deficiency. The court found that Rappler did not use PDRs to illegally gain profit and did not act as a dealer in securities.

two other cases: a cyber libel conviction and a Securities and Exchange Commission closure order.

Support For Human Rights Watch, Rappler’s latest acquittal shows once more how the charges were politically motivated.

“The tax evasion cases against Rappler were politically motivated and this verdict vindicates the news organization and its journalists,” Human Rights Watch senior researcher Carlos Conde said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Philippine courts should expedite their ruling on the remaining two cases against Rappler. President Marcos should ensure that legal harassment of Maria Ressa and other journalists ends,” he added.

is seen on an Araling Panlipunan textbook at a school in Quezon City on Tuesday, Sept. 12. A memorandum released by the Department of Education’s Bureau of Curriculum Development ordered a change to the nomenclature in the Grade 6 Araling Panlipunan curriculum on the martial law years – from Diktadurang Marcos’ to just ‘Diktadura.’ Philstar.com photo

“Although, of course, we follow the minimum prescribed curriculum or standards of the DepEd, we have a certain flexibility or discretion to offer u PAGE 3

“The RHC and Ms. Ressa did not violate Section 255 of the Tax Code. The PDR subscription price were not proceeds arising from the sale of the PDRs to NBM (North Base Media) that should have been declared in RHC’s VAT return,” the court concluded.

Rappler is still appealing

“We share this with our colleagues in the industry who have been besieged by relentless online attacks, unjust arrests and detentions and red-tagging that have resulted in physical harm,” Rappler said.

For Sen. Risa Hontiveros, the charges against Rappler originated from the Duterte administration’s legal harassment following the fearless reporting on the brutal and failed war on drugs.

“It is unacceptable in a democracy for more journalists like Percy Lapid to be harassed, attacked or worse, killed,” she said.

“Truth-tellers are often attacked and persecuted by those who weaponize the law to trample on their fundamental freedoms. This is exactly the reason why I filed Senate Bill No. 1593 that seeks to decriminalize libel, which has often been used to gag members of the press,” she added.  (With reports from Janvic Mateo, Cecille Suerte Felipe)

News agency Rappler and Nobel Peace laureate Maria Ressa were acquitted on Tuesday, September 12 in the fifth and final tax evasion charges. Philstar.com photo

A page on the declaration of martial law

API Equity Budget in jeopardy as California...

a more holistic approach to combating hate violence. “We need to tackle the underlying factors — poverty, affordable housing, a lack of good-paying jobs — factors that make people resort to hate,” he said.

In an historic move in 2021, California created the threeyear API Equity Fund, allocating $166.5 million to combat the rise of hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander Community. An additional $40.5 million was allotted last year, and California Governor Gavin Newsom added another $40 million in June. The 2023-2024 allocation for the API Equity Budget was initially set at $10 million. But state legislators and community leaders successfully lobbied for additional funding.

While the community has always faced xenophobia, the rise in hate incidents and attacks has grown to more than 11,500 over the past three years, according to data reported by the web portal StopAAPIHate. Nearly 40 percent of the incidents occurred in California, overwhelmingly targeting women and girls, often on or near public transportation.

Community activists believe the rise in attacks was fueled by former President Donald Trump blaming China for causing the COVID-19 pandemic, and also the U.S.’s increasingly fraught relationship with China.

Anti Asian hate crimes were not a focus of the twoday summit, the largest-ever

gathering in California of AAPI Leadership, which was organized by the California Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus. But several speakers addressed the issue during their formal remarks, and on the sidelines of the meet, in interviews with this reporter.

Senate Vice Chair Dave Min, D-Irvine, is the sponsor of SB 434, legislation that would require the 10 largest public transit agencies in California to collect data on street harassment experienced by transit riders, with a focus on riders from underrepresented communities and those lacking sufficient English proficiency. The measure was passed by the Senate; the Assembly Sept. 8 voted on a third reading of the bill.

The API Equity Fund has allocated funding to the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University to create a survey by December 2023 that can be used by public transit agencies to collect and report harassment data.

California Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus Chair Assemblyman Evan Low

back,” said Lieu, referencing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law on May 20, 2021.

“We are living in two different factual universes, in which one is based on ‘alternative facts,’” he said. “There is more outward expression of hate against minority communities.”

He noted that — even in the progressive state of California — there was a bill prohibiting foreign ownership of land. Texas and Florida, among other states, have floated bills prohibiting Chinese citizens from purchasing land in their states. Florida’s law went into effect July 1, prohibiting Chinese citizens from buying homes or land in the state.

Last year, Sen. Melissa Hurtado, a Democrat from Bakersfield, introduced SB 1084, a bill prohibiting foreign governments from owning land in California. The bill passed the Senate on a 31-0 vote, and a 75-0 vote in the Assembly. Newsom vetoed the bill last September.

DepEd hit for rebranding of Marcos...

additional subjects, topics… that are not necessarily offered to public schools,” COCOPEA

legal counsel Kristine Carmina

Manaog told TeleRadyo Serbisyo.

“We maintain what the private schools think is necessary or appropriate in their curricula.

If that particular detail needs to be retained, then we will follow what private schools adopted as subjects or curriculum,” Manaog added.

Meanwhile, Duterte told memo’s critics that if they have any problems with the changes, they should take it up with experts within the DepEd’s education strand.

In an interview, Min said he would like to see a “modest amount” of the additional funding allocated to public transit agencies to report and collect data for the Mineta survey. “It is important that we understand how often harassment takes place and where, he said, noting that the cost to administer the survey is “not that high.”

Reps. Ted Lieu and Ro Khanna, both Democrats from California, kicked off the second day of the summit Sept. 8 morning, tackling the issue of anti-Asian hate violence head on.

In response to a question, Khanna said: “(former president Donald) Trump is continuing his blaming and shaming, and may continue talking about banning all imports from China. The responsibility is on us to speak up. People must understand that our relationship with Asia defines the 21st century.”

Rep. Judy Chu, D-California, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus

“The greatest challenge the AAPI community faces is the shocking rise in hate crimes, particularly attacking our grandparents, our children. But the community has fought

Rep. Judy Chu, a Democrat from California who also chairs the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, told this reporter: “Trump will not stop himself. He’s got three years of anti-Asian hate violence squarely on his back.”

“The community must be prepared for anti-Asian assaults in 2024,” said Chu. (Sunita Sohrabji/ Ethnic Media Services)

“They can argue with the education experts inside the curriculum and teaching strand of the DepEd because it was they who decided in this direction,” the vice president and education chief told reporters.

Rebranding Dissociating the Marcos family’s name from the dark days of martial law under Marcos Sr. from grade school lessons is the worst rebranding initiative of the current administration, militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said on Tuesday.

In a statement, Bayan president Renato Reyes said the initiative of the administration, through the DepEd, to yank out the Marcos family’s identity in

the title of grade school lessons on martial law should not be accepted by the public.

“The efforts to rebrand the dictatorship points to an apparent long-term plan to entrench the Marcoses in the highest positions of governments, even after the term of Marcos Jr. has ended,” Reyes added.

Bayan and other causeoriented groups will gather at Liwasang Bonifacio on Sept. 21 to commemorate the 51st anniversary of the declaration of martial law and protest the continuing human rights violations, corruption and economic decline under the current administration.

“We will affirm that the dictatorship then was led and made possible by Marcos Sr., and that his family was the principal beneficiary of plunder and concentration of power during this period,” Reyes said, as he urged the public to demand justice and accountability from the Marcos administration.

Reyes also criticized Marcos’ attendance at another F1 race in Singapore during a time that the country remembers the atrocities of his father’s dictatorial rule and extreme economic crisis as the height of sensitivity.

Budget cuts

In another development, professors, students and

employees of state universities and colleges (SUCs) are decrying budget cuts and “unjust” policies in higher education, calling on lawmakers to increase the funding for SUCs instead.

As the House of Representatives summoned the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) again on Tuesday, SUC stakeholders trooped to the Batasang Pambansa to call on lawmakers to address the pressing issues of SUCs instead of slashing their budgets.

University of the Philippines Faculty Regent and Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT)SUCs chairman Carl Ramota lamented that it was unjust for the government to be spending millions in confidential funds next year while more than half of SUCs have less than P20,000 funding per student for one semester.

“The Marcos government wants to slash next year’s budget for SUCs by P7 billion and the CHED budget by P1 billion, a big part of which are for student scholarships and free higher education funds,” Ramota said.

“These proposed P8-billion cuts in tertiary education budget spell grave repercussions to the operations of our already struggling public universities and the already limited enjoyment of the Filipino youth’s right to education,” he added. g

California Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus Chair Assemblyman Evan Low (left) with Reps. Ro Khanna and Ted Lieu, both Democrats from California, and CAPILC Vice Chair Sen. Dave Min, are shown Sept. 8 at the AAPI Leadership Summit. EMS photos by Sunita Sohrabji

DIVING GEARS. Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco visits one of the exhibit booths during the opening ceremonies of the first-ever Philippine

Tourism Dive Dialogue held at Fili Hotel at Nustar in Cebu City on Thursday, Sept. 14. The two-day event

Marcos birthday wish: A better state...

Marcos signed Executive Order 40 during the presentation of the implementing rules and regulations of the New Emancipation Act at the DAR office. The moratorium will be in effect until Sept. 13, 2025. EO 40 renews EO 4, issued by Marcos on Sept. 13, 2022.

“This provides for the moratorium on the principle obligation and interest on amortization payable by the ARB (agrarian reform beneficiaries) to

include even those who are not covered by the new emancipation law,” Marcos said. Marcos signed in July Republic Act (RA) 11593 or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act.

The law condoned a total of P57.65 billion in unpaid amortizations, benefiting 610,054 farmers tilling more than 1.7 million hectares of agrarian reform lands.

Marcos said he wants a whole of nation approach to achieving food security.

“So I urge the DAR with all government agencies to strive for a smooth and immediate execution of this IRR so that our beneficiaries may be freed from the burden of debts and reap the benefits from the land that they tirelessly cultivate, continue to facilitate the delivery of support services to all ARBs,” he said.

Marcos said the completion of the IRR of the New Agrarian Emancipation Act is the best birthday gift he could ever receive. g

Pfizer and Moderna are pushing the new...

But then Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, changed his mind.

‘Duterte has no plans for...

meeting on Saturday night, September 9.

SOAKED. Motorists slow down at a flooded portion of Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City on Tuesday, Sept. 12. A sudden heavy downpour early afternoon caught motorists and pedestrians alike by surprise as weather was fine until noontime. PNA photo by Ben Briones senator in 2025 as has lately been talked about.

Duterte has lately taken the time to do the things which he did not get to do when he was president.

“I’ve been catching up with my sleep lately and I ride my big bike around or outside the city,” Duterte said.

He also lamented that old age, now that he is 78, has been catching up with him so that it limits his movements. “It is old age. Old age catches up with me.”

Meeting Go said Arroyo, through her staff, invited Duterte who was in Manila at the time to an informal

“In the said meeting, former president Arroyo also convinced former president Duterte to become active in politics again,” Go said.

Pictures of the meeting among Arroyo, Duterte, Sotto, Medialdea and Go were sent to reporters.

Go described the meeting as “a simple greeting and happy meeting happened with the leaders who served the people in different positions or capacities during the previous administrations. They looked back on the times they spent together in government.”

The senator said the meeting coincided with Duterte’s medical appointment in Manila. “Tatay Digong and I happened to be together then after I accompanied him to his medical check-up at the hospital, as I used to do with him,” said Go, who served as special assistant to the president during Duterte’s term as mayor and president.

“And since former President Duterte rarely goes to Manila these days, with the help of former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea, former Senate president Tito Sotto also wanted to personally say hello to his friend Duterte,” Go added. g

Members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices won him over to the argument that the vaccine be recommended for all Americans above 6 months of age, he said in an interview. The committee, which sets U.S. vaccination policy and helps determine insurance coverage for vaccines, will vote on the question Tuesday as it weighs the benefits of updated vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. The FDA, the CDC’s sister agency, approved the two booster shots for use on Monday, September 11.

Not all vaccine experts see it quite as Schaffner, a nonvoting liaison representative to the ACIP, does.

“I don’t plan to get it myself,”

said Paul Offit, 72, the director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He’s had two boosters and got COVID last year. Another vaccine might increase his protection against mild infection for a few months, but like most Americans’ immune systems, his is already familiar enough with the virus to protect him from serious disease, Offit believes.

Some of Schaffner’s scientific colleagues argue the government should be recommending the shot only for frail, older, sick, and immunocompromised people. Over 95% of the U.S. population are already COVIDimmunized through vaccination, infection, or both, and the risks of serious illness for healthy younger people are not great.

Schaffner doesn’t disagree. But lots of not-necessarilyvulnerable Americans do want the shot for themselves and their children, and, without a CDC recommendation, insurance companies wouldn’t have to pay for the vaccine.

It’s “pretty awful” that Pfizer and Moderna, the two main COVID vaccine producers, have decided to charge up to $130 a shot, compared with $30 last year for the booster, which was produced under government contract, said Kathryn Edwards, a professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt and a member of an ACIP working group on COVID. (Pfizer spokesperson Amy Rose said the price was “consistent with the value delivered” and reflected higher expenses to provide the shots commercially.)

But a partial recommendation could leave the very groups who suffered most during the pandemic — minorities and other disadvantaged groups — unable to get vaccinated if they want but can’t afford to.

“The last thing we need are financial barriers that would enhance disparities,” Schaffner said.

A 1993 law requires the federal government to pay for childhood vaccines recommended by the ACIP, and more recent legislation requires coverage of adult vaccines within 15 days of an ACIP recommendation.

Pfizer and Moderna continue to make billions of dollars in sales of COVID vaccines, although they are producing fewer doses.

Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel told investors in August that the company expected its global COVID vaccine sales to be $6 billion to $8 billion this year, depending on uptake in the U.S. Pfizer expects about $14 billion this year.

Within a few years, both companies expect to be producing combination vaccines protecting against influenza, COVID, and possibly respiratory syncytial virus. About 170 million flu vaccines were distributed last flu season in the U.S., so a combination product could lock in a large market for COVID vaccines as well.

Despite broad recommendations for the updated COVID booster shot released last fall, only 17% of the U.S. population got it — and about 43% of those 65 and older. How many will get the vaccine this season is uncertain, as is the benefit of the shot. A study of the new Moderna vaccine showed that it increased antibodies to various COVID strains, though it wasn’t clear how much protection against disease it would offer, nor for how long.

The new vaccine is unlikely to be a “game changer,” said John Moore, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College.

For healthier adults and children, “it’s a boost in protection for a few months,” Moore said. Who exactly will benefit most is impossible to predict because the U.S. is “not a cookie-cutter population.” Its people have by now been exposed to a bewildering combination of vaccines, boosters, and different strains of the virus.

Christopher Ridley, a Moderna spokesperson, said the updated vaccine was well matched to current viral strains, adding, “We encourage people to get vaccinated for COVID when they get their annual flu shot.”

Fearmongering has distorted the threat of the virus, Moore

said. He is skeptical of the significance of the recent uptick in COVID hospitalizations, and criticized social media posters who have raised fears about new viral strains that don’t seem to pose any fundamental challenge to the new vaccines.

“Editorial FOMO drove summer surge worries,” Moore said, using an acronym for “fear of missing out.” Despite worrying comments and tweets by physicians such as Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, about a new COVID variant called BA.2.86, “it turned out to be a real nothingburger,” Moore said.

Even Ashish Jha, who coordinated the Biden administration’s COVID response until returning to his post as dean of the Brown University School of Public Health this year, agrees there is some ambiguity in the issue. While he recommends that 20-year-olds get the booster, “a reasonable person” could disagree.

Unfortunately, such discussions in the current environment are clouded by “nonsense and bad information” that causes confusion and hurts people, he said in a recent podcast interview.

Whether truly needed or not, the vaccines, proponents say, are safe enough that even the small benefit of taking them will outweigh the risks. The major, though rare, serious side effect of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines — myocarditis, which particularly affected men in their teens and 20s — appears mainly to have occurred during the first two-shot series.

Paradoxically, those who most need protection from COVID are often likely to have weakened immune systems that fail to generate the hoped-for response to vaccination.

So the vaccine is arguably most relevant for healthy people who come in frequent contact with vulnerable individuals. With that in mind, England has announced the new booster would be offered only to people who are 65 or older, in nursing homes, or immunologically vulnerable — or who work or live with members of those groups.

“Any efforts to promote the new boosters should focus squarely on those at high risk,” said Norman Hearst, a family physician in San Francisco. While recommending the vaccine for older patients, he said he wouldn’t advise a booster for young males because of the rare risk of myocarditis and the negligible benefit. “The question is all the other people in between.”

In a commentary last November, infectious disease doctors Shira Doron and Monica Gandhi said vaccination campaigns should be radically honest about the limited value of vaccines for long-term protection against infection. Such a campaign might advocate vaccinating children because even though it won’t protect durably, “it might prevent the rare case of severe disease.”

Meanwhile, the vaccine makers have their own plans for publicizing the vaccines. In its call with investors last month, Moderna said it was focused on increasing sales and solidifying Moderna’s market share with branded promotion. Its “awareness campaigns” will tout ACIP recommendations and “connect COVID-19 with seasonal flu vaccines with the goal to drive consumers to get vaccinated this fall,” a company official said.

Moderna is co-sponsoring tennis’ U.S. Open this year and aired a video at the event Sept. 8 honoring Arthur Ashe, the only Black man to win Grand Slam titles, whom it credited with helping destigmatize HIV by revealing he had the virus.

The video presentation suggested that Moderna, like Ashe, has done well by being bold. (Arthur Allen/KFF Health News) KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

VP Sara lauds Marcos

by KRistina MaRalit ManilaTimes.net

VICE President Sara Duterte on Monday, September 11 thanked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for vouching the 2022 Confidential Found (CF) given the Office of the Vice President (OVP).

In a statement, Duterte also cited Malacañang, particularly the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES), Defense Secretary Gilberto ''Gibo'' Teodoro Jr., and Marikina Second District Rep. Stella Quimbo for their part in defending OVP's budget.

"I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and to several officials of his administration who stood by the Office of the Vice

Dateline PhiliPPines

for backing OVP budget

President as it faced the storm of attacks on the 2022 confidential fund," she said.

"These efforts are genuinely appreciated because they help counter the lies told by Rep. France Castro and the Makabayan bloc in Congress on the 2022 OVP CF," she added. Duterte thanked Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin for explaining the legal basis of the CF while calling out her critics for insisting that it was in violation of the law.

Bersamin last week said the transfer of P221.424 million CF to the OVP was authorized by Special Provision 1 under fiscal year 2022 Contingent Fund as it authorizes the Office of the President to approve releases to cover funding requirements of

new or urgent activities that need to be implemented.

The president, the Palace executive added, is "authorized to approve releases to cover funding requirements of new or urgent activities of NGA (national government agencies), among others, that need to be implemented during the year."

Meanwhile, Duterte slammed Sen. Ana Theresia ''Risa'' Hontiveros for failing to provide proof "to support their dirty imagination."

"I have believed the lies they peddled to the public will eventually lose their charm and the OVP and DepEd (Department of Education) will persist, be vindicated, and realize their aspirations for the Filipinos and the country," she said. g

Marcos leads father’s 106th birth anniversary rites

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday, September 11 led the commemoration of the 106th birth anniversary of his late father and namesake in their hometown of Batac, Ilocos Norte.

The chief executive said the best way to honor the memory of his father is to "stay true to the passion" of being of service to the Filipino people.

"There is still a lot left to be done," he said in Filipino during the Marcos Day celebration. "What's important is making life better for the Filipinos."

Recalling how the late leader served as his mentor, the president praised the elder Marcos for "the peace and order that he fought and stood for, the development that he inspired our own citizens to build, and the dreams that he left in the hearts of many."

"He remains a true Filipino and Ilocano icon, whose exceptional mind matched the nation-loving spirit that he possessed and he had demonstrated," Marcos Jr. said.

"So, as we remember and pay tribute to his memory, let this gathering serve as a testament to the unwavering pursuit of unity that he so passionately espoused for our people. In his memory, may our actions from this point on be directed by the desire to preserve and share the rich

heritage of our province, of our nation," he added.

He then called on young leaders and government officials to emulate the values, ideals, and vision of his father for the Philippines and the Filipino people.

"It is not necessary for us to hold ceremonies, parades, or the like, to give credit to the efforts and sacrifices of 'Apo Lakay' and those who have gone before him who share a deep and committed love for the Philippines," he said.

The president led a wreathlaying ceremony at the monument of his father, which

was followed by a celebration of a Holy Mass and the launching of the Don Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU)-Philippine Rice Research Institute Rice Paddy Art.

"It was the first state university that my father built.

It was his life-long dream to build a good university for our people here in Ilocos Norte.

And from those beginnings, the research that has come out of MMSU has been exemplary.

Of course, added to that, we also have PhilRice; the PhilRice offices are also here in Batac," he said. (ManilaTimes.net)

by Joan

7 of 10 Filipinos believe PH on right track – survey

by Red Mendoza ManilaTimes.net

SEVEN out of 10 Filipinos believe that the country is still on the right track, a survey conducted in July showed. In the OCTA Research Group-

sponsored Tugon ng Masa from July 22 to 26, 2023, 72 percent of respondents said that the country was headed in the right direction.

Only 11 percent think otherwise, while 16 percent are undecided.

The figure is a 13 percent

decline from the 85 percent reported in the October 2022 Tugon survey and a four percent decline since March 2023. The survey had 1,200 respondents and had a margin of error of plus or minus three percent nationwide. g

Businesses to government: Solve corruption first

by Jenica Faye GaRcia ManilaTimes.net

ENABLERS are the main reason for the persistent corruption in the country, said Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) Conference Committee Chief Executive Officer Alma Rita Jimenez.

"It is not going to be rocket science. But I will just say that it takes two to tango: there is no corruption if we are not going to have corruptors. Two always play the game. For me, it is a systemic problem, but it can be gradually managed if we refuse to be the initiators of corruption," Jimenez told The Manila Times during a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) media briefing. A 2023 PwC survey in partnership with the MAP

revealed that 97 percent of the 157 CEOs in the country said that the government is not performing well in fighting corruption.

It shows no significant difference compared to last year's result of 67 percent of 119 CEOs.

PwC Philippines Deals and Corporate Finance Managing Partner Mary Jade Divinagracia called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to include corruption in the government's prime focus and to develop a stronger policy against it.

"Usually not mentioned in terms of corruption in different speeches during the State of the Nation Address... but the President has always supported the improvement in the ease of doing business," she said.

"For the private sector, if we are able to address that properly or if we streamline the bureaucracy

in government, especially in permits and licenses, I think it will somehow reduce corruption," Divinagracia added. In July, the Philippine-based think tank Stratbase ADR Institute said that curbing corruption would remain one of the biggest challenges of the Marcos administration.

"The government must ensure that it establishes and maintains the right environment to attract investors and actively collaborates with the private sector, both domestic and foreign. Among the simple desires that we hear from them are transparency, accountability and responsiveness — stable policy environment," Stratbase President Dindo Manhit said. "We cannot eradicate corruption, but we should attempt to control corruption," he added. g

SON HONORS FATHER. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. offers flowers at the monument of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. in Batac, Ilocos Norte, on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, in commemoration of his 106th birth anniversary. Malacañang photo

Transparency vs graft

CORRUPTION has become endemic in the Philippines, a fad, and is on the rise in every agency of government, and eradicating the scourge could not be accomplished within a lifetime. This is according to the official mandated to lead the campaign against corruption, Ombudsman Samuel Martires.

Defending the proposed 2024 budget of his office, the ombudsman attributed the problem to the fact that “money becomes power, and if you have power, talagang sikat ka (you are really famous).” He lamented that Filipinos have lost respect for God and themselves.

Editorial

While his assessment is accurate, Martires has courted controversy. For someone who recognizes the seriousness of the corruption problem, critics have been disheartened by suggestions from the ombudsman that go against efforts to promote transparency and good governance.

In September 2021, he had pushed for five years in prison for anyone who would make “commentaries” on the statements of assets, liabilities and net worth of government officials. Martires had barred access to the SALNs even by the media without the approval of his office –a move that critics said went against provisions of Republic Act 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

Although Martires’ move did not stop officials from making public their SALNs, it was used by key public officials to withhold the release of their asset statements since 2017, beginning with then

president Rodrigo Duterte.

This time, Martires wants Congress to stop the mandatory publication by the Commission on Audit of its initial reports on government agencies, ostensibly to prevent public prejudgment of these offices. The COA reports are accessible on its website, and concerned agencies are given a chance to explain issues raised regarding their utilization of public funds. If a country suffers from endemic corruption, transparency should be among the indispensable weapons wielded against the scourge. The suggestions of the ombudsman go against this. It has often been said that those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear. Graft busters have enough problems trying to get past bank secrecy laws that have turned the country into a money laundering haven.

The constitutional body that is supposed to be a vanguard against corruption should be leading the charge against opaqueness in the utilization of people’s money. Martires already has a sound appreciation of the gravity of the problem. Instead of aggravating corruption with measures rolling back transparency, the ombudsman should be part of the solution. (Philstar.com)

THE 2022 elections gave us the very first vice president from Mindanao—Sara Duterte, heir apparent to former president Rodrigo Duterte, another first Mindanawon to be elected to the country’s highest political position.

Sara, however, seemed to have outdone her father in getting more “firsts” to describe her vice presidency. She is the first VP to be given a concurrent position as secretary of one of the most important and well-funded departments in the Cabinet, the Department of Education. Yet, by her own admission, she is not an educator or an education expert. But since her running mate, President Marcos, thought she is a mother, she should know a thing or two about education; ergo, she got the job. This is also the first time that being a mother is a qualification to be an education secretary. There are other firsts to add to her unprecedented record as VP/secretary of education. She is the first to frame education as a national security concern. Is

Commentary

IN my previous column, I set myself up for the difficult task of identifying ways forward amid the current political dispensation, arguing that while we cannot lose track of structural violence that has held back our country, spaces and pockets of reform exist regardless of whoever is in charge.

One place to start is with the president’s campaign promises. As observers pointed out, he was actually quite progressive in some of his views on social issues—at least during the campaign— and his pronouncements can be invoked to advance some belated, badly needed change.

Let me discuss a couple:

Divorce, for instance, remains illegal in the Philippines, notwithstanding the demonstrable harms of the status quo to families, especially

this perhaps a way to somehow fill her longing for the post of defense secretary that was not given to her? This perspective of looking at education makes her believe she is entitled to hefty confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) to do surveillance activities within Department of Education (DepEd) schools and offices. This is another first. No other secretary of education before her got a windfall of a budget allocation for some opaque funds, like the CIF. And it was given to her with nary a whimper of protest from the majority-run houses of Congress. When she defended her budget for CIF as VP for 2024 last week, she had the extraordinary privilege of presenting it without question. After her presentation, House Senior Deputy Majority Speaker Sandro Marcos, the president’s son, put a stop to the interpellation of the Makabayan bloc by saying, “In line with the long-standing tradition of giving the Office of the Vice President parliamentary courtesy, I move to terminate the budget [hearing] of the Office of the Vice President (OVP).”

Two members of the Makabayan bloc in Congress were quite enraged, they were

women and children; harms that then candidate Bongbong Marcos recognized when he said that “there are cases where divorce is called for.” Candidate Marcos also spoke in favor of decriminalizing abortion in cases of rape and incest, and hinted at supporting gender equality and nondiscrimination laws.

He has since stayed largely silent on these issues, but his professed openness to them has contributed to a political climate in which lawmakers and government officials feel free(r) to advocate for them. A divorce bill is making unprecedented progress in Congress and I see no incentive for the president to expend political capital on an issue that a majority of Filipinos are already open to (53 percent of Filipinos support legalizing divorce, according to a 2017 Social Weather Stations survey)—especially if this openness will translate to advocacy and activism.

In the realm of drug policy, the president has acknowledged that there is a need to depart

not even allowed to explain why they voted no to the motion of the president’s son. One of them, Rep. France Castro, was still talking but her microphone was already put off. This was evidence of the lack of courtesy among the majority members of Congress toward their colleagues in the minority bloc. This is also another first associated with the VP and her allies.

But the younger Duterte is also the first to enjoy her own security force as VP.

Past vice presidents were secured and protected by the Vice Presidential Security Detachment. But last June 24, 2022, the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group was created and activated as a separate unit from the Presidential Security Group.

In 2022, the Commission on Audit reported that the OVP engaged 433 security escorts for Duterte in her first year in office. In a statement, the OVP defended the deployment of this huge number of security personnel, by saying that the “security and protection of the VP is a fundamental task that it will inevitably perform … when the vice president and the president face the misfortune of

from Rodrigo Duterte’s punitive regime, and senators as diverse as Risa Hontiveros, Robinhood Padilla, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa have called for drug “decriminalization” (albeit with very different interpretations of what the term means). This is admittedly a more uphill battle than even getting a divorce law, but there is certainly a more conducive environment for drug reforms today than in the time of Duterte.

From my conversations with government officials, I have also learned that many of them actually want some of these reforms but they cannot act motu proprio ; they need the public behind them— especially if they’re up against political and economic powers that be. Lending our voices—as opposed to abstaining because we think it’s pointless—can tilt the discourse. Indeed, I cannot help but wonder if, had the outcry against the continued detention of Leila de Lima been louder and more sustained, she would have been free by now.

having a relationship strained or broken by political differences …” The statement went on to cite the strained relationship that Sara’s father, the former president, had with his vice president, Leni Robredo. If this is so, is the current VP scared of her former running mate, and now the president?

But the extraordinary number of security personnel leaves more questions than answers. A news report noted that this number is a 455 percent increase from the number of security personnel hired during Robredo’s entire term.

Perhaps this is the biggest “first” of VP Sara. Last week, she admitted her office received over P221 million as CF from the Office of the President in December 2022. However, this budget entry was not in the national spending program for last year. This is the first time a very high-level office of the government managed to “squeeze” or divert some funds from the approved budget of 2022 (presumably approved the year before, in 2021), something that lawyer Barry Gutierrez considers illegal and unconstitutional. Gutierrez, together with the Makabayan bloc representatives, also think

At the local level, there is also so much that is being done, including baby steps toward sustainability championed by the likes of Baguio City’s Benjamin Magalong and Iloilo City’s Jerry Treñas. Joy Belmonte’s righteous (and rightful) indignation against Willie Gonzalez, the former policeman who pulled a gun on a cyclist, is a reminder that local chief executives can sometimes take leadership in national issues, especially when Malacañang abdicates from that mandate.

What of ordinary citizens?

In a recent conversation with University of the Philippines Los Baños academics Agnes Rola and Helen Dayo, they reminded me of the case of Majayjay, where residents repudiated their elected officials’ dubious water deal, back in 2014, by voting most of them out of office. Like the activism of the Sibuyanons that has successfully blocked mining on their island (at least for now) and the environmental advocacy of the Palawaños

so. Gutierrez is Robredo’s former aide.

When people earn several “firsts” in their careers, they are usually applauded and given citations or awards. Not so with this one. The VP’s many “firsts” speak volumes of how positions of power are blatantly used to normalize corruption

that’s at the heart of protecting what’s left of their island’s forests, the case of Majayjay shows that far from dead, civil society is very much alive, especially in issues that people actually care about. If there is any effort on the part of the opposition to learn from the 2022 elections and build a broader coalition, these issues must be at the core of building something that eschews fandoms and espouses a longterm political movement.

But for such spaces to be claimed, there must be recognition that electoral outcomes are not the only political outcomes that matter. Better officials are highly desirable (we can surely do without vexatious intelligence funds and power-tripping appointees), but better laws, better policies, better programs are better than nothing—and we do not need to wait for 2028 to fight for them.

We can already demand for these policies and programs. We can already support nongovernmental

and further reinforce executive impunity. (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.

* * * Comments to rcguiam@gmail.com

organizations and people’s organizations who are doing good work. We can support— both now and in 2025—local officials who show signs of independence and innovation. And we can support journalists, academics, and activists who facilitate these initiatives by exposing good and bad practices alike. There must also be a recognition that claiming these admittedly limited spaces is impossible without issues-based (as opposed to personalities-based) coalitionbuilding. If we can somehow muster the same enthusiasm for some key issues as for the candidates we fervently supported, we may yet achieve something; perhaps not victory, but at least, progress. (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.

* * * glasco@inquirer.com.ph

from

PH may import rice all the way from Argentina

by Michael Punongbayan Philstar.com

MANILA — Amid the high prices of rice in the country, the Philippines is looking at importing the Filipinos’ staple as far as from South America.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Santiago Andres Cafiero, Argentina’s minister for foreign affairs, international trade and worship, considered the possibility of the importation during their meeting at Palacio San Martin in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, September 13.

A press statement released to the media on Thursday, September 14 said the ministers “also looked into the possibility of the Philippines importing rice from Argentina,” but provided no other details.

Thailand and Vietnam are the top two sources of imported rice in the Philippines this year, with the country’s current rice import now at 2.33 million metric tons – 4.46 percent from Thailand and 89.85 percent from Vietnam.

Manalo is currently undertaking a historic visit to Buenos Aires upon the minister’s invitation to commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Argentina.

The United States Department of Agriculture, in its latest “Grain: World Markets and Trade” report, projected that Philippine rice importation will reach 3.8 million

metric tons in the marketing year 2023-2024, overtaking China as the world’s top importer of rice – a projection that rice watchdog Bantay Bigas blamed on President Marcos.

It said that while the while the country’s importation would balloon, that of China will drop to only 3.5 million MT.

“President Marcos should be held accountable as he is the main proponent why the Philippines is now considered as top rice importer while continuing the killing of the local agriculture industry,” said Bantay Bigas spokesperson Cathy Estavillo on Thursday.

“Since his assumption in office, importation always comes out from Marcos’ mouth as he even pleaded to other countries for imported rice despite the country’s ability to produce rice,” Estavillo added.

She noted that Marcos failed to develop the local palay production due to a lack of comprehensive program in pushing for national food security and the country’s self-sufficiency.

“Despite the harvest in October, another 500 million MT of imported rice from India will arrive,” Estavillo said as she noted that Marcos also sought a five-year rice supply agreement from Vietnam, which”means that the flooding of imported rice will persist.”

Blame economic managers

Meanwhile, former agriculture secretary Emmanuel Piñol on

Thursday blamed the economic managers for the country’s dependence on rice imports.

“It is a very hurtful development.

The mere fact that the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is here, we have our own research body for rice but now we are the biggest rice importer when we have enough land. This is a symbol of the wrong beliefs of our economic managers – that our farmers have no capacity to produce more,” Piñol said.

He claimed that economic managers resorted to importation in the belief that the country does not have enough area to plant palay to ensure sufficiency in rice supply when there are at least 4.9 million hectares planted with palay, which gives an average production per hectare of four metric tons.

“Is it possible that we can increase the production in these areas? Yes, because right now in Nueva Ecija, the normal yield is at 10 tons per hectare. You increase the productivity of the farmers by simply using good seeds, high yielding seeds, enough irrigation, correct fertilization, reasonable farmgate price to motivate the farmers to plant more and of course mechanization,” Piñol stressed.

Piñol also reiterated the need to amend the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) or Republic Act 11203 to return the powers of the National Food Authority (NFA).

“The NFA has no power to inspect warehouses, it is now being done by the Bureau of Customs. But, you have to understand the inspection will be limited to imported rice (and) does not cover the locally procured rice being hoarded by traders,” he said.

He added that the promise of the RTL proponents that the retail prices of rice would go down by P7 per kilo simply did not materialize.

“Former president (Rodrigo) Duterte was convinced to approve the RTL because that time, (Finance) secretary (Carlos) Dominguez said the prices will go down if the RTL is approved. Of course that did not happen. Right now, the rice industry is controlled by the rice cartel. It (RTL) should be amended. The government cannot give up on the control and supervision of a very important staple food, eaten by Filipinos and allow the rice cartel to manage rice,” Piñol reiterated. (With reports from Bella Cariaso)

Over 20 Chinese ships spotted anew in West PH Sea

by Franco Jose c. Baroña ManilaTimes.net

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Command (Wescom) has monitored dozens of Chinese maritime militia vessels in areas covered by the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

In a report issued on Thursday, Sept. 14, the AFP Wescom said the Chinese militia ships were sighted during aerial patrols on September 6 and 7.

Based on the report, 23 Chinese militia vessels were observed in Rozul (Iroquios) Reef, five in Escoda (Sabina) Shoal and two in Baragatan (Nares) Shoal.

"The increased presence of

(Chinese fishing vessels) raises concerns regarding the potential implications for Philippines' maritime security, fisheries conservation, territorial integrity, and preservation of the marine environment. These activities have been a source of tension in the WPS and have contributed to instability in the region," the Wescom said. g

Padilla bill seeks to give CHR ‘more power’

MANILA – A lawmaker has filed a bill adding more power to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) by expanding its structural, organizational and functional independence.

In filing Senate Bill No. 2440, Sen. Robinhood Padilla said the measure also guarantees full fiscal autonomy to the CHR, "to ensure prompt, immediate, and unrestricted discharge of its functions."

"Regarded as a 'toothless tiger,' the Commission has endured its limitations in rightfully carrying out its mandate within its jurisdiction. Hence, it is imperative to further strengthen its mandates, powers, and functions and clearly establish its cardinal role in cultivating a culture of human rights culture in the country," the bill read.

Under the bill, the CHR will have full authority to act on a complaint or motu proprio, in all cases of human rights violations; and vests it with the power to issue injunctive reliefs and legal measures. Its independence shall

be respected and upheld, even as appropriations for it shall not be reduced and shall be automatically and regularly released.

"A just and democratic country cannot be attained without a truly independent national human rights institution. Today, more than ever, we need a more active CHR, one that is not strapped to the task of investigation or cannot recognize violations of human rights other than those involving civil and political rights.

We need a CHR that can address the challenge of protecting and promoting the human rights of all, especially the vulnerable, the disadvantaged, and the marginalized sectors of society," Padilla said in a statement.

He noted that the CHR will be regarded as a national human rights institution, in accordance with the Principles Relating to the Status of National Institutions (Paris Principles) and other UN resolutions and instruments.

Padilla's bill allows the CHR to provide safety to witnesses and

human rights defenders under threat, and to implement and manage a witness protection service.

The CHR shall develop and implement a human rights information campaign program for the public; and establish a Human Rights Institute (HRI) for the promotion and education of human rights and related fields and shall serve as a training institute for investigators, prosecutors, justices, judges, lawyers and other human rights workers.

The CHR is mandated to render a legal assistance program for underprivileged victims of human rights violations; and prepare and make public an annual report on the findings of its monitoring activities.

The measure also moves for the protection and promotion of human rights of Filipinos abroad, in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Migrant Workers, or deputized Philippine embassy or consulate officers. (PNA)

at a rice mill warehouse in Bocaue, Bulacan on

ELIGIBLE BENEFICIARIES. Micro rice retailers of Marikina City have their documents verified before claiming their PHP15,000 financial subsidy from the national government on Wednesday, Sept. 13, as ordered by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to cushion the impact of the mandated price cap. Under Executive Order 39, regular milled rice should be sold at a maximum PHP41 per kilo and well-milled rice at PHP45. PNA photo by Joan Bondoc

VEGAS&STYLE

Paris welcomes Daily Malong at 2023 Fashion Week

PARIS – Daily Malong, a name in the Filipino fashion industry, is proud to announce its presence at 2023 Paris Fashion Week, where it will introduce its vibrant new collection, Rooted and Current. This is in preparation for Daily Malong’s rebrand transition set to release in October 2023 reflecting the team’s commitment to celebrating and promoting indigenous weaving from the Philippines, a belief passionately held by its founder, Lydia Querian inspired by rivers and mountains from her research journey to the communities.

Under the tagline “Indigenous is the Future,” Daily Malong is set to launch its latest collection, “Rooted and Current.” This innovative line is harmoniously informed by a blend of ancestral knowledge and modern fashion trends, resulting from extensive research conducted amongst indigenous and weaving communities in the Philippines.

“Rooted and Current” encompasses a creative

and wearable line, bringing contemporary relevance to the timeless beauty of Filipino indigenous weaving from many different ethnolinguistic groups. Each piece in the collection, from intricate weaves to bold embroideries, tells a unique story, drawing deeply from oral tradition and innovation. This collection is more than just a fashion statement – it’s a celebration of cultural heritage and a testament to the inspiring fusion of past and present.

“Daily Malong’s mission is to bring the indigenous cultural inspiration from the Philippines to the global stage,” said Lydia Querian, founder of Daily Malong and the driving force behind Karayan. “Through ‘Rooted and Current,’ we hope to offer a fresh perspective on fashion, one that respects and draws from our ancestral knowledge while staying in tune with modern trends.”

Paris Fashion Week attendees will have the opportunity to experience firsthand the

effortless elegance of Daily Malong’s collection at Le Salon des Miroirs on September 29 and 30. The brand invites everyone to join them in their journey of exploring the beauty of indigenous Filipino culture and its significant role in shaping the future of fashion.

Daily Malong is a BIPOC and Filipinx woman-owned fashion brand with a powerful purpose. Its team of creatives is on a mission to empower indigenous communities in the Philippines, sharing their legacy of ancestral knowledge with Filipinx diasporic communities across the globe.

Founder Lydia Querian spearheads its vision, driven by the resounding belief that “Indigenous is the future.” In her steadfast dedication, Lydia envisions a world where the invaluable practices of indigenous communities are woven into the fabric of the future. By marrying the timeless wisdom of the past with the opportunities of the

Digitally-restored Home Along Da Riles kicks off tribute for Dolphy

by Kane errol Chua Philstar.com

FOR several decades, and even today, the comedic genius of the Philippines’ King of Comedy, Dolphy, has continued to bring laughter and joy to millions of Filipinos across generations through his funny antics, witty humor, and lovable persona that never fail to tickle a funny bone.

And as a fitting tribute to the King of Comedy, the Film Development Council (FDCP) is launching the third installment of its Philippine Film Industry Month with the theme “Tuloy ang Tawanan” with Dolphy himself as the face of this month-long celebration.

The festivities kicked off with a screening of the digitally-restored version of Home Along Da Riles Da Movie, courtesy of ABS-CBN Film Restoration. The event reunited the cast of the sitcom made into movie, namely Claudine Barretto (as Bing), Vandolph Quizon (Baldo), Boy 2 Quizon (Estong), Smokey Manaloto (Bill), Gio Alvarez (Bob), and Nova Villa (Aling Ason), among others.

Present at the screening was Sagip Pelikula head Leo Katigbak, who emphasized the importance of preserving Dolphy’s legacy by restoring and remastering his cinematic works, especially for today’s younger audiences.

“From the beginning, we have always wanted to restore a lot of Dolphy’s works because I feel that despite him being known as the King of Comedy, the younger generation may not know him well, especially through his timeless films and TV shows that resonated to audiences of all ages,” Leo shared.

“I saw the restored works of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin.  Isang tingin ko pa lang noon, si  Dolphy  agad ang pumasok sa isip ko. He is in that league, and he is indeed world-class. Unfortunately, not much of his works survived for the younger generations to appreciate him even more,” he added.

Leo then recalled instances of the continuous clamor to hail Dolphy as a National Artist, highlight-

Dolphy, the country’s King of Comedy is featured in the third installment of Film Development Council’s Philippine Film Industry Month with the theme ‘Tuloy ang Tawanan.’ The festivities begin with a screening of the digitally-restored version of his Home Along Da Riles Da Movie, where he plays the iconic character Kevin Cosme, courtesy of ABS-CBN Film Restoration. ing that restoring his works is vital in strengthening his candidacy for the prestigious honor and further cementing his legacy as the King of Comedy.

“A part of the criteria for the national honor is that there is a body of work that survives. For us at Sagip Pelikula, if there’s a push to make him a National Artist, we make sure that his works that define him as the King of Comedy should still be around,” Leo noted.

To date, ABS-CBN Film Restoration has restored eight of his films spanning five decades, with the scanned and enhanced version of The Graduation (1969), Captain Barbell (1973), Omeng Satanasia (1977), My Juan En Only (1982), John En Marsha ‘85 Sa Probinsya (1985), Home Along Da Riles Da Movie (1993), Markova: Comfort Gay and Daddy O, Baby O! (2000).

Dolphy’s Home Along co-stars also expressed gratitude for ABSCBN’s efforts to preserve his legacy for today’s audiences and for future generations seeking to learn the roots of Philippine entertainment.

“Ang saya-saya kasi ang sarap balik-balikan ‘yung mga nagawa niya noon in color and high definition. Napakalaki ng effort  na ginawa ng ABS-CBN  kaya’t maraming, maraming salamat sa kanila at sana lahat ng pelikulang luma ma-restore,” Smokey shared.

Meanwhile, Dolphy’s grandson, Boy2 Quizon, also thanked

ABS-CBN for continuing to re-air his works on various platforms. Through these efforts, Filipino audiences today can share Dolphy’s legacy of bringing laughter to their future children or grandchildren, and further highlight how his shows are anchored towards our culture and timely family values.

“It’s nice  na ma-restore lahat ng ito, lalo na sa mga kabataang hindi nakaabot na mapanood ang mga palabas niya. It’s a matter of showcasing the core values of family. ‘Yung iba kasi napanood na nila, nakikita pa rin nila through various digital platforms, meron pa tayong Jeepney TV, Cinema One, etc. Parang lumalabas muli si Tatay Dolphy,” he said.

Today, many actors and comedians seek to emulate and continue Dolphy’s lifetime of laughs shared with millions of Filipinos. However, restoration plays a significant role in preserving his works, ensuring that valuable lessons and hearty laughter are passed down from one generation of viewers to the next.

(Kapamilyas can watch more restored versions of ABS-CBN’s comedy titles in FDCP’s monthlong celebration of Philippine Film Industry Month. Catch Here Comes the Bride on Sept. 13; Ang Tanging Ina, Sept. 26; and Daddy O, Baby O!, Sept. 28 for free at the Rizal Open Air Auditorium and all of FDCP’s Cinematheques.)

present, Daily Malong stands as ambassadors of traditions, protectors of the environment, and champions of change.

Every piece of clothing Daily Malong creates is made with handwoven indigenous textiles serving as a living testament

to the resilience of the diverse weaving communities across the Philippines. These textiles, when donned today, bear the weight of history and the narrative of ancestral lineages across the Philippines. They bridge generations, offering both

wearers and weavers a profound connection that transcends time. Through this connection, we navigate the challenges of societal adversity, work towards climate preservation, and endeavor to restore balance to our environment.

‘A Very Good Girl’ to be released in US on Oct. 6

Film stars Dolly de Leon, Kathryn Bernardo

ABS-CBN announced on Tuesday, September 12 that its latest film, ‘A Very Good Girl’ to be released in United States theaters on Friday, October 6. The film stars Golden Globe Award and BAFTA Award nominee Dolly de Leon (“A Triangle of Sadness”, “Verdict,” “Historya ni Ha”) and Asian Box Office Superstar Kathryn Bernardo (“Hello, Love, Goodbye” and “Barcelona: A Love Untold”).

Directed by Petersen Vargas and written by Marianne Mancol, Daniel Saniana and Jumbo Albano, “A Very Good Girl” features two self-made women and follows them as they navigate their lives around each other. After a heartless firing triggers a chain of unfortunate events, Philo (Bernardo) plots a meticulous revenge against retail mogul, Mother Molly (de Leon), aiming to dismantle her empire and seize the ultimate payback. This time, there is no mercy. This marks ABS-CBN’s continued commitment to making Filipino content accessible on a global scale. This also celebrates the 30th anniversary of Star Cinema – a film studio, film & television production company, and film distributor based in the Philippines. The official U.S. trailer of ‘A Very Good Girl’ can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=jFfzQYNY0AE.

ABS-CBN Corporation is a media and entertainment organization in the Philippines. The company is primarily involved in the production of entertainment, feature films, news and information, and audio content for domestic and international audiences. ABS-CBN produces content and distributes its programs, feature films, and music on different platforms such as cable and satellite TV, domestic free TV through various partnerships with local broadcasters and third-party digital platforms, as well as traditional box-office releases. ABS-CBN also distributes content through its streaming service, iWantTFC, and through coproduction and syndication agreements with international streaming platforms, broadcasters and cable and satellite programmers. Related businesses include artist and talent management

as well as concerts and events. Star Cinema, also known as ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc, is the foremost Filipino film production and distribution outfit. Star Cinema is currently celebrating its 30-year anniversary. The company, founded in 1993, has produced more than 200 films in various genres, all of which are geared to suit the preferences of Filipinos of all ages and walks of life, wherever they may be in the world. ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc. aims to deliver quality film entertainment to the Filipino moviegoer while strengthening market leadership, profitability, and internal organization.

Celeste believes Michelle will win Miss Universe crown

by HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net

CELESTE Cortesi has faith that Michelle Dee will take home the Philippines’ fifth Miss Universe crown in the upcoming pageant that will take place in El Salvador in November.

Cortesi expressed her support for the crossover beauty queen during a brief interview with reporters at the Preview Ball black carpet.

"Of course, I believe in her. You know that she’s been preparing so hard since we were batchmates. I really believe in her,” she said when asked about Dee’s upcoming participation in the global tilt. Dee was named as Miss Universe Philippines Tourism during the Filipina-Italian stunner’s coronation in 2022.

The Kapuso star then advised Dee to “believe in herself” in the upcoming pageant, as she hoped that the Miss Universe title would be back in the country’s hands.

“I think she just needs to believe in herself and just have fun during the competition,” she said. “For me, I would be more

than happy to finally see the Philippines winning Miss Universe. Good luck to her.”

Comfort is key Cortesi, who was wearing a sexy Chris Nick halter gown during the event, told entertainment media that while she “can wear anything,” she prefers to stay “comfortable during her off-days.”

"I can wear anything. But on a regular day, I would wear sneakers and a hoodie and jeans. I want to be very comfortable,” she said.

“I know you see me as very glam but in my everyday life, when I’m not wearing all of this, I would rather wear my sneakers and hoodies. I just want to be comfortable,” she added.

Photos courtesy of Daily Malong

wacky Cosme family

Dolphy with Claudine Barretto, Vandolph Quizon, Smokey Manaloto, Gio Alvarez, Dang Cruz and Nova Villa

Celeste Cortesi and Michelle Dee

Photos from Instagram/@celeste_cortesi, @themissuniverseph

WE continue to make it easier for you to access our programs and benefits. Our website offers a convenient way to apply for benefits online. Here are 5 ways you can apply for benefits using ssa.gov.

• Retirement or Spouse's Benefits – You must be at least 61 years and 9 months and want your benefits to start in no more than 4 months. Apply at www.ssa. gov/retirement.

• Disability Benefits – You can use our online application, available at www.ssa.gov/ benefits/disability to apply for disability benefits if you:

• Are age 18 or older.

• Are not currently receiving benefits on your own Social Security record.

• Are unable to work because of a medical condition that is expected to last at least 12 months or result in death.

• Have not been denied disability benefits in the last 60 days. If your application was recently denied, our online appeal application is a starting

point to request a review of the determination we made. Please visit www.ssa.gov/apply/appealdecision-we-made.

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) – SSI provides monthly payments to adults and children with a disability or blindness who have income and resources below specific financial limits. SSI payments are also made to people age 65 and older without disabilities who meet the financial qualifications. If you meet certain requirements, you may begin the process online by letting us know you would like to apply for SSI at www.ssa.gov/ssi.

If you do not have access to the internet, you can call your local Social Security office to make an appointment to apply.

• Medicare – Medicare is a federal health insurance program for:

• People age 65 or older.

• Some people younger than 65 who have disabilities.

• People with end-stage renal disease or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

• If you are not already receiving Social Security benefits, you should apply for Medicare 3 months before turning age 65 at www.ssa.gov/medicare.

• Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Costs – The Extra Help program helps with the cost of your prescription drugs, like deductibles and copays. People who need assistance with the cost of medications can apply for Extra Help at www.ssa.gov/ medicare/part-d-extra-help. Please share this information with those who need it. (Annie Walters/Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in Nevada)

Succession planning: The cornerstone of family business legacy and prosperity

IN family enterprises, a sobering truth prevails: With each generational transition, the odds of a company’s survival diminish. This fact isn’t mere conjecture; it’s a hard-earned lesson observed in countless family businesses worldwide. In this article, we delve into the pressing importance of succession planning for family businesses, exploring its impact on longevity, wealth preservation, and overall business health.

The unpredictable urgency of preparedness

In the fast-paced world of business, we often become ensnared in the pursuit of growth and success, sometimes neglecting the harsh reality that life can throw unexpected curveballs our way. These curveballs, as we’ve seen, aren’t limited to health-related issues; they can manifest as freak accidents, unforeseen events, or even the insidious threat of an unknown virus, as vividly exemplified by the story of a couple in their early 60s.

What was initially expected to be an idyllic getaway

transformed into a frantic race against time. While enjoying a European vacation, the founder suddenly fell victim to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, vomiting, and an unrelenting fever. What followed was an urgent hospitalization, intubation, and grim advice from medical professionals. Miraculously, survival was granted, but it came at an exorbitant cost— his active deal-making role was forever altered, and a oncevibrant leader deeply engaged in the family business was now confined to a wheelchair, incapacitated. Two crucial business lessons

This poignant narrative underscores two crucial lessons for businesses. Firstly, it highlights the inherent unpredictability of life. For family enterprises, it serves as a stark reminder that success isn’t solely measured by sales, expansion, and growth; it also hinges on preparedness for the unexpected. In this light, a robust succession plan becomes more than just a strategy; it becomes a lifeline. It ensures business continuity, mitigates

Las Vegas-Clark County Library District teams up with Cox Communications to provide free Cox WiFi to 50,000 qualified households

WITH the swipe of their library card, thousands of Southern Nevadans can now get FREE Cox WiFi access through an innovative program from the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District and Cox Communications.

risks, and safeguards the legacy and prosperity of the enterprise, even in the face of life’s harshest uncertainties.

Secondly, it underscores the paramount importance of proactive preparedness. This readiness is akin to building one’s own Noah’s Ark, enabling a family business to weather life’s unpredictability with resilience and foresight.

The transformative power of succession planning

Imagine a scenario where adversity strikes with relentless force, as exemplified by the sudden incapacitation of the business founder mentioned above. This time, however, armed with a meticulously crafted succession plan, the family’s preparedness shines through. It not only ensures the business’s survival but empowers it to thrive and endure in the face of adversity. It epitomizes the indomitable spirit of readiness, a strategic fortification that steels the business against any eventuality.

In this narrative of unpredictability, a well-prepared succes-

The program, funded by a $3.8 million grant from the federal Emergency Connectivity Fund, part of the American Rescue Plan, will enable 50,000 low-income residents to use their library cards to borrow a User ID and Password from participating Las Vegas-Clark County Library District branches. The user ID and Password provide free access to the Cox WiFi hotspot network on up to three devices until June 30, 2024. Each User ID and Password can be used on up to three devices. To qualify for the program, customers must:

• Be age 18 or over

• Have a valid, full-service Las Vegas-Clark County Library card. Library cards are available to Clark County residents at the customer service desks of all Las VegasClark County Library branches. (Library District Instant eCards cannot be used for this program.)

• Not currently have internet access to meet educational and/ or employment needs

• Supplies are limited for the Cox WiFi User IDs and Passwords and are available to check out on a first-come, first-served basis.

“Our mission at the Library District is to contribute to the elimination of the digital divide,” said Library District Executive Director Kelvin Watson. “Access to connectivity and technology

Kelvin Watson, Janet Uthman, Steve Westerman should be a right that is available to everyone, and access in the home is especially important as children head back to school. This partnership with Cox Communications is another example of how public libraries are creating powerful programs using public funding to erase barriers and unlock opportunity.”

The FREE Cox WiFi Program is available only at these participating Las Vegas-Clark County Library District branches where Cox service is available: Centennial Hills Library, Clark County Library, East Las Vegas Library, Enterprise Library, Meadows Library, Rainbow Library, Sahara West Library, Spring Valley Library, Summerlin Library, Sunrise Library, West Charleston Library, West Las Vegas Library, Whitney Library, and Windmill Library. Please visit TheLibraryDistrict.org for locations and hours.

“Strategic partnerships

with organizations such as the Library District are essential to Cox and our commitment to ensure digital access for all,” said Cox Las Vegas Market Vice President Janet Uthman. “The Library District’s ‘Get Connected” program, which enables free access to Cox’s extensive WiFi network across the valley, is an important step. Another is the Federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program that has already helped thousands of lowincome residents in Southern Nevada receive home internet, often at no cost.”

Cox’s virtual WiFi hotspot network has more than 14,000 locations in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area and is available in all Cox serviceable areas. For residents who live in areas without Cox service, the Library District has WiFi hotspot devices available for check out with a valid library card.

CLV Councilman Brian Knudsen, Janet Uthman, Congresswoman Susie Lee, Kelvin Watson, Sonia Joya NV Gov Lombardo

THE resurgence of COVID-19 in the form of its new strains, XBB.1.5, EG.5, FL.1.5.1, and the highly mutated BA.2.86 (Pirola), with 18,871 hospitalized from August 27 to September 2, 2023, and a death rate of about 700 per week in the United States, a 10.5 percent increase from prior weeks, prompted Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna to come out with a monovalent vaccine (by September 14) to target the dominant XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariants, following FDA advisory panel recommendation in June. All previous vaccines, including the bivalent boosters, are no longer authorized in the United States. The new vaccine appears to be effective also against EG.5 and FL.1.5.1, and possibly against the BA.2.86 mutant.

“The updated vaccines –approved for people 12 years and up and under emergency authorization for kids 6 months to 11 years of age – can be used for primary series or booster vaccinations, and with this new action,” according to CDC.

According to the FDA, “people 5 years and older can receive a single dose of the updated mRNA vaccines at least 2 months since their last dose of any COVID vaccine, and 3 months following a COVID-19 infection.

“For kids 6 months to 4 years, those who have been previously vaccinated will be eligible for one or two doses of the new products, depending on how many previous doses they have received. Those currently unvaccinated can receive three doses of Pfizer's vaccine or two doses of Moderna's vaccine.

“Under the new approval, primary series vaccinations in people 12 years and older for Moderna and Pfizer's products call for a single dose (down from two doses).”

As expected, “the CDC recommends the updated boosters for older adults and other vulnerable groups –such as immunocompromised individuals and those with established medical conditions placing them at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19 – though it’s less clear how forceful recommendations will be for younger, healthy populations.”

The number of new cases, hospitalization, and death rates are still very significant. Let us be safe, get vaccinated and utilize masking and do social distancing, and avoiding crowds. Even those fully vaccinated or have had previous COVID-19 infections are not guaranteed to be immune from these new strains. Covid-19 deaths are up 10.5 percent!

The new vaccine

Coconut oil: Unhealthy In my newspaper articles since the early 1980s, I have pointed out that coconut oil is NOT a healthy oil, not even a healthy food item, although I love its taste in many recipes.

An old study at the University of the Philippines claimed coconut to be “essential for health,” but several studies, including this latest one, suggest otherwise.

The recent laboratory findings revealed that “coconut oil disrupted mice’s ability to use leptin and insulin, two critical hormones, with insulin resistance being a primary characteristic of type 2 diabetes.” Instead of saturated oils like coconut oil or oil from animal fats, especially from pork, nutritionists recommend unsaturated or polyunsaturated oil, like extra virgin oil, avocado oil; sesame, flaxseed, walnut oils, the healthy oils.

Coconut oil “alters the metabolism, leads to obesity, disturbs our ability to properly use leptin and insulin, two vital hormones that regulate energy expenditure, hunger, and how the body handles fats and sugar,” which the new study reconfirms. Saturated fatty acids consumption leads to leptin resistance also. Coconut oil also increases LDL (bad cholesterol), according to the American Heart Association. It is worse than butter, lard, and other animal-derived fats.

Coconut oil produced a central and peripheral inflammatory response, weight gain, a higher percentage of fat, reduced energy expenditure, and anxious behavior, suggesting a systemic imbalance.” (Journal of Functional Food).

Diet warning

There is no longer any doubt that diet affects our health, our entire body from head to toe, and our longevity. There was a time when everyone thought physical exercise was more important in our overall health and well-being. People started to reduce caloric intake and concentrated more on physical exercises. Several recent peerreviewed studies have shown that diet is a greater factor in our well-being and life span, physical exercise is a close second. The combination of the two is superior.

While low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets was the trend the past three or more decades, new research in Japan revealed that “consuming too little (less than 40 percent of their daily calories from) carbohydrates and fats can shorten one’s lifespan.”

More specifically, “men who eat too few carbohydrates daily may increase their risk of dying (all-cause mortality); men who got more than 35 percent of calories from any kind of fat were at a higher risk for cancer and cardiovascular mortality;

and, women who consume insufficient quantities of fat may have a marginally higher risk of all-cause mortality and cancer-related mortality… women who got more than 65 percent of their calories from carbohydrates were at a higher all-cause mortality risk, and those consuming more saturated fats decrease their risk of all-cause and cancer mortality,” reports the new study of 34,893 men and 46,440 women, ages 35-69, from Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan, published in The Journal of Nutrition.

Warning: Before Americans and others take the wrong message from the above findings, let it be clear that these conclusions may not apply to peoples of other nations. Future studies involving the West and other countries are needed to confirm or negate these surprising but interesting findings.

As far as dining discipline is concerned, as it relates to health, well-being, and longevity, I follow the advice of our former medical school professor and friend, Dr. Fe del Mundo, worldrenowned pediatrician from the Philippines, one of the first women admitted for graduate work at Harvard School of Medicine in the mid-30s, who was practicing pediatrics in a wheelchair up to age 94 and who died at almost 100 yearsold: She told my pediatricianwife, Farida, and me, that her secret to health and longevity was “leaving the table less than full.”

* * *

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

* * *

The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health.

* * *

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

Succession planning: The cornerstone...

sion plan transcends its conventional role as a mere document.

It metamorphoses into a lifeline, a steadfast cornerstone of business continuity, and a vigilant protector against unforeseen risks. Most profoundly, it is a guardian of the cherished legacy and prosperity that family enterprises hold dear. This shield safeguards them from the ferocity of life’s most relentless storms.

In conclusion, as family businesses navigate the intricate terrain of entrepreneurship, it’s imperative to recognize that preparedness is not a sign

Las Vegas volunteers launch global campaign o ering message of hope

AT a time when the desire for better government is on the minds of people the world over, Jehovah’s Witnesses will launch an international campaign to bring attention to a universal solution. The Witnesses will feature a special edition of The Watchtower magazine, available in over 780 languages in print and online, with the theme “What Is God’s Kingdom?” Local volunteers from Las Vegas, Nevada, will distribute this special-edition magazine during the month of September.

“I am excited to share in this campaign because I know it can bring so much comfort and hope to others,” said Michelle Baker, a resident of Las Vegas. “The world is facing greater problems every day, [and] people need a government that they can trust to solve these problems. God’s government is the solution to the problems.”

Throughout the centuries, millions of Jesus’ followers have prayed the words “thy Kingdom come” but wonder what that Kingdom is, what it will accomplish and when it will come. To answer those age-old questions, the Witnesses’ specialedition magazine will reference key Bible passages. The clear and simple explanations have been designed to appeal to both new and experienced Bible readers.

“God’s Kingdom is the government we are longing to see,” said Tory Jaramillo, spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “The commission from Jesus Christ was to share the good news about that Kingdom and

how it will benefit all communities by providing real solutions to environmental, medical, and social issues. Understanding exactly what the Kingdom will do is expounded upon in this special issue of The Watchtower.”

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jehovah’s Witnesses distributed millions of copies of this special-edition magazine through letters, even sending copies to thousands of government officials worldwide. Now that they have returned to their door-to-door public ministry

post-pandemic, this will be the first in-person campaign where they will have the opportunity to discuss the important and very timely subject with their neighbors.

A free digital copy of this special issue of The Watchtower, as well as information about the activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses, is available at jw.org. The Witnesses’ site offers practical Bible-based content for people of all ages and beliefs in 1,081 languages. For more information call, 718-

Elder abuse: Combating injustice

by ANNIE WALTERS Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in Nevada

of pessimism but a hallmark of prudence. Succession planning transcends mere administrative tasks; it evolves into a dynamic strategy, a fortress that strengthens the business’s foundations, secures its legacy, and ensures a resilient future. Ultimately, it serves as a strategic investment in the enduring success of the family business, an unwavering bulwark against the unpredictable ebb and flow of life’s tumultuous tides.

Catch the succession planning webinar this September

To mark the beginning of

your transformative journey, founders and family members should listen and participate in our upcoming inaugural webinar series, “Stewardship + Succession + Wealth = Legacy: A Family Guide to Building and Sustaining Your Wealth.” The series, scheduled for September 16, 18, and 19, promises invaluable insights into safeguarding your family business for generations to come. Seats are very limited, so we encourage you to secure your slots now by calling Doms at 09178981493 or emailing him at dlagco@wbadvisoryasia. com.

ELDER abuse is the intentional mistreatment or harming of an older person. An older person is defined by the Social Security Act as someone over age 60. This abuse takes many forms –including physical, emotional, and sexual harm, neglect, and financial exploitation. More than 1 in 10 older adults experience some form of abuse each year. That number is likely much higher because elder abuse is often underreported– especially in underserved communities.

Abuse victims typically show emotional and behavioral red flags, such as depression, unusual fear or anxiety, or intentional isolation. Many victims are abused by someone they know or trust. It’s important to look for unusual changes in behavior around:

• Family members.

• Staff at inpatient facilities.

• Hired or volunteer caregivers.

• People in positions of trust like doctors or financial advisors. You can also help make a difference by checking in with

older loved ones. Looking for warning signs of mistreatment is the first step to preventing abuse. Signs of physical abuse include bruises, burns, or other unexplained injuries.

There may also be signs of neglect like:

• Poor nutrition or hygiene.

• Lack of necessary medical aids like glasses or medications that a caretaker should be providing.

There may also be indications of financial abuse. These may include:

• Unpaid rent.

• Sudden changes to a will.

• Unusual changes in money management.

• Large, unexplained financial transactions.

• Mortgages despite sufficient financial resources.

• Allowing someone new to access bank accounts.

If you suspect that someone is a victim of elder abuse, don’t ignore it! If you or someone you care about is in a life-threatening situation, call 911. If you suspect that something isn’t right – but nobody seems to be in immediate danger – contact:

• Your local Adult Protective

EMPLOYMENT SERVICES SERVICES

Services at www.napsa-now.org/ help-in-your-area.

• The National Center on Elder Abuse at 1-855-500-3537 (ELDR).

You can also find additional local resources by searching the Eldercare Locator for your community at eldercare.acl.gov/ Public/index.aspx. Take some time to call or visit with an older adult. Ask if they are okay and listen to what they tell you. Pay attention to signs of abuse or unusual behavior. Most of all, don’t be afraid to report instances of suspected abuse. Please share this information with those who need it.