091523 - New York New Jersey Edition

Volume 16 - No.47 • 16 Pages

We’ve got you covered from Hollywood to Broadway... and Online! SEPTEMBER 15-21, 2023 133-30

Pfizer 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.

u PAGE 3

PCG gets P250 million training facility from US government

by

THE United States has turned over to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) a P250million facility in Bulacan province that will help enhance its capability to address maritime challenges by training its personnel on navigation, law enforcement, and ship

maintenance.

PCG deputy commandant for administration Vice Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan and US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson led the ceremonial turnover and blessing of the facility at the PCG’s Fleet Training Center of Excellence in Balagtas, Bulacan, on Monday, September 11.

“The building serves as an important

instrument for the enhancement of the capabilities of our sailors, which will fortify the PCG’s mandate,” Gavan said.

The two-story building covers 3,900 square meters and includes classrooms, laboratories, equipment rooms, dining facilities, a galley, offices, a technical library, and workstations.

Maria Ressa cleared of tax evasion charges

NOBEL Laureate Maria Ressa and Rappler Holdings Corporation (RHC) were acquitted by a Pasig Regional Trial Court, over charges of tax evasion.

The latest court ruling now acquits both Ressa and RHC of all tax evasion charges that were slapped against them during the time of then president Rodrigo Duterte.

The Pasig RTC cleared Ressa and RHC of the case involving their supposed failure to declare tax in 2015.

Ressa’s lawyer, Francis Lim, said that Pasig City RTC Branch 157 acquitted

‘Morocco-like quake could kill 34,000 in Metro Manila’

by beLLa cariaso Philstar.com

MANILA — At least 34,000 fatalities and 114,000 injuries are expected in case an earthquake similar to the one that struck Morocco hits Metro Manila, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said on

Monday, September 11.

Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol issued the warning following the magnitude 6.8 temblor in Morocco, which killed more than 2,000 people.

by charie abarca Inquirer.net

MANILA — Senator Francis Tolentino said the Senate’s special panel on maritime and admiralty zones is aiming to craft a Philippine map that will counter China’s 10-dash line claims.

“[We are] trying to craft our own map. This is a response to the ten dash line so we can’t finish this in one hearing,” Tolentino told reporters in a press conference on Wednesday, September 13.

The panel’s first hearing will be conducted on Thursday, September 14 where lawmakers

DepEd told: Stick to historical facts on ‘Diktaduryang Marcos’

by neiL Jayson servaLLos Philstar.com

The West Valley Fault is already ripe for another major earthquake, according to Bacolcol. u

under the new Matatag curriculum. Yanking out the Marcos family’s identity from the grade school lessons on Ferdinand Marcos’ dictatorship is distortion and sabotage of truth about one of the darkest periods in Philippine history, the teachers’ organization said.

“Ferdinand Marcos Sr. ruled the u PAGE 3

MANILA — The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) on Monday, Sept. 11 condemned the Department of Education (DepEd)’s directive to change “Diktadurang Marcos” to simply “Diktadura” in the Grade 6 Araling Panlipunan syllabus

ASIA SUMMIT. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. invited foreign businesses to invest in the Philippines as he emphasized that the country is open for business and is ready to partner with them in shaping a brighter future for everyone. Marcos said in his keynote address at the 10th Asia Summit Fireside Chat on Wednesday, September 13 in Singapore that despite high inflation and global market instability, the Philippine economy grew by 7.6% last year, the fastest rate of growth recorded by the country since 1976, when his father was the sitting president.

Malacañang photo

Frances Mangosing, Jacob Lazaro Inquirer.net

Nobel Laureate and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and her online news outfit have been acquitted by the Court of Tax Appeals for all four charges of tax evasion cases filed against her.

Photo By Mike De Juan

DepEd told: Stick to historical...

Philippines with an iron fist, suspending civil liberties, suppressing dissent and committing numerous human rights violations during his regime,” ACT chairman Vladimer Quetua said in a statement.

“To reduce his oppressive rule to a mere “Diktadura” is a disservice to the countless victims of his dictatorship and an affront to the pursuit of historical accuracy and truth,” he added.

While DepEd has yet to comment on the memo, a supposed copy surfaced in digital spaces over the weekend.

Dated Sept. 6, 2023, the agency’s Bureau of Curriculum Development memo stated that the directive was made after an “arduous” review and revision under the scrutiny of experts, a review of stakeholders and, allegedly, public consultations.

The measure was met with strong opposition from the education sector, students and critics

PCG gets P250 million training facility...

“This building and the training it will facilitate mark an important advance in the (PCG’s) ability to safely operate and maintain [its] assets that preserve maritime safety, protect the marine environment, enforce maritime laws, and defend Philippine sovereign rights in the waters around the Philippines, including in the West Philippine Sea,” Carlson said, adding that the facility was also designed to train vessel operations and maintenance for the 12 multirole response vessels from Japan.

The facility “took many years” to complete due to a change in location and delays brought by the pandemic, Carlson noted.

who believe that 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 dictator’s martial rule.

“DepEd bears a solemn responsibility to provide students with an accurate and comprehensive understanding of their country’s history. By attempting to sanitize and whitewash the term ‘Diktadurang Marcos,’ it is failing in its duty to promote critical thinking and historical consciousness among Filipino youth,” Quetua said.

“We call on DepEd to immediately retract this directive and ensure that the Grade 6 Araling Panlipunan Curriculum accurately reflects the historical truths of the Marcos dictatorship. We urge them to uphold the principles of truth, justice, and accountability in teaching history, crucial for the development of informed and responsible citizens,” he added. n

Bigger budget

Lawmakers have also promised to help the PCG boost its capabilities, with Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri saying on Tuesday that senators were unanimous in calling for an increase in the proposed 2024 budget for the agency, especially amid the ongoing tension with China in the West Philippine Sea.

Speaking at the briefing on the Department of Transportation’s proposed budget, Zubiri gave the PCG the Senate’s commitment to increase its budget,

PCG commandant Adm. Artemio Abu admitted to senators that the proposed budget of P24 billion was “too little” as they needed to hire an additional 4,000 personnel and buy law enforcement and security remote-controlled weapon systems and handguns.

Earlier on Monday, Carlson also led the christening and commissioning ceremony for two Cyclone class patrol vessels—the BRP Valentin Diaz and BRP Ladislao Diwa—given by the United States to the Philippine Navy.

Meanwhile, top military officials of the Philippines

and the United States will visit three sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) on Wednesday ahead of an annual meeting.

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. and US Indo-Pacific Command head Adm. John Aquilino will be joined by Carlson during the visit to Lal-lo Airport and Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta. Ana, Cagayan, two of the newly added Edca sites facing Taiwan, and Basa Air Base in Pampanga, one of the five original Edca sites where a 2,800-meter runway worth $24 million is being constructed.

—with a report from Melvin Gascon n

Senate panel to craft PH map in...

are set to tackle the establishment of maritime zones.

Tolentino, who also sits as the chairperson of the said panel, said they also invited resource persons from Beijing University.

“[W]ala pang nag oo. [Pero] gusto rin natin makita yung views nila e, diba? Kung ano yung – bakit cinaclaim nila ito. Gusto natin malaman sa kanila mismo kung bakit gumawa sila ng ten dash line. Hindi naman pwedeng tayo tayo lang nung nag meeting doon, diba? Gusto rin natin makita yung punto de vista nila nang sa ganon yung gagawin nating batas e angkop sa tinatawag ng panahon, the call of the times,” said Tolentino.

([N]o one has confirmed their attendance yet. [But] we also want to hear their

views, right? What is it – why do they claim it? We want to know why they made a ten dash line. We can’t be the only ones in the meeting. We also want to know their point of view so that the law we will make is appropriate to the call of the times.)

This all comes amid China’s territorial claims over nearly the entire South

China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea which is well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

China’s newly-released standard map now asserts, through a 10-dash line, that its territory extends through Taiwan and India’s northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin region. n

CHECKING. A buyer inspects the quality of rice at a retailer at Mega

Mart in Quezon City on Monday, Sept. 11. Under Executive

that took effect

well-milled rice should be sold for no more than PHP45 per kilo and regular milled rice at PHP41. PNA photo by Joan Bondoc

AMERICA’S GIFT. United States Ambassador MaryKay Carlson on Monday leads the turn over to the Philippine Coast Guard of the Balagtas Technical Training Center in Bulacan province. Photo courtesy of U.S. Embassy Inquirer.net photo

including funding for development projects in the Kalayaan Group of Islands.

Students of the Marikina Elementary School in Marikina City attend a two-hour class orientation before the formal school opening on Aug. 23, 2023. The STAR / Walter Bollozos

‘Morocco-like quake could kill...

“The last time it moved was in 1658. Based on our study, the recurrence interval is between 400 and 600 years. If we will base the 400 (years), 1658 plus 400 years, that would be around 2058. So we do not expect it to be exact – by 2058, it could be earlier or it would be after – but the closer we are, the higher the possibility that a magnitude 7.2 earthquake will happen,” Bacolcol explained.

Under a magnitude 7.2 temblor, intensity 8 is expected to be felt in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, the Phivolcs said.

“Ground rupture is possible in Marikina, Pasig, Makati, Quezon City, Taguig, Muntinlupa as well as the provinces of Bulacan and Laguna,” Bacolcol said.

The projected death toll was part of a study conducted in 2004 by the Japan International

Cooperation Agency on preparedness for a 7.2 earthquake or “the Big One” along the West Valley Fault.

“Our basis of casualties was based on the number of collapsed buildings, the population, the stability of the houses and the intensity of the shaking,” Bacolcol said.

He said the extent of the damage from a 7.2 quake would depend on the distance from the epicenter.

“If you are near the epicenter, the damage is more on residential areas and medium-rise buildings,” Bacolcol said.

He said the country needs to be prepared for the Big One.

“We need to have necessary preparations even if the quake’s epicenter is near or far. We have to develop an emergency plan,” Bacolcol said. n

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

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 COVID-immunized 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 notnecessarily-vulnerable 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

ENHANCED CAPABILITY. The christening and commissioning ceremony of the BRP Valentin Diaz (PS-177) (left) and BRP Ladislao Diwa (PS-178), formerly US Cyclone patrol vessels, is held at the Philippine Navy headquarters at Naval Station Jose Andrada, Roxas Boulevard, Manila on Monday, Sept. 11. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the two Alvarez-class patrol ships are welcome additions to the Navy’s littoral fleet in order to pursue a more robust position in defending sovereign rights in the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone and other jurisdiction of the Philippines. PNA photo by Yancy Lim

Pfizer and Moderna are pushing...

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.

Maria Ressa...

PAGE 1

both her client and RHC of violation of Section 255 of the National Internal Revenue Code (Tax Code).

It will be recalled that in November 2018, the Duterte Administration had accused Ressa of failing to declare “correct and accurate” information, with regards to their quarterly sales receipts, with the issuance and sale of RHC of their Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDR) worth P2.45 million.

According to the accusation, it resulted in a value-added tax deficiency of P294,258.58.

It is said to have not included the surcharge and interest, to the damage of the

As losses soar, new phishing scams use text, AI

by seLen ozturk Ethnic Media Services

SCAMMERS are now using texts and AI to steal passwords, accounts and Social Security numbers as the newest methods of an increasingly lucrative fraud practice called “phishing,” the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported in a media briefing it presented with EMS.

Ben Davidson, an attorney with the FTC Division of Marketing Practices for over a decade, described phishing as “an attempt to steal the consumer’s information, personal information, financial information, passwords,” often in the form of an email-based attack involving, for example, someone “claiming to be from Microsoft or attaching an invoice.”

Although these text- and AI-based innovations are on the rise, the practice of phishing itself is not new. American hackers coined the term as early as 1996, when it appeared in the hacking newsgroup alt.2600. The word derives — with a “ph” substituted for “f,” in homage to the first form of hacking known as phreaking — from “fishing,” analogizing the scam with the practice of throwing “hooks” into a sea of internet users.

Rising losses

As reported losses rise, these forms are evolving and intensifying, particularly in the case of text-based and AIenhanced phishing.

The top-reported forms of fraud this year have been imposter SCAMS, with losses to business imposters more than tripling from $196 million in 2020, to $453 million in 2021, to $660 million.

Reports of imposter fraud

— in which the scammer claims an affiliation with, say, the government, a company, or a loved one in order to convince the consumer to provide personal or financial information — are over twice as common as online shopping, which is the second-most-reported form, followed by prizes, then investments, then job or business opportunities.

Text and AI-based fraud

The FTC has particularly seen a rise in text-based forms of fraud: in 2022, “text message was the leading contact method for fraud complaints,” Davidson said. “That was the first time we saw that from all the ways that fraudsters contacted consumers.”

Text phishing scams often take one of five forms: bank impersonation (the most popular), free gift texts, fake package delivery, fake job recruitment, and texts purportedly from Amazon.

The most unique and elusive development in the rise of phishing losses, however, has been AI-based fraud, most often in the form of family emergency scams.

government.

A PDR is a form of a security, which gives the holder rights to the delivery or the sale of shares of stocks. It is usually not any evidence of ownership of any corporation.

Last January, the Court of Tax Appeals had likewise acquitted both Ressa and RHC of four tax evasion charges, after the prosecution had failed to prove them guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

Ressa, 59, is out on bail when she was convicted in 2020 for cyber libel.

To this day, she said that the cases were politically motivated. (by Francis Earl Cueto/ManilaTimes.net) n

Although fraud reports themselves have fallen over the last few years, said Davidson during the Sep. 1 briefing, “the amount that consumers report losing is going up — so there may be fewer frauds, but they’re more harmful and consumers are losing more money.”

Per the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network, the first half of 2023 saw 1.1 million fraud reports (compared to over 2 million in 2022), with consumers reporting a total $4.4 billion loss.

The highest losses overall are due to scammers contacting people through social media, by which $658 million was reported lost in the first half of 2023. The highest losses per person owe to scammers contacting people through phone calls, by which a median of $1,400 per reporting person was lost.

In these, said Davidson, the scammer uses AI technology to clone the voice of a victim’s family member with a 30-second sound file (often obtained through social media), and call the victim while impersonating this family member: “‘Hi Grandpa, it’s me. I’m in trouble. I need money.’ They say they’re in jail and need money to be bailed out, or they’re traveling abroad and they lost their passport and need money for a plane ticket. Maybe they’re in a car accident … There’s always an emergency. The skimmer also often says ‘Please don’t tell anyone, my parents will be mad at me’ ‘My spouse will be disappointed.’”

“The consumers we talked to who later realized that the person they were speaking with was a scammer and not a loved one a really jarring

UNDER THEIR UMBRELLA. Two classmates have fun on their way home from Marcelo H. Del Pilar Elementary School in Quezon City despite the inconvenience of a sudden downpour on Tuesday, Sept. 12. The weather will become more unpredictable once El Niño makes its presence felt by the last quarter of the year.

PNA photo by Joan Bondoc

Features OpiniOn 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.

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

Commentary

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.

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 VP’s many ‘firsts’

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 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

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

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Dateline philippines

‘Duterte has no plans for politics’

by edith regaLado Philstar.com

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 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 meeting on Saturday night.

“In the said meeting, former president Arroyo also convinced former president

VP Sara lauds Marcos for backing OVP budget

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.

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.

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. —

Cecille Suerte Felipe n

Congress seeks creation of West Philippine Sea Authority

MANILA — Amid calls for a focused and more organized handling of West Philippine Sea (WPS) affairs, a lawmaker has proposed the establishment of a “West Philippine Sea Authority” under the Office of the President.

In his House Bill 9027, Parañaque City Rep. Gus Tambunting said the “specialized authority” would be dedicated to the “protection, management and sustainable development of the maritime resources and territories within the WPS.”

The proposed body would also be instrumental in

“upholding the Philippines’ sovereign rights, protecting its maritime resources, and contributing to regional stability and cooperation,” he said.

“This proposed act seeks to address the complexities and challenges associated with the WPS by outlining a clear framework for the establishment and operation of the West Philippine Sea Authority,” he added. He said the West Philippine Sea encompasses a significant portion of the country’s exclusive economic zone and “holds vital economic, environmental and strategic importance for

the Philippines.”

The creation of such body, he said, has become more urgent with China’s heightened aggressiveness in asserting its claim in waters and land features within Philippine territory.

He cited the Chinese’s repeated attempts –using water cannons and dangerous maneuver – to stop Filipino vessels from delivering supplies to a military outpost on the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

Tambunting said his proposed legislation is aligned with the 2016

“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 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

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. n

Former president Rodrigo Duterte Presidential Photo / Roemari Lismonero

Congress seeks creation of...

landmark ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration which affirmed the Philippines’ maritime entitlements and invalidated China’s expansive maritime claims.

Senators, meanwhile, are inclined to approve a bigger budget for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), which has figured prominently in tackling China’s provocations in the West Philippine Sea.

“We have good news. The Senate is one and united that we will assist your budget this coming budget hearing. We will increase your funds (for 2024) whether confidential or intelligence funds or funding that will properly equip you for your needs in the WPS and protection all over our country,” Senate President Juan Miguel said on Tuesday, September 12 at a public hearing of the Senate committee on national defense chaired by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada.

He lauded PCG officers and personnel for sacrificing their lives “to keep our men secure and safe in the West Philippine Sea.”

The PCG wants an additional allocation of P1.307 billion for next year. Its budget for this year amounts to P21.9 billion.

“You (PCG) are doing your job, we will do our job. That is the most important. I will be meeting with the Coast Guard, Navy, Army and military on their wish list to help you. Whatever political

affiliation we are from, majority or minority, we are united to support you,” the senate president said.

He also expressed appreciation for the support of the U.S. and other allies for the Philippine position on the South China Sea issue.

“We can’t do it alone, we need help from allies. We welcome American help. Australia, Japan, South Korea and the European Union – they have offered help, not only in terms of equipment, but also in economic assistance. They know another country can have us hostaged,” he said in Filipino.

Like Zubiri, Estrada said the country should accept offers of assistance from other countries.

“Let’s use and accept, whether we admit it or not, we need help from friends. Given our defense circumstance now, we are not in a position to refuse. If our allies U.S., New Zealand, Australia, Japan and South Korea give us something, let’s accept it,” he said.

Also on Tuesday at the hearing on the budgets of the PCG and other agencies attached to the Department of Transportation (DOTr), PCG commandant Admiral Artemio Abu said the Coast Guard’s proposed P24.019 billion next year “is really not enough for us to do what is expected of us in doing the functions of the Coast Guard all over the country.”

“The Coast Guard is

adhering to the direction of the President to have a sustained and continued presence in the West Philippine Sea, and that’s over and above the traditional functions of the Coast Guard in addressing maritime incidents, in conducting patrol missions, not only in West Philippine Sea, but all over the archipelago,” Abu said.

Abu said the PCG would also need a “conservative” P144-million intelligence fund from its current P10million allocation that has remained unchanged since 2009, P600 million for fuel requirements and P563 million for retrofitting, dry-docking, repair and maintenance of PCG vessels.

“Among the DOTrattached agencies, I think the one most active in putting their lives on the line is the PCG,” Zubiri said, as he asked Abu to provide the Senate his “wish list” for the Coast Guard.

DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista said the executive only approved P24 billion of PCG’s request of P70 billion for next year.

“We welcome any increase in the PCG’s budget for the acquisition of floating and air assets. The PCG only has small vessels for its floating assets, the biggest at only 97 meters. It needs more floating vessels to fulfill its mandate to protect the maritime assets of the country,” Bautista said.

(Philstar.com) n

As losses soar, new phishing scams use...

experience,” he added.

Avoiding fraud

Although AI-based fraud is often more difficult to spot than other forms due to its efficacy, Davidson recommended that those receiving an emergency call from a loved one use “a challenge question to make sure that the person you’re talking to really is who they say they are. It doesn’t need to be anything as fancy as a password arranged ahead of time. If I asked my wife, tell me something about

me and convince me you’re you, it should be easy for her to do: ‘What are our kids’ names?’ ‘Who’s our next door neighbor?’ ‘What did we have for dinner last night?’”

A “false sense of urgency” is common to phishing scams more generally, he continued, and to avoid them he advised that consumers look for grammatical errors or strange phone numbers and emails; ask themselves if they expect financial or personal disaster in lieu of an immediate response; block unwanted messages; use

multifactor authentication on all possible accounts; independently verify messages by contacting the company the scammer is impersonating; and report the fraud.

“As a consumer protection lawyer … I see fraud everywhere,” Davidson said. “If there is an extraordinarily urgent and someone calls you and asks for money,” taking these measures and “asking these sorts of questions to make sure you’re talking to the person that they claim is a really good idea.” n

The VP’s many ‘firsts’...

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 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 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 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 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.

* * *

CARAVAN OF SERVICES. The Philippine Statistics Authority-Davao Region Statistical Services Office conducts a grand caravan of services and exhibit at SM City Davao on Tuesday, Sept. 12 in time for its 10th anniversary. The two-day fair offers services such as mobile registration for civil registry documents, Philippine identification card registration and electronic-Phil ID printing.

PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.

COMMUNITY JOURNAL

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

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

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

better life for their family.

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

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

During their consultation, Atty. Gurfinkel informed

FROM TWO (2) TO 14 – HOW THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE OF A COUPLE PAID OFF AND CHANGED THE LIVES OF THEIR WHOLE FAMILY, ON AN ENCORE SUCCESS STORY ON CITIZEN PINOY THIS SUNDAY! When Dad Romeo (standing, left) and Mom Connie (standing, 2nd from right) came to the U.S. to visit in 1994, they did not know that they would not be returning to the Philippines for a very long time. Friends convinced them to stay and find work in America to support their five children, whom they left behind. It was a sacrifice that was heart-wrenching for any parent to bear, but they tried to focus on the end goal of being reunited in the U.S. When their previous lawyer said that they could not get their youngest since he had aged-out, Mommy Connie insisted they see leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel, who had a similar successful case on Citizen Pinoy. Atty. Gurfinkel was able to deliver and bring the youngest three children and their families. The family of two, Romeo and Connie, has now grown to 14, and Atty. Gurfinkel is working on bringing the rest of the clan to the U.S. Watch this success story on an encore of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, September 17 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. (Advertising Supplement)

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

Health@Heart The new vaccine

PhiliP

S. Chua,

mD, faCS, fPCS

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 PfizerBioNTech 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!

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,

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 wellbeing. People started to reduce caloric intake and concentrated more on physical exercises. Several recent peer-reviewed studies have shown that diet is a greater factor in our wellbeing and life span, physical exercise is a close second. The combination of the two

“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.

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.

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 years-old: She told my pediatricianwife, Farida, and me, that her secret to health and longevity was “leaving the table less than full.”

* * *

Success story: Parents’...

PAGE 11

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

Since then, Atty. Gurfinkel also worked on Rina’s (5th from left) employment petition, and in 2019, Rina arrived in the U.S. with her husband and their children.

Atty. Gurfinkel also worked on Karen’s (2nd from left) family petition. She arrived in November 2022, together with her two children.

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

Gurfinkel is committed to keeping that promise. To this day, he is working on bringing the rest of the Padlan family to the U.S. From the original two members, Connie and Romeo, the family has now grown to 14 members who now reside in the U.S., living the American Dream. Watch this success story on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, September 17 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app. (Advertising Supplement)

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 allcause 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,

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

* * *

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

* * *

Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He was a recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, conferred 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.

it his mission to “Bring

Maris Racal, Ruffa Gutierrez, Agot Isidro join cast of DonBelle teleserye ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’

By hannah MaLLorca Inquirer.net

MARIS Racal, Ruffa Gutierrez, and Agot Isidro are among the celebrities joining the cast of Belle Mariano and Donny Pangilinan’s first

teleserye “Can’t Buy Me Love,” which will premiere in October.

Rowell Santiago, Albie Casiño, Kaila Estrada, Joao Constancia, Nova Villa, Celeste Legazpi, Karina

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

Atty. Gurfinkel (standing, 3rd from left) makes

Families Together.”

Maris Racal, Ruffa...

Bautista, Vivoree Esclito, and Darren Espanto are also confirmed to be part of the teleserye, as seen in a cast reveal video uploaded on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel last Monday, Sept. 11.

“Gulatin ang mga beshy, mag surprise cast reveal! Take a glimpse sa script reading ng cast ng ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ (Surprise your best friends with a cast reveal! Take a glimpse at the script reading of the cast of Can’t Buy Me Love),” the video’s description read.

Racal, Isidro, Santiago, Casiño, Estrada, and Costancia are seemingly related to Mariano’s character Caroline

Succession planning: The cornerstone of family business legacy and prosperity

Tiu, as they noticeably share the surname.

On the other hand, the backstory behind Gutierrez’s role is yet to be revealed although she was seen asking how Mariano’s character was in the video.

“Can’t Buy Me Love” was first confirmed in ABS-CBN’s omnibus trailer in December 2022, where Pangilinan will star as Bingo Rivera while Mariano will take on the role of Caroline Tiu.

The Mae Cruz Alviarhelmed series will be the DonBelle loveteam’s first teleserye following the success of their past projects “He’s Into Her,” “Love is Colorblind,” and “An Inconvenient Love.” n

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 healthrelated 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 once-vibrant 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 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 succession 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.

(From left) Maris Racal, Ruffa Gutierrez, Agot Isidro. Photos from Instagram/ @mariesteller, Instagram/@iloveruffag, Instagram/@agotisidro

Savoring wellness: ‘We Cook Filipino’ puts heart health on the menu

by MoMar G. Visaya / AJPress

HEART disease, a pervasive concern in Filipino-American communities, serves as the poignant backdrop to Jacqueline Chio-Lauri’s culinary odyssey. Her upcoming book, “We Cook Filipino: Heart-healthy Recipes and Inspiring Stories from 36 Filipino Food Personalities and Award-winning Chefs,” was born from a deeply personal place.

Jacqueline’s own family history of heart ailments, coupled with her husband’s battle with chronic hypertension, set the stage for a transformative approach to cooking.

“I was afraid my heart would stop while I was sleeping. I’m not the only one with this anxiety,” Jacqueline reveals. “In adulthood, my husband was diagnosed with chronic hypertension, which reawakened my anxiety. To manage it, I focused on something I could control—my cooking, and making sure the food I prepared at home helped manage, if not reverse his condition.”

She found herself on a mission to prove that Filipino cuisine, often criticized for its rich and flavorful dishes, could be both delicious and heart-healthy. The belief that food should nourish not just the body, but the spirit, lies at the core of her culinary philosophy.

“I don’t remember one meal when there wasn’t a vegetable dish and fruits on the table,” Jacqueline recalls, reminiscing about her Lola’s teachings on having a balanced diet.

This foundation, rooted in balanced nutrition, became the guiding principle for her culinary exploration.

To address the prevailing concern of heart disease in Filipino-American communities, Jacqueline sought to bridge the gap between delectable Filipino fare and heart-healthy living. She delved into extensive research, collaborating with Dr. Youssef Roman and others from Virginia Commonwealth University. Together, they authored an academic paper addressing the health disparities among Filipino Americans.

“The fact that cultural cuisines like Filipino food are not represented enough in health and wellness gives the false impression that they are not

adds. “I wanted to create this book to give us a nudge to take care of our hearts and well-being (we Filipinos are good at taking care of others but often suck at taking care of ourselves), and to show that we can do so without giving up the food we love or the food we grew up on because Filipino food can be as delicious and healthy as we want it to be.”

As anthologist, editor, and lead author of “We Cook Filipino,” Jacqueline brings together a diverse array of contributors, each waving the Philippine flag in their own corner of the globe. From James Beard Awardees to Michelin Star recipients, they collectively present a mosaic of perspectives that showcase the adaptability and potential of Filipino cuisine.

“This beautiful book is filled with stories and recipes from the heart, that are good for your heart too,” praises Food Network and PBS food show host, Ellie Krieger. “It is a moving and meaningful showcase of how delicious and healthful Filipino food can be.”

The book’s power lies not just in the 51 recipes featured, but in the stories that accompany them. Contributors share what brings them joy, even in the face of personal struggles, underscoring that emotional well-being is as vital to heart health as a balanced diet.

Among the chefs and food personalities who contributed their heart-healthy Filipino recipes were 2023 James Beard Awardee Margarita Manzke, two-time Michelin Star Awardee Roger Asakil Joya, IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) award-winning writer Liren Baker, James Beard Award 2022 finalist Carlo Lamagna, James Beard Award 2023 nominee for Journalism Jennifer Fergesen, Bocuse d’Or World Championship finals representative William Mordido, IACP Food Photography

Vegan Bicol Express

(Spicy Squash and Jackfruit Stew in Coconut Milk)

By Francis sibaL

Some believe that Bicol Express, a creamy, fiery pork stew, has its origins in a Bicolano vegetable dish called gulay na lada (vegetable with chili peppers). Legend has it, however, that the birthplace of Bicol Express is actually Manila, and that it is named after the train that plies the tracks between the nation’s capital and the Bicol region. The recipe below is a vegan version of Francis’s mom’s original spicy pork belly Bicol Express. He’s made some changes by using healthier ingredients, and langka (jackfruit — a widely grown fruit in the Philippines and a widely used meat substitute worldwide) instead of pork. He says the flavor of this dish takes him straight back to childhood!

PREPARATION TIME: 50 minutes

YIELD: 6 servings

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 large yellow or white onion, diced small

2 cups (480 ml) low-sodium vegetable stock

3 cups (720 ml) light coconut milk

2 20-oz (600 g) cans young jackfruit, rinsed, drained and cut into cubes

2 lbs (900 g) kabocha squash, chopped into ½-inch cubes

2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster/stir-fry sauce or 4 tablespoons coconut aminos

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 lb (500 g) green beans, cut about an inch long

10 Thai bird chilies, sliced on the bias (reduce if you don’t want the dish very spicy)

1 bunch green onions, finely chopped, for garnish

PAGE

14

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers

2. Add the garlic and onion, stirring. When the onion is transparent, pour in the vegetable stock and coconut milk. Stir. Leave to boil uncovered for about a minute. Lower the heat to medium.

3. Add the jackfruit. Stir then cover. Leave to simmer for about 15 minutes.

4. Stir in the squash, stirfry sauce or coconut aminos, and pepper.

5. Simmer uncovered for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half, stirring once in a while.

6. Stir in the green beans and the chili. Turn the heat

to low. Simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes, or until the beans are the desired texture.

7. Garnish with the green onion and serve with half a cup of cooked rice per serving.

PER SERVING WITH RICE CALORIES 420KCAL FATS 21.17G

SATURATED FAT 5.37G

PROTEIN 9.45G

CARBOHYDRATES 51.34G

FIBER 6.63G

SODIUM 524MG

SUGARS 10.86G

*Reprinted with permission from WE COOK

FILIPINO by Jacqueline Chio-Lauri, Tuttle Publishing, 2023, ISBN: 978-0-8048-5466-5.

*Photo © Rezel Kealoha

Vegan Bicol Express... PAGE 14

finalist Rezel Kealoha, James Beard Award semi-finalists Amormia Orino and Paolo Mendoza, among others.

“We Cook Filipino is the health and culture vision I have dreamt about as a Filipino-American preventive cardiologist,” Dr. Kyla Lara-Breitinger, MD, MS, Preventive Cardiologist at Mayo Clinic, affirms. “It is inspiring in the best way.”

As the October release of “We Cook Filipino” aligns with Filipino American History Month, Jacqueline’s intention is clear—to offer a book that nourishes not only the body but also the soul and spirit of a community. With a vision that extends beyond

the book’s release, Jacqueline aims to collaborate with organizations and schools, spreading awareness about heart-healthy Filipino cuisine and creating a movement towards a healthier, more vibrant community.

In “We Cook Filipino,” Jacqueline Chio-Lauri doesn’t just offer healthy spins on traditional favorites; she extends an invitation to a healthier, heartful way of life. Through her culinary journey, she shows us that flavorful Filipino dishes can be allies in our quest for well-being. With each page turned, we’re reminded that taking care of our hearts can be a delicious, joyful endeavor. n

Succession planning...

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

Pinais na Pinaputok (Seabass,

Baked

Vegetables and Rice

in Banana Leaf)

By JacqueLine chio-Lauri

This recipe combines elements of pinais (cooking in a pouch) and pinaputok (filling the cavity of a whole fish with stuffing).

YIELD 4 servings

Ingredients:

¾ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 4 sea bass fillets

2 Asian eggplants, roasted, see below

4 scallions, finely chopped

2-inch (5-cm) piece fresh ginger, grated

4 medium tomatoes, diced

A few sprigs thyme

4 banana leaves, each 12 inches (30 cm) long, washed and blanched, or equivalent size parchment paper or foil

2 cups (about 400 g) cooked rice blended with riced cauliflower Olive oil, for drizzling

SAWSAWAN DIPPING SAUCE

4 calamansi, halved, or 1 lemon, cut into wedges

1 teaspoon bagoong guisado shrimp paste (45 mg sodium/teaspoon)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).

2. In a small bowl, mix the salt, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper to make a seasoning mixture. Season the fish with a pinch of the mixture. Set aside the rest.

3. Mash the eggplant with a fork. Sprinkle with a pinch of the seasoning mixture and stir.

4. In a bowl, combine the scallions, ginger, tomatoes, thyme and the remaining seasoning mix.

5. Place a quarter of the riced cauliflower mix about 3 inches (7 cm) from the edge of a banana leaf and spread to make a shape about the same size as the fish fillet. Top with a quarter of the mashed eggplant. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the tomato mixture from Step 4 over the eggplant. Lay a fish fillet on top of the mixture and cover with 2 more tablespoons of the tomato mixture. Drizzle with a few drops of olive oil. Fold the top and bottom edges of the leaf up and over and tuck the sides under the package or secure with cooking twine or the spine of the banana leaf. Repeat with

the remaining fish.

6. Place the packages in a baking pan on the middle rack of the oven for 15 minutes. Open one and check if the fish is opaque. If not, rewrap and bake for another 2–3 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for a minute before serving.

7. To make the sawsawan dipping sauce, combine the calamansi juice with the bagoong. Open the fish packages and serve with the sawsawan on the side.

How to roast whole eggplants

Prick all sides of the eggplants with a fork or paring knife. On an open flame: Cook directly on a gas stove over medium-high heat or over-the-fire grill turning it every 5 minutes until all the skin is charred and the eggplant is collapsed, tender and wrinkled.

In the oven: Preheat the oven broiler to maximum. Place pierced eggplants under the broiler on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Roast until they start to blacken, about 12–15 minutes depending on the eggplant size. Turn the eggplants over. Roast for another 10–15 minutes or until the eggplants are collapsed, completely tender and wrinkled. Slit the eggplants open and scrape the flesh out. Set aside and discard the skin.

PER SERVING

CALORIES 437KCAL / FATS 7.24G / SATURATED FAT 1.4G /PROTEIN 32.45G /CARBOHYDRATES 66.35G / FIBER 11.3G

SODIUM 608MG/ SUGARS 13.52G

*Reprinted with permission from WE COOK FILIPINO by Jacqueline Chio-Lauri, Tuttle Publishing, 2023, ISBN: 9780-8048-5466-5.

*Photo © Rezel Kealoha

Jennylyn Mercado, Gerald Anderson, Sam Milby cast in PH adaptation of ‘All About My Wife’

By hannah MaLLorca Inquirer.net

JENNYLYN Mercado, Gerald Anderson, and Sam Milby are set to join forces in a new film “All About My Wife,” which is a remake of the 2012 South Korean movie with the same name.

Mercado, Anderson, and Milby’s upcoming project was confirmed through an Instagram post by Cornerstone Entertainment on Monday, Sept. 11, which is the talent agency of the “Halik” star.

“BREAKING NEWS! A very refreshing role for @ samuelmilby is about to unveil. After ‘A Family Affair,’ Sam is very happy to be working with @andersongeraldjr again and

a reunion team up on [the] big screen with @mercadojenny from their last movie ‘The Prenup’ in 2015,” the caption read.

The film, which will kick off filming “very soon,” will be produced by production company CreaZion Studios, although details about the actors’ cast mates, premiere

date, and storyline are yet to be disclosed, as of this writing.

Milby’s fiancée Catriona Gray appeared to be excited for the film, as seen in the comments of Cornerstone’s post.

The South Korean film stars Im Soo-jung, Lee Sunkyun, and Ryu Seung-ryong,

which is an adaptation of the Argentinian film “Un novio para mi mujer” which can be translated to “A Boyfriend for My Wife.”

The movie revolves around Lee Doo-hyun (Lee Sun-kyun) who hires a professional seducer and next-door neighbor named Jang Sung-ki (Ryu Seungryong) to captivate his wife Yeon Jung-in (Im Soo-jung) into ultimately divorcing him. Despite the initial plan, Yeon finds herself in a love triangle between the two men.

The upcoming project marks Anderson and Milby’s reunion after the 2022 teleserye “A Family Affair,” as well as Milby’s second project with Mercado following the film “The Prenup” in 2015. n

(From left) Gerald Anderson, Jennylyn Mercado, Sam Milby.

Photo from Instagram/@cornerstone