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Volume 19 - No. 39 • 14 Pages

T H E F I L I P I N O A M E R I CA N C O M M U N I T Y N E WS PA P E R

Volume 18 - No. 17 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages

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DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Census Bureau announces ‘target date’ of Oct. 5 to finish counting efforts despite court order

Also published in LOS ANGELES, LAS VEGAS, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY

Fil-Am voters sound off after heated presidential debate between Trump, Biden

by CHRISTINA

M. ORIEL

AJPress

AS President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden squared off in their first debate on Tuesday, Sept. 29, several Filipino American voters THE new target date to conclude 2020 across the country reacted to what transpired and Census self-response and field data collec- doubled down on support for their preferred candition operations will be on Monday, October 5, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said on Monday, Sept. 28.

“The Secretary of Commerce has announced a target date of October 5, 2020 to conclude 2020 Census self-response and field data collection operations,” an update on the U.S. Census Bureau’s website said.

This comes despite U.S. District Judge Lucy H. Koh of the Northern District of California issuing a preliminary injunction on Thursday, Sept. 24 that said the Census Bureau must continue its outreach efforts through October 31 in order to have a more accurate count. The deadline was slated to be Wednesday, Sept. 30.

Koh — agreeing with civil rights organizations and local governments like Los Angeles that filed a lawsuit against the Census

date.

The 90-minute debate — moderated by Chris Wallace, anchor of “Fox News Sunday,” at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio — covered six topics, ranging from the Supreme Court vacancy to Trump’s tax returns to COVID-19 recovery, as the candidates attempted to make their case with a little over a month to go until Election Day.

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

US signs P10.5B PH aid to boost economic growth

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1-M coronavirus fatalities a ‘very sad milestone’ – WHO

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A NEW five-year bilateral assistance agreement amounting to P10.5 billion ($213 million) has been signed by the United States and the Philippines to boost the country’s economic development and growth.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Philippine Department of Finance (DOF) signed the agreement to deepen their commitment to accelerate inclusive, broad-based economic growth through policies that increase investment and trade throughout the Philippines.

“This new USAID and Department of Finance bilateral agreement will expand our support to help the Philippines achieve longterm, private sector-led economic growth and strengthen economic governance. These programs will create jobs and help ensure more inclusive, broad-based economic development,” said USAID Mission Director Lawrence Hardy II. New programs and activities will promote inclusive, market-driven growth; improve the business environment; expand economic opportunities through private-sector led innovation for medium and small businesses;

“For my side, the Republican side, the issues covered will help galvanize voters, especially in regards to the Supreme Court,” said Ron Falconi, mayor of Brunswick, Ohio and a member of Asian Pacific Americans for Trump’s advisory council.

“The president has made it no secret that he wants conservative judges to serve on the court who are

PLANT NURSERY. A woman puts a plant in plastic for a couple who bought the plant on Pasong Bayog Nursery along Gov. D. Mangubat Avenue in Dasmarinas City, Cavite on Wednesday, September 30. The government has allowed selected businesses, like plant nurseries, to operate as they follow health protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic.

PNA photo by Gil Calinga

THE World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday, September 29, lamented the loss of over one million lives due to the novel coronavirus pandemic sweeping across the globe.

“So many people have lost so many people and haven’t had the chance to say goodbye. Many people who died died alone... It’s a terribly difficult and lonely death,” WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said during a United Nations briefing in Geneva.

“The one positive thing about this virus is it is suppressable, it is not the flu,” she added.

Meanwhile, WHO top emergencies expert Mike Ryan noted that the current death toll is “likely an underestimate” of the actual fatalities caused by COVID-19.

“If anything, the numbers currently reported probably represent an underestimate of those individuals who have either contracted COVID-19 or died as a cause of it,” he said.

“When you count anything, you can’t count it perfectly but I can assure you that the current numbers are likely an underestimate of the true toll of COVID,” he added.

COVID-19 has claimed 1,003,791 victims out of u PAGE A2

Pacquiao sets 2021 fight against Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra former UFC champ Conor McGregor heads to NBA Finals for fifth time

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

PHILIPPINE Senator Manny Pacquiao, the eight-division boxing world champion, is set to fight former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor next year, his special assistant Jayke Joson confirmed over the weekend.

“For the sake of all the Filipino COVID-19 victims, Senator Manny Pacquiao will be fighting UFC superstar Conor McGregor next year,” Jason said on Saturday,

September 26.

“The huge portion of his earnings will proceed to those who are affected nationwide by the pandemic,” Joson added.

McGregor also announced that he will be fighting Pacquiao.

“Anyway all water under the bridge who gives a fook. I’m boxing Manny Pacquiao next in the Middle East,” the Irish mixed martial arts fighter said in a tweet on Sept.

25.

Joson said negotiations between the two

The half-Fil-Am coach is seeking his third NBA Championship, this time against the Los Angeles Lakers

by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

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Duterte lashes out against Facebook

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

President Rodrigo Duterte talks to the people after holding a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang on Monday, September 28.

Malacañang photo by Robinson Niñal

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte questioned the purpose of Facebook in the country after the social media platform took down “fake” accounts and pages with ties to the police and military units in the country.

“Facebook, listen to me. We allow you to operate here hoping that you could help us also. Now if government cannot espouse or advocate something which is for the good of the people, then what is your purpose here in my country?” he said in his televised public address on Monday, Sept. 28.

On September 22, Facebook took down a total of 57 accounts, 31 pages, and 20 Instagram accounts engaged in “coordinated inauthentic behavior (CIB).”

According to Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook’s cybersecurity policy chief, the accounts posted primarily in Filipino and

English about local news and events, including domestic politics, the military’s activity against terrorism, the draft of the pending anti-terrorism bill, criticism of communism, youth activists and the opposition, criticism of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its military wing the New People’s Army, and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

Duerte accused Facebook of believing the leftists that are critical of his administration.

“Tapos yung Left ini-encourage kayo (Then the Left are encouraging you), then you believe in the Left to the point of almost making a sweeping move,” he said.

“If you cannot reconcile the idea of what your purpose is, or was, then we have to talk. I don’t know what I will do but we have to talk,” he added.

The chief also stressed that Facebook u PAGE A2

Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra Photo courtesy of NBA

EIGHT years after making history as the first Asian American head coach to win an NBA Championship, celebrated Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is heading to his fifth NBA Final, putting himself in position to earn his third championship ring.

On Sunday, Sept. 27, the Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, securing a spot in the Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, whom they will square up against on Wednesday, Sept. 30. u PAGE A3

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From the Front Page

Fil-Am voters sound off after...

PAGE A1 t going to interpret the Constitution and not legislate from the bench. That has been a rallying cry for us conservatives in the movement.”

The debate soon turned chaotic, marked by interruptions and in several instances, a shouting match between the two. Social media users picked up on certain zingers, including Biden calling Trump a “clown” and retorting, “Will you shut up, man?” after a string of interjections.

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, the president was asked to defend his response to the vi-

rus that has left over 200,000 killed, alleging that the death toll would reach 2 million if Biden were commander-in-chief.

“What [the debate] showed was a stark contrast between these two people and what kind of leadership they’re going to demonstrate,” said Brad Baldia, a Biden supporter from Philadelphia, following the debate. “The thing is, Donald Trump has never grown up, he’s never matured [and] blames everyone else for his faults…and his failed leadership for the deaths that have happened because of COVID-19 and for all the things that have gone

wrong with his presidency.”

Irene Bueno, a volunteer senior advisor for Fil-Ams for Biden-Harris who has worked for previous Democratic candidates, praised the vice president’s attempts to share his plans on various topics, despite being interrupted.

“Whenever [Biden] tried to talk about his plan, he was interrupted by a president who…clearly didn’t have a plan. All he did was say things that had no basis. He lied and he made up things that are not substantiated,” Bueno said, emphasizing that voters should look at the Trump adPAGE A4

MEGA QUARANTINE CENTER. (From left to right) Founding partner and principal architect Daniel Lichauco and Prime BMD CEO JV Emmanuel “Jocot” de Dios, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, National Defense Secretary and chairman of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 Delfin Lorenzana, and National Action Plan Against COVID-19 deputy chief implementer Vince Dizon at the turnover of the Solaire Pagcor Mega Quarantine Center at the Entertainment City, New Seaside Road, Paranaque City on Tuesday, September 29. Also in the photo is (right) Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Emil Sadain.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Duterte lashes out against...

President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden square off during the first presidential debate on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

C-SPAN screenshot

PAGE A1 t cannot lay down a policy for his government.

“You cannot lay down a policy for my government. I allow you to operate here. You cannot bar or prevent me from espousing the objectives of government,” Duterte said.

He added, “If you are promoting the cause of the rebellion, which is already, or which was already here before you came

and so many thousands of my soldiers and civilians dying, then, if you cannot reconcile the idea of what your purpose is, or was, then we have to talk.”

House to probe Facebook takedown of govt accounts The House of Representatives, for its part, is set to conduct an investigation over Facebook’s action to take down the accounts linked to Philippine military.

“Upon the passage of the 2021 Budget in the House of Representatives, rest assured that we will initiate the appropriate proceedings in aid of legislation to truly determine if the reported actions of Facebook are detrimental to the Constitutional freedom of expression guaranteed to all Filipinos, regardless of political color, rich or poor,

left or right,” Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

Cayetano also urged Facebook to reflect on its actions, pointing out that taking down the accounts contradicted the social media giant’s purpose.

“We call on Facebook Philippines to take this time to introspect and reflect on the soundness of its actions that tend to undermine the democratic principles upon which its phenomenal success is based,” he said.

“Favoring one sector or ideology — especially one that has been tagged by the international community as a terrorist organization — directly contradicts Facebook’s core purpose of connecting all people globally in a free, open, and neutral marketplace of ideas,” he added. n

1-M coronavirus fatalities a...

PAGE A1 t 33,454,037 recorded global infections, according to data from Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Center as of Tuesday.

The United States recorded the highest number of fatalities at 205,547. This toll was followed by Brazil with 142,058; India with 96,318; Mexico with 76,603; and the United Kingdom with 42,161.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the number as “mind-numbing.”

“Our world has reached an agonizing milestone. It’s a mindnumbing figure. Yet we must never lose sight of each and every individual life,” he said in a statement.

“They were fathers and mothers, wives and husbands, brothers and sisters, friends, and colleagues. The pain has been multiplied by the savageness of this disease,” he added.

On Monday, September 28 U.S. President Donald Trump announced a plan to distribute 150 million rapid COVID-19 tests. Of that number, 100 million tests will go to “states and territories to support efforts to reopen their economies and schools immediately and [as] fast as they can,” he said.

Meanwhile, the remaining 50 million tests will be allocated to “protect the most vulnerable communities,” which include nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospice care agencies, historically black colleges and universities, and tribal nation colleges.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, made its first known appearance in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, ground zero of the outbreak.

Wuhan was shut down in January, but by March, the virus had

emerged in over 100 countries, prompting the WHO to declare a pandemic.

Ryan warned that COVID-19 fatalities could double to two million without collective action against the virus.

“One million is a terrible number and we need to reflect on that before we start considering a second million,” the WHO top emergencies expert told reporters on Friday, Sept. 25.

“Are we prepared collectively to do what it takes to avoid that number?” he added. “If we don’t take those actions… yes, we will be looking at that number and sadly much higher.”

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, in his speech before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), said that how the world will address COVID-19 will define our future.

“I am honored to address you today on behalf of the Filipino people on the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. The invisible enemy that is COVID-19 has brought about an unfamiliar global landscape and unleashed a crisis without precedent. It is the biggest test the world and the United Nations faced since World War II,” he said on Wednesday, Sept. 23.

Duterte encouraged each nation to put up a united front against the pandemic, saying that the world needs coordinated international plans and efforts to pursue a common purpose.

“COVID-19 knows no border.

It knows no nationality. It knows no race. It knows no gender.

It knows no age. It knows no creed,” he stressed.

The chief executive also said that when the world finds the vaccine, access to it must be available to all rich and poor nations alike. n

Pacquiao sets 2021 fight against...

PAGE A1 t camps are being finalized.

“Regarding the news coming from McGregor himself, we don’t deny it. In fact, our lawyers are finalizing all the confidential details, but both fighters are getting ready for this one epic last boxing fight. According to Paradigm Sports Management head Audie Attar, the fight may happen in the Middle East next year,” he said.

He added, “It is confirmed the negotiation between the camp of Senator Pacquiao and McGregor is now starting to move on. Again as what our senator says, all his fights are dedicated for the welfare and unity of all Filipinos including this one.”

Pacquiao, 41, is the only eightdivision world champion as well as the oldest welterweight champion in boxing history. He Philippine Senator Manny Pacquiao holds a record of 62 wins, seven Photo from Instagram/@mannypacquiao losses, and two draws. He won against American boxer Keith ing the WBA super welterweight Thurman, Jr. in July 2019, earn- title. n

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Study: Immigrant- centered shows lead to ‘inclusive attitudes’ about immigrants

by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

PLEA. An old man holds a sign begging for food and other needs of his grandchildren along Edsa corner Pasay Road in Pasay City on Tuesday, September 29. Meeting the basic needs of family members has been more difficult for indigents in Metro Manila, especially in this time of the coronavirus pandemic.

PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra heads to...

PAGE A1 t

Spoelstra is only 49 years old, but his shrewd approach to coaching and ability to work well with players of all experience levels propel him to the league of fabled NBA coaches.

Since 1970, only three head coaches have had more Finals appearances than Spoelstra: Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich and Spoelstra’s predecessor Pat Riley.

Sports writer for GQ Michael Pina wrote in a recent article that “Spoelstra embodies that selflessly competitive ethos better than any other coach, in a league brimming with extremely capable strategists. In Miami, his personality is a tone-setter. And with that comes respect at all levels in the organization and unilateral commitment by all to do their job, even as it evolves every day.”

LeBron James, Lakers team captain and former Heat player under Spoelstra, recently praised Spoelstra’s ability as a coach.

“It’s unfortunate that he hasn’t gotten his respect. Every time we talked about Spo when I was there and we talked about how great he prepared us, and we talked about how great it was playing for Spo and things of that nature, you guys always said, well, you have LeBron, you have D-Wade, you have Bosh; any coach can do it. No, any coach can’t do it. If any coach could do it, then there would be a lot more champions in this league. There would be a lot more successful coaches,” James said.

From video room to arena Spoelstra’s quick ascent from Miami Heat video coordinator to multichampionship-winning head coach is a true “started from the bottom, now we’re here” story.

He is the son of Elisa Celino — a Filipina immigrant originally from Laguna, Philippines — and former NBA executive Jon Spoelstra of the Portland Trailblazers, Denver Nuggets, New Jersey Nets and the defunct Buffalo Braves.

After graduating in 1992 from the University of Portland where he was a starting point guard, Spoelstra enjoyed a short career as a player-assistant coach for a German basketball club called TuS Herten.

It was in Germany with this basketball club that Spoelstra’s illustrious coaching career began, coaching the club’s local youth team. In 1995, Spoelstra accepted an offer from the Miami Heat for which he would be the video coordinator.

Eventually, Spoelstra was promoted to assistant coach, handling scouting. In 2006, he won his first NBA Championship as assistant coach when the Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals that year.

Then, finally, in 2008 — 13 years after he was first hired as a video coordinator — Spoelstra became the head coach for the Miami Heat at the behest

of Riley, who stepped down.

Not only was Spoelstra the first Asian American head coach of the NBA, he also became the first ever Asian American head coach for the four major sports leagues in North America.

“This game is now about younger coaches who are technologically skilled, innovative and bring fresh new ideas. That’s what we feel we are getting with Erik Spoelstra. He’s a man that was born to coach,” Riley said in 2008.

It was a decision that ushered in a new, prolific era for the organization. Under Spoelstra, the team became a regular fixture of the post-season, winning backto-back champion titles in 2012 and 2013 during the “Big Three” era when the team was carried by a powerhouse trio of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James.

In a 2011 ESPN interview, Spoelstra’s “work ethic, preparation and temperament” are cited as the core of his coaching acumen. Often labeled a “players’ coach” Spoelstra’s ability to cultivate trust and unity among his rosters is one of the key tenets to his finesse but tenacious approach to coaching.

“There’s an integrity to my intentions,” Spoelstra said in 2011.

“I probably look at this more simplistic than you want. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a former player or you come up through the video room, whether you come from college. You have to earn that trust from NBA players every day. It doesn’t stop unless, of course, you win 10 rings. But even at that point, you have to prove that there’s competency, there’s a work ethic, there’s a plan, there’s an organization to your thoughts. Then, at some point, they believe you can help them achieve what they want to achieve.”

Higher stakes The 2020 NBA Finals — which are usually held in June but have been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic — promise huge milestones no matter which team wins.

For the Lakers, it is more than just winning its 17th NBA Championship for the historic team.

The organization lost the beloved legend Kobe Bryant earlier this year, marking a painful benchmark to an already unusual season.

Throughout the season, the team has made it clear that the Black Mamba is its spiritual emblem, attempting to continue his legacy and rectify the tragic death that included Bryant’s prodigal daughter Gianna.

James spoke about honoring Bryant at the post-game press conference after the Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals on Saturday, Sept. 26.

“Every time you put on the purple and gold, you think about his legacy and what he meant to this franchise for 20-plus years,” the Lakers captain remarked.

Census Bureau announces ‘target...

PAGE A1 t

Bureau and U.S. Department of Commerce — said that the current schedule would leave out many minority and hard-to-count communities that have yet to respond.

“An undercount in any locality matters greatly,” the judge wrote. “Even a small undercount of a subset of the hard to count population would result in the loss of federal funding.”

The once-a-decade enumeration — which can be done by phone (844-330-2020 for English), returning the mailed form, or heading online (my2020census.gov) — measures where individuals live as of April 1, 2020. That includes young children and infants, roommates, and family members or friends staying at the household, even if temporarily.

In addition to English and Spanish, completing the census online or by phone can be done in 11 other languages, including Tagalog (844-478-2020).

The results guide how over $1.5 trillion in federal funding will be allocated to states annually for resources, such as schools, health programs, and infrastructure projects. The data also determines the number of seats each state gets in the House of Representatives and the redrawing of legislative districts.

The national enumeration is at 97.9% of identified housing units, which includes 66.4% of self-responses and 31.5% responding after follow-up operations. Meanwhile, California’s self-response rate is 68.9% and 29.8% in nonresponse followup. (Christina M. Oriel/AJPress)

“That drive to always want to be victorious, it stops you from sleeping,” James said, referencing Bryant’s signature Mamba Mentality. “You sacrifice a lot of things, you sacrifice your family at times because you’re so driven to be so great that other things fall by the wayside at times. I understand that. I’m one of the few that can understand the mindset that he played.”

The NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat began on Wednesday, Sept.

30. n

THE buzzword in entertainment is diversity, and has been for the last half decade.

The great fight for more ethnic and gender minority representation reached mainstream status in 2016 but when it coalesced with the election of President Donald Trump, diversity became much more than a matter of “feeling seen” by the characters of minority backgrounds.

Trump’s greatest political white whale — the fight against illegal and legal immigration practices — has sparked copious discourse over immigrants’ rights, the inhumane treatment at the border and whether or not immigrants hurt or harm American jobs, culture and public safety.

Films and television portraying immigrants took a new role after Trump’s election, offering varying perspectives on the immigration debate; existing film and TV characters who are immigrants took the fore and new characters and storylines exemplified the emotionally, socially and politically complex experience of the immigrant.

A new study released on Wednesday, Sept. 23 from USC’s Norman Lear Center For the Study of Entertainment, Media & Society and the immigrant advocacy group Define American found that television shows, in particular, with immigrant characters are changing view-

ers’ opinions and inspiring reallife action.

The report — titled “Change the Narrative, Change the World” — illuminates both the problems with the way immigrants are presently portrayed as well as the potential of fully fleshed-out immigrant characters to change attitudes and perspectives about immigration rights and policy as a whole.

The study analyzed the depictions of 129 immigrant characters across 97 episodes of 59 different scripted narrative TV programs that aired from August 2018 to July 2019.

Among the findings, researchers also conducted a survey to gauge the impact of three prominent storylines from that block of time — those shows included the CBS drama “Madam Secretary,” the Netflix drama “Orange is the New Black,” and the NBC sitcom “Superstore.”

As previously reported in the Asian Journal, “Superstore” costars Filipino American actor Nico Santos who plays Mateo Liwanag, an employee of the titular super store who is a Filipino undocumented immigrant.

This survey — which included a diverse array of 940 participants — found that there was a high emotional impact among viewers; according to the researchers, viewers “most often felt empathetic, angry, sad, or disgusted while watching.” Negative emotions sparked a desire to take “low investment” action in support of the inclusion of

immigrants into the culture like posting on social media or taking the time to learn more about immigration.

Conservative and religious viewers reported feeling “manipulated” and were more likely to have “less inclusive immigration attitudes, knowledge about immigration and immigration behaviors.”

But the researchers pointed out that although negative emotions could catalyze attitude shifts, stories that evoke more positive emotions are more likely to motive viewers to take “high-investment immigration actions,” like donating to charities that support immigrants.

The survey went on to conclude that viewers who watched “Superstore” felt “a sense of friendship” in regards to Santos’ character Mateo, who is portrayed on the show as ambitious and sassy yet sweet and hospitable. Additionally, after being exposed to Mateo’s storyline, participants were “more likely to support an increase in immigrants coming to the U.S., particularly those who had little or no real-life contact with immigrants.”

But the study also pointed out the pitfalls of existing portrayals of immigrants in the United States. For example, there is still an overrepresentation of Middle Eastern immigrants and an underrepresentation of Asian immigrants.

There is also a need to tran-

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SC justice finally acts on Marcos protest

by JoMar

Canlas ManilaTimes.net

SUPREME Court Associate Justice Mario Victor Leonen has finally touched the sleeping election protest of former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. against Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo.

According to unimpeachable sources of The Manila Times in the high tribunal, Leonen, the ponente of the Marcos-Robredo poll protest, recommended a mere “comment” before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) after sitting on the case for 11 months.

He became the ponente of the case, via en banc raffle, on Oct. 29, 2019 and the PET adopted his recommendation for a comment again via memoranda of both parties on Oct. 15, 2019, during the stint of thenChief Justice Lucas Bersamin.

With Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta now at the helm, Leonen took control of the case and both the Marcos and Robredo camps lodged their respective memoranda in January this year.

But, since January, Leonen sat on the case.

The Times learned that Leonen had postponed the case with a series of resets and “call-agains.”

On Monday, Leonen finally issued a draft ruling, which was circulated on the same day with a recommendation for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to issue their respective comments on the issues involved.

The Leonen draft was adopted by the PET with the Comelec ordered to comment within a non-extendable period of 20

days, then the OSG shall comment next within 15 days.

The issue is whether the PET shall proceed with the third cause of action —the annulment of votes in the Mindanao provinces — for it to be able to prove that there was indeed cheating committed by the camp of Robredo.

The case has been pending before the PET for four years and three months. Marcos filed the protest on June 29, 2016.

Some court insiders told the Times that Leonen was obviously employing “dilatory tactics.”

Some magistrates who talked to the Manila Times on condition of anonymity said that the case must be resolved because the people should know who is the real winner in the vice presidential race.

“It should not be delayed anymore by Leonen because it is the duty of the court to serve justice whoever is the real victor. Justice delayed is justice denied,” one of the sources said.

In his memorandum filed before the Supreme Court, sitting as PET, Marcos prayed that a technical examination be conducted on the voter’s signatures to show that the voting was tainted with fraud.

Marcos, the son of former president Ferdinand Marcos, argued that it could be shown that in 2,756 protested clustered precincts in Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao and Basilan, several violations eroded the integrity of the elections.

It was pointed out that the PET has the sole authority to proceed with the third cause of action, which is independent of the other causes of action on the case.

In her memorandum, the Vice

President asked the PET to junk Marcos’ protest since there was no substantial recovery in his pilot provinces.

Robredo was referring to the second cause of action — the revision of ballots in the pilot provinces of Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Occidental.

With a vote of 11 against 2, the PET ruled to reject the plea of Robredo and the recommendation of Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa to dismiss the protest outright based on the three pilot provinces.

Caguioa and then-Justice Antonio Carpio lost in the voting since majority of the justices ruled to keep the case alive.

But Marcos countered that there was fraud committed by Robredo and her camp in Mindanao, thus he wants to proceed with the third cause of action.

Robredo asked the PET to order Marcos to present evidence to justify the plea for technical examination of ballots.

In his protest, Marcos assailed election results in 39,221 clustered precincts — 36,465 of which he paid for the conduct of manual count and judicial revision. He also sought the annulment of poll results in the remaining 2,756 precincts.

Based on the Comelec data, the 39,221 clustered precincts are composed of 132,446 precincts.

Marcos, who lost to Robredo by 263,473 votes, accused her of “massive electoral fraud, anomalies and irregularities” such as pre-shading of ballots, preloading of Secure Digital cards, misreading of ballots, malfunctioning vote counting machiness, and receiving “abnormally high” unaccounted votes/undervotes for the position of vice president. n

‘Filipinos for Trump’ group organizes caravan to raise support for president’s re-election Car parades will take place on Oct. 4 in the greater Los Angeles, San Francisco areas

by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

AS the 2020 election enters its final, most crucial stage, Filipino American political leaders across California are ramping up lastditch efforts to raise support for the presidential candidates.

On Sunday, Oct. 4, Filipino American conservatives and supporters of President Donald Trump are hosting a caravan rally across California as a way to raise support for Trump as well as celebrate Filipino American History Month in October.

The caravan rally was organized by former congressional candidate Edwin Duterte and National Federation of Filipino American Associations Greater Los Angeles area Chairman Noel Omega.

“Filipinos have a strong and rich history in the United States,” Omega said in a statement. “We are proud of the accomplishments within our community that [have] shaped the U.S.” According to Duterte, the rally is also meant to serve as a “uni-

fying event” to honor “the successes of the president from domestic to foreign policy.”

“If the Filipino American population were a state, we would be the 29th largest state,” said Duterte, who bears no relation to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

The rally in Los Angeles will begin in the parking lot of the Jollibee restaurant in West Covina at 1561 E. Amar Road at 9 a.m. Organizers estimate that more than 100 cars from LA and Orange counties will participate in the event.

The organizers also emphasized that the event is in compliance with social distancing mandates.

As previously reported in the Asian Journal, Filipinos are the second-largest Asian group in the United States, comprising 19% (just under 4 million Filipinos) of the overall Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, according to the last census.

The 2020 Asian American Voter Survey from APIA Vote,

AAPI Data and Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC also found that Filipinos are the most “enthusiastic” for the 2020 election among other AAPI groups, as previously reported in the Asian Journal. Filipinos are also the second largest Asian ethnic group supporting Trump in 2020, the study also found.

Though California — an unyielding blue state — is currently showcasing overwhelming support for Trump’s opponent former Vice President Joe Biden, founder and CEO of Asian Industry B2B Marc Ang said in the statement that, “Fil-Ams are recognizing their conservatism and entrepreneurship is more inline [sic] with the Republican Party and are throwing support behind President Donald Trump.”

Currently, Biden is leading in California at 60 points with Trump trailing far behind at 30 points, according to a recent survey from the Public Policy Institute of California. Another study from UC Berkeley released on Friday, Sept. 25 puts Biden at 67 points and Trump at 28 points. n

Study: Immigrant- centered shows lead...

PAGE A3 scend stereotypes by finding fresh, more nuanced portrayals of the U.S.-Mexico border issues and avoiding perpetuating the notion of immigrants, particularly brown immigrants, as criminals.

Moreover, there is still a need to make visible immigrants from even deeper cultural intersections like those with disabilities and transgender immigrants.

Filmmaker Isabel Sandoval — the writer, director and star of the romantic drama “Lingua

Franca” that centers an immigrant Filipina who is also trans — tweeted on Wednesday, Sept.

23 a link to the study with a simple caption: “That’s why I made LINGUA FRANCA, now on [Netflix].”

USC and Define American researchers also provided recommendations for storytellers to improve their portrayals of the vast immigrant community: tell more authentic stories by hiring more writers and consultants from the immigrant community; write characters and storylines

with nuance to avoid perpetuating stereotypes; evoke positive emotions to drive change; and consider the audience and how they may be impacted by these stories.

“By harnessing the power of entertainment, we can engage audience members, empower them to take action on immigration-related issues and inspire a cultural redefinition of what it means to be an American,” the researchers wrote. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

US signs P10.5B PH aid to boost economic...

PAGE A1 and increase information and communications technology access for the digital economy that benefits both producers and consumers, according to the U.S. Embassy in Manila.

“Activities also include strengthening local civil society organizations to advance locallyled programming and policymaking in the Philippines and facilitating coalitions and partnerships between government and other stakeholders toward data-driven decision-making,” the embassy said.

“Additionally, USAID will continue to support Philippine government objectives by improving public sector transparency and accountability; advancing the rule of law and the justice sys-

tem; and boosting local governments’ responsiveness to Filipinos’ needs,” it added.

This bilateral agreement with the DOF is one of the four new USAID programs with the Philippines launching in 2020, with an anticipated total value of P32.7 billion ($675 million) over five years.

The other new agreements include: • Department of Health: To improve underserved Filipinos’ health by strengthening health systems while improving the quality of health services, especially in treating tuberculosis, providing access to those who seek family planning services, and community-based drug dependence treatment; • National Economic De-

velopment Authority: To protect ecosystems by promoting sustainable use of natural resources, enhance energy security, and build capacity to mitigate risks and respond to natural disasters; and • Department of Education: To improve early grade reading, expand science and mathematics curricula, and increase out-of-school youths’ access to education, professional, and technical skills development that will lead to new job opportunities, and strengthen education governance.

The U.S. has provided the Philippines nearly P228.8 billion ($4.5 billion) in total assistance over the past 20 years to advance the country’s development goals.

(AJPress)

OKRA FOR EXPORT. Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar (2nd from right), together with former Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo (2nd from left) and young farmers Rap Pelayo (center), Jeffrey Fernandez (right), and Jeffrey Pelayo (left), shows the okra wrapped in plastic during the ceremonial send-off of the first batch of okra export to Japan at Pairpags Center, NAIA Road, Pasay City on Tuesday, September 29. Jel Farms leads the 300 young farmers from 14 towns in Tarlac City.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

World Bank sees 2 million more poor Filipinos from pandemic by ian

niColas Cigaral Philstar.com

AROUND 2 million Filipinos would slide back to poverty this year because of the pandemic, nearly erasing gains over the past 5 years and making a rebound to pre-pandemic growth a struggle for the Philippines.

The poverty rate could rise to 20.5% this year and 22.4% next year from the official 16.7% in 2018, the World Bank said on Tuesday. “The ‘new poor’ are those who were unable to work during the pandemic,” Rong Qian, senior economist, said in a briefing.

While the government only measures poverty every 3 years, with the next one scheduled for next year, World Bank’s assumptions show a great undoing of a years worth of gains in fighting poverty. At the projected 2021 level, poverty would nearly go down to its 2015 level of 23.5%.

That said, the Duterte administration itself has been resigned to more Filpinos getting poor next year despite massive social interventions. The expected poverty rate, however, is smaller than that of World Bank at15.5% to 17.5%.

“If wage and non-farm employment increase with GDP growth and inflation is stable, the poverty rate will likely decline back to its 2018 level by 2021 and maintain a downward trend through 2022,” Qian said.

More people becoming poor is a potential consequence of a bleaker economic outlook. In an update to its economic forecasts, the Washington-based lender now see the local economy either shrinking 6.9% year-on-year under a “baseline scenario” or by a bigger 9.9% under a “low-case scenario.”

Forecasts were worse than

April’s 3% growth under a baseline scenario of a “severe slowdown followed by a strong recovery,” and 0.5% contraction if the pandemic worsens followed by a “sluggish” rebound. From January to June, the local economy shrank 9% year-on-year.

“The COVID-19 shock is now abruptly pushing the economy into recession and threatening these economic and social gains,” the multilateral lender said.

Slower rebound A rebound next year has also become a difficult climb. On a baseline, the World Bank sees the Philippine economy growing 5.3% year-on-year in 2021 or 2.9% if the health crisis drags on. Latest projections were down from April’s 6.2% and 4.1%, respectively.

The Duterte administration sees the economy sinking 5.5% this year before rebounding to 6.5% growth in 2021.

The World Bank said cash transfers to poor families, while were helpful during the height of lockdowns from March to June, were likewise hampered by inadequate infrastructure that made it a struggle to reach target beneficiaries.

“In the short-term, every peso put directly in the hands of poor and vulnerable families through social assistance translates into demand for basic goods and services in local communities which in turn supports micro and small enterprises…,” Ndiamé Diop, country director, said in a statement.

Indonesia, Philippines struggle Over the long-term, Qian, the agency’s senior economist, said the Duterte administration’s decision to prioritize infrastructure spending to recover can provide sustainable support to growth.

But on the ground, the lender

also noted the need to directly support the poor and informal sectors, one that has greatly increased the risk of coronavirus contagion given their overly congested residences.

Lockdowns, the World Bank said, have so far been ineffective in arresting the spread of infections.

Across East Asia, the same scenario can be found in Indonesia, where Southeast Asia’s largest population that previously worked on its favor to support growth, has hampered virus containment efforts. But Philippines is seen more vulnerable than Jakarta to economic shocks coming from lower tourism receipts, dismal trade and weaker remittances from residents abroad.

“Indonesia’s output is therefore projected to be less affected than that of the Philippines, but the outlook is uncertain… (They) face the prospect of an uneven and volatile economic recovery,” the report said. Indonesia is seen shrinking 1.6% and 2% year-on-year under a baseline and worst scenarios, respectively.

On average Southeast Asia, as a region, is forecast to contract 3.5% annually under a baseline scenario, a turnaround from April’s 1.3% growth forecast. Broken down, only Thailand, which is seen to slump 8.3% on-year, is poised to contract deeper than the Philippines this year. Myanmar (0.5%) and Vietnam (2.8%) are projected to post growth in 2020.

In a separate briefing, Rosemarie Edillon, deputy director-general at the National Economic and Development Authority, said the economy likely persisted on weakening last quarter. “We are hoping that it will be better than the second quarter but we don’t think it will be positive on a year-on-year (basis),” she said. n

Fil-Am voters sound off after...

PAGE A2 t ministration’s battle against the Affordable Care Act for the past three years. “[Trump] had all this time to do something about health care and he hasn’t done anything.”

Cristina Osmeña, a former Republican candidate for California’s 14th congressional district, said she was left feeling discouraged amid the chaotic exchanges.

“I think Trump came away worse for wear. I was trying to listen intently to hear if my questions about policy would be answered,” Osmeña said. “His behavior of bullying and interrupting did not leave a good impression…It was difficult to tolerate.”

Despite this, Osmeña said she favors the president in terms of matters involving the economy and not reversing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The debate came days after the New York Times report about Trump only paying $750 in income tax in 2016.

“The tax code that put him in a position that he pays less tax than on the money a schoolteacher makes is because of him,” Biden said in reference to the law Trump signed in 2017.

Among the moments that stood out was Trump’s refusal to condemn white supremacy, bringing attention to Proud Boys, a far-right group.

“Proud Boys — stand back and stand by. But I’ll tell you what. I’ll tell you what. Somebody’s got to do something about Antifa and the left because this is not a rightwing problem,” Trump said.

Bueno said the president’s statement “scared” her. “And I think all Americans should be scared. This president just continues to [sow] division,” she

said.

Two more debates are scheduled for Oct. 15 and Oct. 22 as final chances for both Trump and Biden to capture the votes of Americans, especially those still considered undecided.

“I really am on the fence and after last night, I don’t want to vote for either candidate,” Osmeña, who voted for a third-party candidate in the 2016 election, said. “Just because you might be indecisive at the very top of the ticket, there are a lot of local races that are decided by a few hundred people, so voting does matter.”

Fil-Am voters interviewed called on formatting changes, which include the ability for future moderators to turn off a candidate’s mic if not talking, and to focus on issues, including foreign policy with countries like China and immigration.

“These debates offer us a momentous opportunity because it allows us to compare one versus one, the two candidates for president,” said Tristan Bato, a college student who is supporting Biden. “Honestly, I have faith in the American electorate, and especially the independents who are undecided right now to look to the truth.”

The Commission on Presidential Debates announced on Wednesday, Sept. 30 said it would look at “additional structure” for the next two debates.

“Last night’s debate made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues,” the commission said in a statement. It added that it would announce the measures soon, and also praised Wallace’s “professionalism and skill” as the debate moderator.

Until then, Fil-Am supporters on both sides are continuing their efforts to rally registered and eligible voters.

A group called “Filipinos for Trump” is leading a nationwide caravan on Sunday, Oct. 4 in 20 cities, such as Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., to raise support for the president’s re-election bid and to kick-off Filipino American History Month.

“The Filipino Americans participating are not afraid to show the support and alignment with President Trump, and for the Republican Party principles, such as our strong faith,” said Noel Omega, a business owner who is among the organizers for the Sunday caravan in Southern California. “But you know, we would welcome anyone who wants to learn about our side and have a dialogue with us.”

Meanwhile, the volunteer-run “Fil-Ams for Biden-Harris” will continue their weekly programs, which include phone banks in key states and topic-focused Zoom panels.

Results from the 2020 Asian American Voter Survey released in September found that 52% of Fil-Am registered voters polled said they would be included to vote for Biden, while 34% favor Trump — the second highest support among the groups after 48% of Vietnamese voters who said they would re-elect the current president.

Despite the preferences for either candidate, 12% of Fil-Am voters reported that they “don’t know.”

“This is the most important election in our lifetime and you can see the positions the president was taking in contrast to Joe Biden’s. I am surprised as to why there are so many undecided voters at this point,” said Falconi. n

(650) 689-5160 • http://www.asianjournal.com

Dateline PhiliPPines

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 2-8, 2020

A

SWS: 85% of Filipinos still worried about getting COVID-19 Locsin, Huang meet to talk about

by Catherine

s. Valente ManilaTimes.net

MAJORITY of Filipinos are still worried about catching the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19), according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS survey).

The mobile phone poll, conducted from September 17 to 20 among 1,249 adult Filipinos nationwide, found that 85 percent of respondents – consisting of 63 percent who described themselves to be “worried a great deal” and 22 percent who were “somewhat worried”– fretted that anyone in their immediate family might get infected.

On the other hand, 9 percent of Filipinos are “worried a little” while 6 percent of Filipinos say they are “not worried” that anyone in their family might catch the virus.

“This is similar to July 2020 when 85 percent were worried (67 percent worried a great deal, 18 percent somewhat worried), 8 percent were worried a little, and 7 percent were not worried about catching the virus,” SWS said.

“Compared to past SWS surveys, worry about catching COVID-19 is greater than worries about catching previous viruses such as Ebola, Swine Flu, Bird Flu, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS),” it added.

Balance Luzon recorded the highest number of those wor-

ried of catching the virus at 87 percent, while Visayas got 84 percent. Metro Manila tallied 83 percent of people who are worried and Mindanao is at 80 percent.

SWS said worry about catching the virus declined in Metro Manila, from 92 percent in both May and July 2020, to 83 percent in September 2020.

It stayed at 87 percent in Balance Luzon from July 2020 to September 2020, similar to the 85 percent in May 2020.

It hardly changed in the Visayas, barely moving from 85 percent in July 2020 to 84 percent in September 2020. It used to be 91 percent in May 2020.

However, it rose slightly in Mindanao, up from 77 percent in July 2020 to 80 percent in September 2020. It was at 85 percent in May 2020.

Compared to July 2020, SWS said worry about catching the COVID-19 fell slightly among women, down from 87 percent to 84 percent.

“However, it rose slightly among men, up from 83 percent to 85 percent,” the polling firm said.

By age group, the survey rose slightly among the 18-24-yearolds, from 88 percent to 90 percent, among the 25-34-year-olds, from 85 percent to 88 percent, and among the 45-54-year-olds, from 83 percent to 85 percent.

It fell slightly among the 3544-year-olds, from 88 percent to 85 percent, and those 55 years old and above, from 81 percent to 78 percent.

Worry about catching the COVID-19 was also highest among junior high school graduates (88 percent), followed by college graduates (83 percent), elementary graduates (78 percent), and non-elementary graduates (77 percent).

“Compared to July 2020, worry about catching COVID-19 rose slightly among junior high school graduates, from 86 percent to 88 percent,” SWS said.

“However, it fell slightly among college graduates, from 89 percent to 83 percent, among elementary graduates, from 80 percent to 78 percent, and among non-elementary graduates, from 79 percent to 77 percent.

The SWS survey, conducted using mobile phone and computer-assisted telephone interview, had sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages, ±6 percent for Metro Manila, ±5 percent for Balance Luzon, ±6 percent for the Visayas, and ±6 percent for Mindanao.

To date, the country now has 307,288 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 49,242 active infections.

Some 5,381 individuals died and 252,665 persons recovered from the virus. n

Ombudsman denies protecting anyone by reina

C. tolentino ManilaTimes.net

OMBUDSMAN Samuel Martires denied protecting anyone with the issuance of a circular restricting public access to Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) that are filed with the Office of the Ombudsman.

“Wala akong prinoprotektahan dahil hindi pa pangulo si Digong iyon na ‘yung opinyon ko e (I am not protecting anybody, that has been my opinion before Digong became president),” Martires said, referring to President Rodrigo Duterte.

Memorandum Circular 1, series of 2020, requires that a letter of authority from the concerned public officials must accompany requests for SALNs and Disclosures of Business Interests and Financial Connections filed before the Ombudsman.

Martires said last week that in his experience, SALNs are being misused in attacking an individual’s reputation or character.

The ombudsman said the memorandum “does not apply to other SALN repositories,” such as the Office of the President, the Secretary of the Senate, and the Secretary of the House of Representatives, among others.”

Republic Act (RA) 6713 or the “Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees” requires government officials and employees — except those serving in an honorary capacity, laborers and casual or temporary workers — to submit to the Office of the Ombudsman their assets and liabilities statement and those of their spouses and unmarried children aged under 18 living in their households.

Martires said in a phone interview on Monday that the Office

of the Ombudsman wants RA 3019, RA 1379 and RA 6713 harmonized with Executive Order 2, series of 2016 to prevent the use of SALNs as an instrument of extortion.

He said he welcomes criticism if it comes with suggestions on how to prevent the misuse of SALNs. “Ngayon, kung sa pananaw nila ako’y may mga pinagtatakpang tao, kausapin nila si Presidente tawagan ako, ‘Mr. Ombudsman pwede ba magresign ka na?’ (If they think I’m protecting someone, they should call the President who will be the one to tell me if I must resign). Or they should talk to their friends in Congress.

If half of the congressmen will demand for my resignation, I will resign. If half of the senators will ask for my resignation, I will resign without batting an eyelash,” Martires said. n

PH-China ‘strategic cooperation’

bassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian in celebration of the 71st anniversary of the MANILA — Foreign Affairs founding of the People’s RepubSecretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and lic of China and the Mid-Autumn China’s top diplomat in the Philip- Festival, which both fall on Ocpines met Tuesday, September 29 tober 1. to discuss “strategic cooperation” “The Secretary and Ambassabetween Manila and Beijing. dor exchanged views on ChinaLocsin met with Chinese Am- Philippines relations, strategic

by Christia

Marie Inquirer.net

raMos

cooperation,” the Chinese Embassy in Manila said in a short statement.

Issues of common concern were also discussed during their meeting, according to the embassy.

The meeting was held in Huang’s official residence in Makati City. n

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. meets with Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian to celebrate China’s National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival.

Photos courtesy of the Chinese Embassy in Manila.

A6

OCTOBER 2-8, 2020 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

FeatURes

OPiniOn

Reviving tourism

WORLD Tourism Day on Sept. 27 passed largely unnoticed this year, as the travel industry continued to reel from the impact of measures to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. COVID-19 restrictions have battered international tourism, which dropped 22 percent in the first quarter and is projected by the United Nations World Tourism Organization to plummet to 60 to 80 percent over the whole year.

Among the hardest hit are the rural communities whose livelihoods are heavily dependent on tourism. The UNWTO has designated 2020 as the Year of Tourism and Rural Development, which is also the theme of this year’s 40th anniversary of World Tourism Day. The UN estimates that 80 percent of people living in extreme poverty worldwide are in rural communities. The rural areas are also home to most of the 1.8 billion young people worldwide, according to the UN. But the lack of opportunities in rural areas is fueling urban migration among the youth, which is aggravating rural underdevelopment.

By 2050, the UN projects up to 68 percent of the world population to be living in urban areas.

Tourism provides meaningful jobs and livelihoods even in remote areas, and promotes sustainable and inclusive economic growth. This gives urgency to the revival of the tourism and travel industry. Even with efforts limited to domestic tourism, however, the pandemic is posing challenges.

Boracay offers a look into those challenges. The world-class destination beckons once again, as the government relaxes quarantine travel restrictions. But even with discounts of up to 70 percent in accommodations, the requirements of the pandemic normal can leave only the most diehard traveler from outside Western Visayas determined to visit Boracay.

A negative result on a swab test is the first hurdle. At P4,000 to P12,000 – not covered by medical insurance for those who are not sick or showing any symptoms – that’s a hefty initial investment for a few days of vacation.

Then there’s the pandemic-induced fear of flying that must be overcome – especially on the smaller planes that typically service the Manila-Caticlan route. Upon returning to Manila, there are offices that require employees who travel by plane to go on home quarantine for 14 days.

People who are straining to escape over six

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS ABORTION is perhaps the most contentious issue in America, a paradox given the fact that people, in general, value life and have been given by our Creator the instincts and the intelligence to protect life. Then why has this issue divided us when we uphold the same value for life?

We all believe that life is sacred from the womb to tomb. This is one of the values that unify us Filipinos in America, especially because of the fact that we were born and raised Christians, Catholics to be more precise.

While we may be sharing the same values and aspirations, the two-party political system of the United States, grounded mostly on ideology, puts us in a box. Many of us have to choose between the two major parties, while relatively fewer remain to choose to be independent or to be of no party affiliation.

But for most Americans, it is a choice between liberal or conservative principles, between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, even when for many of us, it is not as black and white as how we feel about the issues.

Some of us may be leaning “Blue” (Democrat) when it comes to safety nets and social services like health and education, but lean “Red” (Republican) in matters of taxes and national security, for example.

As we discern on how to vote and who to vote for in Novem-

Director, California Complete Count – Census 2020 Office

2020 has certainly been extraordinary, and what many are calling an unprecedented time.

We’ve been hit with a worldwide pandemic, stopping the normal routine of our lives, in addition to facing social unrest due to racism and injustice.

On top of that, our state has been hit with catastrophic wildfires right here in the west. Plus, there’s an upcoming election in November.

This is my third decennial Census where I’ve led California’s Census efforts to reach the hardest-to-count communities, historically lower responding areas and vulnerable populations. All the challenges mentioned above have added to the difficulty of ensuring a complete and accurate count.

months of COVID confinement may consider such inconveniences a small price to pay to enjoy the pristine beach and waters of Boracay. The tourism industry, devastated by the killer pandemic,

is counting on such attitudes to revive the sector.

With public health protocols in place and strictly observed, it is possible to speed up the revival of tourism. (Philstar.com)

Hard facts about the abortion issue: Let us work together to save lives when we cast our vote in November ber, may I respectfully ask for your kind indulgence and let us all remove our partisan hats so we can have common working knowledge about the background of the law on abortion in the United States, and how we can all work together to achieve what we share in common — to save lives.

Amid the more restrictive sexual mores of the 1800s, abortion was actually common, the History Channel reported. According to at least one estimate, one in every five women at the time had had an abortion.

In the late 1850s, however, the newly established American Medical Association (AMA) began lobbying for the criminalization of abortion, which according to the History Channel was “partly in an effort to eliminate doctors’ competitors such as midwives and homeopaths.”

In 1869, the Catholic Church changed its law and banned abortion at any stage of pregnancy. In 1873, the U.S. Congress passed the Comstock Act, which made it illegal to distribute contraceptives and abortioninducing drugs through the U.S. mail. By the 1880s, abortion was outlawed across most of the country.

The 1960s, however, saw the rise of the women’s rights movement. Court cases involving the use of contraceptives laid the groundwork for Roe v. Wade.

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a law in 1965 banning

the distribution of birth control to married couples, ruling that the law violated their implied right to privacy under the U.S. Constitution. And in 1972, the Supreme Court struck down a law prohibiting the distribution of contraceptives to unmarried adults.

Roe v. Wade Despite the law criminalizing abortion, some women resorted to illegal, dangerous, “back-alley” abortions or self-induced abortions. According to the History Channel, “in the 1950s and 1960s, the estimated number of illegal abortions in the United States ranged from 200,000 to 1.2 million per year, according to the Guttmacher Institute.”

After trying unsuccessfully to get an illegal abortion, Norma McCorvey was referred to Texas attorneys Linda Coffee and Sarah Weddington, who were interested in challenging anti-abortion laws. In court documents, McCorvey became known as “Jane Roe.” According to the History Channel, the attorneys filed a lawsuit in 1970, on behalf of McCorvey and all the other women “who were or might become pregnant and want to consider all options,” against Henry Wade, the district attorney of Dallas County, where McCorvey lived.

Roe won over Wade. The Supreme Court struck down the Texas law that criminalizes abortion, taking after the jurisprudence of the legalization of the use of contraceptives, pro-

tected by the right to privacy of the 14th Amendment.

In its decision, the History Channel said “the court divided pregnancy into three trimesters, and declared that the choice to end a pregnancy in the first trimester was solely up to the woman. In the second trimester, the government could regulate abortion, although not ban it, in order to protect the mother’s health.”

“In the third trimester, the state could prohibit abortion to protect a fetus that could survive on its own outside the womb, except when a woman’s health was in danger,” the report added.

Since Roe v. Wade, many states have imposed restrictions that weaken abortion rights, and Americans remain divided over support for a woman’s right to choose an abortion.

Yet, despite these stricter restrictions and clinics being closed, women continued having abortions, with some women fatally performing abortions on themselves.

Republicans made anti-abortion their battle cry, accusing Democrats of being “baby killers” because they support abortion.

Why some women chose to have an abortion Democrats contend that nobody is being forced to abort their babies — it is the personal choice of a woman what to do with her body and arguing that women have grave reasons to get one like rape, incest, threats

to her life, being in an abusive relationship, unwanted pregnancy complicated by poverty, and a lack of information on her choices.

Qualitative studies conducted by the Guttmacher Institute revealed that women who had had an abortion as typically feeling that they had no other choice, given their limited resources and existing responsibilities to others.

The late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told senators during her confirmation hearing when asked about abortion: “Abortion prohibition by the State controls women and denies them full autonomy and full equality with men.”

“The decision whether or not to bear a child is central to a woman’s life, to her well-being and dignity. It is a decision she must make for herself. When Government controls that decision for her, she is being treated as less than a fully adult human responsible for her own choices,” she added.

This right of the woman to make a decision for herself and for her own body, therefore, is in congruence with the promise of America as envisioned by our founding fathers — that in America, all people are created equal, and should therefore be treated equally and be granted with equal protection of the law.

But the decriminalization of abortion did not force, mandate, nor push women to “kill” their own babies. Women took this

very seriously and would not resort to abortion unless they are in despair. This is a right to choose based on their personal circumstances.

Conversely, imposing strict abortion measures has not prevented or stopped women from getting an abortion, on the other hand, they would even compel them to turn to self-induced abortion.

Sharp decline in the abortion rate Guttmacher Institute reports: “Between 1990 and 2008, the abortion rate declined an average of 2% per year, but between 2008 and 2011, it dropped 13%.

Fewer women had abortions in 2011 than in 2008 because fewer women became pregnant when they did not want to: Over this period, the proportion of pregnancies that were unintended declined from 51% to 45%, and the rate of unintended pregnancy dropped 18%, from 54 to 45 per 1,000 women.”

The updated study found that the U.S. abortion rate continued to drop to 13.5 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 in 2017, the lowest rate recorded since abortion was legalized in 1973 and an 8% decline from 2014.

“Birthrates declined in almost all states during this period, indicating that fewer people became pregnant, not that more individuals chose or were made to give birth rather than have an abortion,” the study said.

u PAGE A7

This Census is different, but very important

Commentary DITAS KATAGUE

Philstar.com photo

The U.S. Census Bureau has had to operate differently – they’ve changed their operations multiple times and are not working how they have done in the past. Federal workers are part of our community – they are being asked to do more with less resources and with a shorter timeframe.

The Census Headquarters has been asked to compress their well-researched and tested work plan for completing and delivering an accurate count. And possibly cancelling or eliminating key quality assurance operations.

This is abnormal – it’s materially different than the previous two counts in 2010 and 2000. I wish I had more confidence in the Census Bureau’s field data collection operations and data processing that would ensure an accurate count.

In California, we have invested $187.2 million toward a data-intensive, innovative

outreach and communications campaign to motivate households to respond to the Census.

So far, we’ve accomplished a number of things – with the help of our stakeholders and partners. We amassed a coalition of over 150 local, regional and statewide partners that served as our trusted messengers and created a social movement infrastructure. They have done great work to ensure Californians self-respond to the Census and although likely exhausted by this extended Census journey, will continue to work with communities to ensure they are civically engaged.

By identifying what the Census is and explaining its tangible benefits, we’ve been able to motivate more than 2 million households in harder-to-count areas to respond, with a total of 10.4 million households selfresponding statewide.

This year has also been reflective for me personally, I think about the future that I want to leave behind. There are mixed emotions – thinking about my daughter’s future, while recognizing the struggles my family faced in the past. My daughter just moved abroad to finish her remaining two years in high school and my mom passed away in August.

As I have gone through my mother’s things, I’ve realized that my current work on the Census is about honoring the past and shaping our future, bringing my daughter, and possibly her future children, closer to our roots. Completing the census, being counted is not just for us, but for future generations. It is a gift we give to them now. It’s invaluable.

She can go back in time to see officially where her “Lola” settled in the United States when they came over from the Philippines. She can see how

our family moved from Chicago to Kansas City, to Modesto, Pinole, Washington, DC and now, finally settling in Sacramento.

My family set roots in the United States – like so many others have – to provide for their future generations.

And as families participate in the Census, we are all helping form the kind of community we deserve, with the local resources that are rightfully ours.

The 2020 Census is our chance to deliver opportunity and justice to our communities – more streetlights, sidewalks, health services, nutritional programs, educational resources, affordable housing and reliable public transportation and so much more.

By taking the 9-question survey, we can set forth a roadmap for the future of our families, communities and our state.

There are three easy ways to fill out the form:

• Online at my2020census.gov • By phone at 844-3302020 (a list of in-language options is available here) • By mail if you received a paper form You may see a Census worker in your neighborhood since they are following up with households that have yet to respond. If you have any questions or would like some help, they are there for you.

I recommend you answer the Census online or over the phone – this is the best way to ensure your answers are accurate. Plus, you can fill it out in the comfort of your own home.

This year is different – it’s been a surprise to us all, but don’t forget to take your Census. It will make a difference in the long term for your family and community and in recognizing and celebrating your past. ■

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

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 2-8, 2020

PH economy seen to contract by more than 6% in 2020

by AnnA LeAh

e. GonzALes ManilaTimes.net

THE World Bank on Tuesday, September 29, downgraded its 2020 Philippine economic growth forecast to -6.9 percent from -1.9 percent which it said would slow down the country’s progress in poverty reduction over the past years.

In its “From Containment to Recovery – the World Bank’s October 2020 Economic Update

for East Asia and the Pacific” report, the World Bank said the economy is projected to recover and grow by 5.3 percent in 2021 and 5.6 percent in 2022.

“Economic growth averaged 6.6 percent from 2015 to 2019, resulting from prudent macrofiscal management, significant investments in infrastructure and human capital, and favorable external conditions. Consequently, robust growth in household incomes reduced

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the national poverty rate from 23.5 percent in 2015 to 16.7 percent in 2018,” said the World Bank.

“The Covid-19 shock is now abruptly pushing the economy into recession and threatening these economic and social gains. The pandemic has triggered declines in remittances sent by Filipino overseas workers and job losses caused by strict containment measures,” it added. n

FI the lat For

Hard facts about the abortion issue: Let us...

PAGE A6 Guttmacher Institute reports: ”With abortion rates falling in almost all states, our study did not find evidence that the national decline in abortions during this period was the result of new state abortion restrictions.

We also found no evidence that the decline was linked to a drop in the number of abortion providers during this period,” says Rachel Jones, lead author of the study.

“Rather, the decline in abortions coincided with a steep national drop in overall pregnancy and birth rates. Contraceptive use improved during this period, as more women and couples were using highly effective longacting reversible contraceptive methods, such as the IUD. Moreover, the recent recession led many women and couples to want to avoid or delay pregnancy and childbearing.”

With the available evidence, it is impossible to pinpoint exactly which factors drove recent declines, and to what degree.

However, previous Guttmacher analyses have documented that abortion restrictions, while incredibly harmful at an individual level, were not the main driver of national declines in the abortion rate in the 2008–20115 or 2011– 20146 time periods.

Much the same appears to hold true for the 2011–2017 timeframe, as detailed below.

Rather, the decline in abortions appears to be part of a broader decline in pregnancies, as evidenced by fewer births over the same period.

Decisions in the 2020 elections: How can we work together to save lives?

Given the hard facts about

abortion, I hope we realize that criminalizing abortion and crucifying women in despair did not help as much to lower abortion rates to save lives.

What has helped to lower the abortion rate is empowering women with knowledge and science-based information so they will realize that they have the choice not to choose abortion, despite their limited resources and existing responsibilities to others.

We can do this by helping them with empathy instead of judgment, compassion instead of condemnation, love instead of hate.

As parents, we can continue instilling in our children the value of life through our own examples, not just for the unborn, but for all people, especially the marginalized sectors of our society, regardless of age, race, social and economic status.

We can also help our teachers and health officials in being open with our children that aside from restraining ourselves from our sexual energies and desires, which God created us with during our teens through our childbearing years, we also have safe contraceptive measures available to avoid unwanted pregnancy.

We can help lead those who have already been pregnant but cannot give their babies a decent life realize that they have the choice and the support system to continue on with the pregnancy and that loving families are waiting to nurture and raise their baby.

We can also fight for a more equitable society so that each person will be given equal rights and opportunities to be relieved from poverty — health care, edu-

cation, living wages — and move up the economic ladder and be productive members of society, instead of abusing them so that the richest of the rich can rake in more millions and billions with their insatiable greed.

IF you are supporting Trump because of this singular issue of abortion and exonerate him for all his transgressions against the Constitution, the American people, his lies and his assault against the decency and unity of our nation, then please discern and pray more for God’s guidance and light.

Many Republican leaders have already announced that they will not support Trump’s re-election bid because the loyalty of every American should be for the country and not for the party, and especially not for a man like Donald Trump.

Many of them have also endorsed Joe Biden for president.

Do not think you have no choice but to vote for Trump because you want to save lives from the womb to tomb. Donald Trump does not really share that value; he only tells you what you want to hear to get your vote.

Instead, let us follow God’s example of inclusive, compassionate love to heal our neighbors and the world to help save more lives and souls as we cast our sacred vote this November. *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos.

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OctOber 2-8, 2020 • NOrcAL ASIAN JOUrNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

THE ASIAN JOURNAL MAGAZINE

(650) 689-5160 • http://www.asianjournal.com

Community Journal

B IN NORTHEN cALIfORNIA

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 2-8, 2020

Friday, October 2, 2020

OMETHING

ILIPINO

LIfESTyLE • cONSUMER GUIdE • cOMMUNITy • MARkETPLAcE Immigration Corner

K-1 petition denied; should we marry?

in love and committed to each other. Would you advise that we get married and I file a spousal petition, to increase our chances of success?

Atty. MichAel Very truly yours, Gurfinkel, eSQ SL Dear sL: DEAR Attorney Gurfinkel: Before you make a decision I am a U.S. citizen, and filed a K-1 (fiancé) petition for my girl- on what is the best course of acfriend in the Philippines. Unfor- tion, it is critical to know WHY the case was denied. Dependtunately, the case was denied.

I was told by friends it would ing on the reason for the denial, help if we get married, as that it could affect the approval of a would demonstrate we are truly petition even if you get married.

The same problem or issue that existed in connection with a K1 petition might still exist with a spousal petition. Getting married would not solve or cure that problem. For example: • Was your girlfriend previously married, and never terminated her first marriage? If that is the case, she is still married to her first husband and marrying her will not cure that issue, but would in fact result to a bigamous marriage.

PAGE B3

San Francisco’s CAAMFest FORWARD presents Fil-Am films during drive-in, virtual experiences by

AJPress

As the coronavirus pandemic put in-person gatherings on hold, events have been canceled left and right, or have had to adapt to the “new normal” by capturing audiences online.

The Center for Asian American Media’s CAAMFest, now on its 38th year, has been an annual gathering to look out for as one of the largest and anticipated Asian American film festivals in the country. In time for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the festival shifted to an online alternative from May 13-22 wherein viewers could watch films from Asian American and Asian-centric feature-length films, shorts, and documentaries and food and music programs from the comfort of their homes.

Months later, the center is back with CAAMFest FOWARD, a reimagined festival with a primarily virtual lineup and two drive-in experiences from October 14-18.

During the five days, over 40 films will be available for people to watch at their own convenience.

Most of the films will include prerecorded Q&As, and shorts will be curated into eight programs available on the CAAMFest website.

CAAMFest FORWARD will feaMORE ANSWERS TO YOUR IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS WHEN LEADING U.S. IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL (LEFT) CONTINUES TO PROVIDE RELEVANT IMMIGRATION INFORMATION TO KAPAMILYA, VIA ZOOM, THIS SUNDAY, ON CITIZEN PINOY. Connie of Rahway, NJ (top right) ture eight world premieres, eight would like to know what “Refused” means on the Embassy website. The Consul kept her sister’s family’s passports during their interview before U.s. premieres, and 23 Bay Area the Covid lock down. When her sister checked online, she saw their petition was “Refused.” What does that mean? From Angeles, Pampanga in premieres, according to the centhe Philippines, Jet (bottom right) wants to know if she can become a U.S. citizen through her U.S. citizen father, even if his name was not on ter. Additionally 65% of featured her birth certificate, but he acknowledged her recently when Jet found him on Facebook last year. Erick of Union City, CA (not in photo) would filmmakers identify as female and like to know if he can petition his children even if he did not declare them when he entered the U.S. Many other questions regarding family the lineup of films reflect its competitions will be discussed and answered by Atty. Gurfinkel. Be sure to watch a brand-new episode of “CITIZEN PINOY: Your Tanong, My Sagot” mitment to amplifying the stories this Sunday, October 4 at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

(Advertising Supplement) of other BIPOC creative commu-

A still from Lea Salonga’s performance at the Sydney Opera House in November 2019.

Photo by Robert Catto

Ruby Ibarra & The Balikbayans at Wave 89.1 in Manila, Philippines. Photo by Evelyn Obamos

nities.

“When programming, it was important for us to meet the moment and create a festival with broad cultural reach to build bridges and platforms for historically underrepresented filmmak-

ers,” Festival Director Masashi Niwano said in a statement. “Our festival is called CAAMFest FORWARD, so our programming is a snapshot of the filmmakers moving us forward.”

PAGE B3

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Features

october 2-8, 2020 • NorcAL ASIAN JoUrNAL

celebrity world

By Ferdie Villar MAJA Ross Andres Salvador, who was born on October 5, 1988 in Aparri, Cagayan, is a talented Filipino actress, dancer, model, singer and producer. Widely recognized as the “Dance Princess,” the Kapamilya star announced recently to her fans that she will be appearing in programs for other TV networks.

Maja belongs to the Salvador

showbiz clan, which includes Lou Salvador Jr. (acknowledged as the James Dean of the Philippines), Leroy Salvador, Ross Rival (Rosauro Salvador), Alona Alegre (Maria Lourdes Salvador), Mina Aragon Del Rosario (Mina Salvador), Philip Salvador, Deborah Sun (Jean Louise Salvador), Jonjon Hernandez (John Hernandez Salvador), Jobelle Salvador

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

Talented, fashionable actress Maja Salvador of Wildflower fame heads list of October celebrants

and Janella Salvador.

It was in 2017 that Maja’s star rose to new heights with her portrayal of the characters Lily Cruz/ Ivy Aguas in the widely-watched Wildflower television series for which bagged the best actress award at the 2019 Asia Contents Awards in Busan, South Korea.

Maja also had in other popular series like “FPJ’s Ang Probinsi-

yano,” “The Killer Bride,” “Nagsimula sa Puso,” “Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin,” “The Legal Wife,” “Bridges of Love” and “Ina, Kapatid, Anak.”

In 2012, Maja won the Best Actress trophies at the 36th Gawad Urian Awards and the 30th Luna Awards (formerly known as the Film Academy of the Philippines [FAP] Awards for the independent film “Thelma” directed

by Paul Soriano. In the film, Maja portrays the titular character who

Beauteous actress Maja Salvador heads the list of prominent personalities who are celebrating their birthdays this October.

Multi-awarded actor Christopher de Leon turns 64 on Saturday, October 31. He is shown in photo above with beauty impresario Ferdie Villar during one of his many visits to the Bay Area.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, who was former mayor of San Francisco and lieutenant governor of California, celebrates his 53rd birthday on October 10.

Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso, the current and 22nd mayor of Manila, Philippines, turns 46 on October 24.

Charo Santos Concio, TV host of the longrunning Maalaala Mo Kaya series and a media executive, celebrates her birthday on Tuesday, October 27.

Phylbert Angelli Ranollo Fagestrom, better known for her stage name Bea Alonzo, celebrates her birthday on Saturday, October 17.

Evangeline Perez, an Antioch care home owner and dental assistant, celebrates her birthday on October 29.

Emmanuel Cabrera, a SamTrans mechanic, celebrates his birthday on Tuesday, October 27.

is a runner with big dreams for her family and does everything in her power to achieve those dreams. She had stated in an interview before that the film is based on the life of Filipino athletes, particularly runners. For the film, Maja was coached and trained by medal-winning runner and long jumper Elma Muros.

Last September 21, Maja threw a street food party with her loved ones to celebrate reaching 1 million subscribers in the video-sharing platform YouTube. She started vlogging in 2019 and her channel is entitled “Meet Maja.”

Maja turns 32 this year. Along with “Wildflower” actress, other prominent celebrities who will be celebrating their birthdays this Halloween month are: October 1: Actress/model/entertainment anchor Phoemela Baranda; October 2: Former basketball star Benjie Paras, who is a teleserye/comedy actor for Kapuso GMA-7; October 3: Actress/commercial model/singer Rhian Ramos, Daly City beauty expert Carmen Taylor; October 7: Actor/comedian/ politician and former basketball player Joey Marquez, San Jose student leader Christian Back (a graduate of De Anza College majoring in Finance and Economics; October 8: San Francisco community leader Charrie de Veyra Saddul; October 9: Former restaurant owner the late Jimmy Diaz; October 10: California Governor Gavin Newsom, Sorsogon Governor Francisco Joseph “Chiz” Escudero, Star in a Million grand champion Eric Santos; October 11: It’s Showtime director Robert Vitanes; October 12: San Rafael community leader Lolita Hajian, former Miss Philippines Pilarcita (Larcy) Syquia Villar, former

Daly City councilmember the late Carol Klatt; October 13: Filipino-Italian model Giuseppe Nucera; October 14: Comedian/actor/Eat Bulaga TV host Joey de Leon; October 15: GMA-7 executive vice president and chief operating officer Gilberto “Jimmy” Duavit Jr., bank executive Rose Satorre Asuncion, veteran movie writer and talent manager Norma Japitana; October 17: Actress/model/ singer Bea Alonzo, singer-actress Vina Morales, TV & film director/writer/producer Olivia Lamasan; October 23: Fomer Manila Bulletin Celebrity World columnist Crispina Martinez Belen, Long Beach political leader Malou Mariano (who now resides in Long Beach, CA), singer-actress Verni Varga; October 24: Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso, Queen Philippines Globe 2011 winner Erica Achico Ilecer, Eat Bulaga co-host/actress Pia Guanio; October 25: Fomer Miss Philippines Cristina Galang Caedo, best-dressed business executive Fernand Tanedo of Pittsburg; October 26: Viva Films producer Vic del Rosario Jr.; October 27: Media executive/ Maalaala Mo Kaya host/former actress Charo Santos-Concio, SamTrans mechanic Emmanuel Cabrera; October 28: Entertainment producer/talent manager and former actress Annabelle Rama, Novo Ecijano leader Marilyn Cuncio; October 29: Actress/singer Angelika Dela Cruz, Antioch care home owner and dental assistant Evangeline Perez; October 31: Multi-awarded actor/politician Christopher de Leon.

To all October birthday celebrants, my heartfelt greetings!

Features

(650) 689-5160 • http://www.asianjournal.com

San Francisco’s CAAMFest FORWARD...

PAGE B1 The festival also comes as the nation will celebrate Filipino American History Month in October.

Fil-Am actor Nico Santos, who plays Mateo on the hit NBC show “Superstore” and starred as Oliver in “Crazy Rich Asians” will be in conversation to speak about the evolution of the industry at this moment.

On Oct. 14, the first drive-in experience at the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture in San Francisco will be a “Celebration of Filipina Musical Talent” that showcases two world premiere projects featuring a music icon, Lea Salonga, and a rising star, Bay Area rapper Ruby Ibarra.

• “Lea Salonga in Concert with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra” CAAM-funded live concert features internationally famed for her powerhouse voice and perfect pitch Lea Salonga, who burst onto the Broadway musical scene with her 1991 Tony Award-winning performance as Kim in “Miss Saigon.” This new Great Performances program presents Salonga in peak performance at the Sydney Opera House, singing a selection of songs from her Broadway career as well as her hits from the animated movie blockbusters Aladdin and Mulan.

• “7000 Miles: Homecoming”: A new music documentary directed by Evelyn Obamos that chronicles the Bay Area’s own hip hop star Ruby Ibarra and her band the Balikbayans as they take a trip back to the Philippines. Ruby Ibarra is a Filipina American rapper, music producer, and spoken word artist from San Lorenzo, California. She raps in Tagalog, Waray, and English.

The second drive-in day on Oct. 15 will recognize Hong Kong cinema — “A Simple Life” by direc-

Poster and a scene from “The Girl Who Left Home.”

A scene from Celine Parreñas Shimizu’s “The Celine Archive,” a documentary about Celine Navarro, a 28-year-old Pinay who was buried alive in Contra Costa County in 1932.

fied in court against four men accused of beating a woman. “The Celine Archive” also illustrates how making the film has helped Shimizu cope with the 2013 death of her own 8-year-old son.

Ortega’s “The Girl Who Left Home” is a live-action musical feature film that surrounds an Asian-American working-class family who faces tragedy at the height of Christine’s career. After her father suddenly passes away, Christine must choose to either save her family restaurant from getting shut down, or continuing to pursue her life’s dream. It stars Paolo Montalban, Haven Everly, and Emy Goligado.

In the shorts program, Marie Jamora’s “Harana” (Serenade) and “Dancing on My Own”

by Alexandra Cuerdo will be streamed.

There will also be a first look at “Kapwa,” a project by director PJ Raval (“Call Her Ganda”) and producer Cecilia R. Mejia (“Yellow Rose,” “Lingua Franca”).

“Kapwa” highlights Filipinos and their lived experiences navigating the current and ongoing crisis and the critical family conversations they inspire.

Additional programming includes CAAM’s FORWARD symposium, featuring two sessions examining Asian American storytelling and the impact CAAM has had on the field and community over the past 40 years.

Tickets are now on sale for the drive-in experiences, while tickets for the live streaming and video on demand screenings will go on sale Monday, October 5 at www.caamfest.com.

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tor Ann Hui and “My Prince Edward” by director Norris Wong.

Additional programming includes films by and about the Filipino American community, including Bay Area filmmaker Celine Parreñas Shimizu’s “The Celine Archive,” and new feature musical “The Girl Who Left Home” by Mallorie Ortega.

In “The Celine Archive,” Shimizu, a professor at the San Francisco State University School of Cinema, recasts the so-called ghost story of Celine Navarro into a tragedy of a feminist heroine.

Navarro was a 28-year-old Filipino American mother buried alive in Contra Costa County in 1932, as told through archival documents and news clippings, audio recordings and new interviews with surviving family members — including Navarro’s 93-year-old daughter — as well as scholars and community members. They reveal that Navarro was an outspoken feminist; she once testi-

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 2-8, 2020

B

Answers to immigration questions regarding family-based petitions take the spotlight on ‘Citizen Pinoy: Your Tanong, My Sagot’ on Oct. 4

THIS Sunday, October 4 leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel continues to answer questions pertaining to the most important and basic unit of society – the family.

Erick of Union City, California would like to know if he can petition his children even if he is only a green card holder and he did not declare them when he arrived in the U.S. Connie of Rahway, New Jersey asks about her sister’s situation.

Their passports and medical records were taken at the embassy during their interview in February this year and have not been returned since. It has been chal-

lenging to follow up due to the COVID-19 lockdown. When her sister checked online, their status read: “refused.” What does that mean for her sister and family?

Will they still be able to get their passports and documents? Will they get their visas?

Jet of Angeles City, Pampanga in the Philippines would like to know if she can acquire U.S. citizenship through her U.S. citizen father even if his name was not on her birth certificate (her father was recalled to the U.S. before Jet was born) and she carries her mother’s name. Is DNA testing required and will that be enough?

Other questions include: a boyfriend who proposed to his tourist girlfriend while she was visiting him. Can they get married in the U.S. even if she has a tourist visa? Can a mother petition her 49-year-old widower son as unmarried? I petitioned my brother and his priority date became current. Unfortunately, he died. Can his widow take over the petition?

These questions will be answered on a brand-new episode of CITIZEN PINOY: Your Tanong, My Sagot – Social Distancing Style this Sunday, at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

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K-1 petition denied; should we marry?

PAGE B1 • Did your girlfriend commit fraud/misrepresentation to the U.S. Embassy when previously applying for a tourist visa or some other immigration benefit?

For example, some people might have applied for a tourist visa, but submitted fake documents or lied on the visa application and were charged with fraud. That same fraud is still on their record and will come up, whether in connection with a K-1 petition or spousal petition. In either case, a fraud waiver would be needed.

•Did your girlfriend commit a felony or was arrested/convicted of any crime, which would still be an issue in a spousal petition?

• At her K-1 interview, did she confess she was marrying you to get a green card, and does not truly love you? In that case, although the U.S. citizen petitioner may be madly in love, the U.S. government views this as a “fixed marriage,” as the beneficiary would be basically using the U.S. citizen for immigration benefit.

These are just some of the considerations that you have to take into account in terms of what is the best course of future action.

As you can see, getting married does not necessarily cure the problem. That’s why it is important for people to consult with an attorney, who can properly evaluate their situation rather than relying on hearsay or advice of friends or relatives.

* * * Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

Each case is different, and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice

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regarding the outcome of your legal matter.

No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw, Twitter @GurfinkelLaw and YouTube: US Immigration TV Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

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Features

october 2-8, 2020 • NorcAL ASIAN JoUrNAL

Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS ALL of us today are at risk, more than we realize, more than ever before. Criminals, as expected, are taking advantage of modern technology to perpetrate their illegal acts more efficiently and discreetly.

High-tech electronic pickpocket data readers, much like the credit card readers at check-out counters, are used by thieves to steal identity, credit card/passport and other data. They simply carry the gadget in a case or in a paper bag, and come close to their victim, with no body contact in stores or even while walking on the street near the target, and, in seconds, voila!, the data are instantly copied on their reading device surreptitiously.

A solution to combat this method is actually easy. Make a quadruple-folded aluminum foil from your kitchen the exact size of credit cards or passport, etc., and place all cards/passports “sandwiched” between two folded aluminum foils. This will cover the microchip on the cards/ passports, etc. and prevent RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) reader from accessing the data at no extra cost.

There are protective (blocker) RFID pockets and wallets for credit cards and passports at Walmart. Target, on amazon. com, etc. The use of cellular phone with Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, etc. also prevents the risk of electronic theft, not to mention the user gets credit rewards per transaction. Each payment is automatically assigned a distinct 4-digit code, per purchase, per store, unlike using the credit card directly inserted to the card reader at the checkout counter, which uses only one assigned 4digit code for each and all payments which cashiers or waiters could easily copy, together with the card number, name, etc.

Car doors could also be opened by high-tech thieves. When you click your electronic car key to lock the car doors/trunk, a signal (sound) is emitted, which burglars nearby could copy with their special gadget. Once you go inside the building, they could press a button to emit the same signal and open your car door.

For decades, my wife Farida and I have been consciously and religiously using the manual mode of locking and unlocking our car doors with a key (manually, not electronically), which has now been a habit since. The car handle “touch” mode to lock and unlock cars equipped with it is also safer.

‘High-tech’ crimes Burglars near your garage can open your garage doors using a Code Grabber, which grabs and records your code when you open your garage door. Once you are inside or after you leave home, they use the Grabber to open your garage. Newer garage doors use a variety of codes and changes codes every so often, making it harder to “grab.”

The old-fashioned way to open your garage is to use a coat hanger, with a curb at the tip. This is inserted right in the middle (between top of the door and the door frame) where the garage door rail is. The emergency lever (release handle with a rope hanging) is hooked and pulled down.

This unlocks the garage door, which could then be lifted up. Solution: Pass a plastic tie through the hole of the lever where the rope is, and through the hole in the metal moving case; lock the tie tight. This will prevent the release handle (metal lever) from being pulled down. Make sure the tie does not impair the opening and closing of the door. At night, or when going on a vacation, the main switch to the garage door may be turned off, just like the water main.

For overall protection, home security alarm with wireless cameras outside and inside the home, with monitoring service, is best. There are a few DIY systems in the market, one of which is SimpliSafe – inexpensive, state-of the-art, with motion sensors, glass sensors, smoke and fire detectors, which anyone can install within one hour. Google it.

Of course, having a dog, and/or one or both of these two good friends, 357 magnum and AR-15, would greatly help.

Cyberspace criminals, besides targeting institutions, are also victimizing vulnerable individuals, especially the elderly, to steal their identity, social security info, credit card data, bank account details, and other scams to rob people of their hard-earned money. It is best not to give out personal data by phone or by email, and not to respond to any email from strangers. These tech-savvy criminals have been using company logos to appear legitimate to lure unsuspecting, gullible individuals to fall prey to their cybercrimes. They may even pose as your old friend stranded in another country who lost their wallet and passports, asking you to transfer funds as an emergency aid. Being ultra-vigilant and a bit paranoid are beneficial these days. For online (internet) crimes, report it to www.iC3.gov.

Toxic air in your car Entering your car, without first opening the windows for a few minutes to allow air from the outside to circulate and aerate the

inside, especially when parked under the sun, may be hazardous to your health.

Indeed, your automobile could pose some risks to your life, even before it gets into motion. Like we exercise great caution when driving to prevent injuries to ourselves and to others leading to loss of limb or life, so should we protect ourselves and passengers in our car, even prior to boarding it.

We are referring to the toxic air in the car from chemical vapors coming from the heated dashboard and other interior parts of the car made of plastic and synthetic sofa materials, and from air fresheners and aerosols.

Turning the air-conditioning on, without prior aeration (to replace stale and impure air with fresh one) through all four opened windows, will only re-circulate the polluted air within the car.

The toxin Benzene, a carcinogen (cancer-causing) is said to be emitted when plastic is subjected to a high temperature, like in a closed parked car under the sun.

Besides being harmful to persons with asthma and allergies, air fresheners and aerosols used in cars and at home, are likewise suspects for toxicity, which could cause harm to bones, blood cells, liver, kidneys, etc.

Experts believe that the acceptable indoor level of Benzene is 50mg per square foot. The level goes up to 400-800mg in a parked car with doors and windows shut. This toxic “vapor” goes up 40 times higher than the “acceptable” level, to 20004000mg, in cars parked with windows closed under the sun at an ambient temperature of 60 degrees F. During summer, the temperature could go up higher than a hundred.

It is, therefore, important to open the car windows to allow stale air to flow out as fresher air from the outside comes in for a couple of minutes before we enter the car, turn on the air conditioner, close the door and windows, and drive on.

Common sense tells us that the cleaner the air we breathe in, the healthier it is for us. Any strategy to prevent or reduce air pollution around us is well worth all our efforts as earthlings. After all, the air we inhale provides us an essential and vital element we cannot live without, one that keeps us alive: oxygen. * * * Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United NetworkUSA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: philipSchua. com and FUN8888.com; Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com.

PAPC-USA hosts Kapihan for meet & greet with Fil-Am Bay Area candidates THE Philippine American Press Club-USA is proud to host the last of its 2020 Kapihan/Forum Series at a “Meet and Greet” for 14 Filipino American candidates in the Bay Area on Thursday, October 15, 2020 from 5pm to 6:30pm.

The event’s guest Speaker is California State Assemblymember Rob Bonta (18th Assembly District), while Kapihan cohosts are Myrna Lardizabal De Vera, former Mayor of the City of Hercules, and Cristina Osmeña, a columnist of Philippine News Today and vice president of PAPC-USA. The Zoom Webinar link is http://bit.ly/papc-kapihan.

Assemblymember Rob Bonta, elected to the California State Assembly in 2012, was the first elected Filipino American state legislator in California’s 170-year history. He serves in the 18th District of the California State As-

SUPERVISOR CANEPA HOSTS WEBINAR ON VOTING. San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa will host a webinar on voting with Deputy Chief Elections Officer Jim Irizarry as special guest on October 7 at 5:30pm.

According to Supervisor Canepa, voting offers the ability for people to leverage their voices to elect leaders who have both their community and the country’s best interests at heart. To register for the webinar, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/ register/WN_Edx6F2-gSdOByD8ID0VEXQ. Questions may be submitted prior to the event via email at mrichardson@smcgov. org.

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sembly representing Alameda, Oakland and San Leandro. He is in the ballot in the general election uncontested.

Other Bay Area candidates include Marjan Philhour for Supervisor, San Francisco District 1; Voltaire Montemayor for Mayor, Milpitas; Carly-Ann Manalo for City Clerk, Daly City; and Estela DePaz for School Board Contra Costa District 1.

The following are candidates for City Councimember in Bay Area cities: Alex Griffin, Hercules; Celsa Taraya, Hercules; Chris Lozano, Hayward; Errol Zshornack, Millbrae; Evelyn Chua, Milpitas; Julian Hilario Jr., Milpitas; Glenn Sylvester, Daly City; Juslyn Manalo, Daly City; Malia Vella, Alameda; and Rozzana VerderAliga, Vallejo District 1.

According to the 2017 American Community Survey of the Census Bureau, there are an estimated 500,000 Filipinos in

the Bay Area which represents 12% of the entire 4 million Filipinos in the United States, and 30% of the Filipino residents in the State of California. Filipino Americans compose the largest Asian American sub-group in California. However, Filipinos in the past have been described as “invisible residents.” Hopefully, this year, that will be a thing of the past. The community needs to be more visible not only in California but nationwide.

Let your voice be heard. Deadline for registration is October 19, 2020. Register to vote or check your status at https://covr. sos.ca.gov/.

This PAPC-USA “Meet and Greet” Kapihan is co-sponsored

by Global Filipino Network, headed by its founder, Arnold Pedrigal. Kapihan co-chairs are Rudy Asercion and Esther Misa Chavez. For more information, visit www.papcusa.org.

McDonald’s/APIA scholarship program awards $500K in scholarships to help Asian, Pacific Islander American students attend college The program is providing financial support to college students navigating difficult and uncertain education landscape due to current pandemic CHICAGO – McDonald’s USA is thrilled to announce the inaugural class of McDonald’s/APIA Scholars. Through this program, the company is awarding $500,000 in scholarships to 55 Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) college students. Established in November 2019 in partnership with APIA Scholars, the scholarship underscores McDonald’s commitment to educating and supporting future leaders, a commitment that remains unchanged during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The McDonald’s/APIA Scholarship recognizes the disparities within the community and seeks to help bridge the gap, while providing much needed financial support and opportunities for APIA students.

“When we created the McDonald’s/APIA Scholarship program last year, we had no idea that the need for educational support would become greater as a result of the pandemic,” said Jimmy Ferguson, a Texas-based McDonald’s Owner/Operator and APIA Scholars board member.

“McDonald’s has always invested in the education of students and future leaders, so we couldn’t be happier to lend a hand and provide financial support for APIA students who are making their dreams of higher education come true.”

While back-to-school plans remain unclear for many, APIA students also face other limiting factors in their education attainment journey. The APIA community has been hit disproportionately with economic hardships as a result of the pandemic, with one-infive likely to be unemployed according to Pew Research Center, which directly impacts students and their family’s ability to pay for higher education. Often labeled as a model minority, there are tremendous educational and economic disparities within the APIA community that are often overlooked. According to APIA Scholars, the top 10% of APIAs earn more than 10 times the bottom 10% of APIAs. And while half of the community have college degrees, only 25% of all Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and Southeast Asian Americans finish higher education.

Among this year’s recipients, 55% of students are Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and Southeast Asian Americans. Additionally, 96% of students are first-generation immigrants, 36% of students are the first in their family to go to college, and 76% of students live below the poverty line.

This first class of McDonald’s/ APIA Scholars were selected for their academic achievement, leadership and community involvement. Emphasis was also placed on first-generation college attendees and high financial need. Fifteen students were awarded four-year scholarships and 40 students were awarded one-year scholarships, totaling $500,000.

The scholarship application period is currently open and runs through January 14, 2021.

Students and parents are encouraged to learn more or apply at http://www.apiascholars.org.

McDonald’s education programs include the HACER® National Scholarship for Hispanic students and the McDonald’s Black and Positively Golden Scholarships for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities. McDonald’s has also increased education ac-

cess to over 55,000 and awarded more than $100M in tuition assistance for restaurant employees through Archways to Opportunity.

Following is the complete list of the 2020 McDonald’s/APIA Scholarship recipients: • Muhammad Abdullah (Woodland, CA) attending American River College • Nuha Asad (New York, NY) attending Fordham University • Gobinda Bastola (Louisville, KY) attending University of Louisville • Michelle Dedeles Bermudes (Mangilao, Guam) attending University of Guam • Keeya Pomaikai Bicoy (Maunaloa, HI) attending Grand Canyon University • Gemma Cabias (Wahiawa, HI) attending University of Nevada-Las Vegas • Erica Chen (Elmhurst, NY) attending Stony Brook University • Kiln Chen (New York, NY) attending University of Pennsylvania • Lang Cheng (Medford, MA) attending Brandeis University • Ysabel David (Berkeley, CA) attending Scripps College • Maricar De Castro (Falls Church, VA) attending St. Olaf College • Erin Jade Devera (Waipahu, HI) attending Creighton University • Timothy Niu Faupusa (West Valley, UT) attending Salt Lake Community College • Helen Gao (Akron, OH) attending University of MarylandBaltimore County • Youssef Hasweh (Brooklyn, NY) attending University of Chicago • Way Myo Hlaing (San Diego, CA) attending University of Southern California • Tri Ho (Chicago, IL) attending Yale University • Lesly Duroni Ibarra (Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands) attending Washington State University • Hassan Javed (Avon Park, FL) attending Columbia University in the City of New York • Tracy Jiang (Brooklyn, NY) attending Harvard University • Figs Ju (Omaha, NE) attending University of Nebraska-Lincoln • Keonaona Keo (Hauula, HI) attending Brigham Young University-Provo • Mujahedulislam Rukhshan Khan (Hamtramck, MI) attending University of Michigan-Ann Arbor • Nischal Khatri (Medford, MA) attending Colby College • Samantha Leung (Brooklyn, NY) attending Stony Brook University • Aaliyah Mae Lewis (Tacoma, WA) attending Gonzaga University • Mai Nou Lor (North Saint Paul, MN) attending University of Wisconsin-River Falls • Muskan Manzoor (Houston, TX) attending Fashion Institute of Technology • Ku Mo (Saint Paul, MN) attending University of MinnesotaTwin Cities • Noor Aminah Binti Mohamad (Portland, OR) attending Portland Community College • Hassan Mohiuddin (Rochester, NY) attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology • Jason Duy Nguyen (San Diego, CA) attending University of California, Los Angeles • Stephanie Nguyen (San Diego, CA) attending University of California San Diego • Kang Ou (Fremont, OH) at-

tending The Ohio State University - Columbus Campus • Raj Pandya (Warrenton, MO) attending Yale University • Cynthia Pham (Crystal, MN) attending University of Minnesota-Twin Cities • Maliyah Pham (Greeley, CO) attending Colorado State University-Fort Collins • Marcia Phan (Orlando, FL) attending University of Central Florida • Warren Quan (San Francisco, CA) attending Princeton University • Hlin H Rahlan (Charlotte, NC) attending Central Piedmont Community College • Lea-Ann Sado-Elvenia (Wailuku, HI) attending Hawaii Pacific University • Kee Lah Soe (Saint Paul, MN) attending Hamline University • Daryca Sok (Garland, TX) attending Baylor University • Mahnoor Sultan (Greensboro, GA) attending Mercer University • Kiki Tang (Fort Myers, FL) attending University of Central Florida • Esther Taufa’asau (Pago Pago, American Samoa) attending Oregon State University • Mavaeao Falesoa Tili (Pago Pago, American Samoa) attending American Samoa Community College • Kasang Lhadon Tobtsang (Woodside, NY) attending Columbia University in the City of New York • Thane Noble Todd (Hilo, HI) attending University of NevadaReno • Michelle Nhu Tran (Kailua, HI) attending University of Hawaii at Manoa • Emily Truong (Lakewood, CO) attending University of Southern California • Michelle Truong (Houston, TX) attending West Texas A&M University • Sara Zhang (Chicago, IL) attending University of Southern California • Annie Zhang (Bridgewater, NJ) attending Rutgers University-New Brunswick • Sabrina Zheng (Brooklyn, NY) attending Stony Brook University.

McDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to nearly 25 million customers every day.

Ninety-five percent of McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow them on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook (www.facebook. com/mcdonalds).

Based in Washington, D.C., APIA Scholars is the nation’s leading non-profit organization devoted to providing college scholarships for Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIAs). APIA Scholars works to create opportunities for students to access, complete, and succeed after post-secondary education; thereby developing future leaders who will excel in their career, serve as role models in their communities, and ultimately contribute to a vibrant America. Since 2003, APIA Scholars has awarded more than $150 million in scholarships to deserving APIA students. APIA Scholars manages three scholarship programs: APIA Scholarship, the AANAPISI Scholarship, and the Gates Millennium Scholars/Asian Pacific Islander Americans funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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