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DATELINE
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Public warned: Beware of COVID-related scams AS the pandemic continues, individuals are advised to stay vigilant against the COVID-related scams currently spreading — from websites peddling fraudulent virus cures to calls pretending to be contract tracers to generous aid promising to clear debt. To date, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has received over 206,000 consumer complaints, and recorded some $146 million in losses. Among the common scams right now include individuals ordering personal protective equipment like face masks, thermometers, and hand sanitizers. Customers would reportedly receive tracking notices, but the packages never ended up arriving.
Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Trump returns to White House to continue COVID-19 treatment by AJPRESS
PRESIDENT Donald Trump told Americans to not “be afraid” of COVID-19 as he returned to the White House on Monday night, October
5 after a three-day stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The 74-year-old president arrived on the White House’s South Lawn after a 10-minute flight on Marine One and made his way up the stairs, where he removed his white surgical
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Duterte receives high performance rating amid 2020 challenges by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
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Flag carrier Philippine Airlines will undergo a retrenchment program following a tumultuous year. Inquirer.net photo by Juliet Javellana
mask, and posed for photos before retreating inside. Before being discharged from the hospital, Trump downplayed the virus that has killed more than 210,000 individuals and infected
PLANTS ON CART. A vendor pushes a wooden cart full of flowers along Visayas Avenue in Quezon City on Wednesday, October 7. People peddle their products notwithstanding the threat of the coronavirus disease infection. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte’s performance rating climbed to 91% as the country continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, a Pulse Asia survey revealed on Monday, October 5. The pollster’s Ulat ng Bayan Nationwide Survey, conducted from September 14 to 20, reported that 91% of Filipinos approved of Duterte’s performance. Meanwhile, 5% said disapproved and 5% were undecided. Duterte’s performance rating is four points higher than the 87% he received in December 2019. According to Pulse Asia, Duterte enjoyed
Pandemic forces PAL to cut 35% DOH: Duque elected as chair of WHO’s Cayetano forces of workforce Western Pacific regional committee early budget approval,
suspends session
by DAPHNE
GALVEZ Inquirer.net
by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) plans to lay off 35% of its workforce, the company announced on Monday, October 5. Around 2,700 workers out of its total 7,800 workforce will be affected in the “first stage” of its downsizing initiative. The national flag carrier also called on employees to apply for “voluntary separation.”
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MANILA — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III was elected as this year’s chairperson of the World Health Organization Western Pacific’s regional committee. The Department of Health said on Wednesday, October 7 that the committee is composed of 37 member states in the Western Pacific region.
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by DJ
YAP Inquirer.net
Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque Inquirer.net photo by Greg Montegrande
MANILA — In a power play described by a critic as an act of desperation, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday, October 6 preempted any attempt to wrest the leadership of the House of Representa-
tives from him at least until mid-November by forcing the early suspension of session and the approval on second reading of the proposed 2021 budget. The Cayetano leadership unilaterally forced a voice vote on the P4.5-trillion gen-
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From the Front Page
New ruling: 2020 Census must continue until Oct. 31 A FEDERAL judge ordered that the 2020 Census counting efforts must continue through the end of the month, not October 5. This comes after the Census Bureau was found violating a previous order that had moved the decennial enumeration through the end of October 31. U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in Northern California, in an order on Thursday, October 1, said that “perhaps the most egregious violation” of her previous injunction last week was when the Census Bureau on Monday, Sept. 28 tweeted that the deadline would be Oct. 5. “The Secretary of Commerce has announced a target date of October 5, 2020 to conclude 2020 Census self-response and field data collection operations,” the bureau said in a tweet on Monday before a virtual hearing following up on Koh’s preliminary injunction.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross pushed Oct. 5 as a “target date” to end the enumeration in order to deliver the first set of census results to President Donald Trump by Dec. 31, according to NPR. “The decision also risks further undermining trust in the Bureau and its partners, sowing more confusion, and depressing Census participation,” Koh wrote in her ruling on Thursday, Oct. 1. Last week, the judge said the U.S. Census Bureau must continue its outreach efforts through October 31 in order to have a more accurate count. Koh — agreeing with civil rights organizations and local governments like Los Angeles that filed a lawsuit against the Census 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 lo-
cality matters greatly,” the judge wrote in the preliminary injunction on Sept. 24, six days before the initial Sept. 30 deadline. “Even a small undercount of a subset of the hard to count population would result in the loss of federal funding.” Koh’s new ruling this week also orders the Census Bureau to send a mass text to every census worker by Friday to let them know the head count will continue through this month. A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday, Sept. 30 ruled 2 to 1 letting Koh’s preliminary injunction stand. They argued that ceasing the count “risks undermining” the purpose of the census. Filipino American Judge Patrick J. Bumatay, who was appointed by Trump, dissented on the ruling. “Nearly every American’s plans this year have been
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President Donald Trump greets supporters during a drive by outside of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on Sunday, Oct. 4. Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour
Trump returns to White House... PAGE 1 over 7 million in the United States since March. “Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!” the president tweeted on Monday. In another video posted on Twitter, he said: “One thing’s for certain: Don’t let it dominate you.” “We have the best medical equipment, we have the best medicines, all developed recently,” Trump continued. “I know there’s a risk, there’s a danger, but that’s OK,” Trump added. “And now I’m better, and maybe I’m im-
mune, I don’t know.” He will continue to be treated for COVID-19 at the White House, though his physician, Navy Cmdr. Sean Conley, said the president “may not entirely be out of the woods yet.” “While he may not be entirely out of the woods yet, the team and I agree that all our evaluations and, most importantly, his clinical status support the president’s safe return home, where he will be surrounded by world-class medical care 24/7,” Conley said. Early Friday morning, Trump revealed on Twitter that he and first lady Melania both tested positive for COVID-19 after it was revealed that close adviser Hope Hicks
had contracted the virus. Later that day, the president was transferred to Walter Reed “out of an abundance of caution.” Since his diagnosis, the president’s team of physicians have given him different treatments, including an 8-gram dose of an experimental antibody therapy cocktail made by biotechnology company Regeneron; a five-day course of antiviral drug remdesivir; corticosteroid drug dexamethasone after his oxygen level dropped on Saturday; and supplemental oxygen. “And after about a minute on only two liters, his saturation levels were back over 95%. He stayed on that for about an hour maybe, and
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Cayetano forces early budget... PAGE 1 eral appropriations bill with the ayes prevailing over the nays, but at least one opposition lawmaker who was taking part via Zoom protested that he was forcibly muted by the secretariat and thus could not pose an objection. The presiding officer, Deputy Speaker Raneo Abu, then suspended the session until 3 p.m. of Nov. 16 in disregard of the official legislative calendar, which showed that Congress should start its break on Oct. 17. ‘Desperately hanging on’ With the House now in recess, Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, whose camp claims he now has a majority vote in the 300-member chamber, will not be able to call for the election of a new Speaker until November.
House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco Inquirer.net photos
“This proves beyond doubt that Speaker Cayetano is desperately hanging on,” Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza said, showing reporters a photo of his laptop computer’s screen indicating the host of the Zoom session put him on mute. “He has just publicly confirmed that he is losing ground that’s why he did it,” said Atienza, who backs
Velasco. “He didn’t care about constitutional integrity, throwing everything into the air and making Congress go on a long vacation,” Atienza said. “He made a mess of everything, and he violated all the rules of the House. Many of us were objecting at the top of our voices but again, we
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Public warned: Beware of COVID-related... PAGE 1 Scams related to online shopping make up a majority of the reports from Riverside and San Bernardino counties, according to the FTC. “That is what keeps me up at night. At a time when so many people are experiencing income insecurity, nobody can afford to lose any money,” said Monica Vaca, associate director for the Division of Consumer Response and Operations in the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, during a recent press briefing. “And yet the data we have shows that people are reporting losing more than $146 million on COVID and stimulus-related problems.” Further, individuals have complained about receiving text messages with a hyperlink that says they have a package waiting for them. However, experts advise that the link may contain malware or may phish for information. “We don’t know — is there malware in there or is this a
link that’s going to take you somewhere to ask for your personal information?” W.J. Murdoch of the FBI said. With individuals being laid off or furloughed from work, it puts them in a vulnerable position to look for other employment opportunities, especially those that allow them to work safely at home. But officials advise prospective employees to be cautious if a job seems too good to be true. “These con artists are preying on people who are already down. We’re seeing a lot of reports about phony job offers, where you’re pitched a job as a mystery shopper or as a clerk or to have advertising on your car. And often people think that they’ve landed some kind of a job only to find out later that they were being scammed,” Vaca said. One such scheme is the “fake check” scam where individuals are promised that they can work from home and receive a check in the mail.
But then, individuals end up with their bank accounts wiped out once they deposit the check, she added. Despite the alarming number of reports to the FTC, Vaca is hopeful that thousands more Americans can avoid being scammed if they hear about the different schemes out there. “Research that was released last year shows that people are 80% more likely to avoid losing money if they have heard about the scam before,” Vaca said. Fraudsters will often follow what’s newsworthy and build their schemes around what people are paying attention to, said Maricela Segura, regional director of the FTC’s western region Los Angeles office. Early on, the FTC tracked over 275 companies that were making false claims of treatment and cures related to COVID-19, and caught scammers promising stimu-
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Pandemic forces PAL to cut 35%... PAGE 1 “The retrenchment is part of a larger restructuring and recovery plan as the flag carrier rebuilds its domestic and international network amid the global pandemic,” PAL said in a statement. PAL’s retrenchment program will combine voluntary and involuntary measures to be implemented in the fourth quarter of 2020. “PAL assured employees that the measures will be carried out in a fair manner that complies with all legal requirements and with support for outplacement assistance,” the airline said. Since March 2020, PAL
has suspended capital expenditures, adopted a skeletal workforce, reduced management salaries, and slashed non-essential expenses to control costs. PAL’s shareholders, meanwhile, have infused additional capital to allow continued operations.v “At the height of the pandemic, PAL chose to implement temporary furloughs and flexible working arrangements to maintain jobs as long as possible,” the company said. “However, the collapse in travel demand and persistent travel restrictions on most global and domestic routes
have made retrenchment inevitable, with PAL currently operating less than 15 percent of its normal number of daily flights after eight months of lockdowns,” it added. The airline also said it will continue mounting special repatriation flights to help bring home displaced Filipino migrant workers as well flying all-cargo services to meet the essential cargo transport needs of the public and support economic supply chains. “PAL recently flew its second repatriation flight from Beirut carrying OFWs fleeing the troubled Lebanese capital,” PAL said. n
Trump returns to White House... PAGE 2 was off and gone,” Conley said on Saturday. On Sunday afternoon, Trump, wearing a black cloth mask, briefly left his presidential suite aboard a black SUV to wave to supporters who gathered outside the medical center. Prior to this, the president said he “learned a lot about COVID.” “I learned it by really going to school. This is the real school, this isn’t the let’sread-the-book school. And I get it, and I understand it, and it’s a very interesting thing,
and I’m going to be letting you know about it,” he said in a video posted on Twitter. The event was slammed by critics as irresponsible as it put two Secret Service agents with the president at risk. “That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack,” Dr. James P. Phillips, an emergency medicine physician affiliated with Walter Reed, wrote on Twitter. “The risk of COVID19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding. My
thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play.” Other White House staff who have tested positive for COVID- 19 include senior adviser Stephen Miller, who tested positive on Tuesday; press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who revealed her diagnosis in a statement on Monday; and Nick Luna, personal attendant to the president. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway, who both helped the president with debate preparations, also contracted the virus. n
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, October 5. Malacañang photo by Simeon Celi
Duterte receives high performance rating... PAGE 1 majority approval ratings across geographic areas and socio-economic classes, rising from 88 to 97% and 88 to 95%, respectively. For Duterte’s trust rating, 91% of the respondents said they have “big trust” in the president, while 3% have “small or no trust” and 6% were undecided. “Trust in President Duterte becomes more notable between December 2019 and September 2020 not only at the national level (+8 percentage points) but also in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon (+12 to +14 percentage points),” said Pulse Asia. Vice President Leni Robredo received second to the lowest performance and trust ratings among the five top national officials in the country — at 57% and 50%, respectively. The survey found that 57% of Filipinos approved of the opposition leader’s performance, a point lower than the 58% she received in December. Meanwhile, 22% disapproved and 21% were undecided. Robredo’s trust rating also suffered a three-point drop from December’s 53% to September’s 50%. Twenty two percent of the respon-
dents said they don’t trust her while 28% were undecided. Malacañang, for its part, welcomed Duterte’s high ratings. “Nagpapasalamat po kami sa taong-bayan dahil sa pinakabagong survey ng Pulse Asia, binigyan po ng 91 percent trust rating si Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte at 91 percent din sa performance rating (We thank the public because in the latest Pulse Asia survey, the president received a 91% trust rating and 91% performance rating),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said. “Ang pangako po talaga ng Presidente gagawin niya ang lahat para makabangon po tayo sa pandemiyang ito at isasantabi po talaga niya ang politika (The president’s promise is he will do everything to recover from the pandemic and set aside politics),” he added. Roque also took a swipe at Robredo’s ratings, telling her to stop politicking during a global health crisis to boost her ratings. “Madam VP, mukhang tama ang aking sinabi: Ayaw ‘ata ng Pilipino na namumulitika sa panahon ng pandemya (Madam VP, it seems that my statement is right:
The Filipinos do not like politicking during a pandemic),” the spokesman said. “Subukan po nating itigil ang pulitika, baka po tumaas nang mataas sa 50 percent ang trust rating at mataas pa po sa 57 percent ang performance rating (Let’s try to stop from politicking, maybe will rise higher than 50% and your performance rating will be more than 57%),” he added. For the rest of the national officials’ ratings, Senate President Tito Sotto scored 84% approval rating and 79% trust rating; House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano received 70% approval rating and 67% trust rating; and Supreme Court Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta had 44% approval rating and 39% trust rating. “The performance ratings of the Congress and the Supreme Court are nearly constant during the period December 2019 to September 2020 both at the national level and across geographic areas and socio-economic groupings,” Pulse Asia said. The survey is based on a sample of 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above. It has a ±2.8% error margin at the 95% confidence level. n
DOH: Duque elected as chair of WHO’s... PAGE 1 The committee is a governing body composed of health ministers and senior officials from Western Pacific member countries that meet annually to discuss the region’s health issues. DOH said Duque will lead discussions on the coronavirus pandemic, vaccine-
preventable diseases and immunization, aging and health, safe and affordable surgical interventions, and the program budget for 2022 to 2023. “They convene every year to formulate policies, provide oversight for regional programs, report on their projects and consider, re-
vise and endorse new initiatives,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said. “The resolution and decisions adopted during the session will guide the work of the regional and country offices for the following year which is 2021,” she added. n
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OPINION
FEATURES
Lessons from Trump HEALTH experts have emphasized it from the start of the pandemic: coronavirus disease 2019 is highly contagious and can strike anyone. But by observing basic health safety protocols that are now known worldwide, it is possible to avoid getting COVID-19. Now the leader of the world’s lone superpower and biggest economy has contracted the coronavirus, together with his wife. US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania themselves announced their infection on Twitter in the early hours of Friday. The infection is significant because Trump has been vocal in downplaying the COVID threat and the need to observe the health protocols, starting with wearing a mask. U.S. media ran video footage of his children Ivanka, Donald Jr., Eric and Tiffany, all wearing face masks as they entered the university pavilion in Cleveland, Ohio where he had his first presidential debate Tuesday night with challenger Joe Biden. The siblings then took off their masks as they settled in their seats. In Trump’s campaign sorties, he has thumbed his nose at those who are stressing the impor-
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Philstar.com photo
tance of physical distancing. Some reports said the U.S. president was tested daily for the coronavirus. Clearly, testing is different from avoiding infection. Now the illness has sidelined him for at least a week, into the final stretch of his campaign for reelection. The lessons here can be combined with those from other countries that have allowed the full reopening of businesses, particularly bars and dine-in restaurants, only to see a resurgence of the virus, compelling them to reimpose restrictions and shut down businesses again. Health experts have repeatedly warned that the resumption of economic activities must be accompanied by significant boosts in capabilities for COVID testing, contact tracing, isolation and treatment. And in the absence of a vaccine or cure, all health protocols must continue to be observed, including physical distancing, wearing of masks, regular hand-washing and disinfection. These are worth remembering especially with the approach of the Christmas season and increased attendance at church services.
Editorial
The virus has infected even Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the former archbishop of Manila who now occupies a high position in the Vatican. While people pray for those who have succumbed to COVID, for the recovery of the
infected, and for the virus to be beaten for good, prayers must be accompanied by active efforts to prevent infection. Healthy people mean more people able to celebrate mass inside churches. (Philstar.com)
Despite COVID-19 infection, Trump has not learned the lessons of empathy, truthfulness and true patriotism
The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS PRESIDENT Donald Trump tweeted on Monday, October 5: ”I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good!” Trump sent this tweet to his followers shortly before making a dramatic exit through the front doors of the hospital, pumping his fist to cameras, NBC News reported. He said, “Don’t be afraid of
Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!” This tweet from the president created more questions than answers regarding the true condition of Trump’s health on social media. Did he really test positive with the virus or was it another diversionary tactic after trailing behind Joe Biden in the
polls by 13 points as a result of their chaotic and antagonistic first presidential debate? Was it his desperate way to elicit sympathy, even from his opponent Joe Biden who pulled out all negative ads out of respect for the president, and win sympathy votes? Was it his way to seal the loyalty of his followers who now demand empathy and sympathy from critics even when they themselves cheered on Trump when he would, in
all cruelty, mock and berate people with illnesses and disabilities? Was it a diversionary tactic to move national discourse away from the bombshell reporting by the New York Times about Trump’s much-concealed tax returns, showing that Trump “had paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years — largely because he reported losing much more money than he made.” “As the president wages
a re-election campaign that polls say he is in danger of losing, his finances are under stress, beset by losses and hundreds of millions of dollars in debt coming due that he has personally guaranteed. Also hanging over him is a decade-long audit battle with the Internal Revenue Service over the legitimacy of a $72.9 million tax refund that he claimed, and received, after declaring huge losses. An adverse ruling could cost him
more than $100 million,” the report continued. Many wonder how he could have been discharged from the Walter Reed Medical Center and try to claim victory over the coronavirus on Monday, as he returned to the White House, when he only announced that he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive three days before? Many question why during his briefing on Sunday, PAGE 10
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.
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Dateline PhiliPPines Duterte wishes Trump a ‘speedy recovery’ from coronavirus by Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY
EVERYDAY
9:00am - 11:00am
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has extended his well wishes to United States President Donald Trump and first lady Melania after they both tested positive for COVID-19, Malacañang said on Monday, October 5. “Malapit na magkaibigan ang ating Presidente at si President Trump. Ang mensahe po ng Presidente (The President and President Trump are close friends. The President’s message is) he wishes President Trump and his wife first lady Melania a full and speedy recovery,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said during a press briefing in Boracay. On early Friday morning, the 74-year-old U.S president announced in a tweet that he contracted COVID-19 along with his wife. “Tonight, @FLOTUS and I
tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!” he wrote. Later that day, Trump was admitted to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, where he was being treated for the coronavirus. He was discharged on Monday night and will be continuing his quarantine at the White House. Dr. Sean Conley, Trump’s physician, on Sunday said the president experienced “two episodes of transient drops in his oxygen saturation.” On Friday morning, Trump “had a high fever and his oxygen saturation was transiently dipping below 94%,” the doctor added. The president has been given Gilead’s antiviral drug remdesivir, Regeneron’s antibody cocktail and the steroid dexamethasone, according to his team of doctors.
The president, wearing a mask, left the hospital in an SUV with the Secret Service on Sunday afternoon to wave at supporters outside of Walter Reed. Meanwhile, first lady Melania Trump remains quarantined at the White House. “My family is grateful for all of the prayers & support! I am feeling good & will continue to rest at home. Thank you to medical staff & caretakers everywhere, & my continued prayers for those who are ill or have a family member impacted by the virus,” she said in a tweet on Monday morning. Trump’s close aide, Hope Hicks, had tested positive last week after traveling with the president. Other administration officials who have since tested positive for the virus include presidential assistant Nicholas Luna and White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, whose result PAGE 10
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PH House OKs bill recognizing orphans as natural-born Filipinos by Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
MARATHON SESSION. Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senators Joel Villanueva, Migz Zubiri, Lito Lapid, Bato dela Rosa, and Win Gatchalian take a group photo after the hybrid plenary session on Monday, October 5. The proceedings lasted for more than eight hours. Senate photo
Cayetano forces early budget... PAGE 2 were muted on Zoom and all our objections were thrown out the window,” he added. “This is typical of a poor loser—If you’re losing, flip the table, burn down the house, as they say,” Atienza said. ‘Bastardizing’ the institution In a statement on Tuesday evening, Velasco said Cayetano sealed his own fate by “bastardizing” the institution when he railroaded the budget and suspended the session in violation of House rules. “Because of Speaker Cayetano’s desperate attempt to stay in power, he has bastardized the institution we swore to protect and respect and committed serious violations of the Constitution to save himself,” Velasco said. Cayetano, he said, “knows very well that he no longer enjoys the trust and confidence of House members.” He added: “This caper is the last nail [in] his coffin. Speaker Cayetano, your time is up.” In a speech before he made his move, Cayetano slammed Velasco for insisting on the turnover of the House leadership on Oct. 14, in accordance with the terms of their “gentleman’s agreement.” The Taguig lawmaker said the premature approval of the budget proved that, contrary to his rival’s assertion, he was not holding it hostage. Malacañang thanked the House for passing the budget early. But presidential spokesperson Harry Roque declined to comment on the implication of the session’s suspension on Velasco’s speakership bid, saying it was an internal matter for the House.In bypassing the period of amendments, Cayetano and his allies agreed to form a “small committee” that will accept alterations to the budget bill that may be proposed by House members.
He said the small committee would “have full powers to entertain committee and individual amendments to be submitted to the committee on appropriations on or before Nov. 5.” In his speech, Cayetano again accused Velasco and his allies of planning to stage a takeover and “sabotage” the passage of the budget. Earlier on Tuesday, one of Velasco’s loyalists, Oriental Mindoro Rep. Salvador Leachon, said President Duterte gave the Marinduque lawmaker leave to run for Speaker when the two men met in Malacañang on Monday night. “It was more casual and like a father-son conversation,” he said of Mr. Duterte and Velasco’s talk. “The President was categorical when he said, ‘Lord, it is your right time now. I have already spoken. You have to insist your right based on the term-sharing agreement.’” Leachon said. “That’s why we expect Speaker Alan Cayetano to resign on Oct. 14 and to abide by the term-sharing agreement because his time is already up,” he said. “In the same way that there is now the Supermajority Coalition in Congress because we abide with the wishes of the President during the speakership race 15 months ago,” Leachon said. Roque confirmed Mr. Duterte’s statement to Velasco but gave no details, saying the meeting between the President and the Marinduque congressman took place quite late Monday after the Cabinet meeting and that he was not present at the meeting. “It started at around 10 p.m.,” Roque said. Duterte brokered the termsharing deal between Cayetano and Velasco in July last year. Under the deal, Cayetano would serve as Speaker for the first 15 months of the
18th Congress, while Velasco would take over for the remaining 21 months of the term. Sham resignation Last Wednesday, Cayetano offered to resign supposedly to give his rival a chance, but his resignation was rejected in a 184-1 vote by the chamber. Velasco’s camp called it a sham. On Sunday night, Leachon and Atienza let out information that the numbers had started to shift to Velasco’s camp following the removal as deputy speaker on Friday of 1-Pacman Rep. Michael Romero, a follower of Velasco. Leachon and Atienza said “more or less” 160 members of the House supported Velasco as of Sunday night. Cayetano’s camp tried to belie Leachon and Atienza’s claim on Monday, but word about the result of Velasco’s meeting with the President that night must have reached Cayetano in no time, leading to Tuesday’s early suspension of the session and the termination of the budget deliberations and the spending bill’s approval on second reading. Sen. Panfilo Lacson said he believed there would be enough time for the Senate to conclude plenary deliberations and avoid a reenacted budget. Sen. Christopher Go said he hoped the House decision would not adversely affect the passage of the 2021 budget. He said the people were expecting a new budget that would help them recover from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. If the new budget is not passed on time, Go said, the country will not have the allocations for the programs needed for recovery. “We cannot afford to have a reenacted budget not suited for COVID-19 recovery. Filipinos are suffering. Let us not make them suffer more,” Go said. n
A BILL seeking to recognize “foundlings” or abandoned children as natural-born Filipinos has been approved on third and final reading by the Philippine House of Representatives. The House Committee on the Welfare of Children on Monday, October 5, approved House Bill No. 7679 or the “Foundling Welfare Act” with 220 affirmative votes. The measure, principally
authored by Ang Probinsyano party-list Representative Ronnie Ong, seeks to promote the rights and welfare of orphans with unknown parents and protect their status as natural-born Filipino citizens. “A foundling is a natural-born Filipino citizen regardless of the status or circumstances of birth. As [a] natural-born citizen of the Philippines, a foundling is accorded with rights and protection at the moment of birth as those belonging to such class of citizens whose
citizenship does not need perfection or any further act,” the bill read. HB 7679 entitles orphans to a Certificate of Live Birth instead of a Foundling Certificate, as well as provides for the procedure for the issuance of a birth certificate by the Office of the Civil Registrar under the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The bill also grants orphans all rights entitled to them as Filipinos such as equal access to government programs and services, PAGE 10
New ruling: 2020 Census... PAGE 2 roiled by the virus,” he wrote. “But it cannot roil the law.” The once-a-decade enumeration — which can be done by phone (844-3302020 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 (844-4782020).
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. (AJPress) n
OCTOBER 9-15, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL
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Public warned: Beware of COVID-related...
ON A BREAK. No workers can be seen at the construction site at the Philcoa area of the MRT-7 project along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on Wednesday, October 7. The 22-kilometer railway project will have 14 stations from North Avenue, Quezon City to San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan. PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.
POEA: 10K health care workers have left PH since January by Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
AROUND 10,000 health care workers have left the Philippines to work overseas since January, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said Wednesday, October 7. “Since the start of the year, we were able to send abroad
10,000 HCWs, particularly nurses who are Balik Manggagawa (BM),” POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia said during the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) weekly forum. He added, “They went home for the Yuletide Season and went back to their jobs abroad after the Christmas break. We continue to allow
BM to leave.” Olalia also said that nurses and other healthcare workers are now allowed to fly out of the country to work abroad. “Since April, May, June, more or less we send abroad 400 nurses who were hired by recruitment agencies, every month. We include direct hires upon the intervention of PAGE 10
Your vote. Your voice. This election year is different. But don’t let that stop you from voting and making your voice heard. There’s a lot at stake this year, like strengthening Social Security and Medicare, lowering drug prices, and protecting the health of you and your family.
PAGE 4 lus checks and other small business relief programs, and to help individuals get out of debt. “Sometimes scammers are posing as part of a federal program that’s built to assist people to get out of debt. They will sometimes ask consumers to pay money in order to get a stimulus check,” Segura said, adding that under the CARES Act, individuals did not have to shell out money in order to receive assistance. Further, the commission has received complaints about individuals receiving a call that they’ve come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. “All these folks are attempting to do is to get per-
sonal information,” Segura said. “We’re also starting to see scams that are offering to help people who are behind on their mortgage and on other debts all for a very large, upfront fee. Now that’s a red flag of a scam, because such upfront fees for debt relief are illegal under the FTC rules.” As there is no known cure or vaccine for COVID-19 yet, the rule of thumb that officials are following is whether the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued any guidance around certain remedies. “Generally speaking, if there’s a claim about COVID and it’s not consistent with something that out there on the CDC public guidance, it’s probably a scam,” said Nick
Akers, senior assistant attorney general in charge of the consumer law section of the California Department of Justice. Segura also advised the public to consider how the information is being disseminated. “If we hear of a vaccine or a cure, it will be newsworthy,” she said. “You won’t get it in a text or an email from a company trying to sell you something.” Individuals who believe they have been victimized by a scam are encouraged to report it by using the online form atwww.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ or can report it to the California Attorney General’s office at www.oag. ca.gov/. (Christina M. Oriel/ AJPress) n
Duterte wishes Trump a ‘speedy... PAGE 7 was announced on Monday. Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel, former counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway, and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie also tested posi-
tive last week. The U.S. remains as the country with the most COVID-19 cases in the world. To date, it has a total of 7,418,107 infections with 209,725 fatalities. Meanwhile, the Philippines
has 324,762 cases, with 5,840 fatalities and 273,123 recoveries. The country has the highest number of infections in Southeast Asia. It also recently ranked as the 20th country with most cases, surpassing Pakistan. n
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OCTOBER 9-15, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL
Despite COVID-19...
PAGE 5 October 4, the Physician to the President Dr. Sean Conley, “acknowledged that he had provided a rosy version of events to please his notoriously sensitive patient,” the New York Times reported. “I didn’t want to give any information that might steer the course of illness in another direction, and in doing so, you know, it came off that we were trying to hide something, which wasn’t necessarily true,” Conley said. This sounded like a “double speak” creating ambiguity more than clarity. Could this imply that the president could not accept any report that would go against his image of himself as “invincible“? The Times reported that Alyssa Farah, a White House communications adviser, “conceded that Dr. Conley had been speaking to an audience of one during his Saturday briefing.” “When you’re treating a patient, you want to project confidence, you want to lift their spirits, and that was the intent,” she said. She said that Trump’s Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was trying “to be as transparent as we can” be by amending the report later. Again, intentional double speak because the president isn’t mature enough to face the truth. National Public Radio (NPR) reported that Trump gets steroid medication dexamethasone, which according to the World Health Organization and NIH guidelines, is given only to patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms, supplemental oxygen, and two other experimental drugs, Regeneron monoclonal antibody cocktail, and Remdesivir. After being infected with the virus, Trump said from a video recorded Sunday, October 4, from his hospital suite: “I learned a lot about Covid. I learned it by really going to school. This is the real school. I get it. I understand it.” Trump’s actions, however, betray his words. If he indeed got it, why would he endanger the life of his Secret Service agents when he made a trip outside the hospital in his SUV to wave at his adoring fans? Current and former Secret Service agents and medical professionals were aghast Sunday night at President Trump’s publicity stunt. Where was his empathy? Where was his compassion for these agents who have families to be bereaved if they die from the virus?
As CNN’s Dana Bash eloquently articulated, the Secret Service would take a bullet FOR the president to save his life. But their job description does not include making them “take a bullet” FROM the president just so he would project invincibility, strength and victory and over the virus. Where was his wisdom when his judgment call shows he did not have the intellectual nor emotional maturity to understand the facts and science about the virus, the effects of it — both short term and long term — on patients? He proclaimed: “I feel better than I did 20 years ago!” Really? Where were his wisdom and empathy when he and his cohorts in the Republican Party and his administration chose to conceal who among his staff have contracted the virus despite being asymptomatic? Was he acting based on science or his delusion that he knows more than scientists and health officials? Did Trump not know how important it is to determine who were exposed to a person with COVID-19 in order to quarantine them until a negative result comes out? Did he not understand that one can be asymptomatic yet be a carrier of the virus? Did he not get it that this was the reason why people were told by scientists like Dr. Anthony Fauci over and over again to wear masks to mitigate the spread of the virus? Did he not get it that patients with a positive result should be isolated so he would not spread the virus and infect other people? Why did he not isolate himself when he went back to the White House? No, Trump did NOT get it. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have done that SUV publicity tactic. He wouldn’t rush back to the White House, remove his mask, and interact in a short distance with his staff. Does Trump really care for these people’s safety and life? OR, does Trump see and use people as his “props” in this new episode of his reality show? Did he not learn the lesson that concealing and downplaying facts about the virus would lead to more death, even after he got infected himself? After so many members and officials of the Republican Party also got the virus because of his blatant lies and misinformation script and direction? Was projecting his false sense of strength, invincibility and victory more important to him than protecting and saving peoples’ lives?
Was the threat of being determined to be “incapacitated to fulfill his duties as president” and therefore be replaced by Vice President Mike Pence or by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, pursuant to the 25th Amendment to the Constitution provision on the rules of succession, more compelling and matter more to him than the lives of more than almost 210,000 Americans who have already died because of COVID-19? Did he really get the science and facts of coronavirus? Then why double down on downplaying it when he was about to leave the hospital, instead of using this moment to educate his fans and the American people about the fatality of the disease to save their lives? Hasn’t Trump internalized yet that such was part of his oath when he was sworn to as president? Has he not learned the lesson that honesty and trustworthiness are important in governing? Has he not learned that true patriotism and love for the country is serving ALL of the American people, to protect and save their lives, to govern for the greater good and not for his own political and personal interest? “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge.” Were the lives of the American people who died of Covid insignificant to him because his goal is to be re-elected, no matter what the cost? Clearly, Donald Trump is incapable of learning the lessons of empathy and sympathy, science and facts, the true role, and the obligation of the title “President of the United States.” He is incorrigible, a hopeless, helpless case as he has proven in the last four years because he does not have the character, the heart and soul required of the leadership position. He is beneath the dignity of the Office of the President of the United States. He is definitely the WRONG MAN for the job. But like he has done to other contestants in his reality TV show, we can fire him. Former Vice President Joe Biden has proven he has the temperament, judgment, character, vision and experience to be the leader to unite us instead of divide us, to serve us instead of using the Office of the President to serve his selfish intentions, to heal and rebuild America from the rubbles and destruction Trump has caused in the past four years, to help us all fulfill the promise of America and save the soul of our beloved nation.
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PRESS BRIEFING. National Capital Region Police Office chief Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas discusses the role of law enforcers during the closure of the cemeteries on All Saints’ Day and Souls’ Day during the regular press briefing at the NCRPO headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City on Tuesday, October.6. PNP chief Gen. Camilo Cascolan on Monday said the police force would coordinate with barangays in maintaining peace and quiet in their areas as many are forced to stay at home amid the coronavirus pandemic. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
PH House OKs bill... PAGE 7 which include the facilitation of documents for adoption, education, and legal and police protection, as well as basic social services such as education, healthcare and nutrition. It further directs the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), along with its accredited child-caring centers and licensed and accredited social welfare agencies, to conduct proactive and diligent search and inquiry into the facts of birth and parentage of the orphans. Section 10 of the measure penalizes those who would use the abandoned children’s status in a deroga-
tory manner, treat them as second-class citizens, or discriminate against orphans in terms of education, scholarship, practice of profession, and services. Tingog Sinirangan partylist Representative Yedda Marie Romualdez, chair of the House Committee on Welfare of Children and co-author of HB 7679, said that the passage of the bill “is a crucial step towards correcting the injustice against abandoned Filipino children.” “This proposed measure seeks to assert that the most vulnerable among us deserve our respect, care and empathy. It intends to protect and uphold the rights of children regardless of the status of
POEA: 10K health... PAGE 9 the recruitment agency. We have an average deployment of 500 to 600 HCWs every month despite the implementation of the temporary suspension,” he said. The POEA on Tuesday announced that newly-hired Filipino health care workers with signed contracts as of August 31, 2020 may now leave the country to work overseas. “The cut-off date was extended from March 8 to August 31 upon the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID),” the agency said. In its Advisory No. 47-B Series of 2020, the POEA said
HCWs who have perfected and signed contracts as of the new date and “have secured overseas employment certificates (OECs) as their exit permits can now report to their employers overseas.” “New hire health care workers refer to newly hired HCWs who are direct hires, recruitment agency hires, including POEA Government Placement Branch hires who were already accepted under the hiring program of host countries,” the POEA said. BMs or returning health workers with OEC exemption certificates, are likewise allowed to leave the country, as well as seafarers previously hired as doctors and nurses onboard, and would be de-
If you are looking for an alternative to what we have experienced as Americans for nearly four years, you can make the choice to vote Trump out of office 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,
***
their birth and whether or not their parentage is known,” she added. Romualdez also noted that abandoned children without Birth Certificates often experience discrimination in their lives. “The fact that foundlings are not be issued Birth Certificates has left on them a stigma that they carry all their lives and has resulted even in discrimination, especially when a Birth Certificate is required when enrolling for school admission, applying for jobs and even in being issued a passport,” she said. “It is not surprising that many foundlings are always on the back burner, and are lost to poverty, crime, prostitution, neglect, and unemployment,” she added. n ployed by the same licensed manning agency. “The deployment of HCWs will remain under a strict observance of prescribed quarantine protocols, social distancing measures, as well as in the departure and immigration formalities in the Philippines, in transit counties, and in countries of work destination,” POEA said. The agency, meanwhile, maintained that the deployment of HCWs to countries that impose travel restrictions is still prohibited. It also reiterated that outbound passengers with visas that are not documented through POEA regulations, such as the U.S. J-1 visa, and permanent residents, immigrants or dual citizens of other countries are excluded from the temporary deployment suspension. n 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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COMMUNITY Journal
11
No mercy or compassion with some immigration laws Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ SOME people hope or believe that if consuls or
immigration officers hear their grave predicament, they would be filled with mercy and compassion and approve their case. If their situation is dire, and they tearfully pour out their heart and soul, this will help in getting their case approved. What people need to un-
derstand is that many laws are written in stone. By that I mean some immigration benefits require rigid compliance with the law. Mercy, compassion, and discretion have no bearing on the person’s eligibility. In those situations, no matter how heartbroken a conPAGE 12
‘Guadalupe’ musical to be streamed Oct. 30, 31 THE original theater production “Guadalupe,” taped during its run at the Meralco Theater in 2018, returns as a streamable video on Ticket2me.net beginning 9 a.m. on October 30 till 11:30 a.m. on October 31. Through technology, the
MORE IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS ANSWERED THIS SUNDAY ON CITIZEN PINOY! Josephine of Fremont, CA (2nd from left) asks about her sister in the Philippines, who has a naturalized U.S. citizen boyfriend who wants to visit Josephine’s sister to get to know her better. Due to the pandemic, he is not allowed to enter the Philippines since he is not a dual citizen. Can the sister travel to the U.S. instead? What is the best option for them? From San Diego, Fidela (3rd from left) would like to know if her grandchildren are included under her petition for her two married sons. When Fidela petitioned her sons, their children were still toddlers. Now, some of her grandchildren are over 21 years old. Can they still come with their fathers under the Child Status Protection Act? And Beatriz from Vallejo, CA (right) asks if her two siblings can still come to the U.S., even though the petitioner has died. Can the fact that their father (the petitioner) was a World War II veteran help them still come to America? These questions and more will be answered by Atty. Gurfinkel on a brand-new episode of “CITIZEN PINOY: Your Tanong, My Sagot,” this Sunday, October 11 at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers). (Advertising Supplement)
Julie Borromeo Performing Arts Foundation Inc. and producers of the musical’s online edition hope to reach art aficionados and
devotees alike. The Filipino musical, created by Joel Trinidad and Ejay Yatco, is directed by theater legend Baby
Barredo. “Guadalupe: The Musical” stars the inimitable Victor “Cocoy” Laurel PAGE 12
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OCTOBER 9-15, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL
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Questions on family-based petitions No mercy or compassion with... take centerstage on this Sunday’s ‘Citizen Pinoy: Your Tanong, My Sagot!’ THIS Sunday, leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel answers questions related to family petitions. Beatriz from Vallejo, CA would like to know if their father’s service as a World War II veteran could help the petition for her siblings? Their father petitioned them in the early 90’s but he died. Can the siblings still come to the U.S.? Josephine of Fremont, CA
Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS THERE is a confusing controversy, at least in the public arena, whether carbohydrates are healthy or bad for us. This will, of course, depend on what type of carbohydrates we are talking about. There are carbo foods that are better for us than others. And then, there is the quantity factor. How much is too much? What are carbohydrates? Carbohydrates are one of the three main classes of food and sources of energy. The other two are protein and fats. Carbs are organic compounds of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, which include the sugars and starches found in rice, bread, cookies, candies, ice cream, cakes, potatoes, popcorn, corn, milk, beans, cereals, fruits, All these are eventually broken down to simple sugars, called glucose. This is what is measured when we have blood sugar level tested. What types are there? The old classification categorized them into simple and complex. This was modified into carbo with high glycemic index and those with low glycemic index. The latest measure is the so-called glycemic load, since glycemic index alone does not tell us how much carbo is contained in the food item. The glycemic load tells us both the amount of carbohydrates in the food, how fast they are absorbed and its impact on blood sugar levels. Low glycemic index foods, in general, are the healthier ones, because they are absorbed more slowly
would like to know if her sister can travel to the U.S. to meet her naturalized U.S. citizen boyfriend. The boyfriend really wants to visit Josephine’s sister to get to know her better, but due to the pandemic, he is not allowed to enter the Philippines since he is not a dual citizen. What is the best option for them? Fidela, from San Diego, petitioned her two sons when their children were
still toddlers. Now, some of the grandchildren are over 21 years old. Can they still come to the U.S. with their fathers under the Child Status Protection Act? These and more questions will be answered on an allnew episode of “CITIZEN PINOY: Your Tanong, My Sagot,” on Sunday, October 11 at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).
(Advertising Supplement)
Sugars: unhealthy and increases the glucose level more steadily, not rapidly and abruptly like the high glycemic foods are. How do we calculate the glycemic load? To get the glycemic load of a food item, multiply the glycemic index by the amount of carbo calories the food contains. This may seem complicated, but the important caveat to remember is this: Minimally processed whole-grain foods are healthier than highly processed grains, cereals, and sugars. An example is brown rice, which is less processed, and therefore healthier, as compared to white rice which has been thoroughly processed, from cleaning, husking, paddy separating, and milling (which strips off the bran layer, which is actually good for us), leaving only the starchy endosperm, which we call white rice. The more processed food items are, the less healthier they are – even in processed, canned, or packaged meats, vegetables and fruits, with preservatives. Rice, and all other carbs are inflammatory foods. Which are these food items? Low-glycemic load (LGL) food items are high-fiber fruits and vegetables, bran cereals, and legumes, like chickpeas, pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans. The medium glycemic load (MGL) ones include brown rice, oatmeal, bulgur, pearled barley, whole grain pasta, whole grain bread, and fruit juice without added sugar. The high glycemic load (HGL) foods include white rice, potatoes, French fries, potato chips, refined cereals, white flour, non-diet pop drinks, candies, jelly
beans, couscous, and cranberry juice. Potatoes, for one, in any form, is both a high glycemic index and high glycemic load item. Does our body need carbohydrates at all? Yes, most definitely. To stay healthy, we need all the three types of food items: carbohydrates, proteins and fats. But there are food items in each of these three classes which are healthier than others. The healthiest carbohydrates are the low glycemic load foods and some medium glycemic load items. The best source of proteins are fish, legumes and some seafood (instead of red meats especially not processed meat products). As for fats, we do not have to eat fat per se, since most of the other food items we eat as listed above already have fats in them. While our digestive system breaks down all other food items into glucose, the fiber foods cannot be broken down and pass through our GI tract undigested, helping us have more regular bowel movements and also help in lowering the incidence of cancer of the colon. Why are high glycemic index foods unhealthy? In general, our body system is adversely affected by anything abrupt and drastic. It prefers more gradual and smoother fluctuations in the chemistry that is constantly occurring in our body. When we eat high glycemic foods, especially non-diet soft drinks, candies, rice, potatoes, desserts, our glucose (blood sugar) level shoots up abruptly. This has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. Lower glycemic foods help control type 2 diabetes. The amount
PAGE 12 sul or immigration officer may be over the person’s situation, the law does not allow them to approve the case, no matter how much the person pleas or begs for kind consideration. It is important for people to know when mercy and compassion apply and whether rigid compliance is required. For example, under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA), there is a mathematical formula for determining a child’s age. Either the child’s age computes to be under 21, or it does not. If it does not, the child is not eligible, no matter what. It does not matter arguing the child will be left behind, and that the child was only a baby when the petition was filed, etc. This type of law is rigidly applied, and there is no discretion for the consul or immigration officer to overlook or ignore these legal requirements. However, there is also a separate CSPA requirement that the child applies for or “seek to acquire” their visa within one year of availability. In that situation, there could be room for discretion if the deadline was missed, because of “extraordinary circumstances.” Other situations, such as marital cases or petition, require the couple to have
been “unmarried” on their wedding day. Otherwise, the marriage would be void as bigamous if one of them is still married to somebody else at the time they marry. The petition could not be approved. It does not matter how heartbroken the couple may be, or how aggravating it may be to them; the law requires compliance, and there really is no room for mercy or compassion for this requirement. The officer cannot approve a marital petition based on a void or bigamous marriage. In other cases, there could be room for mercy, compassion, and discretion, such as with fraud waivers, provisional waivers, or humanitarian revalidation cases. In those situations, the officer can exercise “discretion,” enabling them to weigh and balance the positive factors against the negative factors, and decide whether the person should be “forgiven” or the case approved. If you are applying for an immigration benefit, you should consult with an attorney, who can evaluate your case, including situations where you must strictly comply with the law or whether the benefit you are applying for involves the officer’s exercise of discretion. If the law is rigidly
applied, it does no good for you to cry or beg or seek compassion and mercy. Instead, an attorney can help you determine if you meet the actual legal requirements. *** 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 regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient 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)
‘Guadalupe’ musical to be streamed... PAGE 11 (Miss Saigon) who reprises his role as Juan Diego, the Aztec mat-weaver at the center of the tale. Joining him are award-win-
ning performers Sheila Valderrama-Martinez (“Binondo”), Lorenz Martinez (“Spamalot”) and a host of other theater stalwarts. Proceeds from the sale
of the e-tickets go to beneficiaries. Email guadalupethemusical-live@gmail. com or call (650) 550-9851 for more details. (Advertising Supplement)
of rice we eat appears to be a major reason why the Philippines has the highest incidence of type 2 diabetes, by population ratio. What are nightshades? Nightshades are a group of highly inflammatory vegetables (Latin name: Solanaceae) which are bad for arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and autoimmune conditions. They contain the chemical solanine, which is inflammatory and aggravates all those medical conditions. They include tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, chili, paprika, and eggplants. Tobacco also belongs to this group. Lettuce, radishes, spinach, celery, mushroom, and many other green leafy veggies, are vegetables that do NOT con-
tain carbohydrates. How much is too much? The best gauge for our daily food (calories) intake this is our body mass index, which, simply stated, is our expected weight according to our height. A person, 5 feet four inches tall should normally weigh around 110 to 140. Weighing once a week (preferably the same day and time) will help guide us as to our daily calorie requirement. But, as a rule, cutting down our rice consumption will help not only in maintaining a normal weight, but in preventing diseases, such as metabolic syndrome, which includes diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. All soft drinks, with no exception, are unhealthy “liq-
uid candies” and toxic to the body, especially to children. So what’s the healthier choice? Choosing healthier sources of proteins and carbohydrates as listed above and, of course, controlling the calories to achieve your normal weight, is the key. A twodecade prospective study of 82,802 women revealed that those “who ate low-carbohydrate diets that were high in vegetable sources of fat or protein had a 30 percent lower risk of heart disease, compared to women who ate high carbohydrate, low-fat diets…and women who ate low-carbohydrate diets that were high in animal fats or proteins did not have a rePAGE 13
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Daniel admits having a hard time writing his own songs By Jan
Milo Severo Philstar.com
McDonald’s sweetens up breakfast with new nationwide McCafé® Bakery lineup
For the first time in eight years, new baked goods join McDonald’s iconic core menu: Apple Fritter, Blueberry Muffin and Cinnamon Roll CHICAGO – Wake up and smell the...cinnamon rolls! For nearly five decades, McDonald’s has been the leader in providing quick, delicious and savory breakfast options to our customers. And on Wednesday, October 7, we’re sharing some sweet news to give fans even more ways to experience the breakfast they love at McDonald’s with our new McCafé Bakery lineup. Beginning Wednesday, October 28, customers can enjoy a new Apple Fritter, Blueberry Muffin or Cinnamon Roll at breakfast time (or break time...or lunch time...or coffee time...or me time, or...anytime, really). Each new menu item will be available all day at participating restaurants nationwide, because you never know when that sweet craving will hit. • Apple Fritter: A classic fritter made with cinnamon and apples, this hand-held treat is fried to a golden brown and drizzled with a sweet glaze icing. Are we saying you should dip yours into your morning coffee? No way… Ok, fine, we definitely are. • Blueberry Muffin: Our new recipe is baked with real blueberries and topped with a streusel crumb topping, making for a crave worthy soft & fluffy muffin. Feeling “blue” all day never tasted so good. • Cinnamon Roll: Loaded
with cinnamon layered between buttery, flaky pastry dough that is drizzled with a delicious cream cheese icing. Served warm, the aroma alone sparks a craving for the next decadent bite…talk about a reason to roll out of bed. These craveable options will be offered alongside our beloved McCafé cookies and pies, marking the first addition of bakery items to McDonald’s core menu in over eight years. “McDonald’s has been famous for our savory breakfast menu for almost fifty years,” said Linda VanGosen, Vice President, Brand and Menu Strategy, McDonald’s USA. “We’re continuing our breakfast innovation by adding tasty new sweet options with our new McCafé Bakery lineup. We know our customers de-
serve a break now more than ever, and are excited to give them another reason to visit their favorite breakfast destination by offering delicious flavors they crave, any time of the day.” Our breakfast story began with the now-legendary Egg McMuffin in 1971. Over the years, we’ve continued to evolve our breakfast menu for our customers by introducing breakfast burritos in 1991, McGriddles in 2003 and committing in 2015 to sourcing 100% cage-free eggs by 2025. And now, we’re continuing the legacy with our addition of the Apple Fritter, Blueberry Muffin and Cinnamon Roll. Throughout this breakfast innovation, our food items have always been complemented by the most important of beverages: coffee. McCafé
WHILE Daniel Padilla is also known to be a recording artist aside from being an actor, he admits that he has a hard time writing his own songs. “I’ve tried [pero] mahirap. Nahihirapan akong magsulat ng kanta,” Daniel admitted during a media conference for his upcoming Apollo virtual concert on Tuesday, October 6. (I’ve tried but it’s hard. I have a hard time writing my own songs.) Among the songs that Daniel is known to have sung is a cover version of Rivermaya’s “Hinahanap-Hanap Kita” and James Brown’s “I Got You (I Feel Good).” Daniel then said that for him, not everyone has the gift of composing their own songs. “I think kasi ang pagsusulat ng kanta, well para sa akin, hindi rin siya para sa
Daniel Padilla ABS-CBN photo
lahat. Yung pagsusulat, napunta yung talent na ‘yun sa kapatid ko, kay Carlito,” he said. (I think writing songs is not for everyone. The talent for songwriting went to my brother Carlito.) Carlito is Jose Carlito Padilla. Like Daniel, Carlito is a singer in his own right. Despite this, the Kapami-
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lya actor said he still tries to compose his own song. “Ako, nagta-try ako. Naliligaw lang ako kung paano ko isusulat, saan ako magsisimula. Mas more on sa paggawa ako ng melody or music behind the lyrics,” Daniel explained. (I try it. I’m just having a hard time how to write it, where will I start. I tend to lean on more on melody or the music behind the lyrics.) And what can viewers expect him to sing in his upcoming concert? “Wide naman ang aking genre naman ang kinakanta ko. We have songs from the ‘50s, we have songs from the ’70s, the ’80s, ‘90s, new wave, alternative rock, local tsaka international, ‘yan po yung mga kakantahin natin.” (I have a wide genre of songs. We have songs from the ’50s, we have songs from the ’70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, new wave, alternative rock, local and international.)
Sugars: unhealthy... PAGE 12 duced risk of heart disease.” Eating fish, chicken, minimal red meat, a lot of green leafy vegetables and fruits in moderation, some nuts and oats, minimal carbs (sugar, rice, bread, sweets) is healthier. This low-carb diet will also protect us from a host of chronic illness, metabolic diseases, and cancer. As always, we are what we eat and what we sow is what we reap. Our health is, to a
great extent, in our hands. The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows
your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com; Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com.
officially debuted in 2009 with our Premium Roast Coffee, and we’re proud to serve 100% sustainably sourced ground and whole bean coffee at restaurants throughout the U.S. Additionally, as coffee tastes have expanded, so have our options which now include espresso beverages, café quality frappé beverages and bakery items such as McCafé cookies, pies and our limited-time Donut Sticks**. We can’t wait for customers to get a taste of our new McCafé Bakery lineup, all available in restaurants via carry-out, at the Drive Thru or through McDelivery. McDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to nearly 25 million cus-
tomers 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 us on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook. www.facebook. com/mcdonalds. McCafé coffees including lattes, cappuccinos and mochas were added to the U.S. national menu in 2009, and quickly expanded to include blended ice frappés and smoothies as well as limitedtime seasonal offerings. Since 2017, we’ve evolved the McCafé menu to offer delicious options more than ever before, including espresso beverages like Americanos, café quality frappé beverages and bak-
ery items such as our pies, cookies and limited-time McCafé Donut Sticks. We’ve also made McCafé more convenient and accessible, introducing McDelivery, mobile order and pay and McCafé retail lines. In 2019, a renewed commitment to McCafé features refreshed branding to celebrate ten years of giving customers the cup of goodness they deserve. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook www.facebook.com/McDonaldsUS/. *Includes ground and whole bean coffee sourced for all McDonald’s restaurants in the U.S. except Hawaii. **Not currently available in U.S. restaurants (Advertising Supplement)
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people events arts culture entertainment
Social justice, activism and allyship: Filipino American History Month kicks off with calls to engage politically, culturally and socially Unpacking the history of social justice and revolution in the Filipino American community and cultivating a more inclusive, informed future
E
by KLARIZE MEDENILLA
/ AJPress
ARLIER this year, Filipino Americans from all walks of life took to the streets in protest of racial injustice and systemic discrimination following the high-profile murders of Black Americans.
Filipino Americans all across the country joined protests and rallies decrying the systems within American law enforcement that have allowed officers who have shot and killed unarmed people, particularly Black in-
dividuals, to bypass the justice system. Skeptics, critics and disengaged Filipinos alike all continue to question: Why are you getting involved in an issue that has nothing to do with Filipinos?
For many Filipinos in social justice circles, that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. This year, the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) themed Filipino American History
Month 2020 around the concept of social justice because of the pervasiveness of oppression that the Filipino American (and global Filipino) community has endured for centuries. PAGE 15
Filipino labor leaders Philip Vera Cruz and Larry Itliong, key individuals during the Delano Grape Strike that started in 1965, are memorialized in “Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana,” a mural by Eliseo Silva in Los Angelesʼ Historic Filipinotown. File photo courtesy of Eliseo Silva
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Social justice, activism and allyship... PAGE 14 “We choose this theme to highlight the myriad ways Filipino Americans have participated in social justice movements, including but not limited to, the United Farmworkers Movement, the fight for Ethnic Studies, Hawaii Sugar Plantation strikes, Washington Yakima strikes, and Anti-Martial Law Movements across multiple decades,” the organization said. In June during an interview about the Filipino community’s role in civil rights, Filipina American organizer Jollene Levid told the Asian Journal that “[e]very mass movement in our history that has changed the way a state or government or a country has been run, including the Philippines and the toppling of Marcos. People have found a way to contribute in ways that go beyond what you see as a normal protestor on the street.” Although contemporary Filipino Americans enjoy a relatively comfortable life, the year 2020 presented them with stark reminders that as long as racism, political tyranny and propagandistic forms of communication exist, persecution, in any form, is just around the bend. “This living nightmare that we’re living in now is not new,” Filipino American lifelong activist Kalaya’an Mendoza told the Asian Journal in a recent interview. “The anniversary of martial law in the Philippines was just a couple weeks ago, so we have come from a place when one dictator took over. History can be replicated again.” Mendoza — who helped mobilize the Filipino American community following the reignition of the Black Lives Matter movement this past June — described a present-day Filipino American community that is slowly but surely becoming privy to the various ways that bureaucracies and systems of power subjugate communities in America. “I think people are realizing that when the Black community is under attack, when the LGBTQ community is under attack and when the immigrant community is under attack, that means we are all under attack,” Mendoza remarked. As previously discussed in the Asian Journal, the “postracial America” myth paints the now as an unprecedent-
Filipino Americans joined a Black Lives Matter protest in Chicago in June 2020. Photo courtesy of @hazelsunday/Instagram
A group of Filipinos made their first permanent settlement in the bayous and marshes of Louisiana as early as 1763. Despite the booming settlement for two centuries, the village was largely destroyed by the 1915 New Orleans Hurricane. Harper’s Weekly illustration of Saint Malo by Charles Whitney, 1883
ed period of equality across all demographics, conflicting with the grim realities of Black Americans, immigrants and other communities. For the past several months, Filipino American community leaders, including those in FANHS, have been working to mobilize the nearly four million Filipinos in the U.S. to participate civically, but Filipino American History Month provides an opportunity for Filipino Americans to examine the community’s close relationship with social justice and political activism. “I think people are recognizing that we all have a place in the movement for social justice, whether it is on the front lines providing medical aid to protestors to being behind a computer screen educating our community,” Mendoza said. A (very) brief history of Filipino American social justice Celebrated every October to commemorate the landing of the first Filipinos in America in October of 1587,
Filipino American History Month was first designated and recognized nationally in 2009. Filipino Americans are the second largest Asian American group in the U.S, a group that has exponentially grown since the first North American settlement of Filipinos in 1763. These were swaths of Filipinos who were forced into enslavement during the Spanish galleon trade who escaped and established settlements across the Louisiana bayou, eventually dispersing throughout the country. By the 20th century, the West Coast became the most popular point of settlement (by then, a part of the U.S.), coinciding with a changing of colonial guards when the Philippines became a U.S. territory. As a pawn for two consecutive colonial powers — Spain and then the U.S. — sovereignty wasn’t just an issue of national political autonomy; it also became about the right to be recognized as a community that has a place in the United States.
The International Hotel, known as I-Hotel, was a low-income single-room-occupancy residential hotel in what used to be San Francisco’s Manilatown. During the late 60s, real estate corporations proposed plans to demolish the hotel, which would necessitate displacing all of the I-Hotel’s elderly tenants, many of whom were Filipino. In response, housing activists, students, community members, and tenants united to protest and resist eviction. All the tenants were evicted on August 4, 1977 and the hotel was demolished in 1981. Photo courtesy of Manilatown Heritage Foundation
Immigration to the U.S. from the Philippines flourished from 1900 to 1934. Filipinos became U.S. nationals when it was realized that Filipino workers could fulfill the demand for cheap labor in agriculture, cannery and domestic servitude. But Filipino immigrants of the manong generation faced intense racial discrimination prompted by changing immigration policies, anti-miscegenation laws (the prohibition of interracial coupling) and oppressive labor laws that kept wages low and conditions nearly unlivable. This prompted a wave of workers strikes and demonstrations, most prominently led by fabled Filipino organizer Larry Itliong, the godfather of the labor revolution that put Filipino American activism on the map. Fast forward to the present when the world is plagued by intense political division, fights for racial justice and, of course, a literal plague when social justice once again comes to the fore of collective consciousness. The wound of the martial law era in the Philippines remains fresh for stateside Filipinos and their American descendants as a reminder that progress isn’t linear, that tyranny and loss of basic freedom and rights occurs in a domino formation. Especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that has disproportionately affected front line health care personnel, communities of color and essential workers (which prompted weak government response), the need to participate in meaningful activism has never been more dire. Moreover, thousands of anti-Asian hate incidents have been reported by Asian Americans across all cul-
tures, prompting the question over whether or not America is truly welcoming of all races and ethnicities, Mendoza noted. “We’re seen as the perpetual foreigner, so regardless of where this virus came from, this rhetoric will always come back to haunt us. And we should never throw our Chinese brothers and sisters under the bus and be like, ‘We’re not Chinese.’ [Racists] don’t care about that,” Mendoza said. A more inclusive future One way that Filipinos can manifest social justice efforts into their daily lives is to become a beacon of information on these pressing topics and to marshal the people in their lives to get involved, whether that’s through phone banking, volunteering for campaigns or even simply voting. Filipino Americans for Joe Biden — made up of key Filipino Democratic volunteers across the country — is currently making its last-ditch efforts to drum up support for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, who has been characterized as an antidote to the current administration. A 2020 Asian American Voter Survey found that Filipinos are the second-largest Asian American group to support President Donald Trump, a leader who has stirred antipathy from Democrats, Republicans and moderates alike for his restrictive social policies and his efforts to scourge basic constitutional rights, as the Asian Journal recently reported. The admiration many of these Filipino Trump supporters have for the current administration is rooted in a warped view of rugged individualism and American exceptionalism that neglects the basic need for commu-
nity-centered, inclusive solutions. According to Mendoza, the key to cultivating a successful social justice force — especially one that stands the test of time and isn’t built upon superficial and performative means of activism — is relationship and community building and finding which social justice avenues are the right ones to follow. If you’re immunocompromised and can’t attend a protest, you can use the internet and telecommunications to participate in specific movements and causes. Donating to reputable charities or financially supporting those who are able to take their activism to the streets is another way to rally behind a movement. Using your specific talents, whether it be graphic design, writing, videography or any other creative outlet, is another way to participate. But the strongest impact comes from educating yourself and others, especially family members, about the nuances of issues like police brutality, voter suppression or immigration reform. Whatever form your chosen mode of activism takes, Mendoza emphasized the potential of the Filipino American community to build a future that is more informed, civically engaged and inclusive of all races, ethnicities, genders and bodies. “We need to ground ourselves in the legacy that we all hold on this stolen land. When it comes to social justice because we have always been here and a lot of the times we’ve been erased from those stories, so it’s important for us to remember and to uplift all those who have come before and who will come after that fight for social justice for all communities,” Mendoza added.
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