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NOVEMBER 13-19, 2020 Volume 14 - No. 2 • 16 Pages 133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, NY 11354 Tel. (212) 655-5426 • Fax: (818) 502-0858

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‘THIS IS A NEW BEGINNING’

Fil-Am voters celebrate Biden-Harris victory, seek COVID-19 recovery

by CHRISTINA

M. ORIEL

AJPress

LEADING the country out of the COVID19 pandemic. Supporting essential workers.

Addressing racial inequalities. Tackling the climate crisis. Creating a pathway to citizen-

DATELINE

ship for undocumented residents.

These are some of the priorities Filipino American supporters are pushing under President-elect Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office. The former vice president’s win comes as the United States hit over 10.1

million positive COVID-19 infections and the grim toll of 238,863 deaths and counting.

For Lillie Madali of Atlanta, Georgia who helped mobilize Fil-Am voters in her region, Saturday’s results

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Thousands of supporters descended at Times Square in New York to celebrate the Biden-Harris win on Saturday, November 7.

AJPress photo by Momar G. Visaya

Filipino Trump supporters sound off on the president’s legal challenge of election results

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

‘It’s okay to ask’: Raising awareness of lung cancer among Asian Americans IN an attempt to challenge the cultural stigma associated with lung cancer, change expectations, and empower the lung cancer and Asian American communities, a panel of cancer experts gathered at a virtual web-

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The Trump administration lodges several lawsuits alleging voter fraud, insufficient ballot count operations in key states

by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

DRENCHED. A delivery biker pedals along the wet road of Natib Street, Barangay Kaunlaran, Quezon City on Wednesday, November 11. Essential services workers such as food delivery drivers and riders continuously work even amid the threat of the coronavirus disease.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

‘The second wave is here’: New Jersey Gov. Murphy sets new restrictions as COVID-19 cases surge

by MOMAR

Filipina-Irish named runner-up to Miss USA 2020

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

G. VISAYA

AJPress

JERSEY CITY - Gov. Phil Murphy announced new restrictions early this week as COVID-19 cases have spiked across the state, recording 5,000 new cases over the

weekend, and hitting the daily 3,000 case level for the first time since April.

“The numbers are proving that the second wave

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Miss USA 2020 first runner-up Kim Layne Photo from Instagram_@kimlayne

FILIPINA-IRISH Kim Layne of Idaho on Tuesday, November 10 won 1st runner-up in the Miss USA 2020 beauty pageant.

Layne, 26, placed second to Asya Branch of Mississippi who was crowned Miss USA and will represent the United States in the upcoming Miss Universe 2020 beauty pageant.

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ALTHOUGH mainstream media across the world reported President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election on Saturday, Nov. 7, the Trump campaign has lodged several legal suits alleging voter irregularities, suggesting a premature call of the results.

It’s important to note that although media outlets have announced Biden as the winner, the results are still not official as of press time — and this is a standard for any election.

It usually takes days and sometimes weeks before any election is officially complete and the votes are certified by individual states’ secretaries of state (the position that acts as chief election officer in each state).

Even outside of the pandemic, the voting system as we know it is slow, riddled with bureaucratic holes and, in some cases, comprise active voter suppression efforts that make it almost impossible to have a smooth and stream-

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From the Front Page

Palace hopes Biden admin will Fil-Am voters celebrate Biden-Harris... relax US immigration policies

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

WHILE Malacañang expects no major changes in the United States’ foreign policy under President-elect Joe Biden, it hopes for a shift in the U.S. immigration policy that will treat Filipino immigrants better.

“Sa tingin ko ang Amerika din naman ay consistent sa foreign policy, so walang rin major changes yan (I think America is consistent with its foreign policy so there will be no major changes there),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Monday, November 9.

“Pero... pagdating sa larangan ng immigration, inaasahan natin na sana na magkaroon ng policy shift under a Democratic administration dahil napakadami ng Pilipino na naninirahan sa Estados Unidos (But...in the area of immigration, we expect there will be a policy shift un-

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte

der a Democratic administration because there are many Filipinos living in the United States),” he added.

Malacañang also hopes the new leadership will help undocumented Filipino workers in the U.S. get a chance to become legal residents.

There were approximately 313,000 undocumented Filipinos from 2012 to 2016, according to Migration Policy

Malacañang photo by Richard Madelo

Institute (MPI) estimates, making up about 3% of the country’s total undocumented population.

“Bagamat mayroon iilan sa kanila ay ‘yung mga tinatawag natin TNT o mga iligal, ay napakalaking papel ang ginagampanan nila sa Estados Unidos at mabigyan sana sila ng pagkakataon na maging legal sa Estados Uni-

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PAGE 1 “meant hope for the future.”

“For the many nurses in my family, risking their lives, working on the front lines against the coronavirus pandemic, the victory meant that we would soon have competent leadership and that help is on the way,” Madali told the Asian Journal. “In the first 100 days, the Biden administration will face a stalled economy, a raging pandemic, and a climate crisis to name a few. The top issue I would like the administration to address is correcting our response to the pandemic to prevent more unnecessary deaths.”

Melissa Ramoso, a Southern California community leader who was a co-chair of the national Fil-Ams for Biden-Harris affinity group, said these focus areas provide an opportunity for Filipino Americans to weigh in and help influence policies.

“Filipino Americans are always ready to be called upon to be part of a future that works for all communities, not just well-connected individuals,” she told the Asian Journal.

Biden, along with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, has hit the ground running this week by launching a transition website with four priorities: COVID-19, economic recovery, racial equity and climate change.

They have assembled their own coronavirus task force — led by former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and David Kessler, a former head of the Food and Drug Administration — which virtually met on Monday, November 9.

“It doesn’t matter who you voted for, where you stood before Election Day,” Biden said during the meeting. “It doesn’t matter your party, your point of view. We can save tens of thousands of lives if everyone would just wear a mask for the next few months.”

Outpouring of joy Following five days of waiting and refreshing for new updates, Americans — and those watching worldwide — on Saturday morning, November 7 were greeted with the news that Biden and Harris captured the necessary 270 electoral votes to ascend to the White House.

For the Fil-Ams across the

VICTORY. U.S. President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris delivered victory speeches on Saturday night, November 7 at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware. They were joined by their spouses, Dr. Jill Biden (right) and Douglas Emhoff (far left), who will be the country’s first second gentleman.

Photo courtesy of the Biden-Harris campaign

Individuals took to the streets throughout Los Angeles, including in West Hollywood, bearing signs reacting to the country’s new leadership.

AJPress photo by Christina M. Oriel

country who spent the past nine months raising money, phone and text banking targeting fellow Fil-Am voters, and getting the message out amid a pandemic, the results, especially in battleground states, made them feel that their vote truly counted and that they did their part in the fight to restore “the soul of America.”

“Our unprecedented engagement was the majority of the victory in battleground states. Hope is alive. This is a new beginning and we are part of it,” said Gloria Caoile, a community leader and senior advisor for Fil-Ams for Biden Harris in Las Vegas, told the Asian Journal.

Capturing over 74 million votes, Biden surpassed President Barack Obama’s record and received more votes than any presidential candidate in U.S. history.

As of this writing, Biden has 290 electoral votes in his favor, versus President Donald Trump’s 214. Meanwhile, 34 votes are still at play, according to the Associated Press.

“Philadelphia and Penn-

sylvania brought home the win as part of the Blue Wall.

As a community, we championed a leader who will make sure we get out of this pandemic, bring back our economy and we are again respected in the world,” Brad Baldia, eastern region co-chair for Fil-Ams for Biden-Harris, told the Asian Journal.

With the victory, Harris became the first woman and first Black and South Asian person elected vice president of the country.

“As a woman of color and a Californian, I could not be more proud to have Kamala Harris as the first Asian and African American female vice president.

Filipino Americans will see for the very first time when President-Elect Joe Biden delivers his first State of the Union speech as the president who received the most votes ever in America history, behind him will be two Californian women: Vice President Harris and Speaker of the House Nancy

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Filipino Trump supporters sound off... ‘The second wave is here’...

PAGE 1 lined election process.

Los Angeles County, for example, still has more than 600,000 ballots to count, according to the county registrar. In Arizona, where the race is still at razor-thin margins, 150,000 votes that haven’t been counted yet. (Biden was leading by a slim 29,861 votes as of Friday, Nov. 6.)

As long as ballots were postmarked on or before Nov. 3, they can still be counted.

Some ballots are still arriving by mail, and the ballot delivery deadline was extended to 17 days.

This election took all those presuppositions and reared the arcane American electoral process on its ugly head.

Months before Election Day, officials prepared for a delayed call of the election by encouraging people to vote early and make a robust plan to get ballots in with little to no hiccups.

And after a days-long limbo period between Election Day and Saturday, Biden was announced as the winner despite the fact that it was a projection and not an official call.

This hasn’t stopped Biden supporters — including Republicans who distanced themselves from the Trump campaign — from celebrating when news reports came out that Biden won Pennsylvania, a key battleground state.

As such, however, this sparked outrage among Trump supporters across the nation who, along with the president’s re-election campaign, are calling for legal intervention into the election results, arguing that the call on Saturday was too early and there’s still good reason to hold off on announcing a winner.

About 350 individuals, including Fil-Am supporters for President Donald Trump, gathered in front of the Clark County Election Department in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday afternoon, November 8 to protest the state’s results in the presidential race.

Photo courtesy of Asian Industry B2B

Marc Ang, an LA-based financial planner who co-organized the Filipino Americans for Trump caravan rally in October, told the Asian Journal on Monday, Nov. 9 that he was “honestly not surprised” about the media reports calling Biden’s win.

Ang referenced the voting irregularities as well as more illegitimate and nefarious practices that have been reported in at least five states against which the Trump campaign has lodged lawsuits.

As of Monday, the Trump campaign has filed lawsuits in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Michigan, Georgia and Arizona. All states currently have Biden in the lead by slim margins, and Georgia has committed to recounting its votes, according to Republican Doug Collins who represents the state in the House and was appointed by the Trump campaign to oversee the recount.

Similarly, Lisa Noeth, a Filipina American conservative commentator and co-director of the Nevada Young Republicans, told the Asian Journal that she was not allowed to oversee the counting in Clark

Filipina-Irish named...

PAGE 1 Layne was born and raised in the state of Idaho. Her father is Irish, while her mother is Filipino.

In her Miss USA profile, she said she graduated from Cornell University with honors in research. Currently, she is studying at Washington State University pursuing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, and a Master of Public Health at the University of Minnesota.

Layne is passionate about health promotion and disease prevention, and has dual citizenship in the Philippines.

She was crowned Miss Idaho Teen USA in 2012.

“Three words: I did it! My father’s military dog tags are beneath this gown. He is a 100% disabled, Vietnam veteran who used to travel, hunt, camp & fish.

He couldn’t be in the audience last night because of his medical conditions and being immunocompromised but I brought him up there with me,” Layne said in an Instagram post after the pageant.

Meanwhile, another beauty queen with Filipino blood won a pageant this year.

Filipina American Ki’ilani

County, Nevada and “was told it was a waste of time by a staff member.”

“This tarnishes the U.S. Constitution’s rule of the land that the electors determine the winner after all the legal votes are counted,” Noeth said about the reported hastiness of the election call before all the votes were certified and found legal.

Noeth, who attended the Stop the Steal rally in Las Vegas on Nov. 4, said that she has “first-hand account” with voters who said that they had “issues with their ballots being invalidated.”

“We have to question the narrative [of] what there is to hide in places where the vote is being counted and observers were barred in battleground states, including Nevada, Pennsylvania and Michigan,” Noeth added.

Ang also helped with the rally in Beverly Hills, California over the weekend and worked with other groups across the country to encourage Trump supporters to continue fighting against the “premature” declaration of Biden’s victory.

u PAGE 7 Arruda bested 50 other candidates for the crown of Miss Teen USA on Saturday, November 7 in Memphis, Tennessee.

Arruda, 18, advocates for autism awareness after her brother was diagnosed with autism, and hopes everyone can build a world that is accepting and inclusive for all people.

In a post-pageant interview, she revealed that Filipina beauty queen Catriona Gray is her favorite Miss Universe winner.

“I’m a little biased towards Catriona because I am halfFilipino myself. Her reign was so amazing, and I’ve always looked up to her as a role model,” Arruda said. n

PAGE 1 is here, this is our reality,” Murphy said in his press briefing. “We must redouble our efforts and recommit to the practices that have gotten us this far – social distancing, washing our hands, and wearing our masks.”

Effective November 12th, all restaurants, bars, clubs and lounges must close indoor dining by 10:00 p.m.

Restaurants, casinos bars will be prohibited from serving food and alcohol between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. and restrictions will also be placed on seating.

The new announcement also allows restaurants to place tables closer than six feet as long as there is a barrier. Restaurants will be allowed to create fully enclosed dining bubbles for outdoor dining but are limited to one group per bubble, and must be disinfected between groups. Murphy also said that all barside eating will be prohibited at all hours.

All youth indoor interstate sports games and tournaments up until the high school level are prohibited.

“We have to change our mindset, we remain in the midst of a global pandemic.

Our country is now recording

more than 100,000 cases per day and New Jersey is back at levels we thought we left behind months ago,” Murphy explained. “We have to snap back into reality, this virus has not gone away and is posing its greatest threat to us in months.”

A total of 2,075 new cases were reported on Monday, putting the state total at 256,653 since the start of the pandemic in March. The following day, the state announced that 3,877 new cases were reported, the highest daily case total since April.

The positivity rate in the state this week is 7.54 percent, among the highest numbers in months.

“This virus has not gone away as we predicted it would,” Murphy emphasized. “We’re still in the fight, and we’ve got to fight back against COVID fatigue.

We’ve got to do everything in our power to fight back against that.” #MaskUpJC Campaign In Jersey City, Mayor Steven M. Fulop has joined the Health and Human Services Department and Office of Innovation to unveil a multifaceted public campaign called #MaskUpJC to expand upon the city’s ongoing ef-

forts of providing critical tools and resources to help Jersey City residents stay safe, especially as infection rates rise nationwide.

The #MaskUpJC initiative centers on a citywide mask distribution, wherein five city-branded, 3-ply masks are being sent via mail carrier to all 120,000 households throughout Jersey City.

“Absent a vaccine, wearing a mask is one of the few proven effective ways we can dramatically decrease transmission, and we want to further our efforts to support residents and encourage everyone to remain diligent as we get through this together,” said Mayor Fulop. “My top priority is to protect our residents’ health and safety, and the goal is to avoid another surge which would also inflict further damage on people’s mental health, our struggling businesses, and the local economy.”

Under the #MaskUpJC campaign, the city is distributing 2,000 stickers to businesses that read, “MASK UP to Enter”. Business owners can put the stickers on their storefront windows to encourage customer compliance. All city employees

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Fil-Am voters celebrate Biden-Harris...

PAGE 2 Pelosi,” Ramoso said.

While President Donald Trump has not conceded — and as electoral challenges are underway and his supporters continue to protest nationwide — the collective joy and hope for an incoming leadership change poured onto the streets.

The spontaneous celebrations erupted across the country, among them: in Washington, D.C., thousands marched along Black Lives Matter Plaza and near the White House bearing homemade signs; masses gathered in New York’s Time Square bursting out into song; and in West Hollywood, California, individuals waved Biden-Harris and pride flags and banged pots as car horns blared.

That night, Biden and Harris addressed the nation with victory speeches at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware, with the former pledging to be a commander-in-chief “who seeks not to divide but not unify.”

“It’s time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the

Lillie Madali, eastern region co-chair for Fil-Ams for Biden-Harris, DJ’ed at the rally featuring President Barack Obama in Atlanta, Georgia on Monday, November 2, a day before Election Day. Photo courtesy of Lillie Madali

temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again,” Biden said, referencing those who may not have voted for him.

Though the presidential race may be over, Fil-Ams are placing their energy onto the Jan. 5 runoff in Georgia that will determine which party will have control over the U.S. Senate.

“As for individuals themselves, newcomers to campaigns asked our seasoned campaign warriors the same

question of “What’s next?”

We answered, we go on to the next fight and bring our kababayans with us. We are looking to make an impact in Georgia’s US Senate races in the immediate future,” Ramoso said.

Madali added, “It is my hope that on the issues of healthcare, immigration, and education, that they will find that the candidates that best serve their interests are Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.” n

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OPINION

5

FEATURES

Promotion

WITH the two complaints filed against him gathering cobwebs in the prosecutor’s office of Taguig, Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas has reached the pinnacle of his career. Charged with violating Republic Act 11469, the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, and a city ordinance in Taguig on COVID quarantine rules that the police commander for Metro Manila is mandated to enforce, Sinas has been promoted as chief of the Philippine National Police.

Sinas is expected to lead the PNP until he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56 on May 8 next year, during which he can be serenaded with another birthday mañanita and then enjoy a hefty retirement pension. Such a gathering during his 55th birthday at the height of the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila led to the filing of the complaints against him.

The case gained additional notoriety after 58-year-old fish vendor Joseph Jimeda was arrested by police on the eve of Sinas’ birthday for crossing over to the Navotas Fish Port from his home in Caloocan to buy fish that he could sell in a mini market or talipapa, as he had usually done – except this time

he lacked a quarantine pass.

Jimeda, who didn’t have money for bail, had to spend 12 days in jail, unable to inform his family of his whereabouts because he didn’t have a cell phone. Now he has a misdemeanor record after pleading guilty to simple disobedience.

About three weeks before Jimeda’s arrest, unarmed retired Army corporal Winston Ragos, who was reportedly suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder, was shot dead by police manning a quarantine checkpoint in Quezon City.

These incidents will have no legal bearing on the cases filed against Sinas, which Malacañang said yesterday would continue to be pursued despite his promotion. But

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

the fates of Ragos and Jimeda will inevitably be contrasted with that of Sinas, and will be brought up as the country continues to grapple with COVID restrictions that are supposed to cover everyone. It will highlight the double standard in upholding the

rule of law in this country – from rules and regulations to penal laws such as corruption.

It’s a credibility problem especially in this crippling pandemic that the PNP will need to overcome under its new chief. (Philstar. com)

Trump, the Republican leadership block President-elect Joe Biden’s efforts for the peaceful transition of power under the rule of law The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS ON NOVEMBER 7, 2020, Democratic nominee Joe Biden became Presidentelect after surpassing the

270-victory mark for electoral votes, and winning the greatest number of popular votes in the history of the United States.

The historic turnout, among Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and even from those with no party affiliation, is a testament to the urgency of the moment, amid the escalating threat of the coronavirus pandemic that has been

infecting more than 130,000 Americans per day, with 10.2+ million confirmed cases, and an increasing death toll of 239,000 Americans.

This pandemic has disrupted lives, livelihoods and businesses across the country, and has divided the already polarized nation even more with mixed messages coming from the White House, defying advisories from health

officials, state leaders and scientists that are working hard with doctors, nurses and other frontliners to save lives.

President-elect Joe Biden has already started efforts toward the peaceful transition of power pursuant to the rule of law, an effort shared by both the outgoing president and president-elect of past election cycles.

On Monday, November 9,

Biden posted on social media and I quote: “Today, I have named a COVID-19 Transition Advisory Board, comprised of distinguished public health experts, to help our transition team translate the Biden-Harris COVID-19 plan into a blueprint we can put into places soon as @KamalaHarris and I are sworn into office.”

Biden has announced on Tuesday, November 10, the

teams of people who will work to prepare the incoming administration to take control of the federal government. As CNN reported, these transition teams included names of about 500 people who will work in various agencies of the government — “from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to the Department of Homeland Security 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

PH extends suspension of Visiting Sinas dares critics to file charges, says ‘mañanita’ does not Forces Agreement termination diminish credibility as top cop by ritcheL

MendioLa AJPress

PHILIPPINE Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Wednesday, November 11, announced that President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the suspension of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) termination.

“My President, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, has instructed me to convey with the appropriate formality his decision to extend the suspension of the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement by yet another six months, to enable us to find a more enhanced, mutually beneficial, mutually agreeable, and more effective and lasting arrangement on how to move forward in our mutual defense,” he said in a tweet.

“The past four years have

changed the South China Sea from one of uncertainty about great powers’ intentions to one of predictability and resulting stability with regard to what can and cannot be done, what will and will not be acceptable with regard to the conduct of any protagonist in the South China Sea. Clarity and strength have never posed a risk. It is confusion and indecision that aggravate risk,” he added.

Locsin attributed the renewal of stability and security in the region to the efforts by the governments of the Philippines and the United States.

“A great deal of credit for the renewal of stability and security goes to deft diplomacy, unequivocal expressions of policy, sturdy postures of strength combined with unfailing tact, and pragmatic national se-

curity advice exhibited by both our governments in the same period,” he said.

Locsin also hailed the two countries’ friendship and alliance.

“Long Live Philippine US friendship and alliance. I hereby send the Diplomatic Note in that respect,” he said.

The abrogation of the VFA was suspended on June 2 “in light of political and other developments in the region.”

“The abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement has been suspended upon the President’s instruction,” Locsin had said in a tweet.

In the diplomatic note attached to Locsin’s tweet, it said: “In light of the political and other developments in the region, the termination of the Agreement between PAGE 9

by Franco Luna Philstar.com

MANILA — Newly-minted police chief Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas believes his credibility as the country’s top cop is unaffected by his mañanita controversy, and any critics should “move on” from the issue and instead file complaints against him in the proper venues, he said Wednesday.

Speaking at the Laging Handa briefing on Wednesday afternoon, Sinas challenged his critics to file cases against him, pointing out that it has been months since the incident occurred.

Since news broke over the general’s promotion to his post, the issues of his record of unsolved killings, and his breach of quarantine protocols at a birthday party have

Scene from the change of command ceremony of the national police as Interior Secretary Eduardo Año formally installs Police Gen. Debold Sinas as the 25th Chief of the Philippine National Police.

PNP photo

been brought up.

Sinas said he was not facing any formal cases for the killings.

“If they have any complaints, they can file those in our courts and before the

agencies supervising the PNP. And if this is about the human rights violations, there is no truth to those...I’m encouraging them to file cases so I can answer them in the right venPAGE 10

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 13-19, 2020

‘It’s okay to ask’: Raising awareness...

PAGE 1 cast on October 29 as part of AstraZeneca’s “It’s Okay To Ask” educational lung cancer program.

The “It’s Okay To Ask” program was designed to empower lung cancer patients and their caregivers to take a proactive approach to treatment.

In line with this, AstraZeneca held a panel discussion entitled “Lung Cancer Among Asian Americans: Challenging the Stigma & Changing Expectations” to build public awareness on the disease.

The panel was moderated

by Dr. Elaine Shum, an oncologist from Perlmutter Cancer Center in New York.

She was joined by Dr. Songchuan Guo, an oncologist from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York; Dr. Kin Lam, a hematologist/oncologist from Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center and New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York; Dr. Young Kwang Chae, an oncologist from the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago; and Chef Ming Tsai, restaurateur, author, and host of PBS-TV’s Simply Ming.

Lung cancer and its stigma Lung cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer death among men and women worldwide. There are two types of it — non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common type of lung cancer, and small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

“As we all know, lung cancer is not just one disease.

With ongoing research, we’re really finding out that there’s just so much about lung cancer that we don’t know, but there is a lot that we do know about it,” said Shum.

“One of the misconceptions is that lung cancer is the smoker’s disease,” she added.

According to Shum, most people think that lung cancer is only seen in patients who smoked cigarettes before. Because of that, lung cancer carries the stigma that a patient might have brought this disease upon themselves if they were a smoker, or that they’re to blame for getting the diagnosis.

A 2018 survey revealed that 56% of the U.S. population thinks that lung cancer patients are at least partly to blame for their illness. Meanwhile, 67% of oncologists surveyed and reported that lung cancer patients blame themselves.

The survey also found that more than 70% of patients felt

stigmatized.

“Stigma may prevent patients from sharing their diagnosis. Feelings of shame and guilt may lead to treatment delays or no treatment at all,” Shum said.

In Asian-centric communities, research shows that some lung cancer patients in China experience discrimination, isolation and exclusion, causing them to hide their diagnosis in some cases. Some Chinese lung cancer patients may feel guilt or shame for their smoking, for missing work, or for being unable to care for themselves and their family.

“Lung cancer is a very difficult and dire diagnosis, regardless of a person’s ethnicity. In Asian culture, the stigma of lung cancer may make it more difficult for some patients to fully confront the disease.

They may not want to burden others, so they deny or hide their diagnosis, causing them to miss potential treatment or intervention,” Lam said.

“We must overcome misconceptions and the social stigma of lung cancer by educating patients that it’s okay to communicate openly about the disease and actively participate in their care,” he added.

Biomarker testing In understanding lung cancer, knowing the patient’s stage is important for their treatment option.

Approximately 30% of patients diagnosed have resectable disease (stage 1 to 3), while about 70% of NSCLC present with advanced disease either locally (stage 3) or often metastatic (stage 4).

The panel noted that the discovery and development of biomarkers and biomarker testing has impacted the treatment of metastatic NSCLC patients. Biomarkers have been identified as factors that cause lung cancer. By identifying the biomarker, it may lead to more effective treatment outcomes.

One of the most common biomarkers in metastatic NSCLC is the mutations in the EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) gene.

EGFR mutations are the most common driver mutations in Asian patients with NSCLC adenocarcinomas.

A total of 59.4% NSCLC patients have EGFR mutations, in contrast to only 10-15% of NSCLC patients in the U.S. and Europe.

Based on a study, Vietnam has the highest incidence of EGFR mutations in Asian countries at 64%. This is followed by Taiwan (57%), Thailand (54%), Hongkong (53%),

and the Philippines (52%).

“Biomarker testing for lung cancer is important in patients with metastatic disease, particularly in subsets of the population where we know mutations like EGFR occur more often, such as in Asian Americans,” Guo said.

Biomarker testing is done in two ways — tissue biopsy, where tissue is taken and tested from the tumor; and blood test, also known as liquid biopsy or plasma test.

“The results of these tests may allow us to select a targeted therapy that may be effective against a patient’s specific form of lung cancer,” Guo added.

Behavior changes Ming, whose wife was diagnosed with metastatic NSCLC, shared how his family overcame the disease by changing their lifestyle.

Aside from oral chemotherapy, his wife also did acupuncture, energy work, massage, as well as changed her diet.

“We decided through all our research that we were going to eliminate sugar immediately. Cancer feeds off on sugar. Go gluten-free as much as possible, and go vegan,” Ming said.

“How you react to a circumstance like this matters just as much as the actual therapy,” he stressed.

Ming noted that reducing the stress that his wife felt also helped a lot. Currently, his wife “is feeling great, looking great.”

“I can’t emphasize how important the support group is as well,” he said, adding that their family, parents, and close friends were what kept them going.

Ming expressed his support for AstraZeneca’s “It’s Okay To Ask” program, urging the public to educate themselves about lung cancer.

“Cancer doesn’t discriminate. It can happen to anyone of any race,” he said.

“Be your own advocate and find the information and get to the doctor because there’s a huge difference between stage 1 and stage 4. It’s okay to ask,” he added.

Chatrick Paul, SVP and head of U.S. oncology at AstraZeneca, for his part said: “Hopefully, today’s event is the start of a longer dialogue aimed at reducing health disparities for Asian Americans living with lung cancer. We must work together to continue educating, raising awareness, and finding solutions for combating barriers to timely and appropriate care for these patients.”

(Ritchel Mendiola/AJPress) n

Palace hopes Biden admin...

PAGE 2 dos (Although some of them are are TNT or illegal, they play a huge role in the United States and we hope they will be given a chance to become legal in the United States),” he said.

Roque said Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will reportedly keep an open mind about Biden and avoid making judgments until he finally gets to work with the new U.S. president.

“Other than congratulating him, I think the president is keeping an open mind as he should. It will be a new start but we have no prejudgments as far as president-elect Biden is concerned, other than the position that we’re able and willing to work with all leaders of the world,” the spokesman said.

According to Roque, they have trust that the ties between the country and the U.S. will remain stable.

“Tiwala naman tayo na da-

hil napakalapit ng relasyon ng Pilipinas at ng Estados Unidos, patuloy na magiging mas mabuti pa ang ating samahan sa ilalim ng pamumuno ni President Duterte at ni President-elect Biden (We trust that with close ties between the Philippines and the U.S., we will continue and even see better relations under President Duterte and President-elect Biden),” he said.

Duterte was among the world leaders who congratulated Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris after their projected win in the 2020 presidential election.

“On behalf of the Filipino nation, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte wishes to extend his warm congratulations to former Vice President Joseph ‘Joe’ Biden on his election as the new President of the United States of America,” Roque said in a statement on Sunday, November 8.

Roque also assured that

the Philippines will continue its commitment to enhancing its relations with the U.S. “The Philippines and the United States have longstanding bilateral relations and we are committed to further enhancing the relations with the United States under the Biden administration,” he said.

“We look forward to working closely with the new administration of Presidentelect Biden anchored on mutual respect, mutual benefit, and shared commitment to democracy, freedom and the rule of law,” he added. “Congratulations and we wish him all the best.”

Biden on Saturday, Nov. 7 emerged victorious after securing the necessary 270 electoral votes to win. California Sen. Harris, Biden’s running mate, meanwhile made history as the nation’s first woman and Black and South Asian to be elected as vice president. n

‘The second wave is here’...

PAGE 4 will also receive cloth masks in addition to the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that has been distributed throughout the pandemic.

Along with the masks, the #MaskUpJC packages contain a letter from the Mayor and a “Mask Up JC” poster.

In the Mayor’s open letter, residents are also encour-

aged to sign up for the city’s emergency alert system to receive important updates, as was used throughout the pandemic to keep residents informed.

“We knew very little about this virus when it first hit, but today we have a much better understanding of what needs to be done and how we can continue our work with the

community to help slow the spread. Our Mask Up campaign encourages compliance so that everyone can do their part to stay safe,” concluded Mayor Fulop.

Since March, the city has distributed over 200,000 masks and PPE to senior buildings, nonprofit organizations, local businesses, and residents. n

Filipino Trump supporters sound off...

PAGE 4 The legal challenges posed by the Trump campaign, however, are all over the place and comprise different things, making it difficult to see how they all come together in the general claim of “voter fraud.”

In Nevada, the Trump campaign claims that at least 10,000 people voted in the state after moving to another state. The Trump campaign also alleged that in Wayne County, Michigan (home to Detroit) poll workers were seen swaying voters to vote a certain way and that GOP election observers were blocked from observing the vote count. (The only proof of the Michigan claims come in the form of affidavits from individuals.)

Misleading videos have also percolated through social media, including a video of ballot counters in Delaware County,

Pennsylvania transcribing damaged ballots that couldn’t be read by machines. (The Delaware County Bureau of Elections confirmed this, noting that “some residents have altered the video are making false accusations.”)

Nevertheless, claims against these states by the Trump campaign have fueled nationwide protests among Trump supporters echoing the alleged claims of voter fraud.

“Preliminary results get put out there and [the] news media is very quick to jump on something exciting to report.

They’re seeing the same numbers I’m seeing, but I’m not as quick to jump on a call especially when it goes against fundamentals,” Ang added, referencing the reports of “software glitches and fraudulent ballots.”

Ang’s claim of software glitches comes from a popu-

lar notion that technological problems with the software that undermined the actual vote counts in states like Michigan and Georgia.

But according to the Michigan Department of State, county clerks and election security experts, the reported issues in the unofficial vote counts in Michigan’s Antrim and Oakland counties were not software glitches, but human error, adding these were “isolated cases.”

In Georgia, the software problems only related to how poll workers checked in voters from two counties and submission of results in another county.

The Trump campaign has also said that it has evidence of ballot mishandling and discarded votes in Maricopa County, Arizona, alleging that Trump voters may have had their ballots rejected due to PAGE 8

NOVEMBER 13-19, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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Filipino Trump supporters sound off...

PAGE 7 manual override by poll workers.

Despite all the mounting suits and allegations of voter fraud being lodged by the Trump campaign, none of these claims have been verified. Like the Delaware County officials, election bureaus across the country continue fighting unverified claims proffered by the Trump campaign and viral attempts to locate fraud among Trump supporters.

Experts on constitutional law don’t see the lawsuits going much further since much of the tangible proof of the alleged “voting irregularities” came in the form of affidavits, personal anecdotes among Trump supporters and debunked altered videos on social media.

“That requires some kind of evidence,” Morgan Marietta, professor of constitutional politics at the University of Massachusetts Lowell told NBC. “There’s an incentive to do the recounts and the audits to establish there wasn’t fraud, but right now, there’s no evidence we’ve seen of widespread fraud. Certainly not enough to change the outcome.”

That being said, however,

Trump supporters are mobilized and believe that legal action could provide a path to victory for the president in a way that could flip the media projections.

“This is far from impossible,” Ang asserted.

In response to Trump’s refusal to concede the election, both Ang and Noeth agreed that the president shouldn’t concede until the claims of alleged fraud are found to be baseless.

“This is a unique opportunity to audit and reform our elections for the better. Florida, under the scrutiny of 2000, has become a leader now in honest elections. I hope this for the other states in question. Let the process play out and if the fraud doesn’t change the outcome, he should concede,” Ang said.

Noeth mirrored Ang’s position, saying, “I believe we should stand by President Trump in not conceding until all the legal votes are counted and our court system investigates the evidence of voter fraud. We need to protect the legitimacy of our electoral process through the legal system in place according to the U.S. Constitution.

Filipinos are the secondlargest Asian American group

to support Trump, just behind Vietnamese Americans, according to the 2020 Asian American Voter Survey released two months before the general election. With this, both Ang and Noeth believe that the president and the Republican Party have the greater Filipino American community’s interests in mind.

And, even if the courts decide that the election was legitimate and Biden was legally elected as the 46th President of the United States, folks like Ang and Noeth are optimistic that this isn’t the end of the Trump legacy.

“If [Trump] loses the presidency, the movement will get even more energized and will bring us to major victories in 2022 and 2024, where Trump may run and win again,” Ang said, referencing recent reports that Trump is considering another White House run in 2024.

“Let’s let the court system decide the winner of the 2020 elections,” Noeth said, adding that regardless of the outcome, “For the next four years, Republicans, such as myself, should continue to engage the Asian American community and represent FilAms as future candidates in elected office. n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 13-19, 2020

Hontiveros seeks Senate probe of SEA Games venue contract

by Melvin

Gascon Inquirer.net

MANILA — Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday, November 10 called for a “full-blown” investigation of the allegedly irregular deals in connection with the country’s hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, especially the P9.5 billion in taxpayer money used to construct the main sports venue inside New Clark City (NCC) in Tarlac province.

In a privilege speech, Hontiveros raised doubts about the legality of the 2018 joint venture agreement between the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) and a Malaysian developer, MTD Capital Berhad, for the construction of the sports venue at the 9,450-hectare NCC complex in Capas and Bamban towns.

She said a “fake” joint venture agreement was used to secure a “behest loan” from a government bank in order to sidestep procure-

ment laws.

‘White elephant’?’

“Now, the country may have been left with a gigantic white elephant in Central Luzon,” Hontiveros said.

The opposition senator said that following President Duterte’s recently ordered crackdown on graft and corruption, she was calling attention to the facilities that the government had built for the SEA Games.

She questioned why MTD did not seem to have made any contribution to the project, except for the actual construction work.

A Commission on Audit (COA) report said the sports facilities included an aquatic center, an athletics stadium and an “athlete’s village” capable of housing 1,000 people.

It said the agreed project cost to build them was P8.510 billion, “which will be contributed by the winning PSP (private sector partner) in the form of unencumbered advances to the JV (joint venture).”

Hontiveros said the P8.5-billion funding that MTD Berhad had purportedly poured into the project came from a P9.5-billion loan that was granted by Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).

Aside from being contractually obligated to facilitate the loan, the BCDA was obliged to reimburse MTD for the capital it had supposedly “advanced” using the loan.

Loan proposal “MTD Berhad did not have any cash-in investment, yet they still put on an additional P1 billion into their loan proposal,” she said.

Citing documents, Hontiveros said that under the loan agreement, the BCDA was obligated to pay a total of P11 billion for the loan.

“And where will the BCDA get the funds to pay off MTD Berhad? Is it from the income derived by the venue?

Not even, as this project has not had any clear income,” she said.

PAGE 10

LANTERNS, ANYONE? Two vendors sell pineapple lanterns, Chinese ornamental lanterns, and a small Christmas tree with lights along Roosevelt Avenue in Quezon City on Monday, November 9. Many people are finding ways to make a living as the holiday season approaches amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

PH extends suspension of...

PAGE 6 the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the United States Regarding the Treatment of the United States Visiting Forces Visiting the Philippines…is

hereby suspended.”

The note also said that the suspension shall start on an even date and shall continue for six months – though it can be extended for another half a year.

“After which, the tolling

of the initial period in Note Verbale No. 20-0463 dated 11 February 2020 shall resume,” it added.

On February 11, the Philippines sent a notice to Washington that terminated the defense agreement. n

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NOVEMBER 13-19, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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Trump, the Republican leadership... Sinas dares critics to file charges...

PAGE 5 and the United States Postal Service” and many more.

This election cycle, however, has been very much unlike how it was done in past administrations where the members of the transition teams work with career officials inside the government to prepare the incoming administration to take over.

The reason for this is the sad fact that President Donald Trump refuses to concede defeat, and he is enabled by the Republican leadership headed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and rightleaning outlets like Fox News who enable his conspiracy theory that votes were stolen from him.

The Trump administration is not accepting Biden as president-elect, even as leaders of other countries, including Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, have already called and messaged Biden to congratulate him. U.S. allies said “Welcome back America” following the Biden-Harris victory.

The Trump White House on Monday instructed senior government leaders to block cooperation with Biden’s transition team. And so, despite the efforts of Biden in organizing his transition team, the National Public Radio (NPR) reported that “one thing Biden cannot do at this point is move into any government office space or receive government funding for the transition.”

Despite the will of the people electing Biden to be the next president, “A key, if littleknown Trump administration official has yet to determine formally that Biden won the election, holding up some crucial resources traditionally available to the presidentelect.”

Under the 1963 Presidential Transition Act, it’s up to the General Services Administration, or GSA, to determine or ‘ascertain’ the winner of the presidential election, at least as far as starting the process of turning over the keys to the new administration goes,” according to NPR. Robert MacKichan, who was general counsel to the GSA during the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, told NPR the law is kind of vague about what this actually means. “There’s no legal standard contained within this act as to what constitutes the ascertainment,” he said in the report.

Instead of supporting the Biden transition teams as

other outgoing Presidents of the United States have done, Trump and his minions have asked for investigations, using taxpayers’ money, into alleged widespread election fraud. They have also filed lawsuits in court, but judges handling these lawsuits have ruled that there was no sufficient evidence to support these claims. Trump then wanted to bring this fight all the way to the Supreme Court despite the lack of proof and merit in court.

Trump has been asking his die-hard fans to again storm the streets in virus superspreader crowds to defend him and fight for his second term, going against the will of the majority of the American people who voted for Biden to be the 46th president of the United States.

“President Trump is racing to raise money for an “official election defense fund.” But the fine print on the solicitations tells a different story: Half -- or more -- of any contribution will be used to retire debt from his re-election campaign,” the Wall Street Journal reported.

The president and his cohorts in Congress have been attacking the integrity of the votes of the American people, the integrity of election officials and secretaries of states, governors and lieutenant governors, who were composed of Republicans and Democrats alike.

These Republicans in Congress are supposed to be exercising their checks and balances on the president, an obligation required of them by the Constitution as members of the co-equal branch of government. Unfortunately, these Republican members put their own political survival ahead of the peaceful transfer of power, compromising the United States’ national security and the greater good of the American people.

As “We, the People” want to heal and move forward together as one “United States of America,” it is imperative for Trump, the Republicans in Congress and their supporters to respect the will of the American people in this election — the most scared of all our rights as citizens in this democracy: Government of the people, By the People, For the People.

Let me quote excerpts from the late Senator John McCain’s speech when he conceded defeat to Sen. Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential election.

May these words help us in

our introspection on what we can do in the name of our love for our nation and our respect to the Constitution as true patriots of the United States of America.

“Sen. Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country. I applaud him for it, and offer my sincere sympathy that his beloved grandmother did not live to see this day — though our faith assures us she is at rest in the presence of her Creator and so very proud of the good man she helped raise.

Sen. Obama and I have had and argued our differences, and he has prevailed.

No doubt many of those differences remain. These are difficult times for our country, and I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.

I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our goodwill and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises, to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited.

Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans. And please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that.

It is natural tonight to feel some disappointment, but tomorrow we must move beyond it and work together to get our country moving again.

We fought — we fought as hard as we could.

And though we fell short, the failure is mine, not yours.

I am so deeply grateful to all of you for the great honor of your support and for all you have done for me. I wish the outcome had been different, my friends. The road was a difficult one from the outset. But your support and friendship never wavered. I cannot adequately express how deeply indebted I am to you….”

“This campaign was and will remain the great honor of my life. And my heart is filled with nothing but gratitude for the experience and to the American people for giving me a fair hearing before deciding that Sen. Obama and my old friend, Sen. Joe Biden, should have the honor of leading us for the next four years.

I would not be an American worthy of the name, should I regret a fate that has allowed me the extraordinary privi-

PAGE 7 ues,” he said in Filipino.

On the contrary, the alleged human rights violations throughout his term as regional director in Central Visayas are well-documented, although they have never been directly linked to him.

In January, the Senate committees on public order and dangerous drugs and human rights called for a probe into a wave of killings in Negros in 2018 and in 2019 and later noted that most of the killings occurred when the police and military launched Oplan Sauron or the Simultaneous Enhanced Managing of Police Operations in Negros.

According to CHR Central

Visayas in August 2018, there were 22 killings in Negros Oriental alone between June 27 and July 28.

‘Move on’ Urging detractors to file formal cases has long been a tactic employed by police leadership, though past cases hardly came to fruition.

As it stands, Sinas is facing two complaints for his mañanita controversy, both of which are still pending before the Taguig City Prosecutors Office to this day.

Months after the incident took place, he is not only still in office but is now the country’s top cop, having been cleared by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte himself.

He issued an apology once the news broke, but denied the event ever happened despite his own office posting pictures of it. Photographs showed that celebrators were neither wearing masks nor physical distancing despite Metro Manila being under a strict enhanced community quarantine status.

In a later statement, he admitted the gathering took place but denied any wrongdoing occurred.

Asked if the birthday celebration diminished his credibility as the 25th chief of the PNP, Sinas said: “I don’t think so. It’s been six months and it happened while I was still at the NCRPO.” n

The construction of this sports stadium and the P50-million cauldron at New Clark City in Tarlac province used during the 2019 Southeast Asian Games could be among the targets of investigation that opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros is pushing her colleagues to undertake because of alleged irregularities.

Inquirer.net photo

Hontiveros seeks Senate probe...

PAGE 9 According to the senator, the BCDA must have sourced the funds amounting to P9.54 billion to pay MTD from its 2019 budget allocation.

“This project is riddled with badges of a fake joint venture. So again I ask: What has MTD Berhad contributed to this?” she said.

Hontiveros pointed out that even the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) and the COA had disputed claims that the deal involved a joint venture.

“And while all of these were ongoing, the chief of the OGCC was replaced, and his successor overturned the previous opinion and maintained that the transaction is aboveboard,” she said.

Joint venture scheme Hontiveros raised suspicions that the joint venture scheme was used to skirt the legal requirement of a public bidding and manipulate the grant of the project to a favored contractor.

She said she was appalled that MTD acquired the P9.5 billion in just three weeks from the time it was applied

for.

“Would it have been possible that DBP quickly released the loan proceeds because it was facilitated by the BCDA? What was the loan collateral used? Was there sufficient scrutiny on the capitalization of MTD Berhad and the cash flow of the project?” Hontiveros asked.

The senator suspected that the project was financed by a behest loan, which shifts the burden of paying it to Filipino taxpayers, mainly the DBP depositors. n

lege of serving this country for a half a century. Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much. And tonight, I remain her servant. That is blessing enough for anyone and I thank the people of Arizona for it.

Tonight — tonight, more than any night, I hold in my heart nothing but love for this country and for all its citizens, whether they supported me or Sen. Obama, I wish Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be

my president.

And I call on all Americans, as I have often in this campaign, to not despair of our present difficulties but to believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here.”

Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history. We make history. Thank you, and God bless you, and God bless America.” *** The opinions, beliefs and

viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** 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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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 13-19, 2020

COMMUNITY Journal

Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ JOE Biden has been declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election. He promises a radical change from Trump’s strict enforcement policies to a policy emphasizing compassion, leniency, and possibly even amnesty, as spelled out in the Democrat party’s platform.

As stated on their website, “Immigrants are essential to our society and our economy. Immigrants are part of our families. They enrich our culture. They grow our food, care for our loved ones, serve in our Armed Forces, and provide critical healthcare services. Immigrants make America stronger.”

Among the highlights of their planned changes to U.S.

11

Biden’s compassionate immigration platform immigration policy are: • End funding and construction of the southern border wall.

• End the Muslim travel ban • End Trump’s immigration ban, where he had put a freeze on green cards for new immigrants who were applying from abroad.

• Reinstate, expand, and streamline protection for Dreamers (DACA) and the parents of American citizen children (DAPA) to keep families together in the U.S. • Provide a “roadmap to citizenship for the millions of undocumented workers, caregivers, students and children who are an essential part of our economy and the fabric of our nation.” (Amnesty?).

• Halt enforcement and

rescind Trump’s “immigration wealth test,” or Trump’s new, strict public charge regulations.

• Fast-track legalization for essential workers to the pandemic, including healthcare workers and others • Reduce application backlogs and waiting times, and make our immigration processes faster, more efficient, and less costly, eliminating “unfair barriers to naturalization.”

• Reaffirm America’s commitment to family-based immigration by reversing Trump’s decision to slash family-based immigration (Trump had wanted a meritbased system and to reduce visas for family members).

• Treat spouses and children of green card holders PAGE 12

MORE ANSWERS TO YOUR IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS ON A BRAND-NEW EPISODE OF CITIZEN PINOY! Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (left) answers several immigrations questions on this Sunday’s episode of Citizen Pinoy. Weng from Ewa, HI (center) asks if it is possible to get the sons of her recently deceased sister. Their mother petitioned her married sister with sons aged 21 and 17 years old. Unfortunately, her sister died earlier this year. Can Weng and her mother still bring her sister’s two children to the U.S.? Claro of Edmonds, WA (right) has a brother-in-law who was petitioned by his U.S. citizen father-in-law. But the father-in-law is now retired and has been staying in the Philippines for several years. Should his father-in-law come to the U.S. temporarily to fulfill domicile requirements for the brother-in-law’s petition? These are just some of the questions that Attorney Gurfinkel (left) will answer on a brand-new episode of “CITIZEN PINOY: Your Tanong, My Sagot – Social Distancing Style,” this Sunday, November 15 at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

(Advertising Supplement)

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NOVEMBER 13-19, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

Medical news capsules

Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS AS of 11:48 AM EST, November 10, 2020, there were almost 51.5 million cases and about 1.3 million deaths from COVID-19 worldwide, with the United States on the top-five list with almost 10.5 million cases (about 245,000 deaths, and 15,753 new cases that day), followed by India, Brazil, Russia, and France. The Philippines had around 400,000 cases, with about 7,700 deaths, and 1,350 new cases that day.

A piece of good news amidst lockdowns and mask mandates in some countries around the world is the announcement last Monday, November 9 from Pfizer-BioNTech that their new vaccine against COVID-19 is more than 90 percent effective. There were more than 44,000 who participated in the late-stage clinical trial. The annual Flu vaccines are only 40 to 60 percent effective. It will be late this year or early next year before it becomes available for the public. Priorities will include healthcare workers, vulnerable seniors, those immunecompromised, the military, police, firemen, all first responders. In the meantime, let’s continue to use eye goggles, good facemasks properly, and do social distancing, with vigilance and a bit of healthy paranoia.

Remember, someone positive for COVID-19 could be healthy-looking (but infectious) before symp-

toms develop. The corona virus (SAR-CoV2) virus enters through the mucosal (moist) surfaces of our eyes, nose, and mouth, and any break in our skin. *** A reader emailed me asking how I, as a cardiac surgeon, cope with the COVID-19 pandemic to avoid boredom and depression.

Firstly, accepting the situation and reality is a must.

As a retiree, I have delved into hobbies I could do at home. Besides writing a weekly health column for a Philippine national daily in Manila and here in the U.S., I also do a lot of gardening, caring for my trees and plants (which includes persimmon, apple, orange, lemon, pepper, upo, ampalaya, and a variety of roses), and feeding hummingbirds and other birds.

I have learned how to make wine, ice-cream (ube-macapuno, langka, and any other flavor), bake bread, make donuts and kutsinta, and cook shrimp scampi, sinigang, kare-kare, etc.

Like my Dad, I enjoy cooking also. I have also been reading a lot, watching historical and documentary films, and movies.

And time flies when you are busy. This keeps me productive, entertained, and denies depression a chance to conquer me. I go out only when needed, and always with a cap, goggles, 3-layered mask, and gloves because as a senior I am more vulnerable to COVID19. Whatever the situation is, life could always be wonderful. It all depends on you and your attitude.

Waking up each morning is a blessing. When the day is gloomy, bring your own sunshine. ***

Bariatric surgery (surgery for obesity) may also confer the metabolic and health benefits to people who are only moderately or mildly obese, or even nonobese individuals, according to several clinical reports.

Heretofore, the National Institute of Health (NIH) guidelines recommended bariatric surgery “only for patients with a body mass index greater than 40 kg/ meter square or those with BMI greater than 35 with type 2 diabetes or other obesity–related comorbidities” (co-existing medical conditions). Google: How to calculate BMI. Dr. Jenny J. Choi of Columbia University Medical Center, New York, and others are challenging the NIH guidelines, noting that new studies have “consistently shown marked benefits of obesity surgery” in patients with lower BMI, even among those who are nonobese, like the potential for reversing diabetes type 2 and concomitant improvement in co-existing morbidities such as hypertension, sleep apnea, hyperlipidemia, stress incontinence, gastro-esophageal reflux, and even depression.

The minimally invasive laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) is the procedure recommended for moderate to mild obesity, and the gastric bypass for the morbid obesity.

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome of 38% has dropped to 3% at 2 years among those who had LAGB, compared to 24% in the medically treated patients. With the mean BMI of 33.1, the banded group showed a drop in their PAGE 13

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Family-based immigration questions take center stage on an all-new episode of Citizen Pinoy this Sunday CITIZEN Pinoy seeks to provide answers to families who have questions about the latest immigration policies and how it affects them.

Claro of Edmonds, WA has a brother-in-law who was petitioned by his U.S. citizen father-in-law, who is now retired and has been staying in the Philippines for several years now. Must his father-in-law come to the U.S. temporarily to fulfill domicile requirements

for the brother-in-law’s affidavit of support?

Weng of Ewa, HI shares that her U.S. citizen mother petitioned her married sister in 2005. Unfortunately, her sister died in February 2020. She has two sons aged 17 and 21 years old.

What happens to her sister’s petition? Can the family still bring her two sons to the U.S.?

A person who crossed the border 27 years ago (EWI) and remains undocumented

is asking if either her green card holder husband or her U.S. citizen daughter can petition her.

Find out the answers to these questions and more on another informative and brand-new edition of “CITIZEN PINOY: Your Tanong, My Sagot – Social Distancing Style” this Sunday, November 15 at 6:15 pm PST/ EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

(Advertising Supplement)

Biden’s compassionate immigration...

PAGE 11 (F-2A) the same as “immediate relatives” (spouse and children of U.S. citizens), meaning spouses and children of immigrants would be immediately eligible for green cards, and possibly can apply for green cards in the U.S. if out of status, thereby ending their unfair separation.

• Eliminate family-based green card backlogs and reform the system to speed up family-based visas. (Could categories such as married children of U.S. citizens and brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens now be faster? People may want to hurry and file those petitions!)

• End the 3/10 year bar (so that perhaps a provisional waiver would no longer be needed?)

• End workplace and community raids, as well as protecting immigrants at sensitive locations like schools, houses of worship, hospitals, and DMV from immigration

raids.

• Bring back “prosecutorial discretion” for deserving cases, where the government will no longer go after people who really do not pose a threat to society, and instead go after felons, terrorists, and other bad people.

Let us hope Biden will follow through with these proposals and ensure laws are enacted for the benefit of the millions of undocumented immigrants. If there will be changes in the law, and you believe you could benefit, I would strongly advise that you consult with an immigration attorney and have the immigration attorney assist you in applying for those benefits.

Even with a pro-immigration administration, there are still many requirements to be met, and hiring an attorney could greatly increase your chances of success in achieving your American dream. *** 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)

Cassy on breaking away from twin bro Mavy in showbiz

By AllAn

PolicArPio Inquirer.net

Cassy Legaspi

Photo from Instagram/@cassy

SINCE entering the biz, Cassy Legaspi’s projects have mostly, if not all, involved her twin brother, Mavy, or the entire family. But she hopes to forge her own path, too, she said. And “First Yaya,” her debut series on GMA 7, could prove to be a crucial step.

“We want to break from the

image that Mavy and I should always be together. We’re trying to make our way in the entertainment world, separately,” Cassy said in a recent virtual conference.

After all, being constantly presented as Mavy’s twin or as Carmina Villaroel and Zoren Legaspi’s daughter can be limiting. “We can’t just keep doing shows where we play twins,” she pointed out.

“Of course, we will still accept offers that involve both of us. But we haven’t really experienced doing solo projects, so we would like to do that.”

Cassy’s goal is to do well in acting. And she has been putting in the work, undergoing workshops to hone her skills, which will be put to the test when the lock-in taping session for “First Yaya” starts

later this month.

“I’m excited and nervous at the same time. I’m like, ‘This is it!’” related the 19-year-old celeb, who was initially worried that the shoot would be postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I actually thought it wouldn’t push through. I didn’t know what would happen, with the restrictions and PAGE 15

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Angeline mourns death of adoptive mother ‘Mama Bob’

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By Katrina

Hallare Inquirer.net

AFTER many months of hospitalization, the adoptive mother of Angeline Quinto Sylvia, has passed away, the singer confirmed on Saturday, November 7.

“Mag iingat ka sa pag lalakbay Mama (Be safe on your journey, Mama),” Quinto said in an Instagram post about Sylvia, whom the singer affectionately calls Mama Bob. “Hindi man kita maalalayan sa paglalakad ngayon patungo sa paraiso, masaya ako nandyan ang Panginoon para umalalay sayo,” she added.

(I may not be with you on your trip to paradise, but I am glad the Lord is there to guide you.)

“Hinding hindi ako mapapagod sa pagpapasamalat sayo Ma, dahil sa pagkakataong ibinigay mo sa

Solenn Heussaff with daughter Thylane Katana Angeline Quinto and her adoptive mother, Sylvia Photo from Instagram/@loveangelinequinto

akin para maging anak mo.

Hanggang sa muli nating pagkikita. MAHAL NA MAHAL KONG MAMA BOB.” (I will never get tired of being grateful to you, for giving me the opportunity to be your child. Until we meet again, I love you so much Mama Bob.)

It was in September when Quinto first asked prayers for her ailing mom. At that time, the “Star Power” grand winner said that it was “the greatest challenge of her life.”

In July, Mama Bob underwent surgery which involved her heart’s pacemaker.

Medical news capsules...

PAGE 12 BMI to 25.8 in 2 years. The mean fasting blood sugar dropped from 207 mg/dL to 114 mg/dL and the HbA1c dropped from 8.5% to 5.9% at 26 months, allowing the patients to stop their antidiabetic medications permanently. There was also a significant improvement in the quality of life.

In another study conducted at the Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, findings showed that obese adolescents (average age 16 and average BMI of 60 kg/m square), lost 58% of their weight in year 1 and 60% at year 2. The surgery also improved comorbidities, like 82% improvement among those with insulin resistance and 45% among those with sleep apnea. Some of these children were also cured of their type 2 diabetes after surgery. *** When a chronic heavy smoker suddenly loses the urge to smoke and quits smoking effortlessly, it may mean the person already has cancer of the lungs.

Why this unusual pattern happens in a certain group of long-term smokers is not clearly known.

The researchers at the

World Conference on Lung Cancer in San Francisco reported that “It has been well-documented that lung cancer patients often stop smoking shortly before their diagnosis,” and even before any symptoms develop.

According to Dr. Barbara Campling, a medical oncologist with the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, this has led to the medical speculation “that in some cases, spontaneous smoking cessation may be a presenting feature of lung cancer, possibly caused by tumor secretion of a factor interfering with nicotine addiction.”

In a study of 3 groups (former smokers with lung cancer, former smokers with prostate cancer and former smokers with heart attack), the Philadelphia Veterans Medical Center found out that former smokers with prostate cancer had stopped smoking an average of 23 years before their diagnosis; 10 years for those former smokers with heart attack; and quitting 2.7 years before diagnosis for those previous smokers with lung cancer.

To counter fake assertions, let me make it crystal clear that quitting is NOT

the cause of cancer. Smoking cigarettes (tobacco) is. We are reporting this study to emphasize once more that smoking is a proven health hazard and a highly potential killer, and that quitting now while it is still hard to quit, while the craving is still strong, is the best time to kick the habit… before cancer develops. *** 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.

Photo from Instagram/@solenn

Solenn speaks up on dealing with postpartum depression By alex

BroSaS

Inquirer.net

WHEN actress Solenn Heussaff gave birth to her and husband Nico Bolzico’s first child, Thylane Katana, with it apparently came bouts of depression.

Heussaff spoke about that phase she went through after she gave birth in her Instagram page on Tuesday, Nov. 10, where she also shared a photo from her maternity shoot.

“Though pregnancy is the best thing I have experienced, there is a lot you go through people don’t always talk about. Postpartum.

AKA your mental health and state,” she stated.

After giving birth to her daughter, Heussaff dealt with a state of depression and selfpity. She looked back on how devastated she felt about her physical state.

“I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror, didn’t want people to come visit me, wanted to diet but couldn’t because feeding my baby was a priority, being conscious about the dark spots on my tummy, the way my armpits looked, feeling useless because no matter how much I ate my baby was crying from hunger because of my low milk supply and the list goes on,”

she recalled.

Heussaff believes that “no one truly understands it unless they go through it.”

“All of these feelings are normal but I hated myself for feeling this way because I felt I was being selfish,” she explained. “And it is important to talk to people about how you feel and to be ok with it.

YOU are important.”

Since giving birth and despite the depression she had to deal with, Heussaff has consistently interacted with her fans via Instagram, where she shares random daily moments with her baby or engages in antics with Bolzico.

Ronnie now an Army reservist after finishing civil-military ops correspondence course

By Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

SINGER Ronnie Liang has now completed the CivilMilitary Operations Officer Correspondence Course, nine months after becoming a 2nd lieutenant Army reservist.

In his Facebook account, Ronnie said he is grateful to the Philippine Army for the opportunity.

“I am grateful to my Philippine Army family for the opportunity. This is truly PAGE 15

Singer Ronnie Liang has already completed the Civil-Military Operations Officer Correspondence Course.

Photo from Facebook/Ronnie Liang

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people events arts culture entertainment

‘A Taste of the Philippines’: culinary event showcases DC’s top Fil-Am chefs

E

by MOMAR

G. VISAYA / AJPress

VEN when he was still at Bad Saint, James Beard award-winning chef Tom Cunanan has been dreaming of coming up with a group of Filipino American chefs in the Washington, DC area for a gastronomic event.

Because they don’t get to cook together, he looked at it as an opportunity to be able to collaborate and work with other chefs in the city and showcase Filipino cuisine to a broader market.

Then the pandemic hap-

pened, and with it the lockdown, making it almost impossible to hold big events like the one he thought of.

Over virtual meetings and phone calls, the organizers waited it out and when it was safe to do so, announced that the project

dubbed ‘A Taste of the Philippines’ was a go.

“We wanted people to have that smorgasbord of Filipino food and just enjoy it, whether they eat it outside or take it to go,” Cunanan told us as the event was winding down. “We’ve

NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY

EVERYDAY

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all been friends for the past fi ve years and collaborating with them is amazing, I am glad that this is successful.”

Cunanan collaborated with the who’s who of Filipino American chefs in the Washington, DC area” Patrice Cleary of Purple Patch, Paulo Dungca, Julie Cortes, Javier Fernandez, Jerome Grant and honorary Filipina Rosie Nguyen.

With the success of the event, Cunanan and his friends are looking forward to making it an annual October event to celebrate Filipino American History Month.

“I love Filipino food and I’m a proud Filipino, I guess wherever I go, I will always carry the fl ag no matter what. It’s a natural, organic thing that just happens,” Cunanan shared.

The Philippine Department of Tourism invited him and a couple of other chefs last year to do a two-week food tour around the Ph i l ippi nes PAGE 15

Patrice Cleary of Purple Patch

Tom Cunanan, former chef of Bad Saint and James Beard Award winner

Kaliwa’s former chef Paulo Dungca and current chef de cuisine Julie Cortes AJPress Photos by Momar G. Visaya The tasting box had each of the chefsʼ creations, from the kaliskis empanada to braised beef adobo and arroz caldo, along with a halohalo Japanese-style cheesecake for dessert.

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‘A Taste of the Philippines’: culinary... Piolo is magazine cover star in US

PAGE 14 to sample regional dishes and treats. Among the cities they visited were Davao City and Bacolod City, which was where Cunanan got inspiration for what he served in the event.

The 37-year-old chef prepared mushroom sisig kaliskis empanada, made with royal trumpet mushroom and cremona mushroom.

He said that when he saw this place in Bacolod where they made kaliskis empanada, he told myself that this was what he wanted on his menu when he got back.

“There was so much inspiration there,” he quipped.

Collaborative effort ‘A Taste of the Philippines’ is something that other Filipino chefs across the United States could use as a model for collaboration in their respective cities.

The smorgasbord of Filipino food that Cunanan mentioned earlier is actually a seven-course dinner.

Aside from his empanada, the tasting bento box included Cleary’s braised short rib adobo served with atchara and pandesal; Fernandez served pork shoulder with Bicol Express gravy; Cortes had her beef kaldereta skewers; Grant served arroz caldo; Dungca had palabok shrimp dumplings and Nguyen served halo halo Japanese cheesecake.

The event was held at The Block, which also curated and served Filipino inspired cocktails, with ube, balut. pandan and sago at gulaman flavors.

For Patrice Cleary, the tasting box is a gift from them to the diners and guests as each chef was given a spot on that box to showcase what the chef felt was a dish worthy to be highlighted.

“It was about time that we as chefs came together to represent our cuisine and help each other out,” Cleary told us. “It is important specially right now because the restaurant industry is struggling.”

Cleary shared that she wanted to serve something that was not on her menu so she came up with braised short rib adobo, a labor intensive stew which she slow cooked for hours.

Julie Cortes is the current chef de cuisine at Kaliwa. She worked at Del Mar

for a year and in the Philippines, she was a junior sous chef at Wildflour.

Filipinos love barbecue so she thought of serving beef and vegetables in skewers and drizzling them with kaldereta sauce.

“This is my first to collaborate with these chefs, I am the youngest and newest here so I am just overwhelmed and honored to be cooking with them,” the 27-year-old Cortes said.

Paulo Dungca worked previously with Cunanan at Bad Saint. He was also a chef at Kaliwa. He has been doing a series of pop ups in DC for the past few weeks and just got married the Sunday before the event.

Dungca cooked palabok shrimp dumplings because he wanted to “try it out, see how it is” and was happy “it tasted like it [palabok] but doesn’t look like it.”

“We’ve been wanting to do this for the longest time but everyone was just so busy, now that everything slowed down, we had more time to think about it and make it happen,” he said.

Jerome Grant said he was super excited to be a part of the project. He was the inaugural executive chef of Sweet Home Café at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which received a James Beard Award nomination for “Best New Restaurant” in 2017.

Grant prepared arroz caldo, because it was something that reminded him of home. He did not do the traditional version though since used salted hen of the woods mushroom for his bowl.

“I wish I could do this all day, to be with like minded folks who converse about food and what it means to us because that’s where great synergy happens,” he said.

A James Beard Award nominee, Grant currently works as executive chef at Jackie, a new restaurant in the Navy Yard. He put pork cheek adobo, Spam fried rice and crab fat pasta on their mostly American menu, which he said reflects global influences, including his own heritage as a Black Filipino American.

What the Future Holds As the restaurant industry continues to reel because of the pandemic, chefs, restaurant owners and cooks need to adapt

and adjust, from doing popups to special events and focusing on DIY recipes at home to selling their specialty products online.

Cunanan’s advise to Filipino cooks and chefs is to “keep pushing and keep thinking outside the box.”

He cited the numerous ways Filipinos across the diaspora cook the national dish, adobo. Even empanada and sinigang vary from town to town, region to region, depending on the availability of ingredients in their respective places.

“Keep cooking adobo that’s different, I love eating different kinds, I never judge and I never criticize.

Our adobos are going to be different, there are so many different kinds out there. I want to know, I want to be inspired,” he said. “If the naysayers are saying that’s not adobo, tell them to go screw themselves. It’s not for them to say that. We come from different parts of the Philippines.”

For Cleary, it was more than just collaborating with fellow chefs to celebrate Filipino American History Month, it was also about extending a helping hand to fellow chefs who may be struggling because of the pandemic.

“We all could use a little bit of cash right now, and when all of us come together and collaborate, the more that we could bring it. As resilient as we are, we have to continue our efforts. We have all worked so hard for so long and we have to continue the fight,” she said.

The group is thankful to everyone who came in droves to support the project, despite the rainy and cold weather and the limitations set forth by the pandemic.

Cunanan turned a little nostalgic and remembered how Washington, DC gave him an opportunity when he started in the industry.

Now, he has more than two decades of training and experience tucked under his belt.

“Filipino food has been such a hot buzz lately and they just want to try our food. All these locals came out, from DC, Maryland, Virginia. I’m so blessed for all the support we’re getting here,” Cunanan shared. “This why I love my city. I pretty much grew up in DC, my first job when I was 15 was here.”

By Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

K APATID actor Piolo Pascual graced the cover of U.S.-based Vulkan magazine as he talked about being an actor.

In the interview with the magazine, Piolo revealed that “Dekada 70” and “Starting Over Again” were the two films closest to her heart.

Piolo said that he felt validated as an actor portraying the son of Vilma Santos and Christopher de Leon during the Martial Law period in “Dekada 70.”

“I felt validated. That I could actually be in this business and use it as a livelihood, and just keep on growing,” he said of the film.

“My thinking shifted and I thought maybe there was something for me here in this business. That was a milestone in my life that really changed the course

Piolo Pascual graces cover of U.S.-based Vulkan magazine.

Photo from Instagram/@vulkanmag

of my life,” he added.

Piolo said that before he turned 40 years old, he was thinking about retirement but the movie “Starting Over Again” with Toni Gonzaga gave him hope and boost to stay in the

business.

“I was totally done – physically, mentally I was exhausted. I was like a machine. I just felt like, okay it’s time to rest. Smell the flowers and enjoy the fruits of my hard work,” he said.

“That would give me this much validation once again after twenty years.

That’s why I’m still here,” he added.

Piolo also talked about her upcoming film “Real Life Vision” with Jasmine Curtis-Smith, co-produced

by Ten17P and Viva Films.

The movie is his first film in English and entirely shot in a hotel during the quarantine period. He added that the film gave him a new perspective about life.

“I thought I hit the glass ceiling in terms of characters I’ve portrayed. But I’m getting into this movie and into this role and there are still a lot of things I can work on or even study as a character,” he said.

Cassy on breaking away...

PAGE 12 all. But when I got that confirmation that we will do it, I got back to hardcore preparations,” she added. “I feel like I’m going to a boarding school. I’m nervous because I wouldn’t be able to see my family for a month; I will be on my own.”

Another first for Cassy is having a screen partner. Playing her love interest in the said series is another show biz newbie, Joaquin Domagoso, son of Manila Mayor Isko Moreno.

“I’m excited to work with him. Since I have already worked with him in ‘Studio 7’ and ‘All-Out Sundays’ (variety shows), I feel like things will be more natural when it comes to acting. I think we will be more comfortable,” she said. “This is our first series, so that takes a bit of pressure off. No expecta-

tions. We will just help each other out and do our best.”

The original lead star of “First Yaya” was Marian Rivera, who had to back out because of safety concerns; Sanya Lopez stepped in as her replacement. But despite the casting change, Cassy isn’t any less excited.

“I’m still looking forward to it, no matter who the lead star is or cast members are,” she said. “I will just focus on doing my job and figuring out how I can portray my character properly.”

While she’s bent on pursuing an acting career, her studies are still a priority.

How does she juggle work and online classes?

“If you find something you’re passionate about, the hard work and discipline will come naturally. The feeling of dread, that feeling of ‘I’m so drained’ will go away,” said

Cassy, who’s currently taking up marketing in college.

“Even if I’m tired at the end of the day and just want to sleep, I still find joy in that. I think it’s a sign of how much you want something.”

Before embarking on this new endeavor, Cassy’s mom gave her a valuable piece of advice: You can’t please everyone.

“I admitted to her that I felt pressure growing up. I want to become an artist but people might just see me as a Carmina 2.0, or they might expect me to measure up to her,” she related. “But as talented as she is, there are still people who don’t like her. But she doesn’t really care.”

“What’s important, she said, is that she loves her work and focuses on the love she’s getting,” Cassy added.

“Once you love your work, everything else will follow.”

Ronnie now an Army reservist...

PAGE 13 an honor and an exemplary privilege,” Ronnie wrote.

Ronnie was seen busy on the streets wearing his military uniform from the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

In another Facebook post, the “Ngiti” singer said he hoped for peace between the

military and the communist rebels.

“Every time I read news about a certain encounter between the Philippine Army and the NPAs, I feel sad. I hope this ends soon enough para wala nang namamatay sa kapwa natin Pilipino,” he said.

“Let us pray for peace and unity for a bright future of our nation most especially our youth,” he added.

Reports said that though Ronnie is busy in his military service, he is still active in the music scene with a Christmas album releasing soon.

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NOVEMBER 13-19, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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