101420 - Southern California Midweek Edition

October 14-16, 2020 Volume 30 - No. 81 • 2 Sections - 14 Pages

DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Bay Area Fil-Am father in desperate need of Filipino stem cell donor People of color, including Filipinos, are less likely to find a stem cell match in national registry

‘This is what we needed this year’: Fil-Am Laker fans react to the team’s 17th championship title

by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

LOS ANGELES — When it became clear that the Los Angeles Lakers would clinch their 17th NBA Championship, Josemaria Esteban began to cry tears of joy.

The 38-year-old registered nurse in Northridge is

a lifelong fan of the Lakers and, in particular, an admirer of the late great Kobe Bryant.

“I was beyond excited when it became clear that the Lakers would get their 17th Championship. It’s not an uncommon moment for Lakers fans since they’re one of the best teams in all of pro sports but to get it this year felt special,” Esteban told the Asian

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

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National Filipino American Lawyers Association launches voter protection program to help voters in CA, AZ & NV

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COVID-19 can survive for 28 days on certain surfaces — research

ALAMEDA, CA — In a year marred by crises of varying proportions, everything feels a little bit precarious. Political divisions layered over a global health crisis and the quick erosion of socioeconomic normalities continue to shake the public consciousness.

And just because the COVID-19 remains at the fore of public health doesn’t mean other unfortunate health catastrophes take a backseat.

For a Filipino American family in the Bay Area, the fight for soundness of mind is literally a matter of life and death.

This year, Andrew, a 35-year-old Sacramento-based father of two of Filipino heritage, was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome

The National Filipino American Lawyers Association unveiled its first-ever Voter Protection Program (VoPro), a national non-partisan effort designed to protect the vote and rights of voters for the upcoming 2020 general election.

The program is comprised of over 30 NFALA attorneys from the group’s various affiliates across the nation. They will be available to answer questions via phone, email, or text from voters in three key states where there are large concentrations of Filipinos—California, Arizona, and Nevada. The volunteers have undergone extensive training that will allow them to understand and address specific questions on the voting process.

California • Call or text (213) 316 – 8458 — Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. PST • Email: NFALAVOPROCA@gmail.com Arizona • Call or text (209) 565-2860 — Open Mon-

Journal in a recent phone interview.

Filipinos Americans across the Southland erupted in cheers during Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, October 11 when the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 106-93 to emerge the victors of quite possibly the most unusual NBA season in history.

Los Angeles City Hall was lit up in purple and gold on Sunday night, October 11 to celebrate the Lakers’ 17th championship, after they beat Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA finals. “This championship win means so much to our city and the people who call it home,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said.

Photo courtesy of the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti

THE novel coronavirus can survive on certain surfaces, such as banknotes, phone screens and stainless steel for 28 days, a study by Australia’s national science agency found Monday, October 12.

Researchers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) discovered that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was “extremely robust” on surfaces like stainless steel, glass, vinyl, and banknotes when kept at 20 degrees Celsius (68 F).

“It really reinforces the importance of washing hands and sanitizing where possible and certainly wiping down surfaces that may be in contact with the virus,” said Shane Riddell, the study’s lead researcher.

The study, published in the peer-reviewed Virology Journal, also found that the virus lasted shorter when the temperatures were hotter — at 30 degrees Celsius (80 °F), the virus survived for three days on cotton and vinyl, and seven days on glass, steel and polymer banknotes. At 40 degrees Celsius (104 °F), the virus didn’t last one day on cotton cloth.

“These findings demonstrate SARS-CoV-2 can remain

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Velasco is new PH House Speaker, Cayetano resigns

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE Philippine House of Representatives on Tuesday, October 13, ratified the election of Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco as the new speaker, unseating Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano.

In a plenary session inside the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City, a total of 186 House members voted to ratify Velasco’s election in a bid to remove doubts over the legality of Monday’s plenary session at the Celebrity Sports Plaza in Quezon City where the same number of lawmakers elected Velasco for speakership.

“This is for our people, for this august body and the institution we call Congress, for the word of honor of our beloved President Duterte, and for

God who makes all this happen, we will not let you down!” Velasco vowed as the new House leader.

He also stressed the importance of “word of honor,” apologizing to President Rodrigo Duterte over the “perceived rejection” of the term-sharing agreement that the Chief Executive brokered.

“A rejection of the agreement is a rejection of palabra de honor, and likewise a rejection of MayorPresident Rodrigo Duterte himself. If this agreement is honored in the breach, what future agreement will not be subjected to doubt and disbelief owing to our failure to honor it?” Velasco said.

“Let us show our countrymen that loyalty and fidelity to the promises we make are not mere conveniences for us. Let us be good examples of palabra Newly installed Speaker Lord Allan Velasco bangs the gavel during the de honor, and demonstrate that our word is our opening of a special session called by the Chief Executive for the passage

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of the 2021 National Budget at the House of Representatives, Batasan Hills, Quezon City on Tuesday, October 13.

PNA photo by Avito Dalan

‘Filipinos Feed the Frontlines’ campaign comes to LA’s Historic Filipinotown LA Public Health advises individuals to quarantine, get tested if exposed to large gatherings

by CHRISTINA

M. ORIEL

AJPress

GOING eight months into the pandemic, the bayanihan spirit of the Filipino American community is unwavering, as individuals continue to extend generosity to support frontline workers and families in need.

The “Filipinos Feed the Frontlines” campaign on Thursday, October 8 began its first distribution of 100 meals from Fil-Am restaurant Sari Sari Store to residents in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown neighborhood.

“Despite it being already eight months into this pandemic, the issue of food insecurity still looms Maria Carmel Valendez, youth programs coordinator at Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), delivers hot meals to families in Historic Filipinotown on Thursday, October 8 through in many community members’ minds. It is more evident now as the #FilipinosFeedTheFrontlines campaign.

Photo courtesy of Search to Involve Pilipino Americans many have not been able to se-

cure work and jobs like before,” Maria Carmel Valendez, youth programs coordinator at Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), told the Asian Journal following Thursday’s delivery.

“Additionally, the loss of certain unemployment benefits means less money for HiFi families and their necessities. They are having to choose what priorities are of higher importance for their family.”

Started in April by Kultivate Labs, a non-profit economic development and arts organization based in the Bay Area, the “Filipinos Feed the Frontlines” program raised $100,000 to help stabilize 10 Fil-Am-owned restaurants and provide 10,000 meals for health care workers and scientists and

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by AJPRESS AS Los Angeles residents celebrated the Lakers’ victory and took part in large protests over the weekend, Los Angeles County health officials released new guidelines to remind that the threat of the coronavirus still looms.

“If you were in a crowd with non-household members, especially if people weren’t wearing face coverings and were shouting, chanting, and/or singing, you may have been exposed to COVID-19 if an infected person

was also there. People can pass the virus to others, even before they know they have it,” the guidance released on Monday, October 12 said.

For 14 days, individuals who were in gatherings are advised to quarantine and monitor for COVID-19 symptoms, which include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, new loss of taste or smell, nausea and diarrhea, among others.

“According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention,

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From the Front Page

Velasco is new PH House Speaker, Cayetano...

PAGE A1 bond,” he added.

Resignation Cayetano tendered his irrevocable resignation as House Speaker following the ratification of Velasco’s election.

“From the start I have always said that I will abide by what the president, as leader of our coalition, will say,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

“Today, given the untenable political situation that Congress has been placed, and the possible damage to the country if the 2021 budget is not passed on

time — I take his admonition to put aside all politics and focus on the budget to heart, and with this, tender my irrevocable resignation as Speaker of the House of Representatives effective immediately,” he added.

Cayetano also said he is leaving his post without any regrets.

“I have done my best, I have given my all, I leave with no regrets, and I hold no rancor in my heart towards anyone,” he said.

Last week, Duterte directed Cayetano and Velasco to resolve the matter before it affects the

timely passage of the proposed P4.5-trillion budget for 2021.

He also called on Congress to conduct a special session on Oct. 13 to 16 to resume the congressional deliberations on the proposed 2021 national budget and to avoid any further delays on its prompt passage.

Cayetano and Velasco are supposed to be in a term-sharing agreement, brokered by Duterte in 2019, where Cayetano will serve as speaker for 15 months before Velasco takes over for the remaining 21 months of their term. n

LA Public Health advises individuals to...

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masks are strongly encouraged in settings where people might raise their voices, such as shouting, chanting, or singing. When someone raises their voice, their respiratory droplets, which carry the virus, spread farther,” public health added.

Officials also advised individuals to get tested if they “have been in a crowd or gathering where people were close together and not wearing face coverings and/ or not keeping their distance.”

Testing positive, even without symptoms, can help further the spread to family, friends and co-

workers.

On Monday, Public Health has identified 282,982 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of CLEAN UP. Workers clean the shorelines of the Manila Bay’s “white sand” beach on Roxas Boulevard, Manila on Tuesday, October 13. The debris PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan LA County and a total of 6,773 and other solid wastes were swept to the shores of the bay due to the recent rains in Metro Manila. deaths.

Of those who have died, 14% are of Asian descent, according to the department. n

‘This is what we needed this...

PAGE A1 It was easily one of the least contentious games of the series with the Lakers leading by double digits throughout most of the game, but the gravity of what an NBA Championship feels like for the population of Lakers fans across the world was like a Richter-breaking earthquake.

Throughout the longest season of NBA history — which was extended due to the cancellation of the season after the COVID-19 pandemic and its return to the infamous COVID-19-free “bubble” in Orlando, Florida — the Lakers played with a chip on their shoulder.

Following the death of Bryant, the organization and fans alike felt a collective pulsating sorrow. As previously covered in the Asian Journal, Bryant was a legend, his jersey numbers 8 and 24 becoming emblems of hard work, tenacity and unrequited love for the game across the globe.

Bryant resembled hope and strength of will, and in the immediate aftermath of his passing, fans across the world saw it as a cruel and confusing resolution to one of the most revered legacies in all of sports.

But as teammate Anthony Da-

vis said in a post-game interview, the spirit of Bryant continued to inspire the team even when hope felt far away.

“Kobe and Gianna’s legacy will last forever,” Davis said after Game 6. “It will impact lives around the world in positive ways, and this Lakers championship in 2020 is partly to build on that legacy and honor them. The moment couldn’t be any more special to do that for them.”

“He would come to the game and just tell us, ‘This is y’all year.

This is y’all year. Go out and take it,’” Davis added. “He had a lot of confidence in our team. He had a lot of confidence in our organisation to go out there and win it this year.”

On Sunday, the Lakers not only tied their rivals, the Boston Celtics, in NBA Championships with 17 titles apiece, but since the beginning of the new millennium, the Lakers have one the NBA Championship: 2000, 2010 and now 2020.

For a whole coterie of younger Lakers fans, this championshipwinning roster could signal a new stage for the Lakers, a team that is marked by dynasties the Showtime! era in the 1980s to the colossus of the early aughts

3-peat era with Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal to the back-to-back title wins in 2009 and 2010 during Bryant’s Mamba Mentality period.

“Sometimes it’s hard to get used to a new roster of your favorite team since you feel so personally tethered to certain players, but this current roster with Anthony Davis and [team captain] Lebron James feels like the start of a new era,” said Hilario Gomez, an Orange County-based physical therapist who has been a Lakers fan since the 1990s.

“I think this is a new team that will bring new excitement and new things to celebrate for younger generations of Filipino fans, and I think that the impact that players like Davis have could be similar to the impact that Kobe had globally,” Gomez said.

Gomez also talked about the Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, who is half-Filipino and, for the last decade, has been making a name for himself as one of the best coaches of all time.

“Obviously I wanted the Lakers to win. But if Miami had won, I wouldn’t have been totally bummed because of [Spoelstra].

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Dateline USa

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‘Filipinos Feed the Frontlines’ campaign comes... Bay Area Fil-Am father in desperate need...

PAGE A1 Filipino seniors and low-income families in the South of Market (SOMA) and Excelsior neighborhoods of San Francisco.

After reaching the monetary goal, Jason Angeles and Ronnie Taylor — serial restaurateurs and partners of several businesses: SSF Chickenbox, IVSF Catering, Frozen Kuhsterd, Sugar & Spun, Churreria SF and Love Burn — have committed a weekly monetary donation of $1,500 to the campaign, with $1,000 going to the program in the Bay Area and the remaining $500 to support the expansion of #FilipinosFeedTheFrontlines to HiFi. This expansion is in partnership with SIPA and restaurants, Sari Sari Store, Spoon & Pork, HiFi Kitchen, and The Park’s Finest.

“Although a meal may not mean too much to the average person, the money a free meal saves can be put towards other necessities like rent and utilities.

Filipinos Feed The Frontlines not only feeds people with food, but displays a sense of community care and social connection that people are missing now. We hope that this project and our partnership with Kultivate Labs on Filipinos Feed the Frontlines feeds both their stomachs and

Sari Sari Store provided 100 rice bowls for the first #FilipinosFeedTheFrontlines distribution in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown.

Photo courtesy of Search to Involve Pilipino Americans

souls,” Valendez added.

This program also builds upon the Feed the Frontliners project started by The Park’s Finest this past March, through which they raised funds to buy savory meals for health care workers and first responders in Los Angeles County. To date, the project efforts has provided free community-sponsored catered meals to 25,320 personnel of health care facilities and firehouses throughout the county.

“When we come to hospitals or facilities, they tell us that this meal delivery is a highlight

of their month or week and it gives them a short break from the reality of the pandemic that is unevenly affecting immigrant communities like ours,” Johneric Concordia of The Park’s Finest previously told the Asian Journal.

Contributions to the #FilipinosFeedTheFrontlines fundraising campaign can be made at www.filipinosfeedthefrontlines. com. The website has options to directly donate or purchase merchandise like shirts, tote bags, and masks — the funds of which will go towards a meal. n

National Filipino American Lawyers Association launches...

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day, Wednesday and Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Arizona time • Email: NFALAVOPROAZ@ gmail.com Nevada • Call or text (702) 900-3937 — Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

PST • Email: NFALAVOPRONV@ gmail.com The program can also be engaged via the association’s website or Facebook page.

“2020 has brought about significant change in our daily lives, but it has not taken away our right, and the community’s right, to let our voices be heard,” said Philip Nulud, President of NFALA. “Voting is even more important now than ever. We want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to exercise their right to vote.”

Monday, October 12, 2020 The program officially opened and will run until election day, for questions from voters on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

PAGE A1 (MDS), a rare pre-leukemia disease, in June and he is in need of a stem cell transplant.

MDS often goes unrecognized and, consequently, is an underdiagnosed group of bone marrow failure disorders. According to the MDS Foundation, between 12,000 and 20,000 new cases are reported every year with patients’ ages ranging from 33 to 55 years old.

Organizations often try to connect patients with stem cell matches, like the Asian American Donor Program (AADP), a non-profit organization based in Northern California that works with a diverse array of blood cancer patients like Andrew to help them find a stem cell match.

“Andrew is dependent on a stranger, most likely Filipino heritage or of Filipino and European heritage, to step forward and register,” AADP Executive Director Carol Gillespie said in a statement, stressing the necessity of more multiethnic donors and donors of color to help close existing ethnic health care gaps.

Andrew is part Filipino with European ancestry, but after it was discovered that his family could not provide a match for him, the family began its search for a stranger who would be a match.

Stem cell matches are based on ethnicity, specifically a patient’s human leukocyte antigen (HLA) tissue type. HLA contains key genetic characteristics and markers that make it possible to undergo a successful transplant.

This complicates patients’ of color efforts to find a match and increase their chances of successful recoveries.

The AADP said that people of color who are blood cancer patients are more likely to die from their illnesses than patients of European ancestry who are diagnosed with the same cancers.

According to statistics provided to the Asian Journal, the likelihood of finding a matched donor from the national Be The Match registry is 41% for Asians and Pacific Islanders, just above African Americans whose chances are 23%.

“If there’s not enough donors on the registry, then it’s less like-

For more information about the program, please visit www.nfala. com/VoPro. (AJPress)

Andrew and his two children Photo courtesy of Asian American Donor Program

Andrew currently receives a weekly routine blood transfusion.

Photo courtesy of TeamAndrewZ/Facebook

ly that a patient will find someone with that same genetic marker,” said Mylanah Yolangco, a community engagement representative at AADP. Yolangco said that potential matches need to be between the ages of 18 and 44 and in “general good health.” Although the age range is wide, the younger the donor, the better the outcome, Yolangco added.

The Be The Match registry — which is operated under the United States Health Resources and Services Administration’s National Marrow Donor Program — says on its website that transplants have higher success rates “when the HLA tissue type of the marrow donor or cord blood closely matches the patient’s.”

It is crucial that patients like Andrew be able to find a match before it’s too late, and his family knows all too well the realities of MDS. Andrew’s father passed away from the genetic deficiency in 2014, according to a press release, which punctuates the urgency of Andrew’s search for a stem cell match.

The news of Andrew’s diagnosis was a shock to the entire family, especially in a year that was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic “I guess to put it bluntly, it was like an insult to injury,” Jonah Candelaria, Andrew’s nephew, told the Asian Journal in an interview.

“He’s an amazing father and he’s definitely a family man and he lives life to the fullest, and he loves his daughters and his wife very, very much,” Candelaria said, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic and the safer-at-home orders have made coping with Andrew’s diagnosis doubly difficult.

The distance between Can-

delaria and his uncle — who haven’t seen each other in person since Christmas of 2019 — has been hard on both nephew and uncle. But because the family is tight-knit, not even the COVID19 pandemic could dampen the family’s efforts to find a donor for Andrew.

The family has set up a Facebook page to get the word out to potential donors and encourage anybody who may be eligible to request a swab kit.

“Being Filipino, it’s just kind of inherent how we’re just naturally very close and there’s just a lot of love between everyone,” Candelaria said. “So when all this happened, we all kind of came together and did what we needed to do to try to find a donor. There was no hesitation.”

Like nearly every other health care organization, the COVID19 pandemic shifted daily affairs for the AADP, but the organization is still fully operational, and even those who are not located in the Bay Area could sign up on its website for a swab kit to help patients like Andrew.

People can also sign up for a registration drive to increase exposure for patients’ cases in your community. The organization will send individually wrapped swab kits that can be sent anywhere in the country.

Additionally, to sign up for the registry, you can text “TeamAndrew” to 61474.

“We really want to encourage as many people as we can to sign up,” Yolangco said. “If you think about it it’s kind of like an insurance policy and you never know who will be diagnosed with a blood cancer or disease. It could affect someone in their family down the line, and if we already have people signed up as donors, they’ll be able to find them and get a transplant.” (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

COVID-19 can survive for 28 days on certain surfaces...

PAGE A1

infectious for significantly longer time periods than generally considered possible,” the research noted.

The researchers stressed that the risk of infecting someone through surface transmission is dependent on several conditions.

“The makeup of the virus itself, the type of surface it is on and whether the virus is liquid or dried can impact the time it remains vi-

able. Environmental conditions such as temperature, exposure to sunlight and humidity also play a part,” they said.

However, Prof Ron Eccles, former director of the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University, pointed out that the findings of the study was causing “unnecessary fear in the public.”

“Viruses are spread on surfaces from mucus in coughs and sneezes and dirty fingers and this

study did not use fresh human mucus as a vehicle to spread the virus,” he said.

“Fresh mucus is a hostile environment for viruses as it contains lots of white cells that produce enzymes to destroy viruses and can also contain antibodies and other chemicals to neutralise viruses. In my opinion, infectious viruses will only persist for hours in mucus on surfaces rather than days,” he added. n

‘This is what we needed this...

PAGE A2 I feel very proud that he’s a Pinoy and he’s actually done a lot for Filipinos in basketball, and it would be amazing to see him win another title. Just not against the Lakers,” Gomez added with a laugh.

“We always talk about Lakers-Celtics and their rivalry, but there’s also now a Lakers-Heat rivalry so going into this series was exciting,” said Gomez, who nearly joined the post-game rally at Staples Center.

“I live alone so I’ve been watching all these post-season games alone so after Game 6 I just felt this adrenaline and this need to be with people who were also hyped up after the game,” Gomez said.

Angelenos are famous for partaking in raucous celebrations following the victory of all teams in LA, especially the Lakers. Historically, fans would take to Downtown LA to cause traffic, flip cars, vandalize property — all in the name of LA sports pride.

But not all fans celebrated the Lakers 17th championship title with theatrics.

The rally on Sunday night — which began with chants of “Kobe! Kobe!” to the arrest of 76

rowdy fans — was too out of the bounds of social distancing for Gomez.

“I like to think that Kobe and even the rest of the Lakers team wouldn’t want us breaking social distancing,” he said. “The bubble in Orlando operated for all these months with thousands of people and came out with not one COVID-19 case. I think that’s the standard we should follow.”

For one Filipino American, in particular, the NBA Finals provided a return to comfort and relief.

“This is what we needed this year, after losing Kobe and then being thrown into the pandemic and the cancellation of sports,” said Annalynn Rosario, a graphic designer from Lakewood.

In June, Rosario lost her father to COVID-19, a moment that punctuated the continuing dread in the age of the coronavirus. After Game 6, she teared up watching the players’ interviews and watched quietly, thinking about her father the whole time.

“He was a real inspiration in my life, and he was really the one who influenced me in terms of being a Laker fan because he was obsessed with them growing up,” Rosario, 35, shared, adding

that her father “would’ve been overjoyed [at the Lakers’ win on Sunday] if he were here.”

“He’s been a fan since he came to the U.S. in the early 1980s so he witnessed Magic Johnson and Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] and got to see Kobe’s career from beginning to end. But what was awesome was that he was a fan through and through and supported the team even when they weren’t doing so well,” Rosario said.

Speaking about her father’s affinity for the Lakers brought emotions back for Rosario, who admitted to still having a difficult time coping with the death of her father. But Sunday’s game felt like a moment of closure for her, that the Lakers winning felt like a soft, welcoming cushion of solace after months of uncertain freefall.

“I like to think my dad is in Heaven. Maybe he watched the game from above with Kobe and [his daughter] Gigi and they celebrated,” she added. “I wish my dad was here to watch the game with me and to experience all this with me, but as we kind of all felt when Kobe died, people who physically pass away don’t really leave us.” n

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Dateline PhiliPPines

Study: Over half of young women in PH experience online harassment

by Ritchel

mendiola AJPress

SEVEN in 10 girls and young women living in the Philippines have experienced online harassment on social media, according to a recent study by girls’ rights organization Plan International (PI).

Released on Sunday, October 11, in celebration of the International Day of the Girl, the research, entitled “Free to be online? Girls’ and young women’s experiences of online harassment,” was based on a survey and in-depth interviews of over 14,000 girls aged 15-24 in 31 countries including the Philippines.

The study found that the majority of the girls in the country experience harassment frequently (50%) or very frequently (33%).

Eight out of 10 (67%), meanwhile, revealed that they were harassed by people they know.

“The high incidence of online violence against girls and young

women is alarming. In this global pandemic and in an increasingly digital world, girls are more at risk than ever,” said Mona Mariano, PI Gender Specialist.

“We must understand that it may also impact girls’ lives offline. Experiencing harassment or abuse online may take a huge toll on a girl’s confidence and well-being,” she added.

The study also found that girls and young women who identified themselves as having at least one intersecting characteristic (being from an ethnic minority, identifying as LGBTIQ+ or living with a disability) are more vulnerable to online violence.

Most of the respondents said being online has become increasingly important during the pandemic as it acts as a lifeline for those often isolated at home, as well as a tool in keeping up with studies, but online violence and harassment has limited their freedom of expression.

“Online violence is disempowering girls. They’re being

shut out of a space that plays an important part in fulfilling their potential to thrive and become leaders,” Mariano said.

In response, PI launched its #FreeToBeOnline global campaign which seeks to end online violence and uphold the digital rights and freedom of girls and young women.

PI’s campaign highlighted the important roles of governments, private sector especially technology and social media companies, civil society, and communities in recognizing the harm caused by online violence against girls and young women, promoting digital citizenship education, reporting abuse, crafting and implementing inclusive policies and laws, and amplifying girls’ voices.

“Everyone has a role to play in ending gender-based violence online. The government, social media companies, our families, and communities — and young people themselves — have enormous power and potential to stop this,” Mariano noted. n

Philippines secures $213 million grant from US

MANILA — The Philippine government has secured a $213 million (approximately P10.8 billion) grant from the United States to finance its poverty reduction and good governance programs, the Department of Finance (DOF) said yesterday.

According to the DOF, the grant for the Economic Growth and Democratic Governance with Equity (EGDGE) program, which will be implemented until September 2025, was signed by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and US Agency for International Development (USAID) mission director to the Philippines Lawrence Hardy II. The DOF said the program aims to advance poverty reduction, justice, and peace efforts in the country, while also seeking to improve macroeconomic fundamentals and open governance in order to promote inclusive growth in the Philippines.

“We thank USAID for this latest support by the United States government by way of a $213 million grant for the Duterte admin-

istration’s paramount goal of accelerating poverty reduction and attaining financial inclusion for all Filipinos,” Dominguez said. “This American aid in support of the overriding concern of the Duterte government underscores the strong and enduring bilateral ties between the US government and the government of the Republic of the Philippines that transcend the political chatter,” he said.

The grant from USAID covers technical assistance on public financial management, domestic resource mobilization, public-private partnerships and inter-agency coordination, according to the DOF. It also includes assistance to develop and strengthen the capital market, such as municipal bond financing and the promotion of innovative financial products.

The grant will fund programs to improve regulatory governance by strengthening the capacity of public officials to develop regulations and expanding opportunities for civil society advocacy for fair and open regulation. The DOF said the

EGDGE program was designed to provide an enabling environment for private infrastructure investments, as well as assistance in technical advising, training, lending guarantees, and private sector partnerships to promote startups and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) development.

It is also expected to promote sound urban management practices and investment development strategies for the creation of new economic hubs in areas outside Metro Manila, the DOF added.

To further strengthen good governance, the agency said the program would provide assistance in the adoption of global best practices in the extractive industry, and promote swift and fair administration of justice through arbitration and mediation.

“The program will also provide assistance in strengthening the country’s counter-trafficking institutions, building the scale and sustainability of interventions, and targeting key hotspots and sectors,” the DOF said. (Philstar.com)

SAFETY PROTOCOL. Registrants flock to the local Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Dasmarinas near City Hall on Tuesday, October 13 for the voter registration. The Comelec has enforced health protocols, such as limiting the number of people inside the office, advising the public to wear face masks, face shields, and bring their own pens.

PNA photo by Gil Calinga

Pinoy fishermen eyed as West Philippine Sea militia — defense chief

by Paolo

RomeRo Philstar.com

MANILA — Filipino fishermen are willing to be trained and organized to become the country’s maritime militia to counter China’s massive deployment of paramilitary fishing vessels in the West Philippine Sea, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Monday, October 12.

Lorenzana told the Senate finance committee, which is deliberating on the Department of National Defense (DND)’s proposed P283.2-billion budget for 2021, that the Navy will look into the possibility of forming fishing militias to help protect the country’s waters and fishing resources while defusing tensions.

Sen. Imee Marcos asked the defense chief if there is anything the Armed Forces is doing to address the encroachment or “swarming” of Chinese fishing vessels that are actually deputized and commanded by the People’s Liberation Army-Navy.

“We are aware that the other side is using what we call the civilian militias but actually are part of their Navy and although

they are there, hindi naman tayo minomolestiya (we’re not being molested), they’re just there, they’re also fishing, they’re also acting as fishermen and fishing with big boats, I don’t know how we can develop such kind of effort,” Lorenzana told the hearing.

The senator, however, said fishing communities and local government units in Philippineoccupied islands in the West Philippine Sea, particularly in Pag-asa Island and in Zambales, have been clamoring to organize themselves into militias and are just waiting for the Navy to assist them.

“Don’t we have any intention to develop a counterpart effort?” she asked.

“We do. We do, Mr. Chairman, but we need to procure some capital assets like ships for them so they can also operate in our maritime domain,” Lorenzana replied.

Marcos said the defense establishment cannot just let the local fishing communities wait as they “are willing to be trained and waiting for the Navy or the DND to call upon them in some way so they can organize and at

least deter.”

Lorenzana said he would ask the Navy to study organizing Filipino fishermen into maritime militias.

The defense chief also said the Navy and the Air Force continue to patrol the West Philippine Sea even as there is no letup in government efforts to improve facilities in the nine islands Filipinos occupy.

He said the airstrip on Pagasa Island is expected to be fully paved next year – strong and big enough to allow more equipment to be brought in to build facilities for the civilian community.

In existence for decades, the state-backed Chinese fishing militia fleet is actually armed and plays a key role in China’s strategy for seizing the entire South China Sea without firing a shot.

Its actual strength is unknown but is capable of undertaking various actions like swarming other claimants’ vessels or providing intelligence. The swarms are backed by Chinese coast guard and naval units.

Vietnam formed its own maritime militia in 2009 to deter Beijing’s armed fishing force. n

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Plantitos, plantitas

FeatURes

THE coronavirus lockdowns have an upside: they have given people time to stop and smell the roses literally. People cooped up in their homes, involuntarily or by choice to avoid COVID-19 infection, have taken to gardening, according to several reports. The phenomenon has even created new words to describe the budding gardeners: plantitos and plantitas.

While gardening has become an environment-friendly way of destressing amid the pandemic restrictions, however, the renewed interest in plants has led to certain problems.

In Baguio City, for example, officials have appealed to citizens to stop getting plants from parks.

The city and neighboring La Trinidad Valley in Benguet, one of the country’s principal vegetable producing areas, are sources of a wide variety of flowers, potted succulents, cacti and other ornamental plants. The items are sold all over the country, including in Metro Manila, even if many of the species rarely thrive in the lowland heat.

A bigger problem is that some of the new plant enthusiasts are poaching endangered species from their natural habitats, either for personal enjoyment at home or for commercial propagation.

The Department of Environment and Natural Re-

sources sounded the alarm before the weekend about this emerging problem.

Limited resources and personnel have long made the conservation of endangered flora and fauna in this country a challenge. The country is blessed with rich biodiversity. But illegal logging, slash-and-burn farming and unsustainable forestry activities have depleted forests and destroyed the habitats of many species, putting them on vulnerable or endangered lists.

Environmental advocates are hoping that the plantitos and plantitas in the time of COVID, apart from indulging their interest in gardening, will also find time to look at the problems confronting those who are working to preserve this biodiversity. The enthusiasts may also help prevent poaching of flora from parks, where the plants are meant for the enjoyment of the general public. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS HEALTH CARE, more than ever, especially in the age of the coronavirus pandemic, remains to be the among the top concerns of the American people as we head to the polls to vote.

In Part 1, I wrote about President Donald Trump’s “America First Health Care Plan,” which just laid out the three pillars of his “vision” without details on how he plans to overhaul the Affordable Care Act — a campaign promise he has yet to deliver.

Here is a summary of former Vice President Joe Biden’s detailed health care plan. Compare and contrast this with Trump’s plan and make a decision on whom to trust for your family’s health care and safety.

The Biden plan to protect and build on the Affordable Care Act Give every American access to affordable health insurance.

As president, Biden will stop this reversal of the progress made by Obamacare. And he won’t stop there. He’ll also build on the Affordable Care Act with a plan to insure more than an estimated 97% of Americans. Here’s how: • Giving Americans a new choice, a public health insurance option like Medicare. If your insurance company isn’t doing right by you, you should have another, better choice. Whether you’re covered through your employer,

Philstar.com photo

DECISIONS 2020 : Comparing Trump, Biden health care plans (Part 2) buying your insurance on your own, or going without coverage altogether, the Biden Plan will give you the choice to purchase a public health insurance option like Medicare.

• As in Medicare, the Biden public option will reduce costs for patients by negotiating lower prices from hospitals and other health care providers. It also will better coordinate among all of a patient’s doctors to improve the efficacy and quality of their care, and cover primary care without any co-payments. And it will bring relief to small businesses struggling to afford coverage for their employees.

• Increasing the value of tax credits to lower premiums and extend coverage to more working Americans. Today, families that make between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level may receive a tax credit to reduce how much they have to pay for health insurance on the individual marketplace. The dollar amount of the financial assistance is calculated to ensure each family does not have to pay more than a certain percentage of their income on a silver (medium generosity) plan.

Expanding coverage to lowincome Americans. Access to affordable health insurance shouldn’t depend on your state’s politics. But today, state politics is getting in the way of coverage for millions of low-income Americans. Governors and state legislatures in 14 states have refused to take up the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of Medicaid eligibility,

denying access to Medicaid for an estimated 4.9 million adults.

Biden’s plan will ensure these individuals get covered by offering premium-free access to the public option for those 4.9 million individuals who would be eligible for Medicaid but for their state’s inaction, and making sure their public option covers the full scope of Medicaid benefits. States that have already expanded Medicaid will have the choice of moving the expansion population to the premium-free public option as long as the states continue to pay their current share of the cost of covering those individuals.

Provide the peace of mind of affordable, quality health care and a less complex health care system. The Biden plan will not only provide coverage for uninsured Americans, it will also make health care more affordable and less complex for all.

The plan’s elements described above will help reduce the cost of health insurance and health care for those already insured in the following ways: • All Americans will have a new, more affordable option. The public option, like Medicare, will negotiate prices with providers, providing a more affordable option for many Americans who today find their health insurance too expensive.

• Middle class families will get a premium tax credit to help them pay for coverage. For example, take a family of four with an income of $110,000 per year.

If they currently get insurance on the individual marketplace,

because their premium will now be capped at 8.5% of their income, under the Biden Plan they will save an estimated $750 per month on insurance alone. That’s cutting their premiums almost in half. If a family is covered by their employer but can get a better deal with the 8.5% premium cap, they can switch to a plan on the individual marketplace, too.

• Premium tax credits will be calculated to help more families afford better coverage with lower deductibles. Because the premium tax credits will now be calculated based on the price of a more generous gold plan, families will be able to purchase a plan with a lower deductible and lower outof-pocket spending. That means many families will see their overall annual health care spending go down.

Stop “surprise billing.” Consumers trying to lower their health care spending often try to choose an in-network provider.

But sometimes patients are unaware they are receiving care from an out-of-network provider and a big, surprise bill. “Surprise medical billing” could occur, for example, if you go to an in-network hospital but don’t realize a specialist at that hospital is not part of your health plan. The Biden Plan will bar health care providers from charging patients out-of-network rates when the patient doesn’t have control over which provider the patient sees (for example, during a hospitalization).

Tackle market concentration across our health care

system. The concentration of market power in the hands of a few corporations is occurring throughout our health care system, and this lack of competition is driving up prices for consumers. The Biden Administration will aggressively use its existing antitrust authority to address this problem.

Lower costs and improve health outcomes by partnering with the health care workforce. The Biden Administration will partner with health care workers and accelerate the testing and deployment of innovative solutions that improve quality of care and increase wages for low-wage health care workers, like home care workers.

Stand up to abuse of power by prescription drug corporations. The Biden Plan will put a stop to runaway drug prices and the profiteering of the drug industry by: • Repealing the outrageous exception allowing drug corporations to avoid negotiating with Medicare over drug prices. Because Medicare covers so many Americans, it has significant leverage to negotiate lower prices for its beneficiaries. And it does so for hospitals and other providers participating in the program, but not drug manufacturers.

• Repeal the existing law explicitly barring Medicare from negotiating lower prices with drug corporations.

• Limiting launch prices for drugs that face no competition and are being abusively priced by manufacturers.

• For these cases where new specialty drugs without competition are being launched, under the Biden Plan, the Secretary of Health and Human Services will establish an independent review board to assess their value.

As a condition of participation in the Medicare program and public option, all brand, biotech, and abusively priced generic drugs will be prohibited from increasing their prices more than the general inflation rate.

The Biden plan will also impose a tax penalty on drug manufacturers that increase the costs of their brand, biotech, or abusively priced generic over the general inflation rate.

To create more competition for U.S. drug corporations, the Biden Plan will allow consumers to import prescription drugs from other countries, as long as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has certified that those drugs are safe.

Improving the supply of quality generics. The Biden Plan supports numerous proposals to accelerate the development of safe generics, such as Senator Patrick Leahy’s proposal to make sure generic manufacturers have access to a sample.

Ensure health care is a right for all, not a privilege for just a few Expanding access to contraception and protect the constitutional right to an abortion. The Affordable Care Act made historic progress by ensuring access to free preventive care, including

u PAGE A7

Racial sensitivity training is not un-American propaganda. It builds community.

Commentary

ENRIQUE

DE LA CRUZ

“Being a black person in this world doesn’t kill you, but being a black person in America clearly can.” — Mustapha Okango, Nairobi-based anthropologist IN September, President Trump through Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought issued a ban on federal funding for “spending related to any training on ‘critical race theory,’ ‘white privilege.’”

The memo urges agencies “to identify all available avenues within the law to cancel any such contracts and/or to divert Federal dollars away from these unAmerican propaganda training sessions.” This ban was extended

by Trump himself to federal contractors, i.e., private companies who do business with the federal government.

It is somewhat disingenuous to label as propaganda what we have known for years as “diversity or racial sensitivity training.”

In light of the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a warrior in the fight against discrimination, this ban against the expenditure of federal funds for diversity training is alarming.

It undermines efforts to help Americans see each other as human beings, and more importantly, to be aware of those structural and cultural practices that privilege Caucasians over other ethnic communities.

The challenge that we face in confronting the legacy of slavery, and getting beyond the culture of white privilege cannot be achieved by denying that white privilege and systemic racism persists in American society.

I am reminded of a different time, and of a different president, 1965, when President Lyndon Johnson, confronted with the challenge of moving America forward in light of protests and unrest, declared a policy of affirmative action with these words: “You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say, ‘you are free to compete with all the others,’ and still justly believe that you have been completely fair…We

seek not just freedom but opportunity—not just legal equity but human ability—not just equality as a right and a theory, but equality as a fact and as a result.”

We have made progress since LBJ enunciated these goals but as the recent incidences of police violence against blacks demonstrate, we have quite a ways to go. For many Americans, especially women, people of color, and minorities, these high minded goals, despite progress, are far from being realized.

Not to belabor the point, a recent article on Adidas the sportswear company (NYT August 2020) reported on corporate efforts to increase diversity, but notes, “for some black employees, missing from all of the pronouncements…was what they had been pushing for internally: an acknowledgment by company executives that Adidas had a problem with racism and discrimination, and an explicit apology for that treatment.”

Racial insensitivities still abound in the workplace despite the best of intentions, as illustrated by Adidas. Fortunately, Adidas has become more responsive, posting a statement on Instagram vindicating the criti-

cism.

The consequences of racial insensitivities are not trivial, as illustrated by another story where a judge overturns a murder conviction of a young Asian woman citing “racial animus” by prosecutors who, “exchanged numerous images of Asian people, some accompanied by pejorative comments, and some unexplained,” the Judge wrote.

“They exchanged ‘jokes’ about Asian stereotypes, and mocking caricatures of Asians using imperfect English.” (NYT, Oct. 1, 2020) In denying the use of federal funds for diversity training, the federal government is denying Americans a cost-effective means of educating each other about the diversity of American society, and the existing inequalities and attitudes that stem from white privilege. This feels like a pushback that smacks of white supremacy; it is white supremacists who believe that there is nothing wrong with America, and that diversity training is “unAmerican propaganda.” Well, who are Americans today, anyway?

One way to answer this is to look at the demographics of vot-

ing rolls—those who are registered to vote—for who can be more American than citizens, native-born or naturalized. The Voting Rights Act (VRA) section 203, mandates that election materials be provided in the language of Language Minority Citizens if the number of such citizens is 5% or more in any voting jurisdiction.

In California, at the state level, the voter information guide is provided in at least nine languages other than English: Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, Tagalog, Korean, Khmer, Thai and Vietnamese. Other jurisdictions are mandated to provide voter information in more languages if the 5% threshold is met. e.g., in L.A. County, the following languages in addition to English, are mandated by the VRA (L.A. County Registrars website): Armenian, Chinese, Cambodian/ Khmer, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog/Filipino, Vietnamese, Hindi, Japanese, Thai, Russian, Bengali, Burmese, Gujarati, Indonesian, Mongolian, and Telugu. The diversity in L.A. County’s and California’s citizen rolls is awesome.

Ethnically, California, over the last two decades has also tipped

over from being a white majority state, into a minority-majority state, where no one group constitutes the majority. By implication, the workplace, too, is becoming more diverse, making diversity training in the workplace all the more critical. There is value in knowing about your co-workers, their communities, values, and culture.

Caucasians or whites are not the only citizens of America. It behooves the federal government to take the lead in educating Americans about their fellow citizens who constitute what the VRA calls, “Language Minority Citizens.”

In my classes on Critical Thinking and Race, one of the fun and revealing exercises on race is to have the class divide themselves into groups and then to list on the board the stereotypes they know about. After they are done making this list, I then ask them to make another list of stereotypes they have of other ethnic groups.

It is quite revealing to conclude this exercise by asking how many use these stereotypes to calibrate their behavior towards a person when all they know about him/her is their ethnicity.

u PAGE A7

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A

DECISIONS 2020 : Comparing Trump, Biden...

PAGE A6 contraception. The Biden Plan will build on that progress.

Reverse the Trump Administration and states’ all-out assault on women’s right to choose. As president, Biden will work to codify Roe v. Wade, and his Justice Department will do everything in its power to stop the rash of state laws that so blatantly violate the constitutional right to an abortion.

As president, Biden will reissue guidance specifying that states cannot refuse Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood and other providers that refer for abortions or provide related information and reverse the Trump Administration’s rule preventing Planned Parenthood and certain other family planning programs from obtaining Title X funds.

Just as the Obama-Biden Administration did, President Biden will rescind the Mexico City Policy (also referred to as the global gag rule) that President Trump reinstated and expanded. This rule currently bars the U.S. federal government from supporting important global health efforts – including for malaria and HIV/AIDS – in developing countries simply because the organizations providing that aid also offer information on abortion services.

Defending health care protec-

tions for all, regardless of gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Before the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies could increase premiums merely due to someone’s gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Further, insurance companies could increase premiums or deny coverage altogether due to someone’s HIV status.

Doubling America’s investment in community health centers. Community health centers provide primary, prenatal, and other important care to underserved populations. The Biden Plan will double the federal investment in these centers, expanding access to high quality health care for the populations that need it most.

Achieving mental health parity and expanding access to mental health care. In the months ahead, Biden will put forward additional plans to tackle health challenges affecting specific communities, including access to health care in rural communities, gun violence, and opioid addiction.

Supporting health, not rewarding wealth Biden believes in rewarding work, not just wealth – and investing in hard-working Americans’ health, not protecting the most privileged Americans’ wealth.

Warren Buffett said it best when

he stated that he should not pay a lower tax rate than his secretary.

The Biden Plan will make health care a right by getting rid of capital gains tax loopholes for the super wealthy. Today, the very wealthy pay a tax rate of just 20% on long-term capital gains.

According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, the capital gains and dividends exclusion is the second largest tax expenditure in the entire tax code: $127 billion in fiscal year 2019 alone.

As president, Biden will roll back the Trump rate cut for the very wealthy and restore the 39.6% top rate he helped restore when he negotiated an end to the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy in 2012. Biden’s capital gains re- CLEAR SKY. The high-rise buildings in Metro Manila as seen from a portion of Sumulong Highway in Antipolo City, Rizal on Tuesday, October 13.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon form will close the loopholes that People flock to the area to see an overlooking view of the metropolis, especially during weekends. allow the super wealthy to avoid taxes on capital gains altogether.

The Biden plan will assure those making over $1 million will pay to a record 8.1% of economic out- spelled this polarizing fate, IMF

by Alexis RomeRo the top rate on capital gains, douput this year from just 3.2% last said, was the quality of healthcare Philstar.com bling the capital gains tax rate on year. systems to deal with the pandemthe super wealthy.

The budget gap, nonetheless, ic— one which has easily gone MANILA — The “Great Lock*** is expected to persistently nar- “overwhelmed” in developing Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public down” from March may have alrow from 7.3% next year to a little nations that in turn, jeopardized ready eased, but is not loosened service and educational broadcasting since over 6% from 2022 to 2025 when their pandemic response. enough to put the brakes on the 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the a new government would have Apart from poor public health, Philippine economy’s fall this Filipino audience using different platforms, had taken over. State investments, emerging countries like the Philyear. including digital broadcasting, and print, and Even with most of the economy while costly, are seen to benefit ippines are likewise found heavis working on a new public service program for already reopened, the existence of the economy of a faster rebound ily dependent on overseas remitthe community. You may contact her through some form of movement restric- at 7.4% next year, better than tances which are expected to dry email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a tions to fight the deadly corona- June’s 6.8% and within govern- up this year due to job-killing message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel. virus would force the economy to ment expectations. By 2025, the lockdowns. The result is slower Santos.Relos. contract faster than initially ex- economy is seen growing 6.5% growth that would exacerbate income inequality across territories. pected this year at 8.3% annually, year-on-year.

“These high levels of public debt “Moreover, younger workers, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday, October are hence not the most immediate those in less secure work arrangerisk. The near-term priority is to ments and those employed in munity, pronouncements that 13.

The latest forecast was worse avoid premature withdrawal of fis- small and medium enterprises appromote divisiveness rather than community are dangerous. They than the 3.6% slump projected cal support,” IMF said in a sepa- pear more vulnerable to layoffs,” the Washington-based lender last June under the agency’s flag- rate report. are un-American.

“Support should persist, at least said. ship World Economic Outlook reThis exploration into the topic In general, low-wage earners of who we are as Americans has port. It is also the worst for South- into 2021, to sustain the recovery and to limit long-term scarring,” it are at an appreciably higher risk east Asia. opened a window into our linof losing jobs than those in upper “During May and June, as many added. guistic diversity as Californians.

Compared with other multilat- quintiles of the wage distribution,” The view from this window re- economies tentatively reopened minds us of our civic responsi- from the Great Lockdown, the eral institutions that also slashed it added.

Under emerging markets, IMF bilities, in an election year. As global economy started to climb their GDP outlook, IMF’s 2020 the largest Asian minority group from the depths to which it had forecast for the Philippines is more sees the five major developing in the State, the VRA requires plunged in April,” the IMF said in pessimistic than the World Bank’s economies in Southeast Asia— -6.9% forecast and the Asian De- Asean-5— contracting faster at the Secretary of State to provide its new report. velopment Bank’s -7.3%.

3.4% from 2% originally. Beyond “But with the pandemic spreadvoter information material in PiliEmerging economies to lag the region, trade performance is pino/Tagalog. This is an affirma- ing and accelerating in places, lackluster this year, suffering a tion of our presence and value many countries slowed reopening, behind Beyond local borders, pessimis- 10% drop before an 8% rebound as citizens. Let’s not forget that and some are reinstating partial people before us struggled to lockdowns,” it added. “The global tic forecasts for the Philippines in 2021, while inflation would reget VRA into law. Let’s exercise economy’s long ascent back to reflected a broader weaker pro- main under control.

“Progress with vaccines and the privilege that this affirmation pre-pandemic levels of activity re- jection for emerging markets now seen contracting 3.3% on-year in treatments, as well as changes in gives us. Request voting materi- mains prone to setbacks.”

With the scale of economic dam- 2020 from 3.1% previously. Ad- the workplace and by consumers als in your language of preferage, the government would likely vanced economies, especially in to reduce transmission, may allow ence. Vote! accumulate debts in the next 5 Europe, are likely to drive global activity to return more rapidly to *** pre-pandemic levels than curEnrique de la Cruz is Professor Emeritus of years at a level not seen during growth this year, thanks to their early containment of the coronarently projected, without triggernormal times.

Spending to temAsian American Studies, CSU, Northridge. He ing repeated waves of infection,” may be contacted via email at enrique.dela. per the coronavirus impact would virus.

One marked difference that IMF said. swell, bringing the budget deficit cruz@csun.edu.

Racial sensitivity training is not un-American...

PAGE A6 Just about everyone admits to using stereotypes (including this writer) to calibrate their behavior if they know nothing else about a person but their ethnicity.

Try to imagine this. A Caucasian from a predominantly white state, meets you, a Filipino, for the first time. Not having met Filipinos before, but guessing correctly that you are Filipino, he calibrates his behavior via the few things he has heard, such as “dog eaters!”

This is a rather derogatory and racist stereotype given America’s fetish for pets: “this guy eats pets; how awful; gross.” So off the bat, you are already viewed with disdain and contempt. (In a separate piece I will explore how Filipinos became “dogeaters”—apologies to Jessica Hagedorn.)

Diversity training is valuable, because it helps break down stereotyping and helps us to get to know folks from different ethnic groups as individuals and human beings, not as stereotypes.

California is among the most demographically diverse states.

Yet, our natural tendency is to cluster into ethnic bubbles or what anthropologists call “ethnoburbs,” suburban enclaves where one ethnic group dominates and where one can literally live out one’s life within the enclave.

This leads to a form of insularity where one’s sense of community is defined by the enclave. There is danger in this. It undermines the larger sense of community that we need to build so that we can come together for the larger good in matters of health and public policy.

Without this larger sense of community, our city and the county risks becoming just a discordant collection of “not in my backyard” clusters. Diversity training is an essential tool for building a larger sense of community beyond the enclave.

At a time when our survival through this pandemic requires that we act together as a com-

IMF sees sharper fall for PH economy this year

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Philippine-based social enterprise Rags2Riches, which turns overstock fabrics into fashion accessories, launches North America online shop

S

by

Christina M. Oriel / AJPress

TARTING this month, products from social enterprise Rags2Riches will be available to the North American market with its first self-branded store outside of the Philippines.

R2R is a 13-year-old fashion and design house that creates eco-ethical fashion and home accessories out of upcycled and overstock fabrics. Behind every accessory is a Filipina/o artisan with a story that is shared with each purchase. And instead of customers, those who purchase from R2R are called “advocates,� as by wearing one of their clothing pieces or bags helps tell that story and promote the company’s mission.

The brand’s new e-commerce site, in partnership with Canadian ethical retailer Cambio & Co., makes owning a part of Filipino artisanship accessible, whether it’s a breathable mask using textiles sourced from weaving communities in the Philippines to a throw pillow made with back-to-back scrap materials.

R2R has previously entered the U.S. market through partners like Anthropologie, but r2rshop.com allows for more control over prices and a variety of products with shipping costs already factored in. “We’re very happy to partner with Cambio & Co. because we need a compassion-

R2R’s accessories are made by Filipina artisans in the Metro Manila area.

Photo courtesy of Rags2Riches

ate and consistent partner and we know that there are going to be so many learnings along the way,� Reese Fernandez-Ruiz, president and founding partner of R2R, told the Asian Journal. “This is a way for us to share our story with the bigger Filipino community — Filipino Americans, Filipino Canadians or wherever they are.�

This also comes at a time when Filipinos in the diaspora are seeking a connection back to the Philippines, and when style and sustainability don’t have to be mutually exclusive. “We always envisioned

Cambio & Co. as a bridge connecting the diaspora to the homeland, but R2Rshop. com goes one step further.

You don’t even need a bridge. You’re right at the doorstep. There’s something truly powerful about being able to shop directly with a brand where the leadership is all based in the Philippines and live in the same city as the artisans,� Gelaine Santiago, Cambio & Co. co-founder, told the Asian Journal in an email.

Fernandez-Ruiz met Santiago — who along with her now-husband JÊrôme

Gagnon-Voyer founded Cambio & Co. in 2015 as an ethical retailer specializing in contemporary, conscious fashion R2R president and founding member Reese Fernandez-Ruiz with made by talGelaine Santiago and Jerome Gagnon-Voyer of Cambio & Co. ented Filipino during a visit to the R2R workshop in Manila. artisans — during the latter’s R2R’s clutches use upcycled and overstock fabrics. Photo by Gerald Gloto trip to the Philippines and the two companies have worked together for around three years.

The idea for a separate online shop was in the pipeline, but the pandemic sped up the process as R2R sought to diversify its market. “For us, international expansion is very simple because it means impact expansion as well,� FernandezRuiz said, adding that while advocates get to share the R2R story in North America, at the same time, the impact extends back to the Philippines for artisans to continue to have steady livelihoods.

Photo by Gerald Gloto Continued on Page 2 Filipina women model R2R’s Puso Hardin Pyramid Clutch

entertainment

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - October 14, 2020

‘Guadalupe’ to be streamed Oct 30-31

Two weavers who are part of R2R’s network of artisans.

AFTER a long wait due to the COVID19 pandemic, “Guadalupe: The Musical” returns as a streamable video, taped live at the Meralco Theater in 2018, brought to the comfort of your living rooms and favorite devices starting at 9 a.m. October 30 for the premier showing until 11:30 Photo by Gerald Gloton AM on October 31, 2020 (Philippine standard time).

The success of the musical has encouraged the producers to bring the story of the Our circumstances. One benefit Lady of Guadalupe and Mexico is that R2R is not stockpile inventory to lessen waste, and via the Ticket2Me.net video streaming platform. Through clothes are made to order, technology, the Julie Borromeo even if they require a longer Performing Arts Foundation wait.

Inc. and the producers of the “At the beginning of the lockdown in March, we imme- online edition of this musical viewing hope to reach all the art diately pivoted our production to create face masks and aficionados and devotees alike in the Philippines and all over other essentials rather than the world. the usual bags that we’ve This original Filipino musical been making,” Fernandezis directed by theater legend Ruiz said. “We also created Baby Barredo and was cresome systems to make sure that we could still do physical ated by award-winning artists Joel Trinidad and Ejay Yatco. distancing, while being able “Guadalupe: The Musical” is to keep livelihood going.” once again led by the inimitable The R2R shop now sells Victor “Cocoy” Laurel (“Miss embroidered reusable face Saigon”), who reprises his masks ($21) in four different role as Juan Diego, the Aztec colors and handwoven masks ($15) using textile from ethni- mat-weaver at the center of the tale. Joining him once again cally sourced from weavers, are award-winning performers such as the Mangyan weaves Shiela Valderrama-Martinez from Mindoro and the Mang (“Binondo”), Lorenz Martinez Abel Ti-Abria community in the Abra province. Both types (“Spamalot”), and a host of other theater stalwarts. pockets for filters and are “Guadalupe: The Musical,” made by artisans from the set in 1531 New Spain, shows safety of their homes. the quest of Juan Diego: a man The company was also claiming to have seen a vision able to deliver to customers of a half-Aztec, half-Spanish during the strict quarantine Virgin Mary who has given him in Metro Manila. However, the impossible task of building as the pandemic continues, a church in her name. He relays Fernandez-Ruiz said that this to Archbishop Juan de it places an added burden Zumarraga (who has lost his faith on artisans who may be the due to the countless atrocities sole breadwinners of their he has seen but nevertheless households right now so the sees the symbol as a way to company is exploring other unite the land) and his sickly ways to continue the stream Continued on Page 3 old uncle Juan Bernardino (who

Philippine-based social...

From Page 1 Sustaining a social enterprise The business concept for R2R came about based visits that Fernandez-Ruiz and the other founders would make to Payatas, a barangay in Quezon City considered one of the poorest urban communities in the Philippines with a large dumpsite. An estimated 1,000 trucks per day arrive at the site, each carrying two to three tons of waste.

In the midst of the squalor and waste, however, stay-athome mothers discovered scraps of cloth and wove them into foot rugs to be sold at local markets — essentially, creating something out of nothing.

However, middlemen interfered by sourcing the scraps from the garment factories and raised the prices when selling them to the women in Payatas, or would purchase the rugs for a few pesos and re-sell them at a higher price for a profit.

Instead of shelling out money and training as a form of charity, Fernandez-Ruiz and her co-founders saw that the obstacle could be overcome by taking the artisans on as business partners, and thus chip away from the cycle of poverty in the country.

R2R took out the middlemen by introducing the mothers directly to the garment

factories and the market.

The company, which began in 2007, helped them sell the finished, functional rugs at bazaars and fairs, while sharing the story behind them, which became an added selling point and gave a human touch.

“Our model is not about donating anything. It’s about the supply chain itself, being fair and sustainable for everyone,” Fernandez-Ruiz said.

“For R2R, the reason we have lasted this long is of course, the grit, determination, team effort and the partners who supported us… But I also couldn’t discount luck — in our case, the lucky breaks happened and we were ready to take them on.”

Thirteen years later, R2R’s offerings range from clothing like made-to-order jumpsuits to versatile totes, and has collaborated with other Filipino designers for capsule collections. Some 200 artisans from Metro Manila and other areas of the Philippines craft the products by hand, and many have reported milestones through the training, such as being able to open a bank account, affording to send children to college, or starting their own businesses.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, lessons throughout the company’s history have taught them how to be agile and pivot to weather any

thinks his nephew has gone insane). A ruthless governor Nuño Beltran De Guzman opposes the Archbishop’s idea and throws Juan Diego out, threatening to imprison him if he ever shows his face again.

Meanwhile, the Archbishop’s young niece Clara and his Aztec assistant Luis have fallen in love. Because of the current political climate, they are forced to keep their love secret; little do they know that, all this time, someone has been silently watching them from the shadows.

One night in early December, a comet sets the sky ablaze.

To the people of New Spain, it is an omen. For Zumarraga, it is a symbol of hope for his dying faith; for Guzman it is the spark of a revolution that must be extinguished; for Clara and Luis, it is passion, burning bright; for Juan Diego, it is no less than a sign from the Virgin herself.

Soon afterwards, miracles begin to occur: A dying man returns from the brink of death.

Flowers flourish where they cannot bloom. Unexplained images appear on a simple piece of cloth. And a doubter finds his faith once again.

What is significant in this online event is that proceeds from the sale of the e-tickets

from Ticket2Me.net and sponsorships involved will benefit the following organizations: Joshua Evangelical Group Inc., Philippine Independence Day Council Inc., San Antonio De Padua Parish, St. Josemaria Escriva Mission Church, Our Lady of the Abandoned Parish, Nativity of Our Lady Parish, Our Lady of Peñafrancia Seminary of Sorsogon City, Southeastern Virginia Filipino American Lions Club, Montero Medical Mission, Regnum Christi Young Women’s Section, UP High Prep Elem Integrated School Foundation, Sigma Delta Phi Alumni Assocation, JCI Makati Senate, One Global Management Company Inc., SFO Cursillo Movement, UPIS Alumni Foundation, Punlaan School and Julie Borromeo’s Performing Arts Foundation Inc. E-tickets are still on sale at Ticket2Me.net or at the links at “Guadalupe The Musical Online” FB page, or contact via email at guadalupethemusicallive@gmail.com, or call the following numbers: 650-5509851, +63 2 8634 5063, +639 939 910 2629, +63 918 921 8182. A 10% surcharge will be applied by Ticket2Me.net on all tickets prices as payment for its services.

(Advertising Supplement)

Fil-Am actor Jacob Batalon reveals transformed, fit body on birthday By niña

V. Guno

Inquirer.net

FILIPINO AMERICAN actor Jacob Batalon marked his birthday with a mirror selfie that showed off his trim figure.

The “Spider-Man” star, who plays Peter Parker’s BFF Ned Leeds in the latest Marvel movies, surprised fans with a photo of him wearing a brown jacket and no shirt underneath on his birthday last Friday, Oct. 9, as seen on his Instagram account. “[By] the way, while I appreciate the concern, people can stop telling me to lose weight now,” the 24-year-old wrote.

Just days before, he posted a photo from 2019 that showed his figure prior to the weight loss. When one Instagram user noted he’d be “swimming” in his old jacket, he replied, “HAAAAA you right.”

Batalon first shared his weight transformation in August, with fans noticing that he had slimmed down.

The Hawaii-based actor is expected to make a return in “Spider-Man 3.”

CaRRasCo ManilaTimes.net

Fil-Am actor Jacob Batalon

APPARENTLY with her modeling dream in the US gone kaput, BB Gandanghari has been preoccupied with doing vlogs. Make it chapter after chapter after chapter.

Unlike most funny and entertaining vlogs by showbiz personalities, BB’s is a one(wo)man show from beginning to end which tackles rehashed personal issues that barely offer new insights all in her old, well-preserved mental archives.

Talk about her April vlog on her sentiments toward her family shortly after the news about his horrible death in his Los Angeles apartment hogged the headlines.

Particularly, BB lamented her family’s seeming lack of concern when such tragic event Photo from Instagram/@lifeisaloha should have sent any of her loved ones into panic mode.

It was until her younger brother Robin Padilla who appeased her in an online news article did BB sort of calm down.

BB’s vlog in July, on the other hand, was yet another trip down memory lane particularly about the “thenalive” Rustom Padilla who shared happier times with Carmina Villaroel. Perhaps too engrossed in rustling up for the fresh episodes of her Saturday GMA Network show “Sarap, ‘Di Ba?,” Carmina made no comment thinking there was no need at all to revisit a forgettable past.

Several weeks ago, BB Contributed photo was out again to prove she won’t stop at anything to be relevant and worthy of public attention. Her episodic narrative on “Jonathan and David” — their trysts in the US and elsewhere — has gained an audience more irate than media dilemma on ‘Anything curious, and more bewildered Goes’ with Joe and Carla podthan compassionate toward cast and episode is up now. We her dreary experiences. confess our digital sins there Assuming there was creand repentance, as well. Gener- dence to her expose, again, ally I share my own crossroads hers was a one-sided tale when it comes to the reality behind these social networks and what I have been doing about them,” she revealed.

As part of encouraging people to read, she enumerated some titles she has been busy with, which include “Montessori Toddler” by Simone Davies, “Mother Culture” by Karen Andreola, “The New Koreans” by Michael Breen, “The Call” by Os Guinness, and “Consider This” by Karen Glass.

Why Rica prefers to read books than stay online BRosas Philstar.com

READING books is actress Rica Peralejo’s most treasured hobby. She actually spends more time reading than lingering on social media.

On her free time, Peralejo enjoys buckling down to pages and pages of any book she has on hand, she shared on her Instagram post yesterday, Oct. 12, where she also showed what she was reading, the novel “Gilead” by Marilynne Robinson.

“Been extra lazy to post on social media. Aside from that not everything has to be heard online, I just generally like my

life with my books a lot,” she said. “And the more I use my phone I also know the shorter my ability to stay in something becomes because my brain is being trained with short bursts of entertaining activity.”

Peralejo also explained what she recently learned about “task switching.”

“This is not made up. I read it as a study in Brad Huddleston’s book entitled Digital Cocaine and it is called ‘task switching.’ We task switch as an outcome of addiction,” she said. She also asked her fans to check out a podcast show where she spoke about social media.

“We talked about our social

Virtual Miss Universe 2020?

Catriona speaks up

World have decided to move their respective pageants to next year, MISS Universe 2018 Catriothus lengthening the na Gray is leaving the decision current titleholders’ about the possible postponereign (the new Miss ment of Miss Universe 2020 due Universe-Philippines to the pandemic up to the inter- will be named on Ocnational pageant’s organizers. tober 25).

In a recent Zoom media Catriona now preconference TV 5 held for its pares for her first-ever upcoming shows (Catriona is job as co-host of TV5’s one of the hosts of the Sunday “Sunday Noontime noontime show), the beauty Live,” along with Piolo queen adopted a wait-and-see Pascual Maja Salvador, attitude about whether or not Donny Pangilinan and the international pageant should Jake Ejercito. She is veer from tradition this year, and looking forward to postpone the coronation rites singing and performdue to the pandemic. ing along with her Miss International and Miss co-hosts.

By MaRidol

Ranoa-BisMaRk Philstar.com

Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray Photo by Patrick Prather/Miss Universe Organization

Philippine-based social...

From Page 2 of income for these families.

“We’re going through it one step at a time. We’re looking for more opportunities for people. It hasn’t been easy, but I think we’re one of the lucky few who are able to go through it with relatively okay,” she said, adding that for artisans still working at the R2R workshop, while socially distancing, are receiving health insurance for extra protection.

She added, “During times like this, it is when your culture is tested the most. This is the time when you will really see if your culture and your values shine through or if those are just writings on the wall. For us, it’s very encouraging to see our team members are lifting each other up.”

By expanding R2R’s reach and making products, which use indigenous textiles, for

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - October 14, 2020

By Ronnie

Still from “Jake and Cahrice” trailer.

By alex

entertainment Let’s change the name to BB ‘Rehash-hari’

consumers of the Philippines, whether they are Filipino or not, Fernandez-Ruiz has been aware of the bigger cultural appropriation and cancel culture conversation. It starts with communication and transparency, she said.

“Most people who are accused of cultural misappropriation are those who don’t really talk to their partners or their suppliers — they just buy and then they just say, ‘This is my design.’ They don’t know the heritage, the history of a certain textile because they don’t talk. It’s a strange thing to say, but talk to your partner and ask them about the history of the fabric and how to best represent it to the world,” Fernandez-Ruiz said.

As for the future of R2R, the brand has a partnership with IKEA Philippines, which is slated to be its largest location in the world when it opens at

the Mall of Asia by 2021 and will continue its goal to train hundreds more artisans. The North America shop plans to carry R2R on Repeat, its lounge-to-leisure clothing line, down the line.

Fernandez-Ruiz also hopes that in a post-COVID world, consumers will continue being conscious about how they’re making purchases, especially when it comes to fashion.

“You could really see that fashion as it is now has never been sustainable and the pandemic just put a spotlight on that. On a consumer point of view, people are looking for more meaningful products because now their buying power is probably not as big as before or is threatened because they don’t know the future so they want to be more selective…or that it goes to something they believe in,” she said.

The former Rustom Padilla’s online followers are more irate than curious over his cheap stunts.

Photo from Instagram/@gandangharibb

from a distant past nobody seemed to care about. BB’s fictional characters were obviously her old self and Piolo Pascual in real life, and so?

What was BB’s motive behind her vlog? Was it to destroy Piolo who still has a career going for him? Earning fast bucks at somebody else’s expense? Or was BB simply in a desperate search for collateral damage for the direction her pitiable life has led her?

No doubt, navigating her life all by herself is as difficult as finding her source of happiness. BB is — from all indications — one lonely, wandering pathetic soul who

dwells in the past rather than sees hope in the future.

In yet another vlog, BB lashed at talent manager Ogie Diaz, “May utang ka pa kay Rustom Padilla!”

In his vlog, Diaz said he doesn’t understand why BB has to settle scores with him.

“Kung pera man o anumang atraso ang tinutukoy mo na utang ko kay Rustom, wala akong natatandaan. Patunayan niya as the burden of proof is on the accuser. And if there’s such, I’m willing to make amends with Rustom, not with BB!” Tough luck for BB, Piolo couldn’t care less about her cheap stunts.

community

Barrister’s Corner

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - October 14, 2020

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA (ConTinued from last week …)

The belief in the presence and power of angels to intervene is strong in popular conservative culture. In a remarkable 1999 Hallmark film, “A Season for Miracles,” an angel plays a pivotal role in helping a loving aunt to two children whose incarcerated, drug addicted mother places them in a situation forcing them to run and escape from the foster care system that threatens to split them apart during Christmas. The film is based on a novel by Marilyn Pappano and scripted by Maria Nation. It was very ably directed by Michael Pressman.

It is a heartwarming story set in a small town called Bethlehem during Christmas with engaging characters like Agatha and Corrina. For those with a penchant for romance, the story has spades of it as well. So check this film out on youtube whether it is Christmas or not. In my opinion, this is a timeless piece of good work worth watching a hundred times. It will be an hour and some minutes to lighten your load and feel the presence of angels in your life as well.

Suspend disbelief. That is the only way to feel the presence of angels.

Trawl the internet and social media and read about how angels, though unseen in many instances, can be felt by many who believe in them.

There are many instances when the presence and oftentimes the direct interventions of one’s personal guardian angel are a part of the twists and turns of the unraveling story of many people’s lives.

Many have written about their encounters with angels, documenting how their guardian angels are a real part of their lives guarding, guiding and protecting them from harm and on many occasions,

Angels among us

K-1 visa: Fiancé visa to marry US citizen

arrival. This is often accomplished by producing evidence that a marriage is going to take place—i.e. wedding announceIN previous editions of this ments, catering contracts, etc. article, the process of obtaining In addition, it must be shown permanent residence through that both parties are unmarried marriage was explored. Discusand of legal age. Birth certifision of that procedure began cates, and if one has been previwith the supposition that the ously married, evidence that the couple was married, and conprior marriage has been legally tinued with the various steps to terminated are usually satisfacultimately gain permanent resitory to accomplish this. Finally, dence. In many cases, however, evidence must be provided a problem exists in even getting to show that the parties have to the point at which a couple physically met each other within is married. Often, a foreign nathe past two (2) years. The even from death, because his wings by doing something tional is in his/her home country petitioner may submit photos of their time had not yet come. good for a human being in and, for one reason or another, the couple, plane tickets, hotel I am sure many others have desperate need and contemthe U.S. citizen cannot travel to receipts, etc. as proof that the their own personal stories to plating suicide. “Every time that country to marry him/her. couple has met. Exceptions to tell about this unseen entity a bell rings, an angel gets his A solution in such a scenario can this third requirement apply that can be ascribed to the wings,” is a memorable line in be found with the K-1 Fiance(e) in certain circumstances that presence of God himself – an this classic film that never gets Visa. cannot be explored here due to ever-present help to aid us in old and becomes new again A K-1 visa allows a foreign space limitations of this article. navigating life on earth. for a new generation around national to come to the United The USCIS may also schedule The common image of Christmas.

States to marry a United States an interview of the petitioner an angel is a beautiful heavOn the other hand, in the citizen. The K-1 visa is valid wherein inquiry will be made enly being with piercing eyes, warped imagination of liberal for ninety (90) days after entry on the foregoing issues. Once big white pair of wings and film makers, “Michael” supto the United States, during approved, notice is sent to long cascading golden hair, posedly about Michael, the which time the marriage must the petitioner and the file is robed in androgynous white Archangel, who fought Satan take place. Once the foreign forwarded to the appropriate gown and who is neither male and flung him to the burning national is issued a K-1 visa, any consulate abroad. nor female but to which we sulfurous depths of hell and of his/her unmarried children Second, after the petition is ascribe the word “he” just for believed to be the protecunder the age of 21 may be approved, the foreign national convenience. tor of the nation of Israel, is issued K-1 visas. Upon arrival in can apply for a K-1 visa in his/ An angel, who is an eternal portrayed as somewhat of a the United States, the foreign her home country. An interview celestial being, is not subject sleaze who is more human national may immediately apis scheduled where the foreign to the constraints of gravity, than angelic. ply for permission to work. A national must provide certain time, space or language probIn this film, Archangel two-step process is involved to documents for issuance of the lems. Communication between Michael, played by Travolta, obtain a K-1 visa. visa. An affidavit of support from protector and protectee is can charm females because First, the United States the petitioner, proving that the often wordless and automatic. he smells of cookies and who citizen (the petitioner) must file foreign national will not be relySome are messengers and is a bit of a Lothario to boot.

Petition for Alien Fiance(e) along ing on public assistance upon some bring punishment and It may be somewhat funny with supporting documents with arrival, in addition to originals of death but each has a definite to color outside the lines in the USCIS. Through the filed documents mentioned herepurpose, most of which are portraying angels but don’t be petition and documents, the pe- inabove, must be presented. beneficial to humans. fooled by the liberal yarn on titioner must demonstrate three Other documents may also be Some claim to have seen angels. Hollywood, in my opin- things. To begin, it must be requested by a particular contheir angels appearing differion, has no gravitas on angelic shown that the foreign national sulate. If all requirements are ently from the common image matters. has a bona fide intent to marry met, visa issuance will follow. we believe of winged beings.

Trust your own instincts. within ninety (90) days after After arrival in the United States Some morph into human form Your own personal experito lend a hand, to protect ence will color the lens with from danger or avert disaster which you view and relate with then disappear quickly. your personal guardian angel.

They appear specially God so loved the world, He when the humans they are sent His only son to redeem protecting find themselves in us from sin and death so we dire straits and need help. As may gain eternal life. Angels one might imagine, angels are are sent to help us during our extremely busy considering time here on earth towards the weakness of humans and this arduous journey to eternal their predilection to stray from life. the straight and narrow.

(To be continued…)

In Frank Capra’s classic *** Christmas film, “It’s a Wonder- Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP ful Life,” Clarence, a portly, of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send bumbling character aspiring comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ to become an angel must earn asianjournalinc.com

Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes

(Part 2 of 4)

“Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.”

— From Frank Capra’s film It’s a Wonderful Life”

and marriage, the foreign national may thereafter begin the process to obtain permanent residence.

The fiance may also bring any children below the age of 21 years old as derivative beneficiary as a K-2 visa. This is another advantage of the fiance visa route. It is not necessary to prove that the marriage to the US Citizen Petitioner occurred prior to the immigrant’s children turning 18 years of age. The K-2 derivative can still adjust to greencard after the K-1 fiance marries the US Citizen even if the marriage occurs after the K2 derivative reaches the age of 18 as long as they are under 21 years of age.

*** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you.

This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes was President of the Philippine American Bar Association for 2005. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. Mr. Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist.

He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com; visit at www. kenreyeslaw.com.

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Bea says ‘no’ to Gerald, ‘yes’ to dating

By Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

KAPAMILYA actress Bea Alonzo answered a fan query about her and ex-boyfriend Gerald Anderson.

“No. Never again,” Bea replied to an Instagram user asking if she and Gerald are back into each other’s arms.

In her latest question and answer (Q&A) vlog on her YouTube channel, Bea answered her fans’ questions, including her relationship status.

“Okay naman siya, nage-entertain siya. nagde-date siya. Open siya maging masaya,” Bea said.

A fan also asked her what are the qualities she’s looking for a guy.

“A guy who’s madly in love with me,” she said.

Another fan also asked her: “What did your last relationship teach you about yourself?”

“That I am stronger than I think. That I am resilient and that I can survive anything in life. And that I am worthy,” she

ANNOUNCEMENT

answered.

Bea also advised her fans on how to move on from a failed relationship.

“Just do. It won’t come instantly. It won’t be easy but you just have to take it one day at a time and just acknowledge your feelings. If you’re still not okay, if you have not forgiven the person who hurt you, it’s okay because that day will come. Just trust the process.

Kasi sometimes, we get caught up in a situation where parang feeling mo it’s so painful, parang hindi mo kaya and so you go back to stage one,” she suggested.

“Personally, ‘yun ‘yung nangyari. Parang I didn’t trust myself that I could do it and na-realize ko na kung in-acknowledge ko ‘yung feeling na vulnerable ako, that I need help from friends and family, baka mas nalagpasan ko siya earlier. Baka na-discount ko ‘yung masasakit na yugto ng buhay ko. But of course, I had to learn the hard way. But kung maiiwasan naman, sana Bea Alonzo Photo from Instagram/@beaalonzo maiwasan.”

EMPLOYMENT

Heart Evangelista with husband former Senator Chiz Escudero

Photo from Instagram/@iamhearte

Heart pens ‘cheesy’ birthday greeting for Chiz

said.

“Words aren’t enough to express how grateful I am KAPUSO actress Heart to have you as my husband.

Evangelista turned to social With you, celebrations are media to greet her husband a lot more memorable and Chiz Escudero a happy birthbad days are totally bearable. day.

Here’s to a lifetime full of love In her Instagram account, and happiness!”

Heart posted a video showing Recently, Heart revealed photos of them through the in an interview that the late years.

Senator Miriam Defensor “Happy birthday to my fa- Santiago played as cupid for vorite person @escuderochiz,” her and Chiz.

Heart wrote.

“Because Tita Miriam, Heart added that she will when I broke up with my ex forever admire Chiz’s wisdom, at that time, she told me that humor and compassion.

I needed to see more of the “I am forever in awe of world. I needed to date peoyour wisdom, humor, and ple outside showbiz and she compassion. I could go on had a list of different eligible and on about how we’re guys. I got calls from differso lucky to have you, but it ent people. It’s so funny,” she would take me forever,” she said.

By Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

EMPLOYMENT

“Sabi niya, ‘Oh Chiz. Let me check if he’s annulled.’

She made a call, contacted Chiz, and at the beginning, he thought na meron siyang nasabing masama tungkol kay Tita Miriam na aawayin siya or something. She set us up together,” she added.

Heart also admitted that she likes Chiz even before they met and she married her “dream guy.”

“I know this sounds cheesy, but ever since before talaga, I really liked him. I really looked up to him and when I met him in person, parang he did not disappoint.

He was so much more than I thought he would be. He was so normal to me… I knew he’s the one. I knew it right away. I married my dream guy.”

Chicken Inasal at home with Manila Inasal’s Salu-Salo Box

FilipinOs love chicken, just look at all the restaurants and fast food places around the country selling fried or grilled chicken and you’ll see the big picture. inasal is one of the more popular ways of grilling meat and are no longer just a Bacolod thing as inasal outlets have sprouted nationwide.

Who could resist a mouthwatering meal of freshly-grilled chicken inasal doused in a spicy calamansi and soy sauce concoction or the traditional inasal oil? now, when cravings attack, you can now enjoy this Filipino feast at home with Manila inasal’s inasal salu-salo Box available in Chicken, pork, Bangus, and Tuna.

Manila inasal is a new food concept from Chef natalia Moran (of Boracay’s sunny side Cafe and spicebird, and other food concepts such as pizza Express, Granivore, Your local by the Tasteless Food Group).

Chef natalia has been thinking of putting up her own inasal place for some years now. The opportunity came during this pandemic and she, together with her siblings, took a leap of faith and started Manila inasal.

As the chef behind some of the more famous restaurants in Manila and Boracay, Chef natalia is in charge of the entire business but more importantly handles the marinade and sauces used for their grilled meats as well as all kitchen operations. natalia’s siblings who are both in the construction and real estate business joined her in this new food business venture, adding to their budding empire. Her brother Enrique, who is is GM and COO of all their family businesses, also oversees general operations and finance for Manila inasal. While their archi-

community The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - October 14, 2020

Kim’s ‘Bawal Lumabas’ soon to become series

By Katrina

Hallare

Philstar.com

tect sister Bella, is in charge of social media and online orders, coordinating with the riders for home delivery.

The chef has created packages where an entire family (or a small group of friends) can enjoy different delicious inasal creations by the box, giving options for chicken, pork belly, tofu, tuna or even angus (milkfish).

Manila inasal’s salu-salo trays can feed up to five people, with a variety of options including inasal pork belly slabs and tuna belly. sure, you can cook your own rice but you can also order garlic rice (with that trademark inasal oil drizzled on top) along with your box.

Every inasal salu-salo box comes with their original inasal sauce, along with a serving of green chili sauce and ensaladang talong.

EXpECT Kim Chiu to star in an upcoming series, this time inspired by the “Bawal lumabas” viral meme. in an instagram post on Monday, October 12, the Kapamilya actress could not hide her excitement about her upcoming project.

“5 months ago i was lost, down and hopeless but never did i regret anything,… anything that i said and stand for,” she said, adding that she lost her confidence and even questioned herself.

“But in the middle of everything that has happened, i didn’t lose my faith in HiM. Alam ko naman binibigyan tayo ng pagsubok ng panManila inasal’s chicken ginoon dahil alam niya ang inasal, served butterflied (or kakayahan natin, para pagtispatchcock style), retains its bayin pa tayo lalo,” Chiu later natural juices when grilled, said. which is why it is tender and (I know that he will give juicy. They also have mouth me a test because he knows watering desserts available chocolate caramel cake, frozen our capabilities to strengthen mango flan, and frozen banof- us further.)

And upon seeing the fee to match the inasals!

For information, call Manila teaser for her upcoming series, Chiu said that she cried inasal at +63998-998-1987 or tears of joy. visit @sarapManilainasal on “First time kong makita Facebook and instagram.

(Advertising Supplement) to kanina…. bumalik lahat,..

naiyak ako ng masaya.

Grabe. salamat po. wala ako masabi,” she said.

(I saw this for the first time a while ago. I remembered everything. I cried tears of joy. Thank you so much, I couldn’t say anything.)

Chiu’s “Bawal lumabas” started off as an internet gaffe after she tried to compare the implementation of the national Telecommunications Commission’s cease-and-desist order against ABs-CBn to classroom rules.

Despite the criticism she received, she then turned this into something positive as “Bawal lumabas” later became a hit song. not only that, Chiu started selling “Bawal lumabas” merchandise.

With the earnings she received, the actress was able to donate 1,500 food packages to families affected by the COViD19 pandemic, as well as p300,000 for mass testing.

“Bawal lumabas: The series”, meanwhile, has no release date as of this writing.

Kim Chiu

Photo from Instagram/@chinitaprincess

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