101521 - Northern California Edition

We’ve got you covered from Hollywood to Broadway...and Online!

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Volume 20 - No. 41 • 14 Pages

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

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

1799 Old Bayshore Hwy, Suite 136, Burlingame, CA 94010 • Tel: (650) 689-5160 • Fax: (650) 239-9253 • www.asianjournal.com

USA

DATELINE California becomes the first state to require ethnic studies for high school students FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

The requirement will be included in curricula starting with the class of 2030

O C T O BE R 1 5 - 2 1 , 2 0 2 1

Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, SAN DIEGO, LAS VEGAS, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY

SF to ease certain indoor mask requirements for fully vaccinated

by AJPRESS SAN Francisco this week is set to relax mask requirements for certain indoor settings where stable groups of fully vaccinated people gather.

Mayor London N. Breed and the San Francisco

Department of Public Health (DPH) announced that so long as case and hospitalization rates remain stable or decline, indoor masking requirements will be lifted on October 15 in certain, limited settings. This includes places where stable cohorts of fully vaccinated individuals gather, and where other safety measures are followed. These

by MOMAR

G. VISAYA

AJPress

u PAGE 4

GOVERNOR Gavin Newsom is directing the California Department of Public Health to add the COVID-19 vaccine to other vaccinations required for in-person school attendance—such as measles, mumps, and rubella. Students will be required to be vaccinated for in person learning starting the term following FDA full approval of the vaccine for their grade span (7-12 and k-6). Here’s what you need to know about the new vaccine requirement, as answered by Dr. Dali Fan of UC Davis Health: Q: When will children under 12 years old be able to get the vaccine?

A: California continues to monitor the federal process for expanding vaccine eligibility to children under age 12. CDPH has been planning for expanded eligibility and is working with our partners and California’s pediatric health providers to prepare for administering these additional vaccines pending review and approval from our federal partners and the Western States Scientific Safety.

Q: Should parents be worried about long term side effects?

A: The vaccine is proven safe and effective

u PAGE 2

‘Everybody is hurting’: Filipino American community mourns nurse killed in New York

IN order to graduate high school, students in California will now be required to complete an ethnic studies course according to a new law that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed on Friday, Oct. 8, becoming the first state in the nation to mandate a course about ethnic and racial groups that have been historically overlooked in the classroom.

Newsom’s approval of the legislation ended a years-long debate among state lawmakers concerning the most appropriate ethnic studies model for high school curricula across the Golden State.

The law, AB 101, would require local education institutions and charter schools serving ninth to 12th graders to include an ethnic studies requisite, starting with the class of 2030.

A model for ethnic studies has been a priority among education advocates and state

Q&A: COVID-19 vaccine mandate for students

controlled settings with individuals who regularly interact are considered safer indoor settings for fully vaccinated individuals to remove their masks.

These settings include offices, gyms, and fitness centers, employee commuter vehicles, religious gatherings, and indoor college classes or other

EVACUATED. Villagers are evacuated Monday, October 11, as the rising water of Wangag River threatens to submerge low-lying Barangay Taluro in Gonzaga town, Cagayan province at the height of Severe Tropical Storm “Maring.” At least 207 families in northern Cagayan province were evacuated to safety since due to flooding caused by Severe Tropical Storm “Maring” (Kompasu), civil defense officials said.

Photo courtesy of MDRRMC

MORE than a hundred Filipinos and Filipino Americans gathered at St. Francis of Assisi church in Midtown New York for a memorial mass in honor of Maria Luningning Ambrocio on Monday, October 11.

Ambrocio, 58, was walking near Times Square on Friday, October 8 with her friends Emilia Cruz and Norma Lardizabal on their way to the Philippine Consulate on Fifth Avenue when a suspect, who was reportedly fleeing another crime, slammed into her and knocked her unconscious.

In his remarks after the mass, Consul General Elmer G. Cato reiterated the Consulate’s call for authorities to take more effective steps to make the streets of New York safe again for everyone.

“While we know that authorities are doing their best, we hope that they exert more serious efforts and make more resources available to make this happen,” Cato

u PAGE 3

PH government urges US to investigate Pinay nurse’s death

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

MALACAÑANG is seeking justice for the death of a Filipina frontline health care worker in New York.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday, October 11, urged the United States government to prosecute the man who killed 58-year-old Maria Ambrocio from New Jersey.

“All victims of violations of the right to life are entitled to a speedy domestic remedy. So, we appeal of course to the U.S. administration to investigate and prosecute the killer of this Filipino nurse,” he said in a Palace briefing.

“We call upon the U.S. government to do

what is incumbent upon any state where there is a killing,” he added.

Ambrocio was an oncology nurse at Bayonne Medical Center. She was walking with another Filipina near Times Square at around 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 8, when a homeless man shoved her to the ground, causing her to slam her head against the pavement and suffer severe head trauma.

She was brought to NYC Health and Hospital/Bellevue where she succumbed to her injuries on Saturday, Oct. 9.

Rappler co-founder and chief executive officer Maria Ressa In a statement on Sunday, Oct. 10, the Philippine Consulate General in New York said the incident is the latest in the series of violent acts against members of the Filipino Community in New York City since

AJPress file photo

Maria Ressa becomes first Filipino to win Press freedom vital in nation’s democracy – Duterte Nobel Peace Prize u PAGE 4

by AJPRESS

MANILA — Press freedom is key to a nation’s democracy, President Duterte said, as some sectors criticized what they called the censoring of journalists under his administration.

In a video greeting for the fifth anniversary of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security, Duterte cited the role of the body in protecting the freedom and rights of the press.

“The task force plays a crucial

role in safeguarding press freedom that is vital in a nation’s vibrant democracy,” Duterte said in a video message posted on the Facebook page of the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson on Wednesday, October 13.

“It also helps ensure that the rights and welfare of the press are well protected and upheld,” he added.

The President also expressed hope that the task force would continue to fulfill its mandate “with utmost excellence and

commitment.”

Duterte’s statement came as he continued to draw flak over challenges that Filipino journalists face under his watch, which were highlighted after Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa was named one of the winners of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee described Ressa as “a fearless defender of freedom of expression” and lauded her for exposing what it described as the “abuse of power, use of

u PAGE 3

violence and growing authoritarianism” in the Philippines.

Admin lawmaker honors Ressa An administration ally in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, October 13 joined opposition lawmakers in honoring Ressa on her Nobel Peace Prize.

ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Niña Taduran has filed a resolution commending and congratulating Ressa for the recognition that she said is “a triumph for all media practitioners who con-

u PAGE 2

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

RAPPLER co-founder and veteran journalist Maria Ressa has made history as the first Filipino to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday, October 8, announced that Ressa and Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for their “efforts to safeguard freedom of expression.”

“The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2021 to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace,” it said in its announcement.

“Ms. Ressa and Mr. Muratov are receiving the Peace Prize for their courageous fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia,” it added.

u PAGE 3

2

OctOber 15-21, 2021 • NOrcAL ASIAN JOUrNAL

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

From the Front Page

SF to ease certain indoor...

PAGE 1 organized gatherings of individuals who meet regularly, not exceeding 100 people. People in these settings may remove their masks if the employer or host of the gathering can control access to the setting and verify 100% full vaccination of everyone in the setting. The employer or host must also ensure proper ventilation, no recent COVID-19 outbreaks, and children under 12 and guests are not present, among other safety measures.

“I’m excited that we’re once again at a place where we can begin easing the mask requirements, which is the direct result of the fact that we have one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, our cases have fallen, and our residents have done their part to keep themselves and those around them safe,” said Mayor Breed. “This is an important step forward for San Francisco, particularly for our downtown, because when I talk to office workers and business leaders one of the things I continue to hear is that they’re anxious to get back to a more normal routine at work where they can interact with their colleagues. Our economy is bouncing back, the city feels like it is coming alive again, and this is yet another milestone in our recovery.”

San Francisco, in concert with eight other Bay Area jurisdictions, also on Thursday released the criteria for lifting the indoor universal mask mandate in most other settings once a sustained period of low and stable COVID-

19 cases and hospitalizations have been achieved and a high threshold of the population is fully vaccinated, including children. More information about the criteria can be found at sf. gov/news.

Indoor masking remains in effect for all settings accessed by the wider public, including retail stores and other shared indoor areas such as common areas of a building elevators, lobbies and restrooms, where people from different workplace settings could interact. Indoor masking also continues to apply in bars and restaurants except for patrons while actively eating or drinking, subject to the proof of vaccination requirements.

“Throughout this pandemic we’ve implemented common sense measures like masking and vaccinations to protect us through four surges in COVID19 while keeping hospitalizations manageable,” said Director of Health, Dr. Grant Colfax.

“Tragically, other areas of the country have seen outcomes much worse than ours. San Francisco’s health orders and shared mitigation efforts have been successful in keeping us safer as a community, and a relaxation of masking orders is warranted. We’ll continue to follow the data and science where it leads us.”

When issued, the changes to San Francisco’s Safer Return Together Order will include further details about the requirements to allow for mask removal by fully vaccinated individuals in these controlled settings. San

Francisco has led the way in requiring proof of vaccination for many businesses, which provide the best defense against the virus and, along with indoor masking, has slowed the spread of the disease. San Francisco has a current weekly average case rate of 77 cases per 100,000, a drop from 309 at the height of the summer’s surge. Cases among fully vaccinated individuals are currently at 7.4 per 100,000, while among those not fully vaccinated are 14.4 per 100,000.

The vaccines remain highly effective in preventing hospitalization and death.

“Vaccines continue to be our path out of the pandemic, but masks have blunted the Deltadriven surge and protected our vital hospital capacity, while allowing businesses to remain open and children to return to school,” said Health Officer, Dr. Susan Philip. “We thank all San Franciscans for participating in those successes. Well-fitted masks will continue to have a place in our lives in higher-risk settings, and everyone should feel free to wear a mask whenever they would like an extra layer of protection.”

Even as masking restrictions lift, indoor masking will remain in effect where required under state or federal rules, like public transportation, hospitals, jails, homeless shelters, and schools, as a recommendation for everyone to wear in large, crowded outdoor settings, and as a requirement under certain circumstances if there is an outbreak of cases. n

Press freedom vital in nation’s democracy...

PAGE 1 tinue to search for truth amidst all circumstances.”

“Ressa has proven her indefatigable pursuit for the truth behind the news, having been an investigative journalist for many decades. She is an inspiration to all media workers, to continue their gargantuan task of delivering the news and digging deeply behind the stories when necessary,” Taduran said.

She expressed belief that

Ressa’s Nobel Peace Prize should bring more respect to the Philippine media from the world.

So far, only minority congressmen – Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman and members of the Makabayan bloc led by Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate – have congratulated Ressa in the 300member chamber.

Taduran, a former broadcaster of TV5 and partner of Raffy Tulfo, also took the opportunity to again push for the passage of

her Media Workers Welfare Bill that seeks to address the plight of media industry workers in the country.

“I am still praying that the Media Workers Welfare Bill which I filed at the start of the 18th Congress will finally be signed into law. This bill will help professionalize the media industry and will ensure journalists, technical people and other media workers of proper safeguards as they perform their jobs,” she said. n

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

Dateline USa

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 15-21, 2021

3

Maria Ressa becomes first Filipino to...

PFIZER DELIVERY. The latest shipment of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines donated by the United States through the COVAX Facility arrives at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Monday, October 11. Unicef’s Bernardo Bersola; Assistant Secretary Wilben Mayor, also the chief of staff of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process; U.S. Embassy Cultural Affairs officer Nina Lewis; and Health Undersecretary Ma. Carolina Taiño pose with the boxes containing 924,300 doses of the U.S.-made jabs.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

PAGE 1 According to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Ressa and Muratov are “representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions.”

“Maria Ressa uses freedom of expression to expose abuse of power, use of violence and growing authoritarianism in her native country, the Philippines,” it noted.

“In 2012, she co-founded Rappler, a digital media company for investigative journalism, which she still heads. As a journalist and the Rappler’s CEO, Ressa has shown herself to be a fearless defender of freedom of expression,” the Nobel Peace Prize body added.

For her part, Ressa dedicated the award to her colleagues at Rappler.

“I think what we have to do

as journalists is to just hold the line... When you attack the media, it’s oftentimes shooting the messenger... The recognition of how difficult it is to be a journalist today, this is for you Rappler,” she said in a live video with Rappler.

“I hope energy for us to continue the battle for facts...

We’ll just keep doing on what we are doing,” she added.

In February this year, Ressa was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2021 by Norwegian labor leader and parliamentary representative Jonas Gahr Støre.

Støre noted that Ressa has been harassed, persecuted, and arrested numerous times due to her critical coverage of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. In 2020, Ressa and a Rappler staffer were found guilty of cyber libel over an article tying a Filipino businessman to alleged wrongdoings.

“Ressa has for years lived with

death threats and harassment on social media. She is thus both a symbol and a representative of thousands of journalists around the world,” he said.

“The nomination fulfills key aspects of what is emphasized as peace-promoting in Alfred Nobel’s will. A free and independent press can inform about and help to limit and stop a development that leads to armed conflict and war,” he added.

The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel.

Nobel laureates will receive 10 million Swedish kronor (SEK) or $1.15 million, as well as a diploma and a gold medal.

Before the Nobel Prize, Ressa was one of several journalists named Time Magazine Person of the Year in 2018 for efforts to preserve press freedom. n

PAGE 1

a 29-year-old woman near the scene of the incident. As he attempted to flee, he pushed Ambrocio to the ground.

The suspect has been charged with second degree murder.

The consulate, for its part, urged authorities to take the necessary steps to protect the public as well as address mental health issues.

“We have joined calls for authorities to take the necessary steps, including heightened police visibility, to protect the

public after we noted the surge in anti-Asian hate incidents that targeted some of our kababayan.

We also supported calls for authorities to take the necessary measures to address mental health issues, especially among the homeless,” it said.

“We reiterate these calls as we mourn our loss but we also ask ourselves: How many more Maria Ambrocios do we have to mourn before the streets would be made safe again?” it added. n

‘Everybody is hurting’: Filipino American... PH government urges US to...

PAGE 1

said.

Cruz and Lardizabal spoke with the media outside St. Francis of Assisi in midtown and shared their memories of Ambrocio who passed away Saturday, Oct. 9 after more than 24 hours on life support. They have been friends with Ambrocio for almost 20 years.

At the Bayonne Medical Center, Ambrocio was known as “a caring nurse and a wonderful person” who went out of her way to help others. She is remembered by colleagues on how she mentored the younger nurses among them.

An oncology nurse, Ambrocio worked at BMC with Cruz. “She is kindhearted, she is not selfish, she always brings food and our co-workers miss her a lot.

Everybody is hurting,” she said.

One other colleague described her as an “angel sent by God to guard and be with her during her long and difficult journey to a foreign land,” and “who gave her the hope and courage to live and survive the harsh conditions of the concrete jungle of New York City.”

In a statement posted on social media, the CEO of CarePoint Health called Ambrocio a longtime devoted and cherished member of the hospital’s family.

“Maria devoted her life to helping others, caring for patients, and serving the community. She was caring, compassionate, and outgoing.

She loved to take pictures and spend time with friends and family. At work, she was generous and always promoted teamwork and positivity,” said Dr. Achintya Moulick. “Maria always appreciated those she worked with and was grateful for the comradery and teamwork.”

Compassionate nurse “We always walked in New York together. She is a good person, loving, she is very honest and loyal to her friends, very religious and very good to her family,” Cruz recalled, adding that they were on their way to the Philippine Consulate after a visit to the Philippine National Bank on Seventh Avenue.

Lardizabal said she heard the commotion less than a block away and the next thing he saw was a “tall, slender man” barreling directly towards them.

She then heard a thud and when she looked down, her friend was already on the ground unconscious.

“I saw her on the ground, ‘Oh my God, Ningning!’…she was right beside me,” she said in between sobs. “I don’t know how I am going to recover from this.

She has always been with me.”

The robbery suspect, 26-yearold Jermaine Foster was fleeing with a woman’s phone police say he snatched on Broadway and West 40th Street. Foster was charged with murder in the second degree after he was arraigned in court Sunday, October 10 following Ambrocio’s death. He was arrested Friday for two separate incidents — stealing the cellphone and breaking into

“Most, if not all, of those who were behind these acts of violence, are mentally ill and homeless individuals and, according to reports, there are more than 12,000 of them in the streets of New York City,” Cato said. “The Filipino Community stands in solidarity with many others who have been calling on authorities to give more focus on improving mental health care as well as in strengthening ‘Kendra’s Law’ so that dangerous people could be taken off the Maria Ambrocio Photo courtesy of Facebook streets.” n an apartment.

Among those who attended the memorial mass was theater performer Miguel Braganza who was mugged and attacked outside his apartment last August.

“I’m here to just be with the friends and family of Luningning,” he said. “This is a major problem and the city should not take it for granted.

When it happened to me, I have friends who sent me messages na nangyari din sa kanila, verbal to physical abuse.”

Father Julian Jagudilla called on the dozens of Filipinos who attended the memorial mass to “look after each other and take care of each other”.

“There are many more testimonials and anecdotes that would reveal just how much Luningning was loved and admired and how much she brightened people’s lives, ultimately, measuring up to her name – Luningning, which means sparkle or brilliance in Filipino,” Cato said in his remarks, describing what happened to Ambrocio as “an unfortunate incident that could have probably been avoided had the streets of New York been made safer.”

Consulate’s plea The Consul General noted that the incident happened at a time when violence against members of the Filipino community and the larger Asian and Pacific Islander community—whether induced by pandemic-exacerbated xenophobia or by mental illness—remains on the rise.

According to Cato, at least nine members of the Filipino community have been at the receiving end of unprovoked acts of violence that have been reported to or monitored by the Philippine Consulate since January.

He mentioned the 72-yearold Filipina who ended up in the ICU after she was assaulted while entering her apartment building in Queens. This was followed by the face slashing of Noel Quintana, a 61-year-old Filipino on board a subway train in Manhattan, and the violent attack on Vilma Kari, a 65-yearold Filipina who was walking to church also in Manhattan.

A few weeks ago, a 67-year-old Filipina nurse was also assaulted while distributing face masks on a subway train also in Manhattan and more recently, a 75-year-old Filipina was badly injured after she was shoved while exiting a subway station in Queens.

Maria Ambrocio’s friends Emilia Cruz (left) and Norma Lardizabal (right) speak to the media outside of St. Francis of Assisi church in Midtown New York on Monday, October 11. The pair were with Ambrocio when the assault happened.

AJPress photo by Momar G. Visaya

the start of 2021.

“Beginning January, we have seen several of our kababayan, most of them senior citizens, violently assaulted by individuals with mental health issues,” it added.

Ambrocio’s attacker is currently in the custody of the New York police. He was identified as Jermaine Foster, 26, of Irvington, New Jersey.

According to FOX 5, Foster snatched a phone away from

4

OctOber 15-21, 2021 • NOrcAL ASIAN JOUrNAL

Dateline USa

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

Poll: About half of all Filipino Americans Q&A: COVID-19 vaccine mandate... blame Trump for anti-Asian discrimination

by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

WITh a little more than a year out from the contentious 2022 midterm elections, among the most pressing issues that candidates are facing this year is one that is long overdue and could be politically costly: understanding the diverse Asian American community and improving Asian

American outreach.

A new poll from POLITICO/ Morning Consult released this week reveals a much more selfaware and politically invested AAPI community, which itself has historically been ignored in mainstream data gathering and surveying.

Because of the turbulence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the anti-Asian hate it helped produce,

there have been dramatic shifts in the ways the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community is perceived: by others and by itself.

A new poll from POLITICO/ Morning Consult reveals a far more self-aware, self-assured and politically engaged AAPI community that is more willing to call out discrimination and vitriol.

The poll was conducted this past June and surveyed 2,000 adults from nearly 50 ethnic groups that make up the entire AAPI diaspora, and although the communities that make up the AAPI community are disparate, there were shared A majority of AAPI adults surveyed, 71%, blame former President Donald Trump for the increased bigotry and hate against AAPIs. Trump’s rhetoric regarding the pandemic often included xenophobic language that created a false equivalency between the virus’ origins in China to anyone who looked remotely Chinese.

As the Asian Journal previously reported, Filipinos make up about 18% of the entire Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community, making it the third-largest Asian origin group in the nation.

According to the poll, 49% of Filipinos square the blame on the former president for the increase in anti-Asian discrimination.

But among all other AAPI groups, Filipinos are less likely to actually place blame: 66% of Chinese Americans, 63% of Japanese Americans, 59% of Korean Americans, 54% of Vietnamese Americans and 52 % of Indian Americans surveyed blame Trump.

Among the Filipinos surveyed, 46% see discrimination as a threat, while 61% and 66% see white supremacy and violence as threats, respectively.

Since the onset of the COVID19 pandemic — which became a breeding ground for anti-Asian resentment, hate, and violence due to the false equivalency between anyone who looked Chinese and the virus’ known origins in China — the advocacy group Stop AAPI hate has tracked more than 9,000 reported incidents of hate incidents directed at Asians and Asian Americans.

While the pandemic provided a necessary albeit costly jumping off point, the hypervisibility of the u PAGE 7

PAGE 1 and currently available for children 12+. Side effects are typically mild and normal after receiving a vaccination. Even though children generally have lower rates of COVID-19 and spread the virus less than adults, it is possible for children to become seriously ill from the coronavirus. So, it’s important to make sure eligible children get vaccinated to significantly reduce their risk of becoming sick or spreading the virus to someone else, including younger children in the home.

Q: What is the new state requirement?

A: Children must be vaccinated against the coronavirus to attend schools in person, starting the school term after the vaccines have full approval from the FDA for two different groups. The requirement will be phased in by grade span, first grades 7-12 and then K-6. School staff will also need to be vaccinated by the time the requirement applies to the first cohort.

Q: What’s the deadline for getting children vaccinated?

A. The requirement will take effect at the start of the following term, meaning either January 1st or July 1st, whichever comes first. This will also give both parents and schools sufficient time to prepare and implement. Based on current projections for full ap-

proval for ages 12+, we anticipate the requirement would apply to grades 7-12 starting on July 1, 2022.

Q: Aren’t teachers and administrators already required to be vaccinated?

A: Right now, they have the option to be tested for the virus regularly if they are not vaccinated, but that option will disappear once the FDA gives final approval for that first student cohort.

Q: What if my child isn’t old enough to be vaccinated?

A: The requirement will only apply to children eligible to be vaccinated. No vaccines have been approved yet for children younger than 12, but that could happen later this year or early next year.

Q: What other vaccines are required for California school kids?

A: Vaccine requirements to attend school are not unusual.

California already requires kids to have immunizations for polio, diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP), measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), hepatitis B and varicella (chickenpox).

Q: Are there any exceptions?

A: Yes, there will be exceptions for medical reasons and personal and religious beliefs. Students who are not vaccinated will be permitted to enroll in independent study, but they will not be al-

lowed to attend class in person.

Q: There are still concerns from some in the Chinese community about getting the vaccine and its safety. What would you tell those who still aren’t vaccinated?

A: Please get vaccinated. We know the vaccines are overwhelmingly safe thanks to the rigorous safety trials that included people of different genders, ethnicities, ages and pre-existing conditions as well as the ongoing efforts to monitor safety as millions of people receive the vaccine.

Unvaccinated people were 8.1 times more likely to get COVID19 than fully vaccinated people between September 12 and September 18, 2021. The COVID-19 vaccines offer a high degree of protection against severe disease, hospitalizations, and death, including against the highly contagious Delta variant. Don’t take a chance with your life. Get vaccinated.

Q: Where can families get more information about the vaccine and to make an appointment?

A: Visit the state’s websites at www.vaccinateall58.com or www.myturn.ca.gov for more information on the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and to make a vaccination appointment. n

California becomes the first state to require...

PAGE 1 lawmakers from the five ethnic caucuses (Asian Pacific Islander, Black, Jewish, Latino, and Native American), who believe that social studies curricula neglected many cultural groups “America is shaped by our shared history, much of it painful and etched with woeful injustice,” Newsom said in a statement regarding the mandate. “Students deserve to see themselves in their studies, and they must understand our nation’s full history if we expect them to one day build a more just society.”

According to the California Department of Education (CDE), more than 75% of K-12 students attending public school are nonwhite, meaning a vast majority are students of color.

Educators and lawmakers — including California Assemblymember Jose Medina (D-Riverside), who authored AB 101 — argue that a more inclusive social studies model that more accurately reflects the demographic makeup of the state would benefit the rapidly diversifying student body.

Specifically, the ethnic studies requirement is designed to help fill in the gaps that previous social studies curricula had in regards to the histories of the struggle of marginalized communities.

“The inclusion of ethnic studies in the high school curriculum is long overdue,” Medina said in a statement. “Students cannot have a full understanding of the history of our state and nation without the inclusion of the contributions and struggles of Native Americans, African Americans, Latinos, and

Asian Americans.”

The new law comes after a tumultuous 2020 and the so-called summer of racial reckoning which spurred renewed conversations of race, ethnicity, and justice in America. Since then, the state has expedited the drafting of the ethnic studies curriculum, which had already been in the works for three years.

But previous versions — one of which was vetoed by Newsom last year — were criticized for the exclusions of some groups, like the Arab, Armenian, Jewish, and Sikh American communities, and for being too politically correct.

Older drafts of the bill included niche terms like “cisheteropatriarchy” and “hxrstory” as well as lesson plans that described capitalism as the root of exploitation toward native people and communities of color.

Despite the historic value of the curriculum’s inclusion in high school classrooms, the mandate has its critics.

Republican and conservative groups have been campaigning for months against any teachings that remotely touched on critical race theory, an interdisciplinary study of structural and systemic racism.

Others think that the bill is not thorough enough in its mission to offer a more inclusive and complete look into the histories of certain groups.

Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum — a group of educators and experts that consult school districts and who contributed to the early drafts of the

mandate — argued that the curriculum that Newsom signed into law is “a watered-down version” of history, citing lessons that were excluded in the final draft like “the true causes of police brutality” against the Black American community.

California becoming the first state to mandate an ethnic studies requirement aptly reflects the state’s history in cultivating ethnic studies as a branch of academic study.

The ethnic studies movement dates back to the 1960s, when students from San Francisco State University and UC Berkeley demanded the inclusion of courses that covered African American, Asian American, Chicano and Native American studies.

The state’s requirement follows ground-breaking ethnic studies requirements that school districts across the state implemented over the last couple of years.

Last year, the Los Angeles Unified School District — the second-largest school district in the nation — approved a district-wide ethnic studies course requirement in order to graduate, starting with the 2023-2024 academic year, as previously reported in the Asian Journal.

Other school systems — like the California State University system — also recently approved an ethnic studies requirement for graduation.

“It’s been a long wait,” Medina said. “I think schools are ready now to make curricula that is more equitable and more reflective of social justice.” (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

PAUNAWA NG MGA SENTRO NG PAGBOTO SA NOBYEMBRE 2, 2021 ESPESYAL NA HALALAN IPINAGBIBIGAY-ALAM SA PAMAMAGITAN NITO na ang Tagapagrehistro ng mga Botante ng County ng Santa Clara ay may mga sumusunod na mga lokasyon bilang Sentro ng Pagboto para sa bawat presinto ng halalan para sa Espesyal na Halalan na gaganapin sa Distrito ng Unyon ng Paaralan ng Berryessa at Distrito ng Unyon ng Paaralan ng Los Gatos. Ang mga botanteng nakarehistro lamang sa dalawang distritong ito ang karapat-dapat na magpatala ng balota sa County ng Santa Clara, sa Martes, Nobyembre 2, 2021.

IPINAGBIBIGAY-ALAM SA KARAGDAGAN NITO na ang mga balotang naipatala sa nasabing halalan ay sentralisadong mabibilang sa Opisina ng Tagapagrehistro ng mga Botante ng County ng Santa Clara, 1555 Berger Drive, Building 2, San Jose, California 95112.

Maagang Pagboto sa Opisina ng Tagapagrehistro ng mga Botante 1555 Berger Drive, Building 2, San Jose, CA 95112

Lunes – Biyernes

Oktubre 4, 2021 – Nobyembre 1, 2021

Ika-8 ng umaga hanggang ika-5 ng hapon

Sabado – Linggo

Oktubre 23, 2021 – Oktubre 24, 2021 Oktubre 30, 2021 – Oktubre 31, 2021

Ika-9 ng umaga hanggang ika-5 ng hapon

Araw ng Halalan

Nobyembre 2, 2021

Ika-7 ng umaga hanggang ika-8 ng gabi

ANG MGA LOKASYON AY MAAARING MAGBAGO Mangyaring bisitahin ang www.sccvote.org para sa pinakabagong impormasyon.

11- Araw na mga Lokasyon ng Sentro ng Pagboto Bukas sa Oktubre 23 – Nobyembre 1, 2021 – mula ika-9 ng umaga hanggang ika-5 ng hapon Araw ng Halalan, Nobyembre 2, 2021 – mula ika-7 ng umaga hanggang ika 8 ng gabi

Lokasyon

Direksiyon

Lunsod

Blossom Hill Elementary School - Multipurpose Room

16400 Blossom Hill Rd

Los Gatos, CA 95032

The Pavilion at Redwood Estates - Community Room

21450 Madrone Dr

Los Gatos, CA 95033

Berryessa Branch Library - Community Room

3355 Noble Ave

San Jose, CA 95132

Berryessa Union School District Office - Board Room

1376 Piedmont Rd

San Jose, CA 95132

Karagdagang Lokasyon ng Sentro ng Pagboto Bukas sa Araw ng Halalan Lamang Nobyembre 2, 2021 – mula ika-7 ng umaga hanggang ika-8 ng gabi

Lokasyon

Direksiyon

Lunsod

Summerdale Elementary School – Music Room & Stage

1100 Summerdale Dr

San Jose, CA 95132

IPINAGBIBIGAY-ALAM SA PAMAMAGITAN DIN NITO na, alinsunod sa seksyon 15101 ng Kodigo ng mga Halalan, ang mga balota ng Pagboto sa Pamamagitan ng Koreo ay bubuksan at ipoproseso para sa pagbibilang simula sa Oktubre 4, 2021, sa Opisina ng Tagapagrehistro ng mga Botante ng County ng Santa Clara, 1555 Berger Drive, Building 2, San Jose, California 95112.

Oktubre 4, 2021 Shannon Bushey Registrar of Voters County of Santa Clara CNSB#3519607

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

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 15-21, 2021

Dateline PhiliPPines

5

Fully-vaxxed travelers from ‘green countries’ no longer required to undergo quarantine in PH

by Rosette

Adel

Philstar.com

FACILITY-BASED quarantine will no longer be mandatory for fully-vaccinated inbound Filipino and foreign travelers from certain countries starting October 14, according to Malacañang.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Wednesday, Oct. 13, announced that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) updated its rules for travelers qualified for “green lanes.”

According to him, fully-vaccinated travelers will now need to present a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result within 72 hours prior to departure from their country of origin.

“Upon arrival, no facility-based quarantine will be required but the passenger is enjoined to self-

monitor for any symptoms until the 14th day,” said Roque.

Meanwhile, fully-vaccinated Filipinos can now choose to avail facility-based quarantine until the release of a negative RT-PCR test taken in the quarantine facility upon arrival.

“For fully vaccinated Filipinos, they can choose facility-based quarantine until the release of a negative RT-PCR test taken in the quarantine facility upon arrival, or no facility-based quarantine after getting a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours prior to departure from the country of origin,” Roque said.

“But the passenger is enjoined to self-monitor for any symptoms until the 14th day,” he added.

As for unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or individuals whose vaccination status cannot be independently verified, and those vaccinated but failed to comply with the test-before-travel require-

ments, they are required to undergo a facility-based quarantine until the release of a negative RTPCR test taken on the fifth day.

In the case of foreign nationals, Roque said they are required to secure hotel reservations for at least six days.

Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated minors traveling with their fully vaccinated parents or guardians, on the other hand, are required to observe quarantine protocols corresponding to their vaccination status.

“A parent/guardian shall accompany the child in the quarantine facility for the full term of the latter’s facility-based quarantine period,” said Roque.

For verification of vaccination status, travelers may present certificates from VaxCertPH, the Bureau of Quarantine, the World Health Organization, or the country where they were vaccinated. n

Adel

Philstar.com

METRO Manila’s alert level status will be downgraded to Alert Level 3 from October 16 until the end of the month, according to Malacañang.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Wednesday, Oct. 13, announced that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) approved the recommendation to ease the COVID-19 restrictions in the country’s capital region.

“The Inter-Agency Task Force on Wednesday, October 13, 2021, approved the recommendation to place the National Capital Region under Alert Level 3 beginning October 16, 2021 until October 31, 2021,” he said.

Under Alert Level 3, restaurants are allowed to accommodate customers at 30% capacity and up to 40% if they have a government-issued Safety Seal.

The same capacity restrictions apply to barbershops, salons, gyms, tourist attractions, libraries, museums, casinos, cockfighting, concerts, parties, receptions, family reunions and motorcades.

Meanwhile, in-person religious gatherings are allowed a 30% capacity for outdoor venues and 20% for indoor venues provided that all attendees and ministers are fully-vaccinated.

On the other hand, cinemas, karaoke bars, clubs, theaters, indoor and outdoor theme parks, playgrounds and kiddie rides will remain prohibited under Alert Level 3.

Persons of all ages will be allowed to individually exercise outside, while interzonal travel will also be allowed, subject to rules imposed by the local government.

Quarantine status The IATF-EID also ap-

Health workers wearing protective personal equipment line up as they wait for go signal to enter the Quezon City Jail for the scheduled COVID-19 vaccination of persons deprived of liberty on Friday, October 8.

Philstar.com photo by Boy Santos

PH ranks 7th in global COVID-19 cases with 8,615 new infections MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health on Tuesday, October 12 logged 8,615 more coronavirus cases, bringing the country’s total caseload to 2,683,372.

On Tuesday, numbers of active cases were down by 16,666 from the 98,894 on Monday, October 11. DOH said three laboratories did not submit screening results.

According to a tally by the John Hopkins University & Medicine, the Philippines ranks seventh globally in terms of total COVID-19 infections.

• Active cases: 82,228 or 3.1% of the total • Recoveries: 25,146 bringing the number to 2,561,248 • Deaths: 236, or now 39,896 overall Adjusted curfew in Metro

Health experts to Duterte: Don’t hinder Senate probe

by Red

MendozA ManilaTimes.net

A GROUP of doctors and health experts called on President Rodrigo Duterte to allow key government officials to testify in the Senate investigation into the questionable purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers.

In its manifesto, the group also proved placing Apayao, KalinTo date, there are a total of urged the Department of Justice ga, Batanes, Bulacan, Bataan, 2,690,455 confirmed COVID-19 (DOJ) to create an “independent Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, and Naga cases in the Philippines, with panel,” which would investigate City for Luzon; and Zamboanga 40,069 fatalities and 2,567,975 claims of corruption in the DeCity and Zamboanga del Norte recoveries. n partment of Health (DOH). for Mindanao under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

The general community quarantine (GCQ) status with heightened restrictions will be imposed in the provinces of Abra, Baguio City, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, City of Santiago, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Quezon, and Batangas for Luzon; Bacolod City, Capiz, Lapu-Lapu City, Negros Oriental, and Bohol for the Visayas; and Zamboanga del Sur, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City, Davao del Norte, Davao Occidental, Davao de Oro, Butuan City, and Surigao del Sur for Mindanao.

Meanwhile, GCQ without heightened restrictions will be implemented in Ilocos Norte, Dagupan City, Ifugao, Benguet, Tarlac, Lucena City, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Puerto Princesa, Marinduque, Albay, and Camarines Norte for Luzon; Aklan, Antique, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Iloilo City, Iloilo Province, Cebu City, Cebu Province, Mandaue City, Siquijor, and Tacloban City for the Visayas; and Zamboanga Sibugay, Misamis Occidental, Iligan City, Davao City, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Cotabato City, and Lanao del Sur for Mindanao.

“All other areas shall be placed under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ),” said Roque.

“This latest risk-level classification shall take effect beginning Oct. 16, 2021 until Oct. 31, 2021,” he added.

Metro Manila eases to Alert Level 3 starting Oct. 16

by Rosette

Health workers hold a rally outside the Lung Center of the Philippines on Monday, October 11 to air their demand for better benefits.

ManilaTimes.net photo by John Orven Verdote

Manila • The Metro Manila Council has agreed to relax further the curfew hours starting October 13, which would now be from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m.

• A pandemic task force official said the government will put up command centers across the country to address the high demand for medical oxygen amid the coronavirus pandemic.

• The Philippines received more supply of Pfizer’s COVID19 vaccine: 924,300 donated by the United States and 272,610 doses procured by government.

• New COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila in the last seven days decreased to less than 2,000, the OCTA Research said.

The virus’s reproduction rate in the capital region was also down to 0.61. n

The more than 300 physicians, including six former officials of the DOH, who signed the manifesto said the COVID19 pandemic has allowed “free and unrestrained politicians and people with absolutely no competence in running the country, much less this catastrophic health debacle, to abuse power with impunity, misuse and steal taxpayers’ money and insult their intelligence, feed on the Filipinos’ desperation and helplessness at the time when their plea for true leadership is loudest but has remained unheeded.”

“Ito pong alleged na pangyayari na ito ay nangyari sa gitna ng pandemya habang kami po ay nagbubuwis at naghihirap sa pakikipaglaban sa COVID-19 para mailigtas ang mga Pilipinong nagkakasakit (These alleged corrupt activities happened at the height of the pandemic when we were fighting COVID-19 to make every sick Filipino safe),” Dr. Ma. Encarnita Limpin, president of the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP), said during a media forum on Monday.

Dr. Norbert Uy, a former u PAGE 7

6

OCTOBER 15-21, 2021 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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

FeatURes

OPiniOn

Next president

WITH the campaign for the presidency in the May 2022 elections having begun in earnest, it is time for the candidates to move beyond promoting their personalities and political affiliations and begin addressing the many substantial issues faced by the nation. After all, if one is bold enough to apply for a job, he or she must be prepared to have something relevant to say in the interview.

Voters also benefit from a deeper discussion of the issues that should be included in any presidential candidate’s platform. Too often, candidates resort to repeating mere buzzwords and motherhood statements such as “provide economic opportunities,” “improve peace and order” or “achieve food security” to curry favor with voters without explaining — and in some cases, perhaps not even fully understanding themselves — what those ideas mean.

Voters cannot make informed choices if they are not actually informed, and so in the coming weeks we will from time to time share our views on key election issues. These views can be regarded as what we would like to see in candidates’ detailed policy platforms, but to be clear, they are not endorsements. Rather, they are offered as “talking points” for the all-important interview between candidates and voters.

As the Philippines recovers economically from the coronavirus pandemic and then moves beyond recovery to return to growth — a trajectory we are confident will be realized within the next year or two — implementation of a responsive energy policy will be critical to the country’s success. Despite the gains made in the 20 years since the passage of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira) of 2001, the Philippines is still beset by chronic problems of high energy costs and insufficient and sometimes unreliable supply. Until these problems are resolved,

the Philippines will continue to fall short of its investment and economic growth potential, and continue to be at risk from external shocks, such as the crisis in energy supply and prices currently spreading around the globe.

A responsive energy policy for the Philippines has three pillars: more government investment in energy; promoting diversified investments development in energy resources, with preference given to sustainable energy; and comprehensive reform of the energy regulatory structure and market.

Again, as these are planks in a policy platform, each candidate may have different ideas about how to realize each of the objectives; these simply represent broad problems for which there may be a number of reasonable solutions. We can, however, offer some examples of what we believe would be a productive approach to managing the country’s energy.

With respect to government investment in energy, the Epira mandates that electricity generation and distribution be privatized, but where government can improve energy security and the investment environment is in, on the one hand, properly funding what infrastructure it still does control (such as the power barges and other small plants managed by the National Power Corp.) and on the other, subsidizing or partially subsidizing incentives such as the feed-in tariff to encourage development,

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

particularly in renewable energy.

This would, in turn, enable government to diversify its energy strategy and encourage development of potentially productive sources that have until now been given very little attention. Most of these, of course, are renewable energy sources, such as biomass generation, tidal power, and hydrogen energy storage, and these, along with the more familiar solar, wind, hydro and geothermal sources should be given preference. A diversified strategy can also include other, not necessarily “sustainable” but still cleaner and more efficient sources, so long as they represent a substantial improvement over

current, obsolete means of creating electricity.

Finally, reforms to the regulatory structure and energy markets are badly needed; shortcomings in these areas are more responsible than anything else for the Philippines’ lack of progress in energy development. Good ideas such as expanding distribution competition, creating a forwards market to reduce power price volatility, and expanding renewable distributed energy generation have been slowed or thwarted entirely by a planning and regulatory structure built on outmoded ideas and awash in red tape, and that is something that desperately needs to change. (ManilaTimes.net)

Enormous challenges face our next president

Babe’s Eye View BABE ROMUALDEZ WITH at least five major candidates filing for president of the country in the May 2022 elections, there is no doubt that popularity will not be enough to bring the country together, but the ability of the new leadership to put together a good economic team, coupled with experienced health experts in the aftermath of the worst pandemic to hit the world.

Whoever will be inaugurated as the next occupant of Malacañang will face enormous challenges.

As highly respected NEDA chief Karl Chua said, it will take 10 years for the economy of the Philippines to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and return to pre-pandemic growth. While the economy is slowly recovering and is expected to expand by up to five percent this year and up to nine percent next year as growth prospects remain promising – the losses will be felt up to the next 10 to 40 years, Secretary Karl warned.

A key factor in sustainable re-

covery would be the vaccination rollout, as averred in the September Call Market Report issued by economists from First Metro Investment Corp. and the University of Asia and the Pacific, who said they “remain confident that the economy will overcome the current obstacles – especially with faster vaccination rollouts and better weather conditions.”

It goes without saying that economic recovery will be an uphill climb, with the government doing a tough balancing act between lives and livelihood.

Several positive developments are driving optimism however, such as the decline in the number of COVID-19 cases and the lowering of hospital admissions.

The government is set on vaccinating at least 50 percent of the target population by the end of this year, and speeding up the rollout to reach the target of 80 to 90 percent immunization by the first quarter of 2022.

Secretary Charlie Galvez has confirmed that we have secured enough vaccines, which is why guidelines for the inoculation of children aged 12 to 17 is now being drafted to expand the vaccination coverage. In addition,

booster shots will be administered to health care workers starting in November. Worldwide scientists are optimistic that the pandemic will be “under control” by next year because of the effectiveness of the vaccines, particularly the US-made ones, plus the emergence of promising drugs and other therapies to treat severe COVID-19 infection.

According to the Asian Development Bank, sustained growth in public infrastructure spending is necessary for the country’s economic growth this year and next. Even the United States recognizes the importance of investing in infrastructure to revive its economy, underscored by the massive $2-trillion social infrastructure bill being pushed

by President Biden.

Under the proposed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, new spending is outlined to modernize, improve or rehabilitate roads, bridges and transport systems over a period of five years as America’s roadways are deteriorating, while over 45,000 bridges are described to be in poor condition. According to the “2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure” issued

Commonsense

MARICHU VILLANUEVA THIS is a free country. Everybody and anybody can dream.

But to the very few who made it to the presidency, they believe it was destiny, fate.

In principle, we cannot begrudge the 97 Filipinos who boldly stepped up to offer themselves as candidates vying to be elected as successor to outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte. This number will be down to less than ten though once the Commission on Elections (Comelec) makes the final cut of these presidential wannabes. In the end, we might have more or less five candidates who are really serious contenders in next year’s presidential contest.

Officially, the Comelec reported this total number of 97 aspirants who filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) to enter the May 9, 2022 presidential elections. On the other hand, 29 individuals

filed their COCs to signify their ardent dreams also to become the next Vice President (VP) of the country.

This is a free country. Everybody and anybody can dream.

But to the very few who made it to the presidency, they believe it was destiny, fate.

During the weeklong filing period from Oct.1 to 8, the Comelec received a total of 47,853 COCs and certificates of nomination and acceptance (CONAs) from individuals and organizations who will run next year for various national and local elective posts.

As earlier announced by Comelec official spokesman James Jimenez, the seven-man poll body will come out on Oct. 29 with the official list of candidates who have fully submitted and met the documentary requirements of their individual COCs filed.

Jimenez clarified though the official list is only to enable these candidates to make last-minute corrections of their names and other erroneous entries in their COCs. Once all of these lists of COCs are finalized, the Comelec

by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the current state of U.S. infrastructure only merits a grade of “C” and would need about $2.6 trillion over the next decade to put everything in good condition.

Aside from roads and bridges, the U.S. infrastructure bill also covers spending to improve broadband internet access with an estimated 40 million Americans having no broadband access; upgrade public rail and other transport systems; improve airports and ports; expand the network of electric vehicle charging stations and rebuild or improve water and power systems, among others.

Everyone knows the critical role that infrastructure plays in generating jobs and spurring economic growth, especially during times of economic depression. Certainly, the P39.5 billion released by the Development Bank of the Philippines for infrastructure lending to both private and government firms to finance over 400 infrastructure projects across the nation is a big step towards the right direction.

As articulated by Build Build Build committee chairman Anna

Mae Lamentillo, a good infrastructure network is necessary to achieve real and inclusive economic growth, citing the risks and difficulties that people in the countryside go through because of the lack of roads and bridges.

To date, some 29,264 kilometers of roads, 5,950 bridges, 11,340 evacuation centers, 150,149 classrooms, 214 airport projects and 451 seaport projects have been completed under the Build Build Build program, said Lamentillo, who believes the program should be institutionalized.

The World Bank report titled “Well Maintained: Economic Benefits from more Reliable and Resilient Infrastructure” also highlights the importance of keeping infrastructure in good condition to boost prosperity. In fact, G20 finance ministers have placed infrastructure maintenance at the top of their policy agenda, seeing it as an investment with significant, long-term benefits.

Clearly, our next president will need a good economic team to boost economic recovery efforts and navigate the challenges that the country will be facing in the

‘Place-holder’ candidates

will start the crucial process of vetting and screening to determine the legitimate candidates who really have bona fide intention to run and resources to support his or her candidacy.

These 47,853 candidates will vie for the 18,100 national and local government posts up for grab in next year’s elections. Or this is about an average of three individuals vying per one elective post. However, this law of average does not apply though in every presidential race that we had had in the Philippines. In fact, there were only five candidates in the last May, 2016 presidential race that had 130 presidential candidates who submitted COCs to the Comelec. Eventually, it was former Davao City Mayor Duterte who won the presidential derby.

As required by the country’s laws, the Comelec has to accept and entertain anybody who submits and meets the complete documentary requirements in filing their COCs and CONAs for whatever elective positions.

Among those who trooped

to Comelec to file COC for the presidential elections included the usual scene-stealers like Daniel Magtira. Aside from his ludicrous claims to be the “husband” of Kris Aquino, he was previously declared by the poll body as a “nuisance” candidate.

A newcomer in this category is Laurencio Jun Yulaga, a self-proclaimed “international scientist” who claims to be a Harvard graduate and said that electrocution can cure COVID-19. And mind you, he has a VP running mate, Alexander Lague who claims to own an oil company and wants collected urine converted into perfume and fertilizer.

Obviously, they will be among those who would be cut out by the Comelec. But how would Comelec treat the likes of former presidential spokesman and later as Foreign Affairs undersecretary Ernesto Abella who registered himself as an “independent” candidate?

Or for that matter, incumbent Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa who admitted having entered the presidential race for pos-

sible substitution later by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio?

That is, if the President’s daughter who has been topping the mock polls in surveys changes her mind and decides to run after all in next year’s presidential elections.

This is because our election laws allow for substitution of candidates for those under the same political party. The filing for substitution is until Nov.15.

Like an after-thought candidate for the ruling administration PDP-Laban, Sen. Dela Rosa was one of the last-minute entries in the presidential race. As the presidential standard-bearer—for now of the PDP-Laban-the former top cop of the country was fielded with fellow Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go as his VP runningmate.

Sen. Dela Rosa, who arrived two hours before the COC deadline last Friday, Oct. 8, wore the green shirt emblazoned with the logo of Mayor Sara’s regional political party Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) inside the red jacket with PDP-Laban logo. Sen.

coming years.

For our part, we continue the work we have been doing with Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez and the Department of Trade and Industry to attract American companies that are planning to relocate to the ASEAN region as part of their diversification efforts from China.

As the current chairman of the ASEAN Committee in Washington, my focus will be on the economic recovery of our country and the region. We have lined up several economic activities such as our first in-person networking event the embassy organized with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. We also plan to hold several hybrid forums with U.S. business groups and put together investment promotions forums with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) headed by Director General Charito Plaza.

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

*** Email: babeseyeview@gmail.com

Dela Rosa subliminally presented himself as a unifying body for the two pro-Duterte political parties.

But an hour later on the same day in Davao City, Mayor Sara filed her COC for re-election at Davao City Hall under her own HNP. The PDP-Laban is not among the political parties that earlier entered into a coalition agreement with HNP. But the following political parties signed up for coalition with HNP for next year’s elections, namely: LakasCMD party; the Nacionalista Party (NP); the National Unity Party (NUP); Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) party; and the People’s Reform Party (PRP).

So there are now loose talks that certain candidates are supposedly the designated “placeholder” candidates for certain presidential timbers and VP still on hold. It would not be a surprise if President Duterte himself changes again his mind and revive his initial plans to run for VP as substitute candidate to Sen. Go, his long-time aide.

Slips of the tongues have come out publicly that two COC filers PAGE 8

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

ADVERTISING AND ADVERTORIAL POLICIES ROGER LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board

CORA MACABAGDAL-ORIEL President

Main Office: 1210 S. Brand Blvd Glendale, CA 91204 Tels: (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797 Fax: (818) 502-0858 e-mail: info@asianjournalinc.com http://www.asianjournal.com

Northern California: 1799 Old Bayshore Hwy, Suite 136 Burlingame, CA 94010 Tel.: (650) 689-5160 • Fax: (650) 239-9253

With offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York/New Jersey, Las Vegas, San Diego. Philippines

JOSEPH PERALTA Vice President & General Manager Northern California Asian Journal MOMAR G. VISAYA Executive Editor

CHRISTINA M. ORIEL Editor-in-Chief Northern California Asian Journal

Asian Journal Publications, Inc. (“AJPI”) reserves the right to refuse to publish, in its sole and absolute discretion, any advertising and advertorial material submitted for publication by client. (“Client’s Material”) Submission of an advertisement or advertorial to an AJPI sales representative does not constitute a commitment

by AJPI to publish a Client’s Material. AJPI has the option to correctly classify any Client’s Material and to delete objectionable words or phrases.

Client represents and warrants that a Client’s Material does not and will not contain any language or material which is libelous, slanderous or defamatory or invades any rights of privacy or publicity; does not and will not violate or infringe upon, or give rise to any adverse claim with respect to any common law or other right whatsoever (including, without limitation, any copyright, trademark, service mark or contract right) of any person or entity, or violate any other applicable law; and is not the subject of any litigation or claim that might give rise to any litigation.

Publication of a Client’s Material does not constitute an agreement to continue publication.

Client agrees and covenants to indemnify AJPI and its officers against any and all loss, liability, damage, expenses, cost, charges, claims, actions, causes of action, recoveries, judgments, penalties, including outside attorneys’ fees (individually and collectively “Claims”) which AJPI may suffer by reason of (1) Client’s breach of any of the representations, warranties and agreements herein or (2) any Claims by any third party relating in any way to Client’s Material.

AJPI will not be liable for failure to publish any Client’s Material as requested or for more than one incorrect insertion of a Client’s Material. In the event of an error, or omission in printing or publication of a Client’s Material, AJPI shall be limited to an adjustment for the space occupied by the error, with maximum liability being cancellation of the cost of the first incorrect advertisement or republication of the correct advertisement.

Under no circumstances shall Asian Publications, Inc. be liable for consequential damages of any kind.

ASIAN JOURNAL PUBLITIONS, INC. publishes the Los Angeles Asian Journal, published twice a week; the Orange County and Inland Empire Asian Journal, Northern lifornia Asian Journal, Las Vegas Asian Journal and the New York / New Jersey Asian Journal which are published once a week and distributed to Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange Counties, Northern lifornia, Las Vegas and New York and New Jersey respectively.

Articles published in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Letters to the Editor are welcome. Letters must contain complete name and return address. The materials, however, are subject to editing and revisions.

Contributions and advertising deadlines are every Mondays and Thursdays. For advertising rates and other informations, please ll the L.A. office at (213) 250-9797 or the Las Vegas Sales Office at (702) 792-6678 or send us an email at info@asianjournalinc.com

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

Dateline PHiliPPineS

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 15-21, 2021

7

Moreno won’t back down from presidential race Poll: About half of all Filipino Americans...

by KRIstInA

MARAlIt ManilaTimes.net

MANILA mayor and Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer candidate Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso will not back down from next year’s presidential race.

The former actor’s camp issued the statement amid an online clamor for him to drop out of the May 2022 polls, riding on the belief that he is “more winnable” and “much qualified” for the land’s highest elective position.

Past surveys among presidential candidates showed Domagoso as the top choice for president among voting-age Filipinos.

“Why would Isko withdraw?

Clearly, he is the more winnable and as much qualified to lead us out of this pandemic and the bad economic condition we are in.

It’s high time that we all focus on the sad plight of the Filipinos and our country,” Aksyon Demokratiko chairman Ernest Ramel said in a statement, hitting the #WithdrawIsko campaign on social media against the local chief executive.

This was echoed by Domagoso’s chief campaign strategist, Angelito Banayo, who noted that the mayor, in choosing Dr. Willlie Ong as his running mate, is proof that he has a set plan on how to steer the country towards recovery amid the coronavirus disease pandemic.

The Domagoso-Ong tandem, Banayo noted, is anchored on the party’s vision to have an administration aimed at healing “the wounds of divisiveness” and dealing with the “extreme crisis

the country is facing” because of Covid-19.

“His resolve to run for the presidency on a platform of unity and transparent governance has reaped political goodwill from all sides of the political spectrum and various sectors of society,” he stated.

Banayo then pointed to Domagoso’s 10-point agenda of governance called “Bilis Kilos,” which was mainly based on his many accomplishments as mayor of the nation’s capital which include the construction of mass housing for the poor of Baseco, Tondo and Binondo; swift construction of a Covid-19 field hospital and a new-look Ospital ng Maynila; free antigen testings; free Remdisivir and Tocilizumab for coronavirus patients; and continuous delivery of boxes of assistance and food boxes to Manila residents hardest hit by the pandemic.

All these, Banayo said, are examples of Domaagoso’s political will to alleviate the plight of Filipinos. #WithdrawISko trended online almost immediately after Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo announced she will also be gunning for the presidency next year.

To recall, Robredo had been vocal in her willingness to have a united opposition and had discussed the possibility with Domagoso, Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, and Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.

All three eventually filed their respective certificates of candidacy (CoC) for president.

PAGE 4

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso ManilaTimes.net photo

AAPI community now is helping folks outside of the community understand AAPIs with greater contexts.

American Studies professor Janelle Wong of University of Maryland, College Park told POLITICO that political and social outreach to the AAPI community mainly centered around immigration and education, zeroing in on the “forever foreigner” and “model minority” stereotypes that stymie progress for the vast and diverse community.

“This is to me what should have happened long ago among those who have been trying to mobilize Asian Americans — and that is focusing on racial bias and racial

Talks between Domagoso and Robredo particularly turned sour due to their differing views on certain issues.

This includes Domagoso’s stance regarding late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, a matter RoPAGE 6 bredo said is “non-negotiable”.

Interestingly, the former dicta- for the Lakas-CMD for president tor’s son, Ferdinand “Bongbong” and VP elections are among these Marcos Jr., was Robredo’s clos- so-called “place-holders” for est rival for the vice presidency some real candidates still under in 2016 and is also making a the wraps of political strategists. run to be the next occupant of Belatedly reacting to this not-soMalacañang. new political tactic, Senators and Domagoso went on the defen- House lawmakers have initiated sive and asserted that the world does not revolve around the fight between the Marcos and Aquino families.

Robredo, Domagoso further said, must not talk of unity when she herself failed to do this as head of the Liberal Party.

“You cannot talk of unity when you yourself hindi mo nga maunify sarili mong [party] (when you can’t even unify your own party),” he said. ■

discrimination as something that is very important to Asian Americans as a whole,” Wong said.

Political campaigns and candidates have a problematic history in shutting out the AAPI community because it represents a relatively small portion of the overall American population, tends to reside in less politically crucial districts, and takes far more preparation and resources to target the multilingual community and understand each culture’s unique needs.

While ethnic and racial representation has become a major talking point, AAPI politicians and candidates have harnessed their racial backgrounds in the last few years with little to no

avail — like the divisive Andrew Yang, who ran for president in 2020 but failed to garner majority AAPI support.

The study found that a vast majority, 87%, of AAPIs feel most represented when elected officials share their values, regardless of their race. The 30% who want politicians to look like them and the 43% who want politicians from similar backgrounds paled in comparison.

“Just appealing on the basis of ‘common identity’ was often quite difficult because the community is remarkably diverse,” said Taeku Lee, UC Berkeley professor. “What often works is this shared sense of threat or hardship.” ■

‘Place-holder’ candidates proposed legislation to amend Sections 69, 261 (CC) and 264 of the 1985 Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines.

While it seeks to stop the mockery of our electoral process, Congress would be hard put to pass into law dis-allowing “placeholder” candidates because it

would be like cutting off one of their own tentacles to power.

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

Health experts to Duterte: Don’t hinder...

PAGE 5 president of the PCP, said medical workers have been sacrificing their time and effort to help in the pandemic, so it is only fitting that Duterte “rewards” their efforts by allowing government officials to testify in the Senate Blue Ribbon hearings.

Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said that government officials had testified in 12 Blue Ribbon hearings before the President issued a memorandum stopping them from further attending the inquiry.

Another former PCP president, Dr. Anthony Leachon, said that when he sat down as a “resource person” in the hearings, he felt that the voices of health workers

and the public were not being heard.

The group also wants the Senate to complete its investigation.

Roque said the President supports the move of the Senate Blue Ribbon panel to turn over documents and evidence to the DOJ and the Ombudsman.

Limpin said that while the Commission on Audit found no evidence of corruption in the Health department over the transaction for the PPE, the group still wants the truth to come out.

She said she needs to find out why the DOH passed on the responsibility of buying PPE to the Department of Budget and Management, in the process incurring additional expenses on the

part of the government.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said she respects the call of the PCP and other medical experts to let government officials testify freely in the Senate inquiry, but they have already participated in numerous hearings to explain their side.

“The national government has been transparent, at nakapagsumite na tayo sa mga kinauukulang ahensya and the investigations are undertaken, and iwanan na po natin doon (We have submitted [the necessary documents] to the proper agencies, and the investigations were underway, so let us leave it at that),” Vergeire said. ■

Thousands of pastors gather for worldwide open Bible seminar BAY AREA, Calif.

– Shincheonji Church of Jesus (SCJ) hosts open word seminars with thousands of pastors in attendance worldwide.

Starting from the month of October, Shincheonji Church of Jesus the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, colloquially referred to as “Shincheonji” (SCJ), will be hosting Revelation education entitled, “Testimony on Prophecy and Fulfillment of Revelation, God’s New Covenant.”

The education sessions are scheduled to take place from October 17 until December 26 at 6 p.m. PT and will be broadcasted live on YouTube.

The seminars will cover topics that have been widely interpreted and discussed, including all of the chapters of the book of Revelation.

Lecturers will include Man-hee Lee, the chairman of the church organization. The chairman and the 12 tribe leaders will cover Revelation chapters 1 to 22. Shincheonji wants to teach and share this Revelation to the pastors worldwide and wish that they can come as the family members of God and Jesus to also learn and share.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, communities of faith have struggled to find ways to worship while following local health guidelines. With many churches closing doors and urging congregation members to keep social distancing, the

When you GET VACCINATED you have greater protection against hospitalization and death.

rise of uncertainty within the faith continues to increase. As part of the largest Christian population in the world, Americans have grappled with finding a new normal without gathering in-person. To combat this, SCJ has created online events to promote peace and harmony amongst religious communities.

Locally, the San Francisco branch of SCJ will also be hosting seminars for nearby pastors and religious persons on October 9 and 16, 2021.

This isn’t the first successful seminar that Shincheonji has hosted. Last August, over 1,700 pastors and 28,000 attendees participated in the word seminars to share knowledge of the scriptures.

“The number of participants at this time reflects their interest and effort to understand the words of Revelation consistently with the words of the rest of the books of the Bible,” said Mr. Kim Shin-chang, the General

Director of the International Mission Department of Shincheonji Church.

Shincheonji Church has resorted to hosting events and bible courses online since the beginning of the pandemic and has encouraged many to maintain their lives of faith using one thing: the Bible. Within the span of one year, over 103,000 students worldwide have reportedly graduated from the organization’s bible course — free of cost.

The church invites everyone, especially within the Bay Area, to receive the understanding of Revelation as well. All are welcomed to join in for free the education sessions at the designated time of 6 p.m. PT through the following link: https://www.youtube.com/c/ ShincheonjiChurchofJesus.

Please contact an SF branch representative by email for more information (SHINCHEONJI. SF@GMAIL.COM).

WEAR A MASK when it can protect you & others.

GET TESTED & STAY HOME when you feel sick.

(Advertising Supplement)

Find a COVID-19 vaccine near you MyTurn.ca.gov

833-422-4255

8

Community Journal

OctOber 15-21, 2021 • NOrcAL ASIAN JOUrNAL

Health @Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS WHAT is reflux heartburns?

Reflux Heartburns is a milder stage of Reflux Esophagitis, which is an inflammatory condition where hydrocholoric acid, normally produced by the stomach to aid in the digestion of food, regurgitates (goes back up) to the lower end of the esophagus (food pipe) which is connected to the stomach.

In majority cases of reflux, the lower esophageal sphincter (“valve”) is incompetent (loose) and allows stomach acid and food to back up to the esophagus, a disease medically known as Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). In some cases, acid reflux is not necessary for heartburns to occur.

Can reflux mimic COVID19?

COVID-19 and GERD can have similar initial symptoms, like cough and chest pains, but the similarity ends there. While the pandemic can cause severe stress and increase stomach acid production, there is no medical evidence that coronavirus can cause reflux. Statistically, there could be aggravation of GERD symptoms during this global corona viral disease.

Why is acid reflux bad?

The stomach mucosa (lining) normally produces the digestive acid and tolerates it much better than the esophagus, which has a different cell lining that is less resistant to the acid. Reflux of stomach acid into the lower end of the esophagus, therefore, causes esophagitis (irritation, inflammation and swelling), which, if allowed to continue untreated, could cause esophageal stricture (scarring) and narrowing, making the channel connecting the food pipe to the stomach too small for food to pass through. Constant acid fumes could also be inhaled for years, decades, ultimately causing (non-smoker’s) Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

Is this condition common?

Yes, very common. Sixty percent of the adult population has some type of GI reflux. About seven million Americans have GERD. Most patients complain of burning discomfort in the pit of the stomach after meals or at

Reflux heartburns night, while lying down, allowing stomach acid to flow back to the esophagus. Many times, the burning disappears when the person gets up. The symptom could also be that of indigestion or “sour stomach.” People who take antacids, like Alka Seltzer, Maalox, Tums, etc. could have GERD. Is Hiatal Hernia present in Reflux Esophagitis?

The food pipe, which is in the chest, goes down through a hole in the diaphragm (the tentlike flat muscle that separates the abdomen from the chest) to connect with the stomach in the abdomen. This hole is called a hiatus. If this hole becomes too large, the stomach, which is normally in the abdomen, could move up to the chest through the hole. If this happens, it is called Hiatus Hernia. Hiatus Hernia is found in only 20-30 percent of those with reflux esophagitis.

The majority do not have accompanying Hiatus Hernia.

Any other possible cause of esophagitis and stricture?

Caustic acids, or alkali (the chemical in Liquid Plumber, Sosa, etc.) when swallowed (as in suicides), cause massive burns, swelling, sometimes esophageal perforation (hole through the damaged foodpipe) and leads to severe esophagitis and esophageal stricture. The perforation could also result in Mediastinitis, a serious and overwhelming infection inside the chest, which has a high fatality or mortality rate. Chest surgery is usually carried out immediately the moment the diagnosis is made.

What are the possible complications of GERD? Uncomplicated gastroesophageal reflux responds well to medical therapy, and may be tolerated for many years. However, some people on treatment may still develop complications, like esophagitis, esophageal ulcer, hemorrhage, esophageal stricture, and Barrett’s metaplasia (cell changes in the esophagus that could transform to cancer).

How is the diagnosis of GERD confirmed?

A careful history and thorough physical examination, coupled with X-Ray Barium Swallow (done with the patient on his back and the head lower than the feet to check for reflux of barium), esophageal manometry (pressure measurement),

HOUSING

pH (acidity) monitoring, Bernstein acid test, and endoscopy (looking inside and down the foodpipe by passing a lighted “telescope” to see the condition of the lower foodpipe and stomach). Through this same scope, tiny biopsies could be performed, to see the tissue reaction, Helicobacter pylori, Barrett’s, and to check for cancer.

What is the first step treatment of GERD? The initial management of patients with persisting symptoms of GERD consists of (1) Changing diet (avoiding hot spices, caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, cola drinks); (2) Quitting cigarette smoking; (3) Avoiding tight, binding clothing, especially after a meal; (4) Refraining from lying down immediately after a meal, and elevating the head of the bed when lying down to keep gastric acid and contents in the stomach by gravity; and (5) Taking antacids, Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) drug (like Nexium), histamine blockers, prokinetic agents (a combination of these) under the close supervision of your physician which is usually 80 percent successful in healing severe erosive esophagitis. Today, medical treatment is the hallmark in taking care of patients with GERD. Surgery is reserved for the complications of the reflux, untreated or undertreated.

When is surgery recommended?

When the strategic and intensive medical treatments enumerated above fail after several months to a year of trial, or when the acid reducer drug is ineffective, or when the esophageal stricture does not stay open after dilatation, then surgery is recommended. Today, all these complications are rarer compared to yesteryears. A current option is Transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF), which shortens treatment period and has faster recovery compared to laparoscopic surgery.

What is the objective of the operation?

The aim of the operation is to restore the anatomical and physiological condition in the lower end of the esophagus, as surgically possible, to minimize or prevent reflux of the gastric acid and stomach content up the esophagus. If a bleeding esophageal ulcer and a stricture are present, then the surgeon u PAGE 9

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

Commissioner Lara announces comprehensive solution to growing agricultural and commercial insurance needs

SANTA PAULA, CA — Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Tuesday, October 12 proposed a comprehensive solution for commercial insurance coverage after several destructive wildfire seasons. Working with the California Farm Bureau Federation, he is addressing growing needs for a competitive insurance market for farmowners, wineries, and other outdoor businesses.

Commissioner Lara’s solution involves strengthening the FAIR Plan, California’s insurance safety net, while aggressively reducing wildfire risk through a combination of insurance incentives and mitigation.

In a meeting on Tuesday at Limoneira, a citrus grower that experienced losses in the 2017 Thomas Fire, Commissioner Lara announced that he will order the California FAIR Plan, the state’s insurer of last resort, to increase its coverage limits, which have not been increased in more than 24 years, to keep up with inflation in order to be a more effective backstop for California’s commercial businesses. This will build on Commissioner Lara’s and the California Farm Bureau Federation’s support this year for Senate Bill 11 (Rubio), which Governor Newsom signed into law allowing the FAIR Plan to insure farm structures.

“While wildfires can happen in many agricultural regions of the state, some parts of our state have borne the brunt of devastating fires starting in 2017,” said Commissioner Lara at a meeting with the California Farm Bureau Federation, his latest in a series of meetings with farmers, vintners, and ranchers in Napa, Butte, and Central California. “With a tighter insurance market due to wildfire risks, many farmers and vintners need more coverage than they can currently get. I am taking aggressive action to protect our farmers, vintners, and other businesses immediately while local government, state government, insurers and businesses all work together to reduce the wildfire risk and increase a competitive insurance market.”

Commissioner Lara and Department of Insurance representatives have met with businesses and non-profit entities throughout the state over the past two years.

Groups such as agricultural operators, wineries, residential care

HOUSING

SERVICES

Below Market Rate (BMR) Rental Apartments Available 2255 Taraval Apartments at 2410 33rd Avenue, San Francisco, California 94116 One Three Bedroom at $2284.00 a month One parking space available to BMR renter for an additional $100.00 a month Must be income eligible and must not own a home.

Households must earn no more than the maximum income levels below: 50% of Area Median Income 3 persons - $82,250.00; 4 persons - $91,350.00; 5 persons- $98,700.00; 6 $106,000.00; 7 $113,300.00 Applications must be received by 5PM on Friday, October 29, 2021. Apply online through DAHLIA, the SF Housing Portal -DAHLIA at housing.sfgov.org. Due to COVID-19, applicants will apply online as we are not accepting paper applications. Please contact the Imagine That Consulting for building information at (916) 686-4126 or 2255TaravalBmr@gmail.com

SF#2986

Units available through the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development and are subject to monitoring and other restrictions. Visit www.sfmohcd.org for program information.

Below Market Rate (BMR) Rental Apartments Available 55 Trumbull at 55 Trumbull Street, San Francisco CA 94112 2 Two-Bedrooms at $1533.00 a month.

Two parking spaces available to BMR renters for an additional $100.00 a month and will be offered to households in lottery rank order. Must be income eligible and must not own a home. Households must earn no more than the maximum income levels below: 55% of Area Median Income 2 persons - $58,600.00; 3 persons - $65,950.00; 4 persons - $73,250.00; 5 persons- $79,100.00 Applications must be received by 5PM on Thursday, November 4, 2021. Apply online through DAHLIA, the SF Housing Portal - DAHLIA at housing.sfgov.org. Please contact the Imagine That Consulting for building information at (916) 686-4126 or 55trumbullbmr@gmail.com Units available through the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development and are subject to monitoring and other restrictions. Visit www.sfmohcd.org for program information.

SF#2988

EMPLOYMENT

facilities, affordable housing entities, and summer camps have informed the Commissioner about the lack of availability of commercial property insurance coverage in the traditional insurance market. These concerns included that the FAIR Plan’s current commercial property coverage and business owners’ coverage limits are insufficient to meet their needs.

Tuesday’s Order is one step toward providing greater protection to many of these businesses that are forced to purchase FAIR Plan coverage, when traditional coverage is not available.

Commissioner Lara also announced that he is moving forward under his existing authority to pursue new rules, announced earlier this year, to require that insurance companies take into account fire-preparation actions by homes and businesses when they determine the risk of wildfires. This action will increase insurance availability and incentives for residents and businesses to better protect themselves.

First-ever data shows impact of recent fires on the agricultural industry Also on Tuesday, the Department of Insurance released firstever data detailing how recent wildfire losses are affecting the commercial insurance market.

Data collected from insurers was the result of a first-ever data call in the Department’s history directed at the commercial insurance market. The data show that large North Coast fires in 2017, 2019, and 2020 caused substantial losses in Sonoma, Lake and Napa Counties, accounting for the bulk of losses across the state.

While the North Coast represents just 8% of the state’s commercial agricultural and farmowners insurance market, total incurred losses were 45% of the statewide total for those years. Wildfire losses also spiked in the Central Coast in 2017 due to the Thomas Fire and in Northern California in 2018, due to the Mendocino Complex, Carr and Camp Fires.

“Commissioner Lara is continuing to show his commitment to California’s farmers and ranchers,” said California Farm Bureau Federation President Jamie Johansson. “This isn’t just talk, it’s moving forward with conviction to address the challenges facing agriculture and collaborating on solutions. This action plan comes

out of his meetings across the state where he has heard directly from our members. He sees the problems clearly and he is working with the California Farm Bureau to address them.”

Taking steps to protect agricultural and other businesses As part of his commercial insurance action plan: • Commissioner Lara ordered the FAIR Plan to amend its plan of operation within 30 days to increase its coverage limit for commercial property. The FAIR Plan maximum policy limit for its commercial property program is currently $4.5 million, and that policy limit has not been increased since at least 1997. The FAIR Plan maximum policy limit for its Businessowner’s Policy program is currently $3.6 million, and that policy limit has not been increased since at least 1994. The Consumer Price Index shows that costs have nearly doubled during that time in California.

• Commissioner Lara has directed Department of Insurance staff to expedite review of the FAIR Plan’s agricultural filing, a filing that is required under newly signed SB 11. The FAIR Plan submitted their filing to the Department on October 6, 2021.

• Commissioner Lara announced a workshop on new rules that will require insurance companies to incorporate communities’ and businesses’ fireprevention actions when rating their risk. Recognizing these “fire-hardening” actions will provide incentives to property owners to protect their property against wildfires, reducing future losses and increasing a competitive market.

• After data showed that no insurers in the admitted market currently cover liability from prescribed fire operations to reduce risks, Commissioner Lara publicly advocated for establishing a $20 million Prescribed Fire Liability Pilot Project, which subsequently was approved in the latest California budget. Prescribed fire is a proven strategy for reducing risk of severe fires, and this new fund will provide a mechanism to enable more prescribed burns, collect relevant actuarial data, and encourage more insurers to write such coverage in the future — including in agricultural regions.

• Commissioner Lara launched u PAGE 11

Community Journal

FILIPINO

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

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 15-21, 2021

9

THE ASIAN JOURNAL

MAGAZINE

I N

N O R T H E R N

C A L I F O R N I A

Friday, October 15, 2021

INSIDE >>> L I F E S T Y L E • C O N S U M E R G U I D E • C O M M U N I T Y • M A R K E T P L A C E Immigration Corner aTTY. MiChaEl GuRFiNKEl, ESQ FOR anyone who is out of status, one of their biggest fears is an immigration raid at their workplace. We have all seen news reports of immigration raids at carwashes, restaurants, factories, processing plants, etc., where workers are rounded up, and if out of status, are handcuffed, and taken away in vans for deportation/removal.

During my consultations, I’m constantly being asked, “What are the chances of DHS coming to my workplace, handcuffing me, and marching me out in front of all of my coworkers?”

There is now good news, which should bring a sigh of relief to these hardworking individuals.

On October 12, 2021, Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of the Department Homeland Security (DHS), issued a memo to ICE, USCIS, and CBP, which radically changes the focus of DHS’s worksite enforcement policies or priorities. From now on, DHS will focus its worksite enforcement efforts on “unscrupulous employers who exploit the vulnerability of undocumented workers,” rather than apprehending workers who are out of status.

Sec. Mayorkas points out these employers “engage in illegal acts, ranging from payment of substandard wages to imposing unsafe working conditions and facilitating human trafficking and child exploitation.” By paying substandard wages, these unscrupulous employers not only harm the undocumented worker, but also create an unfair labor market,

DHS to cease worksite enforcement/raids and create a disadvantage to their business competitors who follow the law and pay proper wages.

By changing the focus of worksite enforcement (by going after unscrupulous employers), DHS hopes to “enforce wage protections, workplace safety, labor rights, and other laws and standards.”

DHS recognizes that many exploited workers are afraid to come forward and report the abuses they endure, out of fear their employer will report them to DHS. Therefore, rather than apprehending these victims of exploitation, DHS should consider providing a number of protections and benefits, such as “deferred action, continued presence, parole, and other available relief for noncitizens or witnesses to, or victims of, abusive and exploitative labor practices.” There are also several temporary visas available for victims of crime, trafficking, or abuse, or will be witnesses at trial.

DHS should also, “consider ways to ensure that noncitizen victims and witnesses generally are not placed in immigration proceedings during the pendency of an investigation or prosecution” of their unscrupulous employer.

The memo also instructs ICE to “cease mass worksite operations,” or immigration raids. Secretary Mayorkas recognizes that the “deployment of mass worksite operations, sometimes resulting in the simultaneous arrest of hundreds of workers, was not focused on the most pernicious aspect of our country’s unauthorized employment challenge: exploitative employers.” Accordingly, DHS will, “no longer conduct mass worksite operations and instead refocus our workplace enforcement efforts to better accomplish the goals outlined above.”

This memo is certainly good news in terms of changing the focus of immigration enforcement away from the exploited worker to the unscrupulous employers, who make their employees work long hours for low pay, in unsafe working conditions, while constantly threatening to keep quiet or they would be reported to DHS. But what is really needed is for Congress to act, and to provide a way by which these hard-working undocumented immigrants can finally have a way to legalize their status once and for all, rather than living in the shadows and in uncertainty. We should urge Congress to finally act on immigration reform, instead of bickering and fighting among themselves, while the people suffer from their inaction. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 40 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different, and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

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

A FAMILY IS FINALLY REUNITED AFTER 25 YEARS, THIS SUNDAY AT 6:30 PM (PST) ON CITIZEN PINOY. Marjun (right) missed the opportunity to join his father, Marcelo Sr. (left), and siblings in the U.S. in 1996 because his name was missing from the list of accompanying family members on his father’s petition. Because his parents did not know what to do, Marjun was left behind. His mother (2nd from left) finally petitioned him in 2007 as a single adult child of a green card holder (F2B). After several years, his petition became current. When it came time for his visa interview in 2019, his case was put under “administrative review” due to his work as a staff nurse in Libya and Saudi Arabia back in 2012 and 2015. The family never lost hope and retained leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (3rd from left) to guide them through every step. Finally, the long wait was over. The family was reunited for the first time in August 2021. Watch this success story on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” this Sunday, October 17 on its new and better time at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET thru select Cable/Satellite providers), right after TV Patrol.

(Advertising Supplement)

PAGE 8 t

Reflux heartburns

will also address these accordingly.

How successful anti-reflux operations?

Very successful in majority of cases. Ten-year follow-up studies, some even longer, show that up to 90 percent of the patients are rendered asymptomatic (symptom-free), doing well, provided the changes in lifestyle recommended above are strictly followed.

Luckily today we have an effective medical regimen for

GERD to minimize or prevent information and not intended to be applicable symptoms and complications of or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows reflux. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical

your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Public Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian and anti-graft foundation in the United States. Visit our websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com

10

OctOber 15-21, 2021 • NOrcAL ASIAN JOUrNAL

Features

Rising from the ashes: Fil-Am playwright brings ‘brown’ to the fore

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

‘Lizard Boy’ to premiere at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Rep. He is composer-lyricist for “Howl’s Moving Castle” (BookIt Repertory Theatre) and “The Lamplighter” (co-written with Kirsten “Kiki” deLohr Helland and Sara Porkalob). Justin is currently under commission at Seattle Rep, the 5th Avenue Theatre, ArtsWest Playhouse & Gallery, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Kirsten “Kiki deLohr Helland plays Siren — an enchanting and mysterious musician whose voice is taking over Trevor’s dreams.

Helland is a Seattle-based awardwinning performer. Her theatre credits include performances onstage at 5th Avenue Theatre, Village Theatre, ArtsWest, and Seattle Rep (in the World Premiere of “Lizard Boy”), and in the film “Laggies.” Helland is co-writer of “The Lamplighter” (with Justin Huertas and Sara Porkalob).

William A. Williams plays Cary, a charming and charismatic newcomer to Seattle who connects with Trevor on a dating app. Williams is a California native musician/actor now based in New York City. He originated the role of Cary in “Lizard Boy” at Seattle Rep, for which he won a Gregory Award for best supporting actor.

He has also acted in productions at Contemporary Classics, Vil-

lage Theatre, and Seattle Shakespeare Company, played guitar for shows at ArtsWest and Balagan Theatre, and played bass gui“From the ashes of mount tar for The Iceman Lab at Target St. Helens emerged a monster Margin Theater. with mysterious powers—powBrandon Ivie (Director) is curers that changed one boy’s life rently the Associate Artistic Direcforever. Freak or hero? Trevor is tor at Village Theatre in Seattle. about to find out with a little help He directed the World Premieres from mr. right. Join triple-threat of “Lizard Boy,” “The NoteworSeattle artist Justin Huertas and thy Life of Howard Barnes,” friends for one fateful night of “Jasper in Deadland,” “String,” adventure, music and love set “The Yellow Wood,” and “The on the streets of Seattle. Equal Hinterlands.” His Broadway parts comic book lore, comingcredits include associate directof-age love story and irrepressing “A Christmas Story” and ible tunes, audiences can expect “First Date,” dramaturgy for the unexpected in this indie rock “Catch Me If You Can,” and asmusical.” - LizardMusical.com sisting the writers of “Next to Featuring an infectious score Normal.” He has worked on that’s been streamed more productions at leading theatres than one million times on Spoacross the country including The tify, “Lizard Boy” explores a Public Theater/Joe’s Pub, HERE first date turned mythological Arts Center, Prospect Theatre journey. The original cast memCompany, Paper Mill Playhouse, bers will reprise their roles at Signature Theatre, Barrington TheatreWorks with playwright/ Stage Company, Goodspeed composer-lyricist Justin HuerMusicals, Ford’s Theatre, The tas alongside Kirsten “Kiki” Kennedy Center, Seattle Rep, DideLohr Helland and William A. versionary Theatre, and The 5th Williams — all making their TheAvenue Theatre where he spent atreWorks Silicon Valley debuts four seasons as Casting Director. at the Mountain View Center For Ivie is the Drama League DirectThe Performing Arts. ing Fellow, holds the Charles AbA self-professed comic book bott Directing Fellowship, and nerd, Huertas found inspiration participated in the LCT Directors for “Lizard Boy” from a lifeLab. “Lizard Boy” features scenic design by L.B. Morse, scenic adaptation by Andrea Bechert, costume design by Erik Andor, lighting design by Robert J. Aguilar, and sound design by Jeff Mockus. Taylor McQuesten serves as stage manager, with Emily Anderson Wolf and Chloe Rose Schweizer as assistant stage managers.

Up close and personal with Lizard Boy In an interview with the Asian Journal, Huertas shared how he came up with Lizard Boy as a character as well as the ideation process behind his first foray into musicals.

Asian Journal (AJ): What was the ideation behind creating ‘Lizard Boy?’ Why did you choose a lizard as a character?

Justin Huertas (JH): Lizard skin Trevor (Justin Huertas) and Cary (William A. Williams) are threatened by Siren (Kirsten “Kiki” deLohr Helland) in TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s was something that was chosen “Lizard Boy,” performing October 6-31 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.

Photos by Kevin Berne on instinct. This is the first muby

time love of Marvel. As a Filipino American, Huertas grew up watching his favorite character, Spider-Man, and many other caped crusaders being portrayed primarily by white actors. This lack of representation among Filipino Americans inspired him to create “Lizard Boy”. Trevor (the main character portrayed

by Huertas himself) did not feel that he fit in because of his lizard scales and the color of his skin.

He unlocks his true powers and discovers himself as he endeavors to save the world.

Commissioned by Seattle Repertory Theatre, “Lizard Boy” debuted in 2015 to sold-out houses — sweeping the Seattle awards season. It continued to develop through productions at San Diego’s Diversionary Theatre, staged readings at Playwrights Horizons, and became a recent favorite at the 2020 National Alliance for Musical Theatre Festival.

A Seattle-based award-winning playwright, composer-lyricist, actor, and musician, Huertas also wrote “The Last World Octopus Wrestling Champion” (co-composed with Steven Tran) for ArtsWest Playhouse & Gallery, and “Lydia & the Troll” (co-created

by Ameenah Kaplan) for Seattle

AJPress

celebrityworld

Cary (William A. Williams) looks on as Trevor (Justin Huertas) is enchanted by Siren (Kirsten “Kiki” deLohr Helland) in TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s “Lizard Boy,” at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.

sical I ever wrote, I was in my early twenties, and I had no idea what I was doing, so I often went off of instinct and asked myself questions like: “What do I want to see on stage?” or “What do I want to do as an actor?” I knew I wanted to be a superhero. I knew that I wanted my superhero to be queer, but I didn’t want his queerness to be the source of his trauma. So, his struggle and coming of age would come from something else and that would also be the source of his power.

I chose lizard skin almost arbitrarily and it wasn’t until I was developing the show further that I understood I was writing about my experience growing up Brown in primarily white spaces.

Trevor’s struggles with identity were actually an exact parallel to my own when I was young.

AJ: What about the music? Why did you choose indie rock as a genre for your musical? What would you say were your strongest influences?

JH: Indie rock and pop were some of my favorite genres to listen to. I learned to play guitar, I had just come off of playing cello on the Broadway National Tour of ‘Spring Awakening,’ so this kind of music was something I felt very close to. It also felt like a very intuitive genre for me to write lyrics to. Whenever I’m writing songs, I want the lyrics to be sung with the same energy and emotion I’d use to yell them

or scream them. And for me, that aligns with folk, indie, rock, and pop.

AJ: Would you say that Seattle’s reputation as the birthplace of grunge/alternative rock was also influential in your musical pursuits/endeavors?

JH: I think Seattle’s musical influence on me was mostly unconscious. I wanted to set some of the shows in a Seattle rock venue, The Crocodile, which in the past was a dingy dive like CBGB. That aesthetic ended up informing what our set would look like, which then very much influenced how I’d write.

AJ: You said Lizard Boy’s music started with you teaching every song by ear. What would you say inspired the arrangement and lyricization of the music while you were doing it “on the fly like a garage band?”

JH: Yeah, I’d write songs alone on a guitar, and then bring them into rehearsal and teach them by ear, which was also an intuitive process for me. Kiki and Bill are close friends who I’ve played music with before, and that’s how I’d teach them any song. The cool thing about this process is that because we have that built-in friendship and vocabulary, we’re so game to experiment and pick up different instruments or try crazy harmonies, whatever best serves this new song. Traditionally, in workshops for musicals, PAGE 12

Alexandra Garcia becomes first Filipina to win Miss Aura Int’l title

By Ferdie Villar FILIPINA Alexandra Faith Garcia has added herself to the list of international beauty queens from the Philippines.

The Olongapo native was recently crowned Miss Aura International 2021, beating 30 other contestants. In doing so, she became the first Filipina to win the title since the pageant started 16 years ago (it was formerly known as Miss Kremer International).

According to the Philippine Star, joining Garcia in the winner’s circle are Romania’s Alexandra Strue (1st runner-up), Ukraine’s Katerina Pidkopai (2nd runner-up), Colombia’s Maria del Mar Meza (3rd runner-up) and France’s Cassandra de Sousa (4th runner-up).

It was not an easy-breezy trip for Garcia as she had to get past many hurdles to compete at the pageant held in Antalya, Turkey.

In an Instagram post, Garcia said that after being appointed as the first Filipina to represent the country in the pageant, she and her team had to negotiate the visa process during the pandemic. She also had to brave herself for a long flight and had to travel by herself with all the luggage and boxes containing her

national costume.

In that same post, she said on being crowned the winner, “I’m still in awe with all of the things that had happened. Thank you so much everyone for the love & support that you have given me.

It would not be possible without all of you. Para sayo ito, mahal kong Pilipinas. [Philippine flag image].”

In another post, Garcia said, “A crown comes with an enormous responsibility. [crown emoji] One of my happiest moments will always be representing our beautiful country. Thank you, God, for letting my dreams do come true.

Being crowned as Miss Aura International 2021 is my ultimate dream, and I will forever treasure this moment. Every experience I had here in Antalya, Turkey is worth remembering, especially the wonderful and breathtaking haven of Rixos Sungate. Thank you for teaching me that nothing can stop anyone from dreaming - even in the midst of pandemic and adversities. You can always make things possible. I will always be grateful that I brought joy and pride to my compatriots and to my beloved country. I will forever carry the Philippines sash

Actor Marvin Agustin believes in being honest and transparent to kids, even when it comes to financial matters. Photo from Instagram/@marvinagustin

Alexandra Faith Garcia was recently crowned as 2021 Miss 2021 Miss Aura International winner Alexandra Garica (center) and her court, namely Romania’s Alexandra Strue (1st runner-up), Aura International in pageant festivities held at Antalya, Ukraine’s Katerina Pidkopai (2nd runner-up), Colombia’s Maria del Mar Meza (3rd runner-up) and France’s Cassandra de Sousa Turkey.

Photo from Instagram/@f8garcia (4th runner-up).

Photo from Instagram/@f8garcia

across my heart.” *** Actor Marvin Agustin believes in being honest and transparent as a parent to his kids with former partner Tetet Dy. In a story on PEP.ph, Agustin says that he shares important details with his 16-year-old twins Sebastian and Santiago, even when it comes to money matters.

“I share with them what I go through. Kasi yung mga nakikita online, that’s just the result of

2019 Miss Universe semifinalist and Cebu resident Gazini Ganados (in an Oliver Tolentino creation) walked the runway at the Los Angeles Fashion Week Day 2 Red Carpet Collection Spring Summer 2022 held at the Petersen Automotive Museum Rooftop last Friday, October 8.

Photo by John Salangsang, courtesy of Oliver Tolentino

hard work, determination, and sacrifices that we do. During pandemic, it would be a choice for someone to just feel the burden and to lose hope. Pero hindi iyon ang tingin kong dapat na attitude, so kinukuwento ko sa kanila kung gaano ako katakot kung ano ang mangyayari sa amin,” Agustin was quoted as saying.

A recent conversation that he had with his kids on their choices for schooling was dealt with, and he even told the kids that he would borrow the money from their mom and pay her back.

“Pinapakita ko sa kanila yung totoong situation. I’m always honest with them, with what I go through in life,” he related.

Now that his kids are teenagers, Agustin sees the value in maintaining a good balance of strictness and leniency.

“Balance lang palagi. Sometimes kailangan maging strict, kailangan [din] magluwag nang konti so they would discover... and huwag silang matakot magexplore para mas matututo sila, because that’s how we learn about life,” he explained.

Marvin also listens to his kids more now that they’re grown up.

“So, I actually listen to them now more than me telling them what to do. Yung stage na kung ano yung mga paghihigpit or pag-i-instill ko sa kanila ng values, medyo tapos na. Ngayon, mas pinakikinggan ko na sila kung ano ba yung naging resulta ng pagpapalaki ko sa kanila,” he said.

Filipino designer Oliver Tolentino (with the models at his runway show) was the closing act during the recently-concluded Los Angeles Fashion Week Day 2 Red Carpet Collection Spring Summer 2022 held at Petersen Automotive Museum Rooftop.

Photo by John Salangsang, courtesy of Oliver Tolentino

From left: Philippine-based show director Concon Sinel, fashion designers Jhay Layson and Laura Santos, and Bay Area journalist Bradford Adkins were LA Fashion Week front row guests at the Oliver Tolentino show during the recently-concluded Los Angeles Fashion Week Day 2 Red Carpet Collection Spring Summer 2022 held at Petersen Automotive Museum Rooftop.

Photo by Dion C. Trinidad/NYC

Features

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

Graton participates in local Asian community events

ROHNERT PARK, CA – Graton Resort & Casino is participating in several local events to support the Asian communities while welcoming guests to experience its Four Diamond quality standard casino and resort.

Graton is joining the Chinese Hospital to raise funds to support needs represented by the $35 million Momentum Fund. The funds will also be used to help protect those in SF Chinatown who are the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic and protect them from infection. The Chinese Hospital 26th Golf Tournament will be held on October 4 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. Non-golfers are also welcome to join the VIP reception at 4 p.m. The event includes a live auction, an awards dinner, and wine.

In addition, Graton will celebrate the Filipino culture by sponsoring The Adobo Virtual Festival which is hosted by J.S. Camins Productions.

While the pandemic is still ongoing, J.S. Camins Productions works to provide the best 360° virtual experience for the guest, ensuring good audience reception, and creating an impact for this year’s festival. Attendees will experience Filipino culture and the popular Filipino culinary dish “adobo” will be demonstrated.

Last but not least, Graton will be sponsoring the 33rd Annual Fall Benefit, A Night in Tuscany, host-

ed by the North Bay Children’s Center on October 30th. Dedicated to providing children from less fortunate backgrounds with equal access to quality care and early education, this gala fundraiser will help ensure that NBCC reaches their goal. With this year’s event being set as a hybrid, guests will be given the opportunity to attend the gala in person or in the comfort of their home, with wine and a delivered 3-course meal for two while watching the live-stream program online.

Located in Sonoma County, Graton Resort & Casino has a commanding presence among the rolling hills of Northern California’s wine country.

Owned and operated by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Graton Resort & Casino features table games, the latest slot machines, upscale and casual dining, plus entertainment options for visitors and locals alike. For more information, please visit www.gratonresortcasino.com.

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 15-21, 2021

11

Hypergrowth global expansion of Epiphany Café commences as part of SFIO’s $100-M business roadmap to be achieved by 2022 SMOKEFREE Innotec, Inc. (“SFIO”) announces the opening of franchising slots for Epiphany Café in the U.S., Australia, UAE and Canada, following the completion of acquisition of Agrokings Inc. This will be marketed as part of SFIO’s global investor roadshows, which will be held in key states in the U.S., including Los Angeles, Arizona, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York, from October 2021 onwards. A new name for SFIO is also well underway.

Meanwhile, SFIO’s ‘The Global Academy’ — a masterclass and business coaching arm of the company — has been established, which will lead the global marketing campaign of SFIO by conducting informative sessions to highlight the entrepreneurial mindset about investing and owning a business.

A key part of SFIO’s strategy is tapping into businesses and individuals who are in the sharing economy, which is aligned with its business model and particularly, the integration of co-ownership and micro-business concepts in the holistic franchise model of Epiphany Café.

This fully integrated Epiphany

Café franchise system will be epitomized at its upcoming pilot stores and is backed up by robust industry and market research to ensure the viability and sustainability of the business.

SFIO has recently fully-owned Australian-based subsidiary, Accord Investment Group (AIG), and has successfully completed the strategic acquisition of MLV Group and Big Lou’s Donuts (BLD).

BLD is a successful Australian company headquartered in Melbourne that specializes in producing a wide range of commercial donuts for retail and wholesale supermarkets across Australia. The state-of-the-art donut factory of BLD is capable of producing more than 9,000 donuts per hour. The facility will be utilized by SFIO to produce Epiphany Café’s pillow-soft donuts as part of its expansion plan in Australia.

Additionally, SFIO has also successfully acquired MLV Group – a well-established accounting firm, 100% Filipinoowned company in Australia serving more than 5,000 FilipinoAustralian clients which has a seen growth rate of more than 30% annually due to its reliable,

professional, and trustworthy services. MLV Group will also provide accounting and financial services to the SFIO conglomerate while pursuing its accounting firm expansion throughout Australia.

“The acquisitions will expedite the expansion of Epiphany Café in Australia. Big Lou’s donut factory will be utilized as the central commissary to supply the Epiphany Café outlets with its signature pillow-soft donuts using SFIO’s Smart-Freeze technology while continuing Big Lou’s supply of commercial donuts to supermarkets across Australia,” says Jeths Lacson, CEO and Chairman of SFIO. There will be more synergistic companies to be acquired in the next 12 months to bring value to the conglomerate to strengthen the portfolio of the company.

SFIO’s official website (www.sfio. co.nz) is now live with relevant and informative content about the company and its subsidiaries.

Investor pitch deck and calendar of events pertaining to SFIO’s global campaign and roadshows will be posted on the website soon. Stay tuned for more updates.

(Advertising Supplement)

(Advertising Supplement)

Commissioner Lara announces comprehensive...

PAGE 8

the first-of-its-kind Wildfire Partnership with Governor Newsom’s administration, including CAL FIRE, CalOES, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, and the California Public Utilities Commission to establish a com-

mon set of home and community hardening measures for insurance. This group is expected to complete its work later this year.

“It’s critical that insurance reflect the real risk of wildfire losses, including the hard work consumers are doing to protect their

properties,” added Commissioner Lara. “With our agricultural businesses rolling up their sleeves, we need to see the same commitment from our insurance industry to long-term solutions.”

(CA Dep’t of Insurance ReEpiphany Cafe kiosk lease)

File photo courtesy of SFIO

12

OctOber 15-21, 2021 • NOrcAL ASIAN JOUrNAL

Features

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

99 Ranch opens new store in Fremont Rising from the ashes: Fil-Am playwright...

LEADING Asian grocery chain 99 Ranch Market recently opened its new store in Fremont, CA on Wednesday, October 6. The grand opening, which was a huge hit in the Fremont community, was marked with special deals and giveaways (goodie bags) to the first 200 customers. The grocery chain continued its goodie bag promotions in the following two days of the grand opening.

The latest 99 Ranch Market store is located at 46551 Mission Blvd., Fremont, CA 94539.

According to Teddy Chow, Vice President for Marketing and Promotions, the Fremont store fits into their business model as the community has a diversified population who has a huge demand for Asian and mainstream grocery items.

“We know that this is a good location for us,” Chow told the Asian Journal in a brief interview.

“We can fulfill people’s needs and provide them a new concept and new experience of shopping.”

Chow revealed that aside from a new design, the 30,000square-foot store will feature a more than 400-seat capacity food court scheduled to open in late October, which will have popular eateries like Chicken Meets Rice, Shiba Ramen, Kokolo Donburi and One Zo, aside from their own dimsum and food-to-go counter; the Piju Social Hour bar, which will allow patrons to socialize and order their favorite alcoholic beverages; a Bakery, for people to buy or order baked goods like breads, cakes and pastries; and the usual store sections (produce, meat & seafood) and aisles laden with a good cross-section of Asian and mainstream grocery items

PAGE 10

Hundreds of shoppers visited the 99 Ranch Market Fremont branch’s grand opening day, taking advantage of the huge deals and giveaways available at the store.

Picks” or “Great Deals.”

Along with clean, clearlymarked grocery aisles that carry hundreds and hundreds of soughtafter items, shoppers can find select seafood and meat as well as neatly-packed and arranged produce (fruit and vegetables) in the store, some of which are sourced from local suppliers by the grocery giant.

99 Ranch Market was established in 1984 by Mr. Roger Chen. As a Taiwanese immigrant, he noticed a cultural gap in the typical American supermarket where he saw a need for an Asian supermarket in surrounding communities. He filled that gap and thus, the very first 99 Ranch Market was born. The company slogan, “For 100, we try harder” demonstrates our commitment to always provide the best products and services to the communities we serve. “Ranch Market” represents freshness and symbolizes our promise to deliver the freshest products. With the support of our loyal customers, hardworking employees, and supportive vendors, 99 Ranch Market has grown to become one of the largest Asian supermarket chains with more than 60 stores across 10 states.

The success of 99 Ranch Market in the supermarket industry has made the brand more than just a typical grocery chain store as they have become closely associated with Asian American communities. 99 Ranch Market strives to give back and enrich lives with various community involvement programs. 99 Ranch Market is proud to become the “Gateway to Asia” and provide opportunities for mainstream American families and global customers to experience the authentic flavors of Asian cuisines.

For more information about the A new feature at the Fremont store is the “Latest Trends in Store” shelf which shows new Fremont store of 99 Ranch the top items being bought via the 99 Ranch A new interior design concept features dark Market, please go to 99ranch.

Market mobile app, which is also available for colors and new lighting designed to highlight com or call 510-487-8899. purchase by shoppers in the store.

that people have come to love and that 99 Ranch Market is known to carry.

The interior design concept in the Fremont store, which features darker colors, a new lighting scheme and higher ceilings, Chow added, are executed to highlight the food items, and bring a cozy, elegant atmosphere for shoppers to enjoy.

Future 99 Ranch Market locations will also carry the new interior design, which, Teddy said, is still being tweaked and developed as more restaurants and business partners join their operations.

One thing that grocery shoppers will notice is that the 99 Ranch Market in Fremont has a space devoted to the “Latest Trends in Store,” which is an offshoot of their mobile app. The section features top items that online shoppers are ordering that can also be purchased by shoppers in the store.

99 Ranch Market has also clearly marked special buy items in the store, with some stands designated with signage stating, “Best Choice,” “On Sale,” “Top

grocery and food items within the store.

(Advertising Supplement)

the composer would create a new song and send it off to the copyist to create sheet music and, depending on the resources, that sheet music would be plopped in front of an actor two days later. But with Lizard Boy, if I’m struck with inspiration some night and I write a song, I can literally bring it in the next morning and start jamming on it with my castmates.

AJ: When you said that you are still ‘gearing up for a third revised production’ and that ‘the score isn’t quite frozen,’ what should fans of ‘Lizard Boy’ expect?

JH: A new song! While we’ve had two productions, we’re a small crew with limited time Trevor (Justin Huertas, center) debates leaving his apartment with encouragement from Siren and resources, so not only am I (left, Kirsten “Kiki” deLohr Helland) and Cary (William A. Williams) in TheatreWorks Silicon Photo by Kevin Berne constantly wanting more time to Valley’s “Lizard Boy.” experiment and try new things that you are most proud of?

Spotify), “Lizard Boy” is directed before we freeze the show. With JH: I think what makes me most by Brandon Ivie with book, muTheatreWorks and our ‘Lizard proud is, honestly, our pride. Fili- sic, and lyrics by Justin Huertas.

Boy’ producers, we’ve been pino people have been through a “Lizard Boy” will be pregranted so much more time and lot. A lot of what Filipino-Ameri- sented from until October 31, space to continue creating, and cans are now comes from centu- 2021 at Mountain View Center I’m so excited to share with fans ries of colonization, and we are for the Performing Arts (500 what we’ve created! constantly being tasked to reject Castro Street, Mountain View).

AJ: As a Filipino American, and embrace aspects of our colo- Single tickets (starting at $30) did you seek inspiration from nization. But instead of saying will be available September 8, Philippine folklore to build your ‘we aren’t this’ or ‘we aren’t that,’ 2021 and 2021-22 subscriptions ‘Lizard Boy’ character? we say, we are everything. Ev- are available now. For more inJH: I actually didn’t! I created erything that came before — all formation the public may visthis character on instinct and the trauma and suffering, all the it TheatreWorks.org or call (650) created new mythology based independence and celebration, 463-1960. on all the superhero comic books our grandmothers, our siblings, “Lizard Boy” will also be ofand television shows I grew up and however we decide to pass fered via video streaming, allowloving. I was definitely inspired that experience down to the next ing patrons to watch either from after creating ‘Lizard Boy’ to generation — we are all of that. home or in-theatre and making dive into my Filipino-American Lizard Boy: A theatrical joy these shows accessible to addiidentity and that shows up in my ‘Lizard Boy’ has been lauded tional audience members — inother shows. as “a sure sign that the Ameri- cluding those unable or unready AJ: In FabulousWashington. can musical is as novelistic, vi- to attend in-person. More inforcom, you spoke about Sara brant, fearless, and joyous as mation will be available soon Porkalob as being one of your ever” by the San Diego Reader. at TheatreWorks.org. Media sources of inspiration. What is A completely fresh and original sponsor for TheatreWorks Siliit about ‘Dragon Lady’ and ‘The show with wonderfully inven- con Valley’s 2021/2022 season is Dragon Cycle’ trilogy which tive staging” by BroadwayWorld. the San Francisco Chronicle and drew you in? com. The San Diego Union-Tri- SFGATE. (AJPress) JH: Sara is a super close friend bune called it “innovative, funny, (TheatreWorks recently anof mine. She and I connected for and wildly entertaining” as well nounced COVID-19 health and a random project back in 2016 as “smart, tight, heartwarming, safety requirements and will reand we truly never left each oth- hilarious, and filled with theatri- quire proof of vaccination and er’s sides. When I finally got to cal surprises.” masks for all staff and audience see ‘Dragon Lady’ (this was after TheatreWorks Silicon Val- members entering any of its theI’d written and performed ‘Lizard ley returns to in-person perfor- atres, offices, and public spaces Boy’ and worked on new com- mances, launching its 51st sea- through December 31, 2021. missions), it was the first time I’d son with the new indie folk-rock Patrons must present a vaccinaever seen a story about a family musical, Lizard Boy. A cast of tion card, a photo of the card, or that resembled my own. I hadn’t three exceptionally talented ac- a digital vaccine record via myseen a Filipino family on stage tor/singer/musicians play myriad vaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov with like that before, and I truly had instruments from cello to guitar, matching ID. Patrons who are a moment of “oh wait, we can do piano, ukulele, and even kazoo in legally exempted from being that? We can share our stories telling this fresh comic book-in- vaccinated must reach out to the like that?” fused tale set in modern-day Se- TheatreWorks Box Office at least AJ: Growing up in Washing- attle. With an infectious original four days prior to their perforton state as a Filipino American, soundtrack (already capturing mance. All attendees must rewhat is it about being Filipino more than one million streams on main masked while indoors.)

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

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 15-21, 2021

13

14

OctOber 15-21, 2021 • NOrcAL ASIAN JOUrNAL

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