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OCTOBER 16-22, 2020 Volume 13 - No. 50 • 16 Pages 133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, NY 11354 • Tel. (212) 655-5426 • Fax: (818) 502-0858

DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Bay Area Fil-Am father in desperate need for Filipino stem cell donor People of color, including Filipinos, are less likely to find a stem cell match on national registry ALAMEDA, CA — In a year marred by crises of varying proportions, everything feels a little bit precarious. Political divisions layered over a global health crisis and the quick erosion of socioeconomic normalities continue to shake the public consciousness. And just because the COVID-19 remains

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Throngs of people gathered along Roxas Boulevard on September 20, for a chance to view the Manila Bay white sand. Inquirer.net photo by Marianne Bermudez

Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

IMF: PH to suffer biggest blow from COVID-19 in region by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday, October 13, downgraded its gross domestic product (GDP) forecast for the Phil-

ippines this year following the slowdown in private investment and consumption due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. In its October 2020 World Economic Outlook (WEO) report, the multilateral lender said the country’s GDP is expected to con-

tract by -8.3 percent, which is a decline from its -3.6 percent projection in June. The contraction is deeper compared to Thailand’s -7.1 percent, Singapore’s -6 percent, and Indonesia’s -1.5 percent. China

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COVID-19 cases in Philippines rise to 346,536 with nearly 2,000 new infections by GAEA

KATREENA Philstar.com

CABICO

MANILA — The Department of Health reported 1,910 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to over 346,000. To date, the new coronavirus has infected 346,536 people in the Philippines, of which 13% were active cases or people still undergoing treatment or quarantine. This was the second consecutive day that additional COVID-19 cases were fewer than 2,000. Wednesday’s figure was based on the submission of all but 11 testing laboratories.

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RAIN OR SHINE. A man sells face shields and alcohol displayed at the trunk of his car amid heavy rains along Mother Ignacia Avenue in Quezon City on Wednesday, October 14. Tropical Depression Ofel brought light to moderate rains over Metro Manila and parts of Luzon throughout the day. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

DENR: Manila Velasco is new PH House US Census count cut short Bay dolomite Speaker, Cayetano resigns after Supreme Court ruling not washed out AJP by RITCHEL

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

MENDIOLA

AJPress

THE Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Wednesday, October 14, maintained that dolomite “white sand” along Manila Bay was not washed out by the recent rains. “Wala pong na wash out, hindi po nabawasan yung ating white dolomite ang

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THE Philippine House of Representatives on Tuesday, October 13, ratified the election of Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco as the new speaker, unseating Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano. In a plenary session inside the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City, a total of 186 House members voted to ratify Velasco’s election in a

bid to remove doubts over the legality of Monday’s plenary session at the Celebrity Sports Plaza in Quezon City where the same number of lawmakers elected Velasco for speakership. “This is for our people, for this august body and the institution we call Congress, for the word of honor of our beloved President Duterte, and for God who makes all this happen, we will not let you down!” Velasco vowed as the new House leader.

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by

RESS

IN the latest debacle over the decennial enumeration, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to halt all counting efforts on Thursday, October 15, two weeks before the deadline. The high court on Tuesday, October 13 approved

the administration’s request to suspend a lower court’s order that extended the census’ deadline to the end of the month. Justice Sonia Sotomayor was the only dissenter, saying that “the harms associated with an inaccurate census are avoidable and intolerable.”

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OCTOBER 16-22, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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From the Front Page

Family of missing Filipino man in Ontario, ‘This is what we needed this year’: Fil-Am Laker CA requesting public’s help in search fans react to the team’s 17th championship title by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

A FILIPINO American family in Ontario, California is desperately calling upon the public to help search for an older family member who has been missing since mid-September. The person missing is Mauricio “Jun” Acero, who was last seen on Sept. 16. Acero’s family has since filed a missing persons case with the Ontario Police Department. According to Acero’s daughter MJ, the 62-year-old Filipino “was last seen wearing orange shorts, a blue shirt and black tennis shoes.” Acero is 5’7” and around 180 lbs, and he has a tattoo of Jesus Christ on his chest. Additionally, he was last seen around Sultana Elementary School located at 1845 S. Sultana Ave. in Ontario. The search for Acero is urgent due to his intensive medical needs, his daughter said.

Mauricio “Jun” Acero

“PLEASE NOTE that he takes medication for his diabetes, depression and bipolar disorder and hasn’t been on them since he went missing,” MJ Acero wrote on Facebook. She added that it is possible that her father may be anywhere in the Inland Empire since he has been missing for more than two weeks. For Inland Empire Filipinos who live in and around Ontario, Acero often takes walks near the intersection of Eu-

Photo courtesy of Acero family

clid Avenue and Philadelphia Street. The family is urging the public to share this information in hopes for Acero’s safe return. For more information or if you have any information that could help in the search, please contact the following: Maureen Acero (909) 5448482; Vicky Acero (909) 2189356; Celia Acero (805) 8243354; Minda Hogue (760) 668-8419; or Corazón Bacosa (626) 967-4639. n

LOS ANGELES — When it became clear that the Los Angeles Lakers would clinch their 17th NBA Championship, Josemaria Esteban began to cry tears of joy. The 38-year-old registered nurse in Northridge is a lifelong fan of the Lakers and, in particular, an admirer of the late great Kobe Bryant. “I was beyond excited when it became clear that the Lakers would get their 17th Championship. It’s not an uncommon moment for Lakers

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

IMF: PH to suffer biggest blow from... PAGE 1 and Vietnam are seen booking GDP growths of 1.9 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively. Taiwan’s GDP, meanwhile, is expected to stay flat. “The downward revision of 2020 growth forecasts for the Philippines from -3.6 percent in the June WEO to -8.3 percent in the October WEO mostly reflects a larger-than-expected downturn in Q2 and a more gradual resolution of the pandemic as witnessed over the past months, with prolonged social distancing,” IMF country representative Yongzheng Yang said via email. The country’s economy experienced a record contraction of 16.5 percent in the second quarter after a national lockdown was imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19.

“Despite a somewhat softer global contraction expected in the October WEO, weak public confidence and low remittances in the Philippines as a result of the pandemic are expected to continue weighing on private investment and consumption,” Yang said. “The negative impacts of COVID-19 are expected to be only partially offset by policy support,” he added. For next year, the IMF expects the country’s economy to rebound and grow by 7.4 percent, which is better than the 6.8 percent it projected earlier. “We have seen some signs of recovery in high frequency data with the gradual reopening of the economy,” Yang said. “Real GDP is projected to expand by 7.4 percent in 2021, helped by” in addition

to the base effect” an expected rebound in pent-up demand from the relaxation of quarantine measures and continued effects of the policy easing in 2020,” he added. However, Yang noted that the Philippines will be left significantly scarred by the pandemic. “Significant scarring effects (e.g., hysteresis, bankruptcies) are expected and it will take a couple of years before real GDP to return to the pre-pandemic (2019) level,” he said. “Over the medium term, the COVID-19 crisis is expected to result in lower levels of potential output and higher structural unemployment, but real GDP growth is expected to converge back to potential, of 6.5 percent by 2025,” he added. n

US Census count cut short after... PAGE 1 “And respondents will suffer their lasting impact for at least the next 10 years,” she added. This comes after a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit rejected the administration’s request and said that the count should continue until October 31. Following the ruling on Tuesday, the U.S. Census Bureau released a statement, saying that the option to self respond online would be available through Octo-

ber 15, 2020 through 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time at 2020census.gov. “As of [Tuesday], well over 99.9% of housing units have been accounted for in the 2020 Census. Self-response and field data collection operations for the 2020 Census will conclude on October 15, 2020,” the bureau said. The phone response option was also made available through Thursday, while paper responses had to be postmarked by that date. Meanwhile, nonresponse

followup census takers were to finish enumeration efforts by the new deadline. The administration argued that in order to meet the deadline of Dec. 31 to submit the data to the president, the data collection would need to end immediately. The census count determines how many seats each state gets in the U.S. House of Representatives and how federal funds are distributed to communities for services from medical services to after-school programs. n


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OCTOBER 16-22, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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COVID-19 cases in Philippines rise to... PAGE 1 Latest data from the department showed that 624 or 33% of the newly-reported cases were from Metro Manila. It was followed by Cavite (219), Batangas (104), Rizal (91) and Negros Occidental (63). The DOH also reported 78 new deaths due to COVID19, bringing the death toll to 6,449. Most of the additional fatalities were from Metro Manila (35) and Calabarzon (12). Meanwhile, the number of recoveries is up by 579, raising the total to 293,860. Total recoveries accounted for around 85% of the country’s confirmed cases. OCTA research team’s recommendation Researchers studying the coronavirus pandemic in the country recommended that the towns of Bauan in Batangas, Calbayog in Western Samar and General Trias in

Cavite be reverted to stricter quarantine classification due to spikes in COVID-19 cases. This prompted the Malacañang to urge the OCTA Research team to avoid publicizing their recommendations on quarantine status in the country to avoid pre-empting the government. Professor Guido David, OCTA Research team member, said in a CNN Philippines interview that the group has been “doing this as a public service.” In a press briefing Wednesday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the department “notes” the research team’s recommendations. “We are noting different recommendations coming from different institutions and this recommendation, when we looked at the data, the analysis is the same,” Vergeire said in Filipino.

She added that the major determinant for imposing or easing quarantine measures is the health system capacity of a certain area. The Cabinet approved a one-seat-apart rule on public transport and allowed the expansion of the age bracket of people who can go out as the country reopens its economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. More than 3.976 million people have been tested for coronavirus in the country. The Philippines has the most number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia and among the top 20 countries in terms of coronavirus infections despite implementing one of the longest lockdowns. COVID-19 has so far claimed the lives of 1.08 million victims from more than 38 million recorded infections since the virus emerged in China late last year. n

Velasco is new PH House... PAGE 1 He also stressed the importance of “word of honor,” apologizing to President Rodrigo Duterte over the “perceived rejection” of the termsharing agreement that the Chief Executive brokered. “A rejection of the agreement is a rejection of palabra de honor, and likewise a rejection of Mayor-President Rodrigo Duterte himself. If this agreement is honored in the breach, what future

agreement will not be subjected to doubt and disbelief owing to our failure to honor it?” Velasco said. “Let us show our countrymen that loyalty and fidelity to the promises we make are not mere conveniences for us. Let us be good examples of palabra de honor, and demonstrate that our word is our bond,” he added. Resignation Cayetano tendered his irrevocable resignation as House

Speaker following the ratification of Velasco’s election. “From the start I have always said that I will abide by what the president, as leader of our coalition, will say,” he wrote in a Facebook post. “Today, given the untenable political situation that Congress has been placed, and the possible damage to the country if the 2021 budget is not passed on time — I take his admonition to put

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DENR: Manila Bay dolomite... PAGE 1 nadagdagan tayo ng black sand galing sa ilalim ng dagat (Nothing was washed out, the black sand from the sea were instead washed in from the sea),” DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda said in a briefing. According to him, about two to three inches of black sand settled on top of the dolomite white sand after being “washed in” by the recent rains. Antiporda stressed that authorities will clean up the darker sand. “Kaya ho hindi pa talaga mini-maintain ngayon dahil this is still under the jurisdiction of the contractor (The reason why we are not yet maintaining is because this is still under the jurisdiction of the contractor),” he said. He likewise turned down

the suggestion of marine biologists from the University of the Philippines to plant mangroves in Manila Bay. “You cannot put it in the middle of the baywalk area wherein it will destroy the landscape, hindi magandang tingnan and at the same time hindi mabubuhay dito sa lugar na to yung mangrove (it will not be pleasant to the eyes and at the same time the mangroves will not survive in the area),” Antiporda said. Last month, Manila Bay temporarily opened for two days to showcase the artificial “white sand beach” implemented under the DENR’s P389-million Manila Bay rehabilitation program. The Manila Bay opened to the public from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on September 19 and 20 after the completion of its makeover proj-

ect that involved pouring piles of crushed dolomite on the stretch of Manila Bay’s shore. Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, during Manila Bay’s reopening, maintained that the DENR will continue its work on Manila Bay despite the criticism that the artificial white sand beach project received. “Sadly there are those who are telling or accusing us of not contributing solutions. Finding fault just wanting to stop [these] beach nourishment activities here at Baywalk for reasons that are critical rather than environmental. We will not allow them to deter or distract us,” he said. “We have nothing to fear as long as we know that we are doing something good,” he added. n

Bay Area Fil-Am father in desperate... PAGE 1 at the fore of public health doesn’t mean other unfortunate health catastrophes take a backseat. For a Filipino American family in the Bay Area, the fight for soundness of mind is literally a matter of life and death. This year, Andrew, a 35year-old Sacramento-based father of two of Filipino heritage, was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare pre-leukemia disease, in June and he is in need of a stem cell transplant. MDS often goes unrecognized and, consequently, is an under-diagnosed group of bone marrow failure disorders. According to the MDS Foundation, between 12,000 and 20,000 new cases are reported every year with patients’ ages ranging from 33 to 55 years old. Organizations often try to connect patients with stem cell matches, like the Asian American Donor Program (AADP), a non-profit organization based in Northern California that works with a diverse array of blood cancer patients like Andrew to help them find a stem cell match. “Andrew is dependent on a stranger, most likely Filipino heritage or of Filipino and European heritage, to step forward and register,” AADP Executive Director Carol Gillespie said in a statement, stressing the necessity of more multiethnic donors and donors of color to help close existing ethnic health care gaps. Andrew is part Filipino with European ancestry, but after it was discovered that his family could not provide a match for him, the family began its search for a stranger who would be a match. Stem cell matches are based on ethnicity, specifically a patient’s human leukocyte antigen (HLA) tissue type. HLA contains key genetic characteristics and markers that make it possible to undergo a successful transplant. This complicates patients’ of color efforts to find a match and increase their chances of successful recoveries. The AADP said that people of color who are blood cancer patients are more likely to die from their illnesses than patients of European ancestry who are diagnosed with the same cancers. According to statistics provided to the Asian Journal, the likelihood of finding a matched donor from the national Be The

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

Andrew currently receives a weekly routine blood transfusion. Photo courtesy of TeamAndrewZ/Facebook

Match registry is 41% for Asians and Pacific Islanders, just above African Americans whose chances are 23%. “If there’s not enough donors on the registry, then it’s less likely that a patient will find someone with that same genetic marker,” said Mylanah Yolangco, a community engagement representative at AADP. Yolangco said that potential matches need to be between the ages of 18 and 44 and in “general good health.” Although the age range is wide, the younger the donor, the better the outcome, Yolangco added. The Be The Match registry — which is operated under the United States Health Resources and Services Administration’s National Marrow Donor Program — says on its website that transplants have higher success rates “when the HLA tissue type of the marrow donor or cord blood closely matches the patient’s.” It is crucial that patients like Andrew be able to find a match before it’s too late, and his family knows all too well the realities of MDS. Andrew’s father passed away from the genetic deficiency in 2014, according to a press release, which punctuates the urgency of Andrew’s search for a stem cell match. The news of Andrew’s diagnosis was a shock to the entire family, especially in a year that was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic “I guess to put it bluntly, it was like an insult to injury,” Jonah Candelaria, Andrew’s nephew, told the Asian Journal in an interview. “He’s an amazing father and he’s definitely a family man and he lives life to the fullest, and he loves his daughters and his wife very, very much,” Candelaria said, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic and the safer-at-home orders have

made coping with Andrew’s diagnosis doubly difficult. The distance between Candelaria and his uncle — who haven’t seen each other in person since Christmas of 2019 — has been hard on both nephew and uncle. But because the family is tightknit, not even the COVID-19 pandemic could dampen the family’s efforts to find a donor for Andrew. The family has set up a Facebook page to get the word out to potential donors and encourage anybody who may be eligible to request a swab kit. “Being Filipino, it’s just kind of inherent how we’re just naturally very close and there’s just a lot of love between everyone,” Candelaria said. “So when all this happened, we all kind of came together and did what we needed to do to try to find a donor. There was no hesitation.” Like nearly every other health care organization, the COVID-19 pandemic shifted daily affairs for the AADP, but the organization is still fully operational, and even those who are not located in the Bay Area could sign up on its website for a swab kit to help patients like Andrew. For those interested in registering as a potential stem cell donor, visit the AADP website to find out to receive a home swab kit. Yolangco added that even if potential donors aren’t a match for Andrew, they may be a match for someone else. “We really want to encourage as many people as we can to sign up,” Yolangco said. “If you think about it it’s kind of like an insurance policy and you never know who will be diagnosed with a blood cancer or disease. It could affect someone in their family down the line, and if we already have people signed up as donors, they’ll be able to find them and get a transplant.” (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress) n


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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 16-22, 2020

OPINION

5

FEATURES

Plantitos, plantitas

THE coronavirus lockdowns have an upside: they have given people time to stop and smell the roses literally. People cooped up in their homes, involuntarily or by choice to avoid COVID-19 infection, have taken to gardening, according to several reports. The phenomenon has even created new words to describe the budding gardeners: plantitos and plantitas. While gardening has become an environment-friendly way of de-stressing amid the pandemic restrictions, however, the renewed interest in plants has led to certain problems. In Baguio City, for example, officials have appealed to citizens to stop getting plants from parks. The city and neighboring La Trinidad Valley in Benguet, one of the country’s principal vegetable producing areas, are sources of a wide variety of flowers, potted succulents, cacti and other ornamental plants. The items are sold all over the country, including in Metro Manila, even if many of the species rarely thrive in the lowland heat. A bigger problem is that some of the new plant enthusiasts are poaching endangered

species from their natural habitats, either for personal enjoyment at home or for commercial propagation. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources sounded the alarm before the weekend about this emerging problem. Limited resources and personnel have long made the conservation of endangered flora and fauna in this country a challenge. The country is blessed with rich biodiversity. But illegal logging, slash-and-burn farming and unsustainable forestry activities have depleted forests and destroyed the habitats of many species, putting them on vulnerable or endangered lists. Environmental advocates are hoping that

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

the plantitos and plantitas in the time of COVID, apart from indulging their interest in gardening, will also find time to look at the problems confronting those who are working

to preserve this biodiversity. The enthusiasts may also help prevent poaching of flora from parks, where the plants are meant for the enjoyment of the general public. (Philstar.com)

DECISIONS 2020 : Comparing Trump, Biden health care plans (Part 2) The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS HEALTH CARE, more than ever, especially in the age of the coronavirus pandemic, remains to be the among the top concerns of the American people as we head to the polls to vote. In Part 1, I wrote about President Donald Trump’s

“America First Health Care Plan,” which just laid out the three pillars of his “vision” without details on how he plans to overhaul the Affordable Care Act — a campaign promise he has yet to deliver. Here is a summary of former Vice President Joe Biden’s detailed health care plan. Compare and contrast this with Trump’s plan and make a decision on whom to trust for your family’s health care and safety. The Biden plan to protect and build on the Affordable Care Act

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

buying your insurance on your own, or going without coverage altogether, the Biden Plan will give you the choice to purchase a public health insurance option like Medicare. • As in Medicare, the Biden public option will reduce costs for patients by negotiating lower prices from hospitals and other health care providers. It also will better coordinate among all of a patient’s doctors to improve the efficacy and quality of their care, and cover primary care without any co-payments. And it

will bring relief to small businesses struggling to afford coverage for their employees. • Increasing the value of tax credits to lower premiums and extend coverage to more working Americans. Today, families that make between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level may receive a tax credit to reduce how much they have to pay for health insurance on the individual marketplace. The dollar amount of the financial assistance is calculated to ensure each family does not have to pay more than a

certain percentage of their income on a silver (medium generosity) plan. Expanding coverage to low-income Americans. Access to affordable health insurance shouldn’t depend on your state’s politics. But today, state politics is getting in the way of coverage for millions of low-income Americans. Governors and state legislatures in 14 states have refused to take up the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of Medicaid eligibility, denying access to Medicaid for an esPAGE 10

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

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 16-22, 2020

Dateline PhiliPPines

AFP chief: Around P480 billion needed in next 18 years for modernization by Bella

Perez-ruBio Philstar.com

MANILA — The chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Tuesday confirmed that the military’s modernization program has suffered significant delays and needs funding worth P480 billion in the next 18 years to be executed. This comes after Senators Ping Lacson and Franklin Drilon flagged the “snail-paced” implementation of the same program during a hearing on the Department of National Defense’s budget for 2021 on Monday, October 12. During an online news forum hosted by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, Gen. Gil-

bert Gapay, AFP chief, identified three main factors which contributed to these delays: • lack of funds • flawed procurement process or the need for a defense procurement law • the COVID-19 pandemic “Right now, the [AFP] is facing several security challenges. We have internal threats from the CPP-NPA, from the local terrorist groups, and we have the West Philippine Sea, and we have to protect our maritime resources for the Filipino people and support the [national police] in their anti-criminality campaign. We really need these capabilities, and with these delays, of course...it impairs the accomplishment of our mission,” Gapay said.

‘Lack of funding’ Gapay emphasized that the program is delayed as far as its original time frame is concerned. The original timeline, he explained, began in 1995 with the passing of RA 7898, or the AFP Modernization Act which sought to develop a “credible defense posture with modern equipment” by 2010. However, the army chief said that only P55 billion of the needed P330 billion was received by the AFP for this. This time frame was updated by RA 10349, or the Revised AFP Modernization Act, in 2013. However, it seems that the military is still behind on implementing this timeline. PAGE 10

Palace: Cabinet proposes implementation of 4-hour curfew by LGUs by Krissy

aguilar Inquirer.net

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte’s Cabinet has recommended a reduced curfew to only four hours as the country aims to gradually jumpstart the economy amid the pandemic, Malacañang said on Wednesday, October 14. From the prevailing policy of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew hours, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the Cabinet suggested changing it to 12 a.m. to 4 a.m.

“Ang desisyon po ng Gabinete, irekomenda na nga sa lahat ng mga local government units na paikliin na iyong curfew,” Roque said in an interview over staterun People’s Television. (The Cabinet’s decision is to recommend to local government units to shorten the curfew.) “Iyan po ay rekomendasyon ng Gabinete, pero siyempre po dahil magpapasa sila ng ordinansa, nasa lokal na pamahalaan po iyan,” he added. (This is only the recom-

mendation of the Cabinet but of course, it is up to the local government if they will turn this into an ordinance.) Prior to the Cabinet meeting, San Juan City already shortened its curfew hours from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. to 12 midnight to 5 a.m. Apart from the decreased curfew, the Cabinet had also approved a one-seat-apart rule in public transportation and expanding the age group allowed to go out of their homes during community quarantine. n

Velasco is new PH House... PAGE 4 aside all politics and focus on the budget to heart, and with this, tender my irrevocable resignation as Speaker of the House of Representatives effective immediately,” he added. Cayetano also said he is leaving his post without any regrets. “I have done my best, I have given my all, I leave

with no regrets, and I hold no rancor in my heart towards anyone,” he said. Last week, Duterte directed Cayetano and Velasco to resolve the matter before it affects the timely passage of the proposed P4.5-trillion budget for 2021. He also called on Congress to conduct a special session on Oct. 13 to 16 to resume the congressional delibera-

tions on the proposed 2021 national budget and to avoid any further delays on its prompt passage. Cayetano and Velasco are supposed to be in a termsharing agreement, brokered by Duterte in 2019, where Cayetano will serve as speaker for 15 months before Velasco takes over for the remaining 21 months of their term. n

CLEAN UP. Workers clean the shorelines of the Manila Bay’s “white sand” beach on Roxas Boulevard, Manila on Tuesday, October 13. The debris and other solid wastes were swept to the shores of the bay due to the recent rains in Metro Manila. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

‘This is what we needed this year’... PAGE 4 fans since they’re one of the best teams in all of pro sports but to get it this year felt special,” Esteban told the Asian Journal in a recent phone interview. Filipinos Americans across the Southland erupted in cheers during Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, October 11 when the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 106-93 to emerge the victors of quite possibly the most unusual NBA season in history. It was easily one of the least contentious games of the series with the Lakers leading by double digits throughout most of the game, but the gravity of what an NBA Championship feels like for the population of Lakers fans across the world was like a Richter-breaking earthquake. Throughout the longest season of NBA history — which was extended due to the cancellation of the season after the COVID-19 pandemic and its return to the infamous COVID-19-free “bubble” in Orlando, Florida — the Lakers played with a chip on their shoulder. Following the death of Bryant, the organization and fans alike felt a collective pulsating sorrow. As previously covered in the Asian Journal, Bryant was a legend, his jersey numbers 8 and 24 becoming emblems of hard work, tenacity and unrequited love for the game across the globe. Bryant resembled hope and strength of will, and in

the immediate aftermath of his passing, fans across the world saw it as a cruel and confusing resolution to one of the most revered legacies in all of sports. But as teammate Anthony Davis said in a post-game interview, the spirit of Bryant continued to inspire the team even when hope felt far away. “Kobe and Gianna’s legacy will last forever,” Davis said after Game 6. “It will impact lives around the world in positive ways, and this Lakers championship in 2020 is partly to build on that legacy and honor them. The moment couldn’t be any more special to do that for them.” “He would come to the game and just tell us, ‘This is y’all year. This is y’all year. Go out and take it,’” Davis added. “He had a lot of confidence in our team. He had a lot of confidence in our organisation to go out there and win it this year.” On Sunday, the Lakers not only tied their rivals, the Boston Celtics, in NBA Championships with 17 titles apiece, but since the beginning of the new millennium, the Lakers have one the NBA Championship: 2000, 2010 and now 2020. For a whole coterie of younger Lakers fans, this championship-winning roster could signal a new stage for the Lakers, a team that is marked by dynasties the Showtime! era in the 1980s to the colossus of the early

aughts 3-peat era with Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal to the back-to-back title wins in 2009 and 2010 during Bryant’s Mamba Mentality period. “Sometimes it’s hard to get used to a new roster of your favorite team since you feel so personally tethered to certain players, but this current roster with Anthony Davis and [team captain] Lebron James feels like the start of a new era,” said Hilario Gomez, an Orange County-based physical therapist who has been a Lakers fan since the 1990s. “I think this is a new team that will bring new excitement and new things to celebrate for younger generations of Filipino fans, and I think that the impact that players like Davis have could be similar to the impact that Kobe had globally,” Gomez said. Gomez also talked about the Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, who is half-Filipino and, for the last decade, has been making a name for himself as one of the best coaches of all time. “Obviously I wanted the Lakers to win. But if Miami had won, I wouldn’t have been totally bummed because of [Spoelstra]. I feel very proud that he’s a Pinoy and he’s actually done a lot for Filipinos in basketball, and it would be amazing to see him win another title. Just not against the Lakers,” Gomez added with a laugh. “We always talk about LakPAGE 8


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‘This is what we needed this year’...

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PAGE 7 ers-Celtics and their rivalry, but there’s also now a Lakers-Heat rivalry so going into this series was exciting,” said Gomez, who nearly joined the post-game rally at Staples Center. “I live alone so I’ve been watching all these post-season games alone so after Game 6 I just felt this adrenaline and this need to be with people who were also hyped up after the game,” Gomez said. Angelenos are famous for partaking in raucous celebrations following the victory of all teams in LA, especially the Lakers. Historically, fans would take to Downtown LA to cause traffic, flip cars, vandalize property — all in the name of LA sports pride. But not all fans celebrated the Lakers 17th championship title with theatrics. The rally on Sunday night — which began with chants of “Kobe! Kobe!” to the arrest of 76 rowdy fans — was too out of the bounds of social distancing for Gomez. “I like to think that Kobe and even the rest of the Lakers team wouldn’t want us

breaking social distancing,” he said. “The bubble in Orlando operated for all these months with thousands of people and came out with not one COVID-19 case. I think that’s the standard we should follow.” For one Filipino American, in particular, the NBA Finals provided a return to comfort and relief. “This is what we needed this year, after losing Kobe and then being thrown into the pandemic and the cancellation of sports,” said Annalynn Rosario, a graphic designer from Lakewood. In June, Rosario lost her father to COVID-19, a moment that punctuated the continuing dread in the age of the coronavirus. After Game 6, she teared up watching the players’ interviews and watched quietly, thinking about her father the whole time. “He was a real inspiration in my life, and he was really the one who influenced me in terms of being a Laker fan because he was obsessed with them growing up,” Rosario, 35, shared, adding that her father “would’ve been over-

joyed [at the Lakers’ win on Sunday] if he were here.” “He’s been a fan since he came to the U.S. in the early 1980s so he witnessed Magic Johnson and Kareem [AbdulJabbar] and got to see Kobe’s career from beginning to end. But what was awesome was that he was a fan through and through and supported the team even when they weren’t doing so well,” Rosario said. Speaking about her father’s affinity for the Lakers brought emotions back for Rosario, who admitted to still having a difficult time coping with the death of her father. But Sunday’s game felt like a moment of closure for her, that the Lakers winning felt like a soft, welcoming cushion of solace after months of uncertain freefall. “I like to think my dad is in Heaven. Maybe he watched the game from above with Kobe and [his daughter] Gigi and they celebrated,” she added. “I wish my dad was here to watch the game with me and to experience all this with me, but as we kind of all felt when Kobe died, people who physically pass away don’t really leave us.” n


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DECISIONS 2020 : Comparing Trump... PAGE 5 timated 4.9 million adults. Biden’s plan will ensure these individuals get covered by offering premium-free access to the public option for those 4.9 million individuals who would be eligible for Medicaid but for their state’s inaction, and making sure their public option covers the full scope of Medicaid benefits. States that have already expanded Medicaid will have the choice of moving the expansion population to the premium-free public option as long as the states continue to pay their current share of the cost of covering those individuals. Provide the peace of mind of affordable, quality health care and a less complex health care system. The Biden plan will not only provide coverage for uninsured Americans, it will also make health care more affordable and less complex for all. The plan’s elements described above will help reduce the cost of health insurance and health care for those already insured in the following ways: • All Americans will have a new, more affordable option. The public option, like Medicare, will negotiate prices with providers, providing a more affordable option for many Americans who today find their health insurance too expensive. • Middle class families will get a premium tax credit to help them pay for coverage. For example, take a family of four with an income of $110,000 per year. If they currently get insurance on the individual marketplace, because their premium will now be capped at 8.5% of their income, under the Biden Plan they will save an estimated $750 per month on insurance alone. That’s cutting their premiums almost in half. If a family is covered by their employer but can get a better deal with the 8.5% premium cap, they can switch to a plan on the individual marketplace, too. • Premium tax credits will be calculated to help more families afford better coverage with lower deductibles. Because the premium tax credits will now be calculated based on the price of a more generous gold plan, families will be able to purchase a plan with a lower deductible and lower out-of-pocket spending. That means many families will see their overall annual health care spending

go down. Stop“surprise billing.” Consumers trying to lower their health care spending often try to choose an in-network provider. But sometimes patients are unaware they are receiving care from an outof-network provider and a big, surprise bill. “Surprise medical billing” could occur, for example, if you go to an in-network hospital but don’t realize a specialist at that hospital is not part of your health plan. The Biden Plan will bar health care providers from charging patients out-of-network rates when the patient doesn’t have control over which provider the patient sees (for example, during a hospitalization). Tackle market concentration across our health care system. The concentration of market power in the hands of a few corporations is occurring throughout our health care system, and this lack of competition is driving up prices for consumers. The Biden Administration will aggressively use its existing antitrust authority to address this problem. Lower costs and improve health outcomes by partnering with the health care workforce. The Biden Administration will partner with health care workers and accelerate the testing and deployment of innovative solutions that improve quality of care and increase wages for low-wage health care workers, like home care workers. Stand up to abuse of power by prescription drug corporations. The Biden Plan will put a stop to runaway drug prices and the profiteering of the drug industry by: • Repealing the outrageous exception allowing drug corporations to avoid negotiating with Medicare over drug prices. Because Medicare covers so many Americans, it has significant leverage to negotiate lower prices for its beneficiaries. And it does so for hospitals and other providers participating in the program, but not drug manufacturers. • Repeal the existing law explicitly barring Medicare from negotiating lower prices with drug corporations. • Limiting launch prices for drugs that face no competition and are being abusively priced by manufacturers. • For these cases where new specialty drugs without competition are being launched, under the Biden Plan, the Secretary of Health and Human Services will es-

tablish an independent review board to assess their value. As a condition of participation in the Medicare program and public option, all brand, biotech, and abusively priced generic drugs will be prohibited from increasing their prices more than the general inflation rate. The Biden plan will also impose a tax penalty on drug manufacturers that increase the costs of their brand, biotech, or abusively priced generic over the general inflation rate. To create more competition for U.S. drug corporations, the Biden Plan will allow consumers to import prescription drugs from other countries, as long as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has certified that those drugs are safe. Improving the supply of quality generics. The Biden Plan supports numerous proposals to accelerate the development of safe generics, such as Senator Patrick Leahy’s proposal to make sure generic manufacturers have access to a sample. Ensure health care is a right for all, not a privilege for just a few Expanding access to contraception and protect the constitutional right to an abortion. The Affordable Care Act made historic progress by ensuring access to free preventive care, including contraception. The Biden Plan will build on that progress. Reverse the Trump Administration and states’ all-out assault on women’s right to choose. As president, Biden will work to codify Roe v. Wade, and his Justice Department will do everything in its power to stop the rash of state laws that so blatantly violate the constitutional right to an abortion. As president, Biden will reissue guidance specifying that states cannot refuse Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood and other providers that refer for abortions or provide related information and reverse the Trump Administration’s rule preventing Planned Parenthood and certain other family planning programs from obtaining Title X funds. Just as the Obama-Biden Administration did, President Biden will rescind the Mexico City Policy (also referred to as the global gag rule) that President Trump reinstated and expanded. This rule currently bars the U.S. federal government from supporting important global health efforts – including for malaria

NEW ISOLATION FACILITY. Workers of the Department of Public Works and Highways paint the roof of the new isolation facility at the CCP Complex in front of the Coconut Palace in Pasay City on Tuesday, October 13. The national government has been putting up more isolation facilities for COVID-19 patients to curb the spread of the disease in the country. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

AFP chief: Around P480... PAGE 7 The AFP’s modernization plan was meant to come to full fruition by 2028, Gapay said, to be implemented across three phases — also referred to as horizons. According to the AFP chief, the military is currently on Horizon 2 and is “almost done” with Horizon 1. “We’re just awaiting the deliveries to complete the remaining, more or less, 20 projects, [for Horizon 1],” Gapay said. Meanwhile, he said only two of the 94 projects for Horizon 2 have been completed while the rest are in various stages of procurement. “We’re also experiencing delays in the execution. The

budget provided didn’t match the planned capability buildup of the armed forces. That’s why...we need around P480 billion for the next eighteen years,” the AFP chief said. Passage of defense procurement law urged Gapay added that the lack of a defense procurement law poses a challenge to the implementation of the AFP’s modernization program. “Even our projects are being published in the PhilGEPS just like common supplies of the different government agencies. Imagine, these are supposed to be confidential and top secret capabilities which we’re developing and we are not exempted from posting these things in our in-

vitation to bid,” he said. On its website, the PhilGEPS is defined as a centralized electronic portal which serves as the “primary and definitive source of information on government procurement.” Gapay said there are proposals in both the Senate and the House of Representatives to have a separate defense procurement law to govern the AFP’s modernization program. “Since, we don’t have that law, we’re still governed by Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement [Reform] Act. So, its also one of the challenges we have that causes delay in the [implementation] of the projects,” he said. n

and HIV/AIDS – in developing countries simply because the organizations providing that aid also offer information on abortion services. Defending health care protections for all, regardless of gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Before the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies could increase premiums merely due to someone’s gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Further, insurance companies could increase premiums or deny coverage altogether due to someone’s HIV status. Doubling America’s investment in community health centers. Community health centers provide primary, prenatal, and other important care to underserved populations. The Biden Plan will double the federal investment in these centers, expanding access to high quality health care for the populations that need it most. Achieving mental health parity and expanding access

to mental health care. In the months ahead, Biden will put forward additional plans to tackle health challenges affecting specific communities, including access to health care in rural communities, gun violence, and opioid addiction. Supporting health, not rewarding wealth Biden believes in rewarding work, not just wealth – and investing in hard-working Americans’ health, not protecting the most privileged Americans’ wealth. Warren Buffett said it best when he stated that he should not pay a lower tax rate than his secretary. The Biden Plan will make health care a right by getting rid of capital gains tax loopholes for the super wealthy. Today, the very wealthy pay a tax rate of just 20% on longterm capital gains. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, the capital gains and dividends exclusion is the second largest tax expen-

diture in the entire tax code: $127 billion in fiscal year 2019 alone. As president, Biden will roll back the Trump rate cut for the very wealthy and restore the 39.6% top rate he helped restore when he negotiated an end to the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy in 2012. Biden’s capital gains reform will close the loopholes that allow the super wealthy to avoid taxes on capital gains altogether. The Biden plan will assure those making over $1 million will pay the top rate on capital gains, doubling the capital gains tax rate on the super wealthy. *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos.


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COMMUNITY Journal

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Could have been in the US years ago Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: I was petitioned by my mother as a married child

(F-3) in April 2001. However, I discovered that my wife had cheated on me, so I had our marriage annulled in 2012. I now have a live-in partner. I want to remove my first wife from the petition and include my domestic partner along with our 7 children, 3 of whom have aged out. Is that possible?

Very truly yours, CD Dear CD: The short answer to your question is yes, you can include your domestic partner, but only if you legally marry her before your immigrant visa interview. Whether your children who aged out can be included PAGE 12

‘Guadalupe’ to be streamed Oct 30-31

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

CITIZEN PINOY: MOrE ANswErs TO IMMIgrATION quEsTIONs frOM KAPAMIlYA, vIA ZOOM, ThIs suNdAY. luchie of Azusa, CA (center) asks if it is OK for a green card holder to apply for naturalization if she already has a pending petition for her husband. from redlands, CA, ricky (right) would like to know if his two single daughters (whom he petitioned in 2011 in the f-2B category), can immigrate sooner now that he has naturalized. These are just a few of the immigration questions that will be answered on an encore episode of --- CITIZEN PINOY: Your Tanong, My sagot – this sunday at 6:15 pm PsT/EsT (9:15 pm EsT thru select Cable/satellite providers). (Advertising supplement)

time). The success of the musical has encouraged the producers to bring the story of the Our Lady of Guadalupe and Mexico via the Ticket2Me.

net video streaming platform. Through technology, the Julie Borromeo Performing Arts Foundation Inc. and the producers of the online edition of this musical view-

ing hope to reach all the art aficionados and devotees alike in the Philippines and all over the world. This original Filipino muPAGE 12


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OCTOBER 16-22, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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For Lovi, ‘LDR’ isn’t that bad if it’s worth it Fil-Am actor Jacob Batalon reveals

transformed, fit body on birthday

By allaN

PolicarPio Inquirer.net

DUE to the COVID-19 pandemic, not a few couples have unwittingly found themselves in what could very well pass off as long long-distance relationships (LDR). Lovi Poe—who’s in an actual “LDR” with her Los Angeles-based British boyfriend, Monty Blencowe—is no stranger to the challengPAGE 13

By Niña

V. GuNo

Inquirer.net

Lovi Poe in a scene from “High Rise Lovers.”

Contributed photo

FILIPINO AMERICAN actor Jacob Batalon marked his birthday with a mirror selfie that showed off his trim figure. The “Spider-Man” star, who plays Peter Parker’s BFF Ned Leeds in the latest Marvel movies, surprised fans with a photo of him wearing a brown jacket and no shirt underneath on his birthday last Friday, Oct. 9, as seen on his Instagram account. “[By] the way, while I appreciate the concern, people can stop telling me to lose weight now,” the 24-yearold wrote. Just days before, he posted a photo from 2019 that showed his figure prior to the weight loss. When one Instagram user noted he’d be “swimming” in his old jacket, he replied, “HAAAAA you right.” Batalon first shared his

Fil-Am actor Jacob Batalon

weight transformation in August, with fans noticing that he had slimmed down.

Photo from Instagram/@lifeisaloha

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

‘Guadalupe’ to be streamed Oct 30-31... Could have been in the US years...

PAGE 11 sical is directed by theater legend Baby Barredo and was created by award-winning artists Joel Trinidad and Ejay Yatco. “Guadalupe: The Musical” is once again led by the inimitable Victor “Cocoy” Laurel (“Miss Saigon”), who reprises his role as Juan Diego, the Aztec mat-weaver at the center of the tale. Joining him once again are award-winning performers Shiela Valderrama-Martinez (“Binondo”), Lorenz Martinez (“Spamalot”), and a host of other theater stalwarts. “Guadalupe: The Musical,” set in 1531 New Spain, shows the quest of Juan Diego: a man claiming to have seen a vision of a half-Aztec, half-Spanish Virgin Mary who has given him the impossible task of building a church in her name. He relays this to Archbishop Juan de Zumarraga (who has lost his faith due to the countless atrocities he has seen but nevertheless sees the symbol as a way to unite the land) and his sickly old uncle Juan Bernardino (who thinks his nephew has gone insane). A ruthless governor Nuño Beltran De Guzman opposes the Archbishop’s idea and throws Juan Diego

out, threatening to imprison him if he ever shows his face again. Meanwhile, the Archbishop’s young niece Clara and his Aztec assistant Luis have fallen in love. Because of the current political climate, they are forced to keep their love secret; little do they know that, all this time, someone has been silently watching them from the shadows. One night in early December, a comet sets the sky ablaze. To the people of New Spain, it is an omen. For Zumarraga, it is a symbol of hope for his dying faith; for Guzman it is the spark of a revolution that must be extinguished; for Clara and Luis, it is passion, burning bright; for Juan Diego, it is no less than a sign from the Virgin herself. Soon afterwards, miracles begin to occur: A dying man returns from the brink of death. Flowers flourish where they cannot bloom. Unexplained images appear on a simple piece of cloth. And a doubter finds his faith once again. What is significant in this online event is that proceeds from the sale of the e-tickets from Ticket2Me.net and sponsorships involved will

benefit the following organizations: Joshua Evangelical Group Inc., Philippine Independence Day Council Inc., San Antonio De Padua Parish, St. Josemaria Escriva Mission Church, Our Lady of the Abandoned Parish, Nativity of Our Lady Parish, Our Lady of Peñafrancia Seminary of Sorsogon City, Southeastern Virginia Filipino American Lions Club, Montero Medical Mission, Regnum Christi Young Women’s Section, UP High Prep Elem Integrated School Foundation, Sigma Delta Phi Alumni Assocation, JCI Makati Senate, One Global Management Company Inc., SFO Cursillo Movement, UPIS Alumni Foundation, Punlaan School and Julie Borromeo’s Performing Arts Foundation Inc. E-tickets are still on sale at Ticket2Me.net or at the links at “Guadalupe The Musical Online” FB page, or contact via email at guadalupethemusicallive@gmail.com, or call the following numbers: 650-550-9851, +63 2 8634 5063, +639 939 910 2629, +63 918 921 8182. A 10% surcharge will be applied by Ticket2Me.net on all tickets prices as payment for its services. (Advertising Supplement)

PAGE 12 depends on their eligibility under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA), based on a mathematical formula. However, what I find sad in your case is that you could have immigrated to the U.S. over 7 years ago, well before your children had aged out. Also, your domestic partner would already have a green card, and you would already be a citizen by now! Instead, you are only now being processed for a green card, which could still take many additional months. Let me explain: although you were petitioned as “married,” as soon as your annulment to your first wife was final, you became single or “unmarried.” You would automatically be reclassified from married to single and would be processed in the F-1 category (single unmarried child of U.S. citizen). The April 2001 priority dates became current (or your visa became available) in the F-1 category in 2013. That means you and your children under 21 could have immigrated to the U.S. in 2013. You then could have returned to the Philippines a few months later and married your domestic partner

and petitioned her in the F-2 A category, as the spouse of an immigrant. The processing time for an F-2A petition would have been approximately one year, so that by 2014 you and your new wife and children would have all been in the U.S. as green card holders. Unfortunately, you let that marvelous opportunity slip by, perhaps because you were not aware of the various laws that affect a person’s case or petition, such as the reclassification of a petition and changing of the priority dates or waiting times based on certain events. That is why I strongly recommend that people seek the advice and assistance of an attorney, even if they think their case is simple and straightforward. I know people think, “Why do I need an attorney for something as simple as a family petition?” In your case, you can see that because you were not aware of the various immigration laws, requirements, and benefits, you and your family lost out on years of being in the U.S. I’m not guaranteeing that every person has the same situation as you, or that a person can benefit, because

there are many complex immigration laws that could apply to a person’s case, and they may not be aware of them unless they consult with an attorney. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different, and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw, Twitter @GurfinkelLaw and YouTube: US Immigration TV Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)


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Kim’s ‘Bawal Lumabas’ soon to become series By KAtrinA

HAllAre

Why Rica prefers to read books than stay online By Alex BrosAs

Philstar.com

Philstar.com

EXPECT Kim Chiu to star in an upcoming series, this time inspired by the “Bawal Lumabas” viral meme. In an Instagram post on Monday, October 12, the Kapamilya actress could not hide her excitement about her upcoming project. “5 months ago I was lost, down and hopeless but never did I regret anything,… anything that I said and stand for,” she said, adding that she lost her confidence and even questioned herself. “But in the middle of everything that has happened, I didn’t lose my faith in HIM. Alam ko naman binibigyan tayo ng pagsubok ng Panginoon dahil alam niya ang kakayahan natin, para pagtibayin pa tayo lalo,” Chiu later said. (I know that he will give me a test because he knows our capabilities to strengthen us further.) And upon seeing the teaser for her upcoming series, Chiu said that she cried tears of joy. “First time kong makita to kanina…. bumalik lahat,.. naiyak ako ng masaya. Grabe. Salamat po. wala ako masabi,” she said. (I saw this for the first time a while ago. I remembered everything. I cried tears of joy. Thank you so much, I couldn’t say anything.)

READING books is actress Rica Peralejo’s most treasured hobby. She actually spends more time reading than lingering on social media. On her free time, Peralejo enjoys buckling down to pages and pages of any book she has on hand, she shared on her Instagram post on Oct. 12, where she also showed what she was reading, the novel “Gilead” by Marilynne Robinson. “Been extra lazy to post on social media. Aside from that not everything has to be heard online, I just generally like my life with my

Kim Chiu

Photo from Instagram/@chinitaprincess

Chiu’s “Bawal Lumabas” started off as an internet gaffe after she tried to compare the implementation of the National Telecommunications Commission’s cease-and-desist order against ABS-CBN to classroom rules. Despite the criticism she received, she then turned this into something positive as “Bawal Lumabas” later became a hit song.

Not only that, Chiu started selling “Bawal Lumabas” merchandise. With the earnings she received, the actress was able to donate 1,500 food packages to families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as P300,000 for mass testing. “Bawal Lumabas: The Series”, meanwhile, has no release date as of this writing.

For Lovi, ‘LDR’ isn’t that bad if it’s... PAGE 12 es some people have been going through. Though being separated from a loved one for extended periods of time can be difficult, there are ways to make the relationship still work. Communication, trust and respect, she said, are some of the things to always keep in mind. “Communication is important to all relationships. Trust should be there because you’re far away from each other. But still, you have to respect each other’s space and time,” Lovi related in a recent video conference for “High Rise Lovers”—the third installment of GMA 7’s new weekly drama anthology, “I Can See You.”

And at the end of day, LDR “isn’t that bad if it’s worth it.” “You have to appreciate the little things your partner does for you, and make sure that you also do something special for him or her. It’s a give-and-take situation. You have to keep the fire burning,” said the Kapuso star, who has been dating Monty—a film producer and medical researcher—for the past year or so. One of their favorite virtual bonding activities is watching movies or television series together. “I recall watching ‘Money Heist’ and us counting to three before clicking play. That’s how we are,” Lovi said. And it doesn’t hurt that

her boyfriend is creative and spontaneous. “He doesn’t run out of surprises for me. And chatting each other up doesn’t feel like a chore. We’re not like, ‘Reporting for duty!’” Lovi said, laughing. “It’s just more of catching up. And it’s good that we guys are best friends.” But what if things were the opposite and she ended up having to quarantine with Monty? That could be a test of relationship, too, Lovi surmised—one that could potentially lead to new discoveries about each other’s personalities and tendencies. For newer couples, it’s probably going to feel like being put in a “pressure cooker.”

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books a lot,” she said. “And the more I use my phone I also know the shorter my ability to stay in something becomes because my brain is being trained with short bursts of entertaining activity.” Peralejo also explained what she recently learned about “task switching.” “This is not made up. I read it as a study in Brad Huddleston’s book entitled Digital Cocaine and it is called ‘task switching.’ We task switch as an outcome of addiction,” she said. She also asked her fans to check out a podcast show where she spoke about social media. “We talked about our

Rica Peralejo

“The more time you spend together, especially in this situation, the more likely your true colors will show … Since we’re currently in a whole another scenario, living together will allow us to discover what each other is like under pressure,” Lovi said. The 31-year-old actress has spent the past couple of months consuming different forms of pop culture. She got especially hooked on Kdramas. This led to a realization: Artists and entertainers play a big role in keeping people sane while stuck at home. And what has become a routine for them actually means a lot to viewers. Needless to say, Lovi will emerge from this quarantine with deeper respect for the craft. “It made me appreciate all my fellow artists even

social media dilemma on ‘Anything Goes’ with Joe and Carla podcast and episode is up now. We confess our digital sins there and repentance, as well. Generally I share my own crossroads when it comes to the reality behind these social networks and what I have been doing about them,” she revealed. As part of encouraging people to read, she enumerated some titles she has been busy with, which include “Montessori Toddler” by Simone Davies, “Mother Culture” by Karen Andreola, “The New Koreans” by Michael Breen, “The Call” by Os Guinness, and “Consider This” by Karen Glass.

Photo from Instagram/@ricaperalejo

more. So once I’m back to work, I will do my best for that person watching from the couch. Because I want to relate to them,” she said. In “High Rise Lovers,” which starts airing on Oct. 12, Lovi plays Samantha, a woman torn between pursuing her career goals and saving her relationship with Luis (Tom Rodriguez), an unemployed contractor whose ego is threatened by the fact that it’s the woman acting as the provider. After being on a sevenmonth break from acting, getting her groove back proved to be tricky at first, especially with the current limitations. “Exhaustion will hit you after, because this time, you have to work straight days. And because you have been out for work for a couple of

months, things need getting used to again. You were at home for so long, and then you’re suddenly doing something physically and emotionally taxing,” she pointed out. “You can’t also hold or get touchy with each other when having conversations. There’s more distance. But we will just take this as a challenge,” she added. “And I’m glad I did this project, because now I know how taping under the ‘new normal’ works.” It also helps, Lovi said, that she has a naturally positive disposition. “I try to put myself in a good mood upon waking up. It’s not that I’m brushing aside the situation we’re in. I’m just a very optimistic person. And I have faith that things will get better soon,” she said.


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people events arts culture entertainment

New Fil-Am-led startup plans to harness the power of data and AI for the emerging middle class in the Philippines

E

by MOMAR G. VISAYA

/ AJPress

ARL Valencia has been working on startups for as long as he can remember and he has made it his passion to help accelerate the development of the startup ecosystem in the Philippines.

Plentina founders Earl valencia (right) and Kevin gabayan

Over the past decade, he was able to build three startup accelerators focusing on the Philippines - IdeaSpace for emerging market needs (70+ startups), QBO, the national innovation center of the Philippines (300 start-

ups) and Cognity Labs, AI accelerator (3 startups). These initiatives were instrumental in the country as it paved the way to have the Philippines’ startup and innovation law that was passed in Congress.

Because of this string of achievements and in recognition of the programs that helped the Philippines’ startup ecosystem, Valencia was honored as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) of the country in 2016. This year, Valencia is spearheading yet another project, this time focusing on finance technology and digital financial services. Earl and Kevin Gabayan, his partner in this venture were friends in Stanford, Kevin was in the PhD program for Machine Learning and Earl was taking his MBA at the Graduate School of Business. They were both members of Filipino Graduate School Club, and were even co-presidents of that club at that time. Gabayan was previously a computer vision researcher at NASA Ames, and led data science at Bump Technologies when PAGE 15

Plentina is an alternative credit score and microlending for emerging markets. They use AI/ Machine learning to build a credit model in markets like the Philippines where the equivalent of a fICO score is not abundant.

valencia co-founded Plentina with his friend from stanford, Kevin gabayan, a fellow a fil-Am. gabayan was in the Machine learning Phd program while valencia was pursuing his MBA. gabayan left google in their headquarters to start the company.

valencia and gabayan have built a team to pursue their mission to have every deserving citizen in the world to be able to access affordable credit. They hope that digital and data will be the catalysts to make change in the financial services industry in the Philippines and other emerging markets. Photos courtesy of Earl valencia


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New Fil-Am-led startup plans to...

PAGE 14 it was acquired by Google. Valencia on the other hand was an aerospace engineer by training before going to business school. He founded a startup incubator while he was VP of the largest telecom in the Philippines, held executive roles at Bridgewater and Charles Schwab, and was a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. The duo started in late 2019 with the concept of Plentina, which they hope would create better financial opportunities to the emerging markets in the Philippines. They had a test launch recently with 7-11, one of their partners in the Philippines. They are also looking to scale their operations and build more financial products for the digital generation of the country. Valencia shared that the name Plentina is from the song “Table of Plenty” that Kevin heard in Church. The song says that everyone can benefit because there food is plentiful to share. “We attached ‘na’ because that gave it a unique spin, but ‘na’ is also a uniquely Filipino expression, so you can say, it’s like ‘plenty na,’” he quipped. He hopes that through the power of technology, more and more people in the Philippines will be able to establish a good line of credit and gain access to better financial tools and services. “We believe that everyone deserves access to credit and the right customer experience for financial services, and with our technology, we hope that we can build an alternative credit score for millions of Filipinos, especially the emerging middle class,” Valencia explained. “We hope that we create more opportunities for Filipinos and people in emerging markets because we help build a new digital first financial services experience for them.” Accelerator program Valencia has gone full circle. When he built Idea Space years ago, he took inspiration from the leading accelerator programs, and one such program is Techstars, a global platform for investment and innovation. Plentina made it to the 2020 Class of the Techstars and Western Union Accelerator, something that made the founders beyond in-

When asked why he switched home networks, the host of TV5’s new offering “The Masked Singer Pilipinas” simply answered, ‘I go where the work takes me.’ TV5 photo Gabayan presented Plentina at The Western Union Accelerator Powered by Techstars Demo Day on October 7, along with the founders who belong to the Class of 2020. They were chosen among hundreds of entrepreneurs who aim to address challenges across the financial services system, who have the potential to make a lasting impact in creating a more equitable and inclusive global financial system.

spired and excited, specially since it is the first Filipinoled startup to participate in the program. You see, when applying to these top startup accelerators, all one can do is to pray and hope but not expect to get in. That’s exactly what they did. “I believe Techstars only takes 1-2% of all applicants, so when we got the call that we are in, Kevin and I did a ‘virtual high five,’” Valencia shared. “The biggest thing really is that we are so excited to be around a group of people, the 10 other startup companies and the team that believe in our vision of financial access and inclusion.” The companies in the 2020 class are led by diverse founders from around the world including the Philippines, Egypt, Gambia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Israel, Nigeria, Singapore, Spain, South Africa and the United States. It is already a given that building a startup is extremely difficult and one needs all the help and support possible. Valencia and Gabayan believe that Techstars will help provide them part of their initial funding ($120k), the network and the mentorship in order to give them a shot to succeed. The Plentina co-founders have both committed to their investors that after Covid is done, at least one of them will be in the Philippines at least three weeks per month. They have also hired a country manager, Alex Capulong, who came from

the fintech industry in the Philippines to help build out their Philippine operations. “I think with Covid, we have proven that we can execute virtually and build a business even if our families are based in the Bay Area, NYC/Connecticut and Manila,” he said. Based on his experience in startups and innovations, Valencia named the musthaves that these new companies should possess in order to thrive and prosper. “One thing I learned in Techstars that their criteria after we got in are: ‘team, team, team, market, traction, idea.’ I thought it was a typo, but it wasn’t. I think it is important for the founding team to be aligned in the mission of the company and what positive impact you want to see if you become successful,” he shared. For example, both Kevin and Earl are passionate to democratize financial services in emerging markets, especially the Philippines. Another area is a balance in the skill set. “Kevin is one of the smartest Filipino engineers I know, coming from Google’s Android and emerging market credit team. I balance the team with my background in partnerships and investing that I learned when I was VP at Smart Communications and in financial firms Bridgewater and Charles Schwab,” he explained. The last one is to create something the people want. “It may seem simple, but if you begin on how you can change the customer ex-

Billy says it as it is

“I HAVE to move on and I have to actually work because I have a brand new baby. Everything that I’m doing right now is for my family. And the opportunity given to me by Viva as well as TV5 is just a blessing. I go where the work takes me.” That was super host Billy Crawford’s answer to the most common question in entertainment media conferences these days: “Why did you decide to leave ABSCBN?” He was in his element as always when he steers any program, but this time, Billy was coming from TV5’s studios in Pasig City. He was in the middle of the brand new set of “The Masked Singer Pilipinas” — franchised by Cignal TV and

Sari-Sari from the US and produced by Viva Communications Inc. — which is set to premiere on October 24. Masked Singer is only the first of this partnership’s five new dynamic shows produced by Viva for TV5 to bring cheer, excitement and inspiration to Filipino families, especially in these trying times. Now this soon-to-become a cliche of a query that Billy answered will no doubt come up over and over for a while longer, what with many displaced Kapamilya artists finally rebooting their careers across remaining free TV channels in the Philippines. Billy’s reply was a definite standout, however, because he says it as it is. He didn’t go about the commonplace longwinded (and often guilt-filled) explanation why he left the network where he perfected

his hosting skills in plum programs for many years. “I go where the work takes me” to quote him again and it should be as simple as that. Because not all Kapamilya artists are lucky enough to have their projects go on, nor be financially established enough to afford pay cuts and an “extended leave” from work. For so long as you never shortchanged your employers, there’s no reason why you can’t thank them and bid them your fond goodbyes — conscience clear — when there’s clearly nothing else you can do for them. That’s why Billy earns admiration because everyone needs to go on despite major blows and yes, pandemics. For now more than ever, opportunities are hard to come by and when they come, no one should waste them.

perience because of a new technology, a lot of amazing innovations can happen,” he said. Emerging market The Philippines has always been called an emerging market and it is something that startups need to take advantage of, in terms of both helping it grow and the business climate it offers. Valencia said that most investors don’t know that the Philippines is the 13th largest country in the world by population but the amazing thing is that it is one of the youngest populations at age 24 and one of the most digital/mobile savvy. “I think that you can see the next 10 years of the Philippines to approach the economic sweet spot, where there will be the rise

of the middle class,” he shared. “Also, the Philippines is an English speaking country with amazing talent, we feel that we can build a great team from the Philippines even if we start expanding our company beyond the Philippines.” The startups in (and for) the Philippines have been growing at a steady rate. There have been many innovations in the Philippines with great funding stories in the social space, including fintech, edtech and others over the past few years, he said, citing coins.ph selling to Go-Jek a few years ago. “I think that if compared with our neighbors like Indonesia or Singapore, we maybe 3-4 years behind, but I believe that the next 3-5 years [post-Covid of course] will be the golden age for

Filipino startups, that we will be set-up to build the next ‘unicorn’ or billion dollar business because of the startup environment,” Valencia said. He is likewise hopeful that with partnerships between large conglomerates and the government, the passing of the Startup Law and support for incubators like QBO and the DOST Technology Business Incubator (TBIs) in universities, they will be able to find these new companies that will be the next big companies of the country. As he moves forward to a new chapter in his professional career, Valencia is all set to pack up his suit as a corporate innovator/investor and put on his hoodie as a VC-backed startup founder.

By Tessa

Mauricio-arriola ManilaTimes.net


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