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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Volume 19 - No. 41 • 16 Pages
T H E F I L I P I N O A M E R I CA N C O M M U N I T Y N E WS PA P E R
Volume 18 - No. 17 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages
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DATELINE Measure T proponents relay importance of open spaces, public parks amid pandemic FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
A BALLOT measure in this November’s elections in Santa Clara County will continue the vital work done by the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (SCVOSA) to protect open space and agricultural land, maintain parks, trails and other open spaces, protect land and rivers around creeks and continue with its Urban Grants program. These were discussed, along with the importance of public parks and open spaces to public health amid the COVID-19 pandemic, in an online media briefing hosted by Ethnic Media Services last Thursday, October 11. Speakers at the briefing included Shay Franco-Clausen of the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, Assemblymember Ash Kalra (27th Assembly District), Councilmember Sergio Jimenez (District 2, San Jose) and Sadiya Muqueeth (The Trust for Public Land). Measure T will continue the existing parcel tax of $24 per parcel for property within the jurisdiction of the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority which was approved in 2014
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Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, SAN DIEGO, LAS VEGAS, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY
IMF: PH to the 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 Philippines this year following the slowdown in private investment and
consumption due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. In its October 2020 World Economic Outlook (WEO) report, the multilateral lender said the country’s GDP is expected to contract by -8.3%, which is a decline from its -3.6% projection in June.
Newly installed Speaker Lord Allan Velasco bangs the gavel during the opening of a special session called by the Chief Executive for the passage of the 2021 National Budget at the House of Representatives, Batasan Hills, Quezon City on Tuesday, October 13. PNA photo by Avito Dalan
Velasco is new PH House Speaker, Cayetano resigns
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‘This is what we needed this year’: Fil-Am Laker fans react to the team’s 17th championship title LOS ANGELES — When it became clear that the Los Angeles Lakers would clinch their 17th NBA Championship, Josemaria Esteban began to cry tears of joy. The 38-year-old registered nurse in Northridge is a lifelong fan of the Lakers and, in particular, an admirer of the late great Kobe Bryant. “I was beyond excited when it became clear that the Lakers would get their 17th Championship. It’s not an uncommon moment for Lakers fans since they’re one of the best teams in all of pro sports but to get it this year felt special,” Esteban told the Asian 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
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by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
INFLATABLE TOYS. A vendor of inflated toys crosses the pedestrian lane on Scout Ybardollaza Street, Barangay Sacred Heart, Quezon City on Wednesday, October 14. Many ambulant vendors brave the streets even during a heavy downpour to sell their merchandise. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler
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 u PAGE A4
US Census count cut short COVID-19 can survive for 28 days after Supreme Court ruling on certain surfaces — research by AJPRESS 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.” “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, u PAGE A2
NorCal 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 by KLARIZE
MEDENILLA AJPress
Andrew currently receives a weekly routine blood transfusion. Photo courtesy of TeamAndrewZ/Facebook
The contraction is deeper compared to Thailand’s -7.1%, Singapore’s -6%, and Indonesia’s -1.5%. China and Vietnam are seen booking GDP growths of 1.9% and 1.6%, respectively. Taiwan’s GDP, meanwhile, is expected to stay flat. u PAGE A2
ALAMEDA, CA — In a year marred by crises of varying proportions, everything feels a little bit precarious. Political divisions layered over a global health crisis and the quick erosion of socioeconomic normalities continue to shake the public consciousness. And just because the COVID-19 remains at the fore of public health doesn’t mean other unfortunate health catastrophes take a backseat. For a Filipino American family in the Bay Area, the fight for soundness of mind is literally a matter of life and death. This year, Andrew, a 35-year-old Sacramento-based father of two of Filipino heritage, was
diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (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 u PAGE A4
by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
THE novel coronavirus can survive on certain surfaces, such as banknotes, phone screens and stainless steel for 28 days, a study by Australia’s national science agency found Monday, October 12. Researchers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) discovered that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was “extremely robust” on surfaces like stainless steel, glass, vinyl, and banknotes when kept at 20 degrees Celsius (68 F). “It really reinforces the importance of washing hands and sanitizing where possible and certainly wiping down surfaces that may be in contact with the virus,” said Shane Riddell, the study’s lead
researcher. The study, published in the peer-reviewed Virology Journal, also found that the virus lasted shorter when the temperatures were hotter — at 30 degrees Celsius (80 °F), the virus survived for three days on cotton and vinyl, and seven days on glass, steel and polymer banknotes. At 40 degrees Celsius (104 °F), the virus didn’t last one day on cotton cloth. “These findings demonstrate SARS-CoV-2 can remain infectious for significantly longer time periods than generally considered possible,” the research noted. The researchers stressed that the risk of infecting someone through surface transmission is dependent on several conditions. “The makeup of the virus itself, the type of surface it is on and u PAGE A4