102023 - Northern California Edition

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T he F ilipino A mericAn c ommuni Ty n ewspAper

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

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OCTOBER 20-26, 2023

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

PH gov’t to evacuate Filipinos in Gaza DATELINE USA FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

City of LA to celebrate Fil-Am History Month

THE City of Los Angeles will celebrate Filipino American History Month (FAHM) with a ceremony highlighting Filipino culture, cuisine and the lighting of LA City Hall in the colors of the national flag of the Philippines.

Los Angeles County is home to more than half a million Filipino Americans, the largest population of Filipinos in the world outside of the Philippines.

The ceremony at City Hall on Friday, October 20 will honoring outstanding Filipino-American leaders across a range of work, including those who have dedicated themselves to the arts.

This year’s honorees include: standup comedian and actor Nico Santos, chef Margarita Manzke, DJ E-Man, fashion designer Puey Quinones, beauty entrepreneur Patrick Starrr, artist and cultural ambassador Anna u PAGE 4

by Bernadette e. tamayo ManilaTimes.net

THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) placed Gaza under the highest alert level of 4 to pave the way for the mandatory repatriation of Filipinos in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

There are 137 Filipinos in Gaza that have to be pulled out before Israeli forces launch an invasion.

On Friday, October 13, the Israeli military instructed about a million residents in northern Gaza to evacuate within 24 hours, an indication that an assault is imminent.

DFA spokesman Ma. Teresita Daza said in a statement on Sunday, October 15, the Philippine government has “accounted for 131 of our nationals in Gaza, and at least 78 of them are now situated near the Rafah border crossing near Egypt.”

“All the rest have left northern Gaza or Gaza City, which is expected to be the main site for hostilities,” Daza said.

DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said the government is “calling on our nationals to leave” Gaza.

“If they stay, they do so at their own very grave

Marcos vows repatriation of caregiver slain in Israel-Hamas conflict

by Ian LaquI Philstar.com

California governor signs 56 bills fast-tracking affordable housing SACRAMENTO — Amid California’s housing crisis, 56 bills signed by Gov. Newsom Wednesday, Oct. 11 expedite low-income housing, notably on church and college land.

The two landmark bills in the package are sponsored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D — San Francisco). Support for these bills from historically opposed environmental and labor groups suggests the beginning of an unprecedentedly pro-housing majority bloc in California politics.

SB 4 Wiener’s SB 4 is formally known as The Affordable Housing on Faith Lands Act and informally known as “Yes in God’s Backyard” (YIGBY). It opens 171,000 acres of land across California by allowing institutions of faith (e.g. churches, synagogues and mosques) and nonprofit colleges to build 100% affordable housing on their property “by right,” bypassing most local permitting rules and environmental reviews.

It passed 32-2, with support from faith groups like the Jewish Public Affairs Committee and pro-development groups like the Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing.

According to an August 2023 study by UC Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation, half of land owned by nonprofit colleges and religious organizations are in the “highest” and “high” resource areas improving u PAGE 4

ICONIC. Visitors view the “Spoliarium” of painter, sculptor and political activist Juan Luna at the National Museum of the Philippines in Manila on Tuesday, October 17. Spoliarium is a Latin word that means the basement of the Roman Colosseum, where fallen and dying gladiators were dumped, which scholars believed Luna used as comparison to the Filipinos’ condition under the Spanish rule when he painted it in 1884.

PNA photo by Joan Bondoc

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reassured the family of the third deceased Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) of the repatriation of her remains.

In a phone call with the victim’s family on Sunday, October 15, Marcos said that the remains of Loreta Alacre can be repatriated to the country once the Egypt and Gaza is opened.

“Hinihintay muna natin kung ano ‘yung magiging sitwasyon doon sa Israel dahil talagang napakagulo masyado ngayon at sarado lahat,” Marcos said.

(We are just waiting for the development of the situation in Israel because right now it’s chaotic and everything is closed.)

Alacre, a 49-year-old OFW from Negros Occidental, is the third Filipino casualty of the ongoing conflict. She is a caregiver working on Haifa and Tel Aviv.

In a statement on Monday, October 16, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also hopes for the opening of the Rafah border in order to evacuate Filipinos affected by the Israel-Hamas conflict. u PAGE 2

Hamas tried to infiltrate 2 witnesses in last drug rap vs PH in 2018, 2022 – NSC De Lima withdraw testimonies by mIchaeL PunongBayan Philstar.com

MANILA — Two alleged operatives of the Hamas militant group now at war with Israel were in the Philippines and attempted to operate and ally themselves with local extremists in 2018 and 2022, according to the National Security Council.

NSC assistant director general Jonathan Malaya said one was a bomb expert who was arrested and deported five years ago.

“We saw there was intent by Hamas to launch activities in the Philippines. In fact, in 2018, there was a Hamas bomb maker that was arrested by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and deported to Turkey,” he said.

“And also last year, there was an operative that talked to local extremist groups in order to operate in our country,” he told on Monday’s (October 16) Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing mostly in

by Red Mendoza ManilaTimes.net

Malacañang file photo

LEADERS of the political parties in the House of Representatives hit former President Rodrigo Duterte for criticizing the chamber over the reallocation of confidential funds and for declaring that the funds that would have been allotted to the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education aim to crush communists.

The political leaders urged the former president to “avoid making threats or insinuating

by Ian LaquI Philstar.com

MANILA — Two witnesses recanted their testimonies in the third drug case against former senator Leila De Lima, according to a document seen

by Philstar.com.

Former policeman Rodolfo Magleo, the witness who accused De Lima of being u PAGE 2 involved in illegal drug trade with late high-profile inmate Jaybee Sebastian, withdrew his testimony together with fellow witness Nonilo Arile because they were “bothered by good conscience.”

“We are bothered by our conscience. We do not want harm against any member of the you to be victim of mistrial. We House or the institution.” will reveal in due time. We are “Our foremost duty as public servants is to the Filipino people, and it is incumbent upon us to rise above personal and political divides to prioritize their welfare and the nation’s advancement,” they said.

Duterte earlier defended his daughter over the use of confidential funds, noting that it would be used for the creation of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program.

The former president added u PAGE 4

House leaders condemn ex-President Duterte

Vice President Sara Duterte and former President Rodrigo Duterte

risk,” de Vega said in a separate Viber message.

The first batch of eight Filipinos in Israel who requested repatriation was scheduled to arrive home on Monday, October 16.

Gaza remains under a strict blockade. The DFA said it is collaborating with diplomatic partners in the region to facilitate the safe passage of Filipinos through the Rafah border crossing.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) will pay for the repatriation expenses, including bringing home the remains of Filipinos u PAGE 2

Former Senator Leila De Lima Philstar.com file photo

assuring you all that the last case will be dismissed,” the witnesses wrote in a letter dated Oct. 12, 2023, addressed to De Lima.

The witnesses also said that u PAGE 2

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From the Front Page

PH gov’t to evacuate Filipinos... Marcos vows repatriation of caregiver slain...

PAGE 1

PAGE 1 killed in the fighting.

The government asked the public to rely only on official statements and advisories and to refrain from spreading unverified information.

It also advised Filipinos against traveling to Israel until the security situation there stabilizes.

Sen. Maria Josefa Imelda “Imee”

Marcos on Sunday cautioned concerned officials against issuing statements for or against Israel and the Hamas militant group in Gaza.

In a radio interview, Marcos said she was worried that the Philippines could become a target of local supporters of Hamas.

“We’re afraid that their support [for Hamas] will be reignited.

That’s why we should be careful with our pronouncements. We should first ensure the safety of our fellowmen in Israel,” Marcos said in Filipino.

“But we condemn all kinds of terrorism. Likewise, many say that the reported bombing of Gaza constitutes a human rights violation. So, the situation of the Filipinos there is quite scary,” she said. n

2 witnesses in last drug rap vs De Lima...

PAGE 1 they wanted to recant their testimonies since 2018 but were restricted “due to impossibility of communication.” They did not elaborate the communication mentioned.

According to Magleo and Arile, five other witnesses will also withdraw their testimonies.

De Lima has been detained since 2017 due to her alleged involvement in the illegal drug

trade inside New Bilibid Prison with three cases filed against her. She has been acquitted in two of the three cases.

The former senator and former justice secretary was acquitted in her second case after Rafael Ragos, a former Bureau of Corrections officer-incharge who was a star witness against De Lima, recanted his allegation.

De Lima’s last pending case

was raffled to the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 206 last July after two judges inhibited from the proceedings that month.

The Muntinlupa RTC Branch 206 Presiding Judge Gener Gito last August ordered three witnesses including Magleo, former policemen Froilan Trestiza and gang leader Jaime Patcho to testify in court hearings against De Lima. n

“DFA is hopeful for a solution to be reached soonest in order for the Rafah crossing to start receiving foreign nationals, so that our kababayans in Gaza will be allowed to cross into Egypt,” the agency said in a statement on Monday.

“From there, our teams will work on their repatriation to the Philippines,” it added.

The agency released a statement a day after declaring Alert Level 4 in Gaza, which made evacuation of Filipinos mandatory.

On October 13, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega said that there are 131 Filipinos in Gaza citing data from the Philippine Embassy in Jordan.

Rafah crossing, which is the sole border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, is the only possible humanitarian corridor for refugees due to the Israeli blockade on the West Bank.

Although there is no specific date announced, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken assured that the Rafah crossing will be opened for humanitarian purposes.

“Rafah will be reopened.

We’re putting in place with the

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. calls the family of the 49-year-old slain caregiver from Negros Occidental on Oct. 15, 2023.

Malacañang photo

United Nations, with Egypt, with Israel, with others, a mechanism by which to get the assistance in and to get it to people who need it,” Blinken said in a press conference in Cairo airport on Monday (PST).

However, according to an Egyptian official in a Saturday interview on CNN, the Palestinian side of the border has been damaged due to the aerial bombardment of Israel.

Reports also mentioned that

Cairo is hesitant to open the crossing, citing concerns about the current migrant situation.

The presence of nearly a million refugees from other African countries makes them uneasy about accommodating additional Palestinian refugees, numbering over a thousand.

Meanwhile, in an update on Monday afternoon, Israel prime minister’s office denied reports of any ‘ceasefire’ in Gaza. (With reports from AFP)

Union, Australia and many other countries,” he said.

Malaya said Año’s move to have the militant group declared as terrorists is being done in solidarity with Israel and to also protect the Philippines.

According to him, the 2018 and 2022 Hamas attempts to gain a foothold in the country were foiled with the help of other nations.

“We stopped them. So this declaration of Hamas as a terrorist organization is to protect our countrymen. This is also a domestic act to ensure our security and prevent any Gaza-like scenario,” he said.

Malaya explained that declaring Hamas as a terrorist organization will help Philippine authorities apprehend them easier or faster even without arrest warrants and detain them for a certain period of time.

He said it will also stop terrorist financing since the

Anti-Money Laundering Council would be able to quickly freeze the assets of persons or groups declared as terrorists.

“This is a clear message by the Philippine government that we won’t allow Hamas to operate here,” he stressed. “We are making sure of the safety of our countrymen and… we are expressing our solidarity with the state of Israel with whom we have had a long and fruitful relation.”

Asked to comment about the statement of a certain group that declaring Hamas as a terrorist group will not resolve the ongoing conflict and violence in Israel and Gaza, he said resolving the problem is not the main intention.

“We do not intend to resolve the Palestinian question,” he said, noting this was a problem dating back decades and the Philippines was not one to give the solution to it. n

Hamas tried to infiltrate PH in 2018...

PAGE 1

Filipino.

Malaya revealed that based on the PNP investigation, the Hamas operatives who tried to infiltrate the country had four main goals.

“Number one, kill Jews in the Philippines, that was the plan. Second, raise funds. And third, to use social media to spread their propaganda. And one more, to stage rallies at embassies and different places to create apparent disunity or chaos,” he said.

Malaya made the revelations in relation to National Security Adviser Eduardo Año’s earlier announcement that the country’s Anti-Terrorism Council will push to have Hamas designated as a terrorist organization.

“We know that Hamas is a terrorist organization, that’s why it was declared as such by the United States, European

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Naibigay na ang refund para sa naaangkop na bayad sa transfer.

Ang Remitly, Inc. ay Licensed bilang isang Money Transmitter ng New York State Department of Financial Services at sa PR (TM-143), isang Foreign Transmittal Agency sa MA, at isang Currency Transmitter sa RI. NMLS No. 1028236.

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Dateline USa

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Bengals’ Fil-Am rookie Andrei Iosivas lands 1st NFL touchdown on birthday

comparable.”

The Hawaii native was drafted in the sixth round and made his second successful catch in his sixth game of the season.

Additionally, the team he plays for achieved two consecutive wins for the first time during the current season, and their overall record improved to 3 wins and 3 losses.

Get to know Andrei Iosivas

more With his remarkable journey from college to the pros, the player with a mixed ancestry was nicknamed “The Romanian Rocket” as a child. His rich cultural background played a role in the young Iosivas’ ability to adapt to various environments throughout his upbringing.

He set his sights on the prestigious Ivy League, enrolling at Princeton University in 2018.

During his freshman year, he joined the junior varsity football team, where he honed his skills as a wide receiver.

According to Kollective Hustle, that season turned out to be quite exceptional and memorable, as it coincided with Princeton’s triumphant Ivy championship year, marking their first undefeated season since the historic milestone of 1964.

On Instagram, he posted some snapshots of his first NFL game, allowing fans to catch a glimpse of this momentous milestone in his football career. n

October marks the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the continental United States, which occurred on October 18, 1587, when “Luzones Indios” came ashore from the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Esperanza and landed at what is now Morro Bay, California, according to the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS).

October 1992 was the first time the month dedicated to Filipino Americans was celebrated in the United States, a year after FANHS passed a proclamation.

In 2009, U.S. Congress declared October as Filipino American History Month, and in 2015, then-President Barack Obama celebrated the first FAHM at the White House.

For 2023, FANHS shared this year’s theme as “1898: Recognizing 125 years of Philippine-American History,” marking the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Paris agreement between Spain and the United States that ended the Spanish American War and led to the U.S. annexation of the Philippines.

“As a result of the Treaty of Paris, Filipino people gained access to the U.S. during an era when other Asian countries were prohibited from doing so,” FANHS wrote.

Through the treaty, Filipino

migrants were considered U.S. nationals until 1965 and could migrate to the U.S. and its territories without restrictions.

With this, many Filipinos contributed to the agricultural labor force in Hawaii and the west coast of the U.S. The Pensionado Act of 1903 paved the way for Filipino students to attend U.S. universities until 1943, while American curricula and educational systems were introduced to the Philippines, FAHNS shared. This resulted in English proficiency and the recruitment of Filipino nurses, teachers and other professionals to the U.S. “The year 1898 also marks an important year in Philippine history. After centuries of Filipinos fighting against Spanish colonizers – with the most successful uprising being the Philippine Revolution (1896-1898) – the people of the Philippines declared their independence on June 12, 1898,” according to FAHNS. Throughout October, areas across the U.S. proclaim their own recognitions of the month, host celebrations and festivals, and other activities to highlight the community’s contributions to the country’s history.

Several events and exhibitions honoring the Filipino American community will be held throughout LA during this month. (AJPress)

by Hans Carbonilla Inquirer.net

IN an iconic National Football League moment, a FilipinoAmerican rookie marked his 24th birthday with a spectacular touchdown.

The Cincinnati Bengals’ promising wide receiver, Andrei Iosivas, caught a three-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Joe Burrow.

Born in Japan to a Filipino mother and a Romanian father but based in Honolulu, Hawaii, Iosivas displayed exceptional skills and composure as he gave his team a lead of 14-7, firmly establishing presence on the NFL stage.

The thrilling play unfolded with 12 minutes and 20 seconds remaining in the second quarter, igniting the stadium with an ELECTION PREPS. A City Treasurer’s Office employee is dwarfed by ballot boxes for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) stacked at the Quezon City Hall compound on Tuesday, October 17. The BSKE will be held on Oct. 30, two days after the Oct. 19 to 28 campaign eruption of cheers and applause.

In an interview with Spectrum period.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon News, the athlete shared that it was one of the best birthdays he had. “I had a couple of good ones as a kid. A TD on your birthday is PAGE 1 Secretary-General Reginald the Vice President and the that Sara intends to use the Velasco on Saturday night, Department of Education, the intelligence fund to “target the October 14, the leaders said House of Representatives also zero confidential that it was unfortunate that the allocated communists in Congress.”

“The primary target of the former leader “chose to malign and intelligence funds to PAGE 1 civilian departments Lisa de Guzman, and Broadway intelligence funds should be the very institution that for years other France [Castro], the communists supported many of his own including Agriculture, Foreign musical “Here Lies Love.”

Affairs and Information and The week after on Friday, that I want to kill, tell that to her,” legislative priorities.”

They defended the Communications Technology,” October 27, the LA Board of Public Duterte said. He was referring Works, with Fil-Am commissioner to ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. reallocation of confidential and the leaders said.

They added that the decision Susana Reyes, will also present Rep. France Castro, one of intelligence funds to security those who opposed the grant agencies, noting that it was to reallocate the funds was for FAHM during its board meeting of confidential funds to Vice taken in the best interest of the benefit of the nation and and honor and recognize Fil-Am not as a personal affront to any employees from the Department national security.

President Sara Duterte. of Public Works.

“Aside from the Office of individual. n In a statement sent by House

House leaders condemn...

Andrei Iosivas Photo from Instagram/@andreiiosivas

City of LA to celebrate Fil-Am History...

California governor signs...

PAGE 1

“economic, educational, and health outcomes for low-income families,” while 13% is within a half-mile of “high-quality transit.”

The law, which takes effect in 2024 and will sunset in 2036, comes as California’s housing crisis worsens. An estimated 172,000 of the state’s population — 30% — is homeless, as jurisdictions statewide fall behind in building a state-mandated total of 2.5 million homes over the next 8 years, 1 million of these being affordable.

SB 423 Wiener’s SB 423 extends by a decade the 2026 sunset of SB 35, a bill by the senator requiring local governments falling short of state housing goals to streamline affordable multifamily housing projects, i.e. to bypass many local zoning, permitting, and environmental review rules.

SB 35, which took effect in 2018, has already expedited over 19,000 homes, with about 60% of these being affordable.

The new bill passed 27-7, with support from staunchly prohousing groups like the California Housing Consortium and California YIMBY. Given that the most costly and lengthy hurdle churches and colleges face in converting surplus land into housing is that this land is not zoned for residential use, those spurred on by the YIGBY bill to build affordable housing will use SB 423 to expedite the process.

Weakened labor, environmental opposition For this reason, however, several members of the League of California Cities opposed SB 423, citing concerns that it allowed the state to develop housing unregulated by local zoning standards, community input, and comprehensive environmental review.

Last July, environmental groups like the Coastal Commission also opposed the bill — which removed exemptions on streamlined housing in coastal zones — but withdrew all opposition when Wiener amended the bill to state that it wouldn’t apply to “environmentally sensitive or hazardous” areas, like those prone to fires and flooding.

Labor unions like the state Building and Construction Trades Council also opposed both SB 4

and SB 423 — which mandate 100% affordable developments to pay average union-level wages but not necessarily to hire union workers — until Wiener added union protections for larger projects.

Some groups like the California Conference of Carpenters, the California Council of Laborers, and the Conference of Operating Engineers broke from their allies to express unprecedented outright support on the grounds that more high-paid construction jobs take precedence over guaranteed union jobs.

What it means for California SB 4 was Wiener’s third attempt to open church and college land to housing; he lost a 2020 version due to similar opposition from church and college sponsors on the grounds that union wage requirements would make affordable housing development untenable.

While the opposition is nothing new, however, the fact that it was not enough to prevent overwhelming support this year suggests a majority sea change in favor of more housing.

This political split on the part of California’s historically unified labor groups, and concession on the part of its historically litigious environmental groups, were key to removing local affordable housing barriers on such a scale as to have been a legislative pipe dream as recently as 2016, when Wiener was elected.

That year, for example, thenGov. Jerry Brown pushed a “by right” affordable housing streamline package similar to Newsom’s. It died without a legislative hearing due to opposition from many of the same environmental and labor groups.

Other bills in Newsom’s package penalize misuse of the California Environmental Quality Act (which allows litigation under aesthetic standards like the shadow a proposed building casts); let affordable housing developers increase density above the maximum in a city’s General Plan; limit tenant security deposits to one month’s rent; and replace 5,800 affordable homes in San Francisco lost to “urban renewal” of poor neighborhoods from the 1950s to the 1970s.

(Selen Ozturk/Ethnic Media Services)

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 20-26, 2023

5

Sotto, Go top senatorial preference survey Air Force general appointed new PSG chief

by William B. Depasupil

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has named Brig.

Gen. Jesus Nelson Morales of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) as the new head of the Presidential Security Group (PSG), Malacañang announced on Tuesday, October 17.

“Brig. Gen. Jesus Nelson B. Morales has been appointed as the Commander of the Presidential Security Group, taking the place of Brig. Gen. Ramon P. Zagala,” Communication

ManilaTimes.net

FORMER Senate president Vicente "Tito" Sotto" III and Sen. Christopher "Bong" Go would be sure winners if the midterm elections were held today, an independent, non-commissioned survey conducted by a nongovernment organization showed.

On the third spot was partylist Rep. Erwin Tulfo with 64.5 percent, followed by Senators Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. with 63.8 percent and Francis Tolentino with 63.6 percent.

Sen. Ma. Imelda Josefa "Imee" Marcos was in the sixth spot with 55.8 percent, followed by her first cousin, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, with 53.4 percent.

Rounding up the top 12 were Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa and former vice president Leni Robredo with 51.7 percent and 50.9 percent, and Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos and Sen. Pia Cayetano with 40.3 percent and 39.6 percent, respectively.

Several presidential candidates from the previous election were also in the rankings.

Former senator Manny Pacquiao led the group with 37.2 percent, positioning him in the 12th to 14th spot.

He was followed by former senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson

Former Senate president Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go. File photo

(36.9 percent) and former Manila City mayor Isko Moreno (36.5 percent), also in the 12th to 14th range.

Sen. Manuel "Lito" Lapid got 25.3 percent; Dr. Willie Ong, 24.7 percent; ex-vice president Noli de Castro Jr., 20.2 percent; former senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, 19.8 percent; and television personality Willie Revillame, 19.4 percent.

Former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista completed the list, ranking 20th with a voter preference of 17.1 percent.

Dr. Paul Martinez from RPMD said the "2025 Senatorial Preferences" is a segment of the "Boses ng Bayan" nationwide survey.

Martinez said that a robust sample of 10,000 respondents was meticulously selected

randomly from a vast panel of 65.75 million registered voters across the country.

For equitable representation, the percentage of participants was judiciously distributed across various regions of the country: 12 percent were from Metro Manila, 23 percent hailed from Northern Luzon, 22 percent were residents of Southern Luzon, 20 percent were from the Visayas, and the remaining 23 percent were from Mindanao.

The survey included only registered Filipino voters who are not affiliated with any political entity, ensuring that the outcome authentically mirrors the unbiased sentiments and preferences of the voting demographic. The results of this extensive survey carry a marginal error of just 1 percent (+/-). n

PH hailed as ‘Asia’s best cruise destination’

by Ghio onG Philstar.com

MANILA — The Philippines has been recognized by an international body as the “best cruise destination in Asia” for this year.

The country was awarded as “Asia’s Best Cruise Destination 2023” at the World Cruise Awards in Dubai, United Arab Emirates last Sunday, October 15, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).

The Philippines bested other nominees India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, the website of the World Cruise Awards said.

In a statement on Monday, October 16, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco said the agency is grateful for the accolade, which was given to the country for the first time.

“This first-time recognition as Asia’s Best Cruise Destination 2023 is a big win for Philippine tourism as it reflects a resounding global preference for our island destinations,” Frasco said.

The World Cruise Awards is the “sister event of the World Travel Awards,” which also hailed the Philippines as “Asia’s leading dive destination” for this year.

Meanwhile, the country is expecting 128 cruise calls at 33 destinations, which could “bring

in more than 101,000 passengers and some 50,000 in estimated crew,” according to Frasco.

So far, Manila and parts of Palawan and Romblon have received passengers and crew from cruise ships this year.

Popular beach destination Boracay as well as Subic are also expecting the arrival of cruise ships, while Mindanao is being groomed by DOT as a cruise destination.

The agency has vowed to make the Philippines become more attractive to travelers onboard cruise ships as part of the government’s efforts to revive the tourism industry battered by restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. n

Secretary Cheloy Garafil said in a statement.

Morales served as the deputy wing commander of the PAF’s Tactical Operations Wing Eastern Mindanao, based in Davao City.

Garafil said Zagala would assume his new role as commander of the Civil Relations Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Zagala comes from a family whose military heritage spans three generations – his

grandfather, Col. Ramon Zagala, and father, Maj. Gen. Rafael Zagala.

He entered the Officer Candidate School in 1993 and became his class' 1st Captain, earning him the Chief of Staff Saber.

He was commissioned to the regular force on Aug. 9, 1994.

After he graduated from the Officer Candidate School in 1994, Zagala was assigned to different Army and general headquarter units. (PNA)

New bill makes EDSA anniversary permanent holiday

by Cristina Chi Philstar.com

MANILA — A lawmaker has filed a bill seeking to make the historic overthrow of the Marcos dictatorship a permanent annual holiday after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. dropped the EDSA People Power anniversary from next year’s holiday schedule.

Rep. Edcel Lagman (Albay, 1st District) on Monday, October 16 filed House Bill 9405 declaring February 25 of every year as a regular, national public non-working holiday to commemorate the mass demonstrations that ousted the president’s father.

The annual declaration of the 1986 EDSA People Power as a national holiday has largely been left up to the discretion of presidents as there is no law that designates it as such, unlike Ninoy Aquino Day, which became a holiday through Republic Act 9256.

Instead, February 25 was declared a "special national holiday" through a presidential proclamation in 2000 by thenpresident Joseph Estrada.

This year, Marcos moved the EDSA People Power anniversary commemoration on February 24 — a Friday.

Malacañang made the announcement just a day before, saying that it would create a long weekend and promote holiday economics.

For 2024, Malacañang has defended the event’s exclusion from the list of holidays, saying that the event has "minimum

socioeconomic impact" as it falls on a Sunday and “coincides with the rest day for most workers/laborers.”

In filing HB 9405, Lagman said that the exclusion of the democratic milestone from the country’s holiday celebrations is a “continuing distortion of the verities about the evils and repression of the Marcos martial era.”

Past presidents have declared February 25 as a day of national celebration “irrespective of whether or not it falls on a Sunday,” Lagman said.

“The more Marcos Jr. would sweep under the rug of historical perfidy the profligacy and oppression of his father’s dictatorship, the more unreachable reconciliation and justice will be,” Lagman added.

Lagman said that the president and his allies in Congress — the lower chamber of which is ruled by his cousin, House Speaker Martin Romualdez — are “forced to good in agreeing with the bill” because doing so otherwise would make them appear to support the excesses of the Marcos dictatorship.

“Why is the bill filed only now? We forgot that Filipinos are forgetful and sitting presidents would treat in varying degrees the celebration of the peaceful EDSA People Power Revolution,” the lawmaker said.

“For this reason, albeit belatedly, there has to be a law memorializing the Filipino people's relentless crusade for freedom and democracy which

culminated in the ouster of Marcos, Sr,” Lagman added.

The bill's explanatory note also highlighted the importance of designating events as national holidays in preserving a nation's collective memory of its past.

"The imperative of memorialization cannot be overemphasized. In fact, an October 2020 report of the current United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence focused on memorialization processes as a fifth pillar of transitional justice,” the bill stated.

The Department of Education last month decided to shorten “Diktadurang Marcos” to a mere “Diktadura” in the Grade 6 Araling Panlipunan syllabus in the revised curriculum for Kinder to Grade 10.

Several anti-martial law advocates and human rights groups condemned the curriculum change — which became public knowledge due to an internal DepEd memorandum that circulated online — saying that the Marcos name cannot be detached from the rights abuses and ill-gotten wealth that characterized the Marcos dictatorship.

In 2022, Marcos was quick to dismiss any concerns that his administration would rewrite or remove history lessons pertaining to the abuses during his father's regime — once in his inaugural speech and again in his first State of the Nation Address. n

6

OCTOBER 20-26, 2023 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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OpiniOn

Features

Another hazing death

DESPITE the passage of two laws prohibiting violent initiation rites in fraternities and sororities, hazing is believed to have claimed another victim.

Police said Ahldryn Lery Bravante, a fourth year student of the Philippine College of Criminology, was dead by the time he was brought to the Chinese General Hospital on Monday night, October 16 by two members of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity.

Bravante, 25, reportedly suffered difficulty in breathing and lost consciousness after being beaten and burned with cigarettes by fraternity members in an abandoned building in Sto. Domingo, Quezon City. It’s unclear if there were other hazing victims.

Police arrested the two men who brought Bravante to the hospital: Justine Artates, a third year criminology student in the same school, and Kyle Michael de Castro. Two others – Lexer Angelo Manarpies and Mark Leo Andales – surrendered to the Quezon City Police District early Tuesday, October 17. Police said the four – three of them just 20 years old – admitted participation in the hazing.

Whether training for the officer corps or pursuing a criminology course, some prospective members of the Philippine National Police seem to think violent initiation is a requirement for a career in law enforcement. The PNP Academy continues to be rocked periodically by reports

of cadets being beaten to death as part of hazing rites. Deadly hazing cases also continue to be reported at the Philippine Military Academy, whose graduates have been allowed to enter the PNP as officers despite the different skills sets required.

The slow pace of Philippine justice has to be among the reasons for the impunity.

Even when lethal hazing attracts national attention, the wheels of Philippine justice turn exceedingly slow to serve as a deterrent.

The parents of University of Santo Tomas law student Horacio Castillo, for example, are still waiting for justice for the fatal hazing of their son in September 2017 at the hands of Aegis Juris fraternity members.

Violent initiation can be particularly worrisome for those who are preparing to pursue a career in law enforcement. The PNP faces enough problems trying to instill respect based methods of criminal investigation, along for human rights among its personnel. What with public support in crime deterrence and the police service needs is efficient, science- maintenance of peace and order. There must

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

be no room in law enforcement agencies for the senseless violence fostered by violent initiation rites. (Philstar.com)

Our world is on fire

Babe’s Eye View BABe roMuAldez NEVER in the recent history of the world have we seen so much devastation taking place in the past five years alone. It’s as if we all woke up one morning to the reality of a nightmare – catastrophes, calamities and conflicts that have set the world on fire.

When news first came out in December 2019 about a mysterious respiratory illness that was afflicting the residents of Wuhan in China, no one could have imagined that this would result in a nightmare that would kill tens of millions of people worldwide without a single bullet being fired.

Caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2, the COVID-19 pandemic upended the lives of people across the globe, not caring whether you’re rich or poor, utterly disregarding age, gender, race or religion.

The pandemic’s impact has been overwhelming, with over 771 million cases of infection recorded to date, while the

death toll associated with COVID-19 is estimated at close to 30 million. While the World Health Organization has declared an end to COVID-19 as a global health emergency last May, there are still new cases of infection today, with scientists wary about virus mutations.

People lost jobs as a lot of businesses closed. And just as many countries were starting to see a glimmer of hope in recovering from the economic ramifications of the pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February last year set it all back, with millions displaced and experts warning that two decades worth of economic progress would be lost with the conflict dragging on.

As a United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs article had described it, the war in Ukraine will leave “lasting scars” on the global economy. President Marcos, in calling for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, warned that the effects would be “so far-reaching and profound to the detriment of the many economies and the food supply of everyone in the world.”

Today climate change is upon us – with heatwaves, floods, wildfires, hurricanes, storms and typhoons increasing in frequency and intensity. In July, temperatures rose to record high proportions of over 110 degrees Fahrenheit across three continents – North America, Europe and parts of Asia – to the point that climate experts likened the heat to a giant pizza oven. But while some nations experienced hellish heat, other countries were battered by heavy rains and strong typhoons that caused devastating floods and displaced hundreds of thousands, among them the Philippines.

And now, the raging IsraelHamas war that began on Oct. 7 when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a horrific attack on Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip, resulting in the death of at least 1,300 Israelis that include women, children and the elderly, while hundreds of soldiers and civilians, including foreigners who took part in the Supernova music festival in the Negev desert, were taken to Gaza as hostages. In response

to the horrific massacre, Israel launched air strikes that has also resulted in the death of over 1,300 people.

It was heart-wrenching to see photos of the slain, especially that of an infant whose body was covered in blood – victim of the brutal assault launched

by Hamas. Among those killed are three overseas Filipino workers, one of them a nurse named Angeline Aguirre who refused to leave her elderly patient behind when the Hamas militants attacked Kibbutz Kfar Gaza.

In a post on X, Jerusalem deputy mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum paid tribute to the heroism of Angeline. “Despite having a chance to flee the Hamas terror attacks, Angeline showed unbelievable humanity and loyalty by remaining by Nira’s side during the violence, resulting in both of them being brutally murdered by Hamas,” Hassan-Nahoum shared.

Angeline embodies the kind of dedication that OFWs put into their work – even to the point of sacrificing their lives – unique in many ways for Filipinos and a trait much appreciated all over the world.

Admitting that it was a “most difficult phone call” to make, President Marcos assured families of the slain OFWs of his utmost support and directed the Department of Foreign Affairs to look for the three that remain missing, and to work on exit options for Filipinos seeking repatriation from Gaza.

Not surprisingly, the world is looking at the United States and expecting it to play a major role in helping de-escalate the conflict, with State Secretary Antony Blinken assuring Israel of unwavering U.S. support and traveling to countries in the region – Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain – for ways to release American and other hostages and prevent the conflict from further spreading.

But the world is concerned about how the United States would help deter the conflict from spreading due to the political situation, as the House has yet to elect a new Speaker and the budget is once again uncertain with the temporary stopgap running out on Nov. 17. The U.S. domestic political situation combined with the two major worldwide conflicts

taking place simultaneously are making countries uneasy because a distracted U.S. could encourage some countries in making aggressive moves, particularly in the Indo Pacific region.

The conflict has triggered student protests from pro-Israel and pro-Palestine sympathizers, with universities across cities in the U.S. becoming flashpoints.

Street demonstrations from opposing sides of sympathizers have also started in Rome, Barcelona, Brasilia, Buenos Aires, Vancouver, Paris, Pakistan – with fears that this could increase in intensity, putting people on edge that the situation would be exploited by terrorist groups.

It is said that “violence spawns more violence,” which only means we can expect more future violence. As Christians, we can only hope and pray for God’s mercy. (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.

*** babeseyeview@gmail.com

An embarrassment of secrets

Sketches

AnA MArie PAMintuAn NOT too long ago, there were only “contingent” and “special” funds. The meaning was deemed to be straightforward: a contingency refers to an emergency, or an unforeseen special event requiring the rapid allocation of public funds.

“Intelligence funds” were associated mainly with national security and peace and order matters. Except for the sectors targeted in the counterinsurgency campaign, few people questioned the allocation of intelligence funds for the military, police and other agencies with security-related mandates.

Today we’re confronted with a dizzying array of terms for billions of pesos in public funds that are subjected to practically zero government auditing, with their utilization up to the full personal discretion of the beneficiary agency or its head.

Apart from contingent and special funds, there are the “confidential” funds for civilian agencies, and the “extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses” for

the two chambers of Congress.

Local government units, meanwhile, seem to have both confidential and intelligence funds – the whole CIF hog. LGUs are authorized to declare, at will, up to a third of their annual appropriation as secret funds.

The amounts involved are not peanuts: a chartered city, for example, can have an annual budget of P1.5 billion, which will allow the mayor to declare around P460 million as confidential funds. *** Vice President Sara Duterte has not deigned to enlighten the public about how she intends to spend P500 million in confidential funds for the Office of the VP plus another P150 million for the Department of Education, which she concurrently heads.

But with the House of Representatives rejecting her secret funding proposal, former president Rodrigo Duterte, in a rare public defense of his daughter, said he saw VP Sara’s intended purposes.

These, he said, include conducting seminars, field trips and other activities that would ignite patriotism among the youth.

“She will be spending it on strengthening the PMT in high school to instill a love for the

country among the youth,” he said, referring to the preparatory military training.

But why should such expenditures require secret funding? All along we thought such expenditures must be sourced from the regular budget of government offices, covered by official receipts, properly identified for funding during congressional budget deliberations and subject to regular full audit.

“Special funds,” we’re finding out, can also be used for public relations and entertainment purposes. “Public relations” can cover expenses for “KBL” – kasal, binyag, libing (wedding, baptism, funeral).

Those pakimkim, abuloy and wreaths you receive from “generous” elected officials for KBL, folks, came from your own tax money. As we say in Pinoyspeak, you’re being fried in your own oil.

Why do such expenditures have to be exempted from regular audit? It’s understandable that people who provide intel to security forces would want to keep their identities top secret, for their personal safety. But why would owners of venues for seminars and special events, and operators of restaurants

and flower shops want to keep their identities and businesses confidential? They are required by law to issue official receipts and pay taxes. Unless they are engaged in illegal government deals, surely they would even want to have their enterprises publicized to invite more business.

Unlike in the security sector, where the sources of intel are the ones who need full confidentiality, officials in civilian agencies are the ones who want to keep their utilization of people’s money top secret. This goes against constitutional provisions on public accountability. *** Duterte, in his uncharacteristic public defense of his daughter, lashed out at Speaker Martin Romualdez, widely believed to be the ambitious “tambaloslos” (a mythical monster with oversized cojones) whom VP Sara had slammed after that failed attempt to unseat President Marcos’ favorite cousin from the top House post.

Romualdez has been “feeding congressmen with cash” because of his presidential ambitions, Duterte claimed, as he called for an audit of House expenditures.

A former political adviser said Duterte, who should know

whereof he speaks, could be referring to the annual extraordinary expense allocation of P1.5 billion to P2 billion enjoyed by a House speaker.

No wonder Gloria MacapagalArroyo allegedly plotted a coup (she denied it) to replace Romualdez. And when GMA consequently was stripped of her post as senior deputy speaker, her ally VP Sara threw a fit and quit the Lakas-CMD. The House super majority is circling the wagons, taking offense at Duterte’s description of the chamber as the “most rotten institution” and pointing out that the Office of the President had the greatest surge in its CIF during his watch.

House secretary general Reginald Velasco said the House has no CIF and its extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses are subject to regular accounting and auditing rules. The House has passed the COA audit, he said.

Senators led by Senate President Migz Zubiri said the same thing, denying like the House members that they have confidential funds.

Duterte’s former spokesman Harry Roque, a former party-list congressman, said extraordinary and

miscellaneous expenses are worse than CIF in the public accountability department, with no OR or other documentation required. During his stint in Congress, Roque said all that was required was a “certification of expenses.”

That sounds more opaque than an “acknowledgment receipt.”

Panfilo Lacson had been saying this all along, having served as a senator: while the pork barrel was officially removed, lawmakers have many other ways of circumventing the prohibition.

But accounting expertise and patience are needed to peel away the layers that conceal these “pork” replacements in the national budget.

Thanks to what is shaping up as warfare and disintegration of the vaunted UniTeam, these replacements are gradually coming to light.

Taxpayers have a message to those who believe they are entitled to “unli” authority without accountability in using people’s money: a pox on all your houses. (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.

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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7

Marcos suspends Maharlika Fund implementation Marcos admin urged to allow ICC

probe Duterte’s drug war anew

by Alexis RomeRo Philstar.com

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Wednesday, October 18 suspended the implementation of the sovereign wealth fund or Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) to further study its implementing rules and regulations (IRR) and ensure that safeguards are in place “for transparency and accountability.”

“Upon the directive of the president, the treasurer of the Philippines, in coordination with the LBP (Land Bank of the Philippines) and DBP (Development Bank of the Philippines), is hereby directed to suspend the implementation of the IRR of RA (Republic Act) No. 11954,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said in a memorandum dated Oct. 12.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman told The STAR that the president’s economic team will abide by his decision to suspend the MIF’s implementation.

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, who will chair the Maharlika Investment Corp., has yet to comment on the suspension.

The controversial Maharlika Investment Fund Act of 2023 was signed into law on July 18 and its IRR was issued on Aug. 28.

Last month, sovereign wealth fund critics challenged the legality of the measure before the Supreme Court (SC), arguing it was not duly enacted in accordance with the Constitution.

Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra on Wednesday said his office is preparing to defend the MIF before the SC. “If they (petitioners) don’t (withdraw) and the SC does not suspend the proceedings either, the OSG will be prepared to submit its comment on the validity of the MIF law,” Guevarra told reporters.

The SC had ordered the government to comment on the petition filed by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III and former Bayan Muna party-list lawmakers.

The petitioners argued that the MIF should be declared unconstitutional as its passage “bypassed” the constitutionally mandated legislative process.

The test of economic viability, as required by the Constitution, was also not complied with and the MIF violated the central bank’s independence, the petitioners added.

Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel

by iAn lAqui Philstar.com

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Malacañang photo

Lagman on Wednesday said that Marcos should suspend the “entire implementation” of Maharlika, as it was enacted with “inordinate alacrity without adequate and searching studies from the president’s economic advisers and congressional allies.”

“Since the MIF Act bled dry the (LBP and DBP) of their capital assets for infusion to the MIF, the two government banks suffered depletion of their resources so much so that they had to plead for exemption from the reserve requirements of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. No foreign investor has come to the rescue of the MIF,” he explained.

Lagman was referring to LBP and DBP’s respective P50-billion and P25-billion contributions to the MIF in September.

House Deputy Minority Leader Rep. France Castro said the MIF’s suspension showed that the measure was “rushed and flawed on so many levels.”

“Right from the start, the MIF had flaws because we don’t have excess funding for it. Secondly, it will be using public funds instead of utilizing them for social services,” she noted.

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said that the IRR “should anticipate future issues.”

Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said she trusts Marcos’ instincts in suspending the MIF’s implementation.

Pimentel said the suspension is “a very good development (because) the law has a lot of defects.”

Sen. Risa Hontiveros said Diokno misled the Senate.

“It is now clear that Finance Secretary Diokno misled the Senate when he said that the (LBP

and DBP) had excess funds which were idle and could be used for the MIF. At best, he simply did not have the competence to understand the repercussions of messing with the finances of (LBP and DBP),” she said.

Sen. Francis Escudero urged the LBP and DBP to take back its contribution for the MIF’s seed capital, as he questioned the remittance to the Treasury when fund managers have not yet been appointed.

“The fund lacked direction...

That’s why I did not vote and support it,” Escudero said in Filipino in an ambush interview on Wednesday.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, who voted for the passage of the law, said that the “mere fact that they (LBP and DBP) sought regulatory exemption means they saw a problem which could affect the whole banking industry.”

Sen. Mark Villar, the law’s principal author and sponsor, has yet to respond to reporters’ requests to comment on the suspension.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the suspension is a “prudent move” to ensure MIF will be effective.

“When so much money is at stake, it is better to proceed with an abundance of caution than to be reckless. During the debates on the Maharlika bill, we reminded the Executive of the need for responsible stewardship and installed guardrails against fund placements that would result in losses,” he said in a statement on Wednesday. (With reports from Sheila Crisostomo, Daphne Galvez, Emmanuel Tupas, Louise Maureen Sison, Marc Jayson Cayabyab, and Delon Porcalla)

MANILA — The Magdalo group on Monday, October 16 urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration to allow the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigators into the country to hold former President Rodrigo Duterte accountable for alleged "crimes against humanity."

Magdalo National Chairperson Antonio Trillanes IV said that the group issued the statement in response to Duterte's recent admission that he used the confidential or intelligence funds for extrajudicial killings during his tenure as Davao City mayor.

“Being the original filers of the ICC case in 2017, we have witnessed and documented the barbaric actions of the past administration, as well as the trauma and hardships that the thousands of victims and

their families have suffered,” Trillanes, also a former senator, said in a statement.

“Truly, justice is long overdue,” he added.

In an interview with Sonshine Media Network International on October 12, Duterte said that he used the intelligence funds to conduct the killings in Davao City.

“Ang intelligence fund, binili ko, pinapatay ko lahat.

Kaya ganun ang Davao.

'Yung mga kasama ninyo pinatigok ko talaga. 'Yun ang totoo,” Duterte said in an interview while talking to one of Federal Bureau of Investigation's most-wanted, Apollo Quiboloy.

(I bought the intelligence fund, and I had everyone killed. That's how it was in Davao. I really eliminated those who were with you.

That's the truth.)

The said interview has been taken down.

Trillanes, who submitted a supplemental communication

to the ICC regarding the extrajudicial killings in 2017, said that his group has forwarded a copy of the original television interview footage to the ICC. In the same network, Duterte made a threat against Rep. France Castro (ACT-Partylist) on October 10, suggesting that she is the "first target" in the now-terminated confidential budget of the Office of the Vice President.

Several parties of the House of Representatives took offense at these remarks and the tirades of Duterte against Speaker Martin Romualdez, saying that he had sabotaged her daughter's request for the funds.

“Rather than making sweeping allegations in the media, we advise the former president, if he has tangible evidence of wrongdoing, to present it to the appropriate authorities,” the House parties said. (With reports from Cristina Chi)

OCTOBER 20-26, 2023 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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Friday, October 20, 2023

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

Kathryn Bernardo and Dolly de Leon discuss ‘A Very Good Girl’ and the rise of Filipino cinema The black comedy revenge tale directed by Petersen Vargas is currently playing in theaters in the Philippines and the United States

by Klarize Medenilla / AJPress

IF there’s one thing to glean from the global economic downfall of the last few years, it’s that people are becoming more privy to the unjust system of power and wealth that gatekeeps opportunity for upward mobility.

Over the last few years, art and entertainment media have

depicted this system of rapacious greed, providing a colorful landscape of social commentary that transcends language, cultures, and geography — stories that fantasize and explore vengeance with comedy and cynicism.

A recent entry into this theme

of twisted revenge comes in the form of “A Very Good Girl,” a black comedy film directed by Petersen Vargas and presented

by ABS-CBN and Star Cinema that stars the Queen of Philippine Cinema Kathryn Bernardo and BAFTA-nominated Dolly de Leon.

“A Very Good Girl” — which was released in the United States on Oct. 6 — tells the story of a young working-class woman named Mercy (Bernardo) and the fascinating series of events that begins with her being fired by the swanky retail mogul Mother Molly (de Leon). Mercy then takes on the dark persona of Philo, a fake socialite who’ll do anything to keep up the mirage, in order to get back at her former employer.

The film, which was initially written by Marionne Dominique Mancol, embraces camp and theatrics as it portrays, rather lavishly, the brutal reality of how far a woman will go to attain high

standing in modern society. It’s a story that doesn’t seek to villanize women like Mercy or Molly, but instead, it’s an interpretation of a social hierarchy that is designed to uphold an unjust status quo.

Bernardo, whom global audiences recognize from the countless roles in romantic films and otherwise likable sweetgirl roles, conquered this new assignment and effortlessly embraced the darkness needed to vacillate between Mercy and Philo.

At a press junket on Oct. 5, Bernardo told reporters that she sought to broaden her range as an actor and that this role was her first step into layered, morally questionable roles and characters.

“This role is not like the usual roles I’ve portrayed, but as an actor, you always want to do something different and you need to offer something to the fans,” Bernardo told the Asian Journal.

“It was for my personal growth as well, so while I had a hard time with this movie, I really like to challenge myself.”

De Leon, who gained global recognition for her stand-out role in the Palme d’Or-winning “Triangle of Sadness,” is a BAFTA-nominated and Golden Globe-nominated actor whose decades worth of experience in TV, film, and theatre is epitomized in her performance of the opulent

Mother Molly.

The effortless chemistry between Bernardo and de Leon is as clear on screen as it is offscreen. Both actors expressed appreciation for each other and described an “amazing support system” among all the crew of “A Very Good Girl.”

“We really created a family, and you know how sometimes you’re in a work environment where PAGE 9

Features

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 20-26, 2023

PCGSF joins annual Kasayahan sa Daly City for FilAm History Month DALY CITY – Under an uncharacteristically warm and sunny Daly City weather, the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco joined the annual Kasayahan sa Daly City at Marchbank Park in Daly City, California on October 7, 2023.

Kasayahan sa Daly City serves as the official celebration of Filipino American History Month in Daly City, the “Pinoy Capital” of the Bay Area because of the high concentration of Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the city.

In his remarks, Consul General Neil Ferrer thanked Daly City’s Filipino American Mayor Ray Buenaventura and the Daly City Government for their continued recognition of the significant contributions of close to 34,000 Filipinos and Filipino Americans in Daly City.

Consul General Ferrer also thanked the leadership of Daly City for its efforts in forging closer ties with the Philippines following the visit of officials from the provincial government of Pangasinan last April, and the revival of sister city relations between Daly City and Quezon City last July.

The Philippine Consul General also recognized the vendors, artists and performers who took part in Daly City’s annual Filipino American History Month celebration.

“Whether you are sharing with the community your creative take on the purple ‘ube’ or the sizzling sisig, or you are sharing

9

Consul General Neil Ferrer delivers his message during the annual Kasayahan sa Daly City at Marchbank Park, Daly City, California last October 7. Joining the Consul General are Daly City Councilmembers Glenn Sylvester and Pamela DiGiovanni, and Daly City Manager Thomas Piccolotti.

San Francisco PCG photo

GREEN CARD OBTAINED DESPITE NUMEROUS INCIDENTS OF FRAUD, ON A BRAND-NEW SUCCESS STORY OF CITIZEN PINOY THIS SUNDAY! Some people commit fraud. They may have entered the U.S. under a different name. Some may have submitted fake documents. Reggie (left) committed multiple acts of fraud on his journey to legalization. Be sure to tune in and find out how leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel was able to secure a fraud waiver and green card for Reggie despite all of his fraud. Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, October 22 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo.

(Advertising Supplement)

Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center (PBRC) members perform traditional Filipino dances at the annual Kasayahan sa Daly City.

with pride our history and culture through music, dance and fashion, all of the vendors and artists who are present today are ‘citizen ambassadors’ of the Philippines in the Bay Area,” Consul General Ferrer said.

Consul General Ferrer, Vice Consul Adrian Baccay, and Con-

From fraud to green card: Watch this inspiring success story on Citizen Pinoy this Sunday

sulate personnel then joined the IT started in June 1998, when Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center for a Filipino lunch. The Reggie entered the U.S. under an Philippine Consul General also assumed name.

Since then, he obtained a fake took time to tour the fairgrounds, including Filipino food vendor “Cuzina ni Darna” which sells Ilocos empanada.

(PCGSF Release) PAGE 8

This year’s Kasayahan sa Daly City attracted thousands of revelers from Daly City and other parts of the Bay Area.

entry stamp to the Philippines to to renew his visitor visa at the make it appear he left the U.S. U.S. Embassy in Manila under even while he remained in the the assumed name.

United States. He was also able PAGE 10

Kathryn Bernardo and Dolly de Leon discuss... there’s at least one person you don’t like? In our case, that never happened because we loved each other,” Bernardo beamed.

“A Very Good Girl” also ushers in a new chapter in the career of de Leon, who is 54 years old and shows no signs of slowing down.

De Leon said she’s thankful for the current cultural push for greater opportunities for female actors, who historically saw roles become more limited as they aged.

“This generation [of artists] are very open and very intuitive, and they’re interested in telling different stories of different people from different walks of life” De Leon shared with the Asian Journal while acknowledging that the industry has a long way to go for aging actresses.

She continued, “I think we need

to tell more stories about women from my demographic, and I’m hopeful we’ll eventually get there.

I’m very fortunate enough to be able to get very meaningful roles at my age and I hope that it keeps happening.”

De Leon added that she hopes that the success of films like “A Very Good Girl” will inspire studios and producers to invest in stories that represent middleaged and older women in more textured ways.

In order to play Mother Molly, de Leon told the Asian Journal that she didn’t look to any real-life figures or fictional characters for her performance. But de Leon’s personality and values could not be any further from that of the haughty Mother Molly, who had no problem firing a determined, working-class employee.

As the American film industry is revolutionizing amid the multiple strikes in Hollywood, de Leon expressed appreciation and solidarity for the broader effort to recognize the work of actors and creatives.

“I find it so inspiring. It’s a very sad time because a lot of people are out of jobs, but I think it happened when it should have happened,” de Leon said of the writers and actors strikes.

In an even further departure from the character she plays in “A Very Good Girl,” de Leon added, “Change can be painful, but we have to go through this change so that we get fair wages and are not exploited by AI. So I think [the strikes] have been a great thing.

We have to do whatever it takes to just make things better for us as workers.”

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OCTOBER 20-26, 2023 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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California takes action to tackle homelessness

ConGen Neil Frank Ferrer (right) is joined by Gloria Santiago (left), of the California Federation of Women’s Clubs, and event producer Yoliesil Pontino (center) at the Autumn Fashion in Motion fundraiser.

ConGen Neil Frank Ferrer (right) is joined by Susan Ramsey, president of the Aeta Tribe Foundation at the Autumn Fashion in Motion fundraiser in Hayward. S an Francisco PCG Photos

PCGSF supports fashion show fundraiser

THE Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, represented by Consul General Neil Frank Ferrer and Consul Jed Llona, attended the “Autumn in Motion Fashion Show” fundraiser on September 23, 2023 at the Hill and Valley Club House in Hayward, California.

The fashion show was held as a fundraiser for the Aeta Tribe Foundation and the California Federation of Women’s Clubs. The event was produced by Filipino American events organizer and entrepreneur Yoliesil Pontino, featuring fashion from FilipinoAmerican designer Cristina Malig, Lane Bryant/Luxury Closet

by Yoliesil, Debbie Nghiem, and Mindsye by Mischelle.

The Aeta Tribe Foundation (www.aetatribes.org), a 501c3 nonprofit based in California, assists Aetas affected by the Mount Pinatubo eruption in Bataan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales. The foundation has been focusing its efforts in providing potable water

Consul General Neil Frank Ferrer delivers remarks at the Autumn Fashion in Motion fundraiser for the Aeta Tribe Foundation at Hill and Valley Club House in Hayward, California.

and sustainable water sources for Aetas. The organization is currently headed Susan Ramsey, who is the foundation’s president.

During the event, Consul General Ferrer said, “I hope that the Autumn in Motion fashion show could inspire support for Filipino and Filipino American fashion, not

Calendar of Events across

only for its aesthetic appeal and cultural significance, but also for the sustainable livelihood that could be created for Filipino producers, artisans and designers. I also commend the organizers and the Aeta Tribe Foundation for providing assistance to Aetas in the Philippines.”(PCGSF Release)

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS O C TO B E R 2 1

South San Francisco Fil-Am History Month City Hall, 10:00 a.m.

UNDSCVRD Block Party Parks at 5M, 12 noon to 5 p.m.

UNDSCVRD X SFMOMA San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 6 to 9 p.m.

To RSVP, go to https://www.undiscoveredsf.com/#tickets

SACRAMENTO – On Tuesday, October 10, Governor Gavin Newsom announced multiple new efforts to address homelessness and provided an update on the state’s work to deliver more than 1,200 small homes to communities throughout California.

Tuesday’s announcements advance the Administration’s multipronged and multi-billion dollar approach, using every tool available, to address the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness, including moving people in need of assistance off the streets and into housing.

“The state's homelessness crisis has been decades in the making. While there’s more work to be done, we are challenging the status quo with new, innovative solutions to get Californians off the streets and into housing,” Governor Newsom said.

Homekey grants Administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), this latest $179.7 million in grants for Homekey will create 710 units through nine developments in Fresno, Los Angeles, Modesto, Sacramento, San Buenaventura, San Diego and Visalia.

This announcement builds upon a $736 million investment to address homelessness statewide through the acquisition and construction of interim and permanent homeless housing. With this additional round of funding, total Homekey units have expanded to 13,484 homes throughout the state. For more information on Homekey grants, visit https://www.hcd.ca.gov/about-hcd/ newsroom/governor-announces-initial-homekeyround-3-awards.

Additionally, the largest delivery of small homes in state history continues to gain momentum.

Since an announcement earlier this year by Governor Newsom to purchase 1,200 small homes, the administration has made significant progress in working with local governments to deliver these units throughout the state.

The state and our local partners have moved quickly to select site locations, request bids, sign contracts and pass trailer bill legislation to advance these projects by giving the California Department of General Services contracting and streamlining flexibility. In July, Governor Newsom signed a trailer bill cutting red tape on procurement and construction for these small homes. And just this month, the Newsom Administration is finalizing a contract for the state and locals to purchase these small homes – a contract available for these 1,200 units but also available as a template for any other local government in California that wants to use their own funds to buy these housing solutions.

“Here in San Jose, we’re doing our part to end the era of encampments, but our bold action at the city-level would not be possible without support from the Governor who is making a historic investment in what is, without doubt, the largest, most inhumane crisis we face today. We are ontrack and moving full-speed ahead,” said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.

For his part, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg stated, “Gov. Newsom's office has been working closely with the city and county of Sacramento to build a tiny home village on Stockton Boulevard that will be a model for the rest of the state.

Residents will be embedded in a community wellness campus specializing in substance abuse disorder treatment and mental health care. This combination of housing and assertive treatment is the recipe for helping our unhoused neighbors and providing relief to our neighborhoods.”

Gov. Newsom signs new bills The Governor also signed the following legislative measures to help address homelessness: • AB 42 by Assemblymember James Ramos (D-San Bernardino) prohibits a local agency from imposing or enforcing any requirement to install fire sprinklers for temporary dwelling units with a total floor area of less than 250 square feet meeting specific criteria.

• AB 785 by Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) provides CEQA exemptions for

California Gov. Gavin Newsom

From fraud to green card: Watch this inspiring...

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19th Annual Filipino American History Month Celebration San Francisco City Hall, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.

For RSVP, go to https://e.sparxo.com/fahm2023

O C TO B E R 29

Philippine International Aid Fashion Show Fundraiser Hyatt Embarcadero Regency Hotel, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more details, send email to philintlaid@gmail.com or administration@phil-aid.org

N OV E M B E R 1 1

Golden State Warriors Filipino Herirage Night Chase Center, 5:30 p.m.

For more info, send email to Adam Postiglione at apostiglione@warriors.com

If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com

PAGE 9 All these years, Reggie lived under a series of lies.

Finally, Reggie and his wife consulted with leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel who obtained a fraud waiver and green card through a petition by his U.S. citizen wife.

Find out how Reggie was finally able to legally acquire his green card. Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, October 22 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (right) was able to get a green card may download the free app. for his client, Reggie (left), despite the multiple frauds he committed.

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File photo/www.gov.ca.gov

certain activities undertaken by the City and County of Los Angeles and other eligible public agencies related to affordable housing, low barrier navigation centers, supportive housing, and transitional housing for youth and young adults.

• AB 1285 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) requires continuums of care that share geographic boundaries with a city or county using state funding allocated pursuant to round five of the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) program or the Encampment Resolution Program (ERP) funding to additionally include in their regionally coordinated homelessness action plans evidence and an explanation of their collaboration with the city or county that specifies how people served through encampment resolution have or will be included in prioritization for permanent housing within coordinated entry systems.

• AB 1377 by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Los Angeles) requires applications or planning materials for state funding through the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) program appropriated on or after July 1, 2024, to include data and a narrative summary of quantifiable steps that the applicant has taken to improve the delivery of housing and services to people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness on transit facilities owned and operated by a transit agency.

• AB 1469 by Assemblymember Ash Kalra (DSanta Clara) authorizes the Santa Clara Valley Water District to assist unsheltered people living along streams, in riparian corridors, or otherwise within the district's jurisdiction, in consultation with a city or the County of Santa Clara, to provide solutions or improve outcomes for the unsheltered individuals.

• AB 1607 by Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles) allows the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency to transfer a portion of revenue raised by a tax measure to the County of Los Angeles for programs that provide support and services to prevent and combat homelessness.

• AB 1679 by Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) authorizes Los Angeles County to impose a transaction and use tax that exceeds the 2% statutory limitation, and requires all revenue from the tax to be dedicated to addressing and preventing homelessness.

• SB 91 by Senator Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana) eliminates the January 1, 2025, sunset date on a provision of state law that exempts certain projects from CEQA that convert a motel, hotel, residential hotel, or hostel to supportive or transitional housing. SB 91 also extends CEQA streamlining provisions for “environmental leadership transit projects” located within the County of Los Angeles that meet certain specified requirements.

(CA Governor’s Office Release)

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