102722 - Las Vegas Edition

Fil-Am basketball player Remy Martin gets second chance at NBA draft

FILIPINO American basketball player and NCAA champion Remy Martin may already have a second chance at being in the NBA, only five months after not being selected for the NBA draft.

Minor league basketball team Cleveland Charge has just selected Martin in the second round of the G League Draft. The six-foot 24-year-old Burbank, California native was the eighth player selected in the second round, and the 37th player overall. Notably, he was the only member of the Jayhawks – University of Kansas’ basketball team – who was selected.

The Charge is the G League affiliate of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Martin’s selection by the Charge means that he may be called up during the season to fill in for injured

Exploring, unpacking API neglect in the US health care system

A HUNDRED years ago, in the 1920s, the state of California began a public health initiative to “expel” Filipinos from the Golden State.

Amid a tuberculosis outbreak that impacted hospital occupancy, the California State Board of Health at that time called Filipinos who were hospitalized with the disease “one of the worst problems at the present time.”

Following a visit to Kern General Hospital, Edythe Thompson, director of the State Bureau of Tuberculosis, in 1933. Thompson had written, “Here, as in many of the other general hospitals, the beds on the tuberculosis service were nearly all filled with Filipinos. These people seem to have more complications than other races.”

Thompson and other officials at that time reported that Filipino patients — many of whom were part of the historied Manong Generation of laborers — called for “much more nursing than a white patient” and were “disturbed mentally” and possessed “many

White House hosts Fil-Am History Month celebration

by KLARIZE MEDENILLA AJPress

TO commemorate Filipino American History Month (FAHM), Filipino American community leaders and the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) hosted a virtual celebration highlighting the positive historical impact of the vast Filipino American community.

In mostly pre-recorded segments shared in the virtual event on Thursday, Oct. 20, the White House event brought together artists, community leaders,

Filipino American White House officials, and other advocates who highlighted historical milestones and current issues of the Filipino American community. Jason Tengco, the White House Liason for the Office of Personnel Management), emceed the virtual event and shared a statement from President Joe Biden, saying, “When Filipino American history is preserved and shared, the millions of Filipino Americans [who] helped build this country can see themselves in the story of America.”  (Neither Biden nor Vice President Kamala Harris were present at the event.) Filipinos are the second-largest Asian subgroup

in the United States, and as of the most recent Census Bureau data, 4.2 million Filipinos live in the U.S. — and that population continues to grow.

As previously reported in the  Asian Journal the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) first officially observed October as FAHM in 1992 to coincide with the first arrival of Filipinos in the 16th century and the birth month of labor leader Larry Itliong.

In 2009, former President Barack Obama became the first sitting president to acknowledge October as FAHM. In 2015, the White House celebrated its 

Philippines set to loosen travel restrictions to boost tourism

by XAVE GREGORIO Philstar.com

MANILA — Even as the threat of more contagious and vaccine-evasive variants of the coronavirus hangs over the country, the Philippines is on track to loosen travel restrictions further by dropping testing and vaccination requirements.

Tourism Secretary Maria Christina Frasco announced on Tuesday, October 25 that “stringent protocols” including RT-PCR testing prior to arrival in the Philippines and the requirement for foreigners traveling to the country to be fully vaccinated will be scrapped.

Frasco said unvaccinated foreign travelers will be allowed entry into the country as long as they present an antigen test taken 24 hours before arrival into the country or take an antigen test upon arrival.

“We are optimistic that with all of these restrictions being lifted by the Marcos administration, that this can only redound to the benefit of the lives of millions of Filipinos that serve to benefit as well the reinvigoration of the tourism industry,” Frasco said in a press briefing.

The DOT has yet to announce a date when these new protocols will be effective.

She added that the overarching direction of the

Politicians among ‘persons of interest’ in Percy Lapid slay

by FRANCO JOSE C. BAROÑA , WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL AND FRANCIS EARL CUETO ManilaTimes.net

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) chief said on Monday, October 24 there are 160 persons of interest or possible suspects, including the chief of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), in the killing of radio commentator Percival Mabasa, more popularly known as Percy Lapid.

PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said the list also includes politicians and police and military personalities. He did not identify them.

In a press briefing in Camp Crame, Azurin

said that the personalities were among those who were criticized by Mabasa in his program.

He said that since 2021 Mabasa had censured 600 personalities, but only 160 of them could be considered persons of interest.

Asked if BuCor Director General Gerald Bantag was one of them, Azurin said, “Oo, kasama siya (Yes, he is included).”

was suspended last week

Pacquiao announces plan to return to politics

by PAOLO ROMERO Philstar.com

MANILA — Former senator and world boxing icon Manny Pacquiao has expressed his intention to return to politics, citing his “passion” to serve the people.

Pacquiao, who ran for president last May, disclosed his political plans when he and K-pop superstar Sandara Park were guests at the South Korean weekly variety “Knowing Bros” on Saturday, October 22.

“I joined (the presidential race) because I want to instill discipline in our people. When it comes to corruption, I want to curb corruption and then for our country to progress,” Pacquiao said in Filipino when asked by one of the

hosts of the show, which features a high school classroom setting.

Park translated the questions for Pacquiao, who was also asked by host and comedian Kim Young Chul if he wanted to enter politics again.

“It’s (political plan) still there. My passion to help people is still there,” the former senator and retired boxing champion said. Portions of the show can be viewed on YouTube.

Pacquiao, the only boxer who won 12 major world titles in eight weight divisions, is in Korea to promote his charity fight with Korean martial artist DK Yoo set on Dec. 10. Proceeds from the bout, he added, would be set aside for livelihood projects for the poor in the country.

Lawmakers back Marcos Jr. policy on voluntary mask use for indoor areas

by GABRIEL PABICO LALU Inquirer.net

MANILA — Several lawmakers from the House of Representatives have backed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s policy allowing the voluntary use of face masks even in indoor settings, with some saying that this rule has long been overdue.

In a statement on Tuesday, October 25, Quezon 3rd District Rep. Reynan Arrogancia said that the Philippines is already long overdue for a voluntary masking protocol amid the COVID-19 pandemic — except in crowded areas, mass transportation, and healthcare facilities.

Instead of stringent masking protocols, Arrogancia said that the health authorities should focus on providing the public bivalent COVID-19 vaccines, or shots that are believed to provide better protection against the dominant Omicron variant.

“Our country is long overdue for relaxing the safety protocols.

The COVID bulletins show the factual and evidentiary bases of the pandemic spread being severely limited despite the detection of new variants,” he said.

“What the country needs is more of the bivalent booster vaccine supplies, availability,

and accessibility to anyone who wants them,” he added.

Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua aired the same sentiments, saying that it seems health officials are “overly cautious”.

According to Chua, there is a need to lift the mask mandate as the country opens tourism sites and educational institutions.

“Health authorities seem to be unnecessarily overly cautious and have needlessly delayed further relaxing of Alert Level One public health safety protocols. They should instead make more of the bivalent booster vaccines available and readily accessible now and more so in the coming weeks. The boosters are the better alternative to maskwearing,” he said.

“It would be better to get bivalent boosted than to always have to wear face masks,” he added.

Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co meanwhile stated that the relaxed masking protocols would lead to improved public health and a higher output for the economy.

“The lifting of some mask mandates indoors I believe is quite justified. Further calibrated lifting of COVID restrictions plus the economic impact of the 2022 and 2023 national budgets

SECURITY CHECK. A security guard inspects passengers’ belongings with a K-9 sniffer dog at the entrance of Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), a public transport terminal in Parañaque City, on Thursday, Oct. 27. Before passengers board their respective buses going to different provinces, dogs will sniff their luggage for possible objects that are prohibited by law, such as bombs or drugs, according to the security personnel assigned at the terminal. PNA photo by Gil Calinga

Politicians among ‘persons of interest...

following the death of an inmate in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), Crisanto Villamor Jr.

Villamor was identified by confessed killer Joel Escorial as the middleman who hired him to take out Mabasa.

The NBP records indicate that Villamor died of acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis.

Azurin said Villamor could have provided vital information that could identify the mastermind in the Mabasa slay.

Villamor died on October 18, a day after Escorial surrendered to authorities.

“It’s too much of a coincidence. It’s an unfortunate incident, but the timing is questionable,” Azurin said.

He doubted the report that Villamor died in his sleep sometime at noon.

He said the crowded and sweltering conditions at the NBP made it difficult for an inmate to take a noonday nap.

“We were almost there, isn’t it? We have the triggerman, we have the pieces of evidence, and we were almost there to talk to the middleman, and this happened,” Azurin said.

Mabasa hosted an online broadcast program “Percy Lapid Fire” at DWBL 1242 and was a columnist for the Hataw tabloid.

He was shot while on his way home in Las Piñas City on October 3.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla confirmed on Monday that Bantag was a person of interest in the Mabasa case.

“He has already been

preventively suspended, and we have a structural inquiry on how things are being run. Let’s not pre-empt anything,” Remulla said.

“We are trying to get all the data possible, validate the evidence. I trust the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation], they work together with the PNP to come out with a quick solution, and at least satisfactory answers to all the questions we have on our mind,” he said.

The BuCor supervises and manages the NBP.

The broadcaster’s brother, Roy Mabasa, said the family will sit down with their lawyers to discuss the filing of charges against Bantag.

“We will evaluate if that would be useful on our side since nobody has yet corroborated the involvement of Bantag,” he said.

Remulla said Dr. Raquel Fortun has agreed to do a second autopsy on Villamor, as requested by the Mabasa family.

He also dismissed the claim of Southern Police District chief BGen. Kirby John Kraft that the case has been solved because the suspects have been identified and have been charged.

“We cannot close the case until we know the details, and we have the proper testimonies in place,” Remulla said. “We have not stopped studying all possibilities.”

On Monday the Department of Justice (DoJ) started its preliminary investigation of the murder charge against Escorial.

Charged along with Escorial

were brothers Israel and Edmund Dimaculangan and a certain “Orlando.” All three are at large.

The complaint was filed by the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and Roy Mabasa.

“They planned and executed the same upon inducement or order of a certain Crisanto Palana Villamor, also known as “Idoy,” who promised to pay them P550,000. Moreover, alias Orly/Orlando and Dimaculangan brothers joined Escorial because a certain Christopher Bacoto, also known as Jerry Sandoval, talked to his companions to help him in killing Percy Lapid,” the DoJ said.

Bacoto has been identified as the second middleman in the Mabasa killing. He is said to be in the custody of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

Remulla said he “cannot comment on the guilt or innocence” of Bantag and those who are being investigated by the police.

It was also learned that Social Welfare and Development Secretary Erwin Tulfo was scheduled to meet with Remulla on Monday, October 24 to discuss the possibility of putting at least three persons under the government’s Witness Protection Program (WPP) in relation to the Mabasa case.

The DoJ earlier said Escorial could end up as a state witness if he qualifies for the WPP.

The Manila Times also learned that Villamor’s sister is one of the persons being considered as a state witness. g

Philippines set to loosen travel...

1

administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is to let the country “convey an openness and a readiness to the world to receive tourists and investments.”

Asked about concerns over the XBB and XBC variants — the first cases of which were detected last week and have reached the level of local transmission — Frasco said these were not the first variants of the coronavirus.

“In the end, we simply cannot go on in a pandemic perspective because we have to give our country an opportunity to thrive while maintaining basic health protocols on one hand and safeguarding and protecting livelihood and the economy on the other,” she said.

The easing of travel restrictions were announced along with the plan to make masking optional indoors. g

White House hosts Fil-Am History...

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first official FAHM celebration, as previously reported by the  Asian Journal

The event opened up with a recording of rapper Ruby Ibarra, who has been a vocal proponent for Filipino American issues, especially the representation of Filipinos in mainstream American culture.

The celebration then introduced panels of government officials and community leaders who spoke about the growing significance of the Filipino American community throughout history.

“Our numbers are significant enough that we cannot be overlooked as one tiny bit of the population,” said Nani Coloretti, deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, who is the highest-ranking Fil-Am in the current administration. “We are everywhere. And so the role Filipino Americans can play in this very diverse country is really to lead and to lead with values first.”

The White House consists of several Filipino American officials, including Gina Ortiz Jones, the Department of Defense’s undersecretary of the

Air Force.

Ortiz Jones shared her Filipino family’s long legacy of military service and emphasized that her family motivated her to pursue public service as a Filipina lesbian.

“On my day-to-day, when I lead, I think about the fact that I’m honored to be the first woman of color to serve as an Under Secretary of any military department, the first out lesbian to serve as an Under Secretary of any military department,” Ortiz Jones, who is also an Iraq war veteran, said during the panel discussion, adding that she “certainly” wants “to make sure I’m not the last.”

In terms of learning about Filipino American history, many guests highlighted how scant Filipino American history actually is in American classrooms. Despite Filipinos being integral to the U.S. military, conversations about American imperialism, and the labor movement, Filipinos are largely left out of history books.

“We’re part of U.S. history, but we’re not,” said Luisa Blue, a member of the President’s Advisory Commission on AANHPI issues.

In more recent times, Filipinos have been integral to the tech and entertainment workforces, essential contributors in medicine and hospitality, and the small business sector — an exclusion made starker by the recent attacks on Asians during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When you have unfortunate instances like the rash of antiAAPI hate, hopefully, the telling our stories encourages people to see how critical our contributions have been to this country,” Ortiz Jones said.

But despite the disturbing uptick in violence toward Asian Americans, there have been recent milestones in Filipino American representation, which all panelists and guests agreed helps bring the Filipino American community out of the shadows and places our issues on the front lines.

“When Fil-Ama have a seat at the table, everyone benefits,” California’s first Filipino American Attorney General Rob Bonta said. “It’s not just about having a seat at the table; it’s about using our seat. The  manongs and  manangs –they didn’t sit idly by, and neither should we.” g

FREEDOM! Some of the 124 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) jump for joy after receiving their release orders at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City on Wednesday, Oct. 26. The Department of Justice freed a total of 357 PDLs nationwide from different prisons in the country. PNA photo by Avito Dalan

Tourism Secretary Maria Christina Frasco Philstar.com file photo

An abortion rights question on the California ballot revives the debate over ‘viability’

by April Dembosky

Kaiser Health News

AS California voters decide whether to amend their state constitution to explicitly protect abortion rights, lawmakers still do not agree on whether the amendment would enshrine those rights, which by state law allow abortion up to 24 weeks, or expand them, permitting abortions at any point in pregnancy, for any reason.

During the legislative debate over the amendment, dubbed Proposition 1 on the November ballot, there were several awkward moments after a question from Republicans stumped Democrats — most notably when Assembly member Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) posed it point-blank before the final vote in June. “California law generally bars the performance of an abortion past the point of fetal viability,” he said. “Would this constitutional amendment change that?”

The floor went quiet. For a full 30 seconds, no one said anything. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon whispered with Democratic colleagues, asked to have the question repeated, and then promised to answer later. He never did.

Viability has long been a controversial concept, plaguing

ethicists on both sides of the abortion debate since it was embedded in the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. The Supreme Court justices wrote that a woman’s right to privacy was protected only up to viability — the point when a fetus is capable of “meaningful life outside the mother’s womb.”

The court said that occurs between 24 and 28 weeks after conception.

Since then, many doctors have bemoaned the legal and political bastardization of the medical concept, arguing that viability is much more complex than gestational age alone. But the public has clung to it, and both opponents and supporters of abortion rights have looked favorably on restricting access to the procedure later in pregnancy.

Current California law incorporates the viability limit from Roe, allowing abortion for any reason through most of the second trimester and after that only if the patient’s or fetus’s health is in danger.

But the constitutional amendment outlined in Proposition 1 doesn’t contain the word “viability.” Even among legal scholars, there is no consensus about whether that means the viability standard in place now will remain if

Proposition 1 is approved or if time limits on abortion will be eradicated in California.

“It at least opens the door,” said Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California-Davis, with courts likely making the final interpretation of Proposition 1 after the vote, if it’s approved.

The V-Word Debate Revived

When Assembly member James Gallagher (R-Chico) spoke during the final floor debate in June, his voice wavered with emotion. He could not support the constitutional amendment, he said, “because of what’s missing from it.”

He choked up at one point talking about his twin boys, who were born 2½ months premature and almost needed heart surgery in utero.

“They were alive, and they were people,” he repeated throughout his speech, pointing at the lectern for emphasis each time, as he recounted his wife’s pregnancy at 18 weeks, 23 weeks, and 30 weeks. With no time limits on abortion, Gallagher said, the amendment got the balance wrong between the rights of the mother and the fetus.

“We can do better,” he said.

Proponents of Proposition 1 have said the intention was only PAGE A8

Exploring, unpacking API neglect in the US...

PAGE A1

superstitions [that made] life very miserable for white patients around them.”

Systemic racism and inequities in health care manifests differently these days; hospitals now wouldn’t get away with explicitly turning patients away solely on the basis of race and ethnicity.

But the lack of nuance in empirical research and slow progress in data disaggregation for the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community is a specific form of discrimination rooted in disregard and negligence.

According to Pew Research, more than 70% of Asian Americans were born outside the United States, with many having limited English proficiency and familiarity with the American health care system.

According to the National Insitute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), Asian patients reported experiencing difficulty while trying to navigate simple procedures like following doctors’ instructions as well as more complicated protocol like coordinating care for terminal illnesses and cancer.

For example, according to Dr. Grace Ma, associate dean for NIMHD and founding director for the Center for Asian Health, Asians possess the highest mortality rates of liver and stomach cancers, two of the most preventable cancers.

But Ma said that Asians have the lowest rates of cancer screenings and are usually diagnosed at later stages compared to patients of other racial backgrounds.

“Cancer patients, especially those with infection-related diseases, may experience shame and stigma that could affect their job and others may look down on them,” Ma said in a recent lecture. “We have so few linguistically competent practitioners, and cultural barriers prevent many from seeking help.”

She added, “Culturally-tailored messages are important.”

Data disaggregation is an oftdiscussed topic in API circles but there’s yet to be considerable action and policy that enforces data disaggregation in all research settings.

In short, disaggregation of data involves breaking down data and information into smaller, more specific groupings. Instead of surveying the effects of a disease

only across racial markers, disaggregation would allow us to examine the effects of a disease among Filipinos, Chinese, Korean, Indian and Vietnamese, for example.

From there, researchers could develop care solutions for these individual communities and create preventative measures that enriches understanding of the medically diverse API community.

For a populace that is as vast as the AAPI community — a grand diaspora that hails from nearly half the planet and comprises of hundreds of languages, religions, and cultures — the push for disaggregated data should be more urgent than it currently is.

Less than 1% of funding from the National Institutes of Health is granted to research endeavors that specifically cater to APIs, which is the fastest-growing population in the U.S.

“The capacity to disaggregate data for AAPIs within the electronic health records is there, but the political will and the leadership across health care systems is still lacking,” Dr. Winston Wong, a scholarin-residence at UCLA Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Equity, said in an Ethnic Media Services (EMS) press briefing in September.

Wong said that the most commonly used electronic health care record system, called Epic, is a sophisticated data gatherer that can collect trillions of units of data in a single day, but those who manage that data hardly ever categorize patient information by ethnicities and sub-ethnicities.

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic placed the medical research industry under a microscope, health data related to specific Asian communities went largely misreported, amid the high rates of crimes against Asians and the mystery of the virus itself.

For example, the Chinese community in New York had the highest rate of hospitalizations, a data point that went largely under the radar, Wong said. Moreover, in New Jersey, the Bangladeshi community had the highest rate of COVID-related hospitalizations and in pockets of Arkansas, it was Marshallese community that was disproportionately affected.

“This kind of data is only identified at this point by the activists, the community providers, the physicians

and nurses who care for that community because they’re providing the culturally competent and linguistically accessible care to these populations,” said Wong.

But despite underfunding and general disregard, advocacy groups and academic research bodies founded by and for APIs have decided to create the precedent themselves.

Groups like the policy-focused APIAVote and AAPI Data are among the very few organizations or researching bodies (across all industries) that actually survey specific ethnic communities, even going as far as to break down each ethnicity’s data by age, gender, political affiliation, and citizenship status.

In the health sector, the Center for Asian Health Research and Education (CARE) at Stanford Medicine is attempting to create a precedent in medical research. Founded in 2018, the group seeks to examine and develop tailored care for the communities that fall under the vast API banner.

“We are treated as one giant group, but we are also not a monolith,” said Dr. Bryant Lin, a primary care physician and co-founder of CARE, in a briefing held in September. Lin established CARE with colleague Dr. Latha Palaniappan who, like Lin, recognized in her practice the lack of sophistication in patient data gathering.

Calls to policy-makers to establish a legislative precedent that ensures data disaggregation across all research sectors have largely gone unheard.

But in California — the state that previously attempted to expel Filipinos from even receiving health care in the 1920s and 1930s out of ignorance and lack of compassion — has become among the most progressive states in pro-API care and policy.

California, which has the largest total API community in the U.S., is one of the few government bodies that has so far that made it law to disaggregate data specifically concerning APIs.

Assembly Bill 1726, passed by former California Gov. Jerry Brown in 2016, requires the California Dept. of Public Health to break down demographic data by ethnicity for API communities.

(Current Gov. Gavin Newsom last year passed the API Equity Budget, which included $10

CREEK REHAB. Workers place steel bars along Estero de San Miguel in Mendiola in Manila to support the concrete mold for drainage repair and rehabilitation on Thursday, Oct. 27. This is one of the Infrastructure projects of the government under the supervision of the Department of Public Works and Highways. PNA photo by Alfred Frias

Fighting the new COVID strains

HEALTH experts say that

become

that they might

well be new

Friday, October 21, the Department of Health announced that “definitely,” there is now

Epidemiologists note that XBC is a combination of the BA.2 sublineage of the Omicron and Delta variants. Both are highly transmissible. Delta caused more severe infections and a far higher number of deaths last year, although health experts attributed this to the COVID vaccination coverage still not widespread enough when the variant entered the country.

XBB and XBC, however, are proving to be more evasive to both natural and vaccine immunity. The virus strains have caused rapid COVID spikes recently in countries with high vaccination rates such as Singapore. Several governments are considering the return of mask mandates to contain the transmission.

While the fully boosted and vaccinated get more protection from XBB and XBC, the vulnerable sectors – the immune-compromised, those with comorbidities and the weak elderly – can still suffer serious infection, especially if unvaccinated, and death is still possible. There is also the risk of developing debilitating long COVID even for mild infections.

BABE ROMUALDEZ

WHEN General Douglas MacArthur made that historic landing on the shores of Palo, Leyte on Oct. 20, 1944, he fulfilled the promise he made to the Filipino people, summed up in those three famous words: “I shall return.”

That famous line has become “immortalized” in the hearts and minds of Filipinos spanning many generations, because history tells us the liberation of the Philippines from Japanese occupation during World War II could not have been possible if not for the return of MacArthur.

Last Thursday, October 20, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the commemoration of the 78th anniversary of the Leyte Gulf Landings with a ceremony at the MacArthur Leyte Landing Memorial National Park. Joining him were U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, local officials from the province of Leyte and 31 World War II veterans awarded with U.S. Congressional Gold Medals to honor their heroism.

It was a significant occasion as it reminded us of the shared history we have with the U.S., and why our friendship has remained strong. Many Filipinos consider General MacArthur’s return as the personification of America’s commitment to the

and 193

Fortunately, as in the spread of the highly contagious Omicron, the world has weapons against the new COVID strains. Bivalent vaccines are now available, specifically targeting the Omicron mutations. Last Aug. 31, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an amended emergency use authorization for the COVID vaccines of Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. The amended EUA allows bivalent formulations of the vaccines for use as a single booster dose within at least two months after primary or booster vaccination. The second generation Pfizer bivalent booster is allowed for ages 12 and older; Moderna’s Bivalent is for ages 18 up.

The next-generation bivalent vaccines, unlike the monovalent first-generation shots, include an mRNA component of the original strain plus an mRNA component common to both the BA.4 and BA.5 lineages of the Omicron variant. The BA.4 and BA.5 are currently the culprits behind most COVID infections in the US, and are predicted to circulate in the fall and winter.

Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna already have EUAs for their COVID vaccines in the

Philippines. Uptake of the current boosters is believed to have slowed down as Filipinos wait for the bivalent shots to arrive. Health experts and the business community alike are pressing for the speedy availability of the next-generation vaccines.

The pandemic is not over, and another major outbreak, apart from impacting public health, can set back economic recovery. The Department of Health and the FDA should not drag their feet in securing and distributing the bivalent boosters, if possible before Christmas. (Philstar.com)

Leyte landing: Old friendships never die

alliance, liberating us from one of the darkest chapters in our nation’s history.

I still remember when the man dubbed as the “American Caesar” returned to the Philippines for the last time in July 1961. I had just graduated from grade school at the Ateneo when my father – a history buff who was a young major and doctor in the Philippine Army during the war – told me to line up along Taft Avenue. I waited for the open car carrying General MacArthur, his motorcade traversing the street slowly as he waved to the thousands of spectators cheering and enthusiastically waving flags, confetti pouring down from buildings.

I have been an admirer of the General since then. MacArthur was legendary in making sure his image was always perfect. He was very conscious of his bearing, even the way he stood as shown in photos, especially in that famous photo of the Leyte landing. The story goes, they took the photo three times especially because General Carlos Romulo was barely above water when the photo was first taken because of his height –“a dime among nickels,” the General would retort when asked about the photo.

October is also Filipino American History Month in the United States, and last Wednesday, I delivered the keynote address at an event titled “From Stewards to Flag Officers:

Filipinos in the U.S. Navy” at the U.S. Navy National Museum.

The Bataan Legacy Historical Society in collaboration with the U.S. Naval Judge Advocate General’s Corps and the Naval Legal Services Command organized the event which centered on Filipino Americans serving in the U.S. Navy and their vital contributions to promoting global peace and security, and as the event title aptly puts it, how they have risen through the ranks from stewards up to the level of Flag Officers.

The event was also an opportunity to give special recognition to Telesforo de la Cruz Trinidad, a Filipino sailor who was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1915 for saving other crew members when one of the boilers of USS San Diego exploded. For his courage and heroism, a future ArleighBurke class destroyer will be named USS Telesforo Trinidad in his honor.

As I said during my remarks, the decades-old alliance between the U.S. and the Philippines has significantly evolved over the years, despite the rough patches at one point or another. As President Marcos himself has described it, the relationship between the U.S. and the Philippines is long and special.

I have absolutely no doubt that the historic landing in Leyte of the “American Caesar” has left an indelible imprint not only

among Filipinos who suffered atrocities during World War II, but also their children’s children who have come to understand the significance of MacArthur’s fulfillment of that promise he made. The return to Leyte became a thread that served as a strong tie that continues to bind Filipinos and Americans to this day.

No wonder why close to 90 percent of Filipinos look upon the U.S. as our most trusted and most reliable ally, the one that comes through during the most critical times like in November 2013 when Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) pummeled Central Visayas, killing 10,000 people. I vividly remember the call I got from Congressman Martin Romualdez, his voice quivering as he described Leyte being “completely ravaged!” He told me, “Only the Americans can help us on this.”

Hearing that, I immediately called the U.S. military attaché who then called the U.S. Pacific Command. They immediately dispatched the USS George Washington (docked in Hong Kong at the time) to the Gulf of Leyte, equipped with choppers, water desalination equipment and personnel for the conduct of rescue and relief operations. The immediate response from the U.S. was so tearfully moving that I wrote a column titled, “Thank God for the United States!” ending it with, “God bless America!”

The sense of relief and encouragement felt by Yolanda survivors at seeing the USS George Washington was almost like the return of General Douglas MacArthur on the shores of Leyte in 1944, bringing with it a sense of inspiration and, most of all, hope.

In 1951 when General MacArthur addressed the U.S. Congress to announce his retirement, he said: “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.”

Remembering how the U.S.

On the Move Two questions for Marcos Jr.

SEGUNDO ECLAR ROMERO

RESPONDING to gentle suggestions that he should appoint a full-time agriculture secretary, President Marcos Jr. is adamant that he will hold on to the position, saying he is “still needed there.” He explains that there are things that only a president can do that a secretary cannot. The problems in the agriculture sector are “so difficult that it will take a president to change and turn it around.” The President says that he will appoint a full-time secretary when he has properly institutionalized the functions of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and he has completed the necessary structural changes.

The President has been the agriculture secretary for almost four months. In that period,

there have been some revealing tests of his caliber as a leader and manager of the agricultural sector. His boast during the elections that he will bring down the price of rice to P20 per kilo is now out of reach. His policy and managerial decision-making in resolving the critical sugar shortage was erratic, causing the resignation of his well-regarded undersecretary, Leaocadio Sebastian, and exposing signs of disarray in his Cabinet.

Being agriculture secretary is not a problem if there are functioning, motivated, and selfconfident undersecretaries that have the “hand-in-glove” trust and confidence of the President.

But no self-respecting competent undersecretary would think of being creative, innovative, and proactive, only to get the “Sebastian treatment.” What remains in DA is undersecretary Domingo Panganiban who served as deputy minister of the

Ministry of Food and Agriculture as early as 1984 during the dictatorship of Marcos Sr. Panganiban, at 83, is past his prime for the present challenges in Philippine agriculture.

As a matter of prudence, considering that the nation is facing food and energy crises, Filipinos, especially in media, the academe, and policy institutes, should help the President identify the key issues in agriculture and the promising initiatives that might constitute solutions.

There are many discussions of agricultural issues happening across the land. For instance, in the Future Earth Philippines Filipino SDG Hour online symposium last Friday, Dr. Ted Mendoza, an agronomist and retired professor of UP Los Baños made a provocative presentation on “Diet Change: The Filipino Answer to Climate Change and Food Shortage.”

(https://youtu.be/K7z2XtNlAR0)

He suggested that looking at the world situation, the grains fed to animals yearly can supply the food caloric requirements of 8.3 to 10 billion people. Reducing by 50 percent the grains fed to animals can feed 50 to 60 percent of the growing world population by 2050. His recommendation is for Filipinos to shift more toward a plant and fish-based diet for food self-sufficiency, environmental sustainability, and health reasons.

His presentation on the Philippine agricultural situation had the audience groping for answers to two imbalances—our rice shortage and the resourcecarrying capacity deficit of the Philippines.

I thought these questions should properly be directed to Mr. Marcos as agriculture secretary and president, so I coached the questions accordingly:

Question 1: With a population of 115 million by 2023, the rice output per hectare to be selfsufficient should be 12.5 tons.

The current yield is only 4 tons. This translates into a rice deficit of 17 percent. With the estimated 10 percent reduction in production due to costcutting and floods, the deficit is estimated at 27 percent, requiring the importation of 3.5 million tons per year. By 2030, with a projected population of 124 million, the Philippines will be importing 4.8 million tons of rice. What level of rice self-sufficiency should the Philippines aim for by 2030 and what creative feasible strategy would you adopt to attain this?

Question 2: Filipinos have always been told that the Philippines is rich in natural resources. If we take our population into account, this is no longer true. With an arable land area of 13.42 million hectares

has stood by Filipinos during good times and most especially during the bad, allow me to paraphrase the General’s words: “Old friendships never die; they will never fade away.” (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

out of our total 30 million hectares, our ideal population should only be 33 million. We reached this threshold around 1965, 57 years ago. We have been in deficit since, and the demands of our population at present exceed threefold the carrying capacity of our land and natural resources. How would you mobilize the Filipino nation and people to redress this fundamental gap between population and resources?

Wouldn’t it be reassuring if Mr. Marcos can give us his thoughts on these questions? If he obliges, he might demonstrate he is indeed his best agriculture secretary.

* * *

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.

* * * doyromero@gmail.com

ManilaTimes.net photo

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the commemoration of the 78th anniversary of the Leyte Gulf Landings with a ceremony at the MacArthur Leyte Landing Memorial National Park. Joining him were U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, local officials from the province of Leyte and 31 World War II veterans awarded with U.S. Congressional Gold Medals to honor their heroism. Malacañang photo

Lawmakers back Marcos Jr. policy on...

will result in more economic growth,” Co said.

“With the continuing reopening of the economy and lifting of COVID restrictions, I expect gross domestic product or GDP  to further improve in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2022,” he claimed.

Just a little over a month after he made the wearing of face masks optional in uncrowded outdoor settings, Marcos is slated to make masking indoors voluntary too.

In a press briefing earlier, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said that the President would make outdoor masking optional, as stated during Tuesday’s cabinet meeting.

However, she said that wearing of face masks will still be highly encouraged

for unvaccinated individuals, persons with comorbidities, and senior citizens. g

Exploring, unpacking API neglect in the US...

million to improve API data collection and equity, in his 2021-2022 annual budget.)

AB 1726 allowed for organizations to home in on swiftly identifying subethnic health patterns and creating solutions for communities facing unique challenges.

In July 2020, Dr. Thu Quach, president of the San Francisco East Bay-serving Asian Health

Services, found that the region’s Vietnamese community were testing positive twice as often as other communities.

Through the broken-down data, Quach and her team were able to quickly establish “culturally informed” testing and education to the Vietnamese community in the East Bay, monitoring the community by ensuring there were always testing sites and vaccine

availability, Quach said at the EMS briefing.

She said, “With the limited resources that we had, we were able to have targeted interventions with the most impacted group at that time, and this is why disaggregated matters — not just in identifying the problem, but in providing timely responses to address such problems.” (Klarize Medenilla/ AJPress)

Just a little over a month after President Marcos made the wearing of face masks optional in uncrowded outdoor settings, he is slated to make masking indoors voluntary too. Inquirer.net file photo

MAUSOLEUM REPAINT. A cemetery caretaker repaints one of the mausoleums at the Manila North Cemetery in Manila on Thursday, Oct.

27. On All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, cemeteries across the country are crowded with people paying their respects to departed loved ones by offering flowers, candles and prayers.

PNA photo by Rico H. Borja

Mountains

Ex-US Embassy in PH exec pleads guilty of engaging sexual activity with minors

by Zacarian Sarao Inquirer.net

A FORMER officer of the US embassy in the Philippines pleaded guilty in engaging an illicit sexual conduct with minors from 2020 to 2021.

According to the US Department of Justice in a statement, Dean Edward Cheves, 63, is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 20, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of up to 30 years in prison.

He served in the US embassy

in the Philippines from 2017 to 2021.

During this period, Cheves engaged in sexual acts with a second 16-year-old minor who he met online on two separate occasions in the Philippines. He also used his government-issued phone to film himself doing so on at least one of those occasions.

The department said that child sex abuse material that Cheves produced and received of these minors were found on devices seized from Cheves’s embassy residence in the Philippines.

It also said that Cheves knew the ages of both minors at the time he engaged in the conduct.

A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

On Oct. 26, the Pasay City Regional Trial Court ordered the arrest Cheves for engaging in sexual activity with a 16-year old Filipino.

He faced charges for violation of Republic Act 7610 or the Child Abuse Law. g

Fil-Am basketball player Remy Martin gets...

PAGE A1

players, something that has happened with other members of the G League.

Remy Martin’s collegiate career

Martin previously played for four years at Arizona State University, before transferring to the University of Kansas as a super-senior. At KU, Martin averaged 8.6 points a game for the Jayhawks, who won Big 12 regular-season, postseason tourney and NCAA titles.

Martin shined in the NCAA Tournament, hitting four three-pointers and scoring 14 points in KU’s 72-49 win over North Carolina in the title game. Additionally, he had an important blocked shot in the second half of the game. After the game, he received the Midwest Regional most outstanding player award.

Martin’s time with KU earned Martin the well-deserved support of fans and spectators who look forward to his bright future in basketball. (Christyanne San Juan/Inquirer.net)

An abortion rights question on the California...

to preserve the status quo. But in various committee hearings, supporters at times seemed confused by the language of their own bill and scrambled to answer definitively when asked whether the amendment would preserve the viability limit or discard it.

But physicians involved in drafting the amendment, like Dr. Pratima Gupta, said no mistake was made: The word viability was left out on purpose.

“Every pregnancy is individual, and it’s a continuum,” said Gupta, an OBGYN in San Diego. People come into pregnancy with a range of preexisting health conditions, she said, including diabetes, anemia, high blood pressure, and obesity. They may not have much money or access to good medical care, with the latest technology. All these very nuanced factors determine whether a fetus is viable, she said, not some arbitrary number.

“If I see a patient who has broken their bag of water at 23 weeks of pregnancy, that doesn’t mean that it’s viable or not viable,” she said, explaining that the fetus may survive premature delivery at this stage in some cases but not in others.

Doctors who consulted on the amendment were following the lead of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the leading advisory group for OB-GYNs, which removed the term viability from its guidance on abortion in May. The term has become so politicized that it barely has any medical meaning anymore, the group said, and deciding whether and when to have an abortion should be left to the patient and doctor.

Strangely, the demise of Roe v. Wade has freed doctors from

the vagaries of the viability framework as it was outlined in that ruling. Physicians seem to be saying that if the Supreme Court could put an end to 50 years of constitutional protections for abortion, the court could take all the flaws of the decision with it.

“In a world where there is no Roe, I think you’re seeing California legislators trying to write into law a kind of blank slate, a better idea of what reproductive autonomy could be that isn’t just Roe Part 2,” Ziegler said.

Why Women Get Abortions Later in Pregnancy

In recent years, at least three other states — Colorado, New Jersey, and Vermont — and Washington, D.C., have removed gestational age limits from their abortion laws.

Abortion opponents argue that if California follows suit, it will be a free-for-all, with women lining up for abortions when they’re eight months pregnant.

“We already currently have abortion up to 24 weeks. Why do we need to push it beyond that?” said Jonathan Keller, president and CEO of the California Family Council, a religious nonprofit. “Aren’t we able to say that that is a step too far, even for California?”

Research indicates such scenarios are highly unlikely. Abortions at or after 21 weeks represent only 1.2% of all abortions, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And studies show the reasons women seek abortions at that point vary, from medical complications that threaten the life of the patient or fetus to, increasingly, legal and logistical barriers.

“It may be that they’re delayed because there are lots of restrictions they have to comply with; it may be

because they need to travel for an abortion,” said Elizabeth Nash, a policy analyst at the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights. “It may be that they can’t get time off of work. Or it was a wanted pregnancy and something happened.”

Still, even in California, which positions itself as an abortion sanctuary, voters become more uncomfortable with the procedure the later a pregnancy gets. An August poll found that only 13% of likely voters said they were OK with abortion through the third trimester.

But a different poll found that on the question of securing abortion rights in general, 71% of California voters said they would vote for Proposition 1.

“The politics of viability have changed,” law professor Ziegler said.

With the Supreme Court toppling the federal right to abortion, and more than half the states banning or trying to ban the procedure, she said, “these viability arguments — that had obviously been compelling for decades — don’t land the same way.”

The polls indicate that voters are not inclined to nitpick. Ziegler predicted they’ll accept the ambiguity in Proposition 1 and let the courts sort out the details later. g

This story is part of a partnership that includes KQED, NPR, and KHN.

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

Minor league basketball team Cleveland Charge has just selected Martin in the second round of the G League Draft.

Photo from Instargram/@chargecle

OIL PRICES CUT. A motorcycle food delivery rider refuels at a gas station on Congressional Road, Barangay Burol 1, City of Dasmarinas, Cavite on Tuesday, Oct. 25. Following several weeks of significant price increases, oil companies reduced the price of gasoline by P0.35 per liter, kerosene by P0.45 per liter, and diesel by P1.10 per liter effective Tuesday, Oct. 25. PNA photo by Gil Calinga

Dateline PhiliPPines

Fitch keeps Philippines’ investment grade but wary of global headwinds

by RaMon Royandoyan Philstar.com

MANILA — Fitch Ratings

reaffirmed the Philippines' credit rating but took on a cautious outlook as economic growth remains threatened by global headwinds and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' aggressive monetary policy stance to tame inflation.

In a report released Thursday, the debt watcher upheld the country’s ‘BBB’ credit rating with a "negative" outlook, which means there's a chance that the investment grade could be downgraded over the next 18 to 24 months.

Fitch said that the ratings action reflects the country’s mediumterm growth prospects amid a high inflation environment and a global economy headed to a recession. The risks include the BSP’s aggressive interest rate hikes that could potentially push its benchmark rate at beyond 5.25%, which the debt watcher is keeping a close eye.

Fitch noted that although the country still possessed "strong" macroeconomic fundamentals, risks abound. These include the Marcos

Jr. administration’s fiscal consolidation strategy and economic growth. The former could be derailed if the economy could not withstand fiscal tightening.

“The 'BBB' rating balances strong growth, external finances and a credible economic policy framework against lagging structural indicators, including per capita income and governance, relative to peers,” Fitch Ratings said.

The debt watcher remained wary of the possibility of economic scarring as result of pandemic fallout. Fitch cited learning losses, wherein economic managers of the previous administration have warned as countless research points to learning poverty in the country’s education system exacerbated by the pandemic.

On the one hand, the Marcos Jr. administration looked to hit between 6.5-7.5% gross domestic product this year. If realized, this could prove to be an impressive feat but the rising prices of consumer goods and services as a result of economic reopening, a weak peso, and expensive fuel prices could derail hopes.

That said, the country’s fiscal

space remains limited as taxpayer funds are funnelled into foreign currency debt payments. The former Duterte administration embarked on a borrowing spree at the onset of the health crisis to fund its response.

Fitch Ratings took note of the country’s high debt levels, which still fell in line with the ratings action, but proved higher than its ‘BBB’ peers. National government debt, projected to be equivalent to 56% of the country’s GDP,  could inch up a percent higher due to the country’s weak revenue deployment.

The debt watcher also spotlighted the country’s current account deficit, driven in part by a widening trade gap and rebounding demand. That trade gap was fueled by a surging dollar trend that pushed the peso to historic lows in past months, leaving imports persistently high owing to expensive fuel prices.

For Fitch Ratings, three factors could lead to a downgrade. This could be the domestic economy sputtering, fiscal consolidation slowing down or the peso’s weak position that the Marcos administration looks to defend by deploying its dollar reserves. g

US to oppose attempt to block access to South China Sea - State Department exec

by Bernadette e tamayo ManilaTimes.net

A SENIOR United States (US) State Department official said Washington would "oppose" any attempt to block US access to the South China Sea (SCS) under the Code of Conduct (CoC) being formulated to govern claimant countries in the disputed area.

The Spratly islands in the SCS, believed to be rich in oil and mineral deposits, are being claimed in whole or in part by China, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines.

On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled in favor of the Philippines as it declared the so-called China's "nine-dashed line" national boundary has no legal basis to claim historic rights to almost all resources in the SCS.

US defense officials repeatedly described the Philippines as a "friend, partner, and ally." They commemorated 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2022.

Amy Archibald, State

Department's director of the Office of the Maritime Southeast Asia, said, "We expect to be in the South China Sea as we have been."

"And we will definitely oppose any effort not to include us," Archibald said on Wednesday during a briefing with visiting Filipino journalists.

She continued, "It's not so much having a Code of Conduct but having a good one. So, the details would very much matter to us."

"We think those are important [points]. What we don't want to see is a Code of Conduct that will be used to exclude important regional partners," Archibald said.

The US Department of State official said the CoC "would be important if it does lead to the international rules-based system that allows a free and open and prosperous Pacific."

In a separate interview, Greg Poling, senior fellow and director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies said, "Nobody's going to accept

Chinese restrictions on lawful activities in international waters"

The US is a Pacific nation, Archibald pointed out. "We are also a trading nation and for us a commitment to a free and open Pacific, secure, prosperous, resilient Pacific is really important. And to extent a code of conduct can help us with those objectives."

"So I think it's not just a regional matter of getting an agreement but getting a good agreement and one that preserves those objectives of a free and open pacific," she said.

Archibald added, "I think we prosper when we have international norms and stability and so we are looking for a code of conduct that would essentially promote international rules based order in the maritime environment."

Asked about China's refusal to recognize the arbitral ruling, she said, "It depends on what the text looks like. I understand that's China's position but we have a different one." g

COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila drop

by Janvic Mateo Philstar.com

MANILA — The number of COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) continued to decrease over the past week, the OCTA Research group reported on Wednesday, October 26.

Data from the Department of Health showed that the average number of new COVID cases daily in Metro Manila dropped from 807 from Oct. 12 to 18 to 491 from Oct. 19 to 25.

The week-on-week COVID growth rate was at -39 percent, even lower than the -7 percent reported during the previous week.

OCTA fellow Guido David said the number of COVID infections in the NCR went down from as high as 1,719 on Oct. 1.

“In analyzing the trends and available data, it seems that the wave last June in Metro Manila was driven by the Omicron BA.5 subvariant. The subsequent wave from September may have

been caused by the XBB or XBC subvariants,” David said.

“Hopefully, the downward trend will continue until the December holidays, but there is uncertainty in the trends because of the presence of other subvariants around the world,” he added.

Based on recent data, OCTA said the COVID reproduction number in the NCR went down further from 0.98 on Oct. 15 to 0.74 on Oct. 25.

The seven-day positivity rate –or the number of people who test positive for COVID out of the total tests conducted – also decreased from 14.6 percent on Oct. 17 to 11.6 percent on Oct. 24.

OCTA said healthcare utilization in Metro Manila decreased from 35 percent to 29 percent as of Oct. 24.

The intensive care unit capacity remained at 23 percent.

Voluntary masking  indoors

Meanwhile, the independent research group has yet to issue its position on the government’s plan to make masking voluntary in indoor spaces.

But in a separate statement,

OCTA fellow Ranjit Rye expressed hope that the policy changes are based on “science and the best available advice of our health experts.”

“We must bear in mind that COVID is still with us and that we must continue to be vigilant amid the spread of new variants,” Rye told reporters.

He said sensible pandemic management is needed at this time.

Rye expressed hope that whatever changes in masking policy will not contribute to a rise in COVID infections.

On Tuesday, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco announced the government’s plan to lift the mandatory masking indoors, based on the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases.

President Marcos, who had lifted the mandatory masking in outdoor spaces, has yet to issue an executive order on the proposal. g

photo by Alfred Frias

UNICEF: 1 million children in the PH have never been vaccinated

MANILA — The Philippines has one million children who have not received a single dose of childhood vaccine, leaving them susceptible to transmission of various life-threatening vaccinepreventable diseases such as polio, measles, and tuberculosis, the United Nations Children's Fund or UNICEF said Monday.

In a statement Monday, UNICEF lamented "persistent missed opportunities" that it attributed to "past governance challenges, low demand for services, and disruptions by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pointing to gains over the coronavirus pandemic, though, it said that "the number of adults and children administered the COVID-19 vaccines have shown that the Philippines can reach significant numbers in a short period of time" as it called on the government to prioritize investments and human resources "to reach zero dose children with clear and timebound strategies and targets."

“Falling child immunization rates and the increasing number of children at risk of measles, polio and other vaccine preventable diseases must be treated as a public health emergency that needs urgent action,” UNICEF Philippines Representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov said.

"Lessons learned from COVID-19 highlight the need to strengthen primary health care

through integrated health and nutrition services for a strong and resilient health system in the long term."

DOH: Measles outbreak possible

Warning of an impending measles outbreak, the Department of Health also said earlier that out of an ideal international target of 95% immunization in countries, only 62.9% of children and infants in the country were fully immunized against vaccinepreventable diseases, with almost 3 million children not having measles vaccination.

In 2021, the Philippines was the top five contributor to the 18 million zero-dose children recorded around the world and the top seven contributor with the most children unprotected for measles. Per the 2022 World Health Organization Risk Assessment, all regions in the Philippines are at high-risk for a measles outbreak.

"The Philippines has already been plagued with low coverage on protective vaccines before the COVID-19 pandemic, never having met the ideal target of 95 per cent routine coverage rate for children since the 1990s. Low coverage increases the risk of lifethreatening diseases for children," UNICEF said in its statement.

UNICEF pointed out that there were still 1.5 million Filipino children who had not received or completed their polio vaccine even after the government vaccinated some 11 million children in 2021.

"Out of 81 provinces in the Philippines, 67 are at high risk for polio infections. For cities, 71 cities out of 96 are at high risk for polio... Complete vaccination for polio according to schedule is the most effective way to protect children from this disease," it said.

Recommendations

UNICEF on Monday also recommended increasing human resources for health in local government units to improve services. It also encouraged the use of community platforms and media including social media to address misconceptions and misinformation on vaccines. It also recommended:

• improving tracking of defaulters

• increasing vaccination visits

• establishing sustainable service delivery mechanisms through primary health care platforms

• tackling persistent stockout of vaccines.

"Access to services must be improved especially for those in farflung areas who are discouraged to get their children vaccinated because of transportation and other costs," it said.

"While the supplemental immunization planned for March 2023 can jumpstart vaccination efforts, in the interim, catch-up immunization and strengthening the primary healthcare delivery platforms need to be fast-tracked." (Philstar.com)

Journalists grapple with audience distrust, hostility driven by disinformation

by Xave GreGorio Philstar.com

MANILA — Lamenting that audiences have not only lost trust but have become adversarial towards journalism, journalists at this year’s Jaime V. Ongpin Journalism Seminar struggled to find solutions and answers to this existential problem faced by the profession which they partially blamed on disinformation.

According to a Social Weather Stations survey released in October, 86% of respondents recognized that "fake news" —  a term for misinformation and disinformation — is a problem. Many — 58% — identified social media influencers, bloggers and vloggers as peddlers of fake news about government and politics but 40% also said this came from journalists.

“What is existential when it comes to my reporting and our newsroom is this new dynamic with the audience, how participative it is. And not just participative but how the audience has become adversarial to the press as well,” said Rappler reporter Rambo Talabong, one of the seven panelists selected by veteran journalists for the talk.

“How do we act in the face of an audience that distrusts us, even hates us? People who would comment and go as far as attack us in our message inboxes threatening our lives and even killing one of our fellow journalists, Percy Lapid, for speaking out the truth and being critical.”

ABS-CBN anchor Karmina Constantino attributed the adversarial attitude of some people toward journalism to the “breakdown of empathy” of journalists toward their audiences.

“We have failed to be empathetic to the public that we serve. And I think that’s the reason why it’s become sort of an us against them when it should be one and the same,” said Constantino, who was selected by the Canadian Embassy as this year’s Marshall McLuhan fellow.

ABS-CBN reporter and anchor Mike Navallo said people’s loss of trust in traditional media is “one of the biggest challenges” faced by journalism, which he attributed to disinformation and the rise of other information sources like vloggers.

“It’s now a question of how do we compete with all of those sources of information, to stay afloat, remain credible and help try to shape the conversation, particularly in the challenge to address disinformation,” Navallo said.

Meanwhile, Inquirer.net content researcher and writer Cristina Eloisa Baclig said individual journalists and newsrooms still face pressure to tone down reporting that may be perceived as critical to the government.

“This is alarming especially for younger journalists because it discourages them to do more or to explore more on what they can write,” Baclig said.

On top of these, Bulatlat managing editor Len Olea said there has been a “deliberate and systematic campaign to discredit and demonize the media,” which journalists and the public they serve must push back against.

“We need to think of ways to engage the public effectively because they have a big role to play in defending the profession. We have come to the point that we need to defend journalism and its vital role in a democracy,” said Olea, whose newsroom was given the Award of Distinction by the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility.

Down from ivory towers

The problem, as independent journalist Christian Esguerra pointed out, is that journalists are only talking among themselves in a bubble and are not getting their message out to a wider audience.

“It’s hard to engage now with the public,” Esguerra said in Filipino. “For example, now, we all agree with what each of us has been saying, and for all we know, we’re speaking in our own big information bubble. We’re not crossing over.”

For journalists to cross over, Talabong said, they must come down from their ivory towers and consume what their audiences are consuming so they can get a feel of what kind of content they like to read or watch.

“It’s not fighting fire with fire or lies with lies, but fighting their language in our language but with our standards,” he said. “We can’t just keep on doing what we’re used to doing. We have to go to places we’re not used to. We

have to embrace what is cringey, what is not in the ivory tower, what can sound as cheap to many reporters.”

News5 senior correspondent and anchor Maeanne Los Baños, meanwhile, said there is a need to show what sets journalists apart from vloggers and other content creators.

“In this day and age, now more than ever, we need to let them see that we, the legitimate journalists, are accountable and responsible for the reports that we produce. That is what makes us different from the vloggers and other content creators,” Los Baños said.

Financial independence, organizing

Given these perils and problems, one student attending the seminar asked whether journalism is even worth pursuing to which the panelists resoundingly answered in the affirmative.

Constantino even said that aspiring journalists should try to be financially independent so they can also be independent in their reporting.

“Be financially independent so you can throw out the questions, follow a story without being beholden to anyone even if you’re a salaried employee of a news organization,” she said, suggesting that budding journalists take a side hustle not related to the profession.

But for Olea, being capable of staying in journalism should not just be about having a sideline.

“It’s not just about having a sideline to be able to pursue journalism. Well, that is our situation right now. But we really want to work toward making journalism a viable profession by organizing ourselves into unions, perhaps, or pushing really for our economic conditions,” said Olea, who is also the secretary general of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.

Constantino, as this year’s Marshall McLuhan fellow, will go on a two-week study tour of Canadian media and academic organizations and a lecture tour of Philippine universities.

Meanwhile, Bulatlat received a P50,000 check for being selected for the Award of Distinction. Each panelist at the Jaime V. Ongpin Journalism Seminar received P20,000 as a token for their participation. g

STATE ASSEMBLY

2022 General Elections

STATE

District 5 Brittney Miller

State Assembly District 6 Shondra Summers-Armstrong State Assembly District 7 Cameron Miller State Assembly District 8 Duy Nguyen State Assembly District 9 Steve Yeager State Assembly District 10 Rochelle Nguyen State Assembly District 11 Beatrice Duran State Assembly District 15 Howard Watts State Assembly District 16 Cecelia Gonzalez State Assembly District 17 Clara Thomas State Assembly District 18

Venicia Considine State Assembly District 19 Thaddeus Yurek

State Assembly District 20 David Orentlicher

State Assembly District 21 Elaine Marzola

State Assembly District 22 Melissa Hardy

State Assembly District 24 Sarah Peters

State Assembly District 28

Reuben D’Silva

State Assembly District 29 Lesley E. Cohen

State Assembly District 30

Natha Anderson State Assembly District 31 Jill Dickman

State Assembly District 32

Alexis Hansen

State Assembly District 34

Shannon Bilbray-Axelrod

State Assembly District 35 Michelle Gorelow

State Assembly District 37 Shea Backus

State Assembly District 40

Phillip O’Neill

State Assembly District 41

Sandra Jauregui

State Assembly District 42

Tracy Brown-May

ARNIS. Filipino arnis practitioners demonstrate how to fight with the use of wooden sticks at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila on Thursday, Oct. 27. Arnis, also known as Kali or Eskrima, is considered the national martial arts of the Philippines. PNA photo by Alfred Frias

Miss Universe suspends Miss USA 2022 organizers over Filipina American’s alleged ‘rigged’ win

by earl D.C. BraCaMonte Philstar.com

DAYS after R'bonney Gabriel of Texas won the Miss USA 2022 crown, allegations of favoritism were hurled against her and the Miss USA Organization; claiming that the Texan beauty queen's victory was predetermined and that the pageant result was rigged.

R'bonney denied all these rumors of favoritism. As the first Asian-American to have won the state title, her victory was historic and one for the books - a far cry from former state winners, who all sported the trademark Texan cowgirl look.

The controversy started when Miss Montana 2022 Heather Lee O'Keefe pointed out a photo shoot done in a sponsor's resort nine weeks before the Miss USA pageant; fueling speculations that the pageant outcome was predetermined. She also emphasized the Texas connection in this brouhaha.

"I think this is a big issue that a lot of us are trying to bring light to is the fact that Ms. Stewart owns so much of the organization. She owns the main organization, Miss USA, and she also owns the main sponsor of the organization which is a big issue we all have with it.

"The Miss Academy sponsored Miss Texas much more than they sponsored the rest of the contestants," alleged Miss Montana.

But Crystle Stewart countered

the allegation by saying, "With Miss Academy, every single contestant had training through an eight-week program and we offered state directors the same opportunity as a state-level sponsorship as well."

The PR material in question, of a photo shoot done in Cancun

with one of the pageant's sponsors, would still air even if Miss Texas did not win the crown.

Concurring with Stewart was pageant juror Aaron Potts who said that, "The contest was very, very strict with its judges and

by Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

ACTOR Baron Geisler admit ted that he did not expect his Netflix film “Doll House” to be successful as it is currently among the top 10 movies being streamed in 10 different coun tries.

In his interview on TeleRadyo, Baron said a divine being or chestrated the success of the movie.

"Hindi ko po expected 'yan. I believe I've been saying this so many times na si God lang talaga ang nag-o-orchestrate nang la hat ng ito, lahat ng biyaya. Kung walang suporta sa kababayans natin here in the Philippines and abroad — kasi nag-top 10 tayo ng 10 different countries — I owe it all sa kababayans natin there,” Baron said.

“Sa lahat sa inyo, No. 1 po kami rito, kaya No. 1 po kami sa puso niyo. Ibinabalik ko po ang lahat ng honor, praise kay God sa lahat ng blessings na ito. Maraming salamat sa mga Kapamilya natin out there," he added.

Baron also acknowledged Aga Muhlach and other celebrities who praised his acting.

"Talagang I really look up to Boss Aga and all of my col leagues. Maraming salamat. Sa akin, marami ang nagme-mes sage na, 'Oh, mananalo ka na ng award, best actor.' For me, I just want to be the best person. I want to maintain that, sustain that. And also I want to be work ing with all of these legends sa industry na bumabati at naka pansin sa pelikula naming 'Doll House.' So, maraming salamat talaga," he said.

When asked what he learned from the movie, Baron said:

"Para sa akin lang, na-realize ko na we cannot turn back time. Time is precious, and while we are alive, the reason why we are alive is to make moments, to make moments with family and friends. Nasa atin na lang po, choice natin if we are going to choose good moments or bad moments. Kasi lahat naman po ng ating ginagawa ay may con sequences, maybe good, maybe bad. So, I would rather choose to have good memories with my

children and with my friends.”

"This movie is about forgive ness, redemption and uncon ditional love. Sa totoo lang po, natutuwa ako sa nagme-message sa akin sa social media na, 'I think kakausapin ko na ang tatay ko. I think papatawarin ko na.' Ginamit ito talaga ng Diyos itong pelikula namin para tamaan ang puso at tamaan ang heartstrings ng mga manonood. So, talagang may lesson na mapupulot dito sa pelikula," he added.

‘Time is precious’: Baron on what he learned from ‘Doll House’

Miss USA 2022 R'bonney Gabriel of Texas Photo from Instagram/@rbonneynola

Actor Baron Geisler

Photo courtesy of Netflix Philippines

Toni finds peace with her decisions

by Christina alpad ManilaTimes.net

DESPITE all the controversies that hounded her transfer from ABS-CBN to the new station AllTV, actress-host Toni Gonzaga remains firm — she is at peace with her decision.

"From the outside, it can look many things but when you make a decision, you always have to check in with your heart if there is peace. That's one thing na hindi mababayaran for me. [Having] peace in your heart, that for me is priceless," the feisty celebrity said during her eponymous program's media launch.

Still, Gonzaga bravely an swered questions to clarify her exit from ABS-CBN, her home studio since 2005. It can be re membered that in February this year, Gonzaga resigned from hosting "Pinoy Big Brother" short ly after her much-talked about appearance and introduction of a former congresswoman who vot ed against the franchise renewal of the station.

"Yung nangyari was very in ternal, that's something I cannot share. Pero pag dating sa sama ng loob, kahit kanino, wala namang ganun. I choose to move forward. Instead na magtanim ng sama ng loob, maging grateful na lang tayo."

When asked if bridges were burned in this decision, Gonza ga carefully answered, "I don't know, hindi ko yan masasagot sa ngayon."

She, however, added, "But I am in contact with my bosses, we exchange messages. I think that's good enough na we know the real story and we know the truth. I respect kung ano man yung na pag usapan. Yun na lang siguro yung pwede ko ma-share — we personally text ni sir Carlo [Katig bak] before everything happened. Between the two of us, I could say it that the last conversation we had was a good one."

Next, the 38-year-old ad dressed speculations that she went to AllTV because it had the biggest offer.

"Normal na when you make a major decision, when you move

to a new network, maraming speculations about monetary issues but we also reach a point in our lives na yung mga deci sion-makings natin is not just based on what I will profit from it but where your heart is leading you."

More than the monetary offer ing, Gonzaga said she was enticed with the challenge that comes in joining a new network.

"If I would compare it with the previous offers that I got, hindi mo maiisip na I accepted because the offer is this much, it's because I like the challenge — I like to be part of something new, something that's building and growing and also build with them."

All those issues settled, Gon zaga is more than happy to share what her ongoing talk show "Toni" has to offer.

"It's a reality-talk show. I've been doing it since Toni Talks where we feature not just celebri ties but real life stories. We really

tackle them and what people are going though because we realize na hindi lang naman mga celeb rities ang may mga makukulay na buhay."

"Toni's" pilot episode featured her best friend Mariel Rodri guez-Padilla where during the guesting, the host and Rodriguez reminisced the triumphs and hardship in their 18 years of friendship.

In the succeeding episodes, the inspiring story of the online seller, Joananaly Palacio, and the struggles of her journey with her son with hydrocephalus were shared. They were also chosen as a beneficiary of the profit from the live selling of Gonzaga and Rodri guez to support the medication of Palacio's son "Toni" also featured some of the biggest television and on line personalities in the country including Bayani Agbayani, Doc Willie One, Ninon Ry, Dra. Vicki Belo and Alex Gonzaga.

Kris getting better in US

by Jan Milo severo Philstar.com

TALENT manager Ogie Diaz revealed that Kris Aquino is get ting better in Los Angeles because of her medical treatments.

In the latest episode of “Ogie Diaz Showbiz Update” on You Tube, Ogie said that the actress has gained weight and is now weighing 90 pounds or 41 kilo grams.

Ogie's co-host Mama Loi re called Kris' sister Ballsy's state ment recently that her sister was not even 90 pounds.

"Tumataas. Parang dati kasi naalala natin ‘di ba, nu'ng sinabi ng ate niya na she’s not even 90 pounds. Eh ngayon, 90 pounds na siya. Wow!” Mama Loi said.

Ogie said that prayers are ef fective for Kris.

“Nakakabuti sa kanya. So si Kris ay kumbaga nagpapalakas, nagpapadagdag pa lalo ng tim bang,” he said.

“Kaya jusko, napaka-effective po ng ating prayers. So continue praying for Kris’ recovery,” Ogie added.

Last September, Kris gave new updates regarding her health condition as she was then prepar ing for a round of chemotherapy.

Kris admitted she got close to giving up because of the pain.

"Fatigue and being forev er bedridden; bruises all over my body that suddenly appear; inability to tolerate solid food; headaches; bone-deep pain in my

spine, knees, and finger joints; and my constant flares esp. in my face that just keep getting worse," she said.

But what kept her going was thinking about how much her two sons Josh and Bimby needed her.

"Mahiya naman ako sa lahat ng mga patuloy na nagdarasal para gumanda ang kalusugan ko if i just give up," Kris said.

Miss Universe suspends Miss USA 2022 organizers...

B1

there was no bias in choosing this year's winner."

Last year's winner Elle Smith said that, "They are discrediting R'bonney's win this year because they (co-candidates) also attempted the same to me last year."

The 28-year-old FilipinaAmerican beauty queen obtained her Fashion Design degree from the University of Texas. She operates an ecofriendly clothing line, R'bonney Nola.

In the meantime, the Miss Universe Organization has

suspended The Miss Brand entity, headed by Crystle Stewart. The MUO, which owns both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageant systems, has taken over the reins of the national organization while a third-party investigation by law firm Holland & Knight is being undertaken.

"As a former titleholder, I know firsthand how much hard work, mental preparation, and dedication goes into the process of being on the main stage. The last thing I would even want to do is discredit or deny the contestants an equal opportunity to a fair competition. I would never jeopardize my dream of running an organization that empowers these women," shared Stewart, who competed at the 2008 Miss Universe edition.

It would seem that the flow within the Miss USA communication channels is the real culprit behind this issue. And with the situation not managed well, the allegations simply caught fire. Pageant fans and supporters are hoping the investigation clears up the allegations in due time.

R'bonney is the 10th Texan representative to win the Miss USA title since its inception. She will be competing with other international delegates at the 71st Miss Universe competition slated on January 14 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Stay tuned!

Toni Gonzaga joins AllTV Network with her eponymous reality-talk show.

Photo from Instagram/@celestinegonzaga

This file photo shows television and social media personality Kris Aquino. Philstar.com

Pahrump Balloon Festival expected to attract thousands

by RealtoR Fely Quitevis-Bateman

COLORFUL big balloons are expected to don the bright skies of Pahrump, Nevada as the 9th Annual Pahrump Balloon Festival takes place from November 11 to 13 at Petrack Park.

The three-day event is expect ed to attract thousands, according to an article in the Pahrump Valley Times, where, aside from the hot-air balloons, attendees can partake of food and beverages from vendors, buy merchandise, indulge in family-friendly games, participate in karaoke and listen to music, and look at classic cars, among other things.

This year is different as Doug Dubin of Dubin Family LLC and Doug Campbell of Balloons Over Pahrump are taking the reins of the event from the Pahrump Val ley Chamber of Commerce, who introduced the festival to the town many years ago and hosted the festival in years past. Dubin and Campbell decided to step in and

save the festival when the cham ber announced that it would not be able to host the event this year. With a motto of “Come for the Ballons and Stay for Everything!,” this year’s event is expected to generate a lot of fun and excite ment for visitors and locals.

Opening day, which is Novem ber 11, Veterans Day, will see a sunrise service at the soccer field at the north end of the park where the American flag will be flown above as VFW Riders introduce the colors on the ground. A vet eran will be singing the national anthem for everyone to hear and enjoy.

The day of the sunrise service and succeeding days will see hot-air balloon launches for those wanting the experience.

According to Dubin, people will be in awe of “the beauty and the pageantry of more than 16 different designs” of balloons, some of which have never flown

in Nevada, or Pahrump.

Organizers expect attendees to gawk at merchandise offered at the festival, which will include gifts for the holidays, and every thing from handmade hair clips to wind chimes.

Food is another thing that fes tival-goers will likely enjoy, with varying cuisines competing for people’s palates, including Asian, Hawaiian, Mexican and American dishes and delights. Of course, people will be able to purchase beverages, from water, to soda and wine.

And as usual, music will be playing at the festival, with various acts scheduled to perform. A ka raoke contest is even planned for one of the event’s nights.

Tethered hot-air balloon rides are offered on a first-come, firstfly basis, while those who want to get the full experience high up in the sky can purchase balloon flights prior to the festival.

Another great event taking place in Pahrump in November is a B2B (business to business) Expo where more than 50 local businesses are expected to par ticipate, showcase their wares and talk about the services they offer to attendees.

Also, the event will provide “a platform for businesses to net work with other businesses, build relationships, promote and market their products and services, and create business opportunities with their peers.”

According to Pahrump Valley Chamber CEO Jenney Sartin, the business climate in Pahrump is improving, and employment is trending upward.

“The energy, and excitement of the community is increasing. We want to keep moving things forward and as the re-imagined B2B Expo returns, the Chamber shares the business community’s optimism for 2023,” Sartin was quoted as saying.

As you can see, the town’s chamber and long-time residents are heavily involved in trying to improve the lives of residents and businesses by putting up events that cater to the needs of the community, including these two events. While the former focuses on fun, and perhaps an introduc tion of exciting things that happen to Pahrump for the town’s visitors, the latter takes aim at improving connections and relationships among the town’s businesses and customers.

The town, which lies about 62 miles west of Las Vegas, keeps on improving as the years go by. Con struction is ongoing for additional business ventures that are homing in on the town and its increasing number of residents.

Even with the recent increase in mortgage rates, Pahrump continues to be one of the most affordable options in Nevada, and even the United States. Its proximity to Las Vegas is a great advantage for those looking to make the town their home. When they desire to indulge in the big city lights and watch shows, concerts, musicals or whatever fancies them, they can do so in about an hour’s drive or so.

Perhaps that is why Pahrump has always been on the radar of developers and people looking to buy homes who are priced out of

markets such as Las Vegas. Now is a great time to look at what’s available in the market.

I have been a Realtor for many decades and can guide you on your real estate purchase, wheth er you are looking for a forever home, a sound investment, or a second/vacation home. Some of my clients are now reaping the benefits of their real estate pur chases, with some having income via Airbnb and rentals.

My company, Precious Prop erties, is a full-service company that has served its clientele since 1992. You can reach me at 775513-8447, 805-559-2476 and 702538-4948 for more information, or send me an email at fely@ precious-properties.com or fely. precious@gmail.com. We have investors who buy houses in Cal ifornia and Nevada for cash and quick escrow in as short as 7 days.

(Advertising Supplement)

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman (middle, standing) brought in Engr. Daniel Kulik and Engr. Anthony Declue of Solar Freedom to Manila to help provide affordable energy to all Filipino households.

Russ Bateman and Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman had a great three weeks in the Philippines where the couple also attended meetings at the famed Manila Hotel with the FPACC.

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman helps those who need business financing, including loans for small businesses. For more information, call (702) 538-4948, or send email to fely@preciousproperties.com or fely.precious@gmail.com.

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman (seated, extreme right) meeting with Filipino brokers in the Philippines as she promotes Pahrump, Nevada.

Maxene reveals most important lesson learned from marriage

by Dana Cruz Inquirer.net

MAXENE Magalona opened up on the most important lesson she learned from her marriage, after admitting her separation from Rob Mananquil.

The actress advised everyone— single or in a relationship—to “give [themselves] to God” before entering a committed relation ship, as seen on her Instagram page on Wednesday, Oct. 19.

“Give yourself to God before you give yourself away. I believe one of the reasons why most re lationships don’t work is because people come into them with unre solved trauma [and] unprocessed pain from childhood,” she said.

Magalona encouraged the public to have “a very honest conversation” with a special someone instead of just dating and courting at the beginning of their relationship.

“Get real and vulnerable by dis cussing things like your past trau mas, mistakes and heartaches,” she said. “…It’s nice to have fun [and] lighthearted conversations especially at the start of a relation ship but I believe what will truly make it last is when we can just be completely honest with each other and have deep and mean ingful conversations—especially the uncomfortable ones.”

For Magalona, these conversa tions can tell whether both people involved want to continue with a relationship and think it will work, saving both of them time and “un

necessary pain.”

“If you are currently in a happy [and] stable relationship, I encour age you to constantly ask each other how you feel and hold space for each other with no judgment,” she told the public.

“If you are in an unhappy relationship, it’s best to have an honest, heart-to-heart conver sation and ask yourselves if it is worth holding on to something that isn’t making your soul smile anymore…,” she added.

Meanwhile, Magalona told single individuals to work on themselves first and “embody” the traits they are looking for in a partner

“Heal so that you can be a better human. Offer your healing to God and He will bring you in alignment with your soulmate. Never chase. Attract,” she said.

Magalona then sent love to those who went through break ups or divorce like her, as well as those who lost jobs or have been grieving a loved one, via another Instagram post yesterday.

The actress told those who are struggling that they are not alone and they should allow them selves to feel pain since people “learn and grow so much more” through it.

“…[You’re] not helping your self nor anyone in this world by being miserable. We need you to shine and thrive. We want you to feel alive,” she said.

Magalona revealed her separa tion from Mananquil last Friday, Oct. 14, though speculations about it have been circulating since last January, when the ac tress talked about having a “sad soul.”

Loisa, Ronnie inspire on and off screen

by iza igleSiaS ManilaTimes.net

LOISA Andalio and Ronnie Alonte — popularly known as "LoiNie" — will celebrate their sixth anniversary as a couple in November.

Compared to other on- and offscreen pairs, LoiNie is authentic and honest, and among the only few celebrities not involved in any major issues.

In a media conference for the finale of their TV series "Love In 40 Days," the couple shared that respect is the main reason were able to keep the the fire burning in their relationship.

"Nirerespeto ko siya, nirere speto niya ako. Bigayan kami, hindi kami yung tinatawag na 'under.' Alam namin na meron pang dadating na pagsubok at problema na mas malaki pa sa mas pinagdaanan namin. Pina gusapan namin na handa sa kung ano mang problema. Basta nandito ako lagi para sa kanya," Alonte shared.

Andalio seconded, "May takot ako sa kanya, ganun din siya sa akin. Ayaw namin na merong ikakasama ng loob ng isa hangga't maaari kasi ang dami na naming pinagdaanan para pagawayan namin yung maliliit na bagay."

Be as it may, the young stars have also admitted going through some rough patch before.

"Madami kaming malalang away. Hindi naman palaging happy lang. Talagang isa lang ang usapan namin. Kapag may away tayo, pagusapan, ayusin para hindi na lumaki kaya wala kayong naririnig na tsismis sa

amin kasi ayaw namin na umabot sa ibang tao kung ang ending ay hindi naman kami sa hulo," Andalio noted.

Alonte and Andalio first worked together in the 2018 comedy film "Fantastica" and eventually became the title characters in "James and Pat and Dave," a 2020 spin-off of hit rom-com "Vince and Kath and James" (2016). "Love in 40 Days" was the first TV series the couple was able to star in.

According to Andalio, she has seen the growth of Alonte when it comes to acting and work ethics.

"Nakikita ko talaga yung pag babago ni Ronnie. From Hashtags na dancer talaga tapos nag act ing siya. Nakikita ko talaga na ginagawa niya yung best niya at pinapakita niya sa ibang tao," the 23-year-old actress said.

Meanwhile, Alonte shared the struggles they had to face during the production especially when

they have to portray characters who at first were strangers.

"Sobrang komportable na namin sa isa't-isa. Isa yun sa mga nagpapahirap, kung paano ba yung magiging mata ko sa kanya. Binabalikan ko kung paano kami nagkakilala dati so minsan ang hirap," Alonte explained.

"Sa simula kasi ng kwento hindi kami magkakilala. So ang challenge doon ay paano maging fresh, paano ma-a-attract for the first time kasi may level of comfortability na kami. Paano kami magco-connect. Pero nung naging kami na sa show, madali na," he added.

For the last two weeks of "Love in 40 Days," Jane (Andalio) and Edward's (Alonte) love may be doomed as mounting problems cause a major rift between them.

After Jane rejected Edward's marriage proposal, he eventually called it quits when he found out that Jane is still secretly pursuing her own investigation against Edward's mom, Andrea (Mylene Dizon).

Edward has no clue about Andrea's crimes and he feels betrayed by Jane. Jane might also have a better chance at winning Edward over after she accidentally found out about his true identity. Jane discovered that Edward's real mom is actually Ofelia (Janice de Belen), their long-time helper, and that Ofelia and Andrea have been keeping this a secret from everyone for years.

Will Jane and Edward get their happy ending? Will Edward finally find out the truth about his real mother?

Maricar breaks silence about 2009 scandal in new tell-all book

by Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

ACTRESS Maricar Reyes finally opened up about what she recalled as the "darkest chapter" of her life in her book titled "Maricar."

It can be recalled that Maricar was involved in a video scandal with celebrity doctor Hayden Kho Jr. in 2009, but she kept mum on the issue until now.

According to her website, the book is all about “Maricar’s long journey and process of healing.”

“Maricar wants to let women know that they are not alone in their struggles. There is always hope and a way out of any dark situation,” the book's summary added.

In her recent live video on Instagram, Maricar said the book is special to her as it enables her to give advice to others on how to properly handle the problem.

“It took a long time from 2009 to the start of when that thing happened to me publicly, until 2022. It took 12 years for me to write this book. So sobra siyang meaningful sa akin and it took a long time to heal and process,” she said.

“If you guys are going through something na mabigat or something na mahirap and you don’t know how to solve it, there’s really a process. And don’t be too hard on yourself if you feel like ang tagal. Kasi ako nga 12 years bago ako naging okay, enough to

really talk about it,” she added. Maricar believed that it took time for her to talk about what happened before.

“It took me 12 years to get to a point where I’m stable enough to talk about it and have a heart to help people. So kung meron kang pinagdadaanan na mabigat, it will take time. Parang i-mindset mo na ang sarili mo na it’s a marathon, it’s not a sprint,” she said.

“Kasi ang dami ngayon na parang quick sprint is the key, parang a lot of people want things to be fixed right away. And there are things that are fixed right away. Pero ‘yung mga malalalim na bagay, especially in our own hearts if there are things that need to be fixed, 'yun ang mabigat at matagal. So don’t be too hard on yourself and be patient with the process,” she added.

Maxene Magalona

Photo from Instagram/@maxenemagalona

Actress Maricar Reyes

Photo from Instagram/@maricarreyespoon

Loisa Andalio and Ronnie Alonte Photo from Instagram/@iamandalioloisa

Health

New COVID surge

some people do not take advan tage of this chance to be more fully protected is mind-boggling. It defies logical reasoning and wisdom.

BRACE yourself. A new surge in COVID-19 is expected this fall and winter as the new Omicron sub-variants, BQ.1, BQ.1.1 and BF.7, are evolving as the domi nant strains infecting people in the United States (and around the world), just after BA.4 and BA.5.

In December 2021, the Omi cron variant followed the Delta strain, which was a greater and faster killer. But Omicron also killed people, albeit to a lesser degree.

Hopefully, these new viruses are also milder. But as we have seen in the recent past, milder did not mean mild. As late as last Monday, October 24, the daily average cases the past few weeks was still around 38,000, with about 360 deaths, per day, and greater than 26,500 in the hospital for COVID-19.

The pandemic is not over. Not by a long shot, in spite of what the general public seems to think and the way people behave, putting their guards down complete ly. The predicted surge before Christmas could still happen with high probability because we still have only 68 percent of the U.S. population fully vaccinated, peo ple are no longer masking and distancing, and some are refus ing to get the new reformulated bivalent booster (shot number 5), which is aimed against Omicron and its sub-variants, the present dominant viruses. The rejection of the vaccines, the false sense of security, and the politically correct attitude and behavior most people have shown the past couple of months are responsible for the significant number of cases and deaths we are now seeing.

The 32 percent unvaccinated (which translates to more than 100 million) and those not fully vaccinated with booster #2 (new bivalent vaccines) in the United States are the individuals who are at the highest risk, besides the im munocompromised, to get infect ed with the current strains. And deaths due to these new viruses are still significant as the statistics above show. Sub-variant BQ.1.1 might even elude (resistant to) Monoclonal Antibody treatment.

The bivalent booster is safe and effective, and has a wider range of protection, including the newest strains. Only about 20 percent of seniors and less than 20 percent of other age groups have received the new bivalent booster. Almost 13 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccines have been administered around the world, proving their safety and effectiveness. Why

It is too premature to declare victory over COVID-19; the war still rages on and people still die. In the United States, we sadly have almost 38,000 cases and more than 360 deaths a day on average the past few weeks.

Here are COVID-19 statistic updates from Coronavirus Track er: As of 8:00 AM (CST), Tues day, October 25 – Worldwide: 633,367,061 cases, 6,584,526 deaths. In the U.S., 99,123,438 cases, 1,093,153 deaths, and al most 1.5 million active cases. In the Philippines, almost 4 million cases and nearly 64,000 deaths; 1,500 cases and 37 deaths two days before.

The World Health organization is tracking more than 300 sub-lin eages of Omicron. The COVID-19 viruses are not done with us yet. Unwittingly, with arrogance and carelessness, many of us are helping the viruses spread and kill even more, allowing the viruses to replicate and mutate and evolve, and extend the pandemic. Sadly, the new surge will infect and kill at least hundreds of thousands more. That’s what millions of us, humans, are doing, aiding and abetting our deadly invisible enemy. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine against this irrational and reckless behavior.

Colonoscopy or FIT?

Colonoscopy has been the standard screening procedure for colorectal cancer. People, in general, are intimidated by the thought of a tube going into their anus for the examination, even considering the fact that the cal iber of the softer flexible scope is now only about half an inch or smaller, compared to the 1-inch caliber (hard metal) in the past.

A piece of good news: New studies have provided a non-in vasive test for screening for can cer of the colo-rectum, a great “no-scope” alternative – the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) and multitarget stool DNA (mt-sDNA), now most preferred and common ly used non-invasive screening for colorectal cancer. FIT is suggest ed to be more cost-effective than the mt-sDNA but both show good and same patient outcomes.

In the United States, there are 106,180 new cases of colon cancer and 44,850 cases of rectal cancer for 2022. Expected mortal ity is about 52,580 deaths in 2022.

The cases of this cancer have dropped a lot since the 1980s because people have been living a healthier lifestyle and having screening tests early.

A regular medical check-up with your family physician or

specialist is vital in preventing or early detection of diseases, espe cially cancer of any organ.

Menopause relief

New clinical research found that low-fat, plant-based diet rich in soy products (like hormones) may reduce hot flashes and pro mote weight loss also among menopausal women. This is a bonus benefit. This is, of course, great news because this condition could result in suffering, physical and mental, for women and their spouses and children. Reduction in alcohol, caffeine, and sugar consumption is part of this “diet” strategy. This natural diet remedy, together with advice from gyne cologists, could make life happier for these women.

Mega-dose danger

With aggressive marketing in various media, especially on television, some unsuspecting, uninformed people have taken mega doses of vitamin-mineral and other supplements. Those taking one-a-day multivitamin and mineral pills should not self-treat and take other supple ments. Ingesting mega-dose of supplements may not render a person sick right away, but the cumulative damages to organs might start to show after years of this kind of abuse. By then, it could be too late to bring the damage organs back to normal. The immune system, the DNA, of these individuals are also hurt by the mega-dose supplements. Anything in excess is dangerous, even water or food. Consult your physician before taking any sup plements or medications, even “plain and simple” aspirin. We have but one life, which didn’t come with a spare. Let’s handle it with love and care.

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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.

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The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health.

* * *

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

Paul on being the new presidential adviser for creative communications

by Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

DIRECTOR Paul Soriano is excited to work as presidential adviser on creative communications for President Bongbong Marcos.

In his Twitter account, Soriano tagged Marcos, vowing to work together for the Philippine creative industry.

"Yes Mr President @bongbongmarcos let us all work together to make the Philippine Creative Industry even greater," he wrote.

"Thank you for the trust and support exciting times ahead," he added.

Marcos clarified yesterday that he did not appoint Soriano to boost his public relations machinery.

“Iyong kay Paul Soriano, people have misunder stood,” Marcos said.

“He is not there to be part of the PR machine. He is there to find ways to promote the creative industry kasi doon siya galing,” he added.

The president said Soriano will help boost the tourism industry of the country.

“Pinagmamalaki natin ang galing kumanta ng mga Pilipino, ang gagaling umarte, ang gagaling sa sine… We have to project that to the rest of the world. Yan ang trabaho ni Paul,” he said.

A known Marcos supporter since the beginning of the campaign, Paul is First Lady Lisa Araneta Marcos’ nephew through her first cousin, director Gines Soriano.

Gina sings praises for Bea

by ronnie CarraSCo iii ManilaTimes.net

HAVING begun her career as a child actress, Gina Alajar — also an accomplished actress — sure knows how to tell a real actor when she sees one.

A GMA resident director for the longest time, Gina doesn't hide the fact that she watches shows particularly teleseryes aired on ABS-CBN.

It is through taking a peek into rival shows does Gina realize how intense Bea Alonzo as an actor, well, even way ahead of her con troversial transfer to GMA.

"Kung hindi pa siya lumipat, I wouldn't have had the opportu nity to work with her," the sea soned actress said of her fellow cast member in GMA's Pinoy adaptation of the Koreanovela "Start-Up."

Gina plays Mrs. Choi, gran ny to Bea and Yasmien Kurdi,

NOTICE TO ELECTORS OF CLOSE OF REGISTRATION FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY NOVEMBER 8,

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Registrar of Voters of Clark County, Nevada, will conduct a registration of qualified electors for the General Election to be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022.

Any qualified elector whose name does not appear on the official registry list may apply for registration by mail, in-person, online, or through same day registration in the manner approved by law according to the deadlines listed below. (NRS 293.3568, 293.560, 293.565, 293.5832, 293.5837, 293.5842, 293.5852)

The deadlines to register for the first time or update your existing voter registration by mail or online in time for the November 8, 2022, General Election and still receive a mail ballot are below. After those dates pass, voters who wish to register for the first time, or make changes to their existing registration information will have to do so through the same-day registration process, either online or in-person (at an early voting site or on Election Day at a Vote Center). New registrants will be required to vote a provisional ballot in-person at any early voting site or on Election Day at any Vote Center. We strongly encourage all qualified electors to register to vote or update their existing voter registration as soon as possible.

2022 GENERAL ELECTION VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINES AND HOURS

Method of Registering Dates Hours

Through the mail, government agencies, or in person voter registration application to: Clark County Election Center 965 Trade Drive, Suite A North Las Vegas, NV. 89030

Online, only at www.Registertovotenv.gov, and must have a valid Nevada DMV issued ID or Driver’s License

Tuesday, October 11 (Deadline)

7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Closed

Tuesday, October 25 (Deadline)

to receive a mail ballot or vote a regular ballot in-person at any early voting site or Election Day Vote Center.

October 26 – November 8 (Online Same Day Registration), must show ID at early voting site or at Election Day Vote Center and may only vote a provisional ballot in-person at any early voting site or Election Day Vote Center.

Same Day Registration (In-Person), must have a valid Nevada DMV issued ID or Driver’s License

October 22 – November 4 (all early voting sites, during voting hours); November 8 (Election Day at all Vote Centers, by close of polls)

CITY CLERK’S OFFICE VOTER

REGISTRATION DEADLINES AND HOURS (Mail or Over the Counter) Location Dates Hours

Boulder City City Clerk’s Office 401 California Avenue Boulder City, Nevada 89005

City of Henderson City Clerk’s Office 240 Water Street Henderson, Nevada 89015

City of Las Vegas City Clerk’s Office 495 S. Main Street 2nd Floor Las Vegas, Nevada 89101

City of North Las Vegas City Clerk’s Office 2250 Las Vegas Blvd. North Las Vegas, Nevada 89030

Monday - Thursday Tuesday, October 11 (Deadline)

Monday - Thursday Tuesday, October 11 (Deadline)

Monday - Thursday Tuesday, October 11 (Deadline)

Monday – Thursday Tuesday, October 11 (Deadline)

7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Closed

7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Closed

7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

7:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Closed

7:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

8:00 a.m. - 5:45 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Closed

8:00 a.m. - 5:45 p.m.

7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

City of Mesquite City Clerk’s Office 10 E. Mesquite Blvd. Mesquite, Nevada 89027

Monday – Thursday Friday Tuesday, October 11 (Deadline)

7:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday Closed

7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

A qualified elector who possesses a Nevada driver’s license or DMV-issued identification Card, and wishes to receive a mail ballot, may register or update his/her voter registration information online until 11:59 p.m., October 25, 2022, exclusively at www.Registertovotenv.gov, (Nevada Secretary of State). Those qualified electors who register online from October 26 to November 8 (by 7:00 p.m.), will not receive a mail ballot, must vote in person at an early voting site or on Election Day, may only vote a provisional ballot, and must be prepared to show their Nevada driver’s license or DMV-issued identification Card prior to voting.

Nevada and federal law require first-time registrants to provide an identifying number (Nevada driver’s license number or the last four digits of their social security number). If these do not match the records maintained by the Department of Motor Vehicles or Social Security Administration, the registrant will be required to present identification before being allowed to vote. Forms of current and valid identification include a Nevada Driver’s License, Nevada I.D. Card, military identification card, OR a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, or document issued by a government entity, listing the registrant’s name, and residential address. These individuals have been notified by mail of this requirement.

For more information, call the Clark County Election Department at (702) 455-8683.

DATED: September 20,

who's responsible for helping the good-natured Tristan played by Alden Richards.

She only has praises for Bea if only for the latter's impressive work attitude.

"Bea comes to the set early and

prepared," Gina shares.

But more than Bea's laudable work ethic, Gina is admittedly impressed by the young actress' positive outlook in life, "She knows exactly what she wants in life and how to get it."

JOSEPH P. GLORIA Registrar of Voters

13, 20, 27 and

3,

Gina Alajar only has praises for ‘Start-Up’ co-star Bea Alonzo, if only for the latter’s impressive work attitude. Photo from Instagram/@ginalajar

Director Paul Soriano Photo Instagram/@ paulsoriano1017

Yasmien is lucky to fulfill her dream as K-drama fan

by Jerry Donato Philstar.com

YASMIEN Kurdi is one of GMA 7’s homegrown talents who re mains visible and reliable this new normal. Although trained to be versatile, she has found her niche in drama. Her previous project, the Afternoon Prime series Las Hermanas, saw the actress as Dorothy, the loving eldest among three daughters and the family’s anchor, especially when things seemed to fall apart.

In the now-airing local adap tation of the 2020 Korean series, Start-Up PH, essentially a family drama, Yasmien plays Katrina, the passionate CEO and older sister of Bea Alonzo’s Dani. The Kapuso primetime drama series simply fits her acting leaning and forte. Besides, her being a self-confessed K-drama addict or fan comes in handy as well.

“Before the Start-Up PH project was given to me, mahilig na ako sa K-dramas (I love K-dramas and I’ve been watching them),” said Yasmien in a virtual interview with The STAR. “I watched it (Start-Up) during the time it was being aired in Korea. I followed it per episode. It was (in the early parts of) the pandemic, so, yun yung masasarap abang-abangan. Start-Up was one of the Korean shows I watched when we were in lockdown.”

Yasmien added that starring in a Philippine adaptation of a Korean drama did cross her mind and, it’s safe to say that the mere thought of it thrilled her.

“Actually, if you’re a K-drama fan, to be included in a Korean drama adaptation is part of your bucket list,” shared she. “When I got in, it was my daughter who reacted and said, ‘Ma, bucket list mo, nasama ka na sa adaptation (Mom, you’ve just ticked off an item in your bucket list and you’re now part of an adaptation).”

Yasmien recalled that Ayesha Zara saw how she religiously followed Start-Up during the lockdown period. That’s why when the adaptation project was pitched and offered to her, she accepted it right away and was tapped to play Katrina, described as Dani’s estranged and fierce sister. Per haps to refresh her memory, she watched the Korean series again. The dream project landed in her lap at the time when she had already finished a previous work commitment.

Every time there would be an adaptation of a K-drama, the fan in Yasmien said, “I don’t want it to be changed, ayokong binabago yung character… That’s why when I portrayed her (Katrina), as much as possible, I would stick to the

original version.”

That means Yasmien has to blend some nuances, like the smirk, which she got from the orig inal actress but with the Filipino flavor, performance-wise. She is up for the challenge of staying true to the Korean character and still presenting newness, with Filipino audiences in mind.

“I would stick to (the original character) na mahinahon lang siyang magsalita, hindi siya pala sigaw (who is calm and collected when speaking, and doesn’t raise her voice). She’s not bossy. Nan duon lang talaga ako, hindi ako lal abas (I played the character within those bounds).” If there are points in the narrative that are Filipino in essence, Yasmien handles them by asking herself what the Korean character’s course of action or manner of speaking will be.

In playing her character, Yas mien finds that they are both “competitive and driven.” She also remembered her StarStruck days when competition, as one may put it, was stiff. This is similar to her character, Katrina, who has entered the Sandbox PH as one of the 40 CEOs. Katrina will be pitted against Dani in the succeeding episodes.

During the interview, Yasmien also gave this paper an update on her family life.

“He’s very busy when it comes to his work,” said the actress of her pilot husband Rey Soldevilla, “ang daming flights, balik na kasi sa normal, halos lahat ng schedules. He’s always tired. Ayesha is back to face-to-face classes, though (her school is) now still in hybrid learning, (you know) three days for face-to-face (sessions) and two days online. I think hybrid is good in preparation for the full-blast face-to-face classes.” The young mother added that her daughter is enrolled in piano, gymnastics and journalism classes.

Keeping a journal also helps Yasmien fulfill her responsibilities at home and manage her time.

“I think sobrang importante yung time schedule, kung paano mo i-ba-balance lahat ng mga time mo for everything in your life (It’s very important to schedule activities and allot time for them and how to strike a balance in everything in your life),” said she.

“Siyempre, hindi ka pwedeng nakatutok ka lang lahat sa work mo. Kailangan nandyan din yung time mo for your family (Of course, you’re not just focused on your work, you also need to have time for your family ). I make sure I always have my journal. I always write down my schedule every day para wala akong ma-mi-miss out, especially because there are many responsibilities that I need to attend to.”

Although the Start-Up PH story and its interesting details have just been unfolded and revealed, Yas mien is also excited about her next show after and looking forward to it. For this recent project, she is happy to have worked with estab lished directors Dominic Zapata and Jerry Sineneng and co-stars Alden Richards, Bea Alonzo, Jeric Gonzales, Gina Alajar, Jackielou Blanco, Ayen Munji-Laurel, and Gabby Eigenmann. The actress has fun and fond memories with them.

Given her humble beginnings in show business as a reality-based talent search hopeful before be coming an actress, Yasmien had these pieces of advice to those who want to enter the entertain ment-creative industry and find a profession in it: “Never stop learning and continue learning when it comes to your craft. Try to research when you’re doing a role. Come prepared on set. Then, magpakatotoo ka (be real) and be kind to everyone.”

‘G-Mik’ reunion: Heart reunites with Camille

by Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

KAPUSO actresses Camille Prats and Heart Evangelista bumped into each other as '90s kids as they reminisced their then youth-oriented show "G-Mik."

Camille posted on her Insta gram account a photo of her with Heart, naming her Missy, the character of Heart in the 1999 show.

"Nice bumping into you, @iam hearte. Always looking so lovely, my Missy," Camille captioned the post.

Last May, Heart also posted a photo of her and Camille bumping into a mall.

Heart described Camille as "one of the nicest in showbiz."

"She was the first-ever actress who smiled at me when I was starting. Still lovely and kind @ camilleprats,” Heart wrote.

Heart and Camille starred in "G-Mik" along with Stefano Mori, Carlo Aquino, Angelica Pangan iban and Heart's ex-boyfriend, Camille's brother John Prats.

by Marinel Cruz Inquirer.net

“THINKING about it makes me very nervous,” said Filipino actress Dolly de Leon of the ongoing campaign for Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund’s “Triangle of Sadness” to get nominated under the best international feature film category of the 75th Academy Awards.

De Leon is currently in the United States as part of a promotional tour for “Triangle of Sadness,” where she plays Abigail, one of the lead characters. The black satire is the winner of the highly coveted Palm d’Or of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival in France. It is currently screening in six theaters all over the U.S.

“Of course, I’m very nervous about that. I really want ‘Triangle of Sadness’ to get an Oscar nomina tion, and, of course, to eventually win the award. So far, so good. The film came out pretty strong during its commercial release (in Los Angeles) last week,” said De Leon, who is currently in Virginia as part of the promotional tour.

Opening doors

She is also in Virginia to personally receive the Breakthrough Performance Award she won at the recent 2022 Middleburg Film Festival.

“For a postpandemic film, it’s doing pretty well, especially since cinema viewership all over the globe has really dropped. This is exciting for us. We feel that we’re opening doors for other audiences to start going out of their homes and resume watching in cinemas,” De Leon reported.

“As for the Oscar campaign, I just want to keep doing what I’m supposed to do under the guidance of Neon, our distributor. If I don’t get nominated, it’s OK. I don’t want to think much about it because I don’t want to feel bad if I don’t get it. I’m preparing myself mentally. It just means someone else deserves it and needs it more than I do. What I really want is for the film to win.”

Last year’s winner was Japanese filmmaker Ryu suke Hamaguchi’s dramatic piece “Drive My Car.”

When Inquirer Entertainment asked De Leon how well she was adjusting to her grueling schedule, she replied: “I got used to our system there in the Phil ippines—you go to tapings or shootings, and after that, your work is done. My being part of ‘Triangle of Sadness’ is a totally different experience. I go around meeting filmmakers, actors, members of the Screen Actors Guild, and jurors of Ampas (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences). It’s a whole new world. I’ve never experienced anything like this. I’m just going with the flow.” De Leon said all her efforts are directed toward “promoting the film in anyway that will help it reach a bigger and wider audience.” This is also because, she said, “I’m very proud of this film.”

The following cities are part of De Leon’s pro motional tour, which began in early September: Toronto, Los Angeles, New York, Austin, London, Middleburg and San Francisco.

Festivals

“I met a lot of very interesting people, but I think the most interesting person so far was (American filmmaker-producer) Greg Kwedar. While he was standing in one corner at a party, and while everyone was hyper and excited, he asked me very calmly: ‘So how are you handling all of these? Has it been driving you crazy?’ When I said ‘yes,’ he added, ‘People will make you feel good for what you did, then it (attention) will fade away, and they will treat you differently. What you always have to remember,

in spite of all of this, is that it’s all about the work. The work that we do, no one can take that away from us.’”

She continued: “I will never forget what he said because he captured in words exactly what I was experiencing. He was like a guru. He was so calm that I felt relaxed. He made me ask myself, ‘Why am I taking all these too seriously? This will all be gone one day.’ Because of him, I was able to ground myself.”

For De Leon, the 2022 Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, was “the most exciting festival I’ve ever attended so far.” She explained: “It was hosted by Tim League, who is such a gracious man. He has a crazy, creative, young and wild team behind him. The festival’s themes are horror and the supernatural, which are my kind of genres. The festival is so quirky! Meeting people like Tim is truly invigorating.”

De Leon also tried to recall her trip to New York City to attend the 2022 New York Film Festival. “New York is a totally different animal altogether, but it was so much fun. It’s a different experience because it’s not Hollywood. They’re all about filmmaking in that area,” she recalled.

“The Brits are something else, too,” De Leon said of her participation at the 2022 BFI London Film Festival in the United Kingdom. “The great thing about this whole thing is that I get to experience different cultures and witness how differently they approach these things—the festivals and the films. It’s refreshing to meet all of them.”

However, what De Leon said she really hoped to learn is “how people from different backgrounds create films and what are the processes that they need to do to come up with the work that they make,” she pointed out. “I want to learn from that because, eventually, I want to reach that stage where I can work with them. That would be a totally different filming experience. That’s what I’m excited about the most.”

Dolly’s road to the Oscars: I’m nervous… I’m preparing myself mentally

Yasmien Kurdi

Photoc from Instagram/@yasmien_kurdi

Kapuso stars Camille

Prats and Heart Evangelista

Photo from Instagram/@camilleprats

Dolly de Leon chillin’ after her red carpet engagement at the BFI London Film Festival. Photo from Instagram/@dollydeleon

Yasmien with Start Up PH co-star Bea Alonzo

OCTOBER is officially Filipino American History Month (“FAHM”) formally recognized by U.S. Congress in 2009.  The National Federation of Filipino American Associations Nevada (“NaFFAA NV”) is commemorating FAHM by showcasing various cultural and Filipino American historical information during the month of October 2022 at the Sahara West Library located at 9600 W Sahara Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89117.  NaFFAA

NV is the leading voice for the Filipino American Associations and its Filipino American community nationally while actively promoting the rich and vibrant Filipino culture and Filipino American contributions to the American culture. NaFFAA invites and encourages the Las Vegas Metropolitan Filipino American community to come visit the showcase display of Filipino American History Month.

Sahara West Library  9600 W. Sahara Avenue LV 89117

Hours:

Expect a ‘gun-toting’ Vilma Santos in comeback film, says Erik Matti

by Marinel Cruz Inquirer.net

IF plans push through as scheduled, seasoned actress Vilma Santos will make her much-awaited big-screen come back portraying a gun-toting character in a project of Reality Entertainment, according to its founder-manager Erik Matti.

“Dondon Monteverde, my business partner at Reality, and I have never stopped finding projects for Vilma even before the pandemic happened. Nothing really came of our previous ef forts, until we recently stumbled upon two stories that we felt were really perfect for Vilma,” said Matti, who is also an acclaimed filmmaker.

“I texted her to say, ‘I know you’re into vlogging now but we miss seeing you in the movies. I hope you’re coming back soon. You might want to do a movie with us. We already have the stories for you.’ She immediately replied with, ‘Let’s sit down and

meet. I’m excited to go back to movie-making.’ It took another month to find the right schedule for all of us,” recalled Matti.

When asked to talk about their concepts for Santos, Matti said that one is a comedy-drama story, “which could either be a series or just a movie”; while the other is a “super genre movie, where Vilma will play a gun-toting character,” he reported.

Matti added that Santos said

“yes” to both. “She just wanted to do the gun-toting project first,” the director continued. “Vilma then asked for the timetable and we said, ‘We kind of work slow. We take our time. We hope to do this next year.’ She then said her thanks but added that ‘I still want to enjoy vlogging, so next year would be fine.’”

Matti said the first of the proj ects with Santos will begin in the second quarter of 2023.

Sarah featured in New York Times Square billboard

by Jan Milo severo Philstar.com

KAPAMILYA singer Sarah Geronimo added another feather to her cap as she was featured in a billboard in Times Square, New York.

Sarah was seen on the massive digital billboard as part of Spoti fy's "Equal" campaign.

In her Instagram account, Sarah posted yesterday the pho to of her billboard, saying she's honored to be the ambassador of Equal in the Philippines.

"Thank you so much @spoti fyph for this opportunity!" Sarah wrote.

"So honored to be EQUAL PH's ambassador for October. Keep streaming the Spotify EQUAL PH playlist, and let's continue to celebrate women, no matter the day," she added.

Earlier this week, Sarah was one proud wife to husband Matteo Guidicelli who graduated from the Presidential Security Group’s VIP Protection Course (VIPPC). He is the first celebrity reservist of the VIPPC.

Sarah was seen in the ceremo ny putting a pin to her husband's uniform.

Is Aiko open to marrying for 3rd time?

by Bot Glorioso Philstar.com

AIKO Melendez looked stun ning and radiant in her mustard yellow long gown when she appeared at the recent media conference for the GMA 7 se ries, The Flower Sisters, the third installment of Mano Po Legacy.

Mano Po Legacy: The Flower Sisters revolves around the story of a taipan’s four daughters name ly, Lily, Violet, Dahlia and Iris, who have different mothers. Aiko is Lily, the eldest daughter who takes responsibility for the welfare of other members of the family.

Lily then later finds out about the identity of her half-sisters who come forward one by one. Por traying the characters of Violet, Dahlia and Iris are Beauty Gon zalez, Thea Tolentino and Angel Guardian, respectively.

According to Aiko, The Flower Sisters serves as her comeback project after she temporarily took a break in acting due to the recent national elections, where she ran and won as councilor in the fifth district of Quezon City. Her last TV outing was in the Kapuso network afternoon drama series Prima Donnas.

“I had to campaign in the last elections, so I stopped (acting). Then after winning, this is my first acting project and this is my first Mano Po kasi never ako nakasama sa movie,” began Aiko, who was happy seeing once again members of the press that attend ed the event.

“I’m not saying it’s easy jug gling showbiz and politics, but it’s harder to choose if you’re enjoy ing what you do. So, I always find a way to attend to both.”

“The reason why I’m going back to showbiz kasi hindi ko naman pinagkakakitaan ang poli tika. Showbiz is my bread and butter and this is where I get my money to spend on things I purchase, kung ano ‘yung gus to kong bilhin at kung meron akong goal, dito ko kinukuha. That’s why, I also need to come back,” she added.

She’s thankful for her constit uents, who do not find anything wrong about her return to acting.

“In fact, I had a post on my FB before about my asking permission to my constituents to allow me. I also allot half of my earnings to public service, para sa kanila rin.”

Aiko said tapings for the se ries have just begun and all of them are clueless as to how the

story will develop. Although she hinted that there will be scenes, where her character portrayal is patterned after Regal Matriarch Lily Monteverde.

“No not at all. It’s not a big deal to me,” gushed Aiko when asked about sharing topbilling roles with Beauty, Thea and Angel. “Kasi sa akin, dumaan rin naman ako sa pagiging newcomer and really it doesn’t matter to me if equal billing kaming lahat.

“And then, I’ve already said this in my interviews, that I’m excited to work with Beauty kasi nga ang sarap na magkatapat ‘yung show namin dati, I’m in Pri ma Donnas and she’s in Kadenang Ginto. Tapos ngayon kami na ang magkasama in one show,” shared she.

Aiko added they initially worked together in an endorse ment shoot for a skincare brand. “Dati pa, bait na bait na ko sa kanya. In the short time that we were together, probably the shoot only took five hours, I told myself, we’ll definitely click together.”

She’s not mistaken because, according to her, their person alities jibed right away during their first day on the set of Flower Sisters.

“We exchange stories about love life, di ba kasi s’yempre mar ried s’ya,” she shared.

Asked if she sees herself being married again, Aiko said that if ever, she would like it to happen before she’d reach 50 years old “because we have to consider the time.”

Her first marriage with Jomari

Yllana was annulled in 2004. They have a son named Andre. In 2006, she exchanged “I do’s” with Mar tin Jickain with whom she has a daughter named Marthena. Their marriage was annulled in 2010.

Aiko is currently in a romantic relationship with Zambales first district representative Jay Khon ghun. In fact, according to her, they will be celebrating their fifth anniversary on Oct. 28.

“I have found in him everything I wanted in a guy and what’s more important is that he gets along so well with my children. So, I feel so blessed. But of course, when it comes to that (wedding proposal), it’s not right to come from me, ako ‘yung babae,” said Aiko.

Is she willing to have another baby?

“I still have my period, hahaha! I am at this point where I want to freeze my eggs because I can see in my children na maganda ang lahi ko. But Marthena doesn’t want me to have a baby unless I get married first. May pagka-con servative si Marthena.”

Speaking of love life, Aiko was asked to comment on Jomari’s anniversary message to his part ner Abby Viduya on his Facebook. Part of the message read, “My first and my last, my love and my life…”

Aiko said, “Ang lagi kong iniisip ay ang kapakanan ng anak ko, so ‘yung masaya s’ya sa lovelife n’ya, ibigay natin ‘yun, pero sana isama n’ya sa pagiging buo n’ya as a person at pagiging buo ng buhay n’ya ang panganay n’yang anak na si Andre at ‘yung dalawa n’ya pang anak.” Andre, now 24, does not har bor ill feelings towards his dad, assured Aiko.

She added, “He still tries to understand his dad because I would always tell him, ‘Don’t hate your dad. Hindi man kami naging okay bilang partners, tatay mo pa rin ‘yan.’”

Aiko also wishes that Jomari finds the time to bond with An dre because she’s certain that they will both enjoy each other’s company.

“I believe this time and age of Andre ang pinakamasayang maging kabarkada lalo na ‘pag fa ther-and-son bonding. Sana ma bigyan ng pagkakataon ni Jom ari si Andre ng ganung bond ing kasi mamahalin s’ya ni An dre lalo ngayon.”

Aiko would like to believe that Jomari is just busy these days. “Intindihin na lang natin,” she concluded.

Vilma Santos and Erik Matti

Inquirer.net photos

Aiko Melendez Photo from Instagram/@aikomelendez

Sarah Geronimo in a digital billboard in Times Square, New York Photo from Instagram/@justsarahgph