102822 - Northern California 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

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 first  PAGE 2

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.

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

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

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.

She added that the overarching direction of the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong”

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.

PNA photo by Ben Briones

Former senator and world boxing icon Manny Pacquiao Philstar.com file photo

Lawmakers back Marcos

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 mask-wearing,” 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 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

White House hosts Fil-Am History...

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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

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

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, October 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, October 25. PNA photo by Gil Calinga

Fil-Am basketball player Remy Martin gets...

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)

Philippines set to loosen travel...

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.

easing of travel restrictions were announced

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Politicians among ‘persons of interest...

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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).”

Bantag was suspended last week 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

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Minor league basketball team Cleveland Charge has just selected Martin in the second round of the G League Draft. Photo from Instargram/@chargecle

along with the plan to make masking optional indoors. g

Tourism Secretary Maria Christina Frasco Philstar.com file photo

Fighting the new COVID strains

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.

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.

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

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.

Two questions for Marcos Jr.

(https://youtu.be/K7z2XtNlAR0)

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.”

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

AND ADVERTORIAL POLICIES

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

Dateline PhiliPPines

years since charter, PH stays committed to UN values, ideals

77

MANILA — The Philippines is reaffirming its commitment to the United Nations as it marks the 77th anniversary of the UN Charter's entry into force, with Manila promising to uphold its principles and further deepening ties with member nations to ensure global peace and security.

"Throughout the years, the Philippines has been an active member and staunch advocate for the values and ideals of the United Nations," Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said in a statement on Monday, October 24.

"We have always stood up for [the] sovereign equality of states, peaceful resolution of disputes, equal rights of women and men, inclusive social development, the rule of law, and justice for all."

The Philippines was among the 51 countries that inked the UN Charter in 1945, paving the way for the international body’s ratification.  UN in the Philippines

UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzales noted that the Philippines “has demonstrated its commitment to the values inscribed in the UN Charter.”

“[This includes] upholding its UN treaty obligations, working toward development, and taking steps towards addressing humanitarian situations,” Gonzales said in a separate statement.

There are currently 11 funds, programs, and specialized agencies of the UN in the Philippines, on top of six project offices, five non-resident agencies, and three secretariat offices. Over 2,000 UN personnel are working in the country, most of whom are Filipinos, while 657 Filipinos are serving various UN bodies overseas.

According to the UN, the Philippines is also the only Asian country to have ratified eight of the nine core international human rights treaties. The Philippines was elected in October 2018 to its second consecutive term on the UN Human Rights Council, its fifth time being a member of the UNHRC.

The Philippines has also reinforced the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Hague ruling on the South China Sea, which invalidates China’s nine-dash claims over waters that include parts of the West Philippine Sea.

While Gonzales on Sunday, October 23 said

"we are living in complex times" with multiple crises overlapping, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in his speech at the 77th UN General Assembly last month mentioned how the international body has "provided an example of how states should resolve their differences, through reason and through right," taking note of the 1982 UNCLOS.

Marcos also underscored the role of the UN in creating a peaceful global environment.

“We need the United Nations to continue to work and we, the Philippines, are determined to be part of that solution,” Marcos said.

While at the UNGA, he also called on other member states to support the Philippines’ bid for a seat at the UN Security Council, the sole agency that can oblige states to implement under the charter and issue sanctions to erring member states.

Philippines in the UN

UN Resident Coordinator Gonzales also recognized the Philippines’ work in the UN, which include taking part in negotiations for the Sendai Framework for Natural Risk Reduction in 2015 and batted for the inclusion of migrants’ contributions in the document.

Gonzales also said the Philippines was one of the first countries to provide a report on its 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals in July 2016

Meanwhile, the country was also recognized through its work to protect migrants through the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration since it was adopted at the UNGA in December 2018. The said document was also taken into account in preparing the 2017-2022 Philippine Development Plan.

Aside from this, Gonzales also highlighted the government’s cooperation with projects related to pandemic recovery and responding to natural disasters, such as for Typhoon Rai, among others.

“We welcome the engagement of the government to support the UN reform to ensure that we are better able to adapt to the challenging times and effectively respond to national priorities,” Gonzales said. (Kaycee Valmonte.

Philstar.com)

Exploring, unpacking API neglect in the US...

PAGE 1

more nursing than a white patient” and were “disturbed mentally” and possessed “many 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, “Culturallytailored 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 COVIDrelated 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 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)

Bigger witness protection budget urged for whistle-blowers

by Delon Porcalla Philstar.com

MANILA — It will be better, if not best, if the government will consistently increase the budget for the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Program (WPSBP) so as to encourage more witnesses to testify against criminal masterminds, according to a lawmaker.

As the Senate continues with its budget deliberations for the 2023 national budget, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel made a proposal where an increase in the allocation for the DOJ’s WPSBP may be crucial and necessary.

The WPSBP has an allocation of only P238 million in the proposed 2023 General Appropriations Act.

The WPSBP “seems to be working well,” but the program must be supported with greater funding so that it can extend highly improved financial, relocation and livelihood

assistance to witnesses, according to Pimentel, citing the case of slain journalist Percival Mabasa, also known as Percy Lapid.

“This way, we can encourage more witnesses to cooperate in law enforcement investigations and judicial proceedings without fearing not only reprisals, but also economic dislocation,” Pimentel said, noting the rollercoaster ride developments in the case.

“We also want the WPSBP to establish additional safe houses to accommodate witnesses and, if necessary, to allow them to stay together with their families,” he added.

The vice chairman of the House committee on good government and public accountability lamented that the program currently has only 48 hideouts nationwide.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla earlier said he is “open” to the possible inclusion in the WPSBP of Joel Escorial, the selfconfessed gunman in the Oct. 3

murder of Mabasa near his home in Las Piñas.

“If that is the only way to resolve the case, that’s possible,” Remulla said in an interview over dzBB radio.

The DOJ chief, however, said Escorial did not seek witness protection when he voluntarily surrendered to the authorities out of fear for his personal safety.

A total of 512 witnesses have been covered by the program at the end of 2021, up from 490 at the end of 2020, Pimentel said. Covered witnesses have aided or are helping in the prosecution of dozens of sensational criminal cases, such as the kidnapping and murder of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo, the hazing death of University of Santo Tomas law student Horacio Castillo, the Maguindanao massacre and the murders of Kian delos Santos, Carl Arnaiz and Reynaldo de Guzman – three teenagers who became victims of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. g

‘UNTRASH UNDAS’. EcoWaste Coalition members, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority personnel with some dressed as “Zombasuras” (cemetery litterbugs) at the Manila North Cemetery campaign for an eco-friendly and waste-free observance of “Undas” on Tuesday, Oct. 25.

The awareness drive was in anticipation of the surge of visitors in cemeteries, memorial parks, and columbaria during the Undas observance.

PNA photo by Alfred Frias

Marcos vows to improve sugar industry

by Alexis RomeRo Philstar.com

MANILA — President Marcos vowed to fix the problems hounding the country’s sugar industry, admitting that these have long been neglected.

During the distribution of aid to various sectors in Talisay City, Marcos said that while the Philippine economy is doing well, it was not spared from the problems confronting its trade partners. He cited the need to make some adjustments and to find ways to assist sectors hit by economic shocks.

The President then mentioned the plight of the sugar industry before residents of the city, which is located in the country’s top sugar-producing province Negros Occidental.

“What we are doing is we are fixing things. For example, the problem of the sugar industry, we have a lot of problems to fix because they were neglected in the previous years,” said the President.

“For now, we are trying to ensure that the people will have enough, not just sugar but all agricultural products so that we can say that we have enough food supply that is affordable to all,” he added.

Marcos, also the agriculture secretary, did not provide specifics on how he would uplift the sugar industry, which contributes about P90 billion to the country’s economy every year.

The President was in Negros Occidental to attend the culmination of the Masskara Festival, which began as the administration of his late father and namesake was dealing with a sugar crisis – a global oversupply that dropped the prices of the commodity.

What needs to be done

In a text message to The STAR, Pablo Luis Azcona, Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) Board planters’ representative, said there was no meeting over the weekend between sugar industry leaders and the President during his visit for the MassKara Festival.

The sugar industry’s prime movers believe there is a need to carefully assess the current sugar production capacity versus the projected market demand against a backdrop of challenges, such as high input costs and smuggling.

Aurelio Valderrama, president of the Confederation of Sugarcane Farmers (CONFED) – one of the major planters’ federations in the country, said they are currently

looking at various factors affecting the industry, such as the prevailing domestic prices and negative reactions from policymakers, legislators and end-users, and the possibility of renewed sugar smuggling.

He cited the delay in importation caused by the temporary restraining order on Sugar Order No. 3, issued during the Duterte administration.

This, he said, “resulted in forgone production output and lost market opportunities for producers of sugar-sweetened products and, at the same time, enabled various players to exploit the tight market situation and jack up retail prices to the detriment of consumers.”

Valderrama enumerated several measures that need to be in place, beginning with government taking “concrete continuing measures, together with the industry, to effectively curtail this nefarious practice.”

Government must also find ways to effectively address the high costs of production, particularly the prices of fertilizer, fuel and other direct costs.

There must be strong support for research, development and extension to enhance both farm productivity and milling efficiency, said Valderrama.

The CONFED also called for measures to improve program implementation and fund utilization under the Sugar Industry Development Act (SIDA). This year’s SIDA funding amounted to P500 million, a significant reduction from the original P2-billion allocation.

SRA: Sugar supply stable till yearend Stable sugar supply is seen until the end of the year as local production improved by over 20 percent year-on-year, according to Azcona.

“So far, as of Oct. 16 based on our inventory, we are already 20 percent better than October

last year. The mills in Negros are running at full capacity,” he said in a radio interview on Monday, October 24.

In terms of pricing, the farmgate price of raw sugar has gone down significantly.

“As the farmers’ representative, the selling price of raw sugar is now around P62 per kilo based in Negros. Based on estimates from the farmers, this should become P85-90 per kilo of refined sugar in Manila,” Azcona said.However, not factored in this pricing estimate is the involvement of traders, which is beyond the control of farmers and millers, he said.

Monitoring by the Department of Agriculture (DA) showed the current retail price of sugar in Metro Manila has gone as low as P95 per kilo and as high as P120 per kg.

Last week, SRA started selling sugar at P70 a kg at its Quezon City and Bacolod City offices. In addition, the Kadiwa rolling stores are set to sell directly to consumers at the same price.

Kadiwa is a marketing initiative of the DA, which seeks to empower the farming community by providing a direct and effective farm-to-consumer food supply chain.

Azcona said some Robinsons Supermarket branches are also selling refined sugar at P70 a kg, same as at 23 outlets of CSI Supermarket in Luzon.

To reach more consumers, the SRA is also looking at distributing cheaper sugar to wet markets through the local government units (LGUs).

“The effort to distribute (the P70-per-kilo sugar) in markets, we’re also thinking if some LGUs want to participate. We’re studying that also,” Azcona said.

Distributing affordable sugar is part of the commitment of importers to allot 10 percent of their stock to be sold through the DA at P70 a kg.

“That is equivalent to 300,000 bags or about 15 million kilos. For retail, we limit it to three kilos per person for supply to last long for households,” Azcona said.

Meanwhile, the DA and SRA are still working on the suggested retail price (SRP) for sugar to allow consumers access to cheaper sugar.

“There are still ongoing discussions for the SRP, spearheaded by SRA. The target is before Christmas,” DA Assistant Secretary for consumer and political affairs and spokesperson Kristine Evangelista said in a radio interview. g

EMPLOYMENTEMPLOYMENT

Foreign tourism sales hit record

by Ghio onG Philstar.com

MANILA — Record-breaking sales for foreign tourism was achieved in this year’s Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) event, which officials believe is a sign that the country has recovered from the ill effects of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) logged a “record-breaking P172,602,851.00 business sales leads in just two days” during the 21st PHITEX at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City.

In the previous four years of PHITEX – including physical and virtual events from 2018 to 2021 – the country earned sales ranging between P43 million and P94.8 million, the DOT said.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco said the “aggressive campaign to revive our tourism industry and rollout” resulted in the “turnout

of buyers and sellers and the record-breaking numbers.”

This year’s event welcomed 116 buyers from 32 countries, 53 of them physically present and the other 63 participating online.

They successfully held business meetings and negotiations with the country’s tourism firms and the sales derived from these were both confirmed and pencil-booked, reported the DOT.

After the PHITEX, 80 percent of the foreign buyers present would also travel the so-called tour circuits in Cebu-Bohol, Negros Oriental-Siquijor, Ilocos, CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Davao and Metro Manila.

“The impressive turnout of buyers and sellers and the record-breaking numbers encapsulate the positive outlook for our country and growing interest in our destinations,”

said Frasco.

“As we embark on an aggressive campaign to revive our tourism industry and roll-out with never seen before projects that will facilitate an enhanced connectivity into and around the Philippines and provide a more convenient and seamless travel experience for guests, we anticipate more interest from local and international tourism stakeholders,” she added.

The secretary commended the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the DOT’s marketing unit, for organizing the PHITEX, which remains the country’s largest tourism trade event organized by the government.

In response, TPB chief operating officer Margarita Nograles said Frasco “has always emphasized the importance and opportunity in equitably promoting all our regions and not just our popular destinations.” g

Manila archbishop cites need for church to ‘lead by example’

MANILA – Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula on Tuesday, October 25 said clergy members should practice what they preach in the pulpits.

"People today are no longer satisfied with words alone. We want to hear words backed up by concrete actions. We want a Church that walks the talk and puts into action what we preach," he said in an interview with Church-run Radio Veritas. This comes as church data showed that only 41 percent

of the Philippines' over 80 million Catholics are actively participating in religious gatherings, especially the weekly celebration of Masses.

The Manila archbishop noted that many people lose their faith and abandon the church because of the lack of feeling of favor, especially to those who are in need.

"Not a few have drifted away from the Church because they felt that the so-called religious people are nothing but a

collection of hypocrites and posers," he said.

Advincula, however, emphasized that the church strives to uphold and implement every teaching of the Lord and be a good example in the community.

Earlier this month, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines called on the faithful to go back to attending in-person Masses every Sunday, citing the country's improved coronavirus situation. (PNA)

VP Sara debunks ‘martial law rebranding’ claims vs. DepEd

MANILA – Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte debunked Tuesday, October 25 claims thrown at the Department of Education (DepEd) for allegedly “rebranding” martial law and revising historical facts.

In a statement, Duterte insisted that the DepEd is not in the “business of erasing” historical facts, particularly those which happened during the martial law period.

“Ang Department of Education — na kasalukuyang abala sa mga programang naglalayong maiangat ang kalidad ng basic education sa Pilipinas — ay walang panahon para sa historical revisionism na pilit na iginigiit ng ilang mga anti-Marcos groups (The DepEd, which is currently busy on programs aimed to raise the quality of basic education in the Philippines, has no time for historical revisionism being insisted by several anti-Marcos groups),” she said.

“Una nang nasabi ng DepEd spokesperson na hindi totoo ang sinasabing rebranding ng ating kasaysayan. At inuulit ko ang sinabi ni Atty. Michael Poa: hindi totoo ang rebranding (The DepEd spokesperson has earlier denied the so-called rebranding of our history. And I’m reiterating what Atty. Michael Poa said, the rebranding is not true),” Duterte added.

The Vice President made the statement after critics slammed the DepEd following the posting of a copy of a learner’s module in Marinduque via social media, showing the use of the term “New Society,” which is being linked to the years of martial law.

“The terms New Society/

Bagong Lipunan and martial law are both historical facts.

It is a historical fact that New Society refers to the program launched by Former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. during his administration. And it is another historical fact that martial law refers to the 14-year rule of the former President,” Duterte said.

The Vice President said that these terms were already used in DepEd textbooks as early as the 2000s.

Duterte, meanwhile, recalled how as a child she had contributed to the anti-martial law movement in her own small way.

“Bilang bata, hindi ko mabilang ang mga yellow pages sa directory ng telepono na ginupit ko para gawing confetti ng mga Yellow Friday

Movement demonstrations sa pangunguna ni Soledad Duterte, ang aking yumaong lola, sa Davao City. Mukhang mas marami tayong ambag sa mga pagkilos laban sa martial law kaysa sa ilang maiingay na anti-Marcos ngayon (As a child, I can no longer count the yellow pages of phone directory cut to be confetti for the Yellow Friday Movement demonstrations, led by my late grandmother Soledad Duterte in Davao City. It seems like we have more contribution to the movement against martial law compared to those noisy antiMarcos groups nowadays),” she said.

Duterte assured the public that learners are provided with factual discussions on martial law and the EDSA People power revolution. (PNA)

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte Philstar.com file photo

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Malacañang photo

WET COMMUTE.

utility jeepney during a heavy downpour along Taft Avenue in Manila on Tuesday, Oct. 25. Most parts of the country

scattered rain showers

thunderstorms due to the intertropical convergence zone. PNA photo by Alfred Frias

‘Ancestor Altars’ honors loved ones who have passed away during the pandemic

SAN FRANCISCO – Filipino Cultural Center Balay Kreative artist Cece Carpio and artist TITTY are collaborating with Filipinx/a/o and BIPOC community members to honor their deceased loved ones through art installation “Ancestor Altars.”

This art installation includes pictures, names, and stories submitted by community members of those who have transitioned on and will be on view from October 27-30 at Kapwa Gardens (967 Mission Street in San Francisco) and in a virtual gallery. From the community submissions received, Cece Carpio, a leading Bay Area Filipino muralist, will honor six ancestors who have passed away in the last three years with portraits. Kapwa Gardens will host an Afterlife Celebration with live musical performances by Nikbo,

Kulintang Dialect, AstraLogik, and the Perfomers of Mumu on Sunday, October 30 from 1 to 6

p.m. The Afterlife Celebration is a free event.

“This year’s Ancestor Altars installation project is a public acknowledgment and an opportunity to share gratitude to those that came before us and those that have transitioned in our community,” says Nicole Salaver, Balay Kreative Program Manager.

“There is healing in community and we hope to offer a space for that healing this All Souls Day.” Honoring the past, uplifting the departed

Filipino culture heals by honoring ancestors in an annual festival called “All Souls Day.”

To continue that tradition, “Ancestor Altars” was created to

ConGen Badajos of PH Consulate-LA sits down with Atty. Gur nkel in new, special Citizen Pinoy episode

MANY are familiar with the word “consulate” and many Filipinos in the U.S. know that there could be a Philippine Consulate General near their area. But does the community really know what the Philippine

Consulate General does, aside from issuing passports or visas to foreigners?

In this special episode, Citizen Pinoy’s special guest is Consul General Edgar Badajos of the Philippine Consulate General

in Los Angeles. He will share a little bit about himself and his experience as a seasoned diplomat, and his role in promoting and protecting the rights and welfare of overseas

LA CONSUL GENERAL EDGAR BADAJOS IS CITIZEN PINOY SPECIAL GUEST. Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel has Consul General Edgar Badajos of the Philippine Consulate General in L.A.

his special guest, where the latter

information about the services

consulate.

brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy”

after

Patrol Linggo.

Supplement)

One of the creations of visual artist Cece Carpio. Photos courtesy of PapaLoDown

The Kapwa Gardens in the SOMA Pilipinas Cultural Heritage District in downtown San Francisco will feature the art installation “Ancestor Altars,” honoring loved ones who passed away during the pandemic.

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 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!

Ian Veneracion: Not in it for the fame or money

celebrityworld

By Ferdie Villar

POPULAR showbiz leading man Ian Veneracion recently celebrated his 40th year in showbiz. He seems to be enjoying doing various things, including movies, teleseryes and concerts.

The actor revealed in a PEP. ph article that fame and fortune are not the reasons why he has lasted this long in the biz, but other things like passion, professionalism, and shaping the characters he plays in different mediums.

“I’m never in it for the fame or for money,” he emphasized.

“I think if you’re gonna be an actor just because you wanna be rich or famous, I think you won't succeed. I think, if you enjoy telling stories, if you enjoy acquiring different shapes and trying different characters... There are many games that you can play as an actor, internal games, and it all happens inside your head and I really enjoy that. I think that’s why the people I’ve worked with enjoyed themselves because it was fun, I have so much fun doing it. I take my fun seriously and my games seriously,” he related.

Having lasted this long in showbiz, Ian knows that he must come on time and be prepared.

“Being professional, of course,” he mentions as a reason for his longevity. “I don’t want people to say that I arrived late or that I went in not knowing my lines, or I arrived on set with a hangover – noting like those.”

“I think it pays off. You gain a certain reputation for being reliable, and maybe I'm reaping the benefits now from my peers,” he added.

The tall, mestizo actor is busy with a couple of projects.

Ian is back as an action star in his new project “One Good Day,” which will be seen in Amazon Prime Video.

“I am happy and excited because I’ve done action movies before. This is like home court for me, so I’m very comfortable with the physical aspect of it and, of course, the acting part of it. Preparations? Martial arts, fight scenes. We had to do training with the stuntmen and also the camera works because the camera is involved in the choreography,” he said, as he described the project as a cross

between John Wick and James Bond.

Aside from the series, he is busy with the concert entitled Kilabotitos,” where Ian is joined by Ogie Alcasid.

“The reason I am able to do the concert is that there is no teleserye. I can’t imagine myself doing a teleserye, then having a concert, shooting a movie or short series,” he stated. “But I enjoy the different platforms today. And I’m thankful that there are many platforms where I can creatively express myself, and perform in different mediums.”

“It’s a good time to be an actor, it’s a good time to be alive, because we have different channels. You can even make your own channel. Like this one (referring to “One Good Day”), it’s great that people can watch it not just here, not just in the local theaters, but also our kababayans overseas, and hopefully we get to have a foreign audience too,” he further said.

Ian is happy with his situation right now, where he is not tied to one project like a fulllength TV series, and there are offers coming from different TV stations.

“I would prefer to do movies and short TV series because I don’t want to tie myself down for a full-length serye,” he revealed.

“And what about the concerts?

Right now, I can perform in a concert not just in Manila but in the provinces, also abroad like in the States or Europe… there are many options now. I really like it, instead of doing just one thing and you’re tied to that project.”

Ian is lucky that he has not had a major scandal attached to his name in his 40 years in the entertainment business.

“Nothing,” he noted. “And if there are intrigues, that’s part of the job, part of being an actor.”

He revealed that he prefers real interaction over chatting online.

“Especially now that there are so many fake accounts,” he said. “That’s why I really value people, real connections, real conversations, real people. I am not that active online because you don’t know who you are chatting with.”

On the recent major news that Senator Jinggoy Estrada is suggesting banning Korean

series from being shown on local TV to give priority to Filipino movies and teleseryes, Ian has his own opinion.

“Well, of course, I’m not a lawmaker, I don’t know the data, but in my own humble opinion, I’m not towards prohibiting anyone. I think competition is good, and I think we have to step up and raise the level of our game, the quality of our movies. Hopefully, we get the support of government and the people also so we won’t let the Filipino [entertainment] industry die,” he said.

“Just like basketball, when your opponent is strong, we can’t limit them. We have to get better, we have to practice, challenge accepted,” he added.

“I really believe in the Filipino talent, if we’re just given support, we can do a lot of things. Just like how good we are in music, wherever you go, similar to a cruise ship, Filipinos are the ones performing in the hotels in other countries. We love the arts, so we really have good actors, writers, director and cinematographers. There are many great ones here who have not been given a break because of budget constraints,” he further said.

*

* * Thai billionaire Jakkaphong “Anne” Jakrajutatip is now the owner of the Miss Universe Organization (MUO), becoming the first woman to own the franchise. Jakrajutatip is the CEO of JKN Global Group PCL, a position she assumed in 2018.

The Thai transgender beauty was congratulated by Miss Universe Thailand via social media for the honor, according to an article in PEP.ph MU Thailand also posted the joint statement of CEO Amy Emmerich and MUO President Paula Shugart about Jakrajutatip buying MUO.

“We are excited to continue the evolution of The Miss Universe Organization with JKN. Our relationships with global partners and brands have never been stronger; and our progressive approach continues to position us at the forefront of our industry. We would like to thank IMG for providing us a foundation to realize our aspirations for the brand,” the statement read.

Jakrajutatip, who has a bachelor’s degree from Bond University in Australia, reportedly purchased MUO from the Endeavor Group Holdings for $14 million, about $6 million less than the first price in the market offered by Ari Emmanuel on September 2022. The Thai billionaire told the Bangkok Post that her company, JKN Global Group, and Endeavor had an agreement in place.

According to the same article, JKN Global Group will establish a company, JKN Metaverse Inc. in the United States which will preside over the transfer of MUO shares to different companies: IMG Universe FranchCo, Miss USA BR Production, MUO Productions and Miss USA Productions OH.

When the process is complete, a couple of the companies will be renamed to IMG Universe and IMG Universe FranchCo.

ConGen Badajos of PH Consulate-LA sits down...

Filipinos.

Viewers will also learn important and useful information on immigration, dual citizenship, passports, owning property in the Philippines, even divorce and how to get a passport under your real name if one entered the U.S. under an assumed name.

Viewers will also know about the other services provided by the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles, and what areas of jurisdiction they cover.

Watch this information-packed brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, October 30 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET thru select Cable/Satellite providers), right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app. (Advertising Supplement)

Miss USA 2022 R'bonney Gabriel of Texas

Photo from Instagram/@rbonneynola

Ian Veneracion, who recently celebrated his 40th year in show business, enjoys delving into the personalities of the characters he plays on TV and the movies. Photo from Instagram/@ianveneracion1

Thai billionaire Anne Jakrajutatip becomes the first woman owner of the Miss Universe Organization. Photo from Instagram/@missuniverse.in.th

Atty. Michael Gurfinkel (right) with Citizen Pinoy special guest, Consul General Edgar Badajos of the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles.

Plans revealed for huge resort-casino in competitive LV strip

THE ever-changing Las Vegas cityscape continues to attract huge developers who want to establish their niche in the gaming and hospitality industries.

The latest to reveal plans for a huge resort-casino is billionaire Tilman Fertitta, who owns the Houston Rockets as well as the Golden Nugget casino in downtown Las Vegas and Landry’s Dining, which has a varied number of brands under its portfolio.

Fertitta, who bought a piece of land along the Las Vegas Strip early this year, has long been rumored to covet a place in the competitive avenue. A recent report by the Las Vegas Review Journal said that the billionaire’s company has filed plans to build a 43-story hotel-

by realtor Fely QuiteviS-BateMan

casino on the property located on Las Vegas Boulevard and Harmon Avenue.

Along with 2,420 rooms, the new development will feature restaurants, a spa, wedding chapel, convention space, theater with about 2,500 seats and an auto showroom, as well as VIP salons, suites and villas, and a bar/lounge for high-limit gamblers, the report added.

Currently, that piece of property has a shuttered motel and some closed retail stores, which need to be torn down before a massive build could take place.

While the cost may be massive for the project on the piece of land that Fertitta owns, which is estimated to go over $1 billion, it may not reach the level of the Resorts World

Las Vegas that cost around $4.3 billion to build. Still, that is another huge investment for Las Vegas.

With this project, Fertitta stakes his claim on the large pie of tourists/visitors who have started coming back to Las Vegas since the pandemic began. The last few months have seen about 3.7 million to 3.8 million people pass through McCarran International Airport, which is near pre-pandemic levels. The kind of project that he is reportedly building on the property is a high-end one, which will compete with Caesars, MGM, Wynn and other high-end casino-resort developers.

Currently, many of the major players in the competitive boulevard have shored up their portfolios, with MGM selling the Mirage and buying Cosmopolitan, and Caesars replacing Bally’s with its Horseshoe brand.

Resorts World Las Vegas, from the Genting Group, which opened in 2021 was the site of the Stardust Resort and Casino until 2007. It houses three Hilton hotels and is said to be the most expensive resort property ever developed in Las Vegas. It also currently has a station underground which can take patrons to the Las Vegas Convention Center and back via Tesla vehicles for a fee, courtesy of the Elon Musk founded The Boring Company. The station is part of the planned Las Vegas Loop, whose goal is to reduce travel time for visitors and locals in the gambling and entertainment haven, and ease the traffic in the city’s busy corridors.

In late 2023, the Fontainbleau is scheduled to open, which will feature a two-floor retail area for high-end brands, lots of meeting spaces, a theater, nightclub, and more than 3,700 rooms, aside, of course, from a casino area. With its location near LV Convention Center, the resort will have a focus on conferences.

There are many other projects on the way in Las Vegas, including a planned guitar hotel by Hard Rock International (to replace the

Mirage Hotel), a boutique resort casino being built near the airport, the Oak View Group’s $3 billion entertainment development near the I-15 and I-215 freeways, and Red Rock Resorts plans to develop a new casino in the southwest valley of Las Vegas.

This means an ongoing stream of construction jobs in Las Vegas. It also means many employment opportunities once these projects become completed and begin their operations.

Clearly, real estate in Las Vegas, particularly near the Strip area, is valuable. In fact, some industry analysts have said that real estate values have appreciated by more than 200% over the last decade, more so if you had bought properties decades ago. Still, if you are looking to a change in scenery and searching for affordable real estate, Las Vegas and its neighboring towns/cities may be an option for you.

Nevada has not been immune to the real estate slowdown, which is being experienced in many parts of the United States. But in terms of affordability, land and real estate prices in Nevada are very competitive. In fact, the affordability factor may be one of the reasons why people and families from other parts of the U.S. are moving to Nevada. Plus, of course, the cost of living is lower, especially when you compare living in a major city like Las Vegas to, say, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Miami and Hawaii. An industry expert has put the cost of living in Las Vegas as 1.9% lower than that of the national average.

Now may be one of the best times to take a look at what’s out there in the market, and negotiate your way to a great deal!

The growth in Nevada, especially in Las Vegas and neighboring cities and towns, have been tremendous. I can tell you that from experience – I have many decades under my belt, assisting clients who are looking for their first home, second/vacation homes, investment properties or land (for future use/development).

I can assist you in looking for these opportunities, given your budget and things you are looking for. Many of my clients have begun to reap the benefits

of their investments, including turning their properties to rentals or Airbnb, or getting a good return on investment for the properties they bought in previous years.

My company, Precious Properties, is a full-service company that has served its clientele since 1992. You can reach me at 775-513-8447, 805-559-2476 and 702-5384948 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 California and Nevada for cash and quick escrow in as short as 7 days.

(Advertising Supplement)

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 is bringing in American investors who will provide reasonable and affordable energy to Filipino households, which is in line with one of the main goals of current Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman is shown in photo above attending another convention in Manila.

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman and Russ Bateman at their residence in Vermont Royale in Antipolo City.

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman attended the Philippine Business Expo in Manila Hotel to help promote Pahrump, Nevada. She is part of the Philippine Trade Mission from the Silver State promoting Pahrump and Las Vegas in the Philippines.

South San Francisco celebrates Filipino American History Month for the first time

City

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO –

Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Ferrer took part in the first-ever official celebration of Filipino American History Month in South San Francisco, California, spearheaded by the city’s first Filipino American Mayor Mark Nagales and first Filipino American Vice Mayor Buenaflor Nicolas on October 4, 2022.

The city’s first Filipino American History Month celebration also marked the first time the Philippine national flag was unfurled from the balcony of the South San Francisco City Hall.

During the occasion, Mayor Nagales presented to Consul General Ferrer the proclamation by the South San Francisco City Council, declaring October 2022 as Filipino American History Month in the city.

In its proclamation, the South San Francisco City Council said that “immigrants from the Philippines and their families truly have enriched our nation, state, and city through their work and contributions in agriculture, their service in the Armed Forces, their offerings, skills and expertise as engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, accountants,

teachers, lawyers, nurses and doctors, and their participation in public offices, civic affairs and community activities.”

“Diversity represents one of our greatest strengths, and by recognizing the contributions and accomplishments of Filipino American men and women, our City celebrates the importance of inclusion to build a brighter future for all of our citizens,” the City Council proclamation also reads.

In his remarks, Consul General Ferrer thanked Mayor Nagales and Vice Mayor Nicolas for their

community

‘Ancestor Altars’ honors loved ones who have...

commemorate those that have passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic. “All Souls Day” is a holiday honoring those that have departed and is widely celebrated in the Philippines, Mexico and the diaspora.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Filipino community, specifically healthcare workers, is undeniable. One study, cited by the New York Times, found that of nurses who died from COVID-19, Filipinos accounted for almost a third of them — despite only making up 4% of nurses nationwide.

Once the installation opens at Kapwa Gardens community members are welcome to continue adding offerings, pictures, and flowers to the altars, contributing to a living memory of deceased loved ones.

realms has guided us personally, politically, and spiritually in how we engage with the world around us and collectively in how we build communities.”

Using acrylic, ink, aerosol and installations, Cece Carpio tells stories of immigration, ancestry, resistance, and resilience. She documents evolving traditions through combining folkloric forms, bold portraits and natural elements with urban art techniques, resistance, and resilience.

Her work is influenced by people she has met and places she's been. Cece paints everyday people who have been invisible in order to share their thriving presence, to show the dignity and power of their existence.

leadership and took pride that “for the first time in the city’s 114-year history, two Filipino Americans are serving together in the top two posts of the South San Francisco government.”

Consul General paid tribute to Filipino World War II veterans as the Philippines and the U.S. mark the 80th anniversary of the Fall of Bataan and the Bataan Death March this year, which is part of the shared history between the two countries.

“Through the collective efforts of our veterans, the community and champions in government, Filipino World War II veterans were conferred the highest civilian award the U.S. government can bestow — the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal. Philippine World War II history is also now part of California’s curriculum for Grade 11 students,” Consul General Ferrer said.

The Philippine Consul General also said that he looked forward to the “reinvigoration of our economic, cultural, and peopleto-people ties through the Pasig City-South San Francisco Sister City relations.”

On October 18, 1587, sailors from the largest Philippine island of Luzon arrived in Morro Bay, California onboard the Spanish galleon ship “Nuestra Señora de Esperanza.” Their arrival in coastal California is considered the first recorded presence of Filipinos in continental U.S., an event that is remembered yearly through the Filipino American History Month.

(PCGSF Release)

From the community submissions received, a program advisory board will select five ancestors who have passed away in the last three years to be honored by a portrait painted by artist Cece Carpio. Those not selected are still included in the Ancestor Altars and virtual gallery space.

“As a visual artist, creating these portraits becomes my way of giving gratitude and serves as a way of connecting to my ancestral lineage,” says the project’s Lead Artist Cece Carpio. “My ancestors are people in the lineage of my spiritual practice and beings in the lineage of life itself. Their existence in both the physical and spirit

“Ancestor Altars” was generously funded by The California Arts Council Impact Grant and the SOMA SCC Art Grant. It is a collaboration among Balay Kreative, Cece Carpio (Lead Artist), and TITTY (Installation Artist) and the Filipinx/a/o community.

Celebrating the future: Nurturing the arts in SOMA Pilipinas   Balay Kreative is one of many creative projects of Kultivate Labs, whose vision includes a multi-prong strategy to build a thriving commercial corridor in the Filipino Cultural Heritage District SOMA Pilipinas. Kultivate Labs envisions commerce that is culturally relevant, financially resilient, and adaptable to the market needs of all San

Franciscans, including Filipinos and other BIPOC community members who are otherwise displaced.

Balay Kreative is a FilipinoAmerican arts hub and accelerator in SOMA Pilipinas. Kultivate Labs founded Balay Kreative in 2019 in recognition that arts and culture cannot be sustained without directly addressing the lack of accessible and culturally relevant artist support and professional development for Filipinx/a/o artists and BIPOC. Balay Kreative represents local Filipinx/a/o artists that uplift diasporic expressions of Filipinx/a/o experiences so that artists may sustain and grow artistically within SOMA Pilipinas. It is a Filipino American Cultural Center rooted in community responsiveness to sustainability.

Balay Kreative provides grants, professional development courses to BIPOC artists living in San Francisco. Recent programming includes the newly established Kreative Growth Grants to accelerate the growth of Filipinx artistic expression in SOMA Pilipinas. Balay Kreative launched a masterclass series for BIPOC artists to take their careers to the next level. Artists are not only compensated healthily, but are also provided with marketing support, direct support from Balay Kreative’s Program Manager, and connected to the larger network of resources and mentors within Kultivate Labs’ community.

Kultivate Labs staff are 100% Filipinx + BIPOC and are composed of artists, activists, and community leaders from within the community. Balay Kreative participating artists are 60% women, 63% Immigrant/ Undocumented, and 43% LGBTQIA+.

To RSVP and to learn more about this event, please visit balaykreative.com/ event-calendar/all-souls-day. (PapaLoDown Release)

Cece Carpio paints everyday people who have been invisible in order to share their thriving presence, to show the dignity and power of their existence.

Performer Nikbo will perform at the Afterlife Celebration at Kapwa Gardens on October 30. The free event takes place from 1 to 6 p.m.

South San Francisco Mayor Nagales (extreme right) presented to Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Ferrer (center) the proclamation by the South San Francisco City Council, declaring October 2022 as Filipino American History Month in the city.

Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Ferrer gives a speech during the first official celebration of Filipino American History Month in South San Francisco, California on October 4, 2022. San Francisco PCG photos