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OCTOBER 29-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

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Volume 31 - No. 43 • 20 Pages

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

With the election only days away, Clark County’s DATELINE USA Survey: AAPI registered voters Fil-Am community leaders make final plea to vote in 10 battleground states FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

highly motivated to vote

AHEAD of the 2020 election, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) registered voters in 10 battleground states are favoring former Vice President Joe Biden and are highly motivated to cast their ballots, according to a recent survey.

As of September, 59% of AAPI voters in key states prefer Biden, the Democratic nominee, while 33% President Donald Trump, based on a survey called “AAPI Voters and the 2020 Elections” presented by Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group, the National Education Association and the Majority Institute.

When asked about job approval rating, 64% of AAPI voters “disapprove” of the current president’s performance. Meanwhile, 47% of voters had a “positive” view of Biden, a 4% increase since July, while 34% view him negatively.

“One of the more important numbers for any incumbent, especially the president, is the approval rating — their vote share usually corresponds to their approval rating,” said Fred Yang of Garin-Hart-Yang Research

by CHRISTINA

M. ORIEL

AJPress

IN the remaining days until November 3, there may not be as many in-person meriendas or aggressive canvassing at local supermarkets to get out the vote, but Filipino American leaders in Clark County are using the final moments to ensure record community turnout.

This comes as Fil-Ams are the largest Asian American group in Nevada, where Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) make up 11% of the electorate. And also, as 77,400 eligible Asians remain unregistered to vote, according to a recent analysis from New American Economy.

Community leaders continue to use creative methods in the “new normal,” like virtual kwen-

OVER the course of the coronavirus pandemic that unleashed a wave of anti-Asian hate across the United States, Republican politicians and candidates were more likely to use “racist or stigmatizing” language about the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, according to a new study released this week.

The nonpartisan organization Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON), through its Stop AAPI Hate initiative, unveiled a study that examined the language that elected officials use over social media, particularly Twitter. Specifically, A3PCON combed through 1,227 tweets over the period of Jan. 1 to Aug. 31, 2020 and scanned for derogatory language targeting the AAPI community.

The study was a collaborative effort of researchers from the University of Michigan, Washington University of Maryland and San Francisco State University to gauge the attitudes that current election candidates have

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First-time Fil-Am voters share why they’re motivated to vote

by AJPRESS ELECTION Day is a few days away and some new voters exercised their voting power by casting their mail-in ballots or heading to the polls in person.

Whether they’re Gen Z voters, new citizens or those who want to finally express their civic duty, the Asian Journal spoke to several Filipino American voters about what issues motivated them to participate for the first time.

Charisse Arboleda, 41 Employee | New York Voting method: Mail-in ballot and dropped off at Brooklyn Board of Elections On speaking out: “Trump’s incompetence, racism and treatment of women and people of color are the main reasons for my determination to speak out through my vote. This government’s COVID-19 response (or lack thereof) and Trump’s attacks on scientists and Dr. Fauci are some of the most disturbing issues that came up when the pandemic started. I believe Biden/Harris align most with my values.”

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New study unpacks anti-Asian rhetoric, ‘yellow peril’ among elected officials

tuhans (conversations) and in-language phone banking to double down on the message that AAPIs, and Fil-Ams especially, can help influence the presidential race and other key contests in battleground states like the Silver State.

“Nevada is going to be such a pivotal swing state that we need to really send Joe Biden and Kamala

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CANDLE-LIGHTING VIGIL. Members of Liga Independencia Pilipinas and League of Parents of the Philippines simultaneously light a candle on Wednesday, October 28 for the victims of terrorist acts of the CPP-NPA-NDF. During the vigil, groups denounced the killing of innocent people during the Plaza Miranda bombing and Mendiola Massacre.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Several Fil-Am candidates seek public office across the country

by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

ALTHOUGH Filipinos have been in this country since before the United States’ conception, the first election of a Filipino American didn’t happen until the 1950s.

In 1954, the late Peter Aduja became the first Filipino American elected into public office when he served as a representative for the Hawaii State Legislature. The Republican official hailed from Ilocos Sur and, like many Filipinos, served in the United States Army for World War II. For nearly 20 years, Aduja was the only Filipino

elected official in the U.S. until 1973 when Filipino American engineer and “energy czar” Larry Asera of Vallejo, California served in a variety of elected positions, including deputy secretary of state and chief legislative consultant to the California State Legislature.

Until very recently, elected officials in the U.S. were overwhelmingly white, straight, elderly and male. Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, it was a novelty to see a woman or person of color in any elected position. Before that, it was (L-R) GET OUT THE VOTE. Fil-Ams Charisse Arboleda, Jon Jon “JJ” Augustavo, Julienne Buenaventura, and Orly Medrano share their experience nonexistent.

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voting for the first time.

Among Asian countries, Trump gets Metro Manila retains GCQ status for November 2nd highest approval rating in PH

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA

AJPress

UNITED States President Donald Trump has received the second-highest level of support from the Philippines, according to a recent survey of Asian countries

by German market and consumer data company Statista.

The country gave Trump an approval rating of 58%, closely following behind Mongolia’s 62% rating.

“According to a yearly poll by Gallup, approval of U.S. President Trump is varying widely across Asia, with Mongolia and the Phil-

ippines exhibiting the highest level of support. The poll asked approximately 1,000 persons over the age of 15 per country if they approved or disapproved of U.S. leadership,” Statista said.

“Other countries with a majority of people approving of the U.S. president were Nepal and Myanmar,” it added. “The least support – in the single digits – came out of Laos.”

Statista noted that overall, the world did not approve of Trump’s administration, with the U.S. president receiving a global disapproval rating of 42% compared to his median approval rating of 33%.

“Overall, the world disapproved of President Trump: His administration’s global approval rating was at a median of 33%, compared with a disapproval rating of 42 percent,” it said.

“Median approval was lowest in Europe at 24%, followed by Asia at 32%,” it added.

Below is the list of approval ratings Trump received from different countries in Asia: • Mongolia, 62% • Philippines, 58% • Nepal, 54% • Myanmar, 53% • South Korea, 41%

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PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, October 27, announced that Metro Manila will remain under general community quarantine (GCQ) until November 30.

According to the chief executive, the mayors of Metro Manila wanted to keep the GCQ status in the region.

“Ang gusto ng mga mayor, karamihan, gusto nila (The majority of mayors want to), make it permanent because they have seen the goodness of the result.

It has considerably lowered the President Rodrigo Duterte shows a document while holding a meeting with the Inter-Agency number of people infected with Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Matina Enclaves in Davao City on Monday, October 26.

Malacañang photo by Arman Baylon

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Harris to the White House,” Dan Santos, chair of the state’s AAPI Democratic Caucus, said during a kwentuhan on Wednesday night, October 28. “A big part of that aspect relates to this concept of kwentuhan— that means having conversations about voting and about the important issues that are impacting our community. These are conversations that span generations and span zip codes.”

Headlining the event was Pinay scientist-rapper Ruby Ibarra who made a pitch for the community, specifically the Gen Z and millennial segments, to vote.

“People may have some reluctance or hesitation. You have these conversations over and over again, especially in our community, where people ask: ‘Does my vote really count?

Does this system actually work for us?’ Look y’all, at the end of the day, voting may still result in some tangible change, but not voting will result in exactly that: nothing,” Ibarra said.

Community leader Gloria Caoile; Rep. Susie Lee of Nevada’s 3rd congressional district; Rep. TJ Cox of California’s 21st district; Sabrina Javellana, half-Filipina vice mayor of Hallandale Beach, Florida; and Daly City, California Vice Mayor Juslyn Manalo also spoke at the event.

“Who we vote into office is yes, a face for this country, but whoever that person is will also shape the rhetoric, the behaviors, and the attitudes of its citizens,” Ibarra said.

Wednesday night was the culmination of voting-related events during Filipino American History Month, which began with a Kamayan Zoomustahan that featured speeches from Nevada’s elected officials and invited families to connect on Zoom over a Filipino meal.

“The fact that Nevada’s members of Congress participated in our Kamayan is a testament to the power of the Fil-Am community,” said Margie LlorenteGonzales, who organized the updated kamayan feast and is a state co-chair of Filipino Americans for Biden-Harris. “This is a historic time for us, and they were with us because they care and want our voices to matter.”

Pinay scientist-rapper Ruby Ibarra headlined a virtual GOTV concert and kwentuhan event on Wednesday night, October 28 hosted by the AAPI Democratic Caucus of Nevada.

“Fil-Ams for Trump” came together at Cafe de Manila in Las Vegas on Friday, October 23 to reinforce their support of the president.

Contributed photo

‘Four more years’ Representing the other side, a group of Fil-Am supporters from Nevada and other swing states, under “the Fil-Am Voice” moniker, gathered at Cafe de Manila in Las Vegas on Friday, October 23 for to deliver a unified “endorsement of President Donald Trump.”

“We love our family. We love our faith. We love our freedom.

We love the American Dream.

That’s why our ancestors and some of us in this room came to America. And who’s fighting for that? President Trump,” Tiana Elisara, a 23-year-old who traveled from Hawaii, said in an impassioned plea as she shared her story as a former Democrat. “I’m pleading to those who are watching, especially the younger generation, not to use your emotion but to look at the things President Trump is doing that represents our culture and people.”

Speakers attending virtu-

ally — including Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes and Vellie Dietrich-Hall, an advisory member of Asian Pacific Americans for Trump — continued to hone in on the cultural values of being faithful and hardworking and gave testimonials of how the past three years have been.

“It’s a call of arms instead of ideas. Our weapons are our principles, our values, our vision. We need you to join your voices with ours so that we as Filipino Americans can truly awaken the sleeping giant…We need to get out of our comfort zones and talk to those who may not agree with us but help them see and understand how much President Trump has done,” Reyes, co-chair of APAs for Trump, said.

Friday’s event was among a lineup of gatherings, such as caravans and in-person park rallies in 21 cities, in the final weeks organized by volunteer PAGE A4

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Dateline USa

Several Fil-Am candidates seek public...

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But the influx of Asian immigration to the U.S. in the 1980s and 1990s ushered in a new generation of Filipino Americans that came from families looking to assimilate their U.S.-born children in the American mainstream.

Fast forward to 2020 in a postdiversity American culture and society when the push for people of color — particularly women of color — in leadership positions is at its utmost urgency.

Filipino Americans are the second largest Asian American group but are still widely underrepresented in all elected positions across the board. But there is a strong contingent of Filipinos from all walks of life looking to rectify the diversity gap.

Marvin Lim, Georgia State House of Representatives Marvin Lim, who immigrated to Atlanta from the Philippines at the age of 7, is gunning for District 99 of the Georgia House of Representatives. Representatives serve two-year terms in the legislature and are not subject to term limits.

In June, Lim, a civil rights and violence prevention attorney who has worked with the ACLU, won the Democratic primary with 61% of the vote and is unopposed going into the general election.

Gina Ortiz Jones — Texas’ 23rd Congressional District Filipina American U.S. Air Force veteran Gina Ortiz Jones is currently running to represent Texas’ 23rd District in the House of Representatives after narrowly losing the same ticket in 2018 to the Republican incumbent Will Hurd.

But with Hurd opting out of re-election this year, Ortiz Jones, 39, has a viable chance at being the first openly gay woman of color to represent the Lone Star state. She is currently in a tight race against Republican candidate Tony Gonzales, a former Navy cryptologist, for the district that spans from San Antonio to the Texas-Mexico border.

In a recent debate with Gonzalez, Ortiz Jones — whose mother is from Pangasinan, Philippines — argued that healthcare is the most pressing issue in the “medically underserved” district and vows to fight for a “public option so that people will have access to quality affordable health care, even if they’ve lost their job.”

“We need leaders that are going to make sure that we’re doing everything possible to protect people’s lives and livelihoods and holding them accountable when they don’t do that. And I look forward to making sure that we get this pandemic under control but also make sure our economic recovery is inclusive as possible,” she said.

The race for Texas’ 23rd District is monumental this year because the currently Democrat-heavy House can potentially swing right with all seats up for grabs this election cycle.

TJ Cox, California’s 21st District Elsewhere in Congress, Filipino American Rep. T J Cox (D-Calif.) is seeking re-election two years after he narrowly beat Republican incumbent David Valadao for the district centered in Fresno, California.

The 2020 race for the 21st District has been racked with mudslinging from both sides. Cox’s campaign has been playing up Valadao as a “yes-man who who voted with [President Donald] Trump 99% [of the time],” and Valadao’s campaign has been painting Cox as an out-of-touch millionaire whose financial controversies make Cox “the single most corrupt member of Congress.”

Cox’s win was monumental,

Rep. Gina Ortiz Jones (Texas-23)

Marvin Lim, a civil rights attorney, runs unopposed for District 99 of the Georgia House of Representatives

Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Virginia)

TJ Cox (D-Calif.)

Assemblymaker Rob Bonta

Todd Gloria for San Diego mayor

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First-time Fil-Am voters share why they’re motivated...

PAGE A1 On motivating others: “I convinced a friend to register to vote a few months ago and sent her a link that was easy to follow so she can do so. I also donated to a few campaigns in swing states like SC, AZ, KY. I called a close friend in AZ to ask if she’s voting. She said yes and voting for Biden.”

Jon Jon “JJ” Augustavo, 35 Filmmaker | Los Angeles Despite being eligible to vote in previous election cycles, this is Augustavo’s first time voting in a presidential election after seeing the current administration. The filmmaker is using his platform to help get out the vote and has directed a video for MoveOn adapted from Carlos Bulosan’s poem, “If You Want To Know What We Are.” Voting method: Mail-in ballot Participating for the firsttime: “A feeling that the current person in power does not represent what I stand for as an American. The person in charge goes against everything I believe I was promised and taught this country was supposed to be. A common decency and care for your fellow American, white, brown, immigrant, legal/illegal — I always believed as Americans we fought for one another no matter what, but this president is only creating division.

Honestly Yang and Bernie were my first choices but at this point I’m [with] anyone that ain’t Donald.”

Maisha Mason-Belden, 50 Stylist | Los Angeles Voting method: Mail-in ballot On the issues: “Issues like [the] national economy, especially post COVID, freedom to practice my religion, response to civil disobedience, and public health insurance / issues are all [at the] top of my priority list. And it seems that the candidate that aligned most with my values is the Republican candidate…[But] I am very confused [by] both parties. It seems like they both just want power and position and [are] not at all concern about what the people really need. My decisions are based on my personal life experiences.” Mason-Belden has since voted, but did not reveal her final choice.

Julienne Buenaventura, 18 Student majoring in dance | Queens, NY Voting method: Drop off absentee ballot at early voting site

Motivation to vote: “The climate crisis, COVID response, justice for the BIPOC community, women’s rights (abortion, funding of Planned Parenthood), LGBTQ+ rights. Joe Biden aligned most with my values. I converse with my friends/family or in school about current events, I watched clips of the debates on YouTube, and recently I’ve been getting a lot of information from reputable sources on Instagram.”

Orly Medrano, 52 Hospitality employee, Uber driver | Washington, DC After 16 years of living in the United States, Medrano became a citizen this past July during a naturalization ceremony attended by Vice President Mike Pence. One of his sons is an Army medic at Fort Carson in Colorado, while the other is a cargo specialist in the Army Reserve.

Voting method: In-person on the first day of early voting Making a choice: “I just observed what’s been going on and listened to news on TV and social media. I was excited to vote for the first time and I voted [on] the first day of early voting in Washington DC. I encouraged friends to do the same by post-

ing on social media. I voted for the re-election of President Donald J. Trump because I believe in the issues of law and order, upholding the Constitution, and the economy.”

Elijah Paschal, 18 Freshman at Cal State University, Long Beach On exercising voting right: “There is nothing more beautiful and inspiring than seeing a group of people band together in hopes of achieving a common goal for the betterment of our future. Taking part in the most important election in the history of this country has shown that every vote will and does matter.”

Maria Cynthia Delos Santos, 66 Semi-retired | Las Vegas, NV Voting method: Drop off absentee ballot at early voting site On leadership: “I became a U.S. citizen this year after living here for 10 years. I got so excited to finally vote for the first time. I want a president who’s compassionate and accepts all types of people, like immigrants or other ethnicities, so that’s why I voted for Biden. I don’t want to continue seeing division, discrimination and a disregard for lives like those lost through COVID.” n

Maria Cynthia Delos Santos

Among Asian countries, Trump gets ...

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Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes

not just for visibility of Filipino American leadership, but for the nation’s congressional landscape in general. Cox’s victory helped Democrats take one of the seven House seats in California that Republicans lost in the historic 2018 midterm elections.

It was also a particular surprise for the district which hasn’t seen a Democratic representative since 1981.

In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, Cox called out his opponent as “[House Minority Leader] Kevin McCarthy’s pet project,” noting that McCarthy has been trying to win back the seats his party lost two years ago.

But Cox stressed that policies that McCarthy and his cohorts endorse — including “limiting healthcare access and a woman’s right to choose, tax cuts for the very wealthy” — aren’t the causes that benefit the rural, overwhelmingly Latino constitu-

Godfrey Plata, a public education advocate, seeks the CA Assembly District 53 seat

ency.

On the East Coast, longtime Rep. Robert Scott (D-Vir.) is seeking re-election after nearly 30 years of legislating for the district in southern Virginia. Scott, who is African American and Filipino (from his maternal grandmother), also chairs the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Scott is generally seen as a safe vote for Democrats; the district has almost consistently voted for Democrats in the primary and general elections.

Todd Gloria, San Diego mayor Another Filipino American looking to shake things up is Democratic California State Assemblymember Todd Gloria who, as previously reported in the Asian Journal, is currently running to become mayor of San Diego (part of which he currently represents as an assem-

• India, 34% • Japan, 34% • Pakistan, 27% • Indonesia, 21% • Malaysia, 19% • Laos, 8% Earlier this year, a Pew Research Center survey found that 77% of Filipinos said they are confident that Trump would do the “right thing” concerning world affairs, while 19% believed otherwise.

“The Philippines showed the most positive review for the U.S. president among 32 other countries surveyed, which collectively displayed little support for him. A

median of 64% respondents say they do not have confidence in Trump, while only 29% say they do,” the Asian Journal reported in January.

“Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has previously said that the Philippines and the U.S. continue to share amicable ties, even with certain American lawmakers criticizing PH President Rodrigo Duterte’s human rights record and the latest U.S. Senate resolution to put sanctions on local government officials involved in the arrest and detention of opposition Senator Leila De Lima,” it added.

A recent Associated Press report said that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was among the world leaders seen to benefit from a Trump victory.

“Regarded by some as Asia’s Trump for his unorthodox political style and brash language, Duterte has nurtured friendly ties with the U.S. leader and even called on American Filipinos to vote for Trump,” AP reporter Josef Federman wrote.

The article also noted that a Joe Biden victory “could potentially bring a more adversarial relationship” between the Philippines and the U.S. n

favor Biden, while 34% support Trump.

The two-week early voting period in Nevada ended on Friday, October 30. As of Thursday, 904,559 ballots have been cast throughout the state either by mail-in ballots or in-person early voting. Of that total, 601,764 votes came from Clark County.

On Election Day, November 3,

polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., any Clark County registered voter may cast their ballot at any of the 125 vote centers in the county.

Same-day registration, as well as immediate updates of existing registration (name, party, and address) will also be available at all voting sites, according to the Clark County Election Department. n

With the election only days away...

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supporters.

A handful of AAPI-centric surveys noted the enthusiasm of the community to cast their ballots ahead of Election Day. The 2020 Asian American Voter Survey — released in September by APIA Vote, AAPI Data, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC — found u PAGE A5 that 52% of Fil-Ams surveyed

Dateline USa

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Survey: AAPI registered voters in 10...

PHYSICAL DISTANCING. Churchgoers in pews inside the Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish in Barangay San Manuel II, Dasmarinas City, Cavite are separated by gray straw ropes to ensure physical distancing during a Mass on Thursday, October 29. The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has allowed 30 percent capacity in churches, mosques, and other places of worship in areas under the general community quarantine (GCQ).

PNA photo by Gil Calinga

New study unpacks anti-Asian rhetoric...

PAGE A1 about the Asian community in the age of the coronavirus.

Researchers found that 1 in 10 tweets — which were shared and disseminated 1,310,828 times — featured coarse, antiAsian language and were all written by Republican politicians. Moreover, the A3PCON researchers found that almost half of these “stigmatizing” tweets did not reference the COVID-19 virus, “suggesting that politicians are employing anti-Asian rhetoric not only in response to the pandemic.”

According to A3PCON Executive Director Manjusha P. Kulkarni, the re-emergence of “yellow peril,” coupled with the Trump administration’s already stringent immigration policies and stances on race and inclusion, is alarming for the AAPI community.

“We also know that his administration has sought to enact exclusionary immigration policies that are often aimed directly at Asian American communities,” Kulkarni said at a press conference on Wednesday, Oct. 21, adding that “this is part of a concerted effort to connect racist rhetoric with exclusionary policies that leave Asian Americans in harm’s way.”

The eight-month study focused on Democratic and Republican general election can-

didates who are running for the offices of U.S. senator, vice president and president. Researchers looked at tweets containing terms like “China,” “Chinese,” “Asian American,” “AAPI,” “virus” and “flu,” but also scanned for the uses of more specific, incendiary misnomers like “kung flu” and whether or not the words used connote debunked conspiracy theories.

All of the 136 tweets that used “stigmatizing rhetoric” were promulgated by Republican politicians, most notably Trump (24 tweets) and Republican Reps. Tom Cotton of Arkansas (61 tweets) and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee (41 tweets).

According to researchers, these tweets blamed China for the pandemic or were critical of China in general.

“There is a very clear partisan divide in how candidates talk about China and Asian Americans,” said Melissa Borja, a Filipina American assistant professor in the Department of American Culture at the University of Michigan.

On the other side of the political spectrum, Democrats were found to not only omit from using this “stigmatizing language” but also accounted for “almost all the tweets that showed support for Asian Americans, especially in relation to COVID-related racism,” said Borja, who was

also one of the key researchers in this study.

“During the eight month period, we studied [Trump’s] tweets were liked over 4 million times and reweeted over 1 million time. In other words, among the Republican politicians we included in our study, he was the main source for spreading the rhetoric that stigmatizes Asian and Asian American people,” she said.

As extensively covered in the Asian Journal this year, almost all the known incidents of antiAsian harassment, bullying and violence has been related to COVID-19, which originated in Wuhan, China.

Although there’s no denying the fact the virus itself made its way throughout the world from China, the ways in which that information is used to warp public opinion about China and, by extension, the global Asian community, is especially egregious, AAPI community and Democratic leaders argue.

Moreover, the use of “Chinese virus” or “China virus” continue to set a false inherent association between the virus and the Chinese (and Asian) community.

(Though it is historically standard practice to name viruses after their places of origin, public health leaders in the modern day like the CDC have advised

PAGE A1 Group said during a virtual presentation of the results hosted by the NEA and the Pilipino American Los Angeles Democrats on Monday, October 26.

The survey was conducted online and in English from September 16-24 among 875 registered AAPI voters in Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. It builds on a previous survey the groups did in the same states in July.

“The API electorate has historically and often been overlooked and under-resourced in targeted electoral campaigns,” said Carrie Pugh, political director at the NEA. Among the Biden supporters, 65% were from the Blue Wall consisting of Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota. 56% were from the Southwest consisting of Arizona, Nevada, and Texas, while 60% were from the South consisting of Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina.

On the other hand, 28% of the Trump supporters were from the

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running a progressive campaign for California’s Assembly District 53 (Koreatown).

If elected, the tenants’ rights activist would be the only renter in the State Legislature which has tried and failed to address the state’s mounting housing problem. In the vein of Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Plata’s grassroots campaign envisions massive bureaucratic changes to the government that prioritizes at-risk, underserved communities.

“There’s so much money at the table that is controlling the way in which we elect people and the way we make decisions,” Plata told the Asian Journal in February. “Lots of people want to know, “What do you want to change?’ But people aren’t thinking enough about what is the process of making change.

I really want to shine a light on that and explore how we can expand our leadership and make our leadership work for us, not the other way around.”

Sean Reyes, Utah Attorney General On the other side of the political spectrum, Sean Reyes, at-

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torney general of the historically conservative state of Utah, is also running for re-election for his post that he’s held since 2013.

A Trump ally, Reyes recently spoke at the Republican National Convention on Aug. 27 where he said in a 4-minute speech that he interacts “with some of the most marginalized victims on earth and they love America. They love President Trump because he’s fighting for their freedom and America’s freedom.”

“I’m a proud American and proud descendant of warrior ancestors, women and men alike, from my Hawaiian, Filipino, Japanese and Spanish heritage,” Reyes said. “My father demonstrated his warrior spirit over 50 years fighting a dictator in his homeland, the Philippines.

Barely escaping with his life, he started anew in America.”

Back in April, Trump endorsed Reyes’ re-election, saying in a tweet that Reyes is “a fighter and hard worker for the Great State of Utah. He is a big supporter of our [Make America Great Again] Agenda — Strong on Crime, the Second Amendment and Loves our Law Enforcement….” n

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ers, are actually voting the way they’re polled,” Yang said.

Breaking the enthusiasm by age, 67% of voters over the age of 65 showed the most motivation, compared to 45% of voters between 18 to 34 years old.

The survey also asked the AAPI voters who did not vote in the 2016 elections and found that 38% of them now are extremely motivated.

Of those who said they were “not at all motivated,” the non2016 voters had the highest rate at 6%, followed by the age group of 18 to 34 years old with 4%, and the 35 to 49 bracket with 3%. Meanwhile, the 50 to 64 age group and 65 and up were tied at 2%.

That motivation has been illustrated so far as over 500,000 more absentee ballots and early votes have been cast by AAPI voters this cycle than in 2016, and 34% of voters previously didn’t vote four years ago, Pugh said, according to Catalyst data.

“When you look at these numbers in these key battleground states, there really is a potential for the AAPI electorate to be the

Several Fil-Am candidates seek public...

PAGE A4 blymember).

Gloria, 42, was the second person of Filipino descent ever elected to the California Legislature after the first, Assemblymember Rob Bonta, who is currently running for re-election for California’s 18th Assembly District (Alameda).

“He deeply cares about people, their safety and their welfare. He is a true leader and a professional and he gets things done,” Bonta recently said of Gloria.

If he elected, Gloria would be the first person of color and the first openly gay person to be elected as mayor of San Diego, an ethnically diverse city of more than 1.4 million.

Both Todd and Bonta (who has served his post since 2012) made strides for the Filipino American community in California, and there’s another Filipino American in the Los Angeles-area looking to increase visibility of the community in the legislature.

Godfrey Plata, CA State Assembly (District 53) Organizer and former teacher Godfrey Plata won the primary u PAGE A8 election in March and is currently

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Blue Wall, 35% were from the Southwest, and 31% were from the South.

Sen. Kamala Harris, Biden’s running mate, got a favorability bump from July to September with 43% “positive” after she was announced on the ticket.

Though the survey did not present disaggregated data, 26% of respondents are of Chinese descent, 21% Indian and 15% Filipino. Other communities surveyed include Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese and other South Asian groups.

The 10 states represent about a third of the total count of AAPI registered voters in the country, which is around 6.4 million.

The survey also found that 54% of the AAPI electorate favor the Democratic Party ticket in six states with Senate races, while 35% favor the Republican side.

For Congress, 56% favor the Democrats, while 34% favor the Republicans.

Voter motivation Heading into the election, 55% of voters are “extremely motivated” to vote compared to previous election years.

“Voters, in particular AAPI vot-

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OPINION

Losing the battle

FEATURES

IN the battle for hearts and minds, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict lost this one. The inter-agency task force continues to receive flak for advising celebrities about the perils of fraternizing with the Gabriela party-list. The group has been tagged by the NTF-ELCAC as a front of the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army.

The advice was given by one of the two NTF-ELCAC spokespersons, Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, chief of the military’s Southern Luzon Command. He gave the advice to movie star Liza Soberano, best known for her role in the latest remake of “Darna,” and former Miss Universe Catriona Gray, with a reference to actress Angel Locsin and her activist sister Ella Colmenares, whom Parlade implied had joined the New People’s Army in Quezon.

His advice might have been shrugged off, but it included a warning that Soberano could suffer the same fate as Josephine Anne Lapira, a 22-year-old biochemistry student of the University of the Philippines-Manila, who was killed in an encounter in November 2017 between government forces and the NPA in Batangas.

Soberano had spoken at a webinar sponsored

by Gabriela Youth, to mark the International Day of the Girl Child on Oct. 11. She was introduced as a young woman influencer. She and her defenders have invoked her right to free expression, especially since the topic of her talk at the webinar was women and children’s welfare.

The NTF-ELCAC, created in December 2018

as President Duterte gave up on formal peace negotiations with the CPP and National Democratic Front, has a multi-pronged approach to achieve its goal. A number of the approaches, including the provision of “responsive” basic services to make communities “conflict-resilient” as well as the improvement of infrastructure, livelihood and poverty alleviation are intrinsic elements in addressing the root causes of insurgency.

Other aspects, however, need finessing, particularly in the area of countering rebel messaging. The NTF-ELCAC has received the heaviest flak in its strategic communication aspect, wherein it has been accused of “redtagging” or linking certain groups to the CPPNPA. The latest imbroglio of the task force is the takedown of its anti-CPP-NPA streamers from strategic spots in the city of Manila and the province of Cavite on orders of Mayor Isko Moreno and Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla.

Both Malacañang and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, meanwhile, have advised Parlade to keep his mouth shut unless he has evi- movement. In this controversy, if the NTF-ELdence to link individuals or groups to the rebel CAC fails to see who’s losing in the battle for

Editorial

Commentary

U.S. REP. SUSIE LEE (D-NV-03) THE date was March 6, 2020, one day after the first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in Nevada. I sat around a long table with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) small business owners, restauranteurs, and community leaders in YuXiang Korean Chinese Restaurant, an AAPI owned restaurant in southwest Las Vegas.

While, at the time, we were just learning how devastating this pandemic could become, my friends at the table saw certain consequences coming from a mile away.

We discussed the wave of hate, discrimination, and violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders that was unleashed after COVID-19 hit our shores. I heard from restaurant owners worried about losing business because misinformed people thought they could only catch COVID-19 at Chinese restaurants. I heard from community leaders fearing for their family, friends, and neighbors stuck on the receiving end of unprovoked hatred.

In the year 2020, serving as the congresswoman for one of the proudest, most diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the

MY mother is a proud American citizen. Even now, in her 90s, she recites the Pledge of Allegiance and sings “The StarSpangled Banner” enthusiastically.

She came to this country with the belief that with hard work and determination, she can better her life. And she did. I grew up the daughter of immigrants, and learned through her about our American ideals. She taught me about our American history and our Filipino history, and to be proud of who we are. But, more importantly, she showed me that what makes America so great is that it’s made up of millions of people like me who see America as a place where our

hearts and minds, the task force is in trouble.

(Philstar.com)

Supporting our AAPI community during COVID-19 nation, I’m infuriated that it must be said: Terms like “Chinese virus,” “Wuhan virus,” and “Kung-flu,” which at times have been used by government officials, are racist. Plain and simple.

After our conversation, it was clear that ignorant, misguided ideas about COVID-19 are more than just empty words and have devastating consequences for Asian American and Pacific Islander families, children, small businesses, and communities.

As a Nevada congresswoman, I understand my words have consequences, and I will always choose them carefully and with conviction. But as the age-old cliché reminds us, actions speak louder than words.

On top of battling discrimination, I know that Asian American and Pacific Islander-owned small businesses need relief to get through this pandemic. Securing that relief has been my top priority in Congress.

In March, I helped bring together Democrats and Republicans to pass a COVID-19 relief package, the CARES Act, which secured vital aid for our small businesses. The facts and figures are clear: that relief has helped over 10,000 small businesses keep their doors open and over 100,000 workers stay employed in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District.

That was a crucial success for our community. However, as COVID-19 cases continue to rise

Commentary

GLORIA T. CAOILE

Philstar.com photo

across the country, that CARES Act relief is now drying up at the worst possible moment.

Just like millions of Americans, I’m frustrated and disappointed that our leaders in government have failed to come together to pass more coronavirus relief. Congress and the White House have been stuck in negotiations for months while Nevadans count the days until their emergency safety net disintegrates. There’s no room left for excuses. We need to get a comprehensive relief package across the finish line now.

I am a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus, a coalition of 25 Democrats and 25 Republicans committed to bridging the divide between the two parties to actually get things done in Washington. In September, we said “enough is enough,” and came together to propose our own bipartisan plan for relief.

When it felt like all hope was lost in the waning days of September, our no nonsense relief plan helped restart negotiations. Now the White House and congressional leadership are back at the table, and we finally see some light at the end of the tunnel.

Rest assured, I will not stop working to pass additional relief that includes expanded unemployment benefits, help for schools and small businesses, housing assistance, and much more.

Rep. Susie Lee delivers remarks at the Asian Chamber of Commerce Monthly Luncheon on Oct. 22, 2020 in Las Vegas.

Pandemic or no pandemic, I will always fight for southern Nevada’s Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and stick up for my constituents when bigotry seeps into their lives. This pandemic is not a moment for hatred and division, but unity—as Nevadans, Americans, and human beings.

And if anyone says otherwise, remind them that the best way

to stop the spread of COVID-19 is to wash your hands and wear a mask, not perpetuate racist stereotypes. *** 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.

*** Congresswoman Susie Lee represents

Nevada’s 3rd District, which includes the western and southern Las Vegas Valley, in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In Congress, she is a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and is fighting to improve our education system, honor our promise to our veterans, and tackle rising health care costs. Rep. Lee believes in working across the aisle and bringing people together to tackle our toughest issues, which is why she joined the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.

The future of Filipino Americans rests on the ballot

diversity unites and strengthens us, not divides us. Where everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from, cares about their neighbors and is part of a community.

Yet, despite these ideals, there are two different Americas. Depending on your race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status the life you live is likely leagues different from someone who is white, wealthy, or native-born.

Over the last four years, these divisions have only widened.

The injustices we face have become more intense, and the fear between us and our neighbors grows more too. We have lost our way by being outraged every day by a president who stokes our worst inhibitions.

But, now we face a choice that can get us back on the right track, a choice that can end the constant outrage, and begin the

long path back towards progress and unity. This election is that choice.

Joe Biden is a man who believes in those same ideals my mom taught me. He believes that Americans are good people, who want to work hard and better the lives of their families, our neighbors and our communities. Kamala Harris believes that too. At the core of their platform is the simple belief that no one should be left behind, and a rising tide lifts all boats. They have laid out plans to create a stronger, resilient, and inclusive economy where every American enjoys a fair return for their work and an equal chance to get ahead. They will strengthen unions and help all workers bargain successfully for what they deserve. Simply, they will reward those who, like my mother, just want honest pay for a hard day’s work.

As Filipino Americans, we

know we have contributed to this country in many ways. Right now, many of us are on the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis while we go back to work. Hundreds and thousands of Filipino Americans are essential union workers who are facing rising income inequality, stagnant real wages, the loss of pensions, and pay cuts with greater workloads.

Many of those are nurses of Filipino descent, in particular, have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Even though Filipino American nurses make up a small percentage of the workforce (4%), nearly a third of the registered nurses who have died due to COVID-19 have been nurses of Filipino descent.

The effects of the pandemic have not been felt evenly. While this disease does not see color, our country’s systems hurt those of color. And minorities are paying the price.

The Trump administration has failed to take the pandemic seriously and people that look like me are bearing more than our fair share of suffering. We are risking our lives for our neighbors, and what are we getting in return? The Trump administration does not care about us, our fight, and our struggle to keep everyone safe. Vice President Biden does. He will lead us forward, keep us safe, and lead us out of the pandemic.

This is the crossroads we find ourselves at. This is the choice we face. Our lives and our futures are on the ballot because we live in the “other America.”

But it doesn’t always have to be that way. We take care of our families, we take care of our communities, and now it’s time to take care of our country.

By electing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, we can choose leaders that know our struggle

and can fight for us from positions of power to make our lives better. We can begin to bring about the change needed to help save lives and support our families. Joe Biden knows us, and our struggle, and it is time we are heard in the White House. *** 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.

*** Gloria T. Caoile is a multi-awarded civic leader in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. She is a founding member of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), where she currently serves as the Director of Civic Engagement in Nevada.

She previously was the Special Assistant to the President of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and was a member of the President’s Advisory Commission of AAPIs during the Clinton administration.

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

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Metro Manila retains GCQ status for...

Senate panel approves bill declaring ‘Marcos Day’ a special non-working holiday

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

THE bill seeking to declare September 11 as a special nonworking holiday in Ilocos Norte to commemorate the birth anniversary of former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has been approved by a Senate committee.

The Senate Committee on Local Government on Monday, October 26, approved HB 7137, authored by Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ria Fariñas, Ilocos Norte 2nd District Rep. Angelo Marcos Barba, and Probinsyano Ako Rep. Rudys Caesar Fariñas.

The virtual hearing was attended by eight members of the committee — Senators Francis Tolentino, Sherwin Gatchalian, Cynthia Villar, Christopher Lawrence Go, Ronald de la Rosa, Emmanuel Joel Villanueva, Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay and Marcos daughter Imee Marcos.

However, Binay clarified that

she did not vote on the measure’s approval.

“I did not vote for the approval of House Bill No. 7137,” Binay said on Wednesday, October 28.

“I had to leave the hybrid hearing of the Senate committee on local government after the discussion on the re-districting of the province of Bulacan due to a prior commitment. Thus, I was no longer a part of the hearing when House Bill No. 7137 was tackled and discussed,” she added.

Binay also stressed that she would not support “any bill that would cause historical revisionism.”

Meanwhile, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan questioned the Senate committee’s endorsement of the bill.

“Congress, in enacting the Human Rights Compensation Measure in 2013, recognized the widespread abuses and atrocities committed by the Marcos regime and apportioned 10 billion pesos as compensation to thousands of its victims taken from proceeds

of recovered ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses,” he noted.

“The amount of 10 billion pesos was declared as ill-gotten by no less than our Supreme Court. It would be inappropriate to honor a tyrant and a thief,” he added.

Pangilinan also asked why the bill was being pushed while the country is in the middle of a pandemic.

Marcos, the 10th President of the Republic of the Philippines, was born on September 11, 1917 in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte.

In 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Proclamation 310 which declared Sept. 11 as a special non-working day in Ilocos Norte to mark Marcos’ birth anniversary.

The proclamation stated that the Ilocano community would be given the opportunity to commemorate “his life and contributions to national development as a World War II veteran, distinguished legislator, and former president.” n

Over 111,000 overseas Filipinos still expected to return to PH by December — DFA MANILA — More than 111,000 Filipinos abroad are still expected to be repatriated to the Philippines

by December this year as nations continue to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Thursday, October 29.

During the House committee’s online hearing on overseas workers’ affairs, DFA Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola said there are still 111,258 overseas Filipinos who are expected to return home by year-end.

“This might still increase, considering the amnesties in the

countries of destination will lapse this November and December.

Definitely, for Bahrain, it will lapse on December 31 and I think for UAE, it’s this coming November,” Arriola said.

For November, Arriola said DFA had scheduled chartered flights from Guang Zhou in China, Dili in Timor Leste, and Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia to bring home overseas Filipinos.

There will also be flights coming from Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, and Thailand.

Arriola said DFA has so far re-

patriated 233,742 overseas Filipinos, 76,556 are sea-based OFWs while 157,186 are land-based.

As of October 28, a total of 11,224 Filipinos abroad have contracted the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Of this number, 7,254 have recovered, 3,153 are undergoing treatment, and 817 have died.

Most of the cases are in the Middle East and Africa at 7,380; followed by the Asia Pacific Region at 1,798 cases; Europe at 1,230 cases; and Americas at 816 cases. (Neil Arwin Mercado/Inquirer.net)

Villar still wealthiest senator; De Lima poorest MANILA — Sen. Cynthia Villar, whose family’s business empire ranges from retail to property, kept her spot as the richest member of the upper chamber last year while Sen. Leila de Lima retained hers as the poorest, according to their wealth declarations.

This is based on the Senate’s updated summary of its members’ statements of assets liabilities and

net worth as of December 2019 which was obtained by News5 on Thursday, October 29.

Villar, who topped the Senate race in 2019, declared a net worth of over P3.81 billion. Her husband, former Sen. Manuel Villar, recently topped Forbes’ list of richest Filipinos with a net worth of $5.6 billion as of April.

Sen. Manny Pacquiao, box-

ing icon-turned-politician placed second on the list with a declared net worth of P3.17 billion. Meanwhile, opposition Sens. De Lima and Risa Hontiveros ranked last and second to the last on the list, with the detained senator declaring a comparatively meager net worth of P8 million and with Hontiveros posting double that. (Philstar.com)

PAGE A1 the microbe,” Duterte said in a taped public address.

“So gusto nila ito. Palagay ko naman sa inyo rin itong kapakanan (I think this is for your own good). Look, we are not here to make your life miserable or sad.

We are here to make your life comfortable and to make you happy,” he added.

Aside from the capital region, the provinces of Batangas and Lanao del Sur, and the cities of Iloilo, Bacolod, Tacloban, and Iligan

will be under GCQ for the whole month of November.

Last week, Metro Manila mayors sought to extend the GCQ status in their areas.

They also decided to impose shorter curfew hours in the capital region, going from the current 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew to 12 a.m. to 4 a.m.

The mayors likewise decided to allow people aged 18 to 65 to leave their homes.

Meanwhile, the Inter-Agency Task Force allowed non-essential

travel between areas placed under GCQ and modified GCQ subject to the regulations imposed by the local government unit (LGU).

Hotels in areas under GCQ were also allowed to operate at full capacity.

As of writing, there are 373,144 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the country, with 7,053 fatalities and 328,602 recoveries.

The Philippines has the second highest number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia after Indonesia. n

New study unpacks anti-Asian rhetoric...

PAGE A5 against it to avoid these raciallycharged connotations.)

Additionally, Republicans were less likely to support legislation that sought to denounce and combat anti-Asian sentiments that continues to percolate because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rep. Grace Meng (DNew York) introduced a resolution that formally condemned the use of racist rhetoric and misnomers to describe the virus.

The resolution passed, but 164 Republican representatives notably voted against that resolution, saying that it was mostly “symbolic.”

However, Russell Chang of San Francisco State University — one of the other associates of this study — noted that those same Republicans failed “to support the Asian American community while they themselves introduced sym-

bolic resolutions that blame China.”(In March, Republican Reps. Jim Banks of Indiana and Seth Moulton of Massachusetts introduced a resolution officially condemning China for its handling of the COVID-19 crisis, but Moulton later withdrew from the resolution saying that it “caused division” and calling it a “xenophobic [attempt

by Trump] to deflect from his administration’s abysmal response to the virus.”

Previously, A3PCON’s Stop AAPI Hate reported 2,583 antiAsian-related incidents (which also related to COVID-19 conspiracies and misinformation) from March 19 to Aug. 5 Despite intense campaigning that caters to the AAPI community by Democrats, the damage has been done, and this generation’s iteration of yellow peril is already underway, and the longer the COVID-19 crisis rages on, the less likely anti-Asian

sentiments will dissipate.

Civil rights and legal experts have little hope that a potential new president in Democratic candidate Joe Biden would immediately quell the mounting anti-Asian crisis that continues to spread.

“Even if Joe Biden wins the presidency, these issues will not go away,” John Yang, executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, told the Asian Journal in an Oct. 9 briefing hosted by Ethnic Media Services.

“If you think about the history of Asian Americans...this is something that we’ve always faced,” Yang said, harkening back to yellow peril and policies like the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, incarceration of Japanese Americans in World War II and the ostracization of Arab and South Asian Americans after 9/11. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

New survey: AAPI registered voters in...

PAGE A5 margin of victory,” she said.

Key issues The survey also asked the respondents about the national issues they considered important.

The four issues that received the highest rates were jobs/economy (91%), health care (89%), COVID testing (86%), and fairness/ equality (85%).

“At least on issues, if not other factors, the AAPI electorate is pretty much in line with the rest of the country,” Yang said.

Of those who answered jobs/ economy, 54% considered it an extremely important issue while 37% said it was very important.

Of those who answered health care, 57% said it was extremely important, while 32% said it was

very important.

For COVID testing, 53% said it was extremely important, while 33% said it was very important.

Meanwhile, for fairness/equality, 54% said it was extremely important, while 31% said it was very important.

The other issues rated were equal opportunity (84%), COVID recovery (83%), national security (81%), education (81%), environment (77%), racial discrimination (74%), taxes (74%), gun control (71%), and police discrimination (69%).

Method of voting As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the country, the survey asked the voters their preferred method to vote.

Thirty-five percent of the AAPI

electorate said they would vote in person. On the other hand, 30% said they would vote by mail and 17% would vote absentee/return by mail.

The majority of the electorate also said they trust voting in person, with 59% saying they trust it “a great deal,” while 32% trust it “a fair amount.”

At the end of the survey, respondents were given a box to write comments and largely commented on the importance of having AAPI-specific data, according to Yang.

“A significant number of respondents at the end of the survey understood the uniqueness of this research and expressed themselves that way,” Yang said. (Ritchel Mendiola/AJPress)

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VEGAS&STYLE Journal

Comic-Con Museum celebrates Fil-Am creators in the arts by

Ritchel Mendiola / AJPress

Before films can be created, there is a key part of the preproduction process that requires planning out scenes: storyboarding.

Think blueprints, except it’s a sequence of drawings that covers the major shots, angles, and actions of a film. A storyboard essentially conveys how the story will flow, what will happen in a particular scene, and acts as a guide in producing the final work. for the filipino American History Month, the Comic-Con Museum in San Diego coordinated with Los Angeles-based non-profit Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) to invite an online panel of emerging and veteran filipino American storyboard artists who were all excited to share their experiences with storyboarding: • Ian Abando, a storyboard artist who worked on popular animated films such as “Despicable Me 2,” and “Minions”; • Gabby Capili, who works at Walt Disney animation studios and has created a series of animated shorts called “All My friends” as well as an interactive short called “Dennis the Dinosaur”; • Jay oliva, an executive producer, director, and showrunner

Jay Olivia

Bobby Rubio

for several animated series as well as the founder and Ceo of Lex and otis animation studio. He directed “Batman: The Dark Knight returns” 1 and 2, and worked as a storyboard artist for live-action films such as “Man of Steel”; • Bobby rubio, a storyboard artist who made his directorial debut with the Pixar animated short “float”, which features CGI filipino characters; and • Josie Trinidad, who served as a storyboard artist on “Tangled” and “The Princess and The frog,” as well as head of story for “Wreck It ralph 2.”

“As a storyboard artist, usually we’re the first person to actually plan out the shots. The director Ian Abando will have ideas, but they bring in a storyboard artist and they basically plot out everything from the choreography, the camera move, the acting. We draw it all out and then we run it by the director,” said oliva.

“We’re kind of like the unsung heroes of the films because we’re pretty much the first directors to kind of give the story life after the writer has basically written the script,” he added.

Origin story for the panelists, becoming a storyboard artist was never the dream. It was more of a slow burn love affair developed through their many experiences.

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Josie Trinidad, head of story for “Ralph Breaks the Internet.”

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Animation Studios

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Features

99 Ranch Market expands grocery delivery with Instacart The new service kicked off on October 29 in stores nationwide

BUENA PARK, CA - To serve customers more seamlessly and to further scale up its ecommerce channels, 99 Ranch Market is now teaming up with Instacart, the North American leader in online grocery, to grow its delivery capabilities. With the new e-commerce collaboration, customers can now have their groceries delivered directly from their nearest 99 Ranch Market to their door in as fast as one hour.

“As one of the biggest Asian American/International grocers, 99 Ranch Market has been focusing on making grocery shopping easier for our shoppers. We are thrilled to partner up with Instacart to fulfill shoppers’ needs on getting groceries delivered to their doorsteps. This effort will diversify our existing offerings and elevate shopping experiences.” says Marketing & Public Relations Director, Juliet Chen.

99 Ranch Market takes great pride in its roots in Asian/International groceries. The company vision is to help connect global consumers to 99 Ranch Market’s heritage and fantastic food culture. By utilizing innovative technology, 99 Ranch Market saves customers time and money to ensure that they are getting the best quality products they need. Customers can count on 99 Ranch Market for convenience and quality and now have the ability to explore what the grocer has to offer - both in-store and online. With the new partnership, Instacart delivery is now available from all of 99 Ranch Market’s 53 store locations across nine states.

“We’re excited to partner with 99 Ranch Market across their entire footprint to give customers access to the International groceries they love from the comfort of their home,” said Andrew Nodes, Vice President of Retail at Instacart. “Same-day delivery has become essential and we know how important it is for customers to be able to reach their favorite retailer online. People are looking for convenience and reliability, and we’re proud to launch with 99 Ranch Market to help this beloved retailer expand its offering and further serve the communities it operates in.”

99 Ranch Market customers can begin shopping via Instacart by going to https://www.instacart. com/store/99-ranch-market or opening the Instacart app on their mobile device. From there, cus-

tomers select their zip code or city and 99 Ranch Market storefront and can begin adding items to their Instacart grocery cart. Once the customer has checked out, an Instacart personal shopper will pick and deliver the grocery order within the customers’ designated time frame – same-day, or for convenient scheduling, days in advance. All Instacart orders default to “Leave at My Door Delivery” to maintain social distancing guidelines and ensure customers receive their orders safely.

More than 600 products from 99 Ranch Market are available for Instacart delivery, including farm-fresh produce, a wide selection of Asian dry groceries, meat, seafood, bulk foods, and frozen items.

99 Ranch Market was established in 1984, with its first store in Westminster (Little Saigon), California. 99 Ranch Market maintains its cultural heritage by offering the best quality Asian/International products and personalized service. With the support of our loyal customers and hardworking employees, we have grown to become the largest Asian supermarket chain in the United States, with over 50 store locations nationwide in California, Maryland,

Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and Washington State.

Instacart is the North American leader in online groceries and one of the fastest-growing companies in e-commerce. Instacart shoppers offer same-day delivery and pickup services to bring fresh groceries and everyday essentials to busy people and families across the U.S. and Canada. Instacart has partnered with more than 500 beloved national, regional, and local retailers to deliver from over 35,000 stores across more than 5,500 cities in North America. Instacart’s delivery service is available to more than 85% of U.S. households and 70% of Canadian households. The company’s cutting-edge enterprise technology also powers the e-commerce platforms of some of the world’s biggest retail players, supporting their white-label websites, applications, and delivery solutions.

Instacart offers an Instacart Express membership for unlimited free delivery on orders over $35.

For more information or to start shopping, visit www.instacart. com. For anyone interested in becoming an Instacart shopper, visit https://shoppers.instacart.com/.

(Advertising Supplement)

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Trick or...treat yourself to a week of free Apple Kumon math & reading centers rise to #7 in Fritters, Blueberry Muffins and Cinnamon Rolls Entrepreneur’s Top Global Franchises ranking McDonald’s keeps the sweets coming post-Halloween, offering new McCafé Bakery items for free with coffee purchase from Nov. 3 - Nov. 9 (CHICAGO, IL — Halloween has always been a day to treat yourself... but let’s be honest.

The way 2020’s been going, one day isn’t enough. In fact, at the very least, we think this year calls for a full week of treats after the holiday. That’s why we’re giving away our new Apple Fritters, Blueberry Muffins and Cinnamon Rolls for free* with purchase at participating McDonald‘s nationwide from Nov. 3 through Nov. 9.

To get in on this spellbinding deal, simply purchase a McCafé Premium Roast Coffee or Iced Coffee – any size, at any time of day on the McDonald’s App. No tricks here… just sweets to pair with our beloved coffee, which always includes milk and creamer options made with real dairy from dairy farmers in the U.S. Since you deserve more than one moment to revel in the free bakery goodness, you can redeem the offer once per day, every day of the week! That’s right – whether you’re declaring it an Apple Fritter Friday, a Cinnamon Roll Saturday or a Blueberry Muffin Monday – we’ve got you covered.

The new trio is available all day nationwide starting today, marking the first new baked goods to join our core U.S. menu in over eight years. These additions give customers more ways to experience the breakfast they love at McDonald’s, building upon our

50-year legacy of innovation with iconic fan-favorites such as the Egg McMuffin®, Breakfast Burritos and McGriddles®.

So, upgrade from Halloween leftovers and satisfy those sweet cravings by opening your McDonald’s App, selecting your favorite McCafé coffee and letting us treat you. Offer is redeemable in restaurants or at the Drive Thru, exclusively with the deal in the App. *Offer valid 1x/day 11/03/20 through 11/09/20 at participating McDonald’s. McD App download and registration required.

McDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to nearly 25 million customers every day.

Ninety-five percent of McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook. www.facebook.com/ mcdonalds.

McCafé coffees, including lattes, cappuccinos and mochas, were added to the U.S. national menu in 2009 and quickly expanded to include blended-ice frappés and smoothies as well as limited-time seasonal offerings. Since 2017, we’ve evolved the McCafé menu to offer delicious options more than ever before, including espresso beverages, like Americanos and bakery items, such as our pies, cookies and limitedtime Donut Sticks. We’ve also made McCafé more convenient and accessible, introducing McDelivery, Mobile Order & Pay, and McCafé in grocery stores. In 2019, a renewed commitment to McCafé features refreshed branding to celebrate ten years of giving customers the cup of goodness they deserve. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook www.facebook.com/McDonaldsUS/.

KUMON is an after-school math and reading enrichment program that unlocks the potential of children ranging from preschool (age 3) to high school so they can achieve more on their own. The Kumon learning method uses an individualized approach that helps children develop a solid command of math and reading skills and to make the study of high school math and reading easier. Another important aim of Kumon is to instill in students the skills and mindset for self-learning. Through daily practice and mastery of materials, students increase confidence, improve concentration, and develop better study skills.

Our Kumon Centers have reopened while following local safety guidelines offering both virtual and in-center classes. Throughout this pandemic, our franchises provided their parents with steady communication and “no contact” work exchange when requested by their families.

Kumon has been awarded the #1 in Tutoring Category ranking from Entrepreneur Magazine for the past 19 years. This year, Kumon has jumped from No.10 to No.7 in Entrepreneur’s Top Global Franchises Ranking. Kumon is the world’s largest after-school enrichment program and the only education franchise in the top 20 of this reputable ranking. Kumon has over four million students enrolled in 55 countries around the world. There are over 1,500 Kumon centers across the United States!

As the need for academic enrichment increases, Kumon Franchise continues to look for individuals who have the desire to help kids overcome the disruption in education. Do you have a passion for working with children and think you would enjoy helping students become more

independent, self-assured, and confident? If yes, then Kumon Franchise may be a perfect opportunity for you! Kumon Franchise offers candidates the ability to participate in online virtual Instructor Development Training, making it more cost efficient and easy to learn about the Kumon Method, curriculum, and business strategies in a safe environment.

Your primary role as an instructor is to guide, assess, and encourage each student to help maximize his or her success. Becoming a Kumon owner will change your life, and the lives of students in your community.

Here are the preferences and requirements you must meet to be considered for a Kumon Franchise opportunity: • A passion for and dedication to education and working with children • A teaching or education background is helpful, but not required • A bachelor’s degree is required • You must be proficient in math and reading • The required capital needed to establish and aggressively develop your Kumon Math and Reading Center: • $70,000 liquid capital • $150,000 net worth • The ability to create and

manage a center that effectively motivates children in the Kumon Learning Method •The ability to deliver an excellent customer experience while maintaining dedication to Kumon’s core values • A good understanding of the area, and strong ties to the community • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills • A full-time commitment to Kumon— typically, an average of 6–8 hours per business day • U.S. citizen or green card (permanent legal resident) The Kumon Franchise fee is only $1000, one of the lowest in the industry. Are you interested in opening a brand-new center with Kumon? Investment costs starts at less than $75,000, and Kumon provides up to $36,000 in incentives for new centers. There are also established Kumon centers with established students that are for sale at possibly an even lower cost.

Please contact me, Kumon Franchise Recruiter covering Southwest, for more information about opening your own Kumon Math and Reading Center.

Shell Xu Cell: 480-225-4158 Email: sxu@kumon.com Visit: www.KumonFranchise. com (Advertising Supplement)

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Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS You can actually perform CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) on yourself, when your heart falters (giving you a most uncomfortable panicky feeling, irregular rhythm, with or without chest pains, and a sensation of impending doom), anywhere you are, especially when you are driving, and save a life (your own) and prevent a crash that might kill other people too.

The physiologic mechanics: The heart is in between the left and right lungs, the vertebrae (spine) behind and the sternum (breastbone) in front. When the lungs expand, like when you take a real deep breath, the distended lungs will not only provide oxygen to your blood but also squeeze on your heart. This helps in the faster flow of blood out of the heart, easing the workload of your ticker.

In standard CPR performed by any trained person, mouth to mouth resuscitation is done, precisely to fill the lungs with air (oxygen), which also squeezes the heart. At the same time, cardiac massage (pumping down on the sternum aimed at squeezing the heart) is performed. Self-CardioPulmonary Resuscitation (SCPR) is a vital option when one is alone, as an instant first-aid measure, when faced with a situation that calls for it.

The Technique: The first thing to do immediately, when the symptoms start, is to take repeated deep breaths, and coughing real hard between each breath. If the heart irregularity and uncomfortable feeling continues after ten series of deep breaths and hard coughing, hitting the chest moderately hard with a clenched fist might help. The coughing and deep breaths must continue as the person drives to the nearest hospital emergency room or physician’s office. The disappearance of the symptoms as a response to the SCPR does not negate the need for immediate medical consultation. our entire school system, starting from the elementary school, would do humanity a great service if a course in CPR and SCPR is made mandatory in every level of its curricula. *** If the ambient air is too dry, whether you are in desert, in a room with a heater during winter, or on board an airplane (where the air is very dry), you can device your personal “humidifier” by soaking a face towel and putting it against your nose. This will provide moisture to the air you breathe in. The same improvisation and/or wet towels in strategic areas will help humidify any dry

Tips and hacks room. Running the shower will also do it but terribly wasteful, expensive, and not eco-friendly. *** Large paper clips will serve well as collar stays when one forgets to bring them on a trip. or, making collar stays with a piece of hard plastic or cardboard. *** Sticking a bright colored emblem of any kind (mine is a red heart) on your credit card is a way of identifying your card at a distance, when you hand it over to a sales clerk of any store, and makes it a lot easier for you to “detect” when you are given back another card, by mistake or intentionally, which has happened. *** one of the best ways to prevent viruses from attacking your computer (on top of your anti-virus software) is by not opening any email you receive from someone you do not know, and thrashing them immediately. If needed, you could retrieve them from the Trash Bin, which holds them for 30 days prior to final deletion.

Even if the email comes from a person you know, its attachment, if any, must be tagged or designated “virus free.” Spam mail eliminator is not enough. Common sense and vigilance do a lot more in protecting your computer and all valuable data in it. Disciplining yourself to adhere to this practice religiously will severely minimize, if not avoid, virus infestation and computer crashes, loss of priceless data, inconvenience, and avoidable expenses. *** Handling money, touching stair or escalator hand rails, door knobs, in public places, or handshakes expose one to a lot of viruses and or bacteria, and potential illnesses, especially during this CoVID-19 pandemic.

Imagine the thousands of people of various personal habits have touching those paper bills, coins, handrails, and door knobs, conceivably many of them with poor hygiene. Washing hands at least 8 times a day is more of a rule than an exception, if one has to prevent bug contamination and upper respiratory or gastrointestinal infections. The use of alcohol “wipes” or gel also helps. Anti-bacterial (antibiotic) hand wash preparations are discouraged for fear of inducing bacterial resistance to the antibiotic. *** Interested in anti-oxidants for better health? Vegetables and fresh fruits, in general are the best natural sources, compared to the very expensive pills, potion and lotion in the market, advertised as antioxidants.

Antioxidant Score: oRAC (oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) measures the antioxidant units available to reduce harmful oxygen free radicals.

As far as fruits are concerned, according to the united States Department of Agriculture and Brunswick Laboratories, the following are the oRAC score (per 100 Grams) of the following fruits: Bananas - 879; Plums – 7291; oranges – 1814; Blueberries – 9019; Apples – 3253; Cranberries – 9456; and, Cherries – 3361.

Sunsweet, a company popular for its preserved fruits in the united States, came out with what it calls Antioxidant Blend, a dried fruit variety combo, which includes blueberries, cherries, cranberries and plums. one fourth cup serving (40 Grams) contain 90 calories. In Asia, the popular “licorice” flavor fruit preserve “Dikyam” is made from plum. *** To those who love water sports, carrying an intact plastic garbage bag, might be life-saving, even for a good swimmer. Experts have reported cases of leg cramps among some who did not bother to wear a life vest, who were saved by a plastic bag they inflated and hang on to, aiding in their buoyancy and ability to stay afloat longer, giving them the critical time for recovery from the debilitating cramps. obviously, wearing an appropriate life vest is better, a must for the “seafarers” amongst us. *** When severe chest pains develop, a tablet of regular aspirin (325 mg) or 4 baby aspirin (81 mg each or total of 324 mg), might ward off a big heart attack by preventing a deadly blood clot in the coronary artery and providing an opportunity to get to the emergency room. Some people carry baby aspirin tablets in their pocket or purse. It is best to discuss this strategy with your physician.

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. *** 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. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health 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

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 29-NOVEmbER 4, 2020

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How married life has expedited ‘adulting’ for Sarah Despite lingering pandemic fears, Tinseltown’s Popstar Royalty no longer afraid to make mistakes

by Rita

P. asilo Inquirer.net

DoES Sarah Geronimo prefer a baby girl when she and hubby Matteo Guidicelli finally decide to start raising kids of their own?

Sarah’s answer to this question seemed to suggest so during our recent online chat with Viva’s prized possession.

It’s easy to glean insights into the 32-year-old Popstar Royalty’s closely guarded private world when you talk to her with her defenses down, thanks to the virtual platform that keeps any cordon sanitaire at bay.

This we pleasantly realized when we accepted an invitation from the no-frills, no-gimmicks PR team of Virtusio International handling the coveted virtual event for Manulife, one of the singeractress’ carefully handpicked endorsements.

As a screen moppet, Sarah acted in episodes of “Penpen de Sarapen” and “Ang TV” even before she reached grade school age. Then, she appeared as one of the feisty kids in “Sarah … Ang Munting Prinsesa” at age 7 before she won the TV singing tilt “Star for a Night” at 14.

Knowing how she began working at a very young age, it was fascinating to see Sarah’s nurturing instinct instantly kick in when we asked her if she would encourage her future kids to pursue a career in the performing arts.

“Iniisip ko po lahat ’yan … araw-araw (laughs),” she admitted to Inquirer Entertainment. “Paano kaya kung nagkaroon na ako ng mga anak? How do I raise them well? Because as a parent, you’re responsible for molding their beliefs and helping shape character.

How do I balance giving in to what they want but, at the same time, making sure that it is what’s best for them?

“Show biz may not be something I’d encourage them to pursue, but if ‘she’ decides what she wants to do and says to me, ‘Ma, gusto ko ring maging singer, dancer and actor,’ I will definitely support my kid.”

At this point, Sarah began talking about the fleeting nature of time and the opportunities she missed as a result of working at a very young age.

“Gusto kong unahin n’ya muna ang pag-aaral. Nakikita ko kasi

minsan ang mga pamangkin ko, and I go, ‘Ay, matatanda na pala sila—20-plus na. They’ve all grown up, ang bilis ng panahon,’” Sarah, who’s the third of four siblings, mused. “Sandali lang ’yung time na mag-aaral ka. Then, after that, you can do whatever you want in life—mag-motocross, play the piano, whatever—sige, gawin mo.

But it’s important to get a degree first.”

That’s why Sarah said it wasn’t hard for her to rally behind Manulife’s “enabling people to live every day better” edict. She explained, “Now that I’m married, unti-unti ko na kasing natututunan lahat—how to handle my finances, take care of my own money and invest it somewhere, with the help of my husband. We’re learning together and it’s a continuous learning process. Kasi, hindi dahil may edad ka na, alam mo na ang lahat.

“Married life has expedited ‘adulting’ for me. I had to learn how to handle a budget and decide where to invest my savings. Kasi ang mama ko is the kind of mother who would do everything for her kids para hindi na sila maistorbo.

Ganun s’ya ka-loving sa mga anak nya.”

The lockdown was particularly crucial to Sarah’s learning curve.

“Eto, buhay pa naman ako. I’m still sane (laughs),” she quipped when asked how the long lockdown played out for her. “Maraming struggles ang dinulot ng pandemic. To some, physically, but for many people, the difficulty was mental and emotional. That’s why I’m thankful that all my loved ones are oK. What we’re going through right now is a reminder that life is too short.

“I work from home most of the time these days, so na-enjoy ko ang pagkain lately. But I’m very lucky that my partner in life has a very active lifestyle, which helps keep my weight in check. Malaki ang influence n’ya sa akin to stay fit and eat healthy.”

She has also discovered exciting things about herself, Sarah disclosed. “There are many changes in my life … new discoveries about myself that make me go, ‘Ah, ganito pala ako.’ Like, I never thought I’d ever learn to cook my own food.”

Sarah’s special dishes include kare-kare (“The shortcut version, but it’s delicious,’ she pointed out) and pinakbet. “They say that

Sarah Geornimo with husband Matteo Guidicelli Photo from Instagram_@matteog

baking is hard, pero kinakaya, even the precision of measured ingredients,” she added. “When I forget an ingredient, I just try again hanggang maka-tsamba. Then, I get even more encouraged to up the ante.”

Matt keeps Sarah company in her more “domesticated” endeavors. “As for baking, I started with bread,” she recalled. “Pero ‘yung isang bread na pinatikim ko kay Matt, naluwa pa n’ya sa tigas (laughs). So, inulit ko hanggang lasang tinapay na s’ya—from texture to taste. I also learned to make cakes and even Korean-style cream cheese in garlic bread—ang sarap!

Never kong naisip na kakayanin kong mag-bake ng masarap na cake. At ako pa ang umuubos (laughs).”

Even when there are challenges to hurdle, Sarah says she appreciates the kind of life she has.

“Mas ginaganahan ako sa buhay, mas masarap bumangon sa umaga. Before all this, I used to get up at 11 a.m. Now, I wake up at 5:30 or 6 a.m. to bake. ’Pag sinipag ako, I run with my husband. o, ’di ba (laughs)?

“I’ve also learned not to take things for granted. I’m thankful for the gift of life and the opportunities that come my way, kasi we tend to think na, ‘oK lang, nandyan lang naman ’yang mga ’yan.’

“But you look at things differently when you see people you know lose jobs at hirap na hirap sa buhay. You become even more grateful for what you have … more contented kung anong meron ka, regardless of the trials that come.

The coronavirus has connected all of us in a lot of ways.”

Coleen in awe of having son and baby sister at the same time

CoLEEN Garcia may be a first-time mom, but there is more than one baby in her family.

In her Instagram post on Thursday, october 29, she proudly showed her baby sister alongside her own infant son Amari, and expressed awe at the fact that both she and her dad were raising babies together.

Coleen welcomed her first child with husband Billy Crawford last September. Her dad, Jose, introduced his daughter Alison Louise on Facebook last oct. 20.

The actress revealed that she knew she would have another sibling from her father through a message from God. “Around March of last year, during worship at @ favor.church, I was in tears after God so clearly told me that my Dad was gonna have another child, and that he was going to be given a new beginning,” she said.

“I felt Him say that things were gonna get crazy— in a good way, [of course]. Don’t know how to explain it, but it was so clear, specific, and out of the blue.”

She said it came as a surprise because her father, Jose Garcia, had been single for 15 years “and was always the most cynical person when it came to his personal life.”

When she told her dad about it, she said he refused Engaged couple Mikee Morada and Alex to “believe or accept it.”

But then events happened according to what she Gonzaga Photo from Instagram_@cathygonzaga heard of God’s plan. “Months after, he met the woman

Alex Gonzaga, family, boyfriend get COVID-19

by Jan

Milo seveRo Philstar.com

ACTRESS and YouTube content creator Alex Gonzaga revealed that she and her family as well as fiancé Mikee Morada were infected by the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (CoVID-19).

In her latest YouTube vlog entry, Alex said they all tested positive of the virus that’s why she has not yet reported to her new TV5 noontime show “Lunch out Loud.”

“Maraming nagtatanong sa akin kung bakit di pa ko lumalabas sa ‘Lunch out Loud.’ Hindi po ako nagpapakita sa show kasi nagkaCoVID po ako and thank God ako ay naka-survive. Actually the whole family,” Alex said.

“I’ve been sharing all the highs

EMPLOYMENT

of my life. I shared with you our Christmas together, our New Year, my engagement. But it is also nice if I could share with you the lows,” she added.

The unfortunate incident, Alex said, delayed some of her plans, including her wedding with Mikee.

“Gusto ko ikasal ngayon kasama ‘yung family, konting friends, pero dahil sa walang kakwentakwentang bagay, nakuha namin CoVID,” she said.

Fortunately, they all survived the virus as none of them needed hospitalization. Her parents Pinty and Bonoy Gonzaga were all asymptomatic while she, Morada, and her assistant Sofie experienced mild symptoms such as sore throat, loss of taste, feeling weak and clogged nose.

FOR RENT

Coleen welcomed her first child with husband Billy Crawford last September. Her dad, Jose, introduced his daughter Alison Louise on Facebook last October 20.

Photo from Instagram/@coleen

he ended up marrying, which was already a miracle on its own,” she said.

“Never would have imagined that my Dad and I would be raising our babies at the same time!”

Coleen gushed. “But God’s just awesome like that.

Way-maker, miracle worker, promise keeper.” (Inquirer.net)

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Nadine dares to be vulnerable in ‘Wildest Dreams’ Comic-Con Museum celebrates...

PAGE B1

by Christina

alpad ManilaTimes.net

NADINE Lustre is not the person to rest on her laurels. While she has already captivated her fans with a string of hit TV series and movies, she always strives to do something more for them — be it giving all out performances on stage to creating her own makeup line, or raising the often trivialized mental health issues that need to be acknowledged and so much more.

And this year — during a very tumultuous time for everyone — the soon to be 26-year-old (her birthday falls on Saturday, October 31) has come up with another “more” for her loyal fans — a brand new album titled “Wildest Dreams,” which she completed during the lockdown.

Granted this is not Lustre’s first album in the technical sense, there are nonetheless many significant firsts in Wildest Dreams.

The album, set to be released on her birthday, is the multi-talented celebrity’s first full album since releasing her eponymous EP in 2014.

Additionally, Wildest Dreams is one of the first major projects Lustre has pursued since she took on reigns of her own career, and broke away from her former management company. More notably, this is her first full album under Careless Music, the record label which her longtime screen partner and ex-boyfriend James Reid co-founded.

But perhaps among these many firsts, Wildest Dreams is the first album which Lustre says fully embodies who she is and the kind of music she wants to share with the world.

How so? Well, Lustre penned several songs in the album herself — a gift she only recently tried using again.

“A lot of people don’t know this, but I’ve been so insecure about my writing. I tried writing songs a couple of years back, when I was younger and I wasn’t successful so I kind of closed that book, put it aside and told myself that I’m not going to touch that book again,” she shared at the media launch of her album.

She further revealed that while the lockdown ultimately led to the album’s completion, she and her producers at Careless Music have been conceptualizing Wildest Dreams since September 2019.

Asked if she had doubts about the project along the way, Lustre

The 26-year-old is ready to reveal her ‘truest’ self as a recording artist.

Photo from Instagram_@nadine

replied, “Yes, because I haven’t done this before. I always doubted my writing but then, I’m very blessed because the Careless guys [Reid and co-founder Bret Jackson] were always there to support me and push me to right direction.”

The artist even admitted that the beginnings of her songwriting process for the album was one of the toughest times she experienced.

“It was really hard for me to just to express myself through emotions because I was just so used to keeping everything in and not showing vulnerability,” the often-misunderstood personality elaborated. “But I guess something inside of me realized that in showing vulnerability, maybe I can inspire people and let them know that I also go through a lot of things — self-doubt, judgment, and fear — like everyone else. I want to inspire and help people so I had to put that in.”

Wild dreamer Despite all the challenges she has publicly endured in her young life, the fighter eventually overcame her writer’s block and is now excited to release her music.

In an exclusive interview with this section’s online show, “The Manila Times CSI: Celebrity, Style, Inspiration”— which premieres tonight at 8 p.m. across The Manila Times’ digital platforms — Lustre was able to share where she got the inspiration for

her album.

“I dream vividly so every time I wake up, I always remember my dreams, I always write them down,” she revealed, adding she believes dreams are messages from every human’s higher- and inner-self or the unconscious mind.

“I believe it’s them telling us you have these things that you don’t want to think about, but while you’re sleeping, we will give you that and remind you of these things.”

She also remembered a special hiking trip where she finally decided on the title of the album and its carrier single, which readers can find out from watching tonight’s show.

When “TMT CSI” asked Lustre why it took some time for her to finally “own” her music, she freely opened up, “Music has always been there… It’s just that, in my career, I was doing other things. There was no space or chance for me to show everyone who I really am as a person and as an artist kasi I always have to portray these roles and be a certain person. But for my music, all I have to do is really be myself and show everyone what I’m going through.”

To be sure, the public will get to know more about the real Nadine Lustre through her album, and she guarantees that. Her aura today certainly shows how music has set her free — her thoughts, emotions and unfiltered personality, in song.

“I wanted to be a comic book artist,” Rubio shared. “I went to Comic-Con every year in San Diego growing up.”

In line with his dream, Rubio went to study at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and started an animation program. He got an internship at Disney as an animator and got to work in the show Treasure Planet.

“After Treasure Planet, 2D (animation) kind of went away so I had to go another route,” he said.

“Disney helped me out and I went to story internship. From there, I got a job at Avatar: The Last Airbender at Nickelodeon — that was amazing and then I started to love storyboarding and I wanted to pursue that even more.

And then Pixar eventually called, so I went to Pixar,” he added.

Abando, who wanted to be a comic book artist as well, admitted to hating storyboarding at first.

“In my last year in (CalArts), I teamed up with some people and we worked on a short together and that’s when I fell backwards into storyboarding. I filled the role in the team because they needed an illustrator at the time and I hated it,” he said.

But after getting a job offer on the first season of “Adventure Time” in Cartoon Network, Abando slowly realized that this is where he’s supposed to be.

“I think the more that I got into it, I realized that, even when I go to museums and look at art, I feel like I’ve always been drawn to sequential art. I couldn’t explain why I liked movies, but I think I was more drawn to storytelling than I was (with) the brunt work of design, and I just followed that path and here I am,” he said.

Trinidad, meanwhile, grew up wanting to become a Disney animator. However, getting a job was rough for her.

“For a while, I thought I might become a lawyer and take the LSAT because I couldn’t find a job, but thankfully, (at) the last minute, I was able to get a job drawing the toy art on packaging so I did that for a few years,” she said.

“And then (I got) an internship at Disney — a story internship, which is one of the best ways to get your foot in the door,” she added.

Trinidad recounted how she felt intimidated at first, especially as the only other woman in a story department of about 40.

She admitted feeling unsure,

wondering to herself if she really belonged there, but learned to push through despite all doubts and worked hard.

“I worked hard and I made sure that when I board sequences, I really connected with the material and put myself into them, and it worked! I ended up working on my first film at Disney with Ron and John, who did ‘The Little Mermaid.’ They were my heroes, and then they gave me my first film at Disney, ‘The Princess and The Frog,’ and I’ve been there ever since,” she said.

Capili, after switching majors twice, discovered that she wanted to be in animation.

“I ended up moving to France to learn to draw and then applying to CalArts,” she said.

However, she still had a hard time deciding which path to take on while studying.

“In my fourth year, I figured out that I like making comics. I like writing. Storyboard artists do both of those things, but just on a film essentially, so that’s how I settled into it,” said Capili.

For Oliva, on the other hand, he never even wanted to become an animator.

“I vaguely thought of the idea of going into animation when I first saw the making of Empire Strikes Back, like the stop motion, and I was like this is amazing. And then I realized how tedious it was, so I thought, no, I don’t want to do that,” he said.

“So anyways, I was in college and I took all the communication arts classes because I loved film but I never wanted to be in film because I hated being in front of [the] camera. There was a class that was for animation and here’s the thing, I never wanted to be an animator. Never. Because making a duck walk or doing cloth animation was like the last thing I wanted to do. But I (still) took the class,” he added.

It was in his animation class that he was discovered — by the director of the Spiderman animated series, no less. He was offered a job after the director saw his storyboards and came in as a storyboard revisionist.

“As a revisionist, you basically fix storyboards. The storyboard artist turns it in and you have to fix it before it ships overseas to be animated, so you’re the last line of defense,” Oliva explained.

It took him a while, but with the help of his director, Oliva realized the mechanics of storyboarding.

“What happened was, I was riding a bike. At some point, my brain clicked and I realized whenever Spiderman was in trouble: downshot. Whenever the hobgoblin is like, I have you now, Spiderman: upshot. I realized that there was a language to film, there’s a language to the shot that was kinda decoded. I never realized that, and so from that point on, I became a sponge,” he said.

“I think in about six months since I became a storyboard artist, I did my first storyboard for the show. They liked it, and then the following year, I was hired as a board artist at Sony,” he added.

A field of never-ending learning According to Trinidad, the best thing about storyboarding is that it’s a collaborative effort.

“It’s way more satisfying to be able to work in a room of people and throw out ideas. I love that we laugh a lot in the story room.

We get to know each other really well and these folks become your best friends. You work really closely with directors and writers and editors and you get to see the different parts of the filmmaking process,” she said.

“At the end of the day, it’s very fun and very collaborative and you feel like there’s an immense amount of pride,” she added.

Oliva echoed this sentiment, adding that with storyboarding, the experience was always different.

“Animation is not a one-person thing. You’re collaborating with so many talented people and everybody’s so generous and nice and very willing to share and help you out,” he said.

“Storyboarding is hard and I hate it. I die a little with every storyboard that I do because I literally put so much into it that I think I lose a little bit of my life. But on the flipside, everyday is different.

Even though I’m storyboarding a fight sequence, it’s always different,” Oliva added.

He stressed that storyboarding is a constant learning experience.

“The thing with storyboarding, it’s a learning process. You’re always learning. You’re always a student, and you never feel like you’ve mastered it. And the idea is that, for me, even though I’ve been doing this for about 25 years now, I still feel like I’m learning new stuff. There’s still stuff that I see from everybody that I’m like, PAGE B8

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Island Pacific celebrates Filipino American Actors, artists put on red lipstick as Angel Locsin calls for #notoredtagging History Month with mask initiative OCTOBER is a busy month for the Filipino American community as it celebrates Filipino American History Month. There are many opportunities at Island Pacific Supermarket, as well as community wide to celebrate Filipino American culture.

Island Pacific ramps up its social corporate responsibility this Filipino American History month by actively supporting nonprofit organizations CultureAid and FilAm Arts through its “Hand Crafted Face Mask” initiative. Working with CultureAid, whose mission is to support indigenous weavers back in the Philippines, which gives the Fil-Am community here in America a chance to support the legacy of Philippine weaving traditions that is showcased beautifully in each hand crafted mask.

With highly limited quantities available in eight various Inabel textiles, the handcrafted mask is available for $24.99 in local Island Pacific Market stores and available for same day delivery or through pickup service, when ordered online from www.islandpacificmarket.com or through the Island Pacific Market App. In celebration of Filipino American History Month, Island Pacific is also partnering with FilAm ARTS, the presenters of the long running Southern California tradition called Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture (FPAC), slated for October 23, 24 and 25, 2020. Island Pacific will donate a portion of each sale from the handcrafted face masks back

ACTORS and artists showed solidarity with Angel Locsin and female celebrities vocal about social causes by painting their lips red.

Locsin denounced the red-tagging aimed at her and her family members in an Instagram post last Friday, Oct. 23, where she used the hashtags #NoToRedTagging and #YesToRedLipstick.

She declared that she, her sister Ella Colmenares and relative Neri Colmenares are not part of the New People’s Army after a military official claimed that Ella is “underground” and part of the communist rebel group.

The same official, Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., warned actress Liza Soberano and beauty queen Catriona Gray not to “follow the path” of Ella.

ño’s piece featured the three women with bright red lips on a tag and was inspired too by Locsin’s statement. The artwork was shared

by Locsin herself.

Both Soberano and Gray have also stood their ground on their right to free speech.

Soberano’s lawyer Juanito Lim Jr. said in an interview with ABSCBN News Channel, “[Please] know that Ms. Soberano will continue to exercise her constitutionally-protected right to free speech and expression without fear or restraint from anyone.”

Gray meanwhile urged the public in a statement, “Please don’t ever allow your voice to be silenced. You never know [whose] life may be impacted by your words.” (Inquirer.net)

Comic-Con Museum celebrates... to the nonprofit organization to support the economic development of local Filipino American arts and culture bearers.

With the Hand Crafted Face Mask available at Island Pacific, the community can wear their Filipino pride, stay safe and shop with purpose this Filipino American History Month and beyond. Limited

quantities only.

Island Pacific is supermarket chain dedicated to promoting Filipino Food and Seafood to the rest of the world. It is headquartered in Walnut, California and currently has 16 supermarket branches serving communities in California and Las Vegas.

(Advertising Supplement)

Benjie on the vital need for sensitivity in effective comedy

by Iza IglesIas ManilaTimes.net

Veteran comedian Benjie Paras GMA photo

In response, showbiz personalities have come to the defense of the three women by donning red lipstick, while artists have also dedicated pieces to the female celebrities under attack.

Among these were Agot Isidro, Pia Magalona, Cherry Pie Picache, Eugene Domingo, and Bituin Escalante who called Parlade a “fascist pig” for his remarks.

Artist Kevin Eric Raymundo, creator of digital comics “Tarantadong Kalbo,” illustrated the three women in their most iconic outfits — Locsin as Darna, Soberano in her “Bagani” costume and Gray in her red lava gown — applying red lipstick on a man.

“Stick it to the man,” read the artwork’s caption.

Graphic designer Albert Raque-

PRIOR to joining Philippine showbiz, Benjie Paras had an illustrious career as a professional basketball player for 14 long years.

Hard court fans should know he is the only athlete to ever win both Philippine Basketball Association’s Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player honors in a single season (1989).

But with his classic wit on and off court, Paras received invitations to star in numerous local films and television shows even before retiring in 2003.

Thirty years since entering showbiz, Paras indeed experienced a lot of changes in the indus-

try, most especially when it comes to his expertise, the comedy scene.

According to him, there are many topics that were once considered funny, but may now be considered offensive.

“Hindi na kasi katulad ng dati na may tinatawag na ‘dark comedy.’

Doon pwede ka magbanggit lagi ng kung ano-ano, pwede mong lokohin yung mga kasarian ng ibang tao. Ngayon kasi hindi na pwede eh,” Paras told The Manila Times.

This lesson helped him to continue his very own horror-comedy show which he originally conceptualized, a first for his career, “Ghost Adventures 2.” Premiering PAGE B9

PAGE B6 that’s really cool. That, to me, is what makes storyboarding so gratifying,” Oliva said.

Abando agreed, saying, “Storyboarding and filmmaking is very difficult. I like that it’s a neverending challenge you’re never supposed to master.”

Fil-Am representation Last year, Rubio made a splash after releasing “Float,” an animated short about a father who tries to keep his infant son’s special ability to float a secret. It was a monumental event in that it broke new ground as the first Pixar work to feature Filipino American animated characters.

“It’s great that ‘Float’ got out there, doing well and representing Filipino American community. I get so proud of it because I get messages from people who are finally seeing themselves up there.

They send me pictures of their family members and themselves, and they see themselves up there represented on the screen, super excited and proud of that moment,” Rubio said.

“I know all of us in this panel want to push forward with more Filipino American representation. I feel like we’re coming up and our stories are coming out there. ‘Float’ is the start of something great and that’s awesome. I’m super proud of that,” he added.

In recent years, audiences

saw great strides in Hollywood attempting to represent marginalized communities in both film and television, but there is always room for more improvement and inclusivity.

Oliva, for one, shared he is currently working on “Trese,” an upcoming anime series on Netflix, based on the comic books by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo. It tells the story of Alexandra Trese, who protects Manila from threats of the supernatural kind such as tikbalang and kapre.

“Doing this series, it was more like a love letter to the stories my parents told me. Because this was about Filipino mythology and folklore,” Oliva said.

According to him, Rubio’s “Float” opened the doors for more opportunities to represent and celebrate Filipino stories on a global platform.

“So we’ve got a Filipino story set in Manila. The characters all look Filipino, and Bobby (Rubio) paved the way with his short to kind of let Netflix see, hey you know what there’s a lot of interest in Filipino stories and I gotta say, this makes me the most proud,” Oliva said.

The online panel was put together by Davey Patacsil, manager of membership programs at Comic-Con Museum, and Christine Pasalo Norland, member of the programming department at Comic-Con Museum. It was mod-

erated by Erwin Magbanua, the principal librarian of Chula Vista Public Library.

Further engagement Though the pandemic has altered live events — including the popular Comic-Con International which was held in a virtual version this year — it has also allowed for more engagement with viewers who are not physically present in San Diego and to get a jumpstart on its online programming.

The upcoming Comic-Con Museum, which is slated to open next summer in Balboa Park’s South Palisades area, is a way to continue the connection to pop culture throughout the year and to highlight artists and contributors who “represent a wide range of cultural, racial and ethnic diversity,” Melissa Peterman, vice president of development at the Comic-Con Museum, told the Asian Journal.

“That includes, of course, the nation’s Filipino American population, which has strong ties in the San Diego area and in many other communities across the nation,” she said, as reflected in the month’s programming and the release of “fun books” each week. One of the books with Fil-Am creators, included Ruth Ilano, Ramon Gil, Len Peralta, and Gabby Capilih, who exhibited their creative styles in drawing activity, a cut-out card game, puzzle, and Word Play.

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What Ruffa learned from Mom Annabelle Iloilo bet is Miss Universe Philippines 2020

by Ricky Lo Philstar.com

UNTIL she was locked in for several days to shoot The House Arrest of Us, a digital series movie starring KathNiel (Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla), Ruffa Gutierrez was happily locked down at their White Plains home in Quezon City) with her daughters Lorin, 17, and Venice, 16.

“As a single parent working hard to give my daughters the best education and the best things in life,” admitted Ruffa during an exclusive Zoom interview Thursday night last week, “I was always out and hardly had quality time with them. But during this ECQ (Extended Community Quarantine), the girls and I are having a grand time enjoying ourselves.

I’m learning how to cook and so does Lorin, while Venice is learning how to bake. We are always busy doing something. We would swim together and play with the dogs. You know what I realized during this pandemic? That I’d always been racing with time to do something, until the pandemic made me stop.”

Lorin is graduating from high school and, according to Ruffa, Lorin wants to study abroad.

“I told her, ‘You have to study self-defense first at mag-Bible study ka,’ so she will be attending a group for mentoring so that when she goes abroad buo na siya, buo na ang core values niya at hindi na siya ma-i-influence ng ibang mga bata. Instead, she will be the one who will influence them to be good, to do good.”

Mother and daughters have become so close that sometimes Lorin would tell Ruffa, “Mom, you’ve become so clingy.’ Kasi naman, every now and then I would knock at their room and say, ‘Hey, girls, come down. Let’s play!’ I guess I’m just enjoying myself kasi kami-kami lang naman ang magkakasama sa house and I’m relishing every moment with them. Now they are teenagers and before you know it, grown-up na sila at mayroon na silang sariling mundo.”

And soon, it won’t be mommy but the boys who will come knocking on the girls’ door. So what does Ruffa teach (remind) her girls about boys?

“You know,” she mused, “I’m grateful that my daughters are homebodies. Bihira sila lumabas ng bahay. And if ever they do, I make sure that I know the friends they are going out with. I always advise them, if and when, to choose very carefully. They should choose somebody who is God-fearing, with strong family values, and who treats his parents and siblings well. At pinaka-importante, dapat mabait. I tell them that the boys should visit them at home and if they are scared to face me it means that they are not sincere,” and she gasped before breaking into laughter, “oh my God, I’m starting to sound like my mom, hahaha!”

In the next breath, she confessed, “Now that I am a mother myself, I appreciate the way my mom has raised me. I guess that it was her way lang kasi na medyo...well, matapang! Inaaway niya lahat ng lumiligaw sa akin, hahahaha!!! But you know, I’m thankful. If not, baka napariwara na ako. So the guys who were not serious with me, natatakot sila and they ran away!

“Baka ganoon ang magiging attitude ko kina Lorin at Venice.

The guys might say, is it worth it na ligawan ko sila na may nanay na mataray, may lola na mataray at may tatay na matapang? So if they are not serious, never mind.

Best friends na lang sila.”

Looking back, what does Ruffa consider her biggest mistake in life and how did she correct it?

(O, di ba, very Miss Universe ang question. Right, Venus Raj?) “Probably not choosing well when it came to love, when it

Ruffa Gutierrez

came to following my heart. But I have no regrets because every relationship has taught me something and I wouldn’t have Lorin and Venice if it wasn’t my relationship with their father.” (Referring to her ex-husband Yilmaz Bektas who is said to have found a new love in the person of a former Miss Universe, but not sure if they are still going strong).

“So I would like to thank Yilmaz for following me around for three years before we got married. I would like to thank him because I have my forever loves, Lorin and Venice, who are my treasures in life.”

Although estranged (they separated under not-so-pleasant circumstances), Ruffa and Yilmaz are in touch.

“Once in a while, he would call, we would talk. Like last June 24, he greeted me on my birthday. His last call was on Sept. 11 when he greeted Venice on her birthday.

He’s always expressing a desire to see the kids but he’s not taking any steps naman to keep his promise, puro lang ‘I wanna see them; I miss them. When they see me, all the pain will go away.’

Ganyan lang.”

They can’t agree where to meet. Yilmaz wants it in Istanbul, Turkey, and Ruffa insists that it should be in the US. Or Yilmaz can come to the Philippines “where he is welcome anytime. Besides,” added Ruffa, “I feel safe here.”

Ruffa had a simple celebration on her birthday, with only her parents, Annabelle Rama and Eddie Gutierrez, and her siblings.

“I wanted it that way. I wasn’t in the mood to celebrate because it was at the height of the pandemic.

Everything was so uncertain, especially after the closure of ABS-CBN. There was no reason to celebrate. When times turn to normal, hopefully, I will see my friends and hug them. I miss them so much! These days, we can talk only on the phone or text-text na lang. When times are safe, I would like to laugh with them again, personally, and travel anywhere in the world.”

These days, Ruffa’s world is limited to the lock-in set of the Star Cinema series in which she plays Kathryn’s mom, a former beauty queen who owns a chain of beauty salons.

Asked why she agreed to do a mother role, Ruffa said, “Why not? It’s a good project, shot like a movie.” (The House Arrest of Us has been streaming on KTX and iWant at 7 p.m. since last Saturday, Oct. 24). “Why would I say no to such an amazing series?

It’s an honor and a pleasure to work with the superstars of this generation.”

Besides, Daniel is her inaanak who has announced that he would get married before he turned 30 (he’s 25).

Is Ruffa ready to serve as ninang? “Sure!,” she said, adding in jest, “pero baka maunahan

Benjie on the vital need for...

PAGE B8 on October 31 in TV5, the first installment of the show first aired in 2019 through Viva Entertainment’s Sari-Sari channel.

“Before taping, may script kami and then tinitignan namin kung may parts na makakaoffend kami ng viewers kapag binanggit namin yung isang topic. Tapos pag-aaralan. Pero kung hindi naman, itututloy lang namin para makapagpasaya,” Paras elaborated.

In “Ghost Adventures 2,” famous Ghost Whisperer Par Jack (Paras) opens his new business, the Day Scare Center to help the dead’s soul peacefully cross over to the afterlife. But aside from helping dead souls, he also has a mission to look for his dead wife’s soul, whom he believes has become a lost soul. Helping Par Jack at the Day Scare Center are his two reliable sidekicks Nik (Pio Balbuena), who is responsible for the Ghost Clients, and Bur (Billy Villeta), who handles the Living Clients.

Also joining them are Empoy Marquez, Andrew Muhlach, Madz

Red and Kylie Verzosa.

On the inspiration in creating this show, Paras enthused, “Noong bata pa lang ako mahilig na ako sa mga palabas na may combination na nakakatawa at horror. So naisip ko bakit hindi gumawa ng isang show na at least pang bata at para sa lahat.”

“Yung mga napapanood ko before is yung human being able to talk to a ghost tapos kapag nagkaproblema, paano niya maitatawid. Nakita ko rin kay Jennifer Love Hewitt yung ‘Ghost Whisperer’ isa na rin yun sa inspiration.

So naisip ko yun pero gagawing comedy, very light. Kasi kung gagawing seryoso, baka naman matakot yung iba, lalo na mga bata,” he added.

According to the 52-year-old comedian, he is excited to offer this show he conceptualized on free TV. “Ang goal namin ay magpasaya ng mga tao. Sigurado kami na yung sitwasyon natin ngayon na instead na bumigat ang pakiramdam nila, kahit papaano gumaan at mapapatawa namin sila,” he ended.

Photo from Instagram_@iloveruffag

pa siya ng mommy niya, si Karla (Estrada) who is my good friend?

She’s celebrating her birthday in Boracay and I am going.” (Karla is going steady with with a nonshowbiz guy said to own an auto detailing shop.)

If and when, what would be her “godmotherly” advice to Daniel and Kathryn?

“They should put God at the center of their relationship, enjoy each other in marital bless, travel the world. They are such an ideal couple who have known each other since they were young. And they are each other’s first love. A very cute couple!”

AN Ilongga beauty was crowned Miss Universe Philippines in the pageant that was held virtually for the first time, at the Baguio Country Club in Baguio City on Sunday, October 25.

Rabiya Mateo, 23, who represented Iloilo, is the second from that province to win the title after Louise Vail Aurelio, who won Bb. Pilipinas-Universe in 1965 and finished a semifinalist in the Miss Universe pageant that same year.

During the Top 5 final question-and-answer segment when the girls were asked two questions each, the first one each of them had picked backstage and the second a common one about the relevance of a beauty pageant in the time of COVID-19, Rabiya got a round of applause with her answer to the question: “If you were to create a new paper currency with the image of any Filipino on it, dead or alive, who would it be and why?”

She answered, “If I were given the chance, I want to use the face of Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

For those who don’t know, she was an Ilongga.

But what I admired about her is that she used her knowledge, her voice, to serve the country. I want to be somebody like her... somebody who puts her heart, her passion into action. After all, she is the best President that we never had.”

The four runners-up were Miss Parañaque Maria Ysabella Ysmael (first, granddaughter of actress Marita Zobel), Miss Quezon City Michele Gumabao (second), Miss Bohol Pauline Amelinckx (third) and Miss Cavite Billie Hakenson (fourth).

Hosted by KC Montero, the Miss Universe-Philippines was the second to be held virtually. The first was the 2020 Miss Earth Philippines a few months ago. The pageant was under the team of former Miss U runner-up Shamcey Supsup-Lee and Jonas Gaffud who got the franchise last year, held by the Bb. Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) since 1964. The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) didn’t renew the contract with BPCI. There were 46 contestants who competed in four categories: national costume, evening gown, swimsuit and question-and-answer. The number was winnowed down to 16 and then to the final five.

Early on Mateo was being noticed not only with her striking resemblance to Shamcey but more

Rabiya Mateo poses after winning the Miss Universe Philippines 2020 title during the coronation ceremony held at the Baguio Country Club on Sunday, October 25.

Philstar.com photo

so with her colorful costume during the Mabuhay opening parade and during the swimsuit competition when she was won Best in Swimsuit, and finally her intelligent answers during the Q&A. A B.S. Physical Therapy cum laude graduate from the Iloilo Doctors’ College, Mateo works as a lecturer and review coordinator at a review center in Manila. She will represent the Philippines in the Miss Universe pageant whose schedule has yet to be announced. (Gerry Diaz, Celso de Guzman Caparaz/Philstar.com)

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