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FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERiCA

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Duterte thanks Biden for COVID-19 vaccine donations during ASEAN meet

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has personally thanked United States President Joe Biden for America’s COVID-19 vaccine donations.

The chief executive was able to express his gratitude during a high-level discussion at the virtual 9th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-

U.S. Summit held Tuesday, October 26.

“Your Majesty, Excellencies, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought complicated challenges to all of us. We appreciate the United States’ generous offer of vaccines for the region, including the Philippines,” Duterte said in his remarks.

This was Biden’s first attendance to the ASEAN Summit, with the 38th and 39th iterations being hosted simultaneously by Brunei.

Fil-Ams stage rally in NYC to support VP Robredo’s campaign

by KlaRize

Medenilla AJPress

DOZENS of Filipino Americans gathered in Central Park on Saturday, Oct. 3 to express their support for the presidential bid of Vice President Leni Robredo in the upcoming May 2022 elections.

Most of the participants wore pink shirts, ribbons, and hats as they carried handwritten placards that read “Let Leni Lead,” “Laban Leni” and “No to Marcos/Duterte”.

Jillian Robredo, the youngest daughter of VP Robredo attended the New York rally and delivered a short speech to thank the participants led by the broad coalition of 1Sambay-

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A NEW report revealed that Apple once gave Facebook an ultimatum over the abuse of Filipina domestic workers in the Middle East.

“Two years ago, Apple threatened to pull Facebook and Instagram from its app store over concerns about the platform being used as a tool to trade and sell maids in the Mideast,” the Associated Press said in an article published Tuesday, October 25.

In response to the threat, Facebook admitted to being aware of both the exploit-

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FDA panel recommends Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5 to 11

AJPress Photo by Momar G. Visaya

Report: Apple threatened Facebook ban over abuse of Filipina domestic workers

“President Duterte welcomed President Biden to his first ASEAN-U.S. Summit, noting the longstanding relations between ASEAN and the U.S.,” a statement from the Office of the President read.

To succeed against the pandemic, Duterte stressed the need to “further strengthen bilateral, regional and international cooperation to ensure universal access to COVID-19 vaccines and medicines.”

REMEMBERING THE DEAD. Kylee Mark Garcia, 15, repaints the letters engraved on the tombstone of a deceased loved one at the Tala Cemetery in Barangay 176, Phase 7A, Bagong Silang, Caloocan City on Thursday, October 28. The public is advised to visit their departed loved ones early as cemeteries nationwide are closed from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2.

PNA photo by Ben Briones

ON Tuesday, Oct. 26, a committee from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended the Pfizer vaccine for children aged between 5 and 11 years old, a move that is likely to intensify national discourse and disagreement over whether children should receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

While the vote from the panel — which voted 17 in favor and one abstention — could bring the 28 million children in this age bracket closer to the vaccine, the ultimate decision to enact emergency authorization falls on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser for the White House, shots could be approved for 5- to 11-year-olds as early as next week.

“If all goes well, and we get the regulatory

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No quarantine for North America travelers sought by louella

desideRio Philstar.com

MANILA — Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion has expressed optimism that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) would approve a proposal to do away with quarantine for returning Filipinos and visitors from North America to help the airline industry bounce back.

“We hope that the IATF would agree

to our suggestion to allow no quarantine for travelers from North America as this would encourage returning Filipinos and other visitors to travel to the Philippines and to be with their loved ones,” Concepcion said.

As a big market for airlines, Concepcion said North America can help the local aviation industry recover from huge losses they suffered, as lockdowns prevented people from traveling to various parts of the country and the world.

Sen. Imee Marcos in one of the Senate virtual hearings.

Screen grab /Senate PRIB file photo

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Bongbong Marcos camp PH remains at Larry Itliong Resource Center bottom of COVID eyeing Pacquiao, VisMin opens in Central Valley resilience ranking bets as VP options – Imee THE Larry Itliong Resource Center has finally made its grand opening in California’s Central Valley.

“We Are A Living Legacy” was the theme for the event held Sunday, October 24, to celebrate the inauguration of the Larry Itliong Resource Center, in Poplar, California, as well as commemorate the birthday of recent California Hall of Fame inductee and Filipino American labor hero Larry Itliong Jr. The event was sponsored by the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) Delano, the Bulosan Center of Filipino Studies, and the Central California Attorney General Rob Bonta (2nd row, center) was joined by Valley Empowerment Alliance Filipino American community members on Sunday, October 24 as the Larry Itliong Resource Center held its grand opening.

(CVEA).

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Photo courtesy of Attorney General Rob Bonta/Facebook

by Ritchel

by chRistia

MaRie Inquirer.net

Mendiola

AJPress

THE Philippines is still the worst place to be during the pandemic, according to Bloomberg’s latest COVID Resilience Ranking.

With a score of 40.5, the Philippines placed last among 53 countries for the second month in a row.

The indicators used to rank the countries include vaccination coverage, virus containment, the severity of lockdowns, quality of healthcare, progress toward restarting travel, and the overall mortality throughout the pandemic.

“While other Southeast Asian nations also continue to be ranked low among the 53 economies tracked, the Philippines

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RaMos

MANILA — The camp of presidential aspirant former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is eyeing bets with bailiwicks in Visayas and Mindanao as his vice presidential candidate, including fellow presidential bet Senator Manny Pacquiao.

This was according to the former senator’s sister, Senator Imee Marcos, who said that her brother is still looking for a running mate.

“Very obvious naman yung preference namin, sinasabing may ‘Solid North,’ mas malakas kami sa norte. Si Bongbong

may [National Capital Region] din, malakas din naman kahit paano. Tapos Region 8. Pero medyo takot sa Mindanao, medyo bulag kami doon,” Sen. Marcos said in Teleradyo interview on Wednesday, October 27.

(Our preference is very obvious, we have the so-called “Solid North.” We’re strong in the north. Bongbong is also strong in the National Capital Region in one way or another as well as Region 8. But we are a bit scared when it comes to Mindanao.)

“So naturally we’re tending towards the Mindanao and VisMin candidates,” she added.

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OctOber 29 - nOvember 4, 2021 • SAn DIeGO ASIAn JOUrnAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (619) 474-0588

From The FronT Page

‘A disgrace to our community’: Pacquiao, Mayweather to play basketball for charity in Las Vegas Fil-Ams lament the failed San Pedro

Filipino festival that promised so much but delivered nothing — literally

by AJPress BOxINg superstars Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather are planning to reignite their rivalry in a possible rematch, only this time it is going to be on the basketball court for a planned charity basketball event.

Organizers are planning to stage the event at the MgM grand in Las Vegas which was also the venue of Pacquiao and Mayweather’s 2015 multimillion dollar mega-fight that drew a record 4.6 million payper-view buys.

“We agree on the main concept of the event, which is to bring total entertainment to the fans of boxing, basketball and all sports in general and to create a project that will solidify our legacies to the fans,” read the letter of intent signed by both boxers and their teams, Mayweather’s TMT and Mayweather Promotions and Pacquiao’s MP Promotions.

Under the unique concept created by promoter, UNIO Enterprise, a sports and entertainment collective, Pacquiao and Mayweather have agreed to participate in a charity event to benefit causes of their choice in time for Christmas.

Each Player will assemble a 10-man team, including two exNBA players.

“We also aim to generate funds for our chosen charities this Christmas,” added the letter.

Pacquiao and Mayweather, aside from being world champions in the sport, both love to play basketball.

The highly anticipated FAHMFest was canceled without notifying ticket buyers before the event’s scheduled start

by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

Boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr., left, and Manny Pacquiao pose for photos after a news conference on March 11, 2015, in Los Angeles.

Inquirer.net file photo

Famed boxers Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather crossed paths once again at an LA Clippers basketball game in Jan. 2019.

AJPress file photo by Noel Ty

Pacquiao is the founder and CEO of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) in the Philippines and joined

the Philippine Basketball Association as the playing coach of Kia Motors Basketball team in 2014. n

Duterte thanks Biden for COVID-19 vaccine...

PAGE 1 He likewise underscored the need for sustained political dialogue, economic engagement and socio-cultural ties to further strengthen the ASEAN-U.S. Strategic Partnership.

Last month, Duterte floated the idea of visiting the U.S. to thank its government for donating vac-

cines against COVID-19.

He made the statement after vaccine czar Carlito galvez Jr and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III told him that the U.S. donated five million more vaccine doses.

“Kasasabi lang ni Secretary galvez at Secretary Duque na ang America nagbigay ng bago,

five million (Secretary Galvez and Secretary Duque just informed me that America gave five million more doses),” said Duterte in his public address.

“Ang bait ng Amerika. Baka pupunta ako doon (America is kind. I might go there) just to thank the American government and the people,” he added. n

EVERY October, Filipino American community leaders pull out all the stops for celebrations for Filipino American History Month.

Music and culture festivals, like those honoring Filipino artistry and talent, are massive gatherings that mark Filipino American History Month (or FAHM) — which is celebrated every October to commemorate the first known arrival of Filipinos in Morro Bay on Oct. 18, 1587 — and bring together Fil-Ams across all walks of life.

Festivals like these are also meant to introduce Filipino Americans, who perhaps weren’t in touch with the culture, to the eddy of languages, music, food, fashion, and customs that make up the Filipino American and Philippine cultures.

One such Fil-Am is Bobby Hermoso, from Arcadia, California, who was excited to finally experience for himself all the offerings that the month usually provides.

“With all the stuff happening with violence against Asians, I thought it was important to finally get in touch with my Filipino culture and identity,” Hermoso told the Asian Journal in a phone interview, adding that both his parents are immigrants from Cebu, Philippines.

Hermoso had never attended “a proper Filipino American event” (during Fil-Am History Month or otherwise) outside of family parties, but he was excited for the hyped-up, highly anticipated FAHMFest that was scheduled for the third weekend of October in San Pedro, California very near the historic Port of Los Angeles.

Put together by a group of Filipino Americans and Asian Americans, FAHMFest was described as “an immersive festival” that promised “alltime favorite foods, music, art, dance, and fashion,” according to the festival’s event page that made the rounds on social media.

First advertised on Instagram and Facebook in the spring, the weekend festival that was scheduled for Oct. 16-17, 2021 promised an exciting lineup of musical acts from Filipino American musicians, like rapper and activist Ruby Ibarra and internet-famous musicians like P-Lo, gabe Bondoc, and Jeremy Passion. It was later announced that 2000s R&B cult favorite Shaggy would be headlining the event.

The festival also promised a wide array of cuisine that, for whatever reason, wasn’t just Filipino food but selections that represented the “various districts” of Los Angeles’ Asian community like Historic Filipinotown (called just “Filipinotown” on the event page), Koreatown and Chinatown.

Along with the literal smorgasbord of food, the event also promised “local art, pop-up installations, and cultural performances” held at the 500,000 square foot Outer Harbor/Berth 46 venue near the Port of Los Angeles, making it one of the largest, comprehensive festivals dedicated to Fil-Am History Month.

But on the morning of the first day of the event, would-be attendees were shocked to find that the festival was seemingly non-existent. After all the hype and grandeur that was advertised for the “one-of-a-kind” festival that promised music, fashion, food, art, and dance, Hermoso — and other ticket holders who arrived that morning — was confused.

Hermoso had purchased three morning passes — one for his brother and their friend — for the morning of Saturday, Oct. 16. But when he and his party arrived at what was supposed to be the festival grounds in San Pedro, they found nothing but a huge empty lot.

He checked his emails in case he missed a cancellation email sent beforehand, but there was none.

Regarding what they saw when they arrived, Hermosa said, “There were no tents, vendors, or stages. It was just a huge lot that was empty except for some cars. There were other people we saw there that were just as confused as we were.”

“It [felt] like a low-grade, but equally-asfrustrating Fyre Festival,” Hermoso said, referencing the infamous luxury music festival in 2017 that touted lush accommodations and a high-profile music lineup but ended up being an apocalypse-like disaster with FEMA tents and cheese sandwiches.

“At least they got sandwiches at Fyre. There were no vendors at all when we arrived [at] what

we thought was going to be a festival with lots of food and stuff to do,” Hermoso said.

Like Hermoso, Ellie Faustino bought tickets for the first morning of the festival for her husband, Nick, and their two young sons. But when the family arrived, they were surprised to see an empty lot with no indication of a festival, let alone what was characterized as an “immersive” one-of-a-kind festival.

“We’ve been trying to find ways to introduce our two boys to Filipino culture, and we thought this festival would be a fun way to do that! Plus, we were very excited about eating Filipino food,” Faustino told the Asian Journal in an email.

She continued, “We couldn’t believe they had cancelled the entire event without giving us notice. We live east of Los Angeles so this was a pretty far drive for us with two hungry boys in the car. We started getting angry when we realized all these people are here because we didn’t get any notification.”

She added, “BUT there were no vendor trucks there, so clearly the vendors were notified ahead of time, but not ticket holders.”

Faustino said that around 2:20 p.m. she received an email from Fever, the events and tickets marketplace from which ticket holders purchased their passes for FAHMFest, confirming the cancellation and offered credit for the full value of the tickets to use on another event through Fever.

Ticket holders described feeling angry and distraught over the seemingly canceled event — many were notified hours later by the ticket distributor in an email that cited “external reasons” for the cancellation.

Since the fallout of the festival, the event’s social media accounts and website were deleted and the organizers went quiet.

Ticket holders who were seeking refunds for the event discovered that on Aug. 24, two months before the festival was scheduled, the event planner Big Time Affairs — which was one of the sponsors of the event — reposted a statement from FAHMFest on their Instagram (which has since been deleted) citing the coronavirus as the reason for the event’s cancellation.

“This morning, FAHMfest reached the unfortunate conclusion that the COVID-19 virus continues to be an entity beyond our control,” the post said. “In consideration with the overall safety of all attendees and partners we must postpone the October 16th and October 17th 2021 FAHMfest event to a later date to be determined in 2022.”

However, at the time of that statement’s posting, the statewide COVID-19 case rate had been on the decline, and other massive gatherings and festivals were already permitted with public safety protocol. (California also has the lowest case rate in the nation, according to current case numbers and trends.)

All of the ticket holders that the Asian Journal spoke with said they were unaware of Big Time Affairs’ post, adding to the ire over the event itself going quiet on ticket holders.

“It seems like the organizers were hoping this would fly under most people’s radar — like they were hoping most of us would forget we had purchased the tickets — and they weren’t planning to issue any refunds or credits at all,” Faustino shared.

She added, “It was only when people started posting about it on social media that they sent the email — hours after the event starting time!”

Lack of communication, a quiet retreat FAHMFest was first announced last spring when the festival’s organizers announced an early-bird promotional price of $20 a pass — this price eventually increased to three figures.

Passes were sold via Fever, which served as the festival’s main port for tickets and helped market the event to consumers. (A representative from Fever told the Asian Journal that the company was not involved in the production of the festival itself.)

According to the event page on feverup.com, general admission cost $115 for a two-day adult pass that allows access to all vendors, activities, and performances. The festival also offered a $250 “VIP 2-Day Pass” for ages 21 and over that included all general admission assets plus access to private, VIP areas, vendors, lounges, and stores. (It’s unclear how many of each pass category was actually sold, or how many passes

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FDA panel recommends Pfizer vaccine...

PAGE 1 approval, and the recommendations from the CDC, it’s entirely possible, if not, very likely, that vaccines will be available from 5 to 11 within the first week or two of November,” Fauci said in an interview with ABC on Sunday.

The vaccine is nearly 91% effective against symptomatic illness among 5- to 11-year-olds, according to Pfizer’s most recent clinical trials for children. The FDA reported that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the potential risks, like the known side effects associated with the COVID-19 vaccine.

While children are still less likely to die or suffer the more severe effects of COVID-19, doctors say that it is still necessary to vaccinate children against COVID-19. Children can still become carriers (symptomatic or asymptomatic) of the virus and spread it to others.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, more than 6 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 in the United States.

According to Dr. William gruber, senior vice president of vaccine clinical research and development for Pfizer, one dose of the Pfizer vaccine contains about one-third the amount of the active ingredient compared to the adult dose.

In an FDA committee hearing, gruber said that the dosage was chosen to “strike the right balance” between protecting children from the disease and limiting the vaccine’s side effects.

But just like with adults, children would receive a second dose 21 days or more after their first shot.

According to current COVID-19 trends across the country, children aged 5-11 have accounted for 9% of reported COVID-19 cases; according to the FDA, presently constitute about 40% of all pediatric COVID-19 cases.

According to the CDC, more than 700 children aged 18 years and younger have died of COVID19 across the country.

When the FDA makes its official authorization recommendation, the issue moves on to the CDC which is set to meet Nov. 2 and 3, when it’ll be up to the CDC director to approve the recommendation.

As previously reported in the Asian Journal, the decision for children to actually receive their vaccines will be left up to their parents, many of whom are still skeptical on the issue.

The Kaiser Family Foundation found in a September poll that about one-third of parents with kids aged 5-11 were willing to vaccinate their kids right away, while another third said they wanted to “wait and see.” n

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From The FronT Page

No quarantine for North America...

PAGE 1 “If we can implement this regulation immediately, it would also be a happy Christmas for our airline industry as many Filipinos and other visitors would pack their bags and return to the Philippines and celebrate Christmas here with loved ones who they haven’t seen for a long time,” Concepcion stressed.

During the arrival of the AstraZeneca vaccine purchase by Go Negosyo through its “A Dose of Hope” vaccination program for private sector workers, Concepcion said vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez are making sure that there would be enough vaccines arriving until the first quarter of 2022.

“The available vaccines will ensure that family members our balikbayans will go home to are also protected from hospitalization. Let’s give them a chance to be reunited,” Concepcion added.

The Go Negosyo founder also emphasized that the increased inbound traffic and the influx of returning Filipinos from North America would greatly benefit the economy, particularly the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

In his last meeting with IATF adviser Dr. Edsel Salvana, Concepcion presented the proposals of the aviation industry, including the shelving of multiple requirements for traveling, such as RT-PCR test for most local destinations and long quarantine for passengers of

international flights.

Concepcion, OCTA Research experts Prof. Ranjit Rye and Fr. Nick Austriaco and representatives and officials from local airlines met with Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez to discuss the possibility of implementing a no-quarantine policy for North America.

Go Negosyo and the country’s flag-carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) recently presented their plan to pilot-test the noquarantine policy on travelers from North America.

They also proposed the frontloading of the testing process before passengers arrive in the country and expanding international gateways to reduce the number of arrivals at the NAIA terminals.

During their meeting with government officials, Concepcion said the country should reciprocate the United States’ policy to require travelers from the Philippines to present a negative RT-PCR test and proof of vaccination status as travel requirements by implementing a no-quarantine policy.

Austriaco, for his part, stressed during his presentation that new infections in the Philippines cannot be attributed to international arrivals, claiming that arriving international passengers account for only 1.8 cases out of the 6,000 average new cases.

Philippine Airlines echoed Austriaco’s pronouncement, saying that based on its monitoring of positivity rates among its inbound international passengers, positivity rates among inbound passengers from North America have been relatively low because 90 percent of passengers from that region are vaccinated.

Romualdez said the Philippine embassy in the U.S. is willing to support the documentation and authentication of vaccination records for arriving passengers to ensure that they are indeed vaccinated.

Vaccination is also not an issue for U.S.-based Filipinos as 90 percent of them are already inoculated against COVID-19, Romualdez added.

The ambassador also said a Boston-based company has offered to pilot-test a PCR testing technology which can pool testing among passengers and have their results available upon their arrival in the Philippines.

“This can greatly ease the waiting time of arriving passengers at the NAIA, many of whom have already spent hours on the plane and must contend with spending even more time lining up for testing at the airport,” he said.

“Filipinos look forward to Christmas every year. It is best spent at home with family. We need to give our balikbayans the chance to be with their loved ones,” Concepcion stressed. n

Bongbong Marcos camp eyeing Pacquiao...

PAGE 1 Bongbong-Pacquiao?

Sen. Marcos also said they are considering Pacquiao to be her brother’s running mate should the boxer-turned-politician be willing to slide down to a vice presidential bid.

Pacquiao is running for president with House Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza as his running mate.

“There’s also the option…we also like the idea, syempre taga-Mindanao din, kung magislide naman si Sen. Pacquiao.

Taga-Mindanao din ‘yan, super popular din at kaibigan naman natin yan kahit na may pitik pitik lately,” Sen. Marcos said.

(There’s also the option…we also like the idea, of course

he’s from Mindanao, if Sen. Pacquiao will slide down. He’s from Mindanao, he’s super popular and we are friends even though there’s been a slight attack lately.)

“Di na kami balat sibuyas pag medyo may bumibira, alam mo naman sa kasagsagan sa init ng halalan, OK lang,” she added.

(We are not thin-skinned, we know it’s because of the elections, it’s OK.) The senator did not elaborate on this but it can be recalled that Pacquiao earlier said the Marcos family should return their “ill-gotten wealth” and apologize for abuses during the Marcos regime.

Aside from ensuring votes in the South, Sen. Marcos said

her brother is looking for a running mate he can get along with well.

“Si Bongbong, naghahanap ng ka-tandem na bagay sa kanya, yung kasundo niyang katrabaho kasi kahit papaano di ba dapat may tiwala ka, tapos bagay kayo at nagkakaintindihan kayo ng maigi,” she said.

(Bongbong is looking for a running mate that goes well with him, who he can go along with and trust.)

“Hindi lang naman boto boto yan e. Kailangan kaibigan mo rin to a certain degree,” she added.

(It’s not all about the votes.

He needs someone he also considers a friend to a certain degree.) n

SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 29 - NOvEmbER 4, 2021

OctOber 29 - nOvember 4, 2021 • SAn DIeGO ASIAn JOUrnAL

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Larry Itliong Resource... Fil-Ams stage rally in NYC to support VP Robredo’s...

PAGE 1 Attendees included family members of movement leaders Itliong, César Chávez and Al Rojas.

Also present in the event was Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the National Farmworkers Association with Chávez, which later merged with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee to become the United Farm Workers. She was joined by state Attorney General Rob Bonta and State Treasurer Fiona Ma. “We remember the heroes who led especially our early farm workers who came here alone often and fought and toiled and fought for change,” said Bonta.

“And also so we inspire our next generation to make sure they know people that look like them from their communities fought and made change to this great state and in this nation.”

The event included a historical tour of the region and solidarity march and rally from Agbayani Village to Reuther Hall in 40 Acres.

Itliong was one of the most important civil rights leaders of the 20th century and a father of the West Coast labor movement.

He was born in the Philippines and migrated to the United States in 1929, working in

the Alaskan fish canneries and along the West Coast as a farm laborer.

Among Itliong’s achievements include uniting with the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) and starting the Delano Grape Strike and Boycott, which is one of the most important social justice and labor movements in American history.

He also formed the UFW with Chávez, with the latter as director and the former as assistant director.

On Oct. 12, Itliong was among the six notable individuals posthumously inducted into the California Hall of Fame.

In addition, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation declaring October 25, 2021, as “Larry Itliong Day” in the State.

“During Filipino-American Heritage Month, we celebrate the birthday of trailblazing Filipino-American labor leader, organizer and California Hall of Fame Inductee Larry Itliong,” he said in his proclamation.

“This month, I had the honor of inducting Mr. Itliong into the California Hall of Fame, recognizing his incredible impact on our state and unapologetic advocacy for those without a voice,” added Newsom. (Ritchel Mendiola/AJPress) n

PAGE 1 an. Robredo is currently taking up Biomolecular Science and Economics at NYU. As she closed her short talk, she shared her favorite line of the Vice President’s announcement speech.

“Sabi niya, ‘Ang minamahal, dapat ipinaglalaban’. Karamihan sa atin medyo na-di-disappoint kaap hindi pareho yung opinion ng iba sa atin or mas naniniwala sila sa fake news pero sana magtry tayo na mas lumabas sa mga echo chambers natin at kausapin ang mga kapamilya, kapatıd o ka-trabaho na kayang bumoto.

Hindi sila kalaban, alam ko naman na lahat tayo gusto lang ng mas mabuting Pilipinas.”

Looking at all the handmade placards and signs, along with Jillian Robredo spent time chatting with rally A Robredo supporter serves bowls of lugaw to the lugaw on the table, Robredo participants the rally participants. thanked the event participants lier extends to the numerous has abused its power for far too for their presence and support.

“Alam naman natin that yung misinformation and disinforma- long,” 1Sambayan said in an last five years talagang napaka- tion that is being spread across earlier statement.

As a broad coalition of orgahirap kay Mama and initially social media.

The young Robredo believes nizations and individuals, the ayaw talaga namin siyang tumakbo. Nakakagaan ng loob to that the last five years they have group hopes to usher in a comsee the support of the people endured in facing trolls, bashers, petent, trustworthy administrahere today, lalo na malayo ako and detractors have made them tion in the May 2022 national elections in the Philippines. stronger. sa kanila,” she said.

At the event, one family from “Naging practice na yung last While she and her sisters Aika and Tricia were initially hesitant few years kaya medyo hindi na Jersey City brought a big kettle about their mom running, Jillian kami apektado ngayon,” she of porridge with the sign “Lugaw said they realized that their mom quipped. “Yung naging maki- for Leni,” a pointed reference to offered something that they narya talaga ng nanay ko ngayon what Robredo’s detractors used didn’t see in the other candi- ay yung mga taong sumusuporta as a putdown when her supportdates who have expressed their sa kanya. Nakikita natin na yung ers back in 2016 raised funds by mga trolls sinasagot ng totoong selling porridge during the camintention to run as president.

“Wala sa kanila yung nag- tao and nag-se-send sila ng links paign.

“Symbolic kasi ang lugaw has declined significantly from align sa mga paniniwala ko and para ma-correct yung misinfornearly one in three in Septem- alam ko naman, hindi lang dahil mation. Yun ang pang-battle sa at yan ang ambag namin kahit maliit lang,” said Edu dela Cruz, ber to about 12%, indicating sa anak ako ng nanay ko, yung fake news: truth.” a nurse.

Community support the Philippines has a better mga paniniwala niya, mas okay As a Filipino in America, Dr. “It is very crucial for Filipihandle on its outbreak than specially para sa mga kabataan before and is catching cases,” tulad ko, yun ang gusto naming nos of all sectors, both in the Mario Brizuela has been observmakita sa susunod na pangulo,” Philippines and abroad, to unite ing the political climate from a said Bloomberg. against the continuation of the distance.

“That could pave the way she explained.

He believes that VP Robredo That hesitancy expressed ear- Duterte regime, a regime that for more reopening going forward,” it added.

Other Southeast Asian nations joined the Philippines at the bottom of the list: Indonesia (48th), Malaysia (50th), Thailand (51st), and Vietnam (52nd).

Meanwhile, Ireland dominated the ranking with a resilience score of 75.1. This was followed by Spain, United Arab Emirates, Denmark, and Finland.

The United States ranked 26th, while China placed 28th.

To date, there are a total of 2,772,491 COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, with 42,575 fatalities and 2,680,081 recovNew York and New Jersey supporters of VP Leni Robredo gathered in NYC to show their support to the Robredo-Pangilinan tandem. eries. n AJPress Photos by Momar G. Visaya

PH remains at bottom of...

PAGE 1 fares among the worst on vaccine coverage, with just 26% of the population covered amid challenges in bringing shots to areas outside of the big cities,” Bloomberg said Wednesday, October 27.

It also said that the Philippines’ ongoing restrictions on domestic movement and international travel continued to drag down the country’s score.

“The capital Manila has allowed more businesses to open their doors again, including gyms and cinemas, but it’s still behind neighbors like Thailand and Indonesia which are back to embracing tourists,” Bloomberg added.

However, it noted that the decreasing new infection rates in the country indicated that the Philippines has “a better handle” of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The percentage of those testing positive for the virus

“has been the most trolled and malignantly despised Vice President in history,” due to the tons of fake news that have been thrown at her.

“Her kind of leadership is what people need, what the Philippines needs. It’s the kind that listens, that collectively gathers ideas from the people and come up with more concrete actions and she has done this,” said Dr. Brizuela.

“Let’s fight with Leni, let’s fight as Filipinos, not as partisan politicians but let’s fight with the principle of fighting for the future of the Philippines,” he added.

Hector Fonacier of Bolton, New York is also throwing his support to VP Robredo.

“Ilocano ako, dapat nga Marcos ako. Pero naniniwala ako na kapag mali, mali. Kaliwa’t kanan na ang ginagawa nilang pagnanakaw kahit may pandemya pa,” he shared.

He believes that some of the politicians who have filed their candidacies are Manchurian candidates and that they should be weeded out.

“Kailangan mawala ang mga Manchurian candidates. Ayaw naming ituloy lang nila ang mga ginagawa ni Duterte. Ito yung mga kandidatong pakawala nila,” he said. “Kailangan nating piliin ang kandidato na walang bahid.

Hindi mo siya maakusahan na nagnakaw. Siya lang ang lumabas at gumawa noong panahon ng pandemya at si Leni yun.”

Bobby Young echoed what Robredo said about her mom’s campaign and lack of political machinery.

“Ang machinery ni VP Leni ay tayo, ang mga tao. Dahil ang laban na ito ay laban natin, this is the people’s campaign. Kaya tayo lahat nandito, iba-iba man ang pinanggalingan natin, ang political affiliation natin pero nagkakaisa tayo para sa labang ito,” he said.

Shirley Atienza of Migrante New York said her organization strongly believes that Robredo is the best candidate for the job and not the lesser evil as some people have been saying.

“Throwing our support for Leni is not a gamble but a step closer to a better Philippines,” she said. “Rooting for Leni is not a favor we afford to her, it is a favor we owe to ourselves, to the country, and to the generations of Filipinos to come.” (Momar G. Visaya/AJPress) n

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SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 29 - NOvEmbER 4, 2021

Dateline PhiliPPines

DepEd backs UN stance vs hate speech Duterte urges ASEAN to buy more COVID vaccine

by RoMina

cabReRa Philstar.com

MANILA — The Department of Education (DepEd) has expressed support for the United Nations’ strategy and plan of action on hate speech, saying it has no place in the classroom or society.

The DepEd stressed the importance of strengthening good manners and right conduct and values education curriculum in the basic education system, especially among children.

Anti-bullying and child protection policies are also being strictly implemented in schools to protect and educate learners, especially amid the new challenges posed by the changing communication landscape.

“Guided by international and national frameworks and policies on equality, DepEd recognizes the important role of education in addressing and building resilience against hate speech, which can cause grave implications to people, groups, or even nations,” DepEd said in a statement.

The agency noted that social media has spurred the proliferation of conflicting information, fake news and misrepresentation that need to be countered by critical thinking skills by all members of society.

It urged teachers, parents, learners and partners to help foster decency and civility in the fight against violence, hate speech and discrimination, both virtually and in person.

“Hate speech and discrimination – on the basis of gender, ethnicity, religious affiliation, political belief and age – must have no place in our homes, in our classrooms, and most importantly, in our democratic society,” DepEd said.

The UN strategy and plan of action aims to address hate speech through measures in line with international human rights norms and standards, in particular the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

It aims to enhance UN efforts to address the root causes and drivers of hate speech and enable effective responses to the impact of hate speech on societies. n

NEDA sees strong growth in 2022 by anna leah

e. Gonzales ManilaTimes.net

SOCIOECONOMIC Planning Secretary Karl Chua on Wednesday, October 27 said managing risks will allow the Philippine economy to go back to growth trajectory this year and return to pre-pandemic growth level by the latter part of 2022 or early 2023.

He added that ramping up the vaccination campaign will help the country achieve a stronger growth next year.

“We can ensure strong recovery in 2021 and 2022 with growth rates at 4 to 5 percent this year and 7 to 9 percent next year if we accelerate the vaccination. And I think at this point, it is about vaccinating everyone with the least restrictions or prioritization.

As soon as the supply comes, my thinking is we should vaccinate everyone who is available and willing. That will help speed up our achievement of our goal,” he said.

Chua said the government started to better manage the risks by implementing the alert level system.

“In general, I believe that the better management of risks in 2021 will allow us to grow by 4 to 5 percent this year, and 7 to 9 percent next year and returning to our pre-pandemic growth path of 6 to 7 percent in the outer years,” Chua said at The Manila Times’ “Let the Future Begin: Moving Forward Despite COVID-19” forum.

The economy contracted by 9.6 percent last year due to the combined effects of the Taal Volcano eruption and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chua, who is also director-general of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA),

admitted that the long-run total cost of COVID19 and the forced quarantine to present and future society is estimated at P41.4 trillion.

In 2020, the economy lost P4.3 trillion and in the next 10 to 40 years losses are estimated to reach P37 trillion.

He said consumption and investments are likely to be lower in the next 10 years because of reduced demand in sectors that require social distancing, such as tourism, restaurants and public transportation. Consequently, tax revenues will be lower if businesses cannot operate at 100 percent.

Chua said the estimated total loss due to lower consumption is P4.5 trillion while the loss in private investment and returns in the same period is around P21.3 trillion.

“We expect the economy to converge to the pre-pandemic growth path by the tenth year.

While we will recover to the pre-pandemic level by the end of 2022 or early 2023, it will take several more years before we converge to our original growth path,” he said.

Chua, however, said that there are signs of recovery, adding that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) already grew by 11.8 percent in the second quarter from a 17 percent contraction in the same period last year.

Enablers of recovery include the acceleration of the vaccination program, safe reopening of the economy while strictly adhering to health protocols, and the full implementation of the recovery package, especially the 2021 budget.

As of October 25, the Philippines has administered a total of 55.7 million doses of the anticoronavirus disease vaccine.

u PAGE 7

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to fast-track the procurement of additional COVID19 vaccines to aid the region’s recovery from the pandemic.

In his remarks at the 38th ASEAN Summit, the Chief Executive noted that the road to recovery will be “long and difficult.”

“Today’s circumstances tell us one thing: The road to comprehensive and inclusive recovery will be long and difficult. While we welcome and appreciate the support of our external partners, we as ASEAN community must be able to stand on our own,” Duterte said Tuesday, October 26.

He also urged the ASEAN Secretariat to expedite vaccine procurement through the COVID-19 Response Fund.

“If there are still available funds, then we should purchase more,” said Duterte.

“We must also have our own regional vaccine research and production facilities for us to be ready for future public health emergencies,” he added.

Further, Duterte stressed that the regional bloc must ensure “the phased and comprehensive implementation of the broad strategies under the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework.”

“We also need to immediately establish the ASEAN Centre on Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases. It has been almost a year since we conceptualized the Centre. Our gener-

ous donors and partners are still waiting for us to choose the host country,” he added.

Duterte also pushed for the operationalization of theAsean Travel Corridor Arrangement Framework to revitalize the region’s economies in the “soonest” time possible.

“As we have said before, an open multilateral trading system and a clear roadmap are vital to economic recovery,” he said.

He likewise urged the ASEAN to address the “unique” needs of vulnerable groups.

“This pandemic has exacerbated inequalities within our societies. We must therefore address the unique needs of vulnerable groups, particularly women, children, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and migrant workers, among others,” Duterte stressed. n

OctOber 29 - nOvember 4, 2021 • SAn DIeGO ASIAn JOUrnAL

OpiniOn

Safe campaigning

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Features Philstar.com photo

WITH certificates of candidacy filed, and with the Supreme Court ruling that there is no such thing as premature campaigning, candidates have started raising their profiles for the 2022 general elections.

The campaigning will be conducted even as COVID-19 continues to rage, with the coronavirus continually mutating and posing risks of resurgence. Candidates and supporters must be mindful of those continuing risks, especially in areas with low vaccination rates.

Even in Metro Manila, sufficient vaccination for herd protection has not yet been attained. The Delta variant is also infecting even children and accounting for breakthrough infections and deaths even among the fully vaccinated.

While social media can be widely used for safe campaigning, most politicians still see the need for face-to-face pitching of their candidacies. Since the filing of candidacies, political gatherings have started, with meetings, marches and motorcades being staged.

Candidates must take full responsibility for ensuring that such gatherings will not turn into COVID superspreader events. They will have to coordinate closely with authorities for such activities, to ensure strict compliance with COVID safety protocols. The Metropolitan Manila Development

Authority, for example, has advised politicians to get a permit for motorcades, if only for traffic management, since holiday traffic is building up in the capital region.

While the country is now at low risk for COVID19, as declared by the Department of Health, it is not yet time to let down one’s guard. A coronavirus sub-variant said to be about 10 times more contagious than Delta has started spreading in the United Kingdom and nearly 30 other countries including the United States. In the meantime, vaccine efficacies are waning for those who were first in line for the shots, raising their risk of breakthrough infections.

Last year, COVID cases also dropped dramatically with the approach of the holidays. The country happily prepared for economic revival during summer, with travel restrictions eased and tourist destinations reopened. And then the Alpha and Beta variants struck, beginning in late March and bringing sickness and death through the summer.

After 19 months of restrictions, people have

Editorial

become used to COVID safety protocols. So it shouldn’t be such a challenge to maintain strict adherence to masking, physical distancing and other safety measures during campaign activities. Surely

candidates themselves don’t want themselves and their supporters getting sick, or worse, from their gatherings for the 2022 race. They should all reach the finish line healthy and safe. (Philstar.com)

The US’ slow but steady safe pace in defeating covid-19 opens the gateway to our freedom of navigation

The Fil-Am Perspective Gel SantoS-ReloS I AM BACK! Good to share with you what I have been up to in my monthlong hiatus from writing articles for this column.

I just arrived from Spain to go on the Camino de Santiago spiritual pilgrimage, after almost two years of delay because of the coronavirus pandemic. Last year, the European Union, and even countries like our Motherland the Philippines, closed its borders to us, the people of the United States, because we were classified as high risk in spreading COVID-19 and its variants to their people.

The richest, most powerful nation in the world that other nations looked up to in our leadership in combatting infectious diseases became a hotspot of the pandemic, thanks but no thanks to the former administration’s failure in leadership because of its aversion to science. The former president and his minions thought the truth about the coronavirus pandemic was getting in the way of their political ambition to be re-elected and remain in power, and consequently, the United States failed to mitigate the spread of the virus early enough.

Thankfully, under the Biden Administration, saving lives became top priority again and science became our basis and tool in formulating policies and implementing programs to defeat the invisible enemy and lead us toward the

“normal” life we have been missing.

Fast forward to the present, the Mayo Clinic reports that as of October 25, 66.7% of Americans are now vaccinated with at least one dose, and 57.7% are now fully vaccinated, especially in light of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in August.

CDC has also recommended everyone 12 years and older should get vaccinated to help protect against the virus. According to the agency, widespread vaccination is a critical tool to help stop the pandemic and help us go back to the life as we knew it before 2020.

While compared to adults, fewer children have been infected with COVID-19, the CDC explained that children can also be infected with the virus, get sick and spread COVID-19 to others.

And because of the Delta variant and new scientific information about the deminishing antibody levels with time, the FDA on October 20 expands authorizations for COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for eligible populations who received Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and for Janssen COVID-19 vaccine recipients 18 and older.

As of press time today, October 26, the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee just announced amendment to the Pfizer-BioNTech’s Emergency Use Authori-

zation of their COVID-19 mRNA vaccine to children 5 through 11 years of age. This decision comes after the agency reviewed data released by Pfizer on October 22that showed a kid-sized, twodose regimen of the Pfizer’s vaccine is safe and 90.7% effective against symptomatic illness from the virus in children ages 5 to 11 years old.

These new developments, coupled with a more unified effort to practice safety measures like wearing mask, social distancing and avoiding crowds especially in indoor setting, have taken us to a more optimistic place with a greater fighting chance toward victory.

Hence, the EU has once again opened its borders to American tourists who are fully vaccinated with vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the EU that was why many of us in America have had the privilege of traveling again. We felt safe with strict implementation of other travel safety requirements like getting a negative COVID-19 test taken 72 hours for PCR and 48 hours for rapid test antigen, and wearing masks, observing social distancing.

The United States has also announced it is opening its borders to vaccinated international tourists, and this is great news for us to see our family and friends again from the Philippines and elsewhere aound the world!

Travel.State.Gov announced:

Starting on November 8, foreign national air travelers to the United States will be required to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to fly to the United States, with only limited exceptions.

The CDC has determined that for the purposes of entry into the United States, vaccines accepted will include those FDA approved or authorized, as well as vaccines with an emergency use listing (EUL) from the World Health Organization (WHO). See the CDC’s website for more details.

Fully vaccinated air travelers will continue to be required to show documentation of a pre-departure negative viral test from a sample taken within three days of travel to the United States before boarding. That includes all travelers – U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (LPRs), and foreign nationals.

To further strengthen protections, unvaccinated travelers – whether U.S. citizens, LPRs, or the small number of excepted unvaccinated foreign nationals – will now need to show documentation of a negative viral test from a sample taken within one day of travel to the United States.

As the State Department stated, “As long as the virus is spreading anywhere, it is a threat to people everywhere, including Americans here at home. That’s why earlier this year, President Joe Biden announced that the United States

will share over 580 million doses with countries around the world”.

“America will be the arsenal of vaccines in our global fight against COVID-19, just as America was the arsenal of democracy in World War II”, President Biden said.

Reclaiming our leadership in the international community that we lost during the Trump presidency, the Biden Administration recognizes the fact that “COVID19 is a global challenge that requires a global response. Together, we will lead the world out of this pandemic.”

The State Department also stated: “The United Statuses exercising diplomatic leadership to mobilize an international response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its secondary impacts while strengthening global biosecurity infrastructure to address both the current crisis and future health related threats.”

WE, the PEOPLE, should also be part of the solution and not the problem, and always think in terms of what is for the greater good, not just in the present time but always until the future.

This is what we need to learn more from Spain. During the time we were there, most of the people of Spain observed safety measures and would remind others, including tourists to follow the same especially in enclosed places, for the safety of all people in their country.

Spain has vaccinated 80.2%

of its population with at least one dose, and 78.6% are fully vaccinated. Nearing 90% of its target population, Spain has really been successful in controlling the spread of the virus. From an all time high of 35,475 in January 2021, Spain is now down to a 7day average of 1863. Spain has a population of 47,431, 256. Can we do the same?

Let us not go too far . Look at California — home to the most number of Filipinos in the U.S. and outside of the Philippines. Statewide, 72.6% of people in California are now fully vaccinated, with 7.8% partially vaccinated.

Of course, we can do more. We can do better. If we start thinking more of the good of all, less than what is good for me. If we keep on reminding ourselves this is the only patriotic and Christian way to go to save lives and go back to normalcy. Remember: we are all in this together. *** 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.

*** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community.

You may contact her through email at gelrelos@ icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.

Filipino Americans asking for US inclusion in PH ‘green list’

Babe’s Eye View BaBe Romualdez OUR consulates in the United States have been getting a deluge of inquiries and appeals from Filipino Americans on how soon they can go home to the Philippines without going through facility-based quarantine. They are appealing that if they are fully vaccinated and have a negative RT-PCR test taken 72 hours before arrival, they be allowed entry without quarantine.

Under current Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases protocols, fully vaccinated travelers from “green” countries do not need to undergo a facility-based quarantine if they have a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before departing from the country of origin and will just be instructed to self-monitor for symptoms.

The United States is currently under the IATF’s list of “yellow” countries, and fully vaccinated

travelers have to undergo a facility-based quarantine until the release of a negative result for the RT-PCR test which will be taken on the fifth day. This means visiting Filipino-Americans have to book at least six days of quarantine (or more if the RT-PCR test results take several days) at an accredited hotel – which is not only costly but also takes away precious time that could be spent with their loved ones and family, given that most also have limited vacation time. Even Americans with businesses in the Philippines have been wanting to go back but they can’t afford the one-week downtime due to the quarantine requirement.

The IATF’s color classification is primarily based on the number of COVID-19 cases. Being a large country, the U.S. case load is considered high. However, the number of cases per day in the U.S. has been declining in recent weeks by about 22 percent.

Approximately 90 percent of Filipino-Americans have been fully vaccinated. They are hopeful the U.S. could be included in

the list of “green” countries. The clamor is growing, especially since Christmas is fast approaching, and so many have not been able to visit their loved ones since the COVID-19 pandemic broke.

During our virtual meeting last Thursday, October 21 with Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Locsin, USec Dodo Dulay, Transportation Secretary Art Tugade as well as Fr. Nick Austriaco and Prof. Ranjit Rye of OCTA Research plus representatives from local airlines that include flag carrier PAL, we discussed how the difficulties faced by international travelers, particularly those from the U.S. and Canada, could be addressed.

One good news is that there is already new technology from a Boston-based company that can conduct PCR tests on all passengers before they board their flight with the results ready by the time the plane lands in Manila – which will provide authorities information if any passenger tested positive. As Secretary Locsin pointed out, frontloading the PCR testing

process can help prevent the long queues that can happen with arriving passengers lining up and waiting for the PCR test to be done at the airport.

According to Fr. Austriaco, data indicate that new infections in the Philippines cannot be attributed to arriving passengers as homegrown or local transmissions account for almost all of the new COVID-19 cases in the Philippines.

The infection rate in fact is on a downtrend, especially in Metro Manila which has been placed under Alert Level 3 with more establishments and businesses allowed to open on a limited capacity – and we all know that this is largely due to the government’s vaccination rollout that continues to be scaled up.

There is no doubt we have to open our country and our economy for travel not only for the tourism sector but the downstream industries as well so we can start moving again. Many countries like Singapore and Australia are already open to vaccinated travelers and are scrapping quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated

travelers from the U.S. The “bright light” at the end of the tunnel is fast approaching with worldwide scientists optimistically predicting the pandemic will soon be under control by early next year. With the development of oral antiviral drugs that show great promise in treating patients like molnupiravir from Merck which is being heralded as a potential “game changer,” patients will no longer need hospitalization because medication can be taken at home. Pfizer is also developing an oral drug to combat COVID-19, and the results have also been promising.

Experts, however, are emphatic that vaccination is still the best protection against COVID19. Studies by the US National Institutes of Health on vaccine mix-and-match showed the level of antibodies increasing in people who switched vaccine brands for their booster shots, with no notable side effects. With the possibility of COVID-19 becoming endemic and thus will require booster shots to be given yearly like the seasonal flu, the mix-and-

match option could help solve vaccine supply issues and keep COVID-19 manageable.

Almost two years now since the pandemic started and with millions dying or getting infected with the disease, we can only thank first and foremost God for giving us the terrific scientists who developed the vaccines to protect us from this deadly disease. Needless to say, I and countless Filipinos cannot thank all the countries enough, especially the United States, for their generosity in giving us the muchneeded vaccines for our people.

To me, being in the forefront of seeing closely and working with the U.S. government in getting the vaccines into our country and saving people’s lives is the greatest blessing ever in my entire life.

(Philstar.com) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

*** Email: babeseyeview@gmail.com

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‘A disgrace to our community’...

PAGE 2 were sold, in general.)

The festival touted mainstream appeal with the promise of “influenced food vendors, music artists, art and fashion designers,” according to a pitch deck sent to the Asian Journal by one of the festival’s co-founders in the spring.

That pitch deck also claimed that the event was charitable, suggesting that it was a “festival celebrating Filipino-American History and benefitting our Filipino Nurses in our community.”

A representative from Fever shared that the festival’s production was primarily organized and founded by The Thankful Group LLC, which was incorporated on Jan. 27 in Los Angeles.

A source close to the event’s organization, who requested to stay anonymous, said that despite rumors that FAHMFest would be rescheduled for 2022, there would be no rescheduled event, “as the [event’s] organization have filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and is ceasing operations,” the source said in an email to the Asian Journal.

According to the bankruptcy filing, The Thankful Group, LLC has run out of funds after paying off “administrative expenses.” A report from the Daily Breeze said the company owes between $100,000 to $500,000 to “eight unsecured creditors.”

The anonymous source said that ticket holders should only reach out to Fever, which is “the only company with the access to all ticket buyers’ information.” They also said that “[n]o funds were ever given from Fever to FAHMFest.”

But in a statement sent to the Asian Journal, Fever squares the liability on the event’s founders: “Due to circumstances beyond our control and despite our best efforts, the thirdparty organization responsible for producing the festival decided to renege on their commitments. After fulfilling our contractual obligations, including marketing and ticketing for the event, the organizers of FAHM Fest breached their contract and failed to respond to our attempts to rectify the situation. They unilaterally canceled the festival without due notice and ceased to communicate with us after that.”

The lack of notification of the cancellation by the organizers and event founders extended to ticket holders, like lyzzandra Avancena who had purchased passes for her and her boyfriend because “despite being Filipino American, I’ve never gone out of my way to celebrate Filipino culture,” she told the Asian Journal in an email.

On July 30, Avancena received an email from one of the co-founders offering a “FREE upgrade” which was essentially a food voucher “equalling the difference between the price you paid and the current price of tickets, plus a commemorative FAHMFest t-shirt” or the option to refund tickets, according to an email shared with the Asian Journal.

Avancena decided to forego those offers, saying she was “excited to support local Filipino food vendors.”

But on the weekend of the festival, Avancena learned that those offers were void when she saw people on social media calling the event “a scam” and received the cancellation email from Fever sent hours after the event was supposed to begin.

Because her passes were scheduled for the second day of the festival, Avancena didn’t have to drive to discover the empty lot.

“I was fortunate enough to learn about the event cancellation early enough for me not to go to the Port of LA. I feel so bad for the people who wasted their time and money driving down there,” Avancena shared.

But the lack of communication to ticket holders before the event, and the lack of clarification since the event-that-never-happened, continues to baffle Avancena, other ticket holders, and members of the Filipino American community, many of whom have been entrenched in discourse over what the hell really happened.

FAHMFest: a scam?

When the social media storm began brewing over what happened to FAHMFest, many scorned ticket holders pondered whether the event was an out-and-out scam. After the event was confirmed to be canceled hours after the festival was supposed to start, automatic refunds were not issued, but ticket holders who reached out to Fever said that they were issued refunds.

Though some of the confusion was cleared, it is still unknown what really happened to the FAHMFest founders and organizers and why they decided to cancel the event (other than the coronavirus claim) — increasing speculation over the honesty (or lack thereof) of the organizers.

Regarding the reason for the cancellation, the anonymous source from the event’s production team didn’t specify a reason for the cancellation, only indicating the fact that the LLC attached to the event would be dissolving.

For Avancena, the lack of communication from the event organizers about the state of the event and its quiet cancellation was among the most frustrating parts of the debacle.

Avancena agreed with the consensus that deems the event a scam: “FAHMFest deleted their social media accounts and website. I called the lack of formal notice ‘negligence,’ but it feels more akin to deception. It was a classic bait-and-switch, whether or not the event was cancelled due to COVID.” When asked if she would ever attend another festival from these organizers again, Faustino said, “I wouldn’t trust these organizers not to try to scam me out of my money again. Also, even if there ends up being a legitimate actual FAHM event in the future, this whole thing was so poorly handled that I wouldn’t trust the organizers to put on a safe and well-run event.”

Avancena mirrored that sentiment saying that she wouldn’t attend “even if it wasn’t a scam but an honest mistake. If FAHMFest can’t handle sending a few emails, there’s no way in hell they could handle organizing an entire event.”

She also agreed with more glaring assessments on social media that the “organizers exploited Filipino culture.”

For Hermosa, who has yet to receive the refund he requested, the FAHMFest fallout hasn’t jaded him and, in fact, he feels more compelled to become more connected with, not just Filipino culture, but with fellow Fil-Ams. After he and his group found out that the event for sure wouldn’t be happening, they

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SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 29 - NOvEmbER 4, 2021

Report: Apple threatened Facebook ban...

PAGE 1 ative conditions of foreign workers and the use of Instagram to buy and trade maids online.

It also recognized the website’s problem with “domestic servitude,” which is a form of human trafficking “for the purpose of working inside private homes through the use of force, fraud, coercion or deception.”

Facebook engineers reportedly found nearly three-fourths of posts that showed maids in photos/videos and their biographical details, with over 60% of the material coming from Saudi Arabia, and about a quarter from Egypt.

And while Facebook disabled over 1,000 accounts on its websites, it acknowledged that it was “under-enforcing on confirmed abusive activity” that saw Filipina maids complaining on the social media site of being abused.

The move convinced Apple to relent and allow Facebook and Instagram to remain in the app store.

However, the AP noted that Facebook’s crackdown had a “limited effect.”

“Even today, a quick search for ‘khadima,’ or ‘maids’ in Arabic, will bring up accounts featuring posed photographs of Africans and South Asians with ages and prices listed next to their images,” it said.

“That’s even as the Philippines government has a team of workers that do nothing but scour Facebook posts each day to try and protect desperate job seekers from criminal gangs and unscrupulous recruiters using the site,” it added.

Despite the continued spread of ads exploiting foreign workers in the Mideast, Facebook maintained that it took the problem seriously.

“We prohibit human exploitation in no uncertain terms,” it said in a statement to the AP. “We’ve been combating human trafficking on our platform for many years and our goal remains to prevent anyone who seeks to exploit others

from having a home on our platform,” it added.

Still, the AP pointed out that Facebook’s daunting size and user base around the world “proves to be its greatest weakness in trying to police illicit activity, such as the sale of drugs, and suspected human rights and labor abuses on its site.”

Filipina Mary Ann Abunda of the Sandigan in Kuwait warned of the dangers that Facebook can pose.

“Facebook really has two faces now,” she said as quoted by the AP. “Yes, as it advertises, it’s connecting people, but it has also become a haven of sinister people and syndicates who wait for your weak moment to pounce on you.”

One Filipina housemaid in Kuwait told the AP of her experience in being “sold” to another family through an Instagram post in December 2012.

“I was like an animal that was being traded by one owner to another,” she said.

“If Facebook and Instagram won’t take stronger steps against this anomaly, there will be more victims like me. I was lucky because I did not end up dead or a sexual slave,” she added.

For its part, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) acknowledged that individuals who want to go abroad trust Facebook more than the private recruiting agencies monitored by the government.

According to POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia, some job seekers mistakenly believe that the agency endorses some of the Facebook and Instagram accounts due to misuse of the office’s logo.

He added that his office for the last two years had a direct line to Facebook to be able to flag suspicious accounts, but “even that isn’t enough.”

“It will affect their income so they don’t want to address this,” Olalia added. (AJPress) n

NEDA sees strong growth in 2022...

PAGE 5 The pilot implementation of the alert level system started in Metro Manila on September 16.

The National Capital Region shifted to a more relaxed Alert Level 3 starting October 16.

The alert level system allows more business establishments to operate but with a limited

capacity.

“To manage the risks better... we have started that, we have shifted to alert level. I think there is an opening to lower the alert level to two soon. We hope to allow more children to have a more normal life by going back to school physically, and families also going out,” he said.

“Finally we implement the re-

decided to make the best out of the situation and went to Cavitena Filipino Restaurant in Lomita for lunch, which fulfilled their hankering for a Filipino-themed day.

He said that there, they met a group of FilAms who also tried to attend FAHMFest, and together, they vented over what happened.

He said that the group introduced him to organizations like FilAm ARTS, which regularly hosts and curates their own immersive events, like the Festival for Philippine Arts and Culture, that showcase the diversity of Fil-Am talent.

“I know that there’s a lot of great things happening in the community — it just sucks that

covery program. And I’m thinking we will need to review the medium-term budget so that we can put in more resources, reallocate more resources to the areas such as education and health and the overall human capital spending to close the gap that was enlarged by the COVID-19 pandemic,” added Chua. n

my first real Filipino American event experience had to be this [expletive],” Hermosa said.

While this hasn’t hampered his desire to engage more with his heritage, it did happen at the worst time, he said.

“We all just kind of sat there and talked about how this was such a disgrace to our community, of whom so many are trying to navigate normal life and celebrate our culture during one of the most difficult times, given the pandemic and the Stop Asian Hate goings-on,” Hermoso shared.

“At a time when we’re all hungry for some connection and cultural pride, this happens and it is really a shame.” n

OctOber 29 - nOvember 4, 2021 • SAn DIeGO ASIAn JOUrnAL

LEGAL SERVICES

LEGAL SERVICES FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9021739

a. Oceanside Smiles located at 3870 Mission Ave., Suite D4, Oceanside, CA 92058. b. Oceanside Smiles and Orthodontics located at 3870 Mission Ave., Suite D4, Oceanside, CA 92058.

Registrant: Andrew T Hoang Dental Corp., 3870 Mission Ave., Suite D4, Oceanside, CA 92058.

This business is conducted by Corporation.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME. Signature Andrew Hoang.

6WDWHPHQW ¿OHG ZLWK Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 09/29/2021.

AJ 800 10/08, 10/15, 10/22, and 10/29/2021 AJSD 800

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9022149

a. My Situation Dating located at 5444 Roswell St., San Diego, CA 92114. b. www.mysituationdating. com located at 5444 Roswell St., San Diego, CA 92114.

Registrant: David Nathanael *ULI¿Q 5RVZHOO 6W 6DQ Diego, CA 92114.

This business is conducted

by Individual.

REGISTRANT HAS BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME AS OF10/04/2021.

6LJQDWXUH 'DYLG *ULI¿Q 6WDWHPHQW ¿OHG ZLWK Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 1004/2021.

AJ 801 10/08, 10/15, 10/22, and 10/29/2021 AJSD 801

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9022348

a. A Plus Barber Studio located at 426 Broadway, Chula Vista, CA 91910.

Registrant: a. Algie Donald Creer JR., 500 Telegraph Canyon Road, Unit D, Chula Vista, CA 91910. b. Adrian John Haynes, 1560 Coronado Ave., Apt 29, San Diego, CA 92154.

This business is conducted

by Joint Venture.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME. Signature Algie Donald Creer JR..

Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 10/05/2021.

AJ 803 10/08, 10/15, 10/22, and 10/29/2021.

AJSD 803

EMPLOYMENT

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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9022585

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9023805

RecoverMe located at 3270 Greyling Dr., San Diego, CA 92123.

Registrant: MJS Holdings LLC, 3270 Greyling Dr., San Diego, CA 92123.

This business is conducted by Limited Liability Company.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME. Signature Sak Sopheak.

6WDWHPHQW ¿OHG ZLWK Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 10/07/2021.

AJ 804 10/15, 10/22, 10/29, and 11/05/2021.

A&M Cleaning Commercial Services Forte of San Diego located at 810 Mary Ct., National City, CA 91950.

Registrant: Maria Candelaria Rodriguez, 810 Mary Ct., National City, CA 91950.

This business is conducted

by Individual.

REGISTRANT HAS BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME AS OF 09/20/2021.

Signature Maria Candelaria Rodriguez.

6WDWHPHQW ¿OHG ZLWK Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 10/21/2021.

AJ 809 10/29, 11/05, 11/12, 11/19/2021.

AJSD 804

AJSD 809

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9023234

Little Busy Ants Family Child Care located at 1918 Via Las Palmas Unit #20, National City, CA 91950.

Registrant: Leidy Viviana Penagos Torres, 1918 Via Las Palmas Unit #20, National City, CA 91950.

This business is conducted

by Individual.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME. Signature Leidy Viviana Penagos Torres.

6WDWHPHQW ¿OHG ZLWK Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 10/15/2021.

AJ 805 10/22, 10/29, 11/05, and 11/12/2021.

AJSD 805

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9023806

Elite Auto Body & Paint located at 1887 Nirvana Ave., Chula Vista, CA 91911.

Registrant: a.

Maria Candelaria Rodriguez, 810 Mary Ct., National City, CA 91950. b. Jose Raul Rodriguez, 810 Mary Ct., National City, CA 91950.

This business is conducted

by Married Couple.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME. Signature: Maria Candelaria Rodriguez.

6WDWHPHQW ¿OHG ZLWK Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 10/21/2021.

AJ 810 10/22, 10/29, 11/05, and 11/12/2021.

AJSD 810

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9022345

Alexa Spa Body Sculpting located at 6921 Lisbon St., San Diego, CA 92114.

Registrant: Alexa Huerta Maciel, 1920 E 17th St., National City, CA 91950.

This business is conducted

by Individual.

REGISTRANT HAS BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME AS OF 08/01/2021.

Signature Alexa Huerta Maciel.

6WDWHPHQW ¿OHG ZLWK Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 10/05/2021.

AJ 808 10/29, 11/05, 11/12, and 11/19/2021.

LEGAL SERVICES

CASE NUMBER: 37-2021-00040665-CU-PT-CTL

Petitioner Joe Nathan Shields DND 1DWKDQ -RH 5XII ¿OHG D SHWLWLRQ with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Joe Nathan Shields aka Nathan Joe Ruff to Joe Nathan Shields.

THE COURT ORDERS that all SHUVRQV LQWHUHVWHG LQ WKLV PDWWHU DSSHDU EHIRUH WKLV FRXUW DW WKH KHDULQJ LQGLFDWHG EHORZ WR VKRZ FDXVH LI DQ\ ZK\ WKH SHWLWLRQ IRU FKDQJH RI QDPH VKRXOG QRW EH JUDQWHG $Q\ SHUVRQ REMHFWLQJ WR WKH QDPH FKDQJHV GHVFULEHG DERYH PXVW ¿OH D ZULWWHQ REMHFWLRQ that includes the reasons for the REMHFWLRQ DW OHDVW WZR FRXUW GD\V EHIRUH WKH PDWWHU LV VFKHGXOHG WR EH KHDUG DQG PXVW DSSHDU DW WKH hearing to show cause why the SHWLWLRQ VKRXOG QRW EH JUDQWHG ,I QR ZULWWHQ REMHFWLRQ LV WLPHO\ ¿OHG WKH FRXUW PD\ JUDQW WKH SHWLWLRQ ZLWKRXW a hearing.

127,&( 2) +($5,1* Date: 11/08/2021 Time: 8:30 AM 'HSW & 6XSHULRU &RXUW RI &DOLIRUQLD County of San Diego 330 WEST BROADWAY '(37 San Diego, CA 92101 $ FRS\ RI WKLV 2UGHU WR 6KRZ &DXVH VKDOO EH SXEOLVKHG DW least once each week for four VXFFHVVLYH ZHHNV SULRU WR WKH GDWH VHW IRU KHDULQJ RQ WKH SHWLWLRQ LQ WKH IROORZLQJ QHZVSDSHU RI JHQHUDO FLUFXODWLRQ SULQWHG LQ WKLV FRXQW\ Asian Journal: SEP. 23, 2021 12 +($5,1* :,// 2&&85 21 ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT /RUQD $ $ONVQH -XGJH RI WKH 6XSHULRU &RXUW AJ 802 10/08, 10/15, 10/22, and 10/29/2021 ATTACHMENT TO ORDER TO 6+2: &$86( )25 &+$1*( 2) 1$0( -& )250 1&

12 +($5,1* :,// 2&&85 21 7+( '$7( 63(&,),(' ,1 7+( ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE. 7KH &RXUW ZLOO UHYLHZ WKH GRFXPHQWV ¿OHG DV RI WKH GDWH VSHFL¿HG RQ WKH 2UGHU WR 6KRZ Cause for Change of Name (JC )RUP 1&

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%()25( 7+( '$7( 63(&,),(' Do not come to court on the VSHFL¿HG GDWH 7KH FRXUW ZLOO QRWLI\ WKH SDUWLHV E\ PDLO RI D IXWXUH hearing date.

Any Petition for the name change RI D PLQRU WKDW LV VLJQHG E\ RQO\ RQH SDUHQW PXVW KDYH WKLV $WWDFKPHQW VHUYHG DORQJ ZLWK WKH 3HWLWLRQ DQG Order to Show Cause, on the other, QRQ VLJQLQJ SDUHQW DQG SURRI RI VHUYLFH PXVW EH ¿OHG ZLWK WKH &RXUW AJSD 802

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CASE NUMBER: 37-2021-00043629-CU-PT-CTL

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Crystal Marie &RURQD /LWW ¿OHG D SHWLWLRQ ZLWK WKLV FRXUW IRU D GHFUHH FKDQJLQJ QDPHV DV IROORZV &U\VWDO 0DULH &RURQD Litt AKA Crystal Marie Corona to Crystal Marie Litt.

7+( &2857 25'(56 WKDW DOO SHUVRQV LQWHUHVWHG LQ WKLV PDWWHU DSSHDU EHIRUH WKLV FRXUW DW WKH KHDULQJ LQGLFDWHG EHORZ WR VKRZ FDXVH LI DQ\ ZK\ WKH SHWLWLRQ IRU FKDQJH RI QDPH VKRXOG QRW EH JUDQWHG $Q\ SHUVRQ REMHFWLQJ WR WKH QDPH FKDQJHV GHVFULEHG DERYH PXVW ¿OH D ZULWWHQ REMHFWLRQ WKDW LQFOXGHV WKH UHDVRQV IRU WKH REMHFWLRQ DW OHDVW WZR FRXUW GD\V EHIRUH WKH PDWWHU LV VFKHGXOHG WR EH KHDUG DQG PXVW DSSHDU DW WKH KHDULQJ WR VKRZ FDXVH ZK\ WKH SHWLWLRQ VKRXOG QRW EH JUDQWHG ,I QR ZULWWHQ REMHFWLRQ LV WLPHO\ ¿OHG WKH FRXUW PD\ JUDQW WKH SHWLWLRQ ZLWKRXW D KHDULQJ NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 11/30/2021 7LPH $0 'HSW & 6XSHULRU &RXUW RI &DOLIRUQLD &RXQW\ RI 6DQ 'LHJR 330 WEST BROADWAY '(37 & 6DQ 'LHJR &$ $ FRS\ RI WKLV 2UGHU WR 6KRZ &DXVH VKDOO EH SXEOLVKHG DW OHDVW RQFH HDFK ZHHN IRU IRXU VXFFHVVLYH ZHHNV SULRU WR WKH GDWH VHW IRU KHDULQJ RQ WKH SHWLWLRQ LQ WKH IROORZLQJ QHZVSDSHU RI JHQHUDO FLUFXODWLRQ SULQWHG LQ WKLV FRXQW\ Asian Journal: OCT. 14, 2021 NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT /RUQD $ $ONVQH -XGJH RI WKH 6XSHULRU &RXUW $- DQG ATTACHMENT TO ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME (JC FORM #NC-120) 'XH WR WKH &RYLG 3DQGHPLF ZKLFK SRVHV D VXEVWDQWLDO ULVN WR WKH KHDOWK DQG ZHOIDUH RI FRXUW NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE. 7KH &RXUW ZLOO UHYLHZ WKH GRFXPHQWV ¿OHG DV RI WKH GDWH VSHFL¿HG RQ WKH 2UGHU WR 6KRZ &DXVH IRU &KDQJH RI 1DPH -& )RUP 1&

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SERVICES

CASE NUMBER: 37-2021-00043844-CU-PT-NC

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SAN DIEGO

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SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 29 - NOvEmbER 4, 2021

Journal

O c tO b e r 2 , 2 0 2 1

How Rose Cuison-Villazor Blazed the Trail as First Filipina-American Dean of a U.S. Law School

by MoMar

G. Visaya / AJPress

HEN Rose Cuison-Villazor was announced as the Co-Dean of Rutgers Law School in Newark early this summer, she became the first Asian-American woman Dean at W Rutgers Law School and the first Filipina-American Dean of a U.S. law school.

“I’m proud, and I’m grateful for this, for the chance to lead, and I would not be where I am today without the help of many other mentors and friends who supported me along the way,” Villazor told the Asian Journal. “I’m extremely grateful to be in this position and excited to continue leading despite the challenges of the pandemic.

This is a position that I hold dear to my heart, and I look forward to continuing to do.”

An expert in immigration and citizenship law, Villazor has served as the Vice Dean of Rutgers Law School in Newark since July 2019.

She also is the founding Director of the Center for Immigration Law, Policy and Justice.

Rutgers-Newark Chancellor Nancy Cantor said that as vice dean, Villazor “proved herself to be a remarkably quick study and exceptionally talented organizational leader, mastering the breadth and depth of administrative responsibilities while remaining an extraordinarily productive scholar, teacher, and mentor.”

“She is perfectly positioned to carry forward the law school’s legacy of providing an excellent and inclusive academic environment that is rooted in social justice,” Cantor added.

A nationally-regarded legal scholar with an active record in social justice issues and the areas of immigration, citizenship, property law, and race and the law, Villazor has published in top legal journals including the California Law Review, Columbia Law Review, Michigan Law Review, and NYU Law Review, among others.

She is the founder of the Rutgers Center for Immigration Law, Policy and Justice and a frequent public speaker who has ap-

Rose Cuison-Villazor broke the proverbial glass ceiling when she took her post as Co-Dean of Rutgers Law School.

peared on CNN and has offered commentary for several news outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, LA Times, and The Atlantic.

“It’s an opportunity to be a leader. This time of major challenges also presents opportunities to shape the law school, towards a vision of inclusivity and being welcoming to many different groups of people who don’t have access to legal education,” she explained.

She wants to leave with a vision of being inclusive and creating a pipeline to law school so that more people who didn’t have access to law school before could become lawyers

and represent immigrants, marginalized individuals, or work in big law firms and become judges or politicians.

“So my role as a dean, for me personally is an opportunity to be visible and to show other people who look like me that they can also be in this position, and have a seat at the table to make some changes,” she added.

Nurturing Her Dream “I must have been a senior in high school when there was a career day.

And on this career day, there was a woman lawyer who came and I thought, ‘Oh, maybe I could be a lawyer’,” she recalled. “My parents are immigrants, and they had like many immigrants had experienced racism and exploitation in the workplace. So I knew that that was wrong, and I felt that maybe becoming a lawyer is the path I should take.”

When she went to college, Villazor studied political science and from there, she began thinking that law could be a path for her. She ended up going to law school at American University in Washington, DC and eventually became the first lawyer on both sides of the family.

She practiced law for four years in New York City, and as a civil rights lawyer, she represented immigrants who were experiencing discrimination in healthcare and access to hospitals to clinics because they didn’t speak English well, or because they’re undocumented.

Villazor then got a fellowship to work at Columbia Law School and that is where she made the transition to academia, From 2004 to 2006, she was researched and wrote about immigration law and human rights.

Dean Rose Cuison-Villazor with a couple of her favorite books: Critical Race Theory and Little

Big Lou’s Donuts clinches multiple multimillion-dollar Australia-wide supply contracts, including with Metcash, FoodWorks and Foodland THE Australian-founded Big Lou’s Donuts, which specializes in producing a wide range of commercial donuts for retail, wholesale, events and corporate markets since 2008, recently sealed several deals with national wholesale distribution heavyweights, including Metcash, FoodWorks and Foodland.

The new supply contracts are poised to more than double the company’s current annual revenue of approximately US$2.5M. An estimated US$1.3M alone will come from the contract with wholesale distribution and marketing company, Metcash, while an estimated US$0.75M will be from the contracts with Australian supermarket chains, FoodWorks and Foodland.

The remaining extra revenue is to be generated through the supply of commercial donuts to retail stores in petrol service stations, such as Caltex, BP and APCO, as well as food trucks across Australia, including 40 vans in New South Wales via Munch Express and a potential 140 trucks in five states via Tasty Trucks.

The contracts were clinched following the new ownership of Big Lou’s Donuts by Smokefree Innotec (SFIO), an asset management company that now also owns the New Zealand-based Epiphany Café Franchise Group.

Both donut brands look to increase their market share in Australia. Commercial donuts produced by Big Lou’s Donuts are ideal for groceries and supermarkets while Epiphany Café’s pillow-soft donuts are more suited for the upper market that entails cafés and Epiphany Café in Australia by utilizing Big Lou’s restaurants.

“We plan to expedite the expansion plan of Donuts as the central commissary to supply all Epiphany Café outlets in Australia. This is made possible by our Smart Freeze Technology, a frozen technology that prolongs the product shelf-life up to six months while maintaining the quality of pillow-soft donuts and premium cakes. Also, Big Lou’s Donuts’ factory is able to produce more than 9,000 donuts per hour. Such productivity is sure to make our products more competitive in the market,” says Jeths Lacson, CEO and Chairman of SFIO. Another feature that will set Big Lou’s Donuts apart is its own proprietary vegan donut formulation, which maintains a donut’s light and fluffy textures despite the lack of dairy and egg. The vegan donut will also include a vegan chocolate hazelnut spread custom made

by Big Lou’s Donuts. The unique formulation took nearly 12 months to develop and the vegan donuts were recently launched on 27 September 2021 at Coles Supermarkets, an existing distributor of Big Lou’s Donuts.

Visit the official SFIO website (http://www. starfleetinnotech.com) to find out more.

(Advertising Supplement)

u PAGE 10 Manila is in the Heart by Dr. Dawn Mabalon.

AJPress Photos by Momar G. Visaya

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OctOber 29 - nOvember 4, 2021 • SAn DIeGO ASIAn JOUrnAL

Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS FOLLOWING our series of articles on COVID-19 the past few weeks, we have received more than two dozen questions from our readers. We have integrated them in this Q&A: Are the vaccines safe for those pregnant?

Yes, the COVID-19 vaccines are safe for pregnant mothers, proven by the millions of shots administered to women in the various stages of pregnancy. The FDA strongly recommends the vaccines for those who are pregnant to prevent pre-term abortion/miscarriages and death of fetus in the womb.

Does the vaccine alter the DNA? This is a myth propagated in social media. The vaccine does not alter the DNA, does not have a virus in it, does not cause COVID19 or Alzheimer’s, does not have a micro-chip in it, does not change a person’s blood type, and does not cause infertility or cancer or any other disease among healthy individuals.

How effective are the vaccines for kids?

Pfizer, for one, reported its new “lower-dose COVID-19 vaccine showed 90.7% efficacy (95% CI 67.7-98.3) against symptomatic infection for kids ages 5 to 11.

The FDA is releasing its final approval of this vaccine for this age group. Children eligible to get the vaccine should get it to be safe.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there were 130,000 new COVID-19 cases among kids for the week ending October 14, 2021 alone. The cases among children are on the rise and so with hospitalization.

The stupid mandate against masking by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and the dangerous medically baseless ideas of other arrogant leaders like her have obviously contributed to the gravity of the pandemic across the nation.

It is one thing to mandate in favor of a protective strategy; it is another to mandate against one and endanger people. Are they epidemiologists? These politicians could be challenged in court and held liable for their words and actions. Why don’t they follow the federal guidelines?

Any new ingredient in the booster?

No, the ingredient in the booster shot is the same as the first two shots. So, individuals who had any brand of the two shots and did not develop any complications will also most likely not have any untoward reaction to the booster, which is not a new formulation.

The booster is especially beneficial for those who are at high risk, those immunocompromised, and those who have co-morbidi-

Your COVID-19 queries ties (high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, COPD, asthma, etc.).

What if I skip the booster?

The immunity/protection (antibody titer) following the first two shots of any brand of COVID-19 vaccine wanes after 6 months (the titer goes down to around 60 percent or so from the 90-95 percent titer level conferred by the vaccines), so the immunity is reduced by about 40 percent. This figure represents the risk after 6 months. Getting the booster will raise the antibody titer (protective immunity) back up to 95.6 percent or higher. This is the right way to go, even for children.

Discuss your concerns with your physician.

What is mix-and-match?

Clinical studies have shown the safety and efficacy of giving one brand of the COVID-19 vaccines for the first shot (example: Pfizer’s) and a different brand (Moderna’s) for the second shot.

The same thing with the booster: If one had Pfizer or Moderna for the first 2 shots, the booster shot could be either of the two. If equally available, take the same brand for the second shot or for booster. If not, mix and match is similarly safe and effective.

How long do I stay test-negative?

After testing negative for COVID-19, a person remains negative as long as he/she does not get exposed to, or actually gets the SARS-CoV2 virus from people who have the virus (even if they do not have symptoms). A negative test in the morning could turn positive when tested the same afternoon or the following day if the individual does not wear a facemask, and does not do social distancing and gets exposed to infected persons. The risk of negative turning into positive is at least ten times higher among the unvaccinated.

Is natural immunity better?

No, natural immunity is not as protective, not as stable, and not as long-lasting as the immunity from the vaccines. Natural immunity will not be sufficient to protect people from getting COVID19 (again). Many unvaccinated individuals who have died from COVID-19, did not survive to benefit from natural immunity. The best strategy is to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Did the court rule on a vaccine mandate?

Yes, according to the Wall Street Journal, ”In nearly every instance, COVID vaccine mandates are holding up in court,” just like the federal mandate requiring all children to have the required vaccinations before enrollment which has held up for decades and protected billions of children around the world. Medically speaking, only a prompt federal vaccine mandate for all eligible persons will end this pandemic in the United States

sooner than later. The body of the unvaccinated acts as a host and becomes a reservoir-factory of the virus, where it replicates and mutates to a deadlier strain, which will exponentially spread to millions more and prolong this pandemic. Without a host, the virus self-destruct.

Is there a pill for COVID-19?

While hundreds of potential oral medications to prevent or treat COVID-19 are undergoing clinical trials, Merck’s COVID19-antiviral pill is the only one so far scheduled to be reviewed and scrutinized by the U.S. FDA on November 30, 2021.

Are you against the freedom of choice?

No, I am not against civil rights or personal liberty to choose, as long as the choice does not cause harm or kill other people. Let me echo my rhetorical questions to clarify my sentiment about freedom of choice: Does a driver of a school bus full of children have the right to choose to drive the bus over a cliff because he does not want to live anymore? Would you allow people who have active tuberculosis or any deadly infectious disease who refuse treatment (as their constitutional right) to spread the disease and kill thousands of others? Would a federal mandate to compel these persons (like those who refuse the COVID-19 vaccines) to get the shots to protect them and the general public not be justified?

Sadly, the abuse of freedom, political correctness, and cancel culture today are standing in the way of safe public health.

I strongly believe national societal interest and safety must always prevail over individual civil rights, especially in a pandemic which has so far killed more than three-fourths of a million around the world. King Solomon must be turning in his grave. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: philipSchua.com, Today.

SPSAtoday.com, and FUN8888.com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.

How Rose Cuison-Villazor...

PAGE 9 She became a law professor and her first teaching appointment was at Southern Methodist University School of Law in Dallas, Texas before moving to Hofstra Law School in Long Island. After three years, she moved to the University of California at Davis and stayed there for seven years.

In 2018, she joined Rutgers Law School and was appointed the Vice Dean in 2019. Last July 1, she officially became Co-Dean.

With her position as dean, Villazor hopes to be an inspiration to others.

She also wants to encourage more Filipinos, more Filipino Americans to go to law school and consider becoming law professors and becoming law school deans, administrators after graduation. According to her, it is important to go to law school, even if you don’t want to become a lawyer because it’s a study that helps you to be a critical thinker.

“It allows you the opportunity to eventually represent people who need your help with their liberty rights, with their houses, businesses and so it’s a great opportunity. It’s a great job and a career that that many Filipinos to this day are not really as invested in unlike, let’s say the medical fields,” she explained.

Co-editor of two books, The 1965 Immigration Act: Legislating a New America (with Jack Chin) and Loving v. Virginia in a “Post-Racial World”: Rethinking Race, Sex, and Marriage (with Kevin Maillard) published by Cambridge University Press, Villazor is also co-author of leading casebooks on immigration, race and property law.

She has testified before Congress and the California and New Jersey state legislatures. In 2011, she received the Association of American Law School’s Derrick Bell Award.

Critical Race Theory Professor Villazor teaches, researches, and writes in the areas of immigration and citizenship law, property law, Asian Americans

http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (619) 474-0588

and the law, equal protection law, Immigration Law, Estates in Land and Future Interests, and Critical Race Theory, Her research agenda explores legal structures and systems that determine membership and sense of belonging in the United States.

She has taught critical race theory many times since she began teaching in 2006.

“We know that there are racial inequities, what are we going to do about it. Critical Race Theory asks those questions. We’re critiquing the law by taking a step back and say ‘Well, who passed these laws? What were they thinking at the time? And then what impact did it have when they passed these laws,” she explained. “And we can see through CRT that the law has not been neutral, the law has led to the subordination of people of color, of women, of immigrants, and then the next question is what do we do about it?”

However, due to misinformation, disinformation, and the proliferation of fake news, the concept of critical race theory became highly politicized.

When she sees in the news these parents who are protesting outside of school boards saying ‘don’t teach CRT to my children,’ she is in disbelief.

“First I was thinking, are they even teaching that, because that’s great if they are. And if they are teaching that, then that’s just wonderful because the history of the United States is not some glorious history as we know it,” she said.

“The Philippines was colonized, Filipinos were denied citizenship, nobody knows it and critical race theory unearthed all that and says this is part of our history, and it’s important for our children to know it, or that to be taught in college and law school.”

Giving Back “I never thought I would become a dean, I just wanted to be a law professor. I also didn’t think I could become a law professor but I had mentors in law school,” she shared. “I’m an immigrant, and it’s not easy to be an immigrant, any-

where, particularly in the United States so in seeing from my own personal experience, my parents and other people around me, I’ve seen the role of law in shaping, all of those experiences.”

She is thankful to everyone who gave her a chance and opened doors for her. Without the women law professors, she wouldn’t have thought about pursuing what would become her vocation, and they gave her that impetus, served as her references, and then helped her to get the Human Rights fellowship at Columbia.

At Columbia, she had other mentors who then vouched for her and helped her to get her first teaching job.

“And so I think my path shows that it really does take a village to believe in you to help you and to lead, to help get you someplace.

My goal now, I’m committed to helping college and high school students who think about becoming a lawyer. It’s my way of giving back,” she said.

“I would not be where I am today without my family. My husband is also a lawyer and so he and I have to make sure that we support each other’s careers,” she added.

Aside from the deanship. Professor Villazor is also busy with her current research projects which examine the extent to which states, cities, churches, and non-state actors such as universities and churches provide “sanctuary” to undocumented immigrants and refugees.

She is also working on two book projects: one on Asian Pacific Americans and the Law (forthcoming at NYU Press) and the other on Property Law and Race (forthcoming at Carolina Academic Press).

To de-stress, she gets together with friends who are not lawyers, because “it’s just fun to be able to hang out with others and not talk about the law”. She sometimes plays the ukulele. And of course, the occasional karaoke.

“I mean, you know, how could you not do karaoke?” she said. n

Readers across the country rank Pechanga Resort Casino Best in the West outside of Las Vegas

National readers’ poll asked which casino fans liked best outside of Vegas, and which was the best national casino hotel PECHANGA Resort Casino was just named the West’s Best Casino Outside of Las Vegas, and Best Casino Hotel by the readers of USA Today’s national 10Best poll. Pechanga Resort Casino was the only California resort/casino in California to be nominated in both categories. Votes for Pechanga Resort Casino came pouring in from people throughout the United States.

Fans of Pechanga from California and elsewhere told Pechanga staffers they voted for the Temecula resort/casino in the national poll.

USA Today’s 10Best asked voters to cast their ballots for their favorite casinos starting in midSeptember. Voting ended Monday, October 11.

The final standing in the Best Casino Outside of Las Vegas category came in with an East Coast casino/resort in first place and Pechanga in the number two spot. Three East Coast casino/resorts placed ahead of Pechanga Resort Casino in the Best Casino Hotel category.

“It is a true honor to be voted the best in the west,” said Andrew Masiel, Sr., President of the Pechanga Development Corporation. “Being named the best comes because of the hard work and dedication our team members demonstrate and we are grateful for each and every one of them. We all work very hard to give our guests an unparalleled resort experience where they’ll receive personalized service from our friendly team members, so it brings a lot of pride to our entire team to be recognized by readers in these polls.”

Pechanga Resort Casino has been nominated in USA Today’s 10Best national polls every year since their inception in 2015. The Temecula, California resort/casino has earned a spot in the 10 top in each category every year, and was voted the #1 casino in the U.S. in 2015.

Visitors often remark to Pechanga staff that they are surprised at the magnitude of the resort’s size, luxury, cleanliness, amenity variety and genuine friendliness of its team members.

They also point out that Pechanga is the only one in California with as many on-site amenities as they have, including a championship 18-hole golf course, 25,000-sqaure foot luxury spa, 1,100 hotel rooms and suite, a pool complex larger than

the size of four football fields, entertainment, an array of restaurants and bars, and around-theclock casino excitement.

Those attributes also helped Pechanga secure three other top regional ratings in recent weeks.

Readers of the Press-Enterprise, Orange County Register and Los Angeles Times all named Pechanga as the Best Casino in Southern California for 2021.

Pechanga Resort Casino features a full-service resort/casino complete with 1,100 hotel rooms and suites; a 200,000 square foot casino floor; 4.5-acre pool complex; on-site championship golf course; 12 restaurants; exciting entertainment; luxury spa; 275,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space and more with 24/7 excitement.

Pechanga Resort Casino is known as a fun getaway from Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and beyond, and is just minutes from the Temecula Valley Wine Country. The Pechanga Tribe is known throughout California for giving back to the community.

In addition to the getaway the resort/casino offers, Pechanga’s leadership holds the health and safety of its guests and team members as the number one priority. Its Pechanga Cares pledge continues, and more information can be found at Pechanga.com.

Pechanga Resort Casino offers one of the largest and most expansive resort/casino experiences anywhere in the United States.

Rated a Four Diamond property by AAA since 2002, Pechanga Resort & Casino provides an unparalleled getaway, whether for the day or for an extended luxury stay. Offering more than 5,000 of the hottest slots, table games, worldclass entertainment, 1,100 hotel rooms, dining, spa and golf at Journey at Pechanga, Pechanga Resort Casino features a destination that meets and exceeds the needs of its guests and the community. Pechanga Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians. For more information, call toll free (877) 711-2946 or visit www.Pechanga.com. Follow Pechanga Resort Casino on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter @PechangaCasino.

(Advertising Supplement)

Alden shares his secret to success

by Alex

BrosAs Philstar.com

IN the last ten decades, Alden Richards has slowly but surely threaded a path laden with local and international recognitions, box-office hits, top-rating series, and chart-topping albums.

Along the way, he has also earned the trust of his audience and brands, making him an effective endorser not only for products and services but also causes and advocacies.

Alden Richards will always be grateful to GMA for believing in him.

Photo from Instagram/@aldenrichards02

With all of these, the Kapuso actor has proven worthy of his title as “Asia’s Multimedia Star.”

But as many of his loyal fans know, this superstardom didn’t come overnight.

Richards had to patiently wait for his big break in GMA 7, which became more evident in 2015 when the noontime show “Eat Bulaga” gave birth to the phenomenal love team “AlDub.” From there, he wisely used his newfound popularity to showcase his acting prowess — which had undoubtedly been there even before his love team became a household name — and took on more challenging roles.

And it surely all paid off with the young actor still maintaining his stature all on his own.

Despite the many achievements credited to his name, Richards would always go back to his home network. As such, it was with pride and gratitude that one of today’s most loved actors renewed his exclusive contract with GMA Network.

“I’m a homegrown Kapuso at isa yun sa pinagmamalaki ko because my dreams came true sa tulong ng GMA. It’s an honor to be part of people’s lives and I get to do it because of GMA,” Richards shared at his contract signing held in Edsa Shangri-La, Manila.

“I’d like to celebrate this kasi every year na nadagdag sa taon ko with GMA is a milestone for me and it made me feel that I am in the right place. Isang malaking karangalan po talaga maging parte ng GMA for 10 years. Here’s to another

u PAGE 11

The Google Voice scam: How this verification code scam works and how to avoid it

IT’S Cyber Security Awareness month, so the tricks scammers use to steal our personal information are on our minds.

If there’s one constant among scammers, it’s that they’re always coming up with new schemes, like the Google Voice verification scam. Have you heard about it? Here’s how it works.

Scammers target people who post things for sale on sites like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. They also prey on people who post looking for help finding their lost pet.

The scammers contact you and say they want to buy the item you’re selling — or that they found your pet. But before they commit to buying your

item, or returning your pet, they feign hesitation. They might say they’ve heard about fake online listings and want to verify that you’re a real person. Or they might say they want to verify that you’re the pet’s true owner.

They send you a text message with a Google Voice verification code and ask you for that code.

If you give them the verification code, they’ll try to use it to create a Google Voice number linked to your phone number. (Google Voice gives you a phone number that you can use to make calls or send text messages from a web browser or a mobile device.)

So, what’s the harm? The scammer might use that number to rip off other people and conceal their identity.

Sometimes these scammers are after a Google Voice verification code and other information about you. If they get enough of your information, they could pretend to be you to access your accounts or open new accounts in your name.

If you gave someone a Google Voice verification code follow these steps from Google to reclaim your number.

No matter what the story is, don’t share your Google Voice verification code — or any verification code — with someone if you didn’t contact them first. That’s a scam, every time. Report it at ReportFraud. ftc.gov.

(Alvaro Puig/Consumer Education Specialist, FTC) n

Community

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SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 29 - NOvEmbER 4, 2021

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San Diego City Council adopts Spaces as McDonald’s® USA unveils Places program to permanently allow first-ever NFT to celebrate outdoor business operations 40th anniversary of the McRib Limited-edition digital collectibles featuring the iconic sandwich will be given away to select fans beginning Nov. 1, as the McRib returns to participating restaurants nationwide

CHICAGO — McRib season is almost here, and no one is more excited than the McRib superfans that eagerly anticipate its return to McDonald’s menu each year.

From sliding into our DM’s asking “when is the McRib coming back?” to creating a locator tool where fellow fans can report McRib sightings, they’ve proven their love for this delicious, yet elusive sandwich. And now, we’re giving them the chance to enjoy it year-round... digitally.

For the first time in the U.S., McDonald’s is creating a limited number of NFTs in celebration of the McRib’s 40th anniversary. For those new to the world of NFTs (like us), they are non-fungible tokens – unique pieces of virtual art that can’t be duplicated. Our McRib NFTs are digital versions of the fan favorite sandwich – almost as saucy as the McRib itself – and we’re giving them away to a few lucky fans on Twitter beginning Nov. 1.

Here’s how it works – to enter for a chance to win, make sure you’re following @McDonalds on Twitter and retweet the Sweepstakes Invitation tweet any time between Nov. 1 through Nov. 7 from your public account. By Nov. 12 we’ll select 10 fans who will receive the exclusive McRib

NFT to add to their personal collection and enjoy even when it’s not on the menu.

With the McRib NFT, you’ll never again have to say goodbye to the sandwich you love. Whether you score one or not, be sure to treat yourself to the legendary tangy BBQ flavor of the McRib IRL once it hits participating restaurants nationwide beginning Nov. 1 for a limited time.

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.

(Advertising Supplement)

Alden shares his secret to success...

PAGE 10 10 years and I’m really looking forward to more beautiful projects and opportunities with the Kapuso network,” he added.

Showing their equal love for their prized talent, top GMA executives were in full force at Richards’ special day — be it via Zoom, physical, video messages, and their presence at Edsa Shangri-La Hotel.

Also in attendance was Dominic Zapata, Richards’ director in his current prime time show, “The World Between Us” (TWBU).

Last June, “Alden’s Reality: The Virtual Reality Concert” earned a finalist slot at the prestigious

2021 New York Festivals (NYF) “World’s Best TV and Films” Competition.

On top of being a trusted brand ambassador, Richards has been recognized as one of the 10 Most Influential Celebrities of the Decade at the 10th EdukCircle Awards.

He was recently given “Movie Actor of the Year” at the recently held 36th Star Awards for Movies by the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC).

Richards is currently gearing up for the return of TWBU on November 15. Fans are also looking forward to his exciting movie team up with fellow Kapuso actress Bea Alonzo, which the actor assured will definitely take place. n

New program will provide path to make temporary outdoor dining and other public space uses permanent

SAN DIEGO – With the purpose of improving the lives of all San Diegans and ensuring the city is prepared for the effects of climate change, the City of San Diego is asking for public feedback on its recently released draft Climate Resilient SD plan.

Climate Resilient SD implements key strategies of the city’s Climate Action Plan and fulfills legislative requirements to integrate climate adaptation into the city’s General Plan. Specifically, Climate Resilient SD looks at the past, present and future conditions of San Diego’s primary climate change hazards: wildfire, coastal flooding and erosion, flooding and drought, extreme heat and sea level rise.

“The climate crisis is already impacting San Diegans, especially those in frontline communities,” said Mayor Todd Gloria. “We are doing the work needed to prepare our city to overcome these threats while addressing environmental justice. Our efforts to enhance San Diego’s resilience will result in many economic, health and quality of life benefits for all of us.”

The plan aims to make sure San Diego will not only have the capacity to respond and recover from these climate change hazards, but also improve through investments in local communities. In addition, the plan focuses on maintaining critical city services, prioritizing investments for the city’s most vulnerable populations and investing in the areas with the greatest needs. Each of the plan’s adaptation strategies focuses on core benefits that can be achieved, such as social equity, recreation and improved air quality.

Residents and members of the public can read the draft, provide feedback and interact with others giving input by visiting the city’s Resiliency webpage at https://www. sandiego.gov/sustainability/ resilience. Comments can also

413, San Diego, CA 92123.

“Climate change hazards present a risk to San Diego’s natural environment, public health and safety, and economic prosperity,” said City Planning Director Mike Hansen. “By taking action now, we ensure our city is not only prepared to respond to the impacts of climate change but is actually able to thrive. We are committed to planning for a more equitable, sustainable and healthy future for all San Diegans, especially the most vulnerable who face the greatest risks and have the fewest resources available to respond.”

As city staff developed the draft plan, they held several outreach events and collected community surveys. They will continue to solicit additional feedback before finalizing the document. Staff will present the draft to the Planning Commission at its Nov. 4, 2021, SD Mayor Todd Gloria File photo meeting. Climate Resilient SD be submitted to JTMoore@ is expected to go to the San Disandiego.gov or mailed ego City Council for approval to Attn: Climate Resilient SD by the end of this year.

Team at 9485 Aero Drive, M.S. (San Diego City Release) n

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OctOber 29 - nOvember 4, 2021 • SAn DIeGO ASIAn JOUrnAL

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