102922 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

WITH less than two weeks to go until the 2022 election, eligible voters are able to cast their ballots in-person beginning on Saturday, October 29.

Hundreds of vote centers will open across Los Angeles County ahead of the November 8 election, where voters can exercise their civic duty in person.  Los Angeles County is home to approximately 5.6 million registered voters, and they will make their choices for statewide positions, seven statewide measures, and two county-specific measures in addition to local races.

Voters can cast or drop-off their voted ballot at any Vote Center throughout the County. Select Vote Centers will be open as early as Saturday October 29 and all 640 Vote Centers will be open on Saturday, November 5, through Election Day, Tuesday, November 8. The centers will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily andd on Election Day, they will be

by FRANCES MANGOSING Inquirer.net

AS the cold season approaches, several cases of respiratory illnesses are on the surge. Children’s hospitals in the U.S. are looking at a common respiratory virus, RSV. It’s a virus that can cause mild to severe breathing difficulties in babies.

Aside from the COVID cases circulating at increasing levels, flu and pediatric illnesses are also rising. Although COVID cases in kids are at controllable levels, RSV is the dominating virus that has increasing cases in parts of the U.S. and Canada. Children’s hospitals in Canada are also experiencing an increase in cases.

A vaccine expert and pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Dr. Paul Offitt, said that most children could recover independently from coronavirus. Especially if treated with plenty of rest and fluids. However, some kids with existing lung issues and very young children may require more care.

Furthermore, RSV cases are surging, which health experts are worried about. The cases of this virus dropped two years ago when

by CATHERINE S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

A CONGRESSMAN on Thursday, October 27 questioned the reported plan of the Supreme Court to reopen the estate tax case against the family of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Albay First District Rep. Edcel Lagman, president of the opposition Liberal Party, issued the statement after Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo said certain circumstances allow

the review of court decisions that have been accorded finality.

In 1997, the court ruled with finality that the Marcos family owed the government P23 billion in estate taxes, with the figure rising to over P200 billion due to penalties and surcharges.

In a statement, Lagman said reopening the case would violate the principle of final judgment which rejects the revival of cases already ruled with finality by a competent court.

by RONNEL W. DOMINGO Inquirer.net

THE Philippine peso returned to the 57:$1 territory after lingering at 58:$1 and weaker in the past five weeks, as local authorities moved to shore up the local currency’s position against the U.S. dollar, which itself has gone through some corrections.

The local currency closed on Friday, October 28 at 57:97:$1 after firming up to as strong as 57:82 during the trading day.

This happened after President Marcos’ comment last week that the government was ready to “defend” the peso, considering that further weakness could exacerbate high inflation.

Such statement from the

President was followed by similar comments from both Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Felipe Medalla and Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno about preventing the peso from depreciating or weakening too much.

Diokno said the government could intervene in the foreign exchange market with $10 billion from the BSP’s international reserves.

Personal opinion

The finance chief clarified that this was his personal opinion rather than a policy sanctioned by the Monetary Board, of which he is one of seven members.

Meanwhile, Medalla said the BSP might match an expected

by BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO ManilaTimes.net

A SENIOR United States Department of State official said Washington will oppose any attempt to block U.S. access to the South China Sea.

"We expect to be in the South China Sea as we have been," Amy Archibald, State Department director of the Office of the Maritime Southeast Asia, told visiting Filipino journalists on Wednesday, October 26.

Tension has been building in the strategic waterway, which is the subject of overlapping claims by the Philippines, China, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The Spratly island chain in the South China Sea is believed to be rich in oil and mineral deposits.

Archibald said the Code of Conduct being drafted to govern activities in the South China Sea "would be important if it does lead to the international rules-based system that allows a free and open and prosperous Pacific."

"And we will definitely oppose any effort not to include us," she stressed.

by DANIZA FERNANDEZ Inquirer.net

MANILA — Wearing face masks in indoor and outdoor settings is now voluntary.

Executive Order (EO) No.

7, allowing the optional face mask use and reiterating the continued implementation of public health emergency amid the COVID-19 pandemic, was signed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and released on Friday, October 28.

Under the order, wearing face masks is still mandatory

in healthcare facilities, medical transport vehicles, and public transportation.

The elderly, persons with comorbidities, immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women, unvaccinated individuals, and symptomatic persons are encouraged to wear a face mask.

Minimum public health standards (MPHS) to prevent COVID-19 spread will still be implemented.

Health protocols to prevent COVID-19 infection include

by Ben Briones

natural disasters — will finally make some major headway after facing delays during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, who had repeatedly expressed his disdain for the United States since he took office in 2016.

While wearing face masks is still mandatory in healthcare facilities, medical transport vehicles, and public transportation, wearing face masks in indoor and outdoor settings is now voluntary. Inquirer.net file photo

US eyes allocating $70 million...

PAGE A1

“These improvements are designed to enhance cooperative defense capacities and support humanitarian assistance disaster response activities, in ways that best meet the needs of the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] and the alliance,” U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said in a forum on Wednesday, October 26.

The EDCA, she said, is “another way to operationalize” the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which binds both countries to defend each other in case of an armed attack. Prepositioned assets and weapons will allow the United States and the Philippines to respond quickly in times of disaster or crisis.

The two treaty allies have recently seen “new energy and revived confidence” under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has been reaffirming ties with Washington, marking a departure from his predecessor who sought favor from China and Russia.

Five locations Acting Defense Secretary Jose Faustino Jr. said they had made “some progress” in three out of five predetermined EDCA sites — Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, which is closest to the Kalayaan Island Group in the West Philippine Sea; Basa Air Base in Pampanga, the home of the Philippine Air Force’s fighter planes; and Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, the country’s largest military camp and a frequent location of PhilippineU.S. military exercises.

The other two areas are Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu and Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro City.

Both sides are keen on

exploring additional EDCA locations “that will build a more credible posture,” Faustino said.

Counting on U.S.

“The EDCA is an important example of how we can come up with implementing details to treaties we have concluded … as well as the prepositioning of materiel that contribute to the AFP modernization to enable greater interoperability, capability, development, and modernization between our defense forces,” Faustino said.

In late September, Faustino met U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Hawaii against the backdrop of tensions in Taiwan and the South China Sea to discuss various ways to step up defense cooperation, including EDCA.

In the same forum, Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said the Philippines is counting on the United States “to help support us in upholding our sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea which are based on international law, and also pursue to deescalate tensions while promoting an international law-based order in the region.”

Faustino said that the Philippine-U.S. alliance “makes an important contribution to our efforts to develop our own capability, as well as to regional peace and stability, which is an essential component of the Philippines’ national interest.”

Aside from EDCA, he said they are also prioritizing the conclusion of a General Security of Military Information Agreement, which will establish the terms for the protection of classified military information

Wearing masks in PH now...

PAGE A1

hand hygiene, frequent handwashing, observance of physical distancing, and maintenance of good ventilation, especially indoors.

The Department of Health (DOH) will update the MPHS guidelines according to the order.

Moreover, the EO also tasked

the local government units (LGUs) to submit regular vaccination and booster coverage status reports to the DOH.

As of October 26, around 73.5 million individuals in the country are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Of the figure, 20.5 million persons received booster shots.

LGUs and government

“with the hope that this will streamline technology transfer for our required capabilities and ultimately improve our interoperability.”

Bilateral talks

The Philippines and the United States will also hold a Bilateral Strategic Dialogue, and a “2+2 Dialogue” of senior foreign affairs and defense officials in the months ahead.

“These meetings represent important opportunities to reiterate our shared vision of the alliance and offer a platform to explore ways we can modernize the alliance to confront today’s complex challenges to our regional security interests,” according to Carlson.

EDCA was signed in April 2014 literally hours before thenU.S. President Barack Obama arrived for a visit to Manila.

The constitutionality of EDCA was challenged in the Supreme Court, but it was declared constitutional in 2016 by the high court, which defined it as an executive agreement that seeks to implement existing treaties between the Philippines and the United States to boost defense and security cooperation.

The security pact grants the United States greater access to Philippine military bases, including the construction of facilities and storage of defense supplies.

In January 2019, then-Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and then-U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim inaugurated a warehouse, the first facility under EDCA, at Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga, to house equipment to be used in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.

US won’t give up access to South China...

A1

Archibald said the U.S. does not want to see "a Code of Conduct that will be used to exclude important regional partners."

China has long maintained that practically all of the South China Sea is part of its territory, based on the "nine-day line" concept.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines after it challenged China's claim on the disputed waters.

China refuses to accept the ruling.

In a separate interview, Greg Poling, senior fellow and director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said, "Nobody's going to accept Chinese restrictions on lawful activities in international waters."

Archibald said that the U.S. being a Pacific nation itself has "a commitment to a free and open Pacific.... And to extent a code of conduct can help us with those objectives."

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

Asked about China's refusal to recognize the arbitral ruling, Archibald replied: "It depends on what the text looks like.

I understand that's China's position, but we have a different one."

A senior U.S. defense official, in a separate interview, said Washington and Manila are negotiating to add five more sites for the implementation of their Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

Asked if such a move is related to the US commitment to ensuring sovereignty in the South China Sea, the official, who agreed to be interviewed on condition that he not be identified, said, "I think they are very much related to our commitment to standing beside

the Philippine as a treaty ally. So, I would say that that is broader than the South China Sea."

"But it is ensuring that we are able to support the Philippines, work alongside the Philippines in responding to a range of challenges including as I mentioned, any kind of disaster or other problems in the Philippines that we would want to offer support for," the official said.

Archibald said U.S.-Philippine relations "are in a very positive moment.... The Biden administration has already had frequent engagements with the new Marcos team at a number of levels."

"I think the range of engagements that we've seen between the two administrations reflects broadly the commitment of the United States has to its alliance with the Philippines which is something that endures across the Biden administration that is bipartisan and is longstanding," she said. 

SC plan to reopen Marcos tax case...

PAGE A1

"If final and executory decisions of the Supreme Court can be reopened in perpetuity, then litigations would be interminable or endless and the hallowed doctrine of res judicata is abandoned with impunity," he said.

“Res judicata means conclusiveness of judgment or a matter that has been adjudicated (with finality) by a competent court may not be pursued further by the same parties,” he said.

Lagman, a lawyer, pointed out that the Marcos family's estate tax case had been ruled with finality in March 1999.

corruption charges, and Imelda Marcos even ran for president in 1992, seven years before the finality of the tax case. Verily, the Marcoses were in the Philippines to contest their estate tax liability," he said. "The lapse of time has made the final decision immutable.

Jurisprudential doctrines can be reversed in a subsequent similar case, but not in the same prior case where the verdict has already become final and executory."

At the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum last Wednesday, October 26, Gesmundo said "no decision is set in stone" when it comes to cases that were decided with finality.

departments, agencies, and instrumentalities are directed to render full assistance and cooperation with the InterAgency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases to implement the order.

EO No. 3, which allowed the optional wearing of face masks in outdoor settings and issued in September, is now repealed. 

"The decision of the High Court in the estate tax liability of the Marcoses, which has ballooned from P23B to P203B due to interests and surcharges, became final and executory way back on March 9, 1999, or more than two decades ago," he said.

Lagman said the Marcos family had been given three decades to contest the case in court, starting from when they were allowed to return to the Philippines from exile in 1991.

"Before 1999, the Marcoses were allowed starting in 1991 to return to the Philippines to face

He cited circumstances where a case may be revisited despite a final decision by the Supreme Court. The modification in the decision would also depend on the Court's composition, he said.

Gesmundo said there were previous cases that, while deemed final and executory, were reopened "simply because the [Supreme Court] determined that there was violation of due process."

"In those instances, the Court is always guided that cases should be terminated at a certain point in time, it is called res judicata," he

said.

"What is important are the issues being brought by the parties before the SC. Is it a question of constitutional rights blatantly violated? Then we have to take a second look," the magistrate said.

In an interview with Toni Gonzaga in September, Marcos said the tax case should be opened because his family "had no chance to answer" when the Supreme Court issued its decision. 

Rep. Edcel C. Lagman Representative, First District of Albay and President, Liberal Party of the Philippines. ManilaTimes.net file photo

Ambulance company to halt some rides in Southern

by SARAH KWON Kaiser Health News

FOR 23 years, the private ambulance industry in California had gone without an increase in the base rate the state pays it to transport Medicaid enrollees. At the start of the year, it asked the state legislature to more than triple the rate, from around $110 to $350 per ride. The request went unheeded.

In September, American Medical Response, the largest U.S. provider of ambulance services, announced it had “made the difficult decision” to end nonemergency transports in Los Angeles County and blamed the state for having one of the lowest Medicaid reimbursement rates in the country. “What’s more,” the company, which sold for $2.4 billion in 2017 to private equity firm KKR, said, “we are not subsidized by taxpayer funds like public agencies, and almost 80% of our patients pay nothing or below cost for our services.”

The company, which also cited high operational costs, said its nonemergency division in that area was on track to lose $3.5 million in 2022.

The California Department

SOUTHERN

CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

AUTHORITY

IFB NO. PO899-23

ROTEM DOOR DATA

LOGGING DCP

The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) is seeking Bids for a Contractor to supply Door Data Logging DCPs for the Agency's Cabs. Bid documents may be downloaded at SCRRA's website at http:// metrolinktrains.com/ contracts/ Select Vendor Portal. Electronic Bids are due at 2:00 P.M. (PT) on 11/28/22.

For further information contact: Dorothea Cantero, Contract Administrator, at canterod@scrra.net

10/29/22 CNS-3633437#

ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)

citing low

of Health Care Services, which administers the state’s Medicaid program for low-income people, known as Medi-Cal, did not contest that the base rate hasn’t increased since 1999, but said that reimbursements have increased through add-on payments for supplemental costs and emergency rides.

In its initial announcement, AMR mentioned the phaseout of nonemergency services only in L.A. County. However, the company told KHN that it would stop servicing five hospitals in

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITY

IFB NO. MTL2304901

GATE SAVERS

The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) is seeking Bids for Gate Savers. Bid documents may be downloaded at SCRRA’s website at http://www. metrolinktrains.com/contracts. Bids are due on 11/30/22.

The Purchase Order to be awarded will be funded in part by grants under the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration.

For further information contact: Brian Jacob, Senior Contract and Compliance Administrator, at JacobB@ scrra.net.

10/29/22

CNS-3638494# ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)

Orange County in addition to seven hospitals in L.A. County.

Jason Sorrick, vice president of government affairs at KKR-owned Global Medical Response, which is now AMR’s parent company, said AMR would exit over the next six months and shift vehicles and as many of the 170 crew members as possible to its core emergency services.

AMR’s pullout equates to a loss of 28,000 nonemergency transports a year and could create a predicament for the hospitals that contracted with the company. L.A. County said it does not track the total number of nonemergency rides provided by ambulances in the county, while Orange County wasn’t immediately able to share its figure.

Although ambulances are typically associated with 911 calls, many are used to transport frail or vulnerable patients between health care facilities. A patient may need to go to a rehabilitation facility after hip surgery, or someone who attempted suicide may need to be moved from an emergency room to a psychiatric facility. Such transfers, known as interfacility transports, enable hospitals to free up beds and maintain patient access.

There isn’t consensus on what the impact of AMR’s pullout will be. The state told KHN that it will review and address access issues on a “targeted basis” if it becomes aware of any. Patient advocates said it’s too early to draw conclusions about the effect on patients, particularly those covered by Medi-Cal. The California Ambulance Association flagged concerns that companies

Fil-Am basketball

celebrates heritage during

FILIPINO American basketball star Jalen Green celebrated his Filipino heritage during the Houston Rockets’ annual Filipino Heritage Night. The event drew Fil-Am fans from all over the Houston area respectively to watch the game against the Utah Jazz.

Some of the highlights of the Rockets’ game on Monday, Oct. 24 included a 114-108 win against the Jazz, with Jalen Green scoring 25 points for the Rockets. This marked the Utah Jazz’s first loss of the season.

The night also featured a performance by Filipino recording artist Brian Puspos, as well as a tinikling performance at half-time by the Filipino

Filipino

Young Professionals of Houston Cultural Ambassadors (FYPCA).

The national anthem was sung by Filipino American Angelica General, and the ceremonial first shot was taken by Gary Ilagan, the executive director of the Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce. FilipinoAmerican service members and community leaders were honored during the night.

Jalen Green embraces his Filipino heritage Green hosted Filipino Heritage Night, putting on a show for fans. He also signed Rockets memorabilia for auction, with the proceeds benefiting the Clutch City Foundation and local Filipino

Youth Initiatives. He also did a post-game Q&A for eager fans who were excited to hear what he had to say after the Rockets’ win.

Green has long been vocal about his appreciation for his Filipino fans. In a recent interview, Green expressed his enthusiasm for Filipino Heritage Night and the Q&As he does for fans.

“I like doing it,” Green said. “The Philippines does so much for me; it’s the least I can do for them until I go back out there. I know a lot of people out there look up to me. They show a lot of love and support. Coming out there and doing this for them means the world.” (Inquirer.net)

Los Angeles County vote centers open ahead...

open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

In addition to in-person voting options, registered voters in California received a vote-bymail ballot. They can mail their ballot in until Election Day; it will be accepted if postmarked by Nov. 8 and received within seven days. Voters can also securely drop off their voted

ballot at any of the 400 Ballot Drop Box locations throughout the County through Election Day.

Voters will receive three mailers: their official sample ballot, a booklet of all Vote Center locations, and a postcard identifying the three closest Vote Center locations and VBM dropboxes. Locations can be found

Peso back to ‘57 vs $1...

0.75-percentage-point hike in the policy rate of the U.S. Federal Reserve, which might be announced at the next meeting of their Federal Open Market Committee, Nov. 1 to Nov. 2.

They hope that keeping a one-percentage-point difference between the policy rates of the BSP and the U.S. Fed would help arrest the downslide of the peso as higher rates make the U.S. dollar stronger.

While non-American currencies appear to be gaining against the greenback, ING Bank said the U.S. dollar was also “having one of its deepest corrections of the year.”

Corrective forces ING Bank said the latest readout on U.S. gross domestic product growth—accelerating to 2.5 percent in the third quarter of 2022—could feed the corrective forces currently at work for the dollar.

“However, some high U.S.

inflation data … and what should be a hawkish Fed next week should contain the depth and length of this dollar correction,” the Dutch bank added.

Also, ING Bank noted that the latest of the Bank for International Settlements’ triennial foreign exchange survey showed the U.S. dollar retained its dominant status in global foreign exchange transactions.

On Friday, the peso appreciated for the fourth day in a row, by 25 centavos to close at 57.97, which was the strongest in more than a month or since 57.48:$1 on Sept. 20.

This month, the peso hit its record weakest position of 59:$1 four times—Oct. 3, 10, 13, and 17.

“For the month of October, the dollar-peso exchange rate finally corrected lower, after rising for eight straight months, by 65.5 centavos or 1.1 percent,” said Michael Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial

at https://locator.lavote.gov.

Eligible Los Angeles County residents who missed the October 24, 2022 registration deadline can still vote at any Vote Center in Los Angeles County. Under California Election Law, Conditional Voter Registration (CVR) allows a prospective voter to conditionally register and cast a ballot.  (AJPress)

Banking Corp. Ricafort said the stronger peso has been largely brought about by the expected seasonal increase in OFW remittances and conversion to pesos that are needed to finance travel and other holiday-related spending ahead and during the long holiday weekend.

“The U.S. dollar also corrected lower against major global currencies to new one-month lows after improved global market risk appetite as stock markets [here and abroad] came from new one-month highs,” he said.

The economist added that the peso also continued to appreciate while global crude oil prices still lingered near nine-month lows or since Feb. 3 before Russia invaded Ukraine.

“Recent signals of local policy rate hikes, alongside other measures, would all help support and stabilize the peso exchange rate and overall inflation,” Ricafort said.

AMR, the largest provider of ambulance services in the U.S., is ending nonemergency transportation for 12 hospitals in Los Angeles and Orange counties, citing low state reimbursement rates.

Kaiser Health News photo

RSV cases on the rise: What you need...

the pandemic hit, and daycares and schools were closed. With lessening restrictions in 2021, doctors observed an alarming rise in the fall and winter virus.

Dr. Juan Salazar of Connecticut Children’s Hospital said, “I’m calling it an emergency.” The hospital is also shifting patients into spaces not usually for beds and playrooms due to the increasing number of patients.

To give full details about this virus, here’s a look at RSV and what needs to be avoided.

RSV stands for the respiratory syncytial virus. It’s the most common source of respiratory tract illness in young children globally. RSV also causes mild cold-like symptoms. Almost all children contract the infection in the U.S. at two years old.

Usually, people with the infection are contagious for three to eight days. Babies and people with weak immune systems can spread the virus for up to four weeks. However, there is still no vaccine for this, but studies are ongoing.

Symptoms of RSV in babies

COVID, flu, and RSV are all viruses that target the respiratory system. Thus, it can be tricky for parents to know which one their babies are dealing with. This is according to Dr. Kristin Moffitt, an infectious disease specialist at Boston Children’s Hospital.

In addition, even doctors can hardly determine which is which. They can only clearly diagnose the virus by using a test. Here are the symptoms of RSV that could look the same as COVID.

less common symptoms

Stomach

can affect

Everyone is susceptible to RSV. However, infants, vulnerable people with lung infections, and older adults face the most threat.

In the U.S. kids under five years old, RSV commonly causes 58,000 hospitalizations, with 500 deaths yearly. While for adults 65 and older, RSV leads to 177,000 hospitalizations with 14,000 deaths annually.

Dr. Melanie Kitagawa of Texas Children’s Hospital said that when babies struggle with breathing which can affect eating, “that’s when we start to worry. They’re breathing fast, breathing deep. We see them using muscles in their chest to help them breathe. These kids have difficulty taking a bottle because their breathing is impacted, and they can’t coordinate both simultaneously.”

Why is there an RSV surge now?

RSV is reaching several highly vulnerable babies and children who became too sheltered from simple bugs during the pandemic lockdowns. After more than two years of wearing masks, their immune systems aren’t ready and as vital to fight the virus.

In a news release, Dr.

Elizabeth Mack of the Medical University of South Carlina said, “South Carolina is drowning in RSV.” The sudden surge came earlier than usual this year. For babies, their mothers may not have contracted the virus during pregnancy which could give the newborns some immunity.

U.S. health officials have recorded a rise in the cases this month with reports of respiratory illnesses. Which they say is due to the early spread of the flu in the South. In addition, over 7,000 tests came back positive for RSV last week.

Doctors’ recommendation for RSV

Although there’s no particular treatment, managing the virus and letting it run on its normal course is essential.

Doctors might prescribe an inhaler or oral steroids to make breathing manageable. While in severe cases, doctors can give oxygen, a ventilator, or a breathing tube.

Moreover, doctors also advise washing hands and staying home when sick to avoid spreading the virus. During this flu season, doctors sometimes prescribe injecting an antibodybased medicine for vulnerable babies and premature infants. Dr. Russell Migita of Seattle Children’s Hospital advised that if your child has breathing problems,  “do not hesitate” to call 911 or rush to the nearest emergency department. But for less severe cases, Dr. Migita advised calling a regular healthcare provider for advice.

(Mary Villegas/Inquirer.net)

Ambulance company to halt some rides in...

are already stretched thin by staffing and vehicle shortages.

Though the two counties and the insurers that serve their MediCal populations did not express immediate concern about AMR’s decision, some hospitals may have trouble dealing with the loss.

“Halting these services will undoubtedly impact hospitals’ ability to efficiently manage” the flow of patients from arrival to discharge, said Adam Blackstone, senior vice president of communications for the Hospital Association of Southern California.

AMR said its pullout will primarily affect Providence, a Catholic health system operating in several states, including California. It did not respond to a request for comment.

AMR now also attributes its exit to avoiding a labor dispute. Sorrick said that because of Medi-Cal’s rates, AMR could not staff both emergency and nonemergency ambulances and raise wages for unionized emergency staffers who were threatening to strike. So it shuttered its lower-priority nonemergency division, which wasn’t unionized. It planned to use the savings to increase wages for emergency staff members.

Michael Diaz, an EMT and president of the International Association of EMTs and Paramedics Local 77, which represents 350 EMTs and paramedics for AMR emergency services in L.A. County, confirmed that AMR’s announcement came the day before the union planned to march in protest for higher wages.

Diaz, whose national union had joined the industry in lobbying the California legislature for higher rates, said AMR’s announcement could also have been politically motivated. “They’re sending a message,” he said.

So far, it’s unclear whether elected officials have noticed the pullout. Leaders of legislative budget committees declined to comment or did not respond to inquiries.

Medi-Cal spending on all medical transportation services totaled about $975 million in fiscal year 2021-22, according to data from the Department of Health Care Services.

The department said Medi-Cal’s insurers are ultimately responsible for maintaining an adequate network of medical transportation providers and noted that the

insurers are allowed to pay above the base rate. The ambulance industry said it’s uncommon for insurers to pay more.

Jimmy Pierson, president of the California Ambulance Association, said other ambulance companies usually pick up the slack when one exits a market. But he warned that competitors may not be able to cover all of AMR’s nonemergency ambulance rides this time, given unprecedented labor and supply shortages — including two-year waits for new ambulances — and rising Medi-Cal enrollment and inflation. A recent national survey found that EMTs turned over at an annual rate of 36%.

“How are you going to find 170 employees in a labor shortage?” Pierson asked. “How will you find those ambulances?”

Ambulance companies said that hiring and retention have been battered by low wages, burnout, and lasting effects of EMT school closures during the pandemic — and that low Medi-Cal reimbursements make paying EMTs competitive salaries difficult.

A few other companies in the state have already shut down or scaled back services, Pierson added. In 2016, AMR ended nonemergency and emergency services in Tulare County, a region in the Central Valley with one of the highest shares of residents on Medi-Cal.

Sorrick said AMR believes enough companies provide nonemergency transports to

absorb the volume.

Chad Druten, president of the Los Angeles County Ambulance Association, said the county has approximately 1,200 licensed private ambulances operated by about 35 companies, most of which are small to medium-sized and focus on nonemergency transports. A few large companies, including AMR, cover emergency calls.

Melissa Harris, who owns AmbuServe Ambulance Service in L.A. County, said she plans to compete for small portions of AMR’s contracts, focusing on the ones with fewer Medi-Cal patients. Harris said she loses money on every Medi-Cal-covered transport and can’t easily buy and staff new ambulances. If she wins any contracts, she will likely have to “trade” away her existing contracts that serve the highest portions of Medi-Cal patients. n

The consequences of that, Harris said, would hit underserved patients the hardest.

This story was produced by KHN, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.

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

by Joey O. Razon

OFEATURES PINION

Inching up, but still weak

Since 2016, the Philippines has continuously

adherence to the rule of law, as assessed in an annual index drawn up by the independent nonprofit World Justice Project.

In the latest WJP Rule of Law Index, the Philippines finally saw an improvement, ranking 97th out of 140 countries – up from its 102nd place out of 139 last year. The Philippines, however, retained its near-bottom 13th place among the 15 countries in East Asia and the Pacific, ahead of only Myanmar and Cambodia. The latest ranking is also a long way from its 51st place among 103 countries recorded in 2015.

Only 39 percent of the countries included in the latest list showed improvements. The rest declined in their scores based on 44 indicators, grouped under eight factors: constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, basic rights, regulatory enforcement, order and security, criminal justice and civil justice. Among the 44 subfactors, the biggest declines since 2015 were recorded in freedom of opinion and expression as well as freedom of assembly and association, according to the WJP.

The group said authoritarian trends that were present even before the COVID pandemic continued to erode the rule of law. “Checks on executive power are weakening and respect

for human rights is falling,” WJP executive director Elizabeth Andersen said.

Adherence to the rule of law is a common factor among the most advanced economies. Topping the index this year are Denmark followed by Norway, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, Luxembourg, Estonia and Ireland. At the bottom are Venezuela, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Congo, Haiti, Egypt, Cameroon, Nicaragua, Myanmar and Mauritania.

In this region, behind New Zealand are Australia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Mongolia. Indonesia was in the bottom half followed by Thailand, Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Myanmar and Cambodia.

In the Philippines, the weakness of the rule of law, the unpredictability of the regulatory environment, entrenched corruption even in the inefficient judiciary – these are among the concerns that have held back national progress and turned away the types of long-term investments that would generate meaningful employment.

CALIFORNIANS know increasingly well what it’s like to wake up every day to the stark realities of climate change.

Shattered heat records. Smokefilled skies. Drought.

And along with these, feelings of frustration, fatigue, and helplessness.

Growing up in South Los Angeles, I dealt almost daily with the fallout from air pollution, climate change’s precursor.

California’s CalEnviroScreen has categorized the area I grew up in as among the top 10 percent most disadvantaged communities in the state. The local pollution exhausted and sickened us as we tried to live our lives. Along with many in my family and my neighborhood, over time I developed asthma.

My story is common in historically disadvantaged neighborhoods, which are often impacted by multiple pollution sources. California’s air pollution challenges can be traced to our reliance on combustion technologies for transportation.

Diesel trucks are particularly harmful, producing cancercausing exhaust and generating over half of smog-forming pollutants while making up only 3 percent of the vehicles on California roads.

As a clean air advocate, I know there are actions every one of us can take to bring about change. This November we can start by voting Yes on Proposition 30, California’s Clean Air Initiative — a practical and equitable plan to dramatically reduce air pollution. Prop 30 will kick-start California’s road to clean air by accelerating our conversion to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) and funding work to prevent extreme wildfires.

Despite decades of progress on tailpipe emissions, California is still home to the worst air pollution in the United States. Ninety-eight percent of Californians live in communities impacted by unhealthy levels of ozone (smog) or particle pollution (soot). In the American Lung Association's annual State of the Air report, our cities top the lists of the most polluted in the nation, with eight of the ten most particle-polluted cities and six of the ten most ozone-polluted cities in the country.

And in case you thought things were getting better, they’re not: the report also shows troubling increases in ozone pollution that had some in Southern California facing 180 days — about half the year — of ozone pollution.

Even in the state with the worst air in the nation, the Los Angeles metropolitan area stands out, ranking as the most ozone-polluted city in America. As I know from experience, the situation is literally sickening.

MANUEL L. QUEZON III

THERE is, apparently, a phenomenon already being called Duterte nostalgia. A kind of acknowledgment of this was the offhand comment of President Marcos Jr.’s new P1-ayear communications consultant, Paul Soriano, that the President, sadly, isn’t seen enough. Now, the President is being seen a lot, together with comments that he’s perhaps going overboard since he looks tired and even bloated. When, in the same first 100-day period, the President’s own vice president expresses exhaustion on social media, you know that the back you have to watch is well and truly your own. If the veep can subtly throw shade on the prexy, then a former prexy can do the same thing just as well: and so from the corner of former prexy Gloria Macapagal Arroyo came the revelation that the President,

in his concurrent capacity as aggie secretary, has only been to his department’s office twice.

PNP chief turned Bureau of Corrections big boss turned Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa has also taken to accentuating the (past) positive (for the faithful) by responding to the woes of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla by suggesting the revival of “tokhang.” The lone senator of Arroyo’s party, LakasCMD, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., helpfully filed a resolution calling for Dela Rosa’s committee to investigate the utterly shocking because utterly confused and uncoordinated goings-on in the national penitentiary, what with the liquidation of Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa allegedly having been a hit ordered from within New Bilibid Prison: a case that began to turn cold the moment the supposed middleman, Crisanto Villamor, dropped dead just after being exposed.

Back in the good old days not so long ago, so the framing seems to be going, people were afraid

That’s why the Lung Association and I are supporting Prop 30: 80 percent of California’s smog-forming emissions come from the transportation sector at the heart of this game-changing initiative. And Los Angeles has the most to gain from the state’s transition to zero-emission vehicles that Prop 30 will fund.

Prop 30 will tax people earning more than $2 million per year and use the revenue to help low- and middle-income Californians afford zero-emission vehicles, expand our charging network, and rapidly replace the dirty diesel trucks, buses and agricultural equipment that spew toxic air into our communities.

While California has made progress in reducing exhaust, in the last several years we have also seen many of the largest wildfires in state history. These catastrophic events are spurred by climate conditions and inadequate resources to prevent and battle the growth in extreme wildfires, which generate massive doses of particle pollution, so Prop 30 will also invest another $20 billion in preventing and fighting catastrophic wildfires. The top priority would be retaining and hiring new firefighters so that state and local fire departments can do more preventative work and react more quickly to blazes.

The American Lung Association's 2022 Zeroing in on Healthy Air report shows that California has a tremendous

opportunity to shift to zeroemission transportation and cleaner energy. By accelerating the transition to zero-emission technologies including passenger cars, trucks, school and transit buses, we could save over 15,000 lives, prevent 440,000 asthma attacks and avoid more than 2 million lost workdays over the coming decades. In the L.A. region alone, we found that over 240,000 asthma attacks could be avoided and over 8,600 lives saved.

This ballot measure can vastly improve the air quality of

Southern California residents and provide real-world health benefits. Half of its ZEV funding is directed to low-income communities disproportionately impacted by air pollution and will change lives - including those of young people struggling to breathe, like me.

California has taken major steps toward healthier air by adopting zero-emission standards for passenger cars and trucks, but we are in need of dedicated, long-term investment to fund those goals. Prop 30 fills that need.

The American Lung Association and a lengthy list of fellow health organizations want every Californian to start their day with a breath of clean, healthy air. We all agree that passing Proposition 30 is an important step towards achieving this goal.

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

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Los Angeles has the most to gain from Prop 30 Restoration vs. nostalgia

of the government instead of running circles around it. While the President has already twice refused to engage in the battle over history in the Department of Education (there are many online, after all, who have been fighting and winning that war for him for years), this was belied by news of the review of curricula proposing to substitute the gentler (and formerly official) term of New Society where textbooks now say martial law. The veep was moved enough to issue a statement saying no historical whitewashing would take place since she is, after all, the granddaughter of someone who’d launched and led yellow confetti protests in Davao.

In the meantime, the President has continued helpfully providing employment to retirees from the Duterte era: most recently, a former PNP chief turned health undersecretary. Not just as an expression of PNP solidarity but just as possibly as part of his Protect the Faithful duties, Dela Rosa weighed in on criticisms of the appointment by saying

his fellow ex-PNP chief is some sort of management whiz and can therefore best backstop the doctors. In the meantime, the President is left justifying the continuing absence of a permanent secretary of health by saying the time to name one will be when the pandemic ends. This was five days ago: lo and behold, on Tuesday, October 25, the secretary of tourism announced a forthcoming executive order making mask-wearing optional in enclosed places. For the economy. For the country. And, one might suggest, for the possibility of finally convincing someone, anyone, to take on what remains one of the most thankless jobs in the country.

Not least because besides the pandemic, there remains the unfolding impact of part of the Duterte legacy, which is the increasing likelihood he has bequeathed his successor and all incumbent local leaders with a poisoned pill of his making to accompany the Mandanas ruling. The President has alluded to this

in terms of schools: while the Supreme Court’s Mandanas ruling historically decided LGUs will get a share of all national taxes, Duterte then issued an executive order stating the devolution of formerly national services to LGUs: meaning even before they got their expected windfall, they (the LGUs) were mandated expenditures for programs and projects the national government used to provide. It’s a rather clever switcheroo, not least because it’s likely to leave local governments even more dependent on the national government for funds.

In the not-so-long-ago days already being discussed with nostalgia, local governments and members of the House of Representatives alike were kept happy by means of emergency pandemic-related spending, and what some critics suggest was the most promiscuous public works spending in living memory. The Restoration Era’s equivalent seems to be a combination of large allocations for intelligence funds and contingency funds to

backstop the expected shortfalls in LGU budgets since the share for LGUs will apparently still be calculated on the basis of the leanest of the lean years, 2020, as far as national income is concerned. But however tallied, there’s nothing to disburse until collections can actually better meet demand: which is where the fiscal meets the political, in the vacuum that is the empty administrative and policy spaces where a secretary of health is usually found. At least the pandemic can be essentially declared ended with a stroke of a pen, without the discomfort of having to seek medical advice, and the economy can rev up in time for next year’s expected harsher doses of reality to come.

(Inquirer.net)

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

* * * Email: mlquezon3@gmail.com; Twitter: @mlq3

ManilaTimes.net photo

Open government, instead of improving, has suffered setbacks in recent years, with even public access to the statements of assets, liabilities and net worth of top officials now restricted. Efforts to pass a freedom of information law have consistently stalled in Congress. The country clearly has a wide

room for improvement in upholding human rights. The strength of the rule of law impacts the level of development and quality of life. As indicated in the Rule of Law Index, the country needs significant reforms to even get back to its ranking in 2015. (Philstar.com)

Mariela Ruacho is clean air advocacy manager at the American Lung Association.

Photo by Michael Marais on Unsplash

DATELINE PHILIPPINES

Remulla says ‘very possible’ mastermind behind Lapid slay has been identi ed

MANILA — Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Friday, October 28 that it is “very possible” that authorities investigating the fatal ambush of broadcaster Percy Lapid have identified the brains behind his killing.

“It’s very possible,” Remulla told reporters in a chance interview when asked if authorities have determined who is the mastermind in the Lapid slay. “We still have to evaluate everything.”

Police said Monday, October 24 they have identified 160 persons of interest in the killing of Lapid, including suspended Bureau of

Corrections chief Gerald Bantag.

So far, at least eight persons of interest have been turned over to authorities, including those who may be linked to the sudden death of Jun Villamor, one of the alleged middlemen in the killing of Lapid. Five are with the Department of Justice while three are under the custody of the Philippine National Police.

It was Villamor’s sister who claimed that she had information from her brother about three inmates who should be investigated should he die.

Remulla said the results of the investigation so far on the Lapid killing is “very satisfactory,”

saying that they have “made a lot of progress.”

“I think that … the proper cases can be filed by the end of next week, hopefully,” he said.

The National Bureau of Investigation — under the DOJ — and the PNP have started their joint probe into the death of Jun Villamor, the inmate who allegedly gave the hit order to confessed gunman Joel Escorial.

Meanwhile, results of the second autopsy on Villamor, conducted by forensic pathologist Raquel Fortun, should be ready by Saturday, Remulla said. (Xave Gregorio with a report from Kristine Joy Patag/Philstar.om)

Marcos seeks stronger PH-China ties

by CATHERINE S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday, October 27 vowed to further strengthen the country's ties with China, as he congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping on his reappointment as leader of the Communist Party of China.

In his speech during the groundbreaking of the Samal Island-Davao City Connector bridge project in Davao City, Marcos extended his congratulations to Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Ambassador Huang Xilian "for the successful conduct of the Communist Party Conference."

Xi's third term makes him China's most powerful ruler since founding leader Mao Zedong.

"We look forward to building upon the directions that President Xi Jinping has given to the People's Republic of China in partnership with the Philippines," the President said.

"We look forward to continuing, to strengthen and to bring closer our two countries," he said.

Marcos also thanked China for being a "dependable partner" in the Philippines' infrastructure development program.

"This is not the only project that we had depended upon the concessional loans and even grants from the government of the People's Republic of China, and it is clear to see the benefits that those projects bring to our people, to our economy and to the

Philippines," he said, referring to the Samal-Davao bridge project.

The project is expected to boost tourism and economy in the Davao region, and will be funded through a $350-million (P18.67 billion) loan agreement between the Philippines and China.

The Chinese side will cover 90 percent of the project's P23.039billion cost.

In his speech, Huang reiterated China's commitment to strengthening ties with the Philippines as close neighbors and partners.

"In China's journey towards China's modernization, we are willing to work hand in hand with the Philippines for mutual benefit and common development," he said.

Huang also expressed confidence that the bridge project will not only provide jobs for locals and serve as a landmark in the Davao Region, but also signify a new milestone of the ChinaPhilippine friendship.

He said that "the people of Davao have been dreaming of the bridge since long time ago."

"Thanks to the care and support of leaders of our two countries, the construction of this flagship project is initiated today. It reflects China's commitment to the Build Better More program of the Philippine government, and marks a significant milestone of the bilateral cooperation," Huang said.

He added that Chinese modernization will have a

profound impact on the world and benefit mankind.

The envoy said the first 100 days of the Marcos administration resonated with the development method of Chinese modernization.

"China and the Philippines are close neighbors who enjoy complementary development advantages and broad prospects for cooperation," Huang said.

Marcos earlier said the Philippines will continue to engage China on people to people, economic relationships, and cultural exchanges.

This despite the long-standing maritime dispute between the Philippines and China, which claims almost all of the South China Sea, which overlaps with the West Philippine Sea.

"The position that the Philippines takes is that we have no territorial conflict with China. What we have [is] China claiming territory that belongs to the Philippines," Marcos said in an interview when he visited New York.

"This is the position we take, and with our American partners, we have promoted that position. We have also made it clear to our friends in Beijing that this is the way we feel about it," he said.

In 2016, the Philippines scored a victory against China in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands, when it declared Beijing's claim over the South China Sea as illegal.

China has refused to recognize the arbitral ruling. 

COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila drop

by JANVIC MATEO Philstar.com

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

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

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

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

“In analyzing the trends and available data, it seems that the wave last June in Metro Manila was driven by the Omicron BA.5 subvariant. The subsequent wave from September may have been caused by the XBB or XBC subvariants,” David said.

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

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

0.74 on Oct. 25.

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

OCTA said healthcare utilization in Metro Manila decreased from 35 percent to 29 percent as of Oct. 24. The intensive care unit capacity remained at 23 percent.

Voluntary masking  indoors

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

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

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

He said sensible pandemic management is needed at this time.

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

On Tuesday, October 25, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco announced the government’s plan to lift the mandatory masking indoors, based on the recommendation of

the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases.

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

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITY RFQ NO. MTL2304902

LONG REACH SPRING CLIPS

The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) is seeking quotes for the replenishment of Long Reach Spring Clips. Bid documents may be obtained at https://metrolinktrains. com/doing-business (free registration). Electronic Bids are due at 2:00 p.m. (PT) on November 15, 2022.

For further information, contact Brian Jacob, Senior Contract Administrator, at (213) 452-0316 or jacobb@ scrra.net

10/29/22

CNS-3638592# ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)

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

PNA photo by Avito Dalan

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

MANILA — The Philippines has one million children who have not received a single dose of childhood vaccine, leaving them susceptible to transmission of various life-threatening vaccinepreventable diseases such as polio, measles, and tuberculosis, the United Nations Children's Fund or UNICEF said Monday, October 24.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

some 11 million children in 2021.

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

Recommendations

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

• improving tracking of defaulters

• increasing vaccination visits

• establishing sustainable service delivery mechanisms through primary health care platforms

• tackling persistent stockout of vaccines.

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

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

(Philstar.com)

Journalists grapple with audience distrust, hostility driven by disinformation

by XAVE GREGORIO Philstar.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

vloggers.

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

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

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

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

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

Down from ivory towers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Financial independence, organizing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How Nikki turned grief into contentment

By marinel Cruz Inquirer.net

“I’VE healed,” declared actress Nikki Valdez, who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment in 2021 to try to have another baby but failed.

Nikki has a 14-year-old daughter named Olivia from her previous marriage. She has been married to ABS-CBN sales executive Luis Garcia for four years now. The actress explained that they tried IVF twice before succeeding to develop an embryo, but when it was transferred to her uterus, “it failed to grow,” she said. “We call it ‘embaby’ because it’s an embryo/baby.”

The actress admitted that the more she shared her experience with people on how she dealt with grief and achieved acceptance, the better she felt emotionally.

“I always think that there might be someone out there who needs my advice at that particular moment,” she began. “I kept praying for acceptance of the will

of God, no matter how painful the situation was. By doing so, I was able to move on quickly.”

The actress continued: “Luis and I prayed for a baby. We felt that it was the right time. We were earning enough to be able to afford giving IVF a try, so we did and then left everything to God. Unfortunately, His will was different from ours. It also took a

while before I learned to accept this. It even came to a point when I questioned His intentions. I asked, ‘How come families who no longer want kids were given kids? We only wished for one, but we were denied.’

To couples who might be going through a similar experience, Nikki has this to say: “This shouldn’t affect your relationship with your partner. It should even make it stronger. Luis and I just chose to be content and happy with what, or who, we have right now. We have Olivia.”

Request not granted

Nikki added that it also saddened her to know that Olivia also wanted to have a sibling, but that she was not able to grant that request. “That’s what’s painful, to have to explain to her why her wish wasn’t granted,” the mom said.

The actress was the celebrity storyteller during the most recent Inquirer Read-Along session. She read Ompong Remigio’s

Kathryn, Daniel reveal how they keep ‘kilig,’ magic after 11 years

By Kathleen a llemit Philstar.com

KATHNIEL are really grown up!

Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla or more popularly known as KathNiel shared that it takes maturity and keeping it real to keep the fire, so to speak, burning.

The couple shared their sentiments about growing up and maintaining their relationship on- and off-screen for 11 years.

Speaking at the finale presscon of their hit nightly show “2 Good 2 Be True” on Tuesday, October 25, Karthryn and Daniel said that it is hard for them to play similar roles with the requisite “kilig” for more than a decade.

Pag ginagawa mo siya offscreen, onscreen for 11 years, paano? Maturity. Maturity ng kilig na tinatawag natin,” Daniel said. “Sa amin ni Kathryn, iba na ‘yung ibig sabihin ng kilig. Lalo na dito sa show, tinitimpla namin kung paano kami dapat. Iba na ‘yung atake namin kesa sa dati. Dati kasi may mga cheesy

LA CONSUL GENERAL EDGAR BADAJOS IS CITIZEN PINOY SPECIAL GUEST. Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel has Consul General Edgar Badajos of the Philippine Consulate General in L.A. as his special guest, where the latter will provide many

information about the services and purpose of the consulate. Watch this very informative

inspiring feature on Consul General Badajos on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy”

through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. (Advertising Supplement)

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

foreigners? In this special episode, Citizen Pinoy’s special guest is Consul General Edgar Badajos of the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles. He will share a little bit about PAGE B2

Nikki Valdez Photo from Instagram/@niikkivaldez1

Jeff counts his blessings, makes acting debut

JEFF Moses belongs to the chosen few who have been named as among GMA 7’s promising stars. He is part of Sparkada, the network’s newest barkada, handpicked and trained by Sparkle GMA Artist Center to carve out their own niche in show business.

Part of learning the ropes is assigning the Sparkada members in shows like All-Out Sundays (AOS) and the different drama anthology-weekday TV series, to hone their performing and acting skills.

Jeff’s playground at the moment is the set of AbotKamay na Pangarap, the medical family drama that stars Carmina Villarroel, Richard Yap, Jillian Ward and Andre Paras. His character Reagan is a custodian in the hospital, where Jillian’s young genius doctor Analyn works. He also becomes Analyn’s support system. Abot-Kamay na Pangarap airs Mondays to Saturdays after Eat, Bulaga.

“It’s my very first project and first teleserye in GMA,” said the 22-year-old Jeff, who is not spared from having the usual first-time jitters, in a virtual interview. “This is my debut (project) acting careerwise. I hope they (viewers) will appreciate my character and like my portrayal.”

Before Sparkle had given

its go-ahead signal for him to foray into acting, Jeff attended workshops under the tutelage of acting coach Ana Feleo.

“She has taught us a lot of approaches and given us tools that we can use when we work on set,” said Jeff, described by the artist center as the Moreno cutie. Among his takeaways from the workshops are the importance of using available stimulus in playing a role and the idea of owning one’s space. What’s clear to Jeff, in each working day and in every scene, is “to give my best (and) to be a better version of myself.”

And the lessons and insights Jeff has gained from the workshops are not only about acting as a profession, but also about life, he added. “(Coach Ana) has contributed a lot to how we (as work shoppers

will) handle and hone the craft. Sparkle GMA Artist Center also provides us workshops in dancing and singing.” This is how Sparkle brings out the versatility in its young talents like Jeff and figures out what area of entertainment the latter can excel.

Asked how he caught the performing bug, Jeff said, “Everything started for me when I was in high school. Back then, I was into performing, singing and dancing. Then, gradually I had this ‘spark’ in me, thinking of giving showbiz a try. I seemed to see myself even then that I belong to it (the entertainment industry). My intention is not just for the sole purpose of doing it, but I want to entertain people, like I want to see other people happy and them smiling dahil sa mga ginagawa ko (because of what I’m doing) like acting or dancing.”

According to the information furnished by Sparkle to this paper, Jeff has an online following and would upload content like dance and song covers on TikTok. It adds that fans adore him because of “his well-maintained figure, charming smile, happy-go-lucky personality and talents.”

Now that he has entered showbiz and flexed his muscles in it, Jeff shared that “I got interested in acting. I want to dive deep into it, and be a better

ConGen Badajos of PH Consulate-LA...

himself and his experience as a seasoned diplomat, and his role in promoting and protecting the rights and welfare of overseas Filipinos.

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

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

Watch this informationpacked brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, October 30 at 6:30 PM PT

Jaya, Pops Fernandez, and Kuh Ledesma headline special casino show in Coachella Valley on November 12

FOR the first time and for one night only, Fantasy Springs Resort Casino will stage an ALL Filipino artist concert featuring three top Divas of Philippine live entertainment.

Queen of Soul Jaya, Concert Queen Pops Fernandez and Pop Diva Kuh Ledesma complete  an ensemble of Divas that has never been done on live stage before.

Showrunner Enteng Perez speaks, “This is produced by New Paradise Entertainment and is a production of Fantasy Springs Casino as this will reactivate again the Filipino concert scene in the Coachella Valley. It’s been a while since there were Filipino shows in this market so The Three Divas will definitely jumpstart more shows in the desert region of Southern California.”Coachella Valley is known to have big music festivals in the U.S.

Time and  Date: 7:30PM Saturday November 12, 2022

Venue: Special Events Center at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino

Address: 84-245 Indio Springs Pkwy, Indio, CA 92203

Ticket Prices: $128, $108, $88, $68 and $48

Tickets on sale at:

• VP ENTERTAINMENT  702-8569723

• Fantasy Springs Resort Casino Box Office or online at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino

• Entertainment Page Log on to bit.ly/threedivas

TURN AROUND BUSES: There will be buses picking up guests from OC, LA and San Diego areas. Buses are for ticketed guests attending the concert only. No exceptions. Guests will be charged an additional $10 for using the bus. All buses will leave exactly at 1PM on Saturday November 12, 2022 at the pick-up areas and return exactly at 10:30PM from the casino on the same

1.

2.

3.

at Tambuli Supermarket Parking Lot

Angeles

at Tambuli Supermarket Parking Lot

at 1st

Panorama Post Office

St.

91402 at 2 pm

at: Montessori Children’s World

Rock Blvd.

Angeles 900412 2:30 pm

5. 1 bus at Lucky Seafood Supermarket Parking Lot in San Diego

Ticket Redemption: Guests can redeem their tickets at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino Total Rewards Center for $10 per ticket.

This special show is sponsored by ISkin Med Spa in Beverly Hills, Miskin Med DSpa in Rancho Cucamonga, Asian Journal and IwantTFC. (Advertising Supplement)

Divorce mediation as an option prior to pursuing litigation

Corner

IF the divorcing parties are both reasonable in their expectations in resolving their family law case and if they don’t think involving lawyers in their divorce case early on would be an efficient and cost effective way of going about their divorce process, then perhaps mediation is the way to go.  It can be a more cost effective option to resolve your family law issues.  There may be situations where involving the wrong type of lawyers in either side of the case can turn your family law case into a circus and end up costing the parties unnecessary legal fees x2 (legal fees for each party).

Remember, legal fees from both parties can rapidly escalate in litigation and those fees will be coming out of the same pie.   If both you and your spouse are open to a fair and amicable settlement in your family law case and both of you are not interested in playing games or weaponizing the judicial process against the other spouse, then both of you can benefit from trying mediation first before pursuing litigation.  This can result to a less stressful process and preserve the size of the pie that both of you are trying to divide in your divorce case.

By hiring an experienced mediator in your case, the mediator will serve as a “neutral” in your case.  A mediator with many years of family law trial experience to draw upon to advise you on a myriad of possible solutions to your family law issues that is fair to both parties under the California Family Code and case law can increase the chances of settling your case substantially and in cost effective manner with less stress.  Further, both parties can share in the cost of the mediation services instead of each party

paying for their own attorney to fight it out in court.   If you have young children, taking a scorch earth position in litigation might not be a good idea.  Remember, you will continue to co-parent your children even after the divorce case is over.  Through mediation, you might be able to avoid burning bridges with your ex spouse.  As part of the mediation services, mediators can also assist both parties in drafting the pleadings necessary to successfully complete the case.  This may include filing the divorce petition, preparing the required financial disclosures, and drafting the settlement agreement and stipulated judgment should the parties successfully settle the case.

Of course, there is no guarantee that you will be able to come to an agreement but chances are higher is done through an experienced mediator.  The good thing about family law is that each issue in a family law case is “divisible.”  This means it is not an all or nothing predicament like in civil cases.  You do not have to settle all the issues.  You can settle some of the issues that you are able to agree upon and litigation the other issues you have an impasse on in court at a later time.  For those issues you cannot settle in mediation, you will still have a chance to litigate them in court at a later time and hire lawyers to represent you.

Both parties can also utilize experts as part of the mediation process. For example if you own a business and need the business to be appraised, the parties may jointly retain an expert for purposes of appraising the business during the mediation process in order to arrive at a fair and equitable division of community property.

If you own a property prior to marriage but there was a mortgage on the property which was paid using community income during the marriage, you may have to involve an forensic accounting expert to calculate and apportion the community interest in the property during the mediation process.

In addition, most statements during mediation are privileged and confidential. The only statement or writing made in connection with mediation which can be disclosed without the express consent of both parties is the settlement agreement reached during the mediation. Except for limited exceptions created by the courts, nothing else said or written during or in the course of the mediation, or for the purpose of the mediation, can be received in evidence, compelled in discovery, or compelled as testimony in any proceeding. California Evidence Code Section 1119, 1121, and 1123.

Of course, both you and your spouse need to agree to give mediation a chance and will be jointly retainer the services of a neutral. Mediation should be a process to think about as an option in your divorce prior to litigation. It can save you a lot of agony and resources.

* * * Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed.  The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APC.  This article is not a solicitation.

* * *

Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Board Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com.

Ashley create a dance to address her own depression

By alex Brosas Inquirernet

KAPUSO actress Ashley Ortega thought of one thing to address her anxiety and depression and it was through dance.

Ortega revealed she’s currently not in the best of her mental health and she needed to

do something to addressed it.

On her Instagram on Thursday, October 27 Ortega showed off her dancing and ballet skills to feel better.

“Here’s a dance that I created the whole night to overcome my anxieties and depression,” she said, revealing that “the few months had been really

challenging and difficult for me so here’s something I wanna share to people who might be going through a rough time in life.”

“I know how it feels,” she said about people having the same predicament.

“Watching this video makes it

Jeff Moses GMA photo

Atty. Michael Gurfinkel (right) with Citizen Pinoy special guest, Consul General Edgar Badajos of the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles. (9:30 PM ET thru select Cable/ Satellite providers), right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy

is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app. (Advertising Supplement)

Pahrump Balloon Festival expected to attract thousands

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

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

This year is different as Doug Dubin of Dubin Family LLC and Doug Campbell of Balloons Over Pahrump are taking the reins of the event from the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce, who introduced the festival to the town many years ago and hosted the festival in years past. Dubin and Campbell decided to step in and save the festival when the chamber announced that it would not be able to host the event this year. With a motto of “Come for the Ballons and Stay for Everything!,” this year’s event is expected to generate a lot of fun and excitement for visitors and locals.

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

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

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

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

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

And as usual, music will be playing at the festival, with various acts scheduled

to perform. A karaoke contest is even planned for one of the event’s nights.

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

Another great event taking place in Pahrump in November is a B2B (business to business) Expo where more than 50

local businesses are expected to participate, showcase their wares and talk about the services they offer to attendees.

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

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

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

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

The town, which lies about 62 miles west of Las Vegas, keeps

on improving as the years go by. Construction is ongoing for additional business ventures that are homing in on the town and its increasing number of residents.

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

Perhaps that is why Pahrump has always been on the radar of developers and people looking to buy homes who are priced out of markets such as Las Vegas. Now is a great time to look at what’s available in the

market.

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

My company, Precious Properties, is a full-service company that has served its clientele since 1992. You can reach me at 775-513-8447, 805-559-2476 and 702-5384948 for more information, or send me an email at fely@ precious-properties.com or fely. precious@gmail.com. We have investors who buy houses in California and Nevada for cash and quick escrow in as short as 7 days.

Supplement)

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

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

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

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

Debt Relief Part I: The basics of bankruptcy

for each judicial district in the country. Each state has one or more districts. There are 90 bankruptcy districts across the country.

ARTICLE I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution authorizes Congress to enact “uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies. Pursuant to this grant of authority, Congress enacted the “Bankruptcy Code” of 1978.

This Code is codified as title 11 of the United States Code and has been amended several times since its enactment with the latest amendment in 2005. This is the uniform Federal law that governs all bankruptcy cases.

The procedural aspects of the bankruptcy process are governed by the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure (Bankruptcy Rules) and local rules of each bankruptcy court. The Bankruptcy Code and Bankruptcy Rules and local rules set forth the formal legal procedures for dealing with the debt problems of individuals and businesses.

There is a bankruptcy court

The court official with decision making power over federal bankruptcy cases is the United States bankruptcy judge, a judicial officer of the United States district court.

The bankruptcy judge may decide any matter connected with a bankruptcy case, such as eligibility to file or whether a debtor should receive a discharge of debts. Much of the bankruptcy process is administrative, however, and is conducted away from the courthouse. This administrative process is carried out by a trustee who is appointed to oversee the case. Since the start of the pandemic and the foreseeable future, trustees conduct debtor interviews telephonically or by zoom. Prior to the pandemic, trustee hearings were held in U.S. trustee hearing rooms in Los Angeles, Woodland Hills, Santa Ana and Riverside.

A debtor’s involvement with the bankruptcy judge is usually

very limited. A typical chapter 7 debtor will not appear in court and will not see the bankruptcy judge unless an objection is raised in the case. A chapter 13 debtor may only have to appear before the bankruptcy judge at a plan confirmation hearing. These are done by zoom post pandemic. Pre pandemic, court room appearances were required. The only formal proceeding at which a debtor must appear is the meeting of creditors held at the U.S. Trustee hearing rooms. This meeting is informally called a “341 meeting” because section 341 of the Bankruptcy Code requires that the debtor attend this meeting so that creditors can question the debtor about debts and property. Creditors normally don’t show up especially in “no asset” cases. However, the trustee represents the interests of all creditors in the case and is responsible for administering non-exempt assets of the bankruptcy estate.

What is the goal of bankruptcy? The Supreme Court said this about the purpose of the bankruptcy

law in a 1934 decision in the case of Local Loan Co. v. Hunt: “[Bankruptcy] gives to the honest but unfortunate debtor…a new opportunity in life and a clear field for future effort, unhampered by the pressure and discouragement of preexisting debt.” This goal is accomplished through the bankruptcy discharge, which releases debtors from personal liability from specific debts and prohibits creditors from ever taking any action against the debtor to collect those debts.

*

* * Disclaimer: None of the foregoing is considered legal advice for anyone. There is absolutely no attorney client relationship established by reading this article.

*

* *

Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California.  Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement)

Jeff counts his blessings, makes acting...

actor.” The first step to that journey is his Abot-Kamay na Pangarap stint. If given more opportunities to act in the future, Jeff said, “I would gladly accept them at pagtrabahuhan ko po ng maigi para maging isang magaling na aktor (and I will work hard, so I become a great actor).”

Like his fellow Sparkada talents, Jeff is grateful for how Sparkle has set their young careers in motion and inspired them to work better.

“When there’s an opportunity that comes my way, of course, I will grab it,” said Jeff of his work mindset. “I will give my best. I’m also one of those who

have waited (for the right time). While I was waiting, I didn’t slack off.” Again, he attributed the latest developments in his career to the people behind Sparkle that help newbies like him “hone our skills, and they guide us. I can say that the right time will really come.” Jeff can attest that it pays off to wait patiently. g

Your workers’ compensation policy is audited. What now?

Insurance Made Easy

RELAX. This is a normal process. Think of it as an end-of-year review of records to ensure that your business has paid the correct premium for workers’ comp insurance.

During the audit, your insurance provider usually cross reference the payroll and other records estimated at the beginning of the policy with the actual payroll and scope of work performed during the policy period, usually one year.

If there is a discrepancy, the premium for the workers’ comp insurance is adjusted for the policy year.

This is simply a way to verify your estimated payroll and help make sure you’re paying the right amount for the right coverage. Some states, workers’ compensation audit is also a legal requirement.

When you purchase workers’ comp insurance, you are projected to estimate your total payroll and the different types of work your employees will do during a policy period. This estimate is what your insurance carrier along with other factors use to calculate your premium.

At the end of the policy term, they verify the actual payroll and scope of work done by your workers to the projected estimate when the premium was initially calculated. The audit is a way to make premium adjustments depending on actual payroll and work done.

After the audit, the employer may end up with any of these 3 likely scenarios:

• No cost difference when actual risk or payroll match your estimate.

• You may get a refund if your actual payroll or risk exposure is less than projected initially.

• You may owe more than quoted when your payroll or risk exposure is more than estimated.

The reasons for adjustments can be attributed to change of payroll volume, # of employees, change of job duties and responsibilities, among other factors.

Audit may be performed by mail, phone, or in-person, depending on the auditor and the business type.

How to prepare for an audit:

• Accurate, timely, record keeping is vital. Document the # of employees at each location, names and titles of owners/officers, job description for each employee. The auditor will confirm your business operations and each employees’

duties to ensure your estimates of risks tally with the actuals.

• Access to your payroll records. Auditors will need to see your payroll journal, W2, 1099, Quarterly reports and other tax forms.

• Name and contact info of your CPA.

• Review the audit documents carefully. Ask and verify the information jotted down by the auditor. Do not sign off on incomplete documents.

Why is Workers Compensation policy a big deal? It is an essential type of business insurance to have, if not mandatory in most states. This insurance is primarily responsible to give benefits to employees who succumb to illness or get injured while at work. The benefits in this policy assist them financially as well as help them recover medically and return to their job.

It’s important to know the difference between workers compensation vs health insurance vs general liability policy. Note: It is a common mistake among business owners to assume that your general liability policy or health insurance covers workers comp claims. The former usually takes care of claims when your business hurt somebody or damage others property while the latter usually excludes work related injury or illness.

Moreover, workers’ comp helps cover your employee’s missed wages from illness or injuries related to work. It can also provide funeral benefits to their family if they pass away after getting injured at work. While health insurance generally does not provide those type of benefits.

While workers’ compensation insurance is an important piece of your business insurance portfolio, getting the right coverage can be challenging. That’s why it is important to work with an experience agent and trusted insurance company.

* * * Melody Avecilla is an insurance expert. Her one-stop-shop agency has been a preferred go-to insurance resource for over a decade. She has a Masters in Business Administration from Loyola Marymount and earned her CLU (Chartered Life Underwriter) designation at The American College. Her team has been voted best in the industry for years in a row. Fun fact about her. She has multiple patents for the world’s first retractable high heels. In between work, she hosts a global leadership podcast called “dreamers to leaders.” She’s takes a hyper focused approach in elevating customer experience in running her businesses. Insurance is her flag ship enterprise. For more information, visit www.costwiseinsurance.com, call (818) 506-3276, or send an email to info@ costwiseinsurance.com. (Advertising Supplement)

Melody AvecillA

G. BAlAGtAS

GREETINGS!

The Book of Wisdom (11:2212:2) in our First Reading, this Sunday’s Mass, states: Before the Lord the whole universe is a grain from a balance or a drop of a morning dew come down upon the earth.

But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things; and you overlook people’s sins that they may repent.

For you love all things that are and loathe nothing you have made; for what you have hated, you would not have fashioned.

But you spare all things, because they are yours, O Lord and lover of souls, for your imperishable spirit is in all things!”

What beautiful words to reflect this Fall season as we transition to a cooler climate and see the changing of leaves and the shortening of days.They make us appreciate the beauty that God

On appreciating beauty and goodness in everyone

wants us to see in every human being and all of God’s creation. They allow us to feel the grandeur and profundity of God’s love and mercy for all people and care for everything he created.

If that’s how the Book of Wisdom describes God in our lives, then, undoubtedly, that’s also how God wants us to treat one another as brothers and sisters, as a human family. And that’s how we must treat this planet and all things with great respect and care.

Hence, Pope Francis, in his encyclical, Laudato Si, states:

If someone has not learned to stop and admire something beautiful, we should not be surprised if he or she treats everything as an object to be used and abused without scruple. If we want to bring about deep change, we need to realize that certain mindsets really influence our behavior.

Jesus modeled this need to see beauty in everyone in this Sunday’s (October 30) Gospel

when he stayed at the house of Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector. When others condemned and dismissed Zacchaeus, a public sinner, Jesus saw something remarkable in him: he visited his home and family.

Pope Francis constantly reminds us to refrain from exhibiting our society’s “throwaway culture” even in our relationships. We must not treat anyone as “rubbish” but relate with everyone with empathy, compassion, and love.

Again, the Scripture Readings this Sunday require us to examine our lives to see where we have failed in our appreciation for God’s creatures and creation.

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

* * *

Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.

Revolutionary cancer treatment, good news for hopeless patients

EVERYONE suffers from large and small ailments during their lifetime. In particular, cancer has long been a terrifying disease that has long been thought to be an incurable disease, with no known cause and no cure. However, with the remarkable development of modern medicine, cancer is no longer an incurable disease.

Guest Columnist

dr. ChAnG-Seok kim md

If you had cancer, what would you most fear? Of course, to feel that the shadow of death is near is the biggest fear in itself, isn’t it? Then you would imagine the fear of surgery and excruciating pain.

When cancer is diagnosed, radiation chemotherapy, commonly called “Chemo,” is chosen as the last treatment option, but it is controversial because of its many side effects, such as weakening the immune system due to the weakening of the body by destroying even normal cells. Some people even say that chemotherapy can lead to an earlier death.

Recently, overcoming the shortcomings and limitations of this chemotherapy and more effective complementary therapies are continuously being developed, which gives great hope to those who have advanced diseases in particular.

Dr. Kim Chang-seok of Korea developed an innovative cancer treatment method without surgery or pain by finding out whether the condition was diagnosed and metastasized through blood tests based on the papers verified by SCI (Science Citation Index).

He said, “There is really no place to heal those who have given up in large hospitals. Because chemotherapy or radiation therapy is no longer available. For these people, I treat cancer using minerals, vitamins, and plant extracts (turmeric, chitosan, etc.) that have been verified through various tests conducted in general hospitals and SCI papers.”

His innovative treatment can be good news for the following people.

• Those who did not need chemotherapy or radiation treatment when cancer was first confirmed at the hospital (those who have metastasized to stage 3 or higher, etc.). Those who have been recommended to receive hospice or to organize their lives at home, want to do their best to receive treatment

• Those who do not get better even after several times of chemotherapy or radiation therapy at a hospital.

• Those who have regular examinations after treatment is complete, and those who are concerned about metastasis and recurrence and want to know their current condition.

Treatment by these therapies is carried out comfortably without pain or surgery. The procedure for treatment is as follows:

(1) You come to the Clinic and get tested. As well as this test result, we use all the tests you have ever received (blood tests, equipment tests; CT, MRI, PECT, biopsies) and various tests performed at our clinic, namely blood tests (minerals, vitamins, organ function tests, cancer marker tests, etc.) and other special tests done by the hospital).

(2) Based on the test results, the current condition is determined and treatment guidelines are established. Among the minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients in our body, some components have a large amount in the blood depending on the progress of cancer, and some components have a small amount. Based on the results of the examination, considering the patient’s previous treatment and condition, the cause of excess or deficiency is identified and treatment guidelines are established.

(3) Treatment results are followed up at monthly intervals. Based on the blood tests received when a patient first came to our hospital (minerals,

vitamins, functional tests for each organ, cancer marker tests, and other special tests performed at our hospital), re-examination is performed to make up for or exceed the previous tests.

It measures the response to treatment through special tests that measure cancer activity, whether the drugs used are still insufficient even after supplementation or whether the drugs used are damaging to various organs.

Even after successful cancer surgery, what many patients worry about is metastasis. Another characteristic of Dr. Kim’s treatment is to prevent cancer from metastasis.

He inhibits various substances that promote metastasis of cancer, replenishes the deficient ingredients consumed, lowers the increased portion of toxicity that promotes metastasis, and injects substances that inhibit the formation of blood vessels that are the pathway for cancer metastasis.

Cancer requires blood vessels to metastasize. Among the substances that aid in the formation of blood vessels and those that interfere, there are some that play an important role: minerals and vitamins. So, find these minerals and vitamins and make up for what you lack. If you have a lot of angiogenic substances, you can lower them with phytochemicals that get rid of them. In this way, he treated a 70-yearold patient with stage 4 lung cancer at a hospital in Busan with minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals. Also, he cured a man in his 50s who could not receive surgery with liver cancer that was 9 cm or more and spread to various places.

He treated more than 1/2 of a stage 4 lung cancer patient who had given up at a large hospital in 82 days with minerals and vitamins.

Global Telecare in Garden Grove, Orange County, we are promoting the establishment of a cancer clinic through a partnership with Dr. Kim.

Dr. Kim, who passed the American Doctor’s Examination at an early age and conducted pediatric regeneration research and cancer metastasis research at New York University, plans to spread the innovative cancer treatment method he has researched and developed here in Southern California.

He is also planning a special low-cost program that can detect various cancers through blood tests. It is the latest medical technology to diagnose whether you have cancer by analyzing the lab test results of the blood samples collected at the Global Telecare Clinic.

Global Telecare, through a partnership with Dr. Kim, is preparing a variety of affordable and innovative cancer treatments, as well as many plans for diabetes, dementia, skin diseases, and erectile dysfunction. If you are interested in Dr. Kim’s painfree cancer treatment, please contact Global Telecare for an upcoming seminar at info.jcsolution@gmail. com.

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

* * *

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained in this column, are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this column.

Kathryn, Daniel reveal how...

line ka dudulas pa ‘yun e. Cute pa siya. Pero ‘pag ginawa namin ngayon, hindi na siya dudulas. Cringe na.”

The couple has been starring in hit shows and films since their tandem clicked back in 2012’s

California’s leave rights expanded to care of ‘extended relatives’ and ‘chosen family’

Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights

Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr

THE family and medical leave rights under California Family Rights Act (CFRA) have been expanded. It now applies in instances when a worker needs to take leave to care for their “chosen family” or “extended relatives.” AB 1041 was recently signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, and will take effect starting on January 1, 2023.

Under CFRA, if an employer has 5 or more workers, then any employee is eligible if he has worked for that employer for at least 12 months, and at least 1,250 hours within that time period. This means that the employee has the right to take up to 12 weeks of family and medical leave to care for themselves or family members.

Before AB 1041, CFRA family leave may only be taken to care for a “relative,” which was limited by law to parents, parents-in-law, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, spouses, or registered domestic partners. With modern families evolving beyond the traditional definitions of family relationship, the prior legal definition of “relative” left out some situations where workers

found themselves compelled to take time off from work to care for loved ones that did not qualify as a “relative” within the definition of the law.

For example, a worker needing to care for a beloved cousin with COVID or some other serious illness could not rely on the CFRA’s guarantee that she could take leave without risk of losing her job. An employee whose young niece is injured while the child’s parents are out of town could not request CFRA-protected leave to stay home in order to care for that niece. A person in a long-term relationship with someone who is not a legallyrecognized spouse or registered domestic partner would not be able to obtain leave under CFRA to care for that partner if they were stricken with a terminal disease.

But beginning in January 1, 2023, employees may identify a “designated person” for whom that employee can request a protected family leave. Such “designated person” is defined under the new law as “any individual related by blood or whose association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.” Family leave taken to care for such “designated person” will be protected under CFRA. Paid sick days under California’s Sick Leave Law will also apply to care for the “designated person.”

Employers may require that an employee have only one “designated person” in a 12-month period. They may require proof that the “designated person” is actually someone whose relationship with the employee is equivalent to a family relationship. But even with these limitations, A.B. 1041 provides an important expansion of protections afforded to California employees. Now they can take take time off from work to take care of other loved ones, including extended family and those we choose to consider family.

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

* * * The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www. joesayaslaw.com. [C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. has successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine for 11 years, and is a past Presidential Awardee for Outstanding Filipino Overseas.]

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Ashley create a dance to...

seem so flawless and beautiful on the outside but people will never know how painful it is to dance on this shoes. How painful it is to make the next step and how painful it is to make it look like that you’re not in pain,” she said.

But life has to go on for Ortega as she “decided to tell myself to keep going no matter how stuck you feel.”

“No matter how bad things are right now. No matter how many days you’ve been crying. No matter how hopeless and depressed you feel. No matter how many days you’ve spent wishing things were different. I promised myself to keep going and to keep shining. Never stop learning because life never stops teaching. Laban mga besh,” she said. g

“Princess and I.” They starred in shows “Got To Believe” and “Pangako Sa’Yo” and boxoffice movies “She’s Dating the Gangstar” and “Crazy Beautiful You” in a span of 11 years.

“Put yourself sa audience. Kung ako ‘yung nanonood tapos alam kong matagal na ‘yan, parang [bleep], ilang beses na ‘yan? Kahit ako na mismo magrereklamo e. Ganon din kaming dalawa. Ikabit na natin ‘yung reality dito. Kilig lang nagiging complex masyado kasi nga ang tagal na naming ginagawa,” the actor explained.

Kathryn, meanwhile, said that making “2 Good 2 Be True” was the hardest for them to make in terms of making the audience kilig.”

“Maybe because one, pang ilang teleserye na namin ito and then two, paano mo bigyan ng

rason ang tao to watch you kung, for example, 30 minutes of your time kung napanood na nila ‘yun?” Kathryn added.

Their audience are bound to compare their chemistry when they did their past shows. Thus, as actors, they are trying their best to present “kilig” in new ways through new gestures and nuances. They also get help from their directors and producers in creating scenes with realistic kilig.

Akala nila ‘pag love story ‘yun ang pinaka-madali? Ang totoo, ‘yun ang pinakamahirap. Ang hirap-hirap magpa-kilig. If we’re not comfortable and pipilitin lang, I’m sure mararamdaman n’yo ‘yun. Matalino talaga ng audience ngayon. At the end of the day, you have to do what feels right. ‘Yun na lang ‘yung ginagawa namin,” the actress shared. g

Real-life

onscreen couple Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla at the 2017 Star

Ball.

photo

Ashley Ortega Photo from Instagram/@ashleyortega

Why Ian does not fear death

FOR actor Ian Veneracion, death is imminent and he’s not afraid to die having come full circle both as an actor and as a family man.

When this writer asked the actor about what remains unfulfilled in his life, Veneracion said, “Nothing that’s why I don’t have issues with death.”

“I am so happy that I’ve contributed three beautiful and kind human beings, my kids. I’ve met so many people I’ve met the most beautiful human beings inside and out sa trabaho ko,” he said during the live mediacon for “One Good Day”.

Veneracion, who’s celebrating his four decades in the industry, said that one of the highlights of his career involved acting out with the “masters”.

“That scene I did with Joel Torre as my father, Gina Alajar, and Charito Solis as my tita, with Peque Gallaga as director. The movie was “Hiwaga Sa Balete Drive”. I was thirteen and I was surrounded by these masters of their craft,” he said.

To him, it was an “eye-opener” as it gave him a ringside view of what acting is all about.

“I saw how they take their jobs seriously. ‘Ay, hindi pala pa-cute ang pag-aartista’ (Oh, being an actor is not all about being cute). Akala ko pa-cute lang. (I thought it was all about cuteness). That opened my eyes that day, I said, ‘I want this job, this

Ian Veneracion Photo from Instagram/@ianvenracion1 self-exploration thing.’ That changed me a lot,” he said.

Starting out acting at six-years of age in the sitcom, “Joey and Son,” Veneracion described his journey in showbiz as “very colorful, super lucky, full of luck.”

“Nothing was planned. Me, being an actor, was never planned. And me being busier now than I ever were. I am way past that prime age. I enjoyed my career more now I am enjoying it. Walang plano doon, walang formula. (There’s no plan in there, there’s no formula),” he said.

Veneracion said he is grateful that the landscape of showbiz has changed as there are new “platforms” to explore. (By Alex Brosas/Inquirer.net) g

How Nikki turned grief into...

tearjerker story “Yaya Niya, Nanay Ko,” about a young girl who longs for the love of her mother, who works as a nanny and is absent from her life most of the time.

Nikki said she was grateful to have had help from her parents and siblings in taking care of Olivia when the latter was still a baby. “It’s tough being a single parent. Sadly, there were a lot of Olivia’s milestones, like when she lost her first tooth or the first time she was potty-trained, that I missed because I was at work,” she recalled.

Now that Olivia is a teenager, Nikki admitted that her relationship with her daughter has changed, although not necessarily in a negative way. “Just like most teens, she prefers to spend more time with her friends. At this stage, they think they’re old enough that they can’t be told what to do anymore,” she said.

“But what’s good about having a teenager at home is that we get to borrow stuff — clothes, shoes — from each other. I once told her to take good care of her shoes so I can still wear them when occasions require,” Nikki said, laughing.

These days, Nikki, who has a college degree in hotel and restaurant management, is also busy with her successful baking business. “I wanted to be an interior designer when I was younger, but I’m not good at drawing. However, I’ve always loved food,” she recalled. “They say baking is not easy. The measurement and the process have to be exact. It’s not like cooking wherein you can always add a pinch of salt when you find that it’s still bland.”

Nikki said baking became a therapy of sort for her at a time when she already wanted to quit show biz. “I wanted to explore other fields because acting projects became scarce. I was walking in a mall one time when I saw an announcement about a course on cake decoration. This

EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT

was in 2014.”

First lessons

Nikki took her first lessons on icing designs with Chef Jackie Ang Po of Fleur de Lys Cafe. “I enjoyed it so much that I also enrolled myself in all of her courses. But they were all about decorating cakes. I asked myself, ‘What would I do with all this knowledge if I don’t know how to bake a cake?’ That started my baking journey. In 2016, I posted on social media that I was finally ready to take orders.”

Nikki said she then found this particular business rewarding, “because I am able to make people happy… because they allow me to become part of their lives.”“I don’t have a physical shop. I’m a home baker. My clients order online. When I bake wedding cakes, for example, I am able to really get to know the couple through their preferences in cake designs,” she pointed out. “There’s nothing more fulfilling than receiving a thank-you message from someone who says his or her family loved what I made for them. Ang sarap sa pakiramdam!”

These days, her work as a baker has become a good source of income. “Before all these, I told myself that I wanted to find ways outside show biz to earn more. I realized that when you get up and actually try to execute your plan, the blessing will eventually follow. This hobby has sort of become a business. It has done so much good to me in terms of my personality, as well as to my family. For some reason, it has empowered me, it has given me strength.”

Nikki is part of two film entries in the 2022 Metro Manila Film Festival in December: Ruel Naval’s heartwarming family drama “Family Matters,” and Coco Martin’s romantic comedy “Labyu With an Accent.” g

SEAFOOD CITY FPFC