103021 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

OCTOBER 30 - NOVEMBER 2, 2021 Volume 31 - No. 86 • 2 Sections – 20 Pages

Duterte thanks Biden for COVID-19 To boost or not to boost: vaccine donations during ASEAN summit What is the answer?

DATELINE USA FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

by RITCHEL

AS of Oct. 22, both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup recommended expanding the use of a booster dose of the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines for eligible populations. The CDC and Western States Workgroup had previously approved the administration of a third dose to boost immunity for vulnerable and immunocompromised groups.

The emergency use authorizations were amended to allow a booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for certain vulnerable populations, six months after completion of their initial vaccination series. Approval also was given for the use of a single booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 18 and over, two months after their single dose. Further, the two organizations cleared the way for the use of a “mix and match” of COVID-19 vaccines which would not require individuals to use the same dose as their initial series.

These approvals follow the FDA’s previous authorization of third dose booster doses for individuals who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine six months after completing u PAGE A3

California cop convicted in shooting death of mentally ill Fil-Am A CALIFORNIA police officer who shot dead a mentally ill Filipino American man in 2018 in a wealthy San Francisco suburb was convicted Tuesday, Oct. 25 of assault with a firearm.

Officer Andrew Hall was found guilty of the felony charge in the death of 33-year-old Laudemer Arboleda, whom Hall shot nine times.

Arboleda, a Filipino, suffered from depression, psychosis and schizophrenia, according to his family.

Hall will be sentenced Jan. 14 and could face up to 17 years in prison.

The jury, however, deadlocked on a second count of voluntary manslaughter. The District Attorney’s office said it’s mulling the possibility of a retrial on the manslaughter charge.

“Today’s guilty verdict holds accountable defendant Andrew Hall for his excessive use of force in the fatal shooting of Laudemer Arboleda,” District Attorney Diana Becton said.

Halls “actions were not only a crime, but they tarnished the badge and they harmed

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MENDIOLA AJPress

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

The chief executive was able to express his

gratitude during a high-level discussion at the virtual 9th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-U.S. Summit held Tuesday, October 26.

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

Philippines,” Duterte said in his intervention.

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

“President Duterte welcomed President Biden to his first ASEAN-U.S. Summit, noting the u PAGE A2

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso (pictured), along with his running mate Dr. Willie Ong, held a Zoom town hall with Filipino American community members on Tuesday, October 26.

Mayor Isko: We’ll bring back PH to world stage

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

Los Angeles City Hall was lit up in colors inspired by the Philippine flag during the final week of Filipino American History Month. Another nearby LA landmark, Union Square, also donned the colored lights. The first time City Hall displayed similar colors was in Oct. 2019. Earlier this month, Los Angeles International Airport also kicked off the observance with lights in blue, yellow and red.

Photo courtesy of the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles

MANILA Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has expressed his intent to forge a better relationship with the United States if elected the next president of the Philippines.

The presidential aspirant, along with his running mate Dr. Willie Ong, met with the Filipino American community via Zoom conference on Tuesday, October

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PH remains at bottom of COVID resilience ranking

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

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

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

The indicators used to rank the countries include vaccination coverage, virus containment, the severity of lockdowns, quality of healthcare, progress toward re-

starting travel, and the overall mortality throughout the pandemic.

“While other Southeast Asian nations also continue to be ranked low among the 53 economies tracked, the Philippines fares among the worst on vaccine coverage, with just 26% of the population covered amid challenges in bringing shots to areas outside of the big cities,” Bloomberg said Wednesday, October 27.

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

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Jordan Clarkson, Jalen Green face off in Rockets-Jazz match make NBA history First NBA players of Filipino descent to play in same game

by AJPRESS

Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (right) faced off with Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (left) in a historic match as the first Fil-Am NBA players to play in the same game on Thursday, October 28 as the Rockets’ celebrated Filipino Heritage Night. Photo from Instagram/@jordanclarksons

THERE’S another historic moment for the books as the United States continues to celebrate October as Filipino American History Month.

This time, history was made on the basketball court as Filipino American players Jordan Clarkson and Jalen Green faced off in a game between Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets on Thursday, October 28.

Dubbed Filipino Heritage Night at the Houston Rockets, the game marked the first time two NBA players of Filipino descent shared the court.

“Just us two being here, it’s super inspirational for the youth and every Filipino American, every Filipino, anybody with Filipino blood,” Jazz guard Clarkson said in the post-game presser.

Clarkson’s grandmother hails from Pampanga, while Green’s

Senator Manny Pacquiao is swarmed by supporters during his visit to Cebu.

Inquirer.net photo

Martial law atrocities should not be forgotten, says Pacquiao

by CHRISTIA

MARIE Inquirer.net

RAMOS

MANILA — Presidential aspirant Senator Manny Pacquiao said the atrocities during martial law should not be forgotten, adding he will back any investigation into the forced disappearances during that time.

Pacquiao said this after he offered a prayer and laid a wreath to the marker of human rights u PAGE A4 advocate Fr. Rudy Romano in

Cebu City. Romano was abducted in 1985 allegedly by military agents.

He has been missing for 36 years and is revered as one of Cebu’s local heroes.

In an interview with reporters, Pacquiao said that while the wounds suffered by the victims of martial law atrocities can be healed, they are “forever scathed.”

“Ayokong magbanggit ng

u PAGE A2

A2 OCTOBER 30 - NOVEMBER 2, 2021 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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FROM THE FRONT PAGE

Mayor Isko: We’ll bring back PH to...

PAGE A1 26, to further discuss their platforms of governance.

According to Domagoso, the diplomatic relationship between the Philippines and the U.S. has become “tarnished,” but assured that it can be “polished” again.

“I do believe ‘tarnished’ is the right word with regard to our diplomatic relationship, but sabi nga, pwede naman pakinangin uli. Hindi naman nawala (But as they said, it can be polished again. [The bond] didn’t vanish),” he said in response to a question from the Asian Journal.

“But there is this type of distrust or mistrust,” he added. “I think we can gain (the trust) back.”

One of Domagoso’s promises included continuing the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the U.S. “There are existing agreements, the MDT (Mutual Defense Treaty) and all other trade treaties. And that includes VFA,” he said.

“In fact, I made it public already that we will continue the VFA, with regard to our military capabilities so that in the future, we will be more equipped…

We’ll guard whatever is left in an archipelagic country like the Philippines, when some countries are putting muscle on us because we’ve shown weakness,” he added.

Domagoso also vowed to bring back the Philippines to the “world stage,” stressing the need to build relationships with other countries.

“We’ll bring back the Philippines to the world stage. I guarantee you that we need that.

It’s not only just a commitment.

We need to do it because, at the end of the day, no man is an island like our country,” he said.

He added, “We need to

cooperate… build relationships and create a better impression to the world. And madali naman yun. Malalim naman ang ating relasyon sa mga bansang yun katulad ng Estados Unidos (That’s easy. Our relationships with countries like the U.S. are deep).”

OFWs Domagoso likewise promised to help address the problems of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). One way to do it, he said, was to make sure that the embassies and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) are properly functioning.

“One of the common denominators, not only in America — the OFWs’ problem is the embassy, the POLO,” he pointed out.

“Nagkaroon tayo ng masamang habit (We developed a bad habit), the State itself. I don’t want to point fingers at somebody, whoever it is. Nangyari, naging turista yung POLO officers natin, na yung mga na-appoint… parang yung walang ka-ide-idea (What happened was our POLO officers became tourists, the ones who were appointed… seemed like they had no idea what to do),” he added.

Domagoso continued: “Sad to say, that is the general sentiment.

I spoke with the Middle East and some European OFWs and yun ang isang problema nila (that’s one of their problems).

So we’ll make sure that we’ll put somebody there representing the country in their embassy to really address the real situation and give attention (to their problems).”

Meanwhile, Ong noted that one of the OFWs’ problems is taking care of their relatives in the Philippines.

“When their relatives in

the Philippines get sick in a hospital, they ask for hundreds of thousands of money. So unless we fix the health care system here, it’s really going to drain the resources of the overseas Filipino workers,” he explained.

To put a stop to that, Ong reiterated the need to provide a good healthcare system in the Philippines.

“We really need (the OFWs) to boost the economy, community development, but of course we’re worried about brain drain and the psychosocial cost,” he said. “So if we provide good healthcare, jobs, and housing and education here, I think it could help alleviate the stress and pain suffered by our overseas Filipino workers.”

Travel restrictions As for the Fil-Ams who want to visit the Philippines, Ong assured that he and Domagoso would ease the international travel restrictions.

The vice presidential candidate noted that the reason for the travel bans was because Filipinos are “worried” about foreigners “bringing diseases” to the Philippines.

“We need tourists, especially our Fil-Ams relatives. We’ll make it easier. Sometimes they have too much restrictions, like Filipinos are always worried about foreigners bringing diseases to the Philippines,” Ong told the Asian Journal.

“I think you are fully vaccinated with Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson. So why should we prohibit you from coming here,” he added. “Maybe it’s a shorter quarantine. We will see if it’s five days, 10 days.”

Domagoso and Ong are running under Aksyon Demokratiko. The Philippine 2022 national elections will be held on May 9, 2022. ■

Martial law atrocities should not be forgotten...

PAGE A1 pangalan, pero itong pagpunta ko rito ay pagbibigay respeto at simbolo ng kalayaan ng bawat isa. Ito ay nagsisimbolo ng karapatan ng bawat isa, karapatan ng malayang pagpapahayag ng saloobin,” the senator said.

“Mensahe natin irespeto ang karapatan ng bawat isa, Lahat may karapatan na mabuhay ng walang takot,” he added.

Pacquiao also said he will support any investigation on the forced disappearances during martial law.

“Sundin natin ang batas.

Magimbestiga tayo para malaman kung sino ang mga dapat na parusahan,” he added.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao reiterated his commitment to fight corruption and vowed to crack down on corrupt government officials.

“Gagawin ko po ang lahat ng aking makakayama para maipaglaban ang ating mga kababayan, higit sa lahat ang mga mahihirap. Ipakukulong po natina ng mga kawatan sa gobyerno,” he said.

“Ang plataporma ko po ay mabigyan ng kinabukasan at maayos na pamumuhay ang mamamayan na walang korapsyon,” he added. ■

100-M DOSES. A forklift operator transfers the boxes of newly delivered Pfizer vaccine onto a reefer van at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Thursday, October 28. Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said the Philippines is expected to receive around 50 million more vaccine doses by the end of 2021 through donations, COVAX Facility, and government procurement.

PNA photo by Avito Dalan

Duterte thanks Biden for...

PAGE A1

longstanding relations between ASEAN and the U.S.,” a statement from the Office of the President read.

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

He likewise underscored the

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

Last month, Duterte floated the idea of visiting the U.S. to thank its government for donating vaccines against COVID-19.

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

vaccine doses.

“Kasasabi lang ni Secretary Galvez at Secretary Duque na ang America nagbigay ng bago, five million (Secretary Galvez and Secretary Duque just informed me that America gave five million more doses),” said Duterte in his public address.

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

California cop convicted in shooting death...

PAGE A1 the reputation of all the good, hard-working police officers that work for our community,” Becton added.

Becton took more than two years reviewing the case before filing charges on April 21, 2021, a day after a jury in Minneapolis police convicted Officer Derek Chauvin of killing George Floyd.

Becton also filed the charges six weeks after Hall, who is white, shot and killed another man, Tyrell Wilson, a Black homeless

man who was suffering from depression and paranoia, according to his family.

Hall has been on paid administrative leave since the shooting of Wilson.

Before Arboleda was shot, a resident alerted police because he was knocking on doors and hanging around outside homes in a Danville dead end street.

Arboleda got into his car and drove away when officers arrived. What followed was a 9-minute, slow-speed chase

through Danville, in which Hall was not initially involved.

Police video shows Hall, who had blocked Arboleda’s car in an intersection, stepping in front of it and firing several shots into the windshield and passengerside window.

Prosecutors accused hall of using “excessive, unreasonable and unnecessary” force. His lawyers contended that he feared for his safety because Arboleda’s car was heading in his direction.

(Inquirer.net)

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DATELINE USA

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 30 - NOVEMBER 2, 2021

A3

California law aims to strengthen access to mental health services by

BERNARD J. WOLFSON Kaiser Health News

CAVITE LIGHTS. The City of Imus, Cavite displays Christmas lanterns along Emilio Aguinaldo Highway on Tuesday, October 26. Every year, the Imus City government installs Christmas lanterns along the highway to give residents a vibe of holiday spirit especially at this time of the pandemic.

PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.

Government imposters, fake COVID cures — how scammers rip off communities of color JENNY MANRIQUE Ethnic Media Services

by

WHILE Latino consumers are frequently victims of imposter scams, African Americans mainly report fraud in debt collection through credit bureaus, and Asian Americans are cheated with fake health products. Across ethnic communities, scams through used car sales and lending agencies have preyed on people in the midst of their financial struggles.

These are some findings in the latest Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report on how consumer fraud affects communities of color in the United States. During a briefing hosted

by Ethnic Media Services, two veteran FTC attorneys explained the cases that in the last 5 years have led them to sue individuals, organizations, or companies for deceptive and unfair practices.

“Since 2016, we have established 25 law enforcement actions, where we could identify conducts specifically targeting or affecting communities of color in a disproportionate way,” said Monica Vaca, Acting Deputy Director of the FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection. In a year, the federal agency establishes an average of 100 cases that affect thousands of victims.

“These are found in a broad spectrum of industries: auto

To boost or not to boost: What...

PAGE A1 their initial series.

In this FAQ, Dr. Dali Fan, a UC Davis Health Science Clinical Professor who also serves as a volunteer vaccinator at California Northstate University in Elk Grove, California, answers some of the most commonly asked questions about boosters.

Ethnic Media Services (EMS): What are the benefits of getting a booster?

Fan: COVID-19 boosters are meant to boost immunity that may have waned overtime and are the same dose of vaccine that were given as part of the primary series.

Booster doses of vaccines are very common. They are part of most childhood and adult vaccine series to ensure a person maintains optimal immunity against infection from a disease.

EMS: What is the difference between an additional dose and a booster dose?

Fan: An additional dose is administered to people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems. This additional dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is intended to improve immunocompromised people’s response to their initial vaccine series At this time, CDC does not have a recommendation for immunocompromised people to receive both a booster dose and an additional dose. The current recommendation is for immunocompromised people to receive an additional dose 28-days after completing an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine series.

As you can see, an additional dose is specifically meant for those who are “immunocompromised.”

Others do NOT need an additional dose (28 days after the initial series), but they may be eligible for a booster two-to-six months after the initial series depending on the type of vaccine.

EMS: Are the boosters different than the original vaccination series?

Fan: The boosters are the exact vaccine as the original series for these vaccines.

EMS: Does the fact that boosters are recommended mean that the vaccines are not effective?

Fan: No. COVID-19 vaccines are working well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death, even against the widely circulating Delta variant. However, public health experts are starting to see reduced protection, especially among certain at-risk populations, against mild and moderate cases of COVID-19.

Vaccine boosters are common, as most of us have had them throughout childhood and adulthood. Whether it is measles, Hepatitis A/B or COVID-19 – boosters are great tools in our arsenals to fight disease.

EMS: Who is eligible to get a booster dose now?

Fan: A Pfizer or Moderna booster dose is recommended if you: Received your second dose at least six months ago, and Are 65 or older, or Age 18+ who live in long-term care settings, or Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions, or

Age 18+ who are at increased risk due to social inequity, or Age 18+ who work or live in high-risk settings A Johnson & Johnson booster dose is recommended if you: Received your first dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least 2 months ago, and Are 18 or older If you fall within the categories above, you can get your booster by going to your healthcare provider, clinics and neighborhood pharmacies. You can visit MyTurn.ca.gov or call 833-422-4255 to make an appointment or find a nearby vaccine clinic.

EMS: The CDC has recommended additional does for those over 65, people living in group homes, and the immunocompromised. How do we define who is immunocompromised and needs an additional dose?

Fan: Currently, the CDC is recommending that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional dose.

This includes people who have: Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome) Advanced or untreated HIV infection Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response People should talk to their healthcare provider about their medical condition, and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them.

EMS: The CDC has also recommended that essential workers might consider getting boosters.

Is that your recommendation as well? What types of workers are particularly high-risk?

Fan: Yes, it is my recommendation as well. Examples of workers who may get Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna boosters: First responders (e.g., healthcare workers, firefighters, police, congregate care staff) Education staff (e.g., teachers, support staff, daycare workers) Food and agriculture workers Manufacturing workers Corrections workers U.S. Postal Service workers Public transit workers Grocery store workers This list could be updated in the future.

EMS: Where can we get boosters? And are boosters free?

Fan: Visit the state’s websites at VaccinateAll58.com or Myturn. ca.gov to learn more about where boosters are being offered near you. Your healthcare provider or local pharmacists can also help connect you to resources. The booster is free of charge to all; no insurance or documentation is required. (By Sunita Sohrabji/EMS Contributing Editor)

buying, for-profit colleges, prepaid cards, government impersonators, money-making opportunities, and student debt relief.”

One case brought by the FTC was against the Bronx Honda company for discrimination in the sale of automobiles to African American and Latino customers. The general manager asked the sellers to charge higher financial margins and

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THE number of people with symptoms of depression and anxiety has nearly quadrupled during the covid pandemic, which has made it even more maddeningly difficult to get timely mental health care, even if you have good insurance.

A California law signed Oct. 8 by Gov. Gavin Newsom could help. It requires that mental health and substance abuse patients be offered return appointments no more than 10 days after a previous session, unless their provider OKs less frequent visits.

Current insurance regulations already require giving patients an initial mental health visit no more than 10 days after they request it.

But there’s been nothing on the books specifically about follow-up care until now.

The law doesn’t take effect until July, which lawmakers said will give health plans time to comply — mainly by hiring or contracting with more therapists. Proponents say that, with effective enforcement, the new law will help a lot of people get the care they need.

The law, SB 221, “will ensure that people can actually use their insurance to get mental health treatment,” says Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), the law’s author. “For far too long, health plans have frequently made people wait long periods of time to get mental health appointments, which undermines their care.”

If you are not getting the care you need, there are already ways you can seek redress. When the law takes effect in eight months, it will strengthen your hand. More on that in a moment.

There are two competing explanations for why it’s so hard to get consistent mental health care.

Insurers say there’s a shortage of therapists. Therapists say insurers are too cheap to pay them adequately. Many therapists decline to join insurance networks and set their own fees, which a lot of people can’t afford.

The National Union of Healthcare Workers, which sponsored the legislation, has been particularly critical of Kaiser Permanente, the state’s largest commercial health insurer, for its well-publicized mental health care deficiencies.

Kaiser Permanente, with over 9 million members in California, was fined $4 million by state regulators in 2013 for failure to provide timely mental health care. It was cited twice after that for failure to resolve the problems.

Former and current KP therapists say the managed-care giant has addressed the complaint by trying to ensure that members seeking mental health treatment get an initial appointment quickly.

But that has only made it harder for those patients to get subsequent sessions, the therapists say.

“Any available appointment would be given to a person needing to initiate services,” says

Susan Whitney, a marriage and family therapist who worked for Kaiser Permanente in Bakersfield for 18 years before leaving the organization in September. “Our schedules would be fully booked for six to eight weeks — so followup appointments were difficult to make, to say the least.”

The American Psychological Association recommends weekly therapy for people with depression and twice weekly for posttraumatic stress disorder. In a letter to California’s Department of Managed Health Care last year, the association said the long waits for follow-up care reported by KP patients and therapists “fall far below what is appropriate care for most patients.”

Because of the shortage of available therapists, Kaiser Permanente often refers its members to an outside network of providers for mental health treatment. But members, therapists and public officials say those networks often fail to deliver.

Maya Polon, a KP member in Sacramento, began feeling emotionally frayed in March, after caring for her terminally ill grandmother. She tried to get help through Kaiser but had to make numerous calls and kept getting conflicting information about how to get care.

Finally, after more than a month, a Kaiser Permanente therapist told Polon, 27, that her depression, anxiety and panic attacks qualified her for a year of therapy.

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A4 OCTOBER 30 - NOVEMBER 2, 2021 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Jordan Clarkson, Jalen Green face off in...

DATELINE USA

PAGE A1 mother is from Ilocos Sur. Clarkson described the matchup as “an amazing experience,” adding that he hoped to “see more.”

“I feel like it’s an amazing experience, something that can’t be done again because we’re the first.

Hopefully, we see more,” he said.

Clarkson also addressed the Filipino fans who continue to support him and Green.

“We feel the love, we feel the support,” he said.

“When I step on the floor, when we step on the floor, we know we represent the country, represent our people, and we go out there and do what we do,” he added.

The Jazz took the victory from the Rockets, 122-91, to stay undefeated.

Clarkson, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and three assists for Utah.

Meanwhile, Green, the second overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, finished with 13 points, three boards, three assists, a steal, and a block for Houston. As part of the Fans who attended the Rockets’ Filipino Heritage Night on Thursday, October 28 received heritage night, fans took home Ta T-shirt representing guard Jalen Green’s No. 0.

Photo courtesy of Twitter/@HoustonRockets shirts with Green’s No. 0. ■

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PH remains at bottom of COVID...

PAGE A1

the country’s score.

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

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

“The percentage of those testing positive for the virus has declined significantly from nearly one in three in September to about 12%, indicating the Philippines has a better handle on its outbreak than before and is catching cases,” said Bloomberg.

“That could pave the way for more reopening going forward,” it added.

Other Southeast Asian nations joined the Philippines at the bottom of the list: Indo-

nesia (48th), Malaysia (50th), Thailand (51st), and Vietnam (52nd).

Meanwhile, Ireland dominated the ranking with a resilience score of 75.1. This was followed

by Spain, United Arab Emirates, Denmark, and Finland.

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

To date, there are a total of 2,772,491 COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, with 42,575 fatalities and 2,680,081 recoveries. ■

Government imposters, fake COVID cures...

PAGE A3 fees to these consumers which resulted in a sale price change on paperwork without notice, and the collection of taxes and fees from people without their knowledge. “As a result of that law enforcement case, we were able to get $1.5 million back for people,” said Vaca.

In a second case, Amazon was implicated for promising drivers who signed up for its Amazon Flex program that they would get 100% of the tips received from customers who placed orders through services such as Prime Now and AmazonFresh.

Research shows that communities of color are overrepresented in the gig economy.

“During a two-and-a-half-year period (from 2016 to 2019), customers thought they were tipping their drivers on Amazon, but instead Amazon used those tips to supplement the base pay,” said Vaca. “Until the FTC notified the company that they were being investigated, in its settlement Amazon agreed to pay back the tips in full: $61 million will be going back to drivers.”

In a more recent case the FTC and the state of Arkansas sued the operators of a blessing loom investment program that falsely promised people struggling financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that they would receive investment returns of up to 800%. The scheme was specifically aimed at thousands of African Americans.

“We happen to be a civil law enforcement agency, which means that we don’t lock people up, but when appropriate, we refer scammers to criminal authorities,” Vaca added. “But we do get money back: 1.66 million people have recovered $ 160

million (since July 2018).”

Cash and COVID Another key FTC concern is that most Latinos and African Americans use payment methods that have little or no protection: cash, cryptocurrencies, debit cards, or gift cards, which they use for bank and electronic transfers.

“How you pay can determine how easy it is to get your money back if you are defrauded,” said Rosario Mendez, Attorney at the FTC’s Division of Consumer and Business Education. “In contrast (to communities of color), people who live in majority white communities reported paying scammers with credit cards, and those have some protection against fraudulent transactions.”

This is relevant because the Latino community in particular is targeted by scammers posing as officials from government agencies like the Internal Revenue Service, service providers like Apple, or job search companies like Headhunter, all asking for money in exchange for unfulfilled promises.

During the pandemic, the FTC identified several health promoters offering bogus cures for COVID-19, advertised specifically to the Korean and Vietnamese-speaking communities.

“We’ve also sent hundreds of cease and desist letters, both in the United States and abroad, to stop making unsubstantiated claims that products can treat or prevent COVID-19,” added Mendez, acknowledging that misinformation “is extremely difficult” to fight and it causes “really substantial harm.”

Perpetrators often target their own community and sometimes take on roles as facilitators to

“help” people understand, for example, the tax and the immigration system. But others are based off shore and have a bigger network of people collecting money from their victims in the United States, as in the case of the telemarketing fraud, originating from India and the Philippines.

“We do have an international division that has a memorandum of understanding with other countries and facilitates that cooperation to prosecute (foreign criminals),” said Mendez. “When cases cross international boundaries, they tend to become more difficult, but they are not impossible,” she added.

The data in the report comes from reports received in 2020 online at https://reportfraud.ftc. gov/#/ , and from complaints filed with Attorney General’s and law enforcement offices.

That information is pooled into a database called the Consumer Sentinel Network, which is shared with 3,000 law enforcement officials nationwide. To establish who was complaining and about what, the reports were mapped against the U.S. Census demographic data.

“While we cannot eradicate all scams, what we can do is inoculate people in our community from falling prey to scams, with information,” added Vaca. “Research has shown that when people know about a specific scam, they are 80% less likely to lose their money, so we want to encourage them to share their experiences,” she concluded.

People can learn more about how to prevent these scams at https://www.consumer.ftc. gov/. ■

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RIDE FOR A CAUSE. Members of the United Riders’ Club Philippines-Pampanga chapter cruise along the Emilio Aguinaldo Highway in Imus City, Cavite on Thursday, October 28. The motorcycle group said the activity was to advocate for more disciplined, law-abiding, and responsible motorcycle riders in the Philippines.

PNA photo by Gil Calinga

California law aims to strengthen access...

PAGE A3 But if she wanted to do it through Kaiser, it would take six months to get her first appointment.

KP referred her to an outside mental health contractor, Beacon Health Options, which took two weeks to send her a list of therapists. She called all 20 providers on the list, during breaks in her workday, and left messages.

“As someone with anxiety and who suffers from depression, having to actively sit down and call people who are over and over again telling you, ‘Oh, I’m not actually taking new patients,’ is an overwhelmingly defeating process,” Polon says. “I walked away from that thinking, ‘Do I even want to do therapy if this is what I am going to have to go through to even get there?’”

She ended up seeing the one therapist who had space for her, but she wasn’t contracted with Beacon. Polon had to wrangle with Kaiser Permanente for months over the paperwork.

In June, San Diego’s city attorney, Mara Elliott, sued Kaiser over what she termed “ghost networks” that “falsely describe the breadth of an insurer’s provider network, promising consumers access to health care that in reality is unavailable under the plan.” Elliott sued Molina Healthcare and Health Net on similar grounds.

Dr. Yener Balan, vice president of behavioral health and specialty services at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California, says the organization could do better, but claims that it meets the follow-up appointment recommendations of its mental health clinicians 84% of the time — a figure hotly contested by union officials and

therapists.

Balan says SB 221’s July implementation date is helpful, “given the shortage of mental health clinicians faced by all health care organizations.”

Critics of the health insurance industry question whether a shortage of therapists is the main problem. Wiener says health plans aren’t paying mental health practitioners enough to join their networks.

A 2019 report by the California Future Health Workforce Commission projected that within a decade there would be 41% fewer psychiatrists than needed and 11% fewer psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and other mental health workers.

But a report the same year by the state Legislative Analyst’s Office said the number of graduates of mental health programs had grown significantly — although there was, it reported, a shortage of psychiatrists.

The Department of Managed Health Care, which regulates health plans covering a large majority of Californians, will monitor compliance with the new law and investigate consumer complaints, says Rachel Arrezola, an agency spokesperson.

What You Can Do If you believe your health plan is shortchanging you on mental health treatment, you don’t have to wait for the new law. You can challenge your insurer under existing regulations. Once the law takes effect, however, it will offer additional ballast for any challenges and allow regulators to pursue health plans for violations.

To contest a lack of coverage, you must first appeal directly to

your health plan. If you are in a private plan, you must file the appeal within six months of care being denied. The insurer must decide on your appeal within 30 days.

If you don’t get a satisfactory decision, take your case to the agency that regulates your insurer for an independent review. And if there’s an urgent health risk, you don’t need to wait 30 days. Contact your regulator immediately.

To find out what agency that is, call the customer service line of your health plan. If it is the Department of Managed Health Care, you can request an independent review by calling 888-4662219 or logging on to HealthHelp. ca.gov. If your regulator is the California Department of Insurance, call 800-927-4357.

If you are in managed-care Medi-Cal and your plan is regulated by the Department of Managed Health Care, you can ask that department for an independent review. You can also seek a “fair hearing” through the state, as can any Medi-Cal beneficiary, by going online or calling 855795-0634.

Of course, all this takes time and effort. But if the delay is making it impossible for you to get treatment, it may be worth it.

This story was produced by KHN (Kaiser Health News), 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. ■

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OPINION

Still the worst place to be

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FEATURES

FOR the second straight month, the Philippines ranked at the bottom of the world’s 53 largest economies in terms of pandemic resilience. Bloomberg, which draws up the ranking, noted that the Philippines had the worst COVID-19 vaccine coverage among the 53 economies. Continuing mobility restrictions also pulled down the country’s score.

The Duterte administration groused that Bloomberg was comparing apples and oranges, and that developing countries like the Philippines would clearly pale in pandemic response when compared with the advanced economies included in the rankings. The Philippines, however, also did worse than its regional neighbors with similar levels of economic development.

With 26 percent of the population vaccinated, the Philippines ranked behind its Southeast Asian neighbors, which had also battled the highly infectious Delta variant this year. Bloomberg ranked Indonesia at 48th place and Vietnam at 52nd, with over a third of their populations getting COVID shots. Malaysia, which has given doses to 76 percent of its population, ranked 50th.

Places in the COVID Resilience Ranking can change dramatically. Singapore, ranked No. 1 earlier this year, making it the best place to be during

the pandemic with its COVID-zero policy, plummeted 20 places to 39th in this month’s study as it grappled with Delta-driven infections, prompting tighter restrictions.

While battling COVID, countries also continue to compete for job-generating investments. In this area, the Philippines also fared badly among the biggest Southeast Asian economies in a study conducted by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies. A recent PIDS research showed the Philippines ranking worst in seven of 13 indicators compared with the others in the so-called ASEAN5: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

PIDS noted that as of 2019, the Philippines had the lowest foreign direct investment in ASEAN-5.

The country was also seen as the most corrupt, with the weakest rule of law, the lowest score in ease of doing business, the poorest quality of Most economic analysts have already warned roads, the highest corporate tax rate and the worst that the Philippines will be the regional laggard FDI equity restriction index. in post-COVID recovery, both in terms of public

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS COVID-19 has sure disrupted life as we know it for almost two years now. One of the things we miss is our freedom of navigation.

For many of us, the pandemic has deprived us of the precious time to be with our family again in the Philippines or elsewhere around the world.

Those who are approaching retirement or are already retired have lost precious time we could never take back. Some have been working so hard all their lives, working two jobs, tirelessly providing for their family’s needs, thinking they would just travel and earn their hard earned money upon retirement, or when all the kids are married, or when the grandkids do not need their lolo or their lola to take care of them as their own parents are both working. Unfortunately for some, that day would never come because of mobility challenges, chronic illness, or even death.

And so for those who have been planning to travel — CARPE DIEM! Seize the day! Seize the moment.

But do it the wise and safe way.

Thankfully for me and my husband and many others, we are now in the position to travel again because we are fully vaccinated.

Most countries only allow travelers/tourists into their borders if they can prove they have been inoculated with the full doses of

Philstar.com photo

health and the economy. The challenge for the administration is to prove the analysts wrong. (Philstar.com)

Some tips to remember when we travel again amid the coronavirus pandemic COVID-19 shots approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the country and/or union it belongs to. Having gotten the booster shot would help even better.

However, different countries have their own safety requirements we should be aware of, and I say this for our own safety as well because as travelers, we have to make sure the countries we are planning to visit have diminishing COVID-19 infection and death rate, a high vaccination rate, and a strict public safety policy like mask mandate and social distancing, requiring proof of full vaccination before being allowed admission to public gathering especially in enclosed spaces.

Also take note of the fact that countries change their requirements when it comes to accepting tourists/travelers. Some still require a negative covid test result taken no more than 72 hours before your departure for PCR tests, or no more than 48 hours for rapid antigen test.

But then again, you have to make sure which kind of test is required — is it PCR or antigen? Verify. If in doubt, take the PCR test. While the antigen test is cheaper and the results come out faster, the PCR test is a more reliable test and countries may change their rules while you are just about to check in for your flight or to land in the country you

are visiting.

Also, verify if you need to present a negative PCR/antigen test for each of the countries you are visiting, even if you are just transiting or doing a layover. This is an important lesson learned the hard way when my husband and I traveled to Spain mid-September for our Camino de Santiago pilgrimage via British Airways in our trans-Atlantic flights and Iberia Airways for our flights within Europe.

Iberia’s only requirement then was for tourists to present proof of vaccination and of course, a declaration that you are not feeling sick and that you have not been exposed to people infected

by COVID-19. Meanwhile, my understanding based on past readings was that if you are only transiting and not really entering the border of the country as your layover for a short period of time and you immediately proceed to gate for your connecting flight, then you do not need to get and present a negative PCR test.

When we were in SFO with our boarding pass we got online, dropping our luggage for checkin, the British Airways staff asked for our negative COVID-19 test results! Of course I countered with “we are only transiting, not entering UK border,” even showing them a print out of what I got from the internet.

Long story short, we needed to

look for a testing site to get our negative test results with our luggage in tow, sweating profusely as re ran, got Lyft to the testing site, and back to the airport and made it to the check-in counter in the nick of time. By the grace of God, our flight was delayed and so we made it to board our flight!

That brings me to a very important point: QUARANTINE! Even if you make it to your flight, you may be required to quarantine depending on the changing rules and requirements of the country you are visiting, even if you are just transiting. Without a negative covid result for example, your choices if ever you made it to London Heathrow Airport was to go back home to the US (which also requires a negative PCR test result even from U.S. citizens), or, go on quarantine for a week in a designated quarantine place in London, take covid test on the 5th day and then wait for a negative result before you are allowed to board the plane to your destination.

So research on the quarantine requirements of the countries you are visiting. That is what is frustrating about traveling back to the Philippines. Last year, US citizens were allowed into the border so long as you check in a DOH-approved hotel to quarantine for a day or two while waiting for the negative result of the COVID-19 test that had to be taken in the airport in the Philippines. Once you

get the negative result, then you are free to visit with your family. If the result would be positive, you need to qarantine for two more weeks and take another COVID test to present a negative result Then the rules changed came the last quarter of 2020 in the Philippines when US citizens needed to quarantine for 14 days and then take COVID test and wait for the negative result because the US was classified as being in the “red” list.

Just this October, the US has been reclassified to be in the “yellow”list but, short of being in the “green” list, we are still required to quarantine for one week , take the covid test on the 5th day, then be on a home quarantine for another week to monitor our health. This means being in a hotel for another week if we do not have your own home, lest in principle, we may potentially spread the virus around. So ask your self-- do you have the luxury of time and resources to quarantine?

Yes we know there is always some stress and delays that goes with traveling but brace your self with a lot of patience, faith and good cheer because there are even more stressors when traveling in the age of the coronavirus pandemic.

To minimize the stressors, get all of these safety requirements taken care of before you fly.

Download app of the airline or the country or a third party app like Verifly on your phone so you can upload all your documents — vaccination certificate, negative covid test result, and all your personal travel information including locator form when required.

On top of this, PRINT out all your personal and health documents because they will ask for the proof of what you uploaded online. This smoothens and hastens the check-in process our of your departure airport and into the country/countries you are visiting instead of you scrolling and rummaging through your phone that may conk out anytime!

Hope this helps. Let this not daunt you from traveling. We just have to be prepared from our end and leave everything to God to do the rest.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The United States is currently under the IATF’s list of “yellow”

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

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

Approximately 90 percent of Filipino-Americans have been fully vaccinated. They are hope-

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

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

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

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

According to Fr. Austriaco, data indicate that new infections in the Philippines cannot be attributed to arriving passengers as homegrown or local transmissions account for almost all of the new COVID-19 cases in the Philippines. The infection rate in fact is on a downtrend, especially in Metro Manila which has been placed under Alert Level 3 with more establishments and businesses allowed to open on a limited capacity – and we all know that this is largely due to the government’s vaccination rollout that continues to be scaled up.

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

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

Experts, however, are emphatic that vaccination is still the best protection against COVID-19. Studies by the US National Institutes of Health on vaccine mix-and-match showed the level of antibodies increasing in people who switched vaccine brands for their booster shots, with no notable side effects.

With the possibility of COVID-19 becoming endemic and thus will require booster shots to be given yearly like the seasonal flu, the

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

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

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

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

*** Email: babeseyeview@gmail.com

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Dateline PhiliPPines

Duterte urges ASEAN to buy more COVID vaccines

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to fast-track the procurement of additional COVID-19 vaccines to aid the region’s recovery from the pandemic.

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

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

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

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

“We must also have our own regional vaccine research and

VIRTUAL SUMMIT. President Rodrigo Duterte joins other leaders from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries in the virtual 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits hosted by Brunei Darussalam at the Malacañang Palace on Tuesday, October 26.

Malacañang photo by King Rodriguez

production facilities for us to be ready for future public health emergencies,” he added.

Further, Duterte stressed that the regional bloc must ensure “the phased and comprehensive implementation of the broad

strategies under the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

DISTANCING. Patrolman Gerroled Catapang (2nd from right) reminds people to stay at the right distance to prevent catching COVID-19 outside the entrance of Tala Cemetery in, Barangay 176, Phase 7A Bagong Silang, Caloocan City on Thursday, Octobr 28. All cemetery memorial parks and columbaria are closed from October 29 to November. 2.

PNA photo by Ben Briones

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Robredo to set a ‘drug war’ that focuses on Chinese firms profit off PH amid the pandemic rehab and prevention than ‘kill, kill, kill’ by cRiStina

eloiSa Inquirer.net

by John

eRic MendoZa

Inquirer.net

MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo on Friday said she would continue the government’s “drug war” – the kind that would place more effort on rehabilitation and prevention than “kill, kill, kill” if she wins the presidency in the 2022 polls.

Robredo, who briefly served as a co-chairman of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD), noted that the current administration’s war against illegal drugs has been “heavy on enforcement” rather than being “comprehensive.”

“Iyong sa atin kasi, nakita natin in the past five years na iyong drug war, kinonduct natin parang lahat lang siya heavy on enforcement—hindi ako doon naniniwala,” Robredo told reporters in a press conference in Sorsogon.

(In our case, we saw in the past five years that the drug war was conducted in such a way that is heavy on the enforcement—I do not believe in that strategy.)

“Kasi nakita natin over the past five and a half years, sobrang daming namatay pero ang kuwestiyon, ‘Nawala ba?’ Ang sagot, ‘Hindi’,” she added.

(Because we saw over the past five and a half years, many have died but the questions is, “Did the problem disappear?’ The answer is, “No.”)

Vice President Leni Robredo

For Robredo, the government’s fight against illegal drugs, particularly the ICAD, should be headed by the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) to be able to carry out a “more holistic” approach to address the drug problem.

Currently, ICAD is being chaired by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), which according to Robredo, is leaning more towards enforcement.

“So sa akin, ang paniniwala ko, kapag DDB iyong umupo na chair, ang plano niya hindi lang patay, patay, patay. Ang plano niya talagang very comprehensive—heavy on prevention, heavy on rehabilitation.

(So for me, my belief is, if DDB is the chair, its plan is not only hinged on kill, kill, kill. Its plan will really be comprehensive In

Inquirer.net file photo

my belief, once DDB sits as the chair of DDB, its plan will not be just ‘kill, kill, kill’ but the plan will be more comprehensive—heavy on prevention, heavy on rehabilitation.)

In 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte challenged and then appointed Robredo to lead the ICAD after expressing exasperation over his vice president’s constant criticism of his drug war.

Robredo accepted Duterte’s dare and appointment, but the Chief Executive fired her 18 days later, saying she could not be trusted.

Duterte is facing crimes against humanity complaints before the International Criminal Court over his drug war, which reportedly claimed the lives of thousands. ■

Duterte satisfaction rating drops to 67% – SWS

by JanVic

Mateo Philstar.com

MANILA — While still high compared to his predecessors, satisfaction with President Duterte continued to plummet less than a year before the end of his term, a new survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

The survey, conducted from Sept. 12 to 16 and released Friday night, showed that 67 percent of Filipinos were satisfied with the performance of the President.

It was eight points lower than the 75 percent he obtained in similar surveys conducted in May and June this year. Satisfaction with Duterte reached an alltime high of 84 percent in Nov.

2021.

Meanwhile, the rise in the number of those dissatisfied with the President continued to increase, from 10 percent in May and 13 percent in June to 15 percent last month.

Those who were undecided also continued to drop, from 15 percent in May and 12 percent in June to only 11 percent.

The latest survey gave Duterte a net satisfaction rating of “very good” +52, lower than the +65 and +62 that he obtained in the May and June surveys, respectively.

The net satisfaction rating is the rounded off difference between those who said that they are satisfied and dissatisfied with the performance of the President.

Duterte’s net satisfaction rating reached an all-time high last Nov. 2021 at “excellent” +79 (84 percent satisfied, six percent dissatisfied).

His lowest was in June 2018 at “good” +45 (66 percent satisfied, 19 percent dissatisfied).

Duterte’s net satisfaction rating is still higher than the average of his predecessors.

Former president Benigno Aquino III had an average “good” +45 throughout his term, Gloria Arroyo with “neutral” 7, Joseph Estrada with “good” +33, Fidel Ramos with “good” +38 and Corazon Aquino with “good” +35.

The survey had 1,200 adult respondents and an error margin of +/- three percent for national percentages. ■

BacliG

MANILA — The ongoing Senate investigation into transactions between the Department of Health (DOH), Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), and foreign firm Pharmally has slowly shed light on how the government seemed to prefer Chinese-owned firms for COVID-19 supplies.

How much have these Chinese firms earned from transactions with the Philippine government during the pandemic?

How did this affect workers of Filipino companies?

The cost of vaccines Data from the Department of Health (DOH) and the National Task Force Against COVID-19 showed that as of Oct. 28, a total of 99,551,290 doses of vaccines have already arrived in the country.

Seven brands of vaccines have been approved and are being administered to recipients. These were: • Pfizer-BioNTech – United States, Germany • Moderna – United States • Sinovac – China • AstraZeneca – United Kingdom, Sweden • Gamaleya – Russia • Johnson & Johnson – United States • Sinopharm – China Among these seven vaccine brands, most doses delivered to the Philippines were manufactured by two Chinese-owned companies, one of them owned by the Chinese government.

Combined, a total of 45,600,000 vaccine doses from Sinovac and Sinopharm—the Chinese government-owned firm—have arrived in the Philippines since it started its national vaccine rollout last March.

The figures correspond to 45.81 percent of the Philippines’ total vaccine supply.

On the other hand, around 1,100,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine have been delivered.

You might ask, how much did we pay for those vaccines?

As of Oct. 28, there were a total of 44,500,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine in the Philippines. Not all of those, however, were purchased by the Philippine government.

At least two million doses were donated by China, which means that the government

paid for around 42,500,000 vaccine doses.

Meanwhile, all doses of the Sinopharm vaccine that were sent to the Philippines were donated.

It is not clear how much the different vaccine doses purchased by the Philippines cost, especially the vaccines produced by Sinovac.

Earlier this year, some senators expressed alarm at alarm at varying prices of Coronavac, the vaccine made by Sinovac.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. explained that the market price of Sinovac’s vaccine is only $26.5 per dose and that the Philippines was able to negotiate a lower price.

Galvez did not disclose the exact price of the vaccine, but he said that it would not be more than P700.

READ: ‘Hindi tataas ng P700:’ Galvez disputes ‘very erroneous’ report on Sinovac vaccine price If the government paid for the 42,500,000 doses of Sinovac’s vaccine at P700 per dose, the total estimated amount spent would be P29,750,000,000.

However, in December 2020, Senate committee on finance chair Sonny Angara released a list showing the estimated prices of different vaccine brands for two doses per person.

The price list showed that Sinovac’s CoronaVac costs around P3,629 for two doses.

This is higher than most prices of other vaccines from AstraZeneca (P610), Pfizer (P2,379), Moderna (P3,904), and Gamaleya (P1,220).

If the government bought vaccines from Sinovac at around P3,629 per two doses, the estimated total cost would be around P77,116,250,000.

Overpriced PPEs Before the controversy over overpriced personal protective equipment (PPEs), face masks, and COVID test kits from foreign-owned company Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp (Pharmally) surfaced, there were already traces of overpriced PPE sets procured by the Philippine government from China in 2020.

In September 2020, opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros presented details of the hefty amounts of PPE sets from China bought by the Philippines which she described as “overpriced.”

Hontiveros said of the 11 contracts that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) entered into for PPE sets in April and May 2020, five were with Chinese companies.

These were: • Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group which sold 250,000 units of PPE at P1,785.71 each, totaling P446,428,571.43.

• Wen Hua Development Industrial Co, Ltd which sold 42,000 units at P1,768.30 each, totaling P74,268,674.99 • Chushen Company Ltd with 588,000 units at P1,767.46 each, totaling P1,039,266,480 • Wen Hua Development Industrial Co Ltd with 800,000 units at P1,716.96 each, totaling P1,373,568,000 • Shanghai Puheng Medical Equipment Co Ltd which sent 200,000 units at P1,716.96 each, totaling P343,392,000.

The senator said that from March 23 to April 13, the DOH set a price freeze for medical equipment and supplies needed for COVID-19 response.

Around that time, the price of PPE sets should have a maximum cost of only P945 per set.

According to Hontiveros, three out of the 11 contracts came in the same period as the price freeze in 2020, meaning the price of a PPE set should have cost a little less than P1,000 if procured from local companies.

However, the Procurement Service of DBM (PS-DBM) disputed Hontiveros’ claim and explained that the government saved P800 million in its multibillion-peso supply contracts with Chinese manufacturers at the height of the COVID-19 lockdown.

The then-head of the PSDBM, Lloyd Christopher Lao, said that the government saved money “by dealing directly with manufacturers and accredited distributors.”

He added that the money saved can be used for additional PPE sets and other COVID-19 response items that the Department of Health (DOH) needed to bolster the government’s fight against the pandemic.

The Philippine government had separately purchased another 1 million PPE sets, worth P1.8 billion, from China to supu PAGE A10

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PANDEMIC CHRISTMAS. Santa Claus and elf mascots wearing face masks wave to the crowd during the unveiling of a mall’s Christmas display in Pasig City on Thursday, October 28. This is the second year the country, and much of the world, is celebrating Christmas at a time of pandemic.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

Chinese firms profit off PH amid the pandemic PAGE A8 t port health workers and those on the frontline of the battle against COVID-19.

During the same period, the Philippine government also bought P126 million worth of lab equipment for coronavirus testing which consists of 45,000 test kits from the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI).

This year, the Senate blue ribbon committee, in a series of hearings the past few weeks, found that the government lost P5 million in its initial purchase deal with foreign-owned company Pharmally.

The little-known company, which was registered at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Sept. 4, 2019 by Huang Tzu Yen, a Singaporean, bagged 13 contracts with the Philippine government worth a total of P11 billion—all involving supplies for COVID response—despite having a paidup capital of only P625,000.

The deals given to Pharmally included supply of PPE sets with markup costs—from face masks that cost P27.72 a piece to COVID test kits that cost P1,720 each —which were more expensive than items from direct suppliers.

READ: Pharmally scandal: When middlemen profit even during a pandemic Local firms lose in COVID19 deals In 2020, when the Senate investigated the overpriced PPE

deals with Chinese companies, Hontiveros said a local company was found to have a capacity of producing at least 2 million face masks per month while its sister company could produce PPEs. Still, bulk of contracts for these items was awarded to Chinese firms.

The same thing happened with the P8.7 billion deal between DOH, PS-DBM and Pharmally.

During a Senate hearing last Oct. 28, Confederation of Philippine Manufacturers of PPE (CPMP) executive director Rosette Carrillo belied claims that there has been a shortage of supply from local firms.

“In effect, it is not true that you are running out of masks.

True, it’s urgent, but there’s a local source,” Carillo said.

A Bataan-based local firm called Medtecs International Corporation Limited, according to Carillo, produced 39.2 million face masks between March and June when Bayanihan 1 took effect.

Moreover, the unit price of face masks sold by the local firm was P22.50 per piece.

Another Filipino-owned company, EMS Components Assembly Inc., sold face masks at a unit price of P13.50 per piece when supply started to stabilize.

In a separate statement, EMS chair Ferdinand Ferrer said the company received payments

for 25.8 million pieces. Despite its commitment to deliver 8.5 million face masks monthly, its deliveries were often put on hold.

READ: ‘Overpricing’ probe: PH firms are biggest losers to ‘favored’ Pharmally The local companies’ prices were much lower compared to Pharmally’s price of P27.72 per face mask.

Last April, local firms told the Senate that the government’s preference for imported PPEs, mostly from Chinese-owned firms, has cost jobs in the local manufacturing industry which had been told by the government to repurpose their factories for the expected increase in demand for PPEs during the pandemic.

“I think it’s unfair because although it would have saved jobs by telling factories to repurpose, and yet at the same time [the government] disappoints them by not buying their output, their produce,” Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III said.

According to Confederation of Wearable Exporters of the Philippines (Conwep) Executive Director Maria Teresita Jocson Agoncillo, around 25,400 of a total 120,000 workers in the local sector faced retrenchment from June to December 2020.

Out of the 25,4000 workers who were laid off, 3,500 were from three Filipino firms that repurposed their factories for PPE production. ■

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 30 - NOvEmbER 2, 2021

WKND Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ FOR anyone with a pending petition or application, the delays in processing their case at USCIS can be frustrating and can cause tremendous disruption, and unnecessary separation of family members.

If this applies to you, you’re not alone. The USCIS has a process or procedure to request your case to be expedited. In this article, I will discuss what types of cases could be eligible for expedited treatment and how to make the request to expedite.

First, the USCIS will consider expedite request only if it meets certain criteria or circumstances: • Severe financial loss to a company or person.

However, the need for urgent action cannot be the result of the person failing to timely request the benefit or respond to requests for additional evidence. For example, did you wait until the last minute to file for an immigration benefit or extension? Also, you have to document to show what exactly is the loss and that the person requesting the expedite cannot “withstand the temporary financial loss that is the natural result of normal processing times.” In other words, everyone under petition is suffering in some manner, as well as the company waiting for them to be able to begin working.

Maybe the person holds a key position in a company, and the company may go out of

How to expedite your case at USCIS

business unless the case is approved immediately.

• Emergencies and urgent humanitarian reasons.

• U.S. government interests. This could include government agencies such as the Department of Defense, Department of Labor, Homeland Security, or other public safety or national security interests.

• Clear USCIS error.

However, the USCIS notes that even if your situation fits one of these categories, it may not warrant expedited processing. For example, if the person wants to expedite a work authorization or student status, that, standing alone, “without any evidence of other compelling factors, does not warrant expedited treatment.”

This is likely because everyone wants a work authorization.

Therefore, everyone would claim they’re entitled to expedited processing.

Once an expedite request is submitted to USCIS, it may ask for additional evidence and documents to support expedited processing.

If you’re lucky enough to get the expedite request approved, it does not mean your actual case is being approved. It simply means the USCIS will take your case out of order and put it to the front of the line and issue a decision faster than the posted processing times.

But the USCIS is extremely reluctant to grant expedite requests because everyone has their own reason or justification for wanting their

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case approved faster. Usually, USCIS thinks it’s unfair to move anyone to the front of the line, just because they came up with a better excuse or reason.

You need to demonstrate and document some extremely critical, out of the ordinary emergency to even have a chance. And of course, I would never guarantee anyone that just because they submit an expedite request, USCIS will be granting it.

But if you truly have a case or situation that meets one of these listed criteria or factors, you may want to consult with an attorney who can evaluate your situation and, if you do meet the requirements, help you package and document the expedite request, provided you meet all other eligibility requirements: there are no other issues or problems in your case, your priority date is current, and the like. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 40 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York.

All immigration services are provided JUMPSHIP SON HELPS LEGALIZE HIS MOTHER THIS SUNDAY ON CITIZEN PINOY. Did you know that family members can “spread the by, or under the supervision of, an love” by helping each other legalize their status? Mommy Emi (left) came to the U.S. on a visitor’s visa and overstayed. Upon consulting leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (right), she was advised to wait for her son to legalize his status active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different, and in the U.S. first. But Emi’s son, Jerome, was a crewman who jumped ship and was not eligible to adjust status in the U.S. When the results may depend on the facts of the provisional regulations came out in 2013, Atty. Gurfinkel filed a provisional waiver so Jerome could get his green card in Manila, particular case. The information and and eventually become a U.S. citizen, so he could petition his mother. Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” this Sunday, October 31 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. opinions contained herein (including (Advertising Supplement) testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) (866) – GURFINKEL are of a general nature, and are not your legal matter. No attorney-client GurfinkelLaw, YouTube: US Immigration Four offices to serve you: intended to apply to any particular relationship is, or shall be, established TV and Instagram.com/gurfinkellaw Call Toll free to schedule a LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ case, and do not constitute a with any reader.

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com consultation for anywhere in the US: NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES prediction, warranty, guarantee or Follow us on Facebook.com/ 1-866-487-3465 (Advertising Supplement) legal advice regarding the outcome of

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How a son who jumped ship was able to petition his out-of-status mother this Sunday on Citizen Pinoy THIS Sunday’s episode features Nanay Emi who wanted to legalize her status after she arrived in the U.S. on a tourist visa and overstayed in 2010.

After consulting with leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel, she was advised to wait for her son to first legalize his status and become a U.S. citizen. Only then could the son be able to petition his mother.

They had to wait patiently though, since Nanay Emi’s son, Jerome, was a crewman who jumped ship in 2004. Even though he was married to a U.S. citizen, he was unable to file for adjustment of status in the U.S. It was Nanay Emi who saw the news of a new

regulation in 2013 that could benefit her son: provisional waiver.

Jerome was able to safely return to the Philippines in 2015 to get his immigrant visa from the U.S. Embassy in Manila. After three years, Jerome became a U.S. citizen, and he was finally able to petition his mother.

Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” this Sunday, October 31 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET thru select Cable/Satellite providers), right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the app for free.

(Advertising Supplement)

Francine’s strategies for dealing with her insecurities

By MaRiNel

CRuz

Inquirer.net

I WILL not let what people tell me about my body affect me emotionally,” declared TV star Francine Diaz, who even as a teenager appears to already have a clear grasp of what self-love is all about.

During a recent virtual media gathering, Francine was asked whether there are things about her that she still feels insecure about and how she deals with them.

“Yes, of course. As much as I can, I try not to let them get to my head. I know I have a thin physique. People around me make sure to remind me that, as well as tell me I should work on gaining weight. When I eventually gained some pounds, they then noticed that I have siopao (rounded) face and said, ‘magpapayat ka nga!’” Francine told reporters during her formal launch as the ambassador of the skincare brand Dr. Alvin Rejuvinating Set. Low self-confidence “The situation kind of gets confusing sometimes. So I’ve decided to focus on my form. I don’t mind that I’m thin. What’s important is that I’m healthy. I will continue to do whatever makes me happy,” she said. “I still have insecurities—that’s normal for a teenager. But I will now stop listening to what other people say about my body.

“It’s also normal to have low self-confidence, sometimes,” Francine said in response to a request for her to give a few inspirational words to individuals her age who might be going through the same thing. “For example, if having pimples makes you feel insecure, understand that it’s also part of your experience as a teenager. This doesn’t mean, though, that you will not do anything to address the problem. What it does mean is that you lack proper skincare. If having a healthy body is important to you, you should also prioritize healthy skin.”

The star of the top-rating drama series “Huwag Kang Mangamba” on ABS-CBN was also asked for her reaction to the fact that a lot of her supporters are encouraging her to eventually join beauty pageants.

“Yes, they keep saying that they see the potential in me,” said the 17-year-old. “Although I feel flattered to hear and read their comments, I really don’t think it’s for me. I’m aware that if I join pageants, I won’t only be presenting myself to people.

I will also be representing the country and all the Filipinos to the world. That puts an incredible amount of pressure on my shoulders.”

Francine Diaz

Photo from Instagram/@francinesdiaz

‘No exact formula’ Francine is undoubtedly one of the busiest local teen celebrities today. Aside from being a cast member of “Huwag Kang Mangamba,” which is currently airing its last few episodes, Francine is also busy with being a product endorser and a student.

“I try to join our online class even when I’m in lock-in taping and the signal is not so good.

I really try to catch up with the schoolwork that I’ve missed. Like this weekend, I need to really sit down and write an essay,” Francine shared with reporters. “I also have photo shoots that are scheduled soon. This is aside from the shoots I do via Zoom. I also try to come up with content for my YouTube channel.”

This was why when Francine was asked, in reference to her TV show’s title, what makes her feel anxious and apprehensive the most, the young star replied: “It has got to be the exam week!”

On her formula for success, Francine shared: “I really don’t consider myself as super successful.

As far as I’m concerned, I’m on my way to achieving that but I still have a long way to go. I also think that there’s no exact formula for success. As long as you don’t give up, you will eventually fulfill your goals.” n

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Advertising Supplement)

Judy Ann’s new revelations on ‘Aksyon Time’

JUDY Ann Santos’ meteoric rise from being a child star to becoming one of the country’s top dramatic has all the plot elements that would fit into a heartwarming and inspiring movie. Her dreams were pure and simple — enjoy work as much as she could, and save up money for school. Yet it seemed like the road to stardom had already been paved for her, thanks to the support of her family and the folks she met on the set.

Missing her father whom she rarely had time to spend time with, and her mother, who was in Canada, Santos found good company in the co-stars she worked with and the supportive staff and crew who made her feel at home all the time.

“I was never close with my dad. I never had the chance to see him growing up. So, I look forward to the day na may taping kasi yung mga cameramen, crew lahat ng staff and engineers, so-

brang close ako. Sa kanila ako nakakakuha ng kalinga at saka may mga bata rin akong kasama sa set,” said Santos during an interview with Senator Joel Villanueva of “AksyonTime,” which aired on A2Z Channel 11 over the weekend.

While she totally enjoyed being a young performer, she never really imagined doing acting for more than three decades.

“Kung bata ka kasi, hinahanap mo lang naman kung ano yung nakapapagpasaya sa iyo at that time. Yung ang feeling ko, masaya ako sa ginagawa ko. Kumikita ako kahit paano.

And gusto ko yung ginagawa ko that’s why medyo magagawa ko ito [acting] ng medyo mas mahaba-haba pa.”

With her innate talent and commitment to her craft, Santos was blessed with more projects until she arrived at a crossroad.

“I have to decide kung ipupursue ko ba ang pagka-college

ko, or tatapusin ko lang yung pagiging high school ko and move forward to acting. ‘Cause at that time wala rin kaming pera for enrollment and marami namang projects na pumapasok so I asked my mom, nasa Canada sya nun, kung pwedeng mag-college na lang ako kapag alam ko na yung kurso kong kukunin,” recalled Santos who later on took and passed the exam for TESDA National Certification in 2009 and became a full-fledged chef.

Her decision paved the way to her success as the “Queen of Pinoy Soap Opera” and soon after, as “Box Office Queen.” Numerous awards followed, the latest of which was the Best Actress award from the Cairo International Film Festival for Brillante Mendoza’s 2019 film, “Mindanao.”

“Habang nagkaka-edad ka parang you are looking for more challenging roles. Bilang artista noong mga time na yun gusto ko nang mag-move forward sa mas may sustansyang projects. Okay lang gumawa ng rom-com films pero yung puso mo mas naghahanap na ng may kabuluhan, mas malalim na acting,” she said.

With the passion to grow as an actress, Santos is not wary about fitting in to any role. She revealed that there was never a point in her career where her decision to take on a project was based on how her followers would react.

“Siguro yun yung wala ako [kaba]. Para sa akin kung hindi ko gusto yung project hindi sya tatawid onscreen. Kasi andun ako sa paniniwala na kung susuportahan ako ng mga tao, kung mahal talaga nila ako, susuportahan nila kung ano man ang proyektong ilabas ko,” the The Teleserye Queen opened up on a host of topics — from missing her father to having to award-winning actress finally forego college because of her career.

Photo from Instagram/@officialjuday noted. (ManilaTimes.net) n

Jennylyn Mercado and Dennis Trillo

Photo from Instagram/@mercadojenny

Jennylyn, Dennis engaged, with baby on the way

By Nika

Roque ManilaTimes.net

JENNYLYN Mercardo and Dennis Trillo are getting married, with a baby on the way.

Mercado shared the good news on her YouTube and Instagram accounts on Friday night with the simultaneous airing of their joint interview on “24 Oras.”

Mercardo and Trillo said the engagement was long overdue, having been in a relationship for 11 years.

Trillo also noted that he wanted to do a simple yet heartfelt proposal, hence, the surprise at home due to safety concerns.

“At dahil sa kondisyon ni Jen ngayon (And because of Jen’s condition),” the actor noted, which prompted Mercado to break the news.

“Positive ako (I’m positive),” she said, adding that she is on her ninth week.

“Ang timing niya ay nasa taping ako ng ‘Love. Die. Repeat.’ So nangyari ‘to two months ago. Dun ko na-feel na medyo iba ako eh, medyo emotional ako. Iba yung pakiramdam ko (Its timing is while I was in the taping of ‘Love.

Die. Repeat. So this happened two months ago. That’s when I felt something different. I was a bit emotional. I felt different),” Mercado shared.

The couple added that they had

always wanted a child together and are happy that this blessing came at the right time when both of them were ready.

“Two boys na kami so sana, sana ibigay na sa ‘min ang baby girl (We have two boys s o we’re hoping that we will be blessed with a baby girl),” Mercado said.

Breaker: Simple proposal On her YouTube channel, Mercado shared a video of Trillo’s surprise proposal, which took place at their home on October 8.

The multi-awarded actor set up the day and told Mercado they would be shooting for their channel. The theme was a message to their future selves.

Thinking they would just be discussing their shoot, Mercado was seen listening intently to Trillo.

“Gusto ko lang mag thank you kasi pinili mo ako na samahan sa journey na ito. Iniisip mo siguro kung bakit ngayon lang nangyari pero hindi pa kasi siguro ako ready noon. Pero siniguro ko muna na talagang kapag nangyari yun, ito na yung best version ko (I just want to say thank you because you chose to join me in this journey. Maybe you’re wondering why this happened only now but perhaps I wasn’t ready before).

“Gusto ko lang mag thank you kasi tinulungan mo ko maging ganun. Salamat lang talaga at

dumating ka sa buhay ko. Hindi ko alam kung makakahanap pa ko ng pagmamahal na katulad ng binigay mo sa akin (I want to say thank you because you helped me be like that. I am just thankful that you came into my life. I don’t know if I could still find the kind of love that you have given me),” Trillo is heard saying, at which point they both broke into tears.

“Ikaw lang ang gusto kong makasama at ang bagong addition sa pamilya natin (You’re the only one I want to be with and the newest addition to our family),” Trillo expressed.

When he got down on one knee, Trillo then revealed a room in their home decorated with plants, balloons, and lighted up letters which read “Marry me?”

Mercado answered, “Oo naman (Of course).”

In their television interview, Mercado said she only had a hunch when Trillo started crying but was nevertheless surprised when he finally showed the ring.

On Instagram, Mercado posted photos of the proposal and wrote, “It’s always been a YES.” Trillo has a 14-year-old son, Calix Andreas with ex-girlfriend Carlene Aguilar, while Mercado has a 13-year-old son, Alex Jazz, with ex-boyfriend Patrick Garcia.

DenJen — as the team-up is called — have yet to share details about their upcoming wedding. n

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Client files Chapter 13 for Big Lou’s Donuts clinches multiple $400K unsecured debt multimillion-dollar Australia-wide supply contracts, including with Metcash, FoodWorks and Foodland

THIS is what I call a borderline Chapter 7 case with asset.

Therefore, it is the better part of caution not to file Chapter 7 because the asset may be lost in Chapter 7, while Chapter 13 is safe enough because the Chapter 13 trustee, unlike the Chapter 7 trustee does not have the power to liquidate assets. This is a critical difference that can only be emphasized nowadays when house values are always going up because of very low mortgage rates.

On it’s face, you might wonder why not just file a Chapter 7 and wipe out the entire $400K of unsecured debt in one stroke? Well, you have to look at the details of the case, specially the asset structure.

The client, husband and wife, are in their fifties. Still young.

Both own and operate their own businesses for at least 20 years.

The pandemic killed both businesses.

Husband has a salary from his job that survived the pandemic. Wife also has a job that survived the pandemic.

They owe $400K of business loans all unsecured.

Unsecured meaning these are signature loans without any collateral of any kind.

The Borderline Chapter 7 case Under the means test, they can actually qualify for Chapter 7. But filing a Chapter 7 would be a big mistake.

Why? They own a house that is currently worth $1 million.

The balance of the first and only mortgage is $400,000.

This means that their entire equity of $600,000 is completely exempt since they live in LA County. Sure that looks good on paper but when the equity is entirely used up at $600,000, and with Chapter 7 trustees so excited to liquidate houses, the trustees have real estate agents who are hungry wolves waiting in the sidelines to devour your house. These realtors can make $50,000 from their commissions. That’s a lot of money.

When there’s that kind of money to be made, they look at you as

Debt Relief

Atty. LAwrence yAng

roasted pig ready to be eaten.

Even if Zillow’s appraisal says that your house has a current fair market value of $1 million, you can be sure that these hard working realtors can have a ready buyer for at least $100,000 over $1 million. Don’t forget that there’s always a bidding war going on for houses in LA because there’s a shortage of houses. There’s a lot of demand, and short supply so those two factors will cause you to lose your house in a Chapter 7.

has no power to sell any asset.

There’s a liquidation analysis that compares how much unsecured creditors can get in Chapter 7 compared to the plan being proposed in Chapter 13.

So, the issue that clients will deal with in Chapter 13 is how low can they go on the plan payment? They might be able to with a very low plan payment, say $300 a month, which pays $18,000 of the $400,000. That makes it a 5% plan, i.e., they plan pays 5% of the $400,000.

After the $18,000 is fully paid in 60 months, the difference between $400,000 and $18,000, $382,000 will be discharged.

Of course, the Chapter 13 trustee will try to get a higher plan payment by arguing that the value of the house is understated, but normally an appraisal report will resolve that issue, with NO RISK of losing the house because the Chapter 13 trustee has no power to sell the house.

The worst possibility in a Chapter 13 is a higher plan payment than proposed, let’s say a bump up when the car payment is done, or that the case is dismissed because it’s not feasible. Unlike in a Chapter 7, once the value of the house is in question, the next day there will be a for sale sign on your front lawn and your house will be listed on the MLS on the same day.

Almost impossible to dismiss Chapter 7 case You might think that there’s no problem because you can always have your Chapter 7 case dismissed. Think again because it’s almost impossible to get out of a Chapter 7 case once the petition is completely filed.

Converting Chapter 7 to Chapter 13 The only feasible way of getting out of the Chapter 7 case once the Chapter 7 trustee has targeted your house for sale is the convert your case to Chapter 13. To convert your case to Chapter 13, you will have to prove that you have the wherePAGE B6

“Do not call to mind the former things, or consider things of the past. Behold, I am going to do something new, now it will spring up; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert,” Isaiah 43:18-19.

Chapter 7 Trustee has the power to sell your house The Chapter 7 trustee has the power to sell your house for say $1.1 million, give you your exempt equity of $600,000 in cash, and use the rest of the money to pay off a portion of the $400,000 unsecured debt. What will happen in reality is that the realtors will get $50,000, and there will be $50,000 left to pay the trustee lawyers and trustee administration fees. In all likelihood, ten cents will go the $400,000 unsecured creditors. Ridiculous right? But true nevertheless.

Chapter 13 Trustee has no power to sell your house But in Chapter 13, the clients’ house is completely safe because the Chapter 13 trustee

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

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

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

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

Both donut brands look to increase their market share in Australia. Commercial donuts produced

by Big Lou’s Donuts are ideal for groceries and supermarkets while Epiphany Café’s pillow-soft donuts are more suited for the upper market that entails cafés and restaurants.

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

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

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

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Top individual income tax rates Termination of employee during Biden tax plan series

Tax Tips

ViCtor Sy, MBA, CPA (retired) CURRENT Tax Law: The current highest marginal income tax rate is 37%.

This applies to taxpayers with incomes above: • $523,600 for individual tax filers • $628,300 for married couples filing a joint return • $314,500 for married couples filing separately

• $523,600 for those filing using head of household status.

Proposed Tax Changes: The proposed top marginal tax rate will increase back to 39.6%.

This higher rate would apply to those with incomes above: • $452,700 for individual tax filers • $ 5 0 9 ,3 0 0 f o r m a r r ied couples filing a joint return • $ 2 5 4 ,6 5 0 f o r m a r r ied couples filing separately • $481,000 for those filing using head of household status.

Pouring salt to injury, there’s a Net Investment Income Tax

of 3.8% to pay for Obamacare.

Ouch!. *** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV – Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation. *** He retired after 50 years of defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He published a book on “How to Avoid or Survive IRS Audits” that’s available at Amazon. Readers may email tax questions to vicsy@live.com.

How to naturalize as a US citizen Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrSUA reyeS TO most immigrants, obtaining their greencard has been a long and challenging journey.

However, it should not be regarded as the final destination.

The real American dream is to become a United States Citizen. After obtaining permanent residence status, many green card holders desire to take that next step—becoming a United States Citizen. As a United States Citizen, one is afforded many privileges that are not conferred on persons who only have permanent residence status. A United States Citizen is able to petition for the green cards of close relatives, pass on citizenship to existing children and children yet to be born, and vote in elections. Needless to say, naturalization is a very important step that requires familiarity of the requirements and procedures involved. The following is a brief overview of naturalization.

You need to determine whether you qualify to seek United States citizenship. To qualify, one must have held his/ her green card and have been physically present in the United States for a sufficient amount of time. Generally speaking, one

is required to have held his/ her green card for a minimum of five (5) years. In addition, one must resided or even better be physically present in the United States for at least half of those five years. exceptions to the general rule having to do with, among other things, minor children and marriage do exist that cannot be fully explored in this article because of space limitations. In addition, local residency requirements mandate that the person seeking citizenship reside within the state or district in which the application is filed for at least three (3) months.

In addition to determining eligibility to apply for naturalization, one should also consider the practical issues. To become naturalized, a determination is made as to whether the applicant is of good moral character. Generally, one is deemed to be of good moral character when it can be shown that one has not committed a crime of moral turpitude or has engaged in so-called “vice” crimes such as prostitution and illegal gambling. Other considerations, too many to go into detail here, exist in making the moral character determination.

If one has done something that may adversely affect the determination of moral character, one must seriously consider whether to proceed with the application for naturalization.

The application may bring such actions to the attention of the USCIS, which could result in

possible denial of the application and deportation.

Once one has hurdled over the residency requirements and considered the practical issues, the next issue to consider is the appropriate time to file the application. One can apply for naturalization in the three (3) months before the aforementioned required period of residency has been completed.

The application is a multi-step process. First, necessary paperwork is required to be filed with appropriate fees. Thereafter, an interview is scheduled where further inquiry is made upon the applicant. Usually, inquiry is made into the applicant’s eligibility and knowledge of U.S. government and history.

Finally, if the application is approved, the applicant must take the oath of allegiance to the United States. *** 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, APLC This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and

medical treatments violates disability discrimination laws

ing was because of Mr. Garcia medical condition and or disability, coupled with his request for accommodation.

California law prohibits discrimination based on disability or medical condition. The Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. employer has a duty to provide reasonable accommodation ALberT and Stephanie Gar- to disabled employees to encia, a married couple, were hired able them to work despite their in 2013 by Sierra Management disability. Depending on the to work as on-site managers of employee’s specific restrictions an 81-unit apartment building in and the employer’s circumCanoga Park. The Garcias were stances, an example of reasonpaid a monthly salary and were able accommodation would be: 1) to offer part-time or modiprovided with a rent-free unit in fied work schedules. the same apartment building.

2) accommodate the employIn March 2017, Albert Garcia was diagnosed with thyroid ee’s return to work with restriccancer and started undergo- tions. ing treatments. The Garcias informed their employer of Mr. Garcia’s diagnoses. The Garcias requested reasonable accommodation because Mr. Garcia’s surgeries, radiation and other treatments caused him to pause from his duties. by September 2017, the employers reportedly became “noticeably unhappy” with Albert 3) make facilities accessible Garcia’s needs to take time off and having to provide him ac- to and usable by disabled indicommodations. The Garcias al- viduals In Mr. Garcia’s case, the emleged that they were shunned and scrutinized. Two weeks ployer had a duty to engage in before Thanksgiving 2017, the interactive process and deterGarcia’s were fired from their mine whether reasonable acemployment, which resulted in commodation would allow the employee to perform his job the loss of their apartment.

The Garcias sued their former duties. Mr. Garcia claimed that, employers alleging wrongful despite his diagnosis, he could termination based on disability have continued to perform the discrimination and other viola- responsibilities of being the tions of the employment and resident property manager. As housing provisions of the Fair a reasonable accommodation, employment and Housing Act the employer could have ex(FeHA). The lawsuit claimed tended Mr. Garcia leave. Addithat the real reason for their fir- tionally, as a cancer patient Mr.

Garcia may only be temporarily-disabled. If so, reasonable accommodation might have allowed the employee to keep working.

Discriminated employees may recover the following legal remedies: back wages, hiring, promotion, reinstatement, front pay, compensatory damages, including emotional pain and suffering, and in more serious violations, punitive damages.

Aggrieved employees may also recover attorneys’ fees, expert witness fees, and court costs.

The Garcias’ case went to trial before the Los Angeles Superior Court. After 10 days of trial, the jury sided with the Garcias. The jury awarded Albert Garcia $2.35 million in compensatory damages for lost wages and emotional distress and $4 million in punitive damages. Stephanie Garcia was awarded $30,725 in compensatory damages and $1.25 million in punitive damages for a total verdict of $7,633,650. The Garcias were also entitled to attorneys’ fees, which the employer has to pay. *** 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. [For more than 25 years, C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. 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, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is a past Presidential Awardee for Outstanding Filipino Overseas.]

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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

CA, 90010.

Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com. Web: kenreyeslaw. com.

Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights

California law prohibits discrimination based on disability or medical condition. The employer has a duty to provide reasonable accommodation to disabled employees to enable them to work despite their disability.

School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles,

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Client files Chapter 13 for... Preventing abandonment of your green card due to travel abroad

PAGE B3 withal, the income, to qualify for Chapter 13. This is like a square circle. In Chapter 7, you show you have no disposable income while on a Chapter 13 you have to show you have disposable income to fund a plan. In any event, you will have to pay the Chapter 7 trustee administration fees in full in your Chapter 13. Good luck on that. Just a motion to employ a realtor for the Chapter 7 trustee costs a

bundle. by bundle I mean between $5,000 to $10,000. by the time your house is listed on the mLS, the Chapter 7 trustee administration fees can reach $35,000 for two weeks of work. Nothing unusual about that. That’s all in the playbook.

Trust me on this; you do not ever want your house to be in the crosshairs of the Chapter 7 trustee. You will be in the lion’s den like Daniel. but in Daniel’s case, our Lord God Almighty

closed all the mouths of the lions in the den and Daniel got out of it without a scratch the next morning.

God’s plans are to prosper you not to harm you Despite all your problems, you can rest assured that our God’s plans are to prosper you and not to harm you. “For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,” Jeremiah 29:11. What can be clearer than this that God loved as so that He sent His only beloved Son, Jesus Christ, who also loved us so, to die for us, to give us a chance to spend eternity with them in heaven. What an awesome and glorious plan for us underserving humans!”

Our God can and does wonders beyond our imagination.

When you think all is lost, divine intervention springs out of nowhere to resolve your problems. “Do not call to mind the former things, or consider things of the past. behold, I am going to do something new, now it will spring up; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert,” Isaiah 43:18-19. believe it or not, Walt Disney, filed for Chapter 7 not once, but twice before his Disney global empire became successful. He went on to become a billionaire after getting rid of all his debt twice. milton Hershey, of Hershey chocolates, the biggest chocolate business in the world, also filed for Chapter 7 once before he became successful and a billionaire.

If you need debt relief, set an appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally. *** Disclaimer: None of the foregoing is considered legal advise 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.

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DEAR Attorney, I am a permanent resident, and am planning to visit my loved ones in the Philippines during the holidays. I am planning to leave this week and stay in the Philippines until after the New Years.

Will I face any problems coming back to the US after being outside the country for 60 days? -- E.K. Dear E.K., A green card holder can travel outside the US and return with some limitations. If a green card holder is outside the US for an extended period of time, he may be considered to have abandoned his permanent resident status. brief travel (such as your planned vacation) normally will not affect permanent resident status. In your case, you should have no issues due to the length of your stay in the Philippines when you come back to the U.S. However, abandonment of permanent resident status is a potential issue for green card holders who have to leave the US for an extended period of time (over 1 year) for one reason or another, such as to finish studies or work abroad.

In such situations, how can a person avoid losing his green card?

If a person plans to be outside the US for an extended period of time (over 1 year), an application for a reentry permit must be filed. A reentry permit establishes that one did not intend to abandon his green card, and it allows one to apply for admission to the US after being outside the US for up to 2 years without having to obtain a returning resident visa. Reentry permits are

The Department of State on its website advises to apply for a Returning Resident Visa. To qualify for a Returning Resident Visa, you must show a valid reason why your stay abroad was extended, and that the reason for the extended stay was beyond your control or for which you were not responsible. Another (perhaps better) option would be to reenter the US – if US customs denies admission due to abandonment of your green card, you will have an opportunity to argue before an Immigration Judge here in the US that you did not abandon permanent resident status.

Obtaining a green card often is a difficult process. For some, it takes many years. It is accordingly important to take all steps necessary to maintain permanent resident status once attained. If you plan to be away from the US for an extended period of time, or have been away from the US for an extended period of time without a reentry permit, or a reentry permit that has expired, it is recommended that you consult with an experienced attorney. *** Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to practice law in California and Nevada. Mr. Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southwestern University School of Law. He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philippine American Bar Association.

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Legal Advice Atty. dARRick tAn normally valid for 2 years from the date of issuance. A permanent resident can re-apply for subsequent reentry permits.

Each subsequent reentry permit would be valid for 2 years.

As aforementioned, if one is outside the US for an extended period of time without a reentry permit, he may be considered to have abandoned his green card. If a permanent resident has been outside the US for more than 1 year and attempts to re-enter the US, he may be referred to an Immigration Judge to determine whether he has abandoned his permanent resident status.

An application for reentry permit should be filed at least 60 days prior to the contemplated extended trip outside the US. While a person does not have to be present in the US at the time his reentry permit application is approved, it is important to file it with sufficient time prior to the trip to allow time to receive the biometrics notice after the application is filed, and have biometrics taken. An applicant must provide his biometrics while in the US. If an applicant leaves the US before biometrics are taken, the USCIS may deny the application.

What if a permanent resident has already left the US and either has 1) been outside the US for over 1 year or 2) been outside the US for over 2 years with an expired reentry permit?

Bankruptcy can be the first step to financial recovery

I REmEmbER the story of a poor, old beggar who died one day- and to everyone’s surprise, a money belt found wrapped around his waist contained thousands of dollars in cash. Apparently, he had found the money belt while digging through trash, decided to keep it but never really opened it.

Thus, he lived the rest of his days without even knowing what he had. Had he known about what was available to him to alleviate some of his suffering, life could have been a little better.

The story of this poor, old beggar comes to my mind when I see how many people continue to suffer needlessly in debt when the law provides a remedy for them to change their financial situation for the better. by saying this, I realize that some people may accuse me of being biased in favor of bankruptcy because I make my living as a bankruptcy attorney. I urge you, however, to keep an open mind at least for a moment as you read this article. What I hope to accomplish here is to make you understand that the purpose of our laws is to help and not hurt people. So, stay with me here for a few minutes.

The legislative intent of Congress in passing our bankruptcy laws is to allow a fresh start to those honest individuals who have found it impossible to cope with debt problems. because life is not perfect, Congress realized that a person who needs

Minding Your Finances Atty. RAymond BulAon to recover financially after experiencing serious debt problems should at least be given a chance to do so. This concept of a “fresh start” is the foundation of our bankruptcy laws and has become an integral part of our economic system and our society. because money affects almost all areas of our lives, money problems can have an extremely devastating effect on the family, our most fundamental social structure. It is probably fair to say that it is the families of this country that ultimately benefit from the protection afforded by our bankruptcy laws. Can you imagine how many families suffering in debt could possibly be out in the streets right now if it weren’t for the “fresh start” that our bankruptcy laws provide?

For parents with dependent children, the challenges presented by insurmountable debt problems are even bigger because ultimately, the children’s welfare may be at risk.

So, bear in mind if you are considering bankruptcy as a possible solution to your debt problems that the purpose of our bankruptcy laws is to make

financial recovery attainable as soon as possible to those who need it. Of course, this does not mean that filing bankruptcy is always the solution to every financial problem. Your bankruptcy lawyer must carefully review your situation, weigh the pros and cons, and make appropriate recommendations. When filing, there must be a clear objective and the chances of success for the type of bankruptcy being filed must be assessed.

Is it your objective to eliminate debts you can no longer afford to pay, or do you simply need to consolidate your debts to make them more manageable?

Are important legal rights or your assets at stake? What can be done to protect them and at what expense? These are some of the questions that must be answered.

If you would like to explore bankruptcy as possible option in getting out of debt, please call TOLL FREE 1-866-477-7772 to schedule an appointment. *** NOTE: Due to virus safety concerns, I am offering free consultations BY PHONE OR VIDEO to anyone who needs help in dealing with their debt problems. *** None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped over 5,000 clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call RJB Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866-477-7772.

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Michelle comforts her inner child with letter-to-self

By Alex

BrosAs Philstar.com

Michelle Madrigal Photo from Instagram/@mitch_madrigal

ACTRESS and fitness coach michelle madrigal looked back at her young self through a self-addressed letter which touched on the value of letting go, being real and self love. madrigal recalled how fearful and hurt she was as a young child, as per her Instagram post yesterday, Oct. 26, where she shared throwback photos of herself.

“I know that you’re scared. I know that you have gone through some painful experiences growing up,” she told herself. “It’s time to let your guard down now, you no longer need to be hurting anymore. You don’t need to be triggered by every single thing.” madrigal noted that there are good people who want the best for her, people who she doesn’t need to please so she’d be accepted by them.

“You are allowed to set boundaries,” she said. “Everything you need and want in life is within you.”

She also stressed how important it is to “forgive and let go of those who hurt you.” ou are allowed to break free from your old thinking patterns. You are safe now. You are loved. You are amazing.

You are an inspiration,” she added. madrigal has been busy in her ventures on health and fitness, joining physical fitness contests like the global search for ms. Health & Fitness in the United States.

She has also participated in a fitness competition, Hyrox America, in Austin, Texas where she placed fifth in her age group. n

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