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DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

N O V E MBE R 5 - 1 1 , 2 0 2 1

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

CDC endorses vaccines for children 5 to 11

by AJPRESS CHILDREN as young as 5 years old in the United States can now get the COVID-19 vaccine as the country further expands its vaccination campaign.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday, November 2, endorsed its advisory committee’s recommendation to administer the PfizerBioNTech vaccine to children ages 5 to 11.

“We know millions of parents are eager to get their children vaccinated and with this decision, we now have recommended that about 28 million children

receive a COVID-19 vaccine,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said.

“As a mom, I encourage parents with questions to talk to their pediatrician, school nurse or local pharmacist to learn more about the vaccine and the importance of getting their children vaccinated,” she added.

At the outset of the meeting, Walensky noted that the pandemic has had a profound social, mental health and educational impact on children.

“There are children in the second grade who have never experienced a normal school year,” she said.

“Pediatric vaccination has the power to help us change all of that.”

Earlier that day, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) unanimously voted in favor of the child-sized doses of vaccine for the younger kids.

The Pfizer vaccine will be administered to children in two low doses, three weeks apart, using a smaller needle.

For his part, U.S. President Joe Biden called the decision “a turning point” in the fight against COVID19.

“It will allow parents to end months of anxious worrying about their kids, and reduce the extent to which

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Nichi Aviña teaches science at Cielo Vista Charter school in Palm Springs, California.

Photo by Nichi Aviña/Facebook

California names Fil-Am ‘Teacher of the Year’

A Filipino American science teacher in Palm Springs was named one of five California Teachers of the Year 2022.

Nichi Aviña, who teaches at Cielo Vista Charter school, won for her efforts to improve quality of life for Cielo Vista students. The San Diego City Council proclaimed Oct. 26 “Nichi Aviña Day” in

Duterte: I wouldn’t be president if I’m corrupt

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PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has lashed out at two senators investigating the alleged anomalies in the government’s procurement of COVID-19 medical supplies, maintaining that corruption is not in his governance.

In his taped public address on Wednesday, November 3, the Chief Executive called out Sens.

Franklin Drilon and Richard Gordon, who chairs the

To boost or not to boost: What is the answer?

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

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by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THEIR TURN. A mother takes a photo of her teenage son while getting his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination hub in Las Piñas City on Wednesday, November 3. The city government has identified seven sites for the vaccination of minors aged 12 to 17, as it aims to inoculate at least 4,000 minors daily.

PNA photo by Avito Dalan

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Mayor Isko: We’ll bring back PH to world stage Groups petition to cancel COC of Bongbong Marcos

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

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 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.

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‘Health Day sa Konsulado’ brings free medical services, education to Filipino community in SF SAN FRANCISCO – The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco (PCGSF), in collaboration with the Philippine Medical Society of Northern California (PMSNC), successfully conducted the first ever “Health Day sa Konsulado” on Thursday, October 28 at the Philippine Center in San Francisco’s Kalayaan Hall.

Almost 100 clients availed themselves of the program’s free health screenings, consultations and referrals during the day-long health fair. Gilead Filipino AmeriPhilippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Frank R. Ferrer gives his opening remarks at “Health Day sa Konsulado” on 28 October 2021 at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center can Community (GFAC), Healthin San Francisco.

Photo courtesy of PCGSF Ways, and the San Francisco Pre-

mier Lions Club also joined the five-hour health fair as partners.

In his remarks, Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Frank R. Ferrer paid tribute to all medical front liners for everything that they have done over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Your countless sacrifices and selfless dedication in serving and healing the sick during the pandemic have made it possible for us to reach this point, where we conduct today’s program in person. Through your efforts,

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by CATHRINE

GONZALES Inquirer.net

MANILA — A petition to cancel the certificate of candidacy (COC) of former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for the presidency has been filed at the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The petitioners, composed of political detainees and human rights and medical organizations that opposed Marcos’ dictatorship, claim that Marcos Jr. is not eligible to run for any public office since the Quezon City Regional Trial Court convicted him in 1995 for his failure to file income tax

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Novemebr 5-11, 2021 • NorCAL ASIAN JoUrNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

From the Front Page

PAUNAWA NG LAYUNIN NA HUMILING NG PAGBIBIGAY NG MGA PONDO PARA SA MGA TIERED NA PROGRAMA AT PROYEKTO Petsa ng Publikasyon: Nobyembre 5, 2021 Lungsod ng Alameda Community Development Department 950 West Mall Square, Second Floor Alameda, CA 94501 (510) 747-6884 Sa o pagkatapos ng Nobyembre 16, 2021, magsusumite ang Lungsod ng Alameda ng kahilingan sa HUD Office of Community Planning and Development para sa pagpapalabas ng mga pondo ng Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) sa ilalim ng Title I ng Batas ng Housing at Community Development ng 1974, bilang sinusugan, upang isagawa ang sumusunod na proyekto: Titulo ng Proyekto/Programa na Malawak na Pagsusuri ng Tier 1: Rehabilatasyong Pantahanan – Mga Programang Menor na Pagkumpuni ng Tahanan at Kaligtasan ng Pabahay.

Layunin: Ang layunin ng parehong Mga Programang Minor na Pagkumpuni ng Tahanan at Kaligtasan ng Pabahay ay upang magkaloob ng mga iginawad na hanggang $5,000 para sa pagkumpuni ng mga item para sa kalusugan, kaligtasan at seguridad, o mga minor na pagkumpuni ng karpinterya, instalasyon ng tubo, pagpapainit, at mga item na elektrikal.

Lokasyon: Ang parehong Mga Programang Minor na Pagkumpuni ng Tahanan at Kaligtasan ng Pabahay ay para sa mga ari-ariang pantahanan na matatagpuan sa buong Lungsod ng Alameda.

Paglalarawan ng Proyekto/Programa: Itong Pagsusuring Pangkapaligiran ng Tier 1 ay isinasagawa para sa Mga Programang Minor na Pagkumpuni ng Tahanan at Kaligtasan ng Pabahay gaya ng inilarawan sa ibaba.

Ang Programang Minor na Pagkumpuni ng Tahanan ay nagkakaloob ng mga iginawad na hanggang $5,000 para sa pang-emerhensiyang pagkumpuni sa mga item para sa kalusugan, kaligtasan at seguridad, o mga menor na pagkumpuni ng karpinterya, instalasyon ng tubo, pagpapainit, at mga item na elektrikal. Ang programang ito ay makukuha ng mga may-ari ng bahay sa Alameda na mababa ang kita batay sa unang-dumating, unang-paglilingkuran. Mga limitasyon ng kinikita ay tinutukoy ng HUD. Ang Programa sa Kaligtasan sa Pabahay ng Kagawaran ng Bumbero ng Alameda ay nagbibigay ng mga serbisyo sa mga residenteng mababa ang kita na lampas sa 62 ang at mga taong may kapansanan sa anumang edad. Ang Programa ay nag-i-install ng mga smoke alarm at carbon monoxide detector. Bilang karagdagan, ang mga karapat-dapat na sambahayan ay maaaring makatanggap ng mga pagpapahusay sa pagiging naa-access, kabilang ngunit hindi limitado sa, pagpapalawak ng mga pintuan at/o pag-install ng mga grab bar, panloob na handrail, nakataas na upuan sa banyo, o mga rampa.

Ang mga pagsusuring natukoy sa lugar ng Tier 2 ay kukumpletuhin para sa mga batas na iyon at ang mga awtoridad na hindi naharap sa malawak na pagsusuri ng tier 1 para sa bawat address sa ilalim ng programang ito kapag nalaman ang mga address.

Antas ng Pagbanggit ng Pagsusuring Pangkapaligiran: 24 CFR Part 58.35(a)(3)(i).

Pagsusuring Natukoy sa Lugar ng Tier 2: Ang mga pagsusuring natukoy sa lugar ay sasaklaw sa mga sumusunod na batas at awtoridad na hindi naharap sa malawak na pagsusuri ng Tier 1: • Kontaminasyon at mga Sangkap na Nakakalason sa 24 CFR Part 50.3(i) & 58.5(i)(2) • Makasaysayang Pagpapanatili sa Batas ng National Historic Preservation ng 1966, partikular na ang mga seksyon 106 at 110; 36 CFR Part 800.

Mga Hakbang/Kondisyon/Permiso sa Mitigasyon (kung mayroon): Panghahawakan ng Lungsod ang kontaminasyon at mga nakakalason na sangkap sa antas na partikular sa lugar upang matugunan ang mga nakakalason, mapanganib, o radioactive na mga sangkap sa lugar at sa katabing ari-arian. Bibisitahin ng Lungsod ang bawat site at itatala ang kanilang mga natuklasan gamit ang HUD Suggested Field Contamination Checklist. Ang NEPAssist Tool ng EPA ay gagamitin upang suriin ang anumang potensyal na alalahanin sa loob ng 0.50-milya na radius para sa mga mapanganib na basura, nakakalason na mga pagpapakawala at mga brownfield at sa loob ng 1 milyang radius para sa mga superfund na site.

Kung ang isang site ay matatagpuan sa loob ng mga distansya sa itaas, isang masusing pagsusuri ang isasagawa upang matukoy kung ang site ay may anumang kasalukuyang mga alalahanin sa pagsunod na maaaring makaapekto sa iminungkahing proyekto. Depende sa mga natuklasang partikular sa lugar, tutugunan ng Lungsod ang mga pagpapagaan sa isang case-by-case na batayan upang mabawasan o baligtarin ang mga negatibong epekto sa kalusugan at kaligtasan ng mga naninirahan sa ari-arian batay sa lugar at mga katabing kondisyon.

Ang Lungsod ay pumasok sa isang Programmatic Agreement (PA) sa California SHPO. Ire-reference ang PA para sa lahat ng mga ari-arian na 50 taong gulang o mas matanda. Ang mga aktibidad na hindi sakop sa PA ay mangangailangan ng pagsusumite ng Seksyon 106 Review sa SHPO. Kung magbabalik ang SHPO ng isang pagpapasiya maliban sa “Walang Epekto”, maaaring kailanganin ang konsultasyon sa SHPO. Kung sakaling ang SHPO ay nangangailangan ng karagdagang mga mitigasyon sa isang site, ang proyekto ay aalisin sa programang ito at isang bagong site-specific na pagsusuri sa kapaligiran ay gagawin na may wastong abiso sa publiko at pagsusumite ng isang Request for Release of Funds (RROF) kung.

Tinantiyang Gastos sa Proyekto: Ang kabuuang tinatayang gastos para sa pagpopondo sa Minor na Pagkukumpuni ng Kabahayan at sa Housing Safety Programs hanggang Hunyo 30, 2025 ay $275,000, na lahat ay popondohan ng HUD. Ang aktibidad/mga aktibidad na iminungkahi ay kategorikal na hindi isinama sa ilalim ng mga regulasyon ng HUD sa 24 CFR Part 58 mula sa mga iniaatas ng National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) ayon sa 24 CFR 58.35(a)(1). Isang Environmental Review Record (ERR) na nagdodokumento ng mga pagpapasya sa kapaligiran para sa proyektong ito ay nakatala sa https://www.hudexchange.info/ programs/environmental-review/environmental-review-records/.

MGA KOMENTO NG PUBLIKO Sinumang indibidwal, grupo, o ahensya ay maaaring magsumite ng mga nakasulat na komento sa ERR sa City of Alameda Community Development Department, Attn: Lisa Fitts, 950 W. Mall Square, Suite 205, Alameda, CA 94501. Lahat ng komentong natanggap bago lumampas ang Nobyembre 15, 2021 ay isasaalang-alang ng Lungsod ng Alameda bago mag-pahintulot ng pagsumite ng isang kahilingan para sa paglalabas ng mga pondo.

SERTIPIKASYON NA PANGKAPALIGIRAN Pinapatunayan ng Lungsod ng Alameda sa HUD na si Andrew Thomas, Certifying Officer, sa kanyang kapasidad bilang Direktor ng Pagpaplano, Paggugusali, at Transportasyon ay pumapayag na tanggapin ang hurisdiksyon ng mga Pederal na Hukuman kung may gagawing aksyon upang ipatupad ang mga responsibilidad kaugnay ng proseso ng pagsusuri sa kapaligiran at na ang mga responsibilidad na ito ay natugunan. Ang pag-apruba ng HUD sa sertipikasyon ay tumutugon sa mga responsibilidad sa ilalim ng NEPA at mga kaugnay na batas at awtoridad at nagpapahintulot sa Lungsod ng Alameda na gamitin ang mga pondo ng programa ng HUD. MGA PAGTUTOL NA ILABAS ANG MGA PONDO Ang HUD ay tatanggap lamang ng mga pagtutol sa pagpapalabas nito ng pondo at ng sertipikasyon ng Lungsod ng Alameda para sa isang panahon na labinlimang araw kasunod ng inaasahang petsa ng pagsumite o ang aktuwal na pagtanggap nito ng kahilingan (alinman ang mas huli) kung ang mga ito ay batay sa isa sa mga sumusunod: (a) Ang sertipikasyon ay hindi isinagawa ng Opisyal ng Sertipikasyon ng Lungsod ng Alameda; (b) ang Lungsod ng Alameda ay hindi gumawa ng isang hakbang o nabigong gumawa ng desisyon o pagpapasiya na iniaatas ng mga regulasyon ng HUD sa 24 CFR Part 58; (c) ang tumanggap ng gawad o ibang mga kalahok sa proseso ng pagbuo ay naglaan ng mga pondo, nagtamo ng mga gastos o nagsagawa ng mga aktibidad na hindi awtorisado ng 24 CFR Part 58 bago ang pag-apruba ng isang paglabas ng mga pondo ng HUD; o (d) ibang Pederal na ahensiya na umaakto alinsunod sa 40 CFR Part 1504 ay nagsumite ng isang nakasulat na pagpapasiya na ang proyekto ay hindi kasiyasiya mula sa pananaw ng kalidad na pangkapaligiran. Ang mga pagtutol ay dapat ihanda at isumite alinsunod sa mga iniaatas na pamamaraan (24 CFR Part 58, Sec. 58.76) at dapat i-email sa tanggapan ng pangangasiwa ng pagbibigay ng HUD sa: CPD_COVID-19OEE-SFO@hud.gov. Ang mga posibleng tumutol ay dapat makipag-ugnayan sa HUD upang patunayan ang aktuwal na huling araw ng panahon ng pagtutol. Ang mga posibleng tumutol ay dapat makipag-ugnayan sa HUD upang patunayan ang aktuwal na huling araw ng panahon ng pagtutol.

Andrew Thomas Lungsod ng Alameda Direktor ng Pagpaplano, Paggugusali, at Transportasyon Opisyal ng Pagsesertipika MGA TADHANA PARA SA MGA TAONG MAY KAPANSANAN Kung ang sinumang taong may interes na lumahok sa isang programa ng CDBG/HOME ay isang taong may kapansanan gaya ng tinukoy ng Seksyon 504 ng Rehabilitation Act ng 1974 at nangangailangan ng akomodasyon upang lumahok o kumuha ng interes, maaaring humiling ng tirahan kay Lisa Fitts sa (510) 747-6884, (510) 522-7538 (TYY) o sa pamamagitan ng email sa lfitts@alamedaca.gov. Ang naturang kahilingan ay dapat kabilang ang isang paglalarawan ng kaluwagang hinahangad, kasama ang isang pahayag ng kapansanan na nangangailangan ng kaluwagan. Anumang kahilingan para sa kaluwagan ay dapat suriin at ang isang sagot ay dapat ipagkaloob sa loob ng limang araw ng trabaho pagkatapos matanggap ang naturang kahilingan. Ang paunawa ng anumang kaluwagan na iginawad ay ipagkakaloob agad sa humiling.

CLOSED. A sign showing “walang dalaw” (no visitors) is placed at the entrance gate of Bagbag Cemetery in Quezon City on Tuesday, November 2. The Metro Manila Council has urged local government units in the National Capital Region to close cemeteries, memorial parks, and columbaria from the public for five days to avoid possible spikes in COVID-19 infections.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

CDC endroses vaccines for...

PAGE 1 children spread the virus to others.

It is a major step forward for our nation in our fight to defeat the virus,” he said in a statement.

“Over the last several weeks, my Administration has been working hard to be prepared for this moment: we are ready to act. We have already secured enough vaccine supply for every child in America,” he added.

Likewise, the American Academy of Pediatrics welcomed the CDC’s decision.

“Vaccinating children will protect children’s health and allow

them to fully engage in all of the activities that are so important to their health and development,” it said in a statement.

“Parents can enjoy greater peace of mind gathering with family members this winter and sending their children to school, sports and other events that were paused during the height of the pandemic,” it added.

Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer vaccine for the country’s youngest age group, saying the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risk to children.

“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 to include children 5 through 11 years of age,” the agency said Friday, October 29.

“The authorization was based on the FDA’s thorough and transparent evaluation of the data that included input from independent advisory committee experts who overwhelmingly voted in favor of making the vaccine available to children in this age group,” it added. n

Groups petition to cancel COC of...

PAGE 1 returns.

In a statement shared by their lawyer Theodore Te, the petitioners said that Marcos’ COC “contains multiple false material representations.” The petition was filed before the Comelec on Tuesday, November 2.

“Specifically, Marcos falsified his Certificate of Candidacy when he claimed that he was eligible to be a candidate for president of the Philippines in the 2022 national elections when in fact he is disqualified from doing so,” they said.

“Marcos is not eligible to run for any public office as he is, plainly, a convicted criminal. Marcos was convicted by the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City in a July 27 1995 Decision for his multiple failures to file income tax returns,” the petitioners added.

They noted that the Court of Appeals upheld Marcos’ conviction and no longer appealed to the Supreme Court, thereby becoming a final and unappealable conviction.

“Having been convicted by final judgment of a violation of the

Former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC), Marcos is perpetually disqualified from holding any public office, to vote and to participate in any election as mandated under the NIRC,” they stressed.

Further, the petitioners also said that “the crimes for which Marcos was convicted by [the] final [judgment] are also crimes involving moral turpitude that disqualifies Marcos from being a candidate for any office under

Inquirer.net photo

Section 12 of the Omnibus Election Code.”

The petition noted that the crime involves moral turpitude since, among others, Marcos and his family refuse to pay to the Filipino people roughly P203.8 billion in estate taxes, inclusive of interests, surcharge, and other penalties.

As of this posting, INQUIRER. net is still seeking comment from Marcos’ camp through his chief of staff Atty. Victor Rodriguez but has yet to receive a response. n

‘Health Day sa Konsulado’ brings free...

PAGE 1 the State of California was able to achieve, thus far, the lowest level of community transmission of COVID-19 in the United States, according to the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention],” Consul General Ferrer said.

The Philippine Consul General further said that “Health Day sa Konsulado” will not be the last project between the Consulate and the PMSNC. “United by our common mission of serving our fellow Filipinos in northern California and beyond, today’s program surely will not be the last that the Consulate and PMSNC will be jointly working on in making medical services accessible and affordable to our kababayans,” Consul General Ferrer said.

PMSNC President Dr. Thad Padua thanked the Consulate for coming up with new initiatives to service the Filipino American community in the San Francisco Bay Area amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The PMSNC provided free medical screenings on blood sugar and cholesterol levels, blood pressure and cholesterol, and educated the public on relevant topics such as COVID-19

Overseas Filipinos and Filipino Americans in San Francisco avail themselves of the free medical screenings, consultations and referrals at the first ever “Health Day sa Konsulado” last October 28 at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center in San Francisco. Photos courtesy of PCGSF

vaccines, asthma and other lung diseases, nutrition, and mental wellness.

Meanwhile, the San Francisco Premier Lions Club donated 50 free influenza vaccine shots to the public.

The Gilead Filipino American Community offered free consultations on the hepatitis B virus, and tapped the SF HepB Free group to give free hepatitis B tests to the public.

Finally, HealthWays provided free advice and referrals on health

insurance coverage in San Mateo County as well as other areas in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The PMSNC is a registered non-profit organization composed of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, technologists, technicians and individuals with non-medical occupations. The organization is represented by the four regions of the Bay Area: San Francisco/San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda/Contra Costa, and Napa/Solano/Monterey.

(PCGSF Release)

MGA IPAGKAKALOOB SA MGA RESIDENTENG HINDI NAGSASALITA NG INGLES Ang Lungsod ng Alameda ay may ugnayan ng mga empleyadong nagsasalita ng 45 wika na maaaring kumilos bilang mga tagasalin para sa mga residente na naghahangad ng impormasyon na nauukol sa mga programa ng CDBG/HOME. Kung binigyan ng paunawang maaga ng limang araw ng trabaho, makikipagayos ang Lungsod upang makakuha ng isang interpreter. Mangyaring makipag-ugnayan kay Lisa Fitts sa (510) 747-6884, (510) 522-7538 (TYY), o sa pamamagitan ng email sa lfitts@alamedaca.gov.

PATAKARANG WALANG-DISKRIMINASYON Ang Lungsod ng Alameda ay hindi nagdidiskrimina laban sa sinumang mga tao dahil sa lahi, kulay, relihiyon, bansang pinagmulan, angkan, sex, kasarian, kinikilalang kasarian, pagpapahayag ng kasarian, oryentasyong sekswal, katayuang marital, katayuang pampamilya, pinagkukunan ng kita, henetikong impormasyon, kundisyong medikal, kapansanang pisikal o kapansanan ng isipan, o anumang ibang kategoryang protektado ng batas.

Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Frank R. Ferrer and Philippine Medical Society of Northern California (PMSNC) president Dr. Thad Padua (center, in front of Philippine flag), along with other Consulate and PMSNC officials, pose for a family photo at the recent “Health Day sa Konsulado” at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center in San Francisco.

Date lin e USa

(650) 689-5160 • http://www.asianjournal.com

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • NOvemebR 5-11, 2021

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Mayor Isko: We’ll bring back PH to...

MORE JABS. National Task Force against Covid-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar, Secretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr. (right), and U.S. Embassy Chargé d’ Affaires Heather Variava (left) place a Resbakuna sticker on the box containing a portion of a total of 2,098,980 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 on Sunday, October 31. The latest shipment of the American-made jabs is expected to beef up the country’s vaccination efforts, especially the inoculation of minors aged 12 to 17.

PNA photo by Avito Dalan

To boost or not to boost: What is...

PAGE 1 cleared the way for the use of a “mix and match” of COVID19 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 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 longterm 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, WiskottAldrich syndrome) Advanced or untreated HIV infection Active treatment with highdose 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.

California names Fil-Am ‘Teacher...

PAGE 1

her honor.

Recently, she spearheaded the creation of the school’s garden and its STEAM (Science, Technology, English, Arts, and Math) Lab, and she continues to be an advocate for incorporating social and emotional wellness into her classroom.

Aviña moved to the United States from the Philippines when she was 7. She worked for San Diego’s Parks and Recreation Department and completed her education at UC San Diego before becoming a teacher in Palm Springs Unified 15 years ago. She was named a Riverside County Teacher of the Year in May.(Inquirer.net)

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)

PAGE 1 “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. n

4

Novemebr 5-11, 2021 • NorCAL ASIAN JoUrNAL

Date lin e USa

Duterte: I wouldn’t be president if...

PAGE 1 t

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, saying he was not corrupt “like them.”

“Alam mo, sa totoo lang Gordon pati Drilon, hindi ako aabot sa presidency from my mayorship to the presidency kung corrupt ako kagaya ninyo, kung tumatanggap ako ng mga campaign funds diyan sa mga tao na alam ninyo na gumagawa ng kalokohan kasama yung mga miyembro ng Congress (You know, Gordon and Drilon, I will not reach the presidency from being a mayor if I am corrupt like you, if I am accepting campaign funds from erring individuals including members of the Congress),” said Duterte.

“Kayo diyan ang mayroong butas. Wala kayong makuha sa amin. (You have a loophole.

You will not get anything from us),” he added. “It’s not in my system about corruption and money.”

Further, Duterte said that he had to accept criticisms as a public official.

“As a public official I would have to accept the criticism,”

he said.

“Pero kung yung sinasabi niyo, ako yung abugado, lumang tugtugin na yan. Alam mo sa totoo lang, sabi ko, I would not be President Duterte kung corrupt ako kagaya ninyo (But if you’re saying that I’m lawyering for people, that’s already an old tune. Like what I said, I would not be President Duterte if I were corrupt like you),” he added.

Duterte also reiterated that he doesn’t care about what would happen to Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. and its executives during the Senate investigation.

“Wala akong pakilaam diyan sa Pharmally na ‘yan. Gusut-gusutin man nila yan ng isang taong hearing okay lang (I don’t care about Pharmally.

They can extend hearings to as long as a year, it’s okay),” he said.

“Huwag lang yung mga empleyado sa Executive Department, kagaya ng Cabinet members na pinapapapunta dun, paupuin at hindi naman tatawagin, tapos pag tatawagin, bastusin (Just don’t in-

volve employees of the executive department, like Cabinet members you summon, just for them to sit down, and when asked to speak, you disrespect them),” he added.

Last month, Duterte issued a memo forbidding officials and employees of the executive branch from attending the Senate Blue Ribbon’s hearings into the government’s COVID19 pandemic spending.

He also pointed out that the Commission on Audit’s (COA) findings saw no instance of overpricing in the medical supply deals, adding that procurement rules under the Bayanihan law were properly followed.

During the Senate hearings, it was found that Pharmally reportedly bagged a total of P8.7 billion worth of contracts funded by Duterte’s Bayanihan 1 and 2 laws, despite having only P625,000 in paid-up capital.

In addition, the company’s owner, Huang Tzu Yen, supposedly has ties with Chinese businessman Michael Yang, a former economic adviser of Duterte. n

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

‘Not quite on board’: Parents proving a tough sell on COVID vax for teens

by Jenny

Gold

and Samantha younG Kaiser Health News

EVEN as the U.S. prepares to roll out a covid-19 vaccine to elementary school-aged kids, its efforts to inoculate teenagers — who have been eligible for the shot since May — continue to meet with a lackluster response.

So far, about half of kids 12 to 17 are fully vaccinated in the U.S., compared with nearly 70% of Americans 18 and older. Pediatricians expect it will be even harder to persuade skeptical parents of younger children to get their kids inoculated. Many are concerned about the potential unknowns of a relatively new vaccine compared with the low risk of serious illness covid poses for children.

A recent poll from KFF found 27% of parents of children 5 to 11 said they plan to get them vaccinated “right away,” while 30% said they would “definitely not” get the vaccine for their 5- to 11-year-olds. More than three-quarters of parents of children in this age group reported they were “very” or “somewhat” concerned that not enough is known about the long-term effects of the vaccine in kids.

“I’m not quite on board with everybody getting vaccinated,” said Tara Currier, 42, a mother of four in Marysville, California, who decided not to vaccinate her three older children, ages 12, 14 and 16. She said she also plans to delay vaccinating her 10-year-old daughter.

While she is fully vaccinated herself, Currier said she won’t vaccinate her children until she can be certain the shot is “actually a protection and not something that’s going to affect their bodies later on. I don’t know that can be answered yet, because the vaccine hasn’t been seen in people for very long.”

Public health officials and leading experts have been increasingly vocal in emphasizing that while children are at lower risk of serious illness from covid, they are not at zero risk. Nearly 6.3 million children have tested positive for covid, and more than 580 have died, according to the American

Academy of Pediatrics. A small percentage have developed long-term symptoms.

They also stress that vaccinating children is essential to slowing the spread of the virus in the broader population.

Nationwide, more than 45 million people have been infected by SARS-CoV-2, which causes covid, and more than 745,000 have died.

The Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech covid vaccine for emergency use in children ages 12-15 in May, after approving the same shot for teens 16 and older five months earlier. On Friday, the agency authorized for emergency use a smaller dose of the vaccine for children ages 5-11, and shots are expected to be available this week following signoff by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In clearing the Pfizer vaccine for children and teens, the FDA said ongoing clinical studies show children and adolescents face greater risks from covid and its potentially devastating side effects than they do from a rare side effect of the vaccine involving inflammation of the heart reported in some young adults.

Still, California offers a lens on the challenges health officials and pediatricians face in persuading parents nationwide to embrace the new shots. The state ranks in the nation’s top quartile in overall vaccination rates, with 72% of people 12 and older vaccinated, according to the CDC. But that number masks vast disparities among the older and younger age groups.

Statewide, just 59% of kids 12 to 17 were fully vaccinated by Oct. 24. By comparison, 71% of people 18 to 49 were vaccinated by that date; 80% of residents 50 to 64; and 75% of residents 65 and older.

In addition, teen vaccination rates vary hugely by region, another microcosm of the U.S. While many of the wealthier urban and suburban counties along the California coast boast vaccination rates upward of 70% for kids 12 to 17, multiple counties in the state’s rugged north report fewer than a quarter of that age group are

vaccinated.

Marin County is one of the state’s success stories. Relatively wealthy, decidedly Democratic and overwhelming white, the county had vaccinated 93% of kids 12 to 17 as of Oct. 19, according to the California Department of Public Health.

That’s more than twice the rate of 12- to 17-year-olds vaccinated in rural Madera County in the Central Valley; and it dwarfs the 16% of kids 12-17 vaccinated in Modoc County in the state’s mountainous northeast.

When younger teenagers became eligible in the spring, public health officials in Marin County set up two mass vaccination sites with “lots of fanfare and confetti and a ribbon-cutting kind of feeling,” said county public health officer Dr. Matt Willis. Families were eager, and within 10 days, the county had vaccinated half their adolescent population.

For parents who were more hesitant, “pediatricians were crucial,” Willis said. Dr. Nelson Branco, a pediatrician in Larkspur, said his practice waited a few weeks before opening its own vaccination clinic. They checked the vaccine registry for their 4,000 12- to 17year-old patients, identified 800 who had not been vaccinated, then sent out an email blast inviting them to one of their weekly clinics and to call with any questions.

“We found that there were lots of parents of teenagers who are very anxious for their kids to get back to more normal activities,” said Branco. “We’re seeing the same things with parents of younger kids. The question is ‘When?’ not ‘Should I?’” In a rural county like Madera, which hasn’t voted for a Democratic president since Jimmy Carter, the low vaccination rates reflect factors beyond a conservative political bent, said Dr. Nicole Webb, a pediatrician at Valley Children’s Healthcare in Madera. Rather, many residents face logistical challenges that don’t exist for Californians in the suburbs and cities, where a pharmacy or doctor’s office is a short drive or transit ride away.

“I think the tempting thing is to try to make global

u PAGE 7

(650) 689-5160 • http://www.asianjournal.com

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • NOvemebR 5-11, 2021

Dateline PhiliPPines

5

PH mulls over total lifting of face shield requirement

So, suot pa rin po tayo ng face shields (But, we have no decision yet. So, let us still wear face THE Philippines is considering shields),” he said. lifting its mandatory use of face “Nililinaw ko lang po, bagamat shields in crowded areas. dumadami ang sumusuporta sa Presidential Spokesperson hindi na paggamit ng face shields Harry Roque on Tuesday, No- dahil bumababa ang numero, sa vember 2, said that the decline in ngayon po, isuot pa rin po natin COVID-19 infection rates might ang face shields (I’m just claripersuade the Inter-Agency Task fying, while many support not Force for the Management of using face shields because of Emerging Infectious Diseases declining numbers, for now, we to drop the face shield require- have to wear face shields),” the ment. spokesman added.

“I can confirm po na habang In September this year, Philipbumababa ang mga numero, eh pine President Rodrigo Duterte NO MORE BARRIERS. Commuters inside a passenger jeep wait for other passengers to board at the corner of Seattle Street and Aurora Boulevard, Cubao, Quezon City on Tuesday, November 2. Several passenger jeeps have already removed their plastic barriers after it was pinag-uusapan na rin po kung limited the use of face shields in approved by the Transportation department.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler ipagpapatuloy pa ang pagsusuot places that fall under the “3Cs” ng face shields (I can confirm category: crowded, closed, and that while the number of infec- close contact. tions continue to decline, we are “Pwede na tanggalin sa labas discussing whether it is still nec- (You no longer need to use that The appeals court granted essary to wear face shields),” he outside). No more face shields by evelyn MacaiRan outside. Ang limitasyon, ang face her request to travel because in said in an online press briefing.

Philstar.com “So, tama po kayo dahil bum- shield gamitin mo [sa] three ‘Cs.’ sum, “the OSG failed to present compelling reasons to warrant ababa ang numero, marami nang Iyang tatlo na iyan, face shield is MANILA — The Office of the a reconsideration of the Oct. 18 kumbaga nagsasabi sa IATF na a must pa rin. Iyan ang recomSolicitor General (OSG) has failed resolution. Thus, granting of baka dapat itigil na rin ang pag- mendation (The limitation is the to stop Nobel Peace Prize winner Ressa’s fifth urgent motion to susuot ng face shields (You are use of a face shield in three ‘Cs.’ and Rappler chief executive offiright because the numbers are Face shield is still a must in those travel abroad stands.” cer Maria Ressa’s travel abroad The appellate court said Ressa dropping, many people are tell- three. That’s the recommendaafter the Court of Appeals (CA) was able to prove that her travel ing the IATF that maybe it is time tion),” the chief executive said. granted her request to attend a The IATF first issued the use of was urgent and necessary and to stop the use of face shields),” series of lectures at the Harvard he added. face shields outdoors in Decemthat she is not a flight risk.

University and visit her parents However, Roque advised the ber last year.

The CA promulgated its deciin the United States.

In August, the World Health sion more than a week after the public to continue wearing face Ressa left for the U.S. on Sunjournalist was named one of the shields until a final decision has Organization (WHO) said that day, October 31, according to they would look into the countwo winners of the 2021 Nobel been made. her news agency.

“Pero, wala pa pong desisyon. try’s experience in requiring the Peace Prize. n In a six-page resolution dated Oct. 29, the appellate court’s Eighth Division denied the OSG’s Maria Ressa Photo from Twitter/@mariaressa motion for reconsideration and granted Ressa’s petition to travel Ressa’s appeal to her cyber libel to the U.S. conviction, noted that in the inviThe resolution was penned by tation letter sent to the journalist, Justice Geraldine Fiel-Macaraig. the Harvard program requires The CA allowed Ressa to travel her physical presence. to Boston from Oct. 31 to Dec. 2 While in the U.S., she will also to attend a 30-day program at the celebrate Thanksgiving in Florida Harvard Kennedy School. with her parents, whom she had The CA, which is hearing not seen for two years.

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

CA OKs Maria Ressa US travel

Sec. Locsin hits abuse of nature at climate summit

by Pia lee-BRago Philstar.com

MANILA — Humankind’s abuse of nature “is now blowing back on all people,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. underscored on Tuesday, November 2.

“Nature is the cradle that is soon to be the grave of the human race,” Locsin said in a statement at the 26th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

“We have each only ourselves to blame; unless we are blind to our reflection in the mirror before our face,” he said.

The official opening of the two-week UN climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland came hours after preliminary climate talks among world leaders at the G20 summit in Rome saw meager forward movement.

The UN weather agency, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), has warned that the past seven years are set to be the hottest on record and “our planet is heading into uncharted territory.”

“We all share the same blame for caring nothing about the planet – some more than others – because we didn’t care to clean up after ourselves; we stayed deliberately heedless about dirtying this: the one and only home of the human race from which there is no escape,” Locsin said.

The COP26 brings together heads of state and government, civil society and business leaders who have been invited to set out ambitious actions to reduce emissions, scale-up adaptation and mobilize finance and signal commitment to ensuring that 1.5 degrees Celsius is within reach.

“This is the day of judgment.

Sadly, the judges are us – the planet’s destroyers. No one else. But it is a legal truism that no man can be judged in his own case. Yet this is the case we are to judge and provide the remedy,” the foreign secretary said.

He noted that President Duterte pleaded at the 75th UN General Assembly that the climate vulnerability of the Philippines, an archipelagic state with a coastline of 36,000 kilometers situated along the typhoon belt of the Pacific, is undeniable.

“Filipinos, battered and bruised by brutal typhoons that come year after year, yearn for climate justice,” he said.

Duterte urged developed countries to fulfill their longstanding commitment to climate financing, technology transfer and capacity-building in the developing world, saying “that is a moral obligation that cannot be avoided.”

“Please, we beg, let’s not suc-

cumb to the temptation to use this forum for recriminations instead of solutions; practical and never at others’ expense,” Locsin said. “Those who have greater capacity to absorb the brunt of hard solutions must take them and help those with less capacity, who even now are taking as much of the brunt as they can, without equivocation or purpose of evasion.”

Global warming The WMO warned that record greenhouse gas concentrations have pushed the planet into uncharted territory, with repercussions likely for current and future generations.

The WMO State of the Global Climate 2021 report said a temporary cooling La Niña event early in the year means that 2021 is expected to be only the fifth to seventh warmest year on record.

Global sea level rise accelerated since 2013 to a new high, with continued ocean warming and acidification, it said.

The report combined input from multiple UN agencies, national meteorological and hydrological services and scientific experts.

It highlighted the destructive impacts on food security and population displacement, crucial ecosystems and slowing progress toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

It listed some of the extreme events over the past year.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the report gathered the latest scientific evidence “to show that the planet is changing, before our eyes.”

“From the ocean depths to mountain tops, from melting glaciers to relentless extreme weather events, ecosystems and communities around the globe are being devastated. COP26 must be a turning point for people and planet,” Guterres said.

For the UN chief, “scientists are clear on the facts” and “leaders need to be just as clear in their actions.”

“The door is open. The solutions are there. COP26 must be a turning point. We must act now, with ambition and solidarity, to safeguard our future and save humanity,” he added.

WMO?Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said all events show that “extreme events are the new norm.”

“There is mounting scientific evidence that some of these bear the footprint of human-induced climate change,” Taalas said.

At the current rate of increase in greenhouse gas concentrations, the WMO said the world will see a temperature increase by the end of the century far in excess of the Paris Agreement targets of 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. n

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque PNA file photo

use of face shields.

“It’s interesting that we have also been able to sort of delay the speed at which the Delta variant is spreading and we don’t know whether the face shields are a contributory factor. So, while we are understanding all of these issues, it’s best to look for evidence and make decisions based on that,” said WHO representative to the Philippines Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe.

The Philippines is the only country in the world that requires using face shields in addition to masks.

To date, there are a total of 2,792,656 COVID-19 cases in the country, with 43,404 fatalities and 2,708,466 recoveries. n

6

NOVEMEBR 5-11, 2021 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

OPiniOn

FeatURes

Don’t forget climate change

LONG after the COVID-19 pandemic is over, the planet will continue to grapple with the existential threats posed by climate change.

The COVID health crisis unavoidably relegated global warming to the backseat. COP 26, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in Glasgow, Scotland from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12, hopes to get global warming back on the agenda of governments even as they grapple with a still raging killer pandemic.

Debates on measures to reduce global warming have always been contentious.

COP26 hopes to secure commitments from participants for ambitious emission reduction targets by 2030.

While there is little argument over the need to stop deforestation, there is pushback on timetables set for the phase-out of coal, which is a cheap source of energy for developing states. Advanced economies are being urged to do more in reducing the consumption of fossil fuels. Switching to electric vehicles and increasing investments in renewables are also meeting resistance from

those who balk at the initial high investment that is required.

COP26 is hoping to get countries to work together to protect and restore ecosystems as well as build defenses, warning systems, and resilient infrastructure and agriculture. Developed countries have committed to mobilize at least $100 billion in climate finance annually by 2020. COVID-19 has surely affected this commitment, but it must be put back on track.

The Philippines, identified as one of the countries most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change, has a large stake in seeing the COP commitments carried out.

The country itself must do its own homework in attaining the climate change conference objectives. Every country and every person on the planet has a role to play in confronting climate change, even in the middle of a deadly pandemic. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Some tips to remember when we travel again amid the coronavirus pandemic

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

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 we 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 U.S. (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, U.S. citizens were allowed into the border so long as you check in a DOHapproved 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 in the last quarter of 2020 in the Philippines when U.S. citizens needed to quarantine for 14 days and then take COVID test and wait for the negative result because the U.S. was classified as being in the “red” list.

Just this October, the U.S. 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 yourself – 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.

Facing death will make you look at life differently

Babe’s Eye View BABE ROMUALDEZ MORE than a year and a half since the COVID-19 outbreak, five million people all around the world have gone from this earth – perhaps even more – due to other illnesses such as heart disease and stroke which are among the leading causes of death. Not since more than a century ago has the world seen such a high death toll due to a pandemic.

The magnitude of the coronavirus pandemic can be seen in heartbreaking images such as medical frontliners sitting tired and helpless in hospital corridors as they continue the battle against an unseen enemy, patients breathing through ventilators, hospital emergency rooms crammed with patients waiting to be admitted, families weeping at the passing of loved ones. So many photos also shocked the world, like the bodies lined up before cremation in India, coffins inside a church in Italy and mass graves in Brazil.

Rich or poor, this virus does not discriminate – affecting everyone regardless of age, race, gender, wealth, social status, culture or religion.

To say that the COVID-19 pandemic has upended lives and caused untold anguish and suffering would be an understatement. People have lost jobs, businesses have gone under and the toll on mental and emotional health has been great due to many reasons.

Last year, a couple from Denver started a howling ritual outside their home every 8 p.m. to ease the pain of isolation – and this spread not only among their neighbors and the state of Colorado but also in California, New York and Georgia. People also howled to show their gratitude to health workers and other frontliners thick in the fight against COVID-19.

The struggle is real, with people trying their best to financially survive, coping with the frustration that comes along due to the inability to do things people may have taken for granted: going out for a walk, attending birthday par-

ties, eating with friends in a restaurant, traveling to a favorite spot. Some even admitted to me that opening social media has become stressful because they keep seeing posts about friends or relatives getting sick or dying.

Tomorrow is Nov. 1, the day we remember the dead – but all of us are staring at the face of death knowing that all of us can be vulnerable to the coronavirus or any other illness that may come along. Yet this time of great loss is also teaching us what life is really all about, making us reflect on the things that matter most. One realization is that material wealth is not the be all and end all – what’s more important than anything else is your relationship with your family and loved ones, because you never know when your number will be called by God. The worst of times have also allowed us to see the best in people, with kindness, compassion and generosity coming to the fore. We have seen it in the community pantries that provide items for free – from

rice to eggs, milk, vegetables, canned goods, etc. that anybody who needs to tide his hunger over can get from.

We are also seeing a great sense of solidarity among nations, helping other countries struggling to keep the pandemic under control by donating protective equipment, hospital beds and most of all, life-saving vaccines. We have to admit that the United States has been extremely generous, having distributed over 200 million vaccines to more than 100 countries with large volumes going to lower-income nations. The U.S. has committed to donate more than one billion vaccines and perhaps even more – proving that it is indeed the world’s best arsenal of vaccines.

During our engagements with officials here in the U.S., my messaging is that they are blessed because their country is generous, helping people and saving lives all over the world through their vaccine donations.

There is absolutely no doubt that any act of generosity will

come back a hundredfold, perhaps not necessarily in terms of material wealth but in some other form like peace of mind, health and perhaps true happiness. That, in the end, is what a true and meaningful life should be.

ASEAN economic rebound UK-based IHS Markit expects positive growth for the ASEAN region in 2022, with the Philippines projected to post the strongest growth at around 7.2 percent. This is a very encouraging piece of good news because our main focus is on economic recovery to help businesses recover and create jobs for people. According to IHS Markit, ASEAN will be one of the three main growth engines of Asia Pacific over the next decade, along with China and India.

We’re also glad to hear that the Asian Development Bank has reaffirmed its support for ASEAN’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring that such recovery will be strong and lasting.

Filipinos are very encouraged by positive developments

in the country such as the continued downtrend in the number of new infections, due in large part to the vaccination rollout. To date, the Philippines has secured over 100 million total vaccine doses since the first batch arrived in February.

According to NEDA Secretary Karl Chua, Philippine economic growth has begun to recover in the first three quarters this year, and if Metro Manila’s current Alert Level 3 is downgraded to Level 2, the economy stands to gain at least P3.6 billion a week – which would obviously reduce unemployment. He also stressed the importance of accelerating the vaccination rollout as well as the safe reopening of the economy while strictly adhering to health protocols to ensure strong recovery in 2022.

(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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Date lin e PH iliP P in e S

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMEBR 5-11, 2021

Metro Manila ready for shift to alert level 2 – OCTA by dona

Z. PaZZiBUgan leila B. SalaveRRia Inquirer.net

VOLATILE PRICES. Pump attendant Christian Tagle fills up with diesel the tank of a cargo truck at a gas station on Mindanao Avenue, Quezon City on Tuesday, November 2. Chevron Philippines Inc. (Caltex), Flying V, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., and Seaoil Philippines Inc. will increase prices per liter of gasoline by P1.15 while reducing prices of diesel by P0.35 and kerosene by P.30.

PNA photo by Ben Briones

‘Not quite on board’: Parents proving a...

PAGE 4 generalizations based on political or ideological blinds, but I think it’s actually a lot more complicated than that in a place like this,” Webb said.

Even in counties reporting high teen vaccination rates, there are pockets where pediatricians are struggling to convince wary parents. Santa Clara County has vaccinated 75% of kids 12 to 17, according to CDPH. But at her practice in central San Jose, Dr. Amna Khan said most of her patients are on the fence.

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center sees mostly Medi-Cal patients, and many of Khan’s patients are recent immigrants.

“In my patient population, they have a lot of reason to distrust the government and medicine in general,” Khan said. “It’s not a political statement. It’s distrust from things they’ve heard from their family or church or neighbors.”

Often, these conversations are a “difficult dance” that Khan must navigate with cultural sensitivity and help from translators. Sometimes, she faces the minefield of parentteen conflict, with arguments breaking out in the exam room between kids who want the vaccine and parents who refuse.

No matter where parents are raising their kids, pediatricians said, the common factor driving their decision to vaccinate — or not — is concern about their child’s safety.

Parents lining up to vaccinate

their children are worried about the threat of covid.

Parents hesitant about the shot are worried about possible side effects of the vaccine.

Somewhere in the middle are parents unsure what to think because of the conflicting information they have gotten from social media or friends.

Even among parents who have unquestioningly vaccinated their children for other diseases, the choice on covid isn’t an obvious one.

“Parents are now saying, ‘You know what? I don’t think this is right for my kid. I don’t think I’m going to make this decision, or at the very least I’m going to wait at least six months, maybe a year or maybe longer before I even consider this for my child,’” said Jessica Calarco, a professor of sociology at Indiana University who has been monitoring a group of moms in Indiana throughout the pandemic.

“They’ll say, ‘You know what, my kid wears masks. We wash our hands. We are responsible with play dates. And so, the vaccine just isn’t necessary because we’re doing enough, and my kid is healthy enough that they will probably be fine.’”

Doctors and public health officials say they find themselves regularly explaining to parents that covid is indeed harming kids.

“There have been more than 35 pediatric deaths in California alone, and this is more deaths than we see with flu,” Dr.

Erica Pan, California’s state epidemiologist, told reporters last week. “This simply is not an acceptable number of child deaths when such effective and safe prevention is available.”

Covid has triggered multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, a potentially life-threatening condition in which the immune system attacks the body and impedes organ function, in more than 660 California kids since March 2020, Pan said. Six have died.

California is slated to have more than 1.2 million doses of the weaker version of the vaccine for kids 5 to 11 the first week the vaccine is approved for emergency use, Pan said.

Pediatricians will be crucial to the state’s efforts to vaccinate kids, along with clinics at school sites and door-to-door campaigns by community leaders.

In Yuba City, pediatrician Dr. Mark Sawyer tells patients, “If you want to stop hearing about covid on the radio and stop hearing about lockdowns and everything, then this is it, this is the way. Just get vaccinated.”

Phillip Reese, an assistant professor of journalism at California State UniversitySacramento, contributed to this report.

This story was produced

by KHN, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation. ■

Place your dental health back on your to-do list Many people skipped their dental visits during the pandemic. If this sounds like you, now is the time to catch up on your dental care needs.

We ask everyone to make dental health a priority. Make an appointment today for yourself and your family for regular cleanings and checkups. Dental offices are safe with COVID-19 safety rules in place for patient care.

Don’t miss out on using all of your family’s annual dental benefits.

With regular dental checkups, you will have good oral health for your family and yourself for a lifetime.

For Medi-Cal members,

dental care is covered.

Free or low-cost checkups are covered every six months for patients under age 21, and every 12 months for people over age 21.

Dental care is health care.

By getting important cleanings and checkups now, you can avoid serious problems later. According to the Centers for Disease Control: “More than 1 in 4 adults have untreated cavities, and nearly half of those aged 30 or older show signs of gum disease. If left untreated, these conditions can lead to tooth loss.”

Help keep your smile strong and healthy by going to the dentist now,

before the end of the year.

Keep smiling. Keep brushing. Keep flossing.

And schedule your dental visit today. Visit SmileCalifornia.org to find a dentist near you or call 1-800-322-6384 for more information or help. *** California’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, currently offers dental services as one of the program’s many benefits.

Medi-Cal Dental, also known as Denti-Cal, is the program that provides free or low-cost dental services to eligible children and adults. For more information, visit SmileCalifornia.org.

MANILA — Metro Manila is now ready for a more relaxed alert level 2 quarantine classification as all its 16 cities and lone municipality are at low risk of experiencing a surge in COVID-19 infections, the independent analytics and monitoring group OCTA Research said on Monday, November 1.

OCTA fellow Guido David explained that despite recording the highest number of cases nationwide because of its large population, Metro Manila was actually at low risk based on the average daily attack rate (Adar) in its 17 local governments.

“Navotas in particular is classified as very low risk, given that all its indicators (including Adar) are low,” David said in OCTA’s latest report presented to reporters on Monday.

“Based on our reading of the data, it’s actually safe to reopen our businesses at this time,” David said at the Laging Handa briefing.

The private sector has been calling for a shift in the second half of November to alert level 2, which will allow business establishments to operate up to half of their indoor capacity and 70 percent outdoors. Metro Manila is currently under alert level 3 until Nov. 15, wherein business establishments can operate at 30-percent indoor capacity for fully vaccinated customers and half of their capacity outdoors.

David added that OCTA saw no reason not to ease restrictions as there was no COVID19 variant currently posing a threat to the country.

Improving numbers Based on its analysis of data from the Department of Health (DOH), OCTA said Metro Manila’s Adar, which measures the number of new cases per 100,000 population of an area, had declined to 5.72 from 6.36 the previous week.

An Adar of more than 7 indicates high risk of infection in an area.

OCTA said the positivity rate of testing in Metro Manila had decreased to 5 percent while the reproduction number was

0.53.

It said all 17 local governments in Metro Manila had reproduction numbers less than 0.9, meaning all these areas are still on a downward trend in reported COVID-19 cases.

A reproduction number of 1 means that each infected person transmits the virus to one person. If the number is less than 1, such as the current numbers in Metro Manila, each existing infection will cause less than one new infection, which means that the spread of the virus is on the decline.

David noted that concerns of another surge might arise only when there was an increase in the reproduction number.

At present, there is a downtrend in Metro Manila based on the reproduction number, even if there were areas that recorded a positive one week growth rate, he said.

Since the reproduction number is the basis for determining whether the number of cases is going up or down, he said this meant the overall trend in Metro Manila was downward.

He pointed out that OCTA was not too concerned about the positive growth rate because this was sometimes due to delays in reporting data.

Metro Manila saw an average 810 daily new cases last week, a decline of 14 percent from 901 the previous week.

Protected population The vaccination rate in Metro Manila was also very high as some 96 percent of adults in the region had received at least a first dose, while more than 80 percent had been fully vaccinated, he noted.

“This means the chance of [another COVID-19 surge] is lower because many in Metro Manila are already protected.

So we support the relaxation to alert level 2 so that our businesses could recover, but we should do so in a safe manner,” he said.

People should still continue to avoid large gatherings and comply with minimum public health standards, David said.

He reiterated OCTA’s earlier projection that daily cases in the country could go down to 2,000 by the end of November

if current trends continued.

“We hope this comes true.

If this happens, our holiday in December will continue to be a good one. But we remind the public that this is based on trends, and for the trends to continue, we must follow the minimum public health standards,” he said.

The alert levels in different parts of the country are determined by the DOH. The system is meant to do away with large-scale lockdowns to allow more businesses to continue operating. It was first piloted in Metro Manila and recently expanded to several regions.

New cases down The DOH on Monday reported a continued decline in new cases to 3,117, the lowest in five months or since May 23.

The country now has 2,790,375 confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Active cases, or people still infected with the virus, also fell to 43,185, the lowest in nearly eight months or since March 9.

The death toll rose to 43,276 after the DOH reported 104 more deaths, 68 of whom were previously tagged as recovered.

The DOH said 72.6 percent of active cases were mild, 4.9 percent asymptomatic, 12.32 percent moderate, 7.2 percent severe and 3 percent critical.

The positivity rate, which measures how many were positive for the virus among those tested, was at 7.5 percent out of 41,712 people tested last Saturday.

The DOH data did not include those from eight laboratories that did not submit their results.

Hospital occupancy remained at safe levels.

The DOH said nationwide, COVID-19 beds in the intensive care unit (ICU) were 45 percent occupied (from 46 percent the previous day); isolation beds, 34 percent (from 35 percent); and ward beds, 31 percent (from 32 percent).

In Metro Manila, it was 39 percent for ICU beds (same as the previous day’s), 27 percent for isolation beds (from 28 percent) and 30 percent for ward beds (from 29 percent). ■

When you GET VACCINATED you have greater protection against hospitalization and death.

WEAR A MASK when it can protect you & others.

GET TESTED & STAY HOME when you feel sick.

Find a COVID-19 vaccine near you MyTurn.ca.gov

7

833-422-4255

Novemebr 5-11, 2021 • NorCAL ASIAN JoUrNAL

Health @Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS CAN post-open heart surgery patients have sex?

In general, yes, after full recovery, which is usually after a period of two to 3 months, depending on the severity of illness, the extent of surgery, and the individual stamina or tolerance. The aim of open heart surgery is to bring the person back to the normal stream of life as much as possible. The recommendation is for the patient to be the passive partner (lying flat) during the lovemaking, minimizing heavy exertion. Some may even be benefited by taking a nitroglycerine pill under the tongue before the act. It is most prudent for the person who had surgery, whether of the heart or of other organs, to consult with the attending physician or surgeon for advice on this and other related matters, including the indication, safety and risk in the use of Viagra as an aid for male erectile dysfunction unless you are on nitroglycerin. Those on any form of nitroglycerine pills MUST NOT take Viagra, because the combination of these two drugs could lead to fatal consequences.

Is it safe to warm breast milk in a microwave oven?

No, it is not safe to warm breast milk in a microwave oven. Collected breast milk should never be warmed in a microwave oven because it destroys many important natural protective elements in breast milk that is beneficial to the infant. As a matter of fact, even milk formulas in cans or bottle should never be warmed in a microwave oven. In both instances, the milk, and the bottle itself, can be too hot for the baby and could result in burns, and the bottles can also explode. Many times, the bottle may feel cold but the milk inside can be too hot for the baby. The best way to warm or take the chill out of milk is by soaking the bottle of milk (formula or breast milk) in warm (NOT BOILING) water. Swirl the bottled breast milk a few times to mix it well. Before feeding the baby, let a few drops of milk land on your wrist to check the temperature. If it is not too hot for your skin, then it is probably just right for the infant. It is always better to err on the cooler side. Some babies may even prefer milk at room-temperature or cool (not cold) milk. And they will usually let you know in not so many words.

Why is improperly cooked pork dangerous?

Poorly cooked or insufficiently barbequed pork (or any meat, for that matter) is dangerous to health because of the infection or infestation with parasites that they can cause. Improperly cooked pork, for instance, can lead to a parasitic disease known as Trichinosis,

Co m m u n ity Jo u rn al

Info capsules caused by a round worm called Trichinella spiralis. The larvae are killed by high temperature. If the pork is undercooked, the larvae survive, and when ingested, the digestive juices dissolve the cyst capsule and liberate the larvae in the intestine where they grow to maturity, ready to travel and invade the muscles of the eyelids, the heart, and other muscles in the body. This causes pain, fever, profuse sweating, chills, swelling of tissues, hemorrhages in the retina of the eyes, extreme photophobia (sensitivity to light). All these happen after an incubation period of 7 to 14 days, from the time of ingestion. Mortality is less than 5%. Most patients recover fully with treatment. This disease is 100% preventable, so we do not have any excuse to catch it at all.

How can we live longer?

While waiting for the discovery of the fountain of youth, here are some tips on healthy activities that could add years to your life: abstinence from smoking adds 1.3 years; vegetarian diet (fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grain), 2.4 years; eating nuts five times a week, 2.9 years; healthy weight, 1.5 years; vigorous exercise 3 times a week, 2.1 years. All these good habits alone can add up to more than 10 years to your life, according to studies conducted by health experts at Loma Linda University in California. This is one of the many scientific investigations that support the same conclusions. Noteworthy too is the fact that persons with high blood pressure and/or diabetes mellitus AND normal total cholesterol level (not higher than 150) do a lot better and have lesser hardening of the arteries, compared to those individuals with high blood pressure and/or diabetes whose total cholesterol is high. Staying away from red meat and concentrating on fish, vegetables, fruits, a highfiber diet and following the other tips listed above, do, indeed, pay great dividends in terms of health and longevity.

How can we beat a hangover?

Taking a couple of spoonfuls of honey, before or after drinking, may aid in preventing a hangover, according to research from the U.S. National Headache Foundation. Headache experts say that the fructose in honey speeds up alcohol metabolism and its effects on our body dissipate more rapidly. Tomato juice also has a lot of fructose in it, the reason why Bloody Mary (the virgin type) is considered a treatment for hangover the morning after.

Obviously, tomato juice may also be taken before and/or after imbibing alcoholic beverages to minimize hangover symptoms.

Is oregano an antibiotic?

Technically, no, oregano, our friendly spice on the kitchen shelf, is not an antibiotic. Not on the drugstore shelf yet anyway.

It has recently been found to be a very potent antioxidant, more powerful than many fruits and vegetables. Oregano oil has also been found to kill dangerous, and some drug-resistant, bacteria, including staphylococcus.

Researchers from Georgetown University discovered that a minute amount of oregano oil diluted with olive oil prevented bacterial growth, just like some potent and expensive antibiotics. I won’t be surprised if sometime soon a pharmaceutical company comes up with a new antibiotic called “Oregacillin” or something.

Can a nearly frozen person be revived?

According to studies at the University of Pittsburgh, physicians may soon be able to bring people back to life after they have been nearly frozen. Investigators found that by rapidly flushing the blood vessels of experimental animals with ice cold salt solution, they can lower the body temperature of the animals to a nearly frozen state (50 degrees F), stop the heart from beating, and then revive the animals after two hours of suspended animation or hibernation. One immediate application of this in the near future is the ability to freeze severely injured accident victims at the scene, to suspend the progress of injuries, bleeding, swelling, etc., stabilizing the patient’s condition, and allowing for a safer transport of the patient to a medical center for proper resuscitation and definitive treatment.

When the technique is perfected for a safe extended frozen animation, it may be possible for us to freeze a person ill with a disease with no known cure at the present (cancer, etc.), and revive them for treatment when the cure for the disease is available in the future, say 50 years or longer down the line. Science fiction? Today, yes.

But I have no doubt this will come to fruition in the future. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life.

Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Public Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian and antigraft foundation in the United States. Visit our websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

Canepa on vaccine for children: Mass vax site readies for kids 5-11 DALY CITY – San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President David J. Canepa made the following statement on Tuesday, November 2 after vaccine advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced support of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11.

“Now that the CDC has given the green light to vaccinate children, we are ready to open a mass vaccination site to get as many shots in arms as quickly as possible,” Canepa said. “The White House announced yesterday it will start shipping enough of the vaccine to immunize 28 million American children. The

EMPLOYMENT

experts say it’s safe and will protect children from an infection that can hurt them, and I trust the experts.”

The White House stated Monday, Nov. 1 that starting the week of November 8th, the kids’ vaccination program will be fully up and running.

Read the press briefing from the White House at https://www. whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/ press-briefings/2021/11/01/ press-briefing-by-white-housecovid-19-response-team-andpublic-health-officials-65/.

Children’s Vaccines • With CDC approval, pediatric vaccinations will be available at the Event Center, in a county-op-

erated walk-in clinic in San Mateo separate from the adult drive through clinic. Dates and times to be announced and appointments will be available in MyTurn.

• Pediatric providers and pharmacies are preparing to make vaccinations available to children ages 5-11 soon after the federal and Western States bodies’ approval.

• Residents are encouraged to check on MyTurn, pediatric providers’ websites (e.g., Kaiser, Sutter, PAMF, Stanford) and local pharmacies (e.g., CVS, Walgreens, Costco) to find the best option for children’s vaccination.

(Supervisor Canepa’s Office Release)

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

Mayor Breed celebrates official launch of San Francisco Welcome Ambassadors program Two-year, $12.5 million initiative stations Welcome Ambassadors downtown and in key transit and tourist areas to greet and assist employees, commuters, visitors, and residents

SAN FRANCISCO — Mayor London N. Breed on Tuesday, November 2 announced the official launch of the San Francisco Welcome Ambassadors Program, which aims to create a safer and more hospitable environment for returning employees, commuters, visitors, and residents to the City’s downtown and tourist areas. As part of Mayor Breed’s Downtown Recovery Plan, ambassadors will connect people in need with services and provide a welcoming presence throughout the City’s busiest corridors.

Once fully operating, the program will deploy 50 Welcome Ambassadors to locations throughout the city, including all downtown BART stations, Market Street, Moscone Center, East Cut, the Ferry Building, Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Embarcadero, Chinatown, North Beach, Union Square, and the Cable Car turnarounds. The program is expected to create over 100 jobs.

“This program represents a major investment to advance the City’s economic recovery,” said Mayor Breed. “By making downtown and key tourist areas feel welcoming, attractive and safe, people will be excited to engage in our city’s vibrancy while supporting our local businesses.

This collaborative effort is another example of our commitment to doing everything we can to create a more welcoming city and bounce back from this pandemic stronger than ever before.”

Since its soft launch on October 7, 2021, the program has deployed 25 Welcome Ambassadors daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to the locations listed above. The ambassadors’ locations will shift regularly according to need, commuter patterns, special events, visitor arrivals, and the reopening of businesses and of-

San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed

fices. As of Friday, October 29, the ambassadors had recorded 92,000 interactions with people.

The Welcome Ambassadors program builds on the success of the cleaning and safety ambassador programs created by Community Benefit Districts in the downtown area. Ambassadors will coordinate with other city safety and cleanliness initiatives including, the SFPD Community Ambassadors and SFPD’s Tourism Deployment Plan to create a safe and welcoming environment for individuals returning to San Francisco’s downtown. The San Francisco Tourism Improvement District is managing the Welcome Ambassadors Program through a grant from the Office of Economic and Workforce Development.

“We as a city need to do more to help bring life back to downtown. We need to do all we can to make things safer, cleaner, more friendly, and more vibrant.

The Downtown Recovery Plan and the launch of more community ambassadors will help us get there,” said District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney.

“Tourism is San Francisco’s

number one industry. With the resumption of international travel to the U.S. on Nov. 8, this program is vitally important to ensure our visitors receive an ‘Only in SF’ welcome. The ambassadors embody San Francisco’s embracing spirit and will help tourists and convention attendees feel safe and cared for when they come here,” said Ike Kwon, California Academy of Science’s Chief Operating Officer and Head of Government Affairs and San Francisco Tourism Association’s Incoming Chair.

“As San Francisco’s largest private employer, we are deeply committed to the city and its recovery. It’s great to see the renewed energy downtown, as our employees start to come back into our offices,” said Michele Schneider, SVP of Real Estate Global Workplace Services at Salesforce. “We are proud to continue supporting the city and are grateful for the Mayor’s continued leadership.”

“In Yerba Buena we have the highest concentration of arts and culture west of the Hudson. The city’s incredible arts and cultural attractions draw people from near and far, and we are thrilled to have Welcome Ambassadors in place to help visitors find their way around the city and discover new experiences. They’re not only a sign of investment for our city’s recovery, but also an investment in our visitors and residents – it is proof that San Francisco values you and wants you to feel safe and cared for so you can enjoy your time in the city,” said Monetta White, Executive Director of the Museum of the African Diaspora.

For more information on San Francisco Welcome Ambassador program, visit www.sftid.org.

(SF Mayor’s Office Release)

California Arts Council announces 2021 Individual Artist Fellows New grant recognizes, uplifts, and celebrates California artists

SACRAMENTO – The California Arts Council (CAC) announced on Tuesday, November 2 that it has awarded a total of $2.185 million in support of 182 recipients who applied for an inaugural 2021 Individual Artist Fellowship.

“The Individual Artist Fellowships support artists from a broad spectrum of artistic practices, backgrounds, geographies, and communities, whose work addresses themes such as race, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, consistent with the goals of the Council,” said Council Chair Lilia Gonzales-Chavez of Fresno.

The program marks a historic return of direct support for artists and their creative practices. It is the agency’s first opportunity for funding of individual artists during the course of its regular grant season cycle since 2002. Previous opportunities were discontinued when the agency’s state budget was reduced by more than 90 percent in 2003.

The fellowship program was developed in alignment with the Council’s priority to offer direct support to California’s individual artists and cultural practitioners.

The 2021 grant opportunities were also informed by public input and data in alignment with the Arts Council’s Strategic

HOUSING

Framework Decision Support Tool.

“The California Arts Council is eager to celebrate, along with our fellows, this much anticipated return to directly supporting our state’s artists,” said Executive Director Anne Bown-Crawford. “These fellowships signify the beginning of a new era of understanding and valuing the role of the artist in the social fabric of our state’s communities.”

A complete list of the 2021 Individual Artist Fellows can be seen at https://arts.ca.gov/wpcontent/uploads/2021/10/CAC_ INA_2021_Fellows.pdf.

The grant program provides funding to artists 18 years of age and older at key moments in their careers, elevating their capacity for continued contribution to the field and our state. The grant identifies three career tiers at which artists may benefit from this support: • CAC Emerging Artist Fellows – $5,000 per award (95 artists supported) Artists with between two and four years of artistic practice.

• CAC Established Artist Fellows – $10,000 per award (66 artists supported) Artists with between four and 10 years of artistic practice.

• CAC Legacy Artist Fellows – $50,000 per award (21 artists

supported) Well-established artists with 10 or more years of artistic practice.

The California Arts Council’s grant programs are administered through a multistep, public process. Following an open call for applications, submissions are adjudicated by peer review panels made up of experts from the arts and cultural fields and representative of California’s diverse geography; racial, ethnic, and gender identities; perspectives and knowledge. Based on panel recommendations and availability of funds, the Council voted on the Individual Artists Fellowships at a recent public meeting.

Interested members of the public, artists, arts organizations, and community leaders are encouraged to visit the California Arts Council website’s Grant Programs (https://arts.ca.gov/grants/ grant-programs/) and Grants FAQ (https://arts.ca.gov/grants/ faq/) pages to learn about grant opportunities and processes as details become available.

Notification of grant program guidelines, applications, and technical assistance resources will also be published in the California Arts Council’s weekly enewsletter, ArtBeat. Subscribe at https://arts.ca.gov/news/artbeat.

(California Arts Council Release)

HOUSING

Below Market Rate (BMR) Rental Apartments Available Prism at 1028 Market St, San Francisco CA 94102 12 Studios at $1,227 per month; 6 One-Bedrooms at $1,248 per month; 7 Two-Bedrooms at $1,361 per month.

Must be income eligible and must not own a home. Households must earn no more than the maximum income levels below: 55% of Area Median Income One person - $51,300; 2 persons - $58,600; 3 persons - $65,950; 4 persons - $73,250; 5 persons- $79,100 Applications must be received by 5pm on 12/9/21. Apply online through DAHLIA, the SF Housing Portal at https://housing. sfgov.org. Contact a housing counselor for assistance with your application: housing.sfgov.org/get-assistance. Please contact the Prism leasing team for more information at (415) 763-1451 or bmr@rentprism.com.

Units available through the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development are subject to monitoring and other restrictions. Visit www.sfmohcd.org for housing preferences and program information.

SF#2985

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91 SoMa Apartments for Middle Income households Available Early 2022 THE GEORGE at 434 Minna Street, San Francisco CA 94103

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Households must earn within the income range levels below depending on household size: uniTs

incOmE RanGE

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sTudiOs 21 Available

$4,516 to $13,320 per month

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1 Bedrooms 31 Available

$5,156 to $14,980 per month

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2 Bedrooms 39 Available

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$2,882 to $4,380 per month

16 parking spaces available to qualified renters for an additional $100 a month and will be offered to households in lottery rank order. Must be income eligible and must not own a home.

Applications are available from November 4 to December 2, 2021 and must be received by 5PM on Thursday, December 2, 2021. Apply online through DAHLIA, the SF Housing Portal at housing.sfgov.org. contact THE GEORGE leasing at (916) 686-4126 or thegeorgemiddleincome@gmail.com.

Virtual Lottery will be held on December 16, 2021 at 11AM. Units available through the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development and are subject to monitoring and other restrictions.

Visit www.sfmohcd.org for program information.

Co m m u n ity Jo u rn al

FILIPINO

(650) 689-5160 • http://www.asianjournal.com

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMEBR 5-11, 2021

9

THE ASIAN JOURNAL

MAGAZINE

I N

N O R T H E R N

C A L I F O R N I A

Friday, November 5, 2021

INSIDE >>> L I F E S T Y L E • C O N S U M E R G U I D E • C O M M U N I T Y • M A R K E T P L A C E

Why is my case taking so long at USCIS? Immigration Corner aTTY. MiChaEl GuRFiNKEl, ESQ IT can be extremely frustrating about how long USCIS takes to process petitions, extensions, work authorizations, adjustment of status, and applications. For example, at the California service Center: • It can take up to 32 months for USCIS to process an “immediate relative” (IR) petition by a U.S. citizen of their spouse, parent, or minor child.

• It can take up to 72 months for USCIS to process a petition for unmarried son or daughter over 21 years of age (F2B), • And 139 months to process a petition for a married child (F3). That’s almost 11 years, just to get the petition approved.

• Employment based petitions at some Service Centers can take up to a year.

• Some non-immigrant change of status applications can take almost 2 years to process. For example, if person wants to change to student status, the California Service Center could take between 15 to 20 months. Good luck if you’re changing from visitor to student.

What’s going on? Why is it taking so long? What can be done by petitioners, beneficiaries, and applicants who are eligible for various immigration benefits, but it is taking so long to get USCIS to approve their case?

The American Immigration

Lawyers Association, or AILA, put out a flyer explaining some of the problems or issues that are going on. For example, in 2014, an average case took about five months to process.

But in 2020 the average processing time was at least nine months. Those delays can have a severe impact on businesses, families being separated, and jeopardize lives.

Employment based cases, naturalization, travel documents or advance parole, and employment authorizations are also experiencing delays. Between 2017 and 2019 USCIS’s processing times for all petitions and application forms increased by 37%. And what is more frustrating is that even though there is a dramatic increase in processing times, USCIS experienced at least a 10% drop in cases they received between 2017 and 2019. In other words, even though fewer cases were being filed, the processing times increased.

Also, the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to these delays.

This was caused by inefficient processing, understaffing, and various changes in policy due to COVID-19.

Also, during the Trump Administration, USCIS created many new policies designed to actually restrict or delay cases.

For example, USCIS was denying cases if any spaces were left blank. Also, when considering an extension, let’s say of H-1B visa, USCIS officers were required to conduct an in-depth review of the previous approval, rather than accepting the original approval as being done correctly.

Some immigration benefits,

such as work authorizations, require the person to be fingerprinted. But the fingerprinting facilities were closed during the pandemic. USCIS also closed its offices in March 2020 for several months for interviews and biometrics, creating an additional backlog. Now, with offices reopening, and officers coming back to work, we hope that USCIS can reduce the backlog and cut down on processing times.

In some very rare cases, a person may be eligible for expedited processing, but that is very rare. Meanwhile, here are tips you can do that can help speed up your case: • File your application as soon as possible, versus waiting until the last minute or when your status is about to expire.

Many applications, renewals, or extensions can be submitted up to 180 days before expiration.

• Make sure all your forms are filled out correctly, are complete, and the required evidence and documents are submitted. This could cut down on USCIS having to serve requests for evidence.

• Monitor your case and processing times, to see if your case is actually outside or past the posted processing time. If it is, it is possible to make inquiries or follow-ups with USCIS. Ordinarily, you cannot make follow-ups or inquiries if the case is still within the posted processing times.

• Notify USCIS of any changes in circumstances, especially any change of address.

You don’t want USCIS mailing a request for evidence to your old address and you never receive it, which could result in

NIECE PETITIONS HER AUNT AS HOUSEKEEPER THIS SUNDAY ON CITIZEN PINOY. Many people believe the only way to bring relatives to the U.S. is through a family petition. This is not true. Family can petition other family members through an employment-based visa, which can be much faster and is perfectly legal. This is exactly what Ana (center) did when she petitioned her aunt Susan (left) as her housekeeper, through the help of Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (right). Watch this success story on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” this Sunday, November 7 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo.

(Advertising Supplement)

the case being denied because of “abandonment.”

I know the Biden administration campaigned on a platform of being pro-immigration, and vowed to change USCIS’s harsh approach taken during the Trump administration. But these delays are causing damage, suffering, and separation for so many people.

I know what I’ve said is not good news or encouraging, but I will continue posting articles, as well as videos on my You Tube channel, US Immigration TV, which I hope you will find

informative and helpful. So, constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee please make sure to like, share, or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client and subscribe to my channel. *** 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 by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

Each case is different, and results may depend on the facts of the particular case.

The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not

relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw, YouTube: US Immigration TV and Instagram. com/gurfinkellaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

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Fil-Am star Olivia Rodrigo leads American Music Awards nominations by

AJPress

FILIPINA American singer Olivia Rodrigo has scored the most nominations at the 2021 American Music Awards, the world’s largest fan-voted awards show.

The 18-year-old star of “The High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” on Thursday, October 28, got seven nods including Artist of the Year, New Artist of the Year, and Favorite Female Pop Artist.

Her debut album “Sour” got nominated for Favorite Pop Album while her hit song “drivers license” was up for Favorite Trending Song and Favorite Music Video.

Rodrigo is a first-time nominee competing against fan favorites like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Drake.

Fellow Fil-Am singer Bruno Mars, who is part of Silk Sonic along with Anderson .Paak, was nominated for Favorite Pop Duo/ Group. Their song “Leave the Door Open” scored nominations for Favorite R&B Song and Favorite Music Video.

Meanwhile, Fil-Am rapper Saweetie got nominated for Favorite Female Hip-Hop Artist.

Canadian R&B singer The Weeknd followed Rodrigo with six nominations, including Artist of the Year, Favorite Male Pop Artist, and Favorite Male R&B Artist.

Olivia Rodrigo

Doja Cat, reggaeton star Bad Bunny, and R&B singer Giveon received five nods each.

The nominations are based on performances on the Billboard music charts, streaming and album sales, radio play and social media engagement. The mea-

celebrityworld

By Ferdie Villar

The 3rd Biorangers USA-Canada Reunion took place in Las Vegas, Nevada recently. Photo above shows attendees (front row, from left) Tom Del Rosario, Cesar Datu, Tristan Laurino, Raul Lasala, allan Chambers; (middle row, from left) DJ Macomb, Aris Reyes, Bert Carreon, Pons Liongson, Bill Balisi, Nellie Garin Tulley, Andy Mantes; (3rd row, from left) Magen Aquino, Mylene Orense Colic, Mark Pablo, Chito Monge, Alfred Mayuman, Alex Floro, Ambet Poblete, Nitz Dela Cruz Frame, Carmen Junio and Baby Roda De Guzman.

Attendees of the 3rd Biorangers USA-Canada Reunion in Las Vegas at the Prestige Banquet & Event Center. The reunion took place on Oct. 19-21, 2021.

Photo from Instagram/@oliviarodrigo

surements were tracked by Billboard and its data partner MRC Data, and covered the time period September 25, 2020, through Sept. 23, 2021.

The AMAs will take place on November 21 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

MEETING ON PH TOURISM PROGRAMS/ACTIVITIES. The Philippine Consul General in San Francisco, Hon. Neil Ferrer, together with his wife, Miriam Ferrer, met with Rajah Tours Owner Dading Clemente, Tourism Attaché Soleil Tropicales, Philippine Airlines Manager Dell Merano, and Asian Journal’s Roger Oriel to discuss on the programs and activities that can be implemented to help Philippine tourism bounce back in 2022. The main focus of the programs is the balikbayan sector, which is the biggest market in North America. The collaborative effort hopes to encourage more balikbayans to go home and explore the different destinations in the Philippines.

Contributed photo

Wendell Ramos’ advise to son, daughter on joining showbiz RECENTLY, siblings Saviour and Tanya Ramos became contract artists of the GMA Artist Center (GMAAC). Unknown to their dad, actor/host/model Wendell Ramos, the two had auditioned, underwent the panel interviews and were some of the hopefuls who were offered contracts.

According to a story on PEP.ph, the Ramos siblings said their dad was not at all surprised that they survived the auditions, given that Wendell has been training them for this moment and the way that he raised them.

Saviour revealed that his dad never hid the fact to them that he was an actor and that he had a name. In fact, Wendell would bring him to his tapings for “Bubble Gang.” Back then, Saviour would also see the big poster of his dad, who was an endorser for Bench.

On becoming an actor and being involved in showbiz, Saviour said his dad has always given them good advice.

“My dad always tells me and my sister that being an actor is no joke, it’s a lifestyle. You need to be more responsible, you need to be more focused every day. When you become an actor, you need to think about everything that you do,” he said.

“Whenever you get a role, even if it is a small one, even if you don’t really like it, you should focus and learn to love it because that’s how you will learn, achieve success and become a better actor,” he continued.

On being signed by GMAAC, Saviour had this to say: “I feel very blessed because I have been given a chance to show everyone what I can achieve. I am very excited to show people what I am capable of and, at the same time, I am very excited to grow here with the GMA family. I promise to be always ready and give my

Alumni from the 3rd Biorangers USA-Canada Reunion pose with their spouses at the New York New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The planning and organizing committee members of the 3rd Biorangers USA-Canada Reunion pose during a break in their festivities in Las Vegas, Nevada. In photo above are (front row, from left) Aris Reyes, Allan Reyes; (back row, from left) DJ Macomb, Bert Carreon, Pons Liongson, Bill Balisi and Andy Mantes.

Saviour Ramos recently signed with the GMA Artist Center after Tanya Ramos, who recently signed with the GMA Artist Center, said successfully passing auditions and panels, along with his sibling Tanya. that dad Wendell taught them to kind and respectful to everyone they Both are children of actor/model/TV host Wendell Ramos. encounter in showbiz.

Photo from Instagram/@saviourxxramos Photo from Instagram/@tanyasabelramos

100% when it comes to working.”

Saviour also dreams of achieving more than what his dad has done when it comes to acting.

“My big dream is to hopefully be able to achieve more than what he has done. I want to be known as a drama actor, not just a comedian or one who does sexy roles.

And I want to become a motivation for other people,” he said.

For her part, Tanya revealed that she will never forget her dad’s reminder for them to be kind and respectful to everyone they meet in the industry.

“What is imprinted on my mind is being obedient and respectful,” she related. “My dad said that it’s a good idea that we entered showbiz at a young age so that we can be trained when it comes to our attitude and how we relate with other people. He said that they did not have Artist Centers before so it was a bit difficult for people to get along.”

“There was no one to teach them. That’s why, one of the things that I have taken to heart is the idea of respect, not only to your co-actors, but to the staff, cameraman and the other people what we get to work with,” Tanya added.

With a sensible dad on their side, success won’t elude the Ramos siblings. Their GMAAC signing hopefully signals for good things to come and for them to be seen in upcoming projects in the Kapuso network. *** Chalk up another beauty pageant win for the Philippines! Cinderella Faye (Cindy) Obeñita became the second Filipina to win the Miss Intercontinental crown in the recently concluded pageant held in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt.

She was crowned by outgoing Miss Intercontinental 2019 Fanni Miko of Hungary.

According to the Philippine Star, included in Obeñita’s court are Paulina Escorcia of Mexico (1st runner-up), Romy Simpkins of England (2nd runner-up), Kelly-Mary Anette of Seychelles (3rd runner-up), Kaitlyn Li of Canada (4th runner-up) and Maria Paula Lopez of Colombia (5th runnerup).

Indeed, Obeñita’s win was, as her name says, a fairy tale, as she was a wildcard finalist during the Binibining Pilipinas national pageant.

Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) posted a congratula-

Cinderella Faye Obeñita recently became the second Filipina to win the Miss Intercontinental crown at the 2021 pageant ceremonies held in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt.

Photo from Instagram/@cindyobenita

tory message to Cindy: “From wildcard to Miss Intercontinental 2021! Your Cinderella story is truly inspiring…Thank you for raising our flag, Cindy! The whole country is proud of you!”

In the final question-and-answer portion of the finalists for the Miss Intercontinental title, the magna cum laude graduate from Liceo De Cagayan University was asked if speaking English was important to win the title.

“As an ambassador, I don’t think that speaking in a specific language is very important here in Miss Intercontinental or any pageant at all. As long as that woman is a woman of power and grace, commitment and intelligence, no matter what language she speaks, and she is actually a woman of style and substance, then she can win any pageant or any endeavor that she is into,” she said.

Cindy continued: “I have learned actually here in Miss Intercontinental that a woman should possess power of substance. And I believe I am that woman because that is the essence of a modernday Miss Intercontinental — that we are living in a world that’s very

hard to survive.”

“And as a Miss Intercontinental, I would like to be that source of hope, that source of inspiration on the true power of beauty and that is felt on the kindness of our hearts and definitely on the sincerity of our loving actions,” she added.

In the 2021 Miss Intercontinental pageant, Obeñita donned a beautiful evening gown dubbed as Kislap and a national cvostume called Diwata, both created by fashion designer and stylist Odelon Simpao. During the Halloween party, Cindy wore a Filipino superheroine comic-inspired costume, Darna. Jojo Bragais provided all of the shoes worn by the winning beauty from Cagayan de Oro. Congratulations to Cindy on a great win!

And here’s wishing good luck to the other bets competing soon in international beauty pagents: Beatrice Luigi Gomez for Miss Universe, Hannah Arnold for Miss International, Tracy Maureen Perez for Miss Word and Tatyana Austria for is Eco Teen International.

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • NOvemebR 5-11, 2021

11

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

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

Seth Fedelin

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 Zealandbased Epiphany Café Franchise Group.

Both donut brands look to increase their market share in Australia. Commercial donuts produced by Big Lou’s Donuts

Photo from Instagram/@iamsethfedelin

Seth on the power of the youth: We can’t just depend on adults

YOUNG actor Seth Fedelin has observed that his fellow youth have become more and more active on social media, speaking up and making their presence truly felt. Fedelin thus feels that the youth finally have a say on matters that concern them.

“Ang napapansin ko sa Gen Z, talagang mas active sila sa social media. ‘Yung mga opinion nila, ‘yung sinasabi nila, ‘yung mga kabataan, ang dami nilang imik, ang dami nilang say kasi nakikita na nila ang nangyayari. May paki na sila, may paki na kami,” he said during the online press conference for the series “Huwag Kang Mangamba,” on Thursday, Oct. 25.

(What I notice with Gen Z is they really are more active in social media. Their opinions, the youth, they got a lot to say because they can already see what’s happening. They care. We care.)

The show, meanwhile, is now on its last two weeks and will continue to air its remaining finale episodes via Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, TV5, TFC, Kapamilya Online Live, iWant TFC, WeTV and iFlix.

“Kaya natin ito. Tulungan natin. Hindi lang matatanda ang dapat nating asahan. May mga kaya tayong mga bagay na ‘pag nagsamasama tayo ay mababago natin,” Fedelin added. (We can do this. Let’s help. We cannot just depend on adults. There are things which, if we all work as one, we can change.)

Playing Pio Estopacio in the inspirational series, Fedelin believes there are many lessons that can be learned from the show.

“Ang masasabi ko lang, ang napulot kong aral sa ‘Huwag Kang Mangamba,’ siguro may mga bagay na matatanda ang puwedeng gumawa pero meron ding bagay na kaya ring gawin ng mga kabataan,” he said.

(All that I can say is, the lesson I learned from “Huwag Kang Mangamba” is that maybe there are things that only the elders can do, but there are things which the young can do.)

He noted that in the series, the young made steps to put in order the town, the faith of the people in a God and about who “Bro” is.

“Kumbaga, kaya naming kumilos sa paraan na kaya namin,” he added. “Hindi na kailangan ng magulang, hindi na kailangan ng matatanda.”

(We can move in ways we’re capable of. We didn’t need parents, we didn’t need elders.)

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 pillowsoft 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 mar-

ket,” says Jeths Lacson, CEO and Chairman of SFIO. Another feature that will set Big Lou’s Donuts apart is its own proprietary vegan donut formulation, which maintains a donut’s light and fluffy textures despite the lack of dairy and egg. The vegan donut will also include a vegan chocolate hazelnut spread custom made by Big Lou’s Donuts. The unique formulation took nearly 12 months to develop and the vegan donuts were recently launched on 27 September 2021 at Coles Supermarkets, an existing distributor of Big Lou’s Donuts.

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

(Advertising Supplement)

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Janine proves that acting indeed runs in her blood

By Boy

ABundA Philstar.com

JANINE Gutierrez confessed that she couldn’t admit to herself that she wanted to be an actress early on in her acting career.

Reason: She felt that there was no more room for her since both sides of her family are venerable names in the entertainment industry.

Ramon Christopher Gutierrez and Lotlot de Leon are Janine’s parents. Her paternal grandparents are Asia’s Queen of Songs Pilita Corrales and Sampaguita Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Frank R. Ferrer delivers his remarks during the rededication ceremony of the Alice Peña Bulos Pictures actor Eddie Gutierrez.

Community Center in South San Francisco, California on October 23.

Photos courtesy of PCGSF Janine’s adoptive maternal grandparents, on the other hand, are acting royalty Nora Aunor and Christopher de Leon. Add to that her having aunts and uncles like Matet de Leon, Jackie Lou Blanco, Ruffa Gutierrez, Ian de Leon, Tonton Gutierrez and Richard SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO Gutierrez.

– Philippine Consul General Neil No wonder, Janine truly felt so Frank R. Ferrer attended the remuch pressure proving her worth dedication of the Westborough as an actress.

Recreation Center in South San “I was really scared at first Francisco City as the Alice Peña knowing how people would comBulos Community Center in cerpare me to my relatives and it took emonies held on Saturday, Oca long time for me to admit to mytober 23, two days after Peña self that I love to be part of this Bulos’s fifth death anniversary. (industry),” began Janine during In the event hosted by South our recent one-on-one on Kumu’s San Francisco City Mayor Mark The Best Talk. “’Yung sinasabi ng Addiego, Consul General Ferrer mga tao na, ah anak s’ya ni… or honored the contributions and apo s’ya ni… is something I can’t achievements of Peña Bulos, do anything about. It’s a part of “who devoted her life working who I am.” for equal opportunities in emHowever, the TV and film ployment and housing, fighting actress has proven several times for the rights of Filipino World that acting runs in her blood.

War II veterans, and mentoring Janine received Best Actress the future leaders of the Filipino awards from Gawad Urian, American community.”

Famas, QCinema and Urduja for “To this day, she inspires us her acting performance in Babae to follow in her footsteps and at Baril. Just recently, she won do whatever we can to uplift the the Rising Star Award at the New conditions of our kababayans in York Asian Film Festival for her the Bay Area and beyond, ever role in Dito at Doon. persevering to her mantra: ‘To “I’m so thankful, Tito Boy. Taachieve empowerment, we must lagang inaral ko (yung characreach out and empower the com- Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Frank R. Ferrer is joined by South San Francisco ter) and it all boils down to hard City Mayor Mark Addiego and former South San Francisco City Mayor Karyl Matsumoto, following munity,’” Consul General Ferrer the rededication ceremony of the Alice Peña Bulos Community Center on October 23. work,” said Janine on her having said. clinched the well-deserved acting Consul General Ferrer also recognitions. “I think it really just commended the South San started with having the courage to Francisco City Council for its derisk doing different roles.” cision to rename the community “Parang ang tagal Tito Boy center, a stone’s throw away for me to have the confidence to from Peña Bulos’s home for really follow my gut and I think almost 40 years, after the late that’s what has been blessing me Filipino American community these past two years, na parang leader, who is regarded as the sa wakas kaya ko na pakinggan “Grand Dame of Filipino Ameri‘yung sarili ko at kaya ko na can Politics.” ipaglaban ‘yung mga gusto ko “It is an expressed recognition talaga dito,” she added. of her work and sacrifices so that The 32-year-old actress also the voices of those marginalized expressed gratitude for starring and oppressed within the Filiin worthy film projects and workpino American community were ing with directors who motivate heard,” the Philippine Consul her to excel in acting.

The Alice Peña Bulos Community Center in South San Francisco is a stone’s throw away from General said.

Janine stars in her first KapamiIn his remarks, Mayor Addi- the home of the late Filipina leader who is considered “The Grand Dame of Filipino American lya series Marry Me, Marry You, ego said that Peña Bulos was “a Politics.” opposite Paulo Avelino. It can be strong supporter and advocate Francisco City Council Member Chair of the Filipino American viewed on Kapamilya Online Live, for the Filipino American com- Buenaflor Nicolas — all of whom Caucus; as Regional Chair of munity, who spent much of her are Americans of Filipino de- the National Filipino American Women’s Network; as President time promoting public policies scent.

In 1987, Peña Bulos was named of the California Health Initiative; and services for Filipino AmeriWoman of the Year by the Pacific as Commissioner for the San Macans.”

Other government officials Asian Women Bay Area Coali- teo County Commission on the present during the rededica- tion. In 1988, she was inducted Status of Women; and as Board tion ceremony include Daly City into the San Mateo County Hall Member of the Community IniBy JAn Milo Severo Mayor Juslyn Manalo, Daly City of Fame. In 1993, President Bill tiative on Multiculturalism, and Philstar.com Vice Mayor Rod Daus-Magbual, Clinton appointed her to the Fed- the Northern California Disaster Preparedness Network.

South San Francisco Vice Mayor eral Council on Aging.

DAYS after revealing that they (PCGSF Release) Peña Bulos also served as Mark Nagales, and South San are now have a daughter, Kapamilya actor McCoy de Leon penned a letter for his girlfriend Elisse Joson and daughter Felize.

SAN FRANCISCO – Philippine In his Instagram account, Consul General in San FranMcCoy said that their daughcisco Neil Frank R. Ferrer reter Felize is not only a gift from ceived Civilian Aide to the U.S. God but also a hope to him and Secretary of the Army (CASA) Elisse to continue their relaMr. Mark Benton at the Consultionship. ate General on Sutter Street on “Binigay ka ng Diyos hindi Friday, October 29 where they lang isang regalo, binigay ka rin discussed the Army’s objective niya dahil binigyan mo kami ng to recruit more eligible people pag-asa ng nanay mo. Nagtuloyof various ethnicities and racial tuloy ang pagsasamahan namin backgrounds. dahil sa’yo, kasi alam naming Mr. Benton, who served with ikaw ang magiging dahilan kaya the Army Corps of Engineers, the kami nabubuhay sa mundong Consul General Neil Frank R. Ferrer met with Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the U.S. Army Military Police Corps and the San Mark Benton and Major Donald Le Lipscomb from the California Army National Guard on October ito,” McCoy said.

Francisco Sheriff’s Department, “Walang hanggang kasiya29. Also joining the meeting were Deputy Consul General Raquel R. Solano and Consul Vanessa encouraged Filipino Americans G. Bago-Llona.

Photos courtesy of PCGSF han ang binibigay mo sa amin. to join the Army or the Army NaSimula nung nakita namin tional Guard, or the Reserve Ofhanggang ngayon. Bawat ngiti ficers’ Training Corps (ROTC). mo nawawala lahat ng pangan“The Secretary of the Army gamba namin. Aamin ko natatawishes to see more diversity and inclusion, especially in the officer corps,” Mr. Benton said, adding that full college tuition in various California state colleges and universities, board and lodging, CELEBRITY cousins Ciara and healthcare, and other benefits Danica Sotto shared how cousins await would-be recruits. are best sisters.

Consul General Ferrer thanked During the last SIS Session with Mr. Benton for the visit and welPhysiogel on Facebook, Ciara decomed his advocacy to invite scribed Danica as soft and gentle. potential applicants of diverse “It takes strength to be soft, backgrounds to enlist in the From left: Major Donald Le Lipscomb from the California Army National Guard, Civilian Aide gentle and kind — that’s Danica to the Secretary of the U.S. Army Mark Benton, Consul General Neil Frank R. Ferrer, Deputy Army, the Army National Guard, Consul General Raquel R. Solano and Consul Vanessa G. Bago-Llona. for me,” Ciara said. or the ROTC. “The information “Even when things are chayou have shared with us would Legacy Historical Society and 18 years old moved to the U.S. otic, she remains kind and always be helpful for our Filipino Ameri- the USS Telesforo Trinidad Cam- from his native Vietnam and who gives the other party the benefit can community and we will share paign, highlighted the contribu- stayed at the Philippine Refu- of the doubt,” she added. these to them,” Consul General tions of the Filipinos in the U.S. gee Processing Center in Bataan Danica, meanwhile, said how Ferrer said, adding that the ad- Navy and the ongoing efforts of prior to his migration to the U.S., her “ate” inspired her. vocacy is meaningful as Filipino the Filipino American communi- encouraged fellow immigrant “Ciara is literally strong. You American History Month is being ty to name a U.S. Navy ship after families to make the most of can see her perform difficult celebrated in the month of Octo- Filipino sailor Telesforo Trinidad the Army, Army National Guard pole poses with so much ease. ber in the U.S. who received the Medal of Honor and ROTC enlistment, and avail But beneath that strong body is The Consul General first met in 1915 for his heroic deeds on- themselves of free college educa- a woman full of grace,” Danica Mr. Benton in a Filipino Ameri- board the USS San Diego. tion while serving in the military. said. can History Month celebration Just like real sisters, sharing Mr. Benton visited the Consul- More details are available on: naat the USS Hornet last October ate with Major Donald Le Lip- tionalguard.com/ca. keeps their relationship strong 3, through an exhibition called, scomb from the California Army Deputy Consul General Raquel – whether stories, secrets, or even “120 Years of Loyal and Faithful National Guard, and they dis- R. Solano and Consul Vanessa G. their passions. This time, Ciara Service by Filipinos in the U.S. cussed the benefits and require- Bago-Llona also joined the meet- shared her love for working out Navy.” The exhibition, which ments for enlistment. by teaching Danica her favorite ing. was spearheaded by the Bataan fitness routine. These two are (PCGSF Release) Major Le Lipscomb, who at

SSF community center renamed after FilAm leader Alice Peña Bulos

Janine stars in her first Kapamilya series “Marry Me, Marry You,” opposite Paulo Avelino.

Photo from Instagram/@janinegutierrez

iWantTFC, TV5 and A2Z Channel.

Interestingly, the actress shared more about love, her process as an actor, her co-star Paulo, and her showbiz crush. Below are excerpts from our conversation.

Let’s talk about your being a Kapamilya. How are you doing?

“I’m so happy Tito Boy. I don’t think that my initial excitement has faded in any way. May pagkakataon din dito sa lock-in taping that I can’t believe I’m really so excited. I’m grateful.”

Para sa mga nangangarap mag-artista, share with us briefly your process as an actor. “(I do my) homework talaga. As soon as I get the script, binabasa ko po yan, hinihimay ko yung character ko at lahat ng detalye tungkol sa kanya. Medyo nerdy but I list down all the details on my notes for me to get to know my character well. So, by the time I get to the set, I am ready to listen to the director naman (for any instructions) kasi baon ko na lahat ng alam ko about my character.”

You’re already in character on the set but is there still an opening in your conscious actor moments that you have to listen to last-minute changes — to your director or what your co-actors are giving you?

“Yes, that’s necessary and I was also taught that I should not plan ahead how to attack my role because you need to react or you must respond to where your coactor is coming from and what is going on in the scene.”

In Marry Me, Marry You, how is it working with Paulo?

“He’s the best. I really like working with Paulo. I remember the first time I had a scene with Pau, rehearsal muna and then nung mag-take, it was like his face suddenly looked different. I told myself, ‘My God! How’s that possible?’ He suddenly became his character, ang galing. Napakahusay n’ya.”

What was the best acting piece of advice you received, at mula kanino?

“I guess from my mom. Sometimes, I tend to overthink and something is always in my head so I would ask for advice from her. She always tells me to relax and to just be honest in the moment. At the end of the day, it’s really all about honesty.”

Do you believe in marriage?

“Yes.” Are you talking about marriage now (Rayver Cruz is her boyfriend)?

“I’m not there yet, Tito Boy. Hindi pa ready.”

What comes to mind when you talk about Matteo Guidicelli?

“He’s my crush before, when I was still in high school. He’s a race car driver, di ba? And then I would see him because my dad, nag-re-race din ng cars noon.

When I was about to enter showbiz, I was excited kasi nasa GMA pa s’ya noon pero pag-dating na pag-dating ko, nag-ABS na s’ya (laughs).”

But have you met?

“Yes, Tito Boy. We used to work a lot on the same endorsements. Close din s’ya kay Rayver, so we see each other from time to time.”

McCoy says daughter with Elisse helped them continue relationship

ConGen Ferrer meets civilian aide to US Army secretary

Celebrity couple McCoy de Leon and Elisse Joson with daughter Felize Photo from Instagram/@mccoydeleon

kot ako sa minsang magulong mundong ito, pero kahit anong mangyari poprotektahan kita hanggat buhay ako. Mamahalin kita nang higit pa sa sarili ko. At ngayon masayang masaya kami ng nanay mo na ipagmalaki ka sa buong mundo,” he added.

He also thanked Elisse for keep holding on despite the challenges they had face.

“Para naman sa ina ng anak ko, maaring marami tayong pinagdaan simula noon hanggang nandito pa rin tayo. Nagmamahalan

ng lubos, sumusugal sa lahat ng maaring mangyari at tinaggap ang bawat isa lalo na ako...kaya salamat Elisse ko,” he said.

McCoy also vowed to love Elisse and Felize for the rest of his life.

“At sa aking mag-ina, Hindi man ako perpekto bilang ama o asawa pero gagawin kong perpekto ang pagmamahal ko para sa inyo. Pinangako ko sa Diyos ito at mangangako hanggang sa huli.

Mahal na mahal na mahal ko kayo Elisse at Felize,” he said.

Ciara, Danica share how cousins are best sister

Celebrity cousins Danica and Ciara Sotto

different in many ways, but they share the same power: strength in softness.

Self-care is also one of the passions these sisters share. Ciara reveals that they recommend skincare stuff to each other because of their sensitive skin.

“When we both discovered Physiogel’s Daily Moisture Ther-

Photo from Instagram/@pinaypole

apy Range, our self-care routine just got better. We both want healthy skin, so it’s the perfect addition to our routine” Ciara said.

“Physiogel’s Daily Moisture Therapy Range also helps address some of my skin issues. It strengthens and also softens my skin,” Danica added. (Philstar. com)

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • NOvemebR 5-11, 2021

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Novemebr 5-11, 2021 • NorCAL ASIAN JoUrNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160