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NOVEMBER 5-11, 2021

T h e F i l i p i n o –A m e r i c A n c o m m u n i T y n e w s pA p e r

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CDC endorses vaccines for children 5 to 11

by Ritchel

Mendiola

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

DATELINE

the Pfizer-BioNTech 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.

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USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

The new, equitable era of the Los Angeles River

A survey of 600 multiethnic residents finds that majority of LA ethnic communities support LA River revitalization

SINCE the dawn of civilization, rivers have played an integral role in the building and preservation of villages, cities, and empires. Rivers are a key feature and asset to nearly every major metropolis across the United States — like New York, Chicago, San Antonio, and Boston, to name a few — as symbols of sustenance and innovation.

Los Angeles, a center of innovation in many ways, does have a river, but in the context of the great rivers of the United States, it leaves a lot to be desired.

Throughout the years, the Los Angeles

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

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

CHRISTMAS COLORS. Shoppers look at the Christmas decors sold at stalls at the Dapitan Arcade in Quezon City, 52 days before Christmas on Wednesday, November 3. The government floated the possibility of downgrading Metro Manila to Alert Level 2 for the holiday season, which will mean broader economic recovery and increased mobility.

PNA photo by Rico H. Borja

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

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To boost or not to boost: Disqualify Bongbong Marcos, What is the answer? martial law victims ask Comelec

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

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by dona

Z. PaZZibugan Inquirer.net

MANILA — Several groups on Tuesday, November 2 asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to disqualify former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos, a defeated vice presidential candidate in 2016, from running for president in next year’s elections due to his criminal conviction in a tax case 26 years ago.

In their petition, the groups representing political detainees, and human rights and health rights advocates that opposed the

Marcos dictatorship said the son and namesake of the late dictator falsely claimed in his certificate of candidacy (COC) that he was eligible to run for president “as he is plainly a convicted criminal.”

There was no immediate comment from Marcos.

Moral turpitude Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said that under the law, a person must be convicted of a crime involving “moral turpitude,” or for an offense where the penalty is at least 18 months in jail to be disqualified.

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San Diego officials, community leaders address uptick in domestic violence in Fil-Am households

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

WITHIN the Filipino community, it’s considered taboo to talk about domestic violence because of a culture that taught people to keep family issues inside one’s household.

Domestic violence happens when a person uses fear and intimidation to control another person. It is a form of abuse that could happen between husband and wife, partners, or even parent and child.

It’s not the easiest subject to discuss, requiring a certain level of vulnerability to be able to open up about your experience and ask somebody for help. As a result, the issue gets swept under the rug.

In San Diego, the homicide rate is rising

as a result of domestic violence in Filipino households.

To address this growing crisis, the Filipino Resource Center hosted a “Domestic Violence Forum” online on Monday, November 1. A panel of guest speakers also discussed different programs and resources available for people suffering from domestic violence in San Diego. “[Domestic violence] is not just traumatic to the actual victim that’s involved, but it has a ripple effect that extends to that family, to the children left behind in that family, and also a ripple effect to the community at large,” said San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan.

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

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

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

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

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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. “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 ar-

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NOVEMBER 5-11, 2021 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL

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

From The FronT Page

PH mulls over total lifting of face shield requirement

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

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

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

by AJPress

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

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

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

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

Clarkson’s grandmother hails from Pampanga, while Green’s mother is from Ilocos Sur. Clarkson described the matchup as “an amazing experience,” adding that he hoped to

“see more.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meanwhile, Green, the second overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, finished with 13 points, three boards, three assists, a steal, and a block for Houston. As part of the heritage night, fans took home T-shirts with Green’s No. 0. n

Fans who attended the Rockets’ Filipino Heritage Night on Thursday, October 28 received a T-shirt representing guard Jalen Green’s No. 0. Photo courtesy of Twitter/@HoustonRockets

THE Philippines is considering lifting its mandatory use of face shields in crowded areas.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday, November 2, said that the decline in COVID-19 infection rates might persuade the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to drop the face shield requirement.

“I can confirm po na habang bumababa ang mga numero, eh pinag-uusapan na rin po kung ipagpapatuloy pa ang pagsusuot ng face shields (I can confirm that while the number of infections continue to decline, we are discussing whether it is still necessary to wear face shields),” he said in an online press briefing.

“So, tama po kayo dahil bumababa ang numero, marami nang kumbaga nagsasabi sa IATF na baka dapat itigil na rin ang pagsusuot ng face shields (You are right because the numbers are dropping, many people are telling the IATF that maybe it

is time to stop the use of face shields),” he added.

However, Roque advised the public to continue wearing face shields until a final decision has been made.

“Pero, wala pa pong desisyon. So, suot pa rin po tayo ng face shields (But, we have no decision yet. So, let us still wear face shields),” he said.

“Nililinaw ko lang po, bagamat dumadami ang sumusuporta sa hindi na paggamit ng face shields dahil bumababa ang numero, sa ngayon po, isuot pa rin po natin ang face shields (I’m just clarifying, while many support not using face shields because of declining numbers, for now, we have to wear face shields),” the spokesman added.

In September this year, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte limited the use of face shields in places that fall under the “3Cs” category: crowded, closed, and close contact.

“Pwede na tanggalin sa labas (You no longer need to use that outside). No more face shields outside. Ang limitasyon, ang face shield gamitin mo [sa] three ‘Cs.’ Iyang

tatlo na iyan, face shield is a must pa rin.

Iyan ang recommendation (The limitation is the use of a face shield in three ‘Cs.’ Face shield is still a must in those three. That’s the recommendation),” the chief executive said.

The IATF first issued the use of face shields outdoors in December last year.

In August, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that they would look into the country’s experience in requiring the 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

CDC endorses vaccines for children 5 to 11...

PAGE 1 For his part, U.S. President Joe Biden called the decision “a turning point” in the fight against COVID-19.

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

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

PAGE 1 “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 involve 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 COVID-19 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

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

PAGE 1 chipelagic 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

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

From The FronT Page

SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 5-11, 2021

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

PAGE 1 populations, six months after completion of their initial vaccination series. Approval also was given for the use of a single booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 18 and over, two months after their single dose. Further, the two organizations cleared the way for the use of a “mix and match” of COVID-19 vaccines which would not require individuals to use the same dose as their initial series.

These approvals follow the FDA’s previous authorization of third dose booster doses for individuals who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine six months after completing 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 Also filing his COC for president is former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who has yet to name his running mate.

Inquirer File photo by Grig C. Montergrande 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 tims of Involuntary Disappearbeing a candidate for any office PAGE 1 “He doesn’t meet this criteria. under Section 12 of the Omnibus ance; Roland Vibal, a member of vaccine series to ensure a person maintains optimal Right now there is no clear case Election Code. the council of leaders of the Phil- immunity against infection from a disease.

EMS: What is the difference between an addifor disqualification,” he told One The petitioners said that the ippine Alliance of Human Rights News television. crime involved moral turpitude Advocates; and Josephine Lasca- tional dose and a booster dose?

Fan: An additional dose is administered to peoMarcos was convicted by the “since, among others, Marcos no, executive director of Balay ple with moderately to severely compromised imQuezon City Regional Trial Court and his family refused and con- Rehabilitation Center Inc. Branch 105 on July 27, 1995, for tinues to refuse to pay to the Since the Marcos family’s re- mune systems. This additional dose of an mRNA failure to file income tax returns Filipino people roughly P203.8 turn from exile in 1992, Marcos COVID-19 vaccine is intended to improve immuand pay income taxes from 1982 billion in estate taxes, inclusive has run for and has been elected nocompromised people’s response to their initial vaccine series to 1985. He was sentenced to of interests, surcharge and other to various posts.

At this time, CDC does not have a recommenserve a total of seven years in penalties.”

He was elected representative prison and ordered to pay a fine of Ilocos Norte’s second district dation for immunocompromised people to receive Petitioners for several counts of violation of This was the amount in un- from 1992 to 1995. He was Ilo- both a booster dose and an additional dose. The the National Internal Revenue paid taxes due on the estate of cos Norte governor from 1998 current recommendation is for immunocomproCode (NIRC). the dictator who died in exile on to 2007. In 2007, he was again mised people to receive an additional dose 28-days Marcos appealed to the Court Sept. 29, 1989, three years after elected as Ilocos Norte represen- after completing an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine series. of Appeals (CA), which ruled on the Marcoses were driven out of tative.

As you can see, an additional dose is specifically Oct. 31, 1997, to uphold the con- Malacañang by the 1986 Edsa Carpio column viction but modified the penalty People Power Revolution, acIn 2010, he was elected sen- meant for those who are “immunocompromised.” by deleting the prison term and cording to the petitioners. ator. In 2016, he lost the vice Others do NOT need an additional dose (28 days merely imposing a fine.

They said that under Section presidential race to Leni Robre- after the initial series), but they may be eligible for “While it was improper for the 252 of the 1977 NIRC (now Sec- do, who is now running for Pres- a booster two-to-six months after the initial series depending on the type of vaccine.

Court of Appeals to disregard the tion 253) “the mere fact that Mar- ident.

EMS: Are the boosters different than the origipenalty of imprisonment in the cos Jr. was convicted of violating The Supreme Court granted conviction of Marcos Jr., the ab- the NIRC perpetually disqualifies his motion to withdraw his ap- nal vaccination series?

Fan: The boosters are the exact vaccine as the sence of any appeal only affirms him from holding any public of- peal in 2001 and since the solicthe incontestable fact that Mar- fice, to vote and to participate in itor general did not file his own original series for these vaccines.

EMS: Does the fact that boosters are recomcos Jr. is a convicted criminal,” any election.” appeal, the decision of the CA mended mean that the vaccines are not effective? the petitioners told the Comelec.

“The conviction of Marcos Jr. became final and executory.

Fan: No. COVID-19 vaccines are working well to Since he withdrew his appeal in the tax evasion cases carries In his Oct. 28 column in the to the Supreme Court of the ap- the mandatory penalty of impris- Inquirer, retired Supreme Court prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death, pellate court’s decision, his con- onment of more than 18 months Senior Associate Justice Antonio even against the widely circulating Delta variant. viction became final. as imposed by law, disqualifying Carpio discussed the tax case However, public health experts are starting to see “Having been convicted by fi- him under the Omnibus Election and said that “Marcos Jr. can- reduced protection, especially among certain atnal judgment of a violation of the Code from running for any pub- not now be disqualified on the risk populations, against mild and moderate cases National Internal Revenue Code, lic office,” they added. ground that he was sentenced to of COVID-19.

Vaccine boosters are common, as most of us have Marcos is perpetually disqualiThe petition was filed by Fr. imprisonment for more than 18 fied from holding any public of- Christian Buenafe, who is co- months because there is no such had them throughout childhood and adulthood.

Whether it is measles, Hepatitis A/B or COVID-19 fice, to vote and to participate in chair of the Task Force Detain- sentence by the CA.” any election as mandated under ees of the Philippines; Fides “However, a case can be made – boosters are great tools in our arsenals to fight the NIRC,” the petitioners said.

Lim, chair of Kapatid-Families out that the repeated failure disease.

EMS: Who is eligible to get a booster dose They said the crimes for which and Friends of Political Pris- to file income tax returns from Marcos was convicted by a final oners; Ma. Edeliza Hernandez, 1982 to 1985 amounts to moral now?

Fan: A Pfizer or Moderna booster dose is recomjudgment are considered crimes executive director of Medical turpitude,” Carpio said. involving moral turpitude, anoth- Action Group; Celia Sevilla, sec—with a report from Inquirer mended if you: • Received your second dose at least six months er ground to disqualify him from retary-general of Families of Vic- research n

Disqualify Bongbong Marcos...

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

833-422-4255

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ago, and • Are 65 or older, or • Age 18+ who live in long-term care settings, or • Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions, or • Age 18+ who are at increased risk due to social inequity, or • Age 18+ who work or live in high-risk settings A Johnson & Johnson booster dose is recommended if you: • Received your first dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least 2 months ago, and • Are 18 or older If you fall within the categories above, you can get your booster by going to your healthcare provider, clinics and neighborhood pharmacies. You can visit MyTurn.ca.gov or call 833-422-4255 to make an appointment or find a nearby vaccine clinic.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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NOVEMBER 5-11, 2021 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL

FIRE AFTERMATH. A firefighter looks at some parts of the house after a blaze that broke out in Barangay Quirino 2-A, Quezon City on Wednesday, November 3. Initial reports said the fire started in a two-story house on Pajo Street.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P Alfiler

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

The new, equitable era of the Los Angeles River...

PAGE 1 River — which spans 51 miles from Canoga Park all the way to Long Beach — has gone through wavering periods of drought brought on by the growing threat of climate change.

But more importantly, it has been a site of plain neglect by the cities that border the river, which holds a lot of potential for neighborhoods closest to it.

As previously reported in the Asian Journal, the county — along with multiple municipal jurisdictions and environmental preservation agencies — has for the last couple of decades begun developing plans to restore the LA River.

According to the “LA River Master Plan,” which was released by LA County earlier this year, more than 1 million people across the county live within one mile of the river, making it an essential part of the landscape of not only LA City but the county at large.

The 480-page plan details more than 200 potential environmental and urban planning project sites that promise: local job creation; targeted efforts “that assist in mitigating future disasters such as flooding, drought, and extreme heat”; and initiatives to combat homelessness across the river while addressing displacement and gentrification.

Poor maintenance and carelessness on the part of residents and local governments are a major culprit of the river’s tragic state, but changes in the climate have also exacerbated conditions along the river’s vast stretch.

But that is starting to change, and the county says that the LA River Master Plan, which will span the next several decades, will be an essential blueprint for the river’s long-overdue restoration — and according to a recent survey of Angelenos, residents are all in.

In July, StudyLA — a research organization based at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) that strives for more equitable research-based advocacy for the

greater LA area — conducted its 2021 Los Angeles River Survey, a 600-person study that sought to gauge residents’ attitudes and opinions regarding the LA River.

Each participant took part in a 15-minute telephone poll — which was conducted in four different languages: English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Korean — which found that 91% of Angelenos support revitalization efforts of the region’s most prominent water passage.

And, after a long period of shelter-in-home and social distancing, community leaders agree that the LA River has lots of potential to be a source of prosperity for Angelenos.

“When we started thinking and reimagining what a postpandemic city is going to look like, the river should be upfront,” Fernando Guerra of LMU said at a Sept. 10 press briefing releasing the survey results. “We need to be outside [and] we need to have activities in the urban space, and thinking of a revitalized river is a great support for this effort.”

During the telephone survey, many questions were fielded to participants, including, “What comes to mind when you think of the Los Angeles River?” StudyLA created a word cloud of the most commonly spoken words during these telephone calls, and by far, the most prominent word was “dirty,” which presented a complicated issue.

“If you don’t think it’s worthy, you’re not going to invest. If you don’t invest, it will never be worthy. I think this is what that word speaks to me: that we have to have some initial investment to try to get people to understand the potential of this resource,” Guerra shared.

As written about in the Asian Journal, the history of the LA River goes back centuries. The river was a primary source of fresh water for indigenous Americans and wildlife and provided plenty of fish, including the now-endangered steelhead trout.

After colonists began settling in the area and the county started

to transform into its current manifestation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers encased the river in a deep concrete trench following an intense rainfall in 1938 that caused flooding across the county.

These concrete trenches allowed for more pedestrian and recreational use, but Angelenos agree that the river could provide more in terms of multipurpose functionality.

The StudyLA poll found that many Angelenos supported more bicycle and pedestrian lanes as well as parks and recreational areas — the LA River Master Plan details a massive transformation of 32 miles of concrete-lined river to public green spaces.

Among poll participants, 82% support creating habitats for flora and fauna and 79% said that flood control is also a priority.

About 64% of Angelenos believe that the river could be a tourist attraction, which has been a goal since the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classified the LA River as a navigable waterway.

“What has been a singular purpose [in revitalization efforts] is to get water out quickly because of atmospheric flooding,” said Sarah Rascon, environmental equity officer of the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. “But with this renewed focus, we realize that you can do so much more. The water quality is tested three times a week now, [and] there is recreation for everyone,” she added.

Notably, 76% of survey respondents said that any efforts to revitalize the river should not displace local communities and feed into the growing concern over gentrification.

In order to benefit “those who live along the [LA river] corridor, we have to tackle several issues,” said Mark Stanley, executive officer of the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy. “How do you look at encampment issues, how do you look at housing, how

to integrate that into the open space, how do you look at the communities that want to create greater economic development, without creating displacement and gentrification?”

Gentrification has already impacted communities along the river, particularly the neighborhoods near Frogtown, Chinatown, Cypress Park, and Eagle Rock. At the Sept. 10 press conference, community advocates, like Damon Nagami — senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council — noted that any and all river restoration projects must have these communities of color in mind.

“There are opportunities here for equitable community development, he said. “But we have to be intentional and build those policies.”

“It could be a resource for all of L.A. County, not just those that are by the river,” says Guerra of the L.A. River. “I certainly didn’t expect that, but it’s one of the major findings— how much support for investing in the river goes way beyond the neighborhoods by the river.”

However, although support for the river is overwhelmingly positive, only 48% support a tax increase to fund the revitalization effort.

But the State of California announced on Sept. 29 that it would commit to $15 million to fund two upcoming key restoration projects: $10 million toward the completion of the Glendale-LA River pedestrian and $5 million toward bicycle bridge and the creation of an under-crossing path along the North Atwater East Bank.

The latter, once completed, will allow pedestrians, cyclists, and equestrians to easily access parks, horse facilities, neighborhoods and businesses — integrating the river into the everyday lives of Angelenos.

“To be a great city, we need a great river,” Guerra said. “I think that Angelenos are coming around to that perspective.

(Klarize Medenilla/AJPress) n

City of San Diego celebrates 20 years of Project Heart Beat San Diego officials, community leaders address...

200 lives saved, more than 9,500 AED units installed across San Diego since program inception

SAN DIEGO – On Monday, November 1 the City of San Diego marked the 20th anniversary of its nationally recognized Project Heart Beat program. Launched in November 2001, the program was developed to increase access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) citywide and to educate people on their use, ways to recognize cardiac distress and how to respond quickly to potentially save someone’s life.

AEDs are portable devices that, when used in tandem with CPR, can help keep a person alive until further medical assistance arrives.

“We are very proud to celebrate this milestone anniversary with San Diego Project Heart Beat,” said Chief Colin Stowell of the City’s Fire-Rescue Department. “Project Heart Beat has made a tremendous difference in saving lives by giving San Diegans the tools and education they need to properly respond in the event they are with someone who experiences sudden cardiac arrest.”

The program’s initial goal was to place at least 250 AED units throughout San Diego ahead of the 2003 Super Bowl that attracted hundreds of thousands of out-of-town visitors. The program dramatically exceeded expectations and nearly 800 AED units were installed.

As of today, Project Heart Beat has helped place more than 9,500 AEDs in public and private facilities throughout the region, continuing the goal to make AEDs as accessible and ubiquitous as fire extinguishers. Since its inception, the program has been responsible for saving nearly 200 lives.

At the heart of San Diego Project Heart Beat is program manager Maureen O’Connor, EMT for San Diego Fire-Rescue. For the past 20 years, O’Connor has worked alongside volunteer AED advocates like Karen McElliott and other staff members to educate San Diegans about how to save people experiencing cardiac arrest.

“When cardiac arrest happens, every second counts,” said O’Connor. “Quick recognition, swift response and having an AED nearby can be the difference between life and death.”

San Diego’s Project Heart Beat is both a nationally and internationally recognized program with other municipalities replicating the City of San Diego’s efforts, including cities in Florida, Tennessee, Minnesota and Nevada.

To learn more about the City’s Project Heart Beat program and request to have an AED installed, visit sandiego.gov/sdprojectheartbeat.

(City of San Diego Release) n

California names Fil-Am...

PAGE 1 students. The San Diego City Council proclaimed Oct. 26 “Nichi Aviña Day” in 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) n

PAGE 1 In 2020, a total of 17,679 incidents of domestic violence were reported to law enforcement, according to Stephan.

However, she noted that domestic violence is one of the “most under-reported crimes” in the county.

“So when we’re seeing 17,679 reports… that is an under-report because we know so many victims [do] not report domestic violence because of shame, because of feeling that they want to hold on to their family, because relationships and domestic violence begin with love,” said Stephan. “[It’s] super important that we break that cycle because the next generation that witnesses violence in their homes begins to normalize that violence. And we know that kids that grow up in homes that experienced domestic violence are more susceptible to either becoming victims themselves because they accept or see that as the only way to have a relationship, or become abusers because this is all they’ve experienced,” she added. “This is why breaking that cycle through education, through prevention is really, really important.”

Resources Domestic violence usually involves the dominion and control by the abuser.

According to Stephan, it can start with subtle things like checking the victim’s phone, controlling how long the victim has to talk on the phone or showing discomfort with strong friendships or relationships that the victim has with her family or his family.

“This is what we call an attempt to isolate the victim,” she said.

Domestic abuse can manifest in a lot of ways — physical abuse, verbal abuse, emotional abuse, financial abuse, or sexual abuse.

Stephan also noted that when a “triggering event” occurs, wherein the victim attempts to break away from the relationship through a divorce, there is a potential for the domestic violence to escalate and even result in homicide.

“What that means is that there needs to be resources brought about… make sure that there’s a safety plan and that the victims know they’re not alone, and that they can escape with the help of expert resources,” she added.

One of these resources is the Victim Advocate Office of the District Attorney, which has a victim assistance program made up of 20 advocates.

“We assist victims every day, regardless of whether there is an issued criminal case,” said Taraneh Sarebanha, a victim advocate. “That’s one thing that we really want to highlight here, you don’t have to have a criminal case that’s been issued to get that assistance.”

“We have phone calls, we have people reaching out every day asking for help, asking for information and guidance. You can call anonymously actually. We want you to get that information so that you can make the steps that are right for your family, for yourself,” she added.

Anyone is urged to call the office’s main line at (619) 531-4041, where callers will get assigned a victim advocate who can provide information so that they can understand the consequences and make an informed decision.

The Victim Advocate Office also helps with applying for a Crime Victims’ Compensation when a criminal case is issued.

“So the Crime Victims’ Compensation

board for the State of California, their goal is to offset the effects of crime on a victim’s life and their family’s life,” said Keri Duncan, another victim advocate.

“This can include funds for emergency relocation, mental health therapy, home security, medical care, and more. We provide appropriate referral and resources for victims, and we meet victims where they are and try to tailor our services to their specific needs and issues,” she added.

Duncan stressed that their office is there to assist victims and their immediate circle to “create a sense of support and empowerment while maintaining safety.”

“We are here to help because we don’t want any person to feel helpless and alone in their fight from the perpetrator. We want to help restore their sense of self, safety, and wellbeing,” she added.

Law enforcement For his part, Lt. Al Ambito of the San Diego Police Department reassured that resources are also available within police departments.

Filipino victims of domestic violence won’t have to struggle with the language barrier since there are people in the department who can speak their language and help them.

“It makes it easier for us to take the report. And also not just the verbal part, not just communication, but also understanding the culture,” he said.

“We, as Filipinos, are very private. So I think [domestic violence is] unreported because we don’t want other people to know that we have issues within our family. You know, we want to take care of it ourselves,” he added.

Ambito stressed that victims can call, even if it’s just to report a verbal abuse. Someone will always take a report, he assured, as it is part of the San Diego Police Department’s strict protocol.

“Our response to domestic violence is very strict. California has one of the strictest, if not the strictest, laws for domestic violence,” he said.

“So again, that’s just one of the things that we want to encourage, especially here in the police department: to call us.

Whether we’re going to take a report or not, at least we, as a police department, will have your address, your names, and it will be documented somehow,” he added.

Prosecution Domestic violence doesn’t discriminate between race, gender, or age.

“One of the things that we see is that it crosses generations,” said Deputy District Attorney Justine Santiago.

“You have teen violence, you have domestic violence that will start when you’re in high school when teens start dating, all the way to situations where people are in committed marriages for over 20 years, and either they’ve experienced domestic violence that entire time, or it’s something new that developed, it does not discriminate between people,” she added.

According to Santiago, when it comes to prosecuting cases of domestic violence, it’s “not just cut and dry.”

“We have victims who are first reluctant to even report these cases to begin with, whether it be because they’re embarrassed, because they want to hold on to this notion of a relationship that they believed they were in, whether they’re in denial or whether they’re even in fear for being able to report it,” she said.

“Sometimes it never gets reported to law enforcement. But one of the difficulties that we also face is that even when a victim is brave enough when they get the courage to call law enforcement, it doesn’t automatically mean that we are able to go ahead and pursue a case to file charges,” she added.

One of the burdens of being a prosecutor, Santiago said, is having an ethical obligation not to issue something if they can’t prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.

“And as you’re all aware, these crimes happen behind closed doors,” she pointed out, referring to instances of domestic violence.

“Sometimes it’s verbal abuse. Sometimes it’s mental abuse. Sometimes there aren’t scars that we can use as evidence to show that something happened. So our hands are tied a lot of the time,” she added.

An important sentiment that Santiago wanted to stress is that the victims of domestic violence are not alone.

“Your voices are being heard, we’re here to support you. And we want the community to know that they should support and rally around everyone as well because it is an issue that’s gaining a lot of support from the media and social media,” she said.

Reaching out Knowing the resources available for victims is key to helping them escape and break away from domestic violence.

Maricris Talabanza Drouaillet lamented her lack of knowledge about available resources to help her sister, May “Maya” Millete, who has been missing since the beginning of January this year.

Last month, Maya’s husband, Larry Millete, was arrested on suspicion of her murder.

“I didn’t know at all. If I had known, I could have intervened,” Drouaillet said.

“When she told me she consulted a divorce lawyer, I just told her, ‘just be careful.’ That’s all I told her. And then she said, she knows, she got it,” she added.

Drouaillet urged everyone to reach out to anyone they suspect of being a victim of domestic violence and assure them that they’re not alone.

“Don’t let your family member be like my sister. Don’t let your friend feel like my sister. Please be aware that there are resources out there, that there is help out there, and let them know they are not alone, that you are with them,” she said.

Maya’s disappearance has torn the entire family apart, according to Drouaillet.

“We are a family of 30, always getting together on every occasion and every opportunity… to create memories. Just being together makes us really happy. But since Maya’s absence, nothing has been the same. We’ll never be complete again,” she said.

Drouaillet found that domestic violence affects everyone, including the victim’s family members. “[Maya’s] daughters and her son, [I don’t] even know what their future is going to be. Their mom has gone. And their dad is in prison. This is the effect of domestic violence,” she said.

“I hope my sister’s story can be a lesson to everyone. If you have a friend or if you have a family member that is going through this — not just physical violence, emotional violence, financial violence — please let them know that there are resources out there and help them,” she added. n

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SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 5-11, 2021

Dateline PhiliPPines

5

Facebook to take ‘more proactive measures’ to monitor posts during 2022 polls

by Rosette

Adel

Philstar.com

CLOSED. A couple watches their daughter play outside the new mini-kiddie park in Barangay San Manuel II, City of Dasmarinas, Cavite on Wednesday, November 3. The area has been temporarily closed as a safety measure against the spread of COVID-19. PNA photo by Gil Calinga

Duterte still no to ICC drug probe even after ‘hell freezes over’

by CAtheRine

s. VAlente ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, November 4 insisted that he is never going to face trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) over his administration’s crackdown on illegal drugs even after “hell freezes over”.

In his speech at an infrastructure project inauguration in Palawan, Duterte said he accepted responsibility for the deaths of alleged drug traffickers and several mayors but reiterated that he would only face a Philippine court.

“I will never accept jurisdiction? Mag-ice na ang impiyerno hindi ako papayag diyan sa kalokohan nila. Wala man tayong problema na mayroon tayong mga kasalanan. Admitted man ‘yan either intentionally or unintentionally (Even when hell freezes over, I will not allow their foolishness. We have no problems about having sins. That’s admitted, either intentionally or unintentionally. But with the drugs, that was not intentional),” Duterte said.

“Pero ‘yong mga drug lords na ni-raid tapos pinatay, at ‘yong mga mayors, akin ‘yan. Iyong mga lahat na raid na namatay na mayor, akin ‘yan (However, the drug lords who were raided then killed, and the mayors, those are mine. All raids that killed mayors, those are mine),” he added.

Duterte, whose six-year term will end in June next year, reiterated that he was willing to go to jail if needed.

“And if there’s anybody who should go to the prison, it should not be the police nor the PDEA. It should be me, because they were acting upon my orders,” he said.

PDEA is the Philippine Drug Enforcement

Agency.

“Ang sinabi ko sa kanila (I told them), go out and destroy the apparatus of the drug syndicates,” the President added.

The ICC’s pre-trial chamber gave its green light to the request of its former chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, to conduct a fullblown investigation into Duterte’s drug war.

Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said that Duterte would just let the ICC proceed with its plan to investigate his anti-narcotics campaign.

Roque, however, said, the ICC would just waste its time and resources in investigating the anti-narcotics drive in the Philippines.

“So, sa kanya, bahala sila kung ano ang gusto nilang gawin (So, for him, let them do what they want),” Roque said in his earlier press briefing.

“Wala namang possibility na magkakaroon ng successful prosecution dahil iyan po ay pagsayang lamang ng oras at ng resources ng ICC mismo (There is no possibility that there will be successful prosecution because the ICC will just waste its time and resources),” he added.

The ICC’s move to investigate Duterte’s drug war came despite the Philippines’ cutting of ties with the international court.

The Philippines formally withdrew its membership from the ICC on March 17, 2019, or exactly a year after it revoked the Rome Statute that created the international tribunal.

Bensouda pushed through with the preliminary examination into the drug campaign in February 2018.

Duterte and other Philippine officials have repeatedly said the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines since the Rome Statute was never published in a newspaper of general circulation or the Official Gazette. n

MANILA — Social media giant Facebook said it would implement platform policies that would prohibit inappropriate posts during the upcoming local and national elections.

Asked if Facebook is applying the same community standard policies against posts on terrorism for posts related to the 2022 polls, Facebook said it would “take more proactive measures.”

“Obviously, we don’t allow any kind of bad content. When there is an election coming up, we take more proactive measures,” Nawab Osman, Facebook head of Counter-Terrorism and Dan-

gerous Organization, Asia-Pacific said during a press briefing last week.

“We plan to ensure that the content is not abused by individuals or groups that want to be disruptive to the electoral process,” he added.

Osman also said that they do not wait for an election to happen before they enforce measures prohibiting inappropriate posts such as hate speech and calls to violence, among others.

“We enforce all the time, 24/7 we have AI (artificial intelligence) and human reviewers working,” he said.

According to the Facebook exec, there is a disparity in the number of posts reviewed on the

platform.

“As I’ve said. we are better at terrorism as compared to hate [speech]. The numbers show it,” Osman said.

He explained that while hate has been around longer, it has manifested itself in a way that we’ve never seen before in the last five years.

Due to this, Osman said the AI is also not capturing or reviewing as much hate posts because “it hasn’t learned as much.”

“We are beginning to recruit people with that level of expertise in that particular speech which we thought we didn’t have before,” he said.

Osman cited the QAnon con-

u PAGE 7

6

NOVEMBER 5-11, 2021 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL

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OpiniOn

Don’t forget climate change

Features

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

Philstar.com photo

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 check-in, 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 DOH-approved hotel to quarantine for a day or two while waiting for the negative result of the COVID-19 test that had to be taken in the airport

in the Philippines. Once you get the negative result, then you are free to visit with your family. If the result would be positive, you need to qarantine for two more weeks and take another COVID test to present a negative result Then the rules changed 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 parties, 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

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

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Client represents and warrants that a Client’s Material does not and will not contain any language or material which is libelous, slanderous or defamatory or invades any rights of privacy or publicity; does not and will not violate or infringe upon, or give rise to any adverse claim with respect to any common law or other right whatsoever (including, without limitation, any copyright, trademark, service mark or contract right) of any person or entity, or violate any other applible law; and is not the subject of any litigation or claim that might give rise to any litigation.

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ASIAN JOURNAL PUBLITIONS, INC. publishes the Los Angeles Asian Journal, published twice a week; Northern California Asian Journal, Las Vegas Asian Journal and the New York / New Jersey Asian Journal which are published once a week and distributed to Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange Counties, Northern California, Las Vegas and New York and New Jersey respectively.

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SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 5-11, 2021

GRILLED FISH. Vendor Maribel Molina, 52, hands over to a motorcycle rider (right) a plastic with freshly grilled bangus (milk fish) and tilapia at her stall along Sarmiento Street, Novaliches, Quezon City on Thursday, November 4. A grilled bangus goes for P100 each while tilapia is priced at P60 each.

PNA photo by Ben Briones

UP, 14 other Philippine universities make Asia list MANILA — Fifteen Philippine universities were listed among the top universities in Asia, according to the 2022 QS Asia University Ranking.

The University of the Philippines kept its 77th place with an overall score of 50, followed by the Ateneo de Manila University at 124.

De La Salle University was ranked 160th while the University of Santo Tomas was at 177th spot.

Ateneo de Davao University, Mapua University and Silliman University were placed in the 501-550 bracket, followed by Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology in the 551-600 bracket.

Meanwhile, in the 601-650 bracket were the Central Luzon State University and Xavier University.

Adamson University, Cebu Technological University, Central Midnanao University, Central Philippine University and Lyceum of the Philippines University were placed in the 651+ bracket. This year’s ranking featured a total of 867 institutions.

The National University of Singapore was the number 1 ranked university, obtaining an overall score of 100.

It was followed by Peking University in Beijing, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, University of Hong

Kong and the Tsinghua University also in Beijing.

China led with the most number of universities in the list, a total of 126, followed by India and Japan.

The ranking is based on 1,111 key indicators including academic and employer reputations, the number of staff holding PhD and the percentage of international students.

QS World University Rankings is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds, a UK company specializing in the analysis of higher education institutions around the world.

(By Romina Cabrera/Philstar. com) n

Facebook to take ‘more proactive...

PAGE 5 spiracy theory movement, blamed for fuelling a riot at the US Capitol on January 6 this year as an example of a new movement that emerged on the platform.

In view of this, Osman said Facebook created new designation categories to deal with similar groups. He said there is a team called a “violent-inducing conspiracy network” to deal

with QAnon as well as a “Militant social movement” to deal with some of the groups involved at the US Capitol riot.

The Facebook executive said that while they are not 100% there to combat all these groups and posts, he said they made new categories to address new challenges and newer trends they are finding on their platform. There is room for improvement, he

said.

Osman assured the public that the Facebook Philippines team is working day and night to prepare for the 2022 elections.

The Philippines remains a high priority for Facebook and the company will soon make announcements on their efforts specific to the elections.

The local and national polls are set May 9 next year. n

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NOVEMBER 5-11, 2021 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL

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

ANNOUNCEMENT

LEGAL SERVICES FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9024280

South Bay Yachts located at 328 East J Street, Chula Vista, CA 91910.

Registrant: PlayPen Garage, 328 East J Street, Chula Vista, CA 91910.

This business is conducted by Corporation.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME. Signature Nicole Feldman.

Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 10/28/2021.

AJ 813 11/05, 11/12, 11/19, and 11/26/2021.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9022585

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

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

This business is conducted by Limited Liability Company.

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

Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 10/07/2021.

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

AJSD 813

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9024557

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

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Crystal Marie Corona-Litt filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Crystal Marie CoronaLitt AKA Crystal Marie Corona to Crystal Marie Litt.

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 11/30/2021 Time: 8:30 AM Dept. C-61 Superior Court of California, County of San Diego 330 WEST BROADWAY DEPT. C-61 San Diego, CA 92101 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation printed in this county.

Asian Journal: OCT. 14, 2021 NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT Lorna A. Alksne Judge of the Superior Court AJ 806 10/22, 10/29, 11/05, and 11/12/2021 ATTACHMENT TO ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME (JC FORM #NC-120) Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, which poses a substantial risk to the health and welfare of court NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE. The Court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120).

If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-100) will be granted without a hearing. One certified copy of the Order Granting Petition will be mailed to the petitioner.

If all the requirements have not been met as of the date specified, the Court will mail the petitioner a written order with further directions.

If timely objection is filed, the Court will set a hearing date and contact the parties by mail with further directions.

A RESPONDENT OBJECTING TO THE NAME CHANGE, MUST FILE A WRITTEN OBJECTION AT LEAST TWO COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) BEFORE THE DATE SPECIFIED. Do not come to court on the specified date. The court will notify the parties by mail of a future hearing date.

Any Petition for the name change of a minor, that is signed by only one parent, must have this Attachment served along with the Petition and Order to Show Cause, on the other, non-signing parent, and proof of service must be filed with the Court.

AJSD 806

CASE NUMBER: 37-2021-00046889-CU-PT-CTL TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Alyssa Anjonette Barrera Tugung filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Alyssa Anjonette Barrera Tugung to Alyssa Anjonette Barrera Ocampo.

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 12/20/2021 Time: 8:30 AM Dept. C-61 Superior Court of California, County of San Diego 330 WEST BROADWAY DEPT. 61 San Diego, CA 92101 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation printed in this county.

Asian Journal: NOV. 04, 2021 NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT Lorna A. Alksne Judge of the Superior Court AJ 816 11/05, 11/12, 11/19, and 11/26/2021 ATTACHMENT TO ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME (JC Form #NC-120) NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE. The Court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120).

If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-100) will be granted without a hearing. One certified copy of the Order Granting Petition will be mailed to the petitioner.

If all the requirements have not been met as of the date specified, the Court will mail the petitioner a written order with further directions.

If timely objection is filed, the Court will set a hearing date and contact the parties by mail with further directions.

A RESPONDENT OBJECTING TO THE NAME CHANGE, MUST FILE A WRITTEN OBJECTION AT LEAST TWO COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) BEFORE THE DATE SPECIFIED. Do not come to court on the specified date. The court will notify the parties by mail of a future hearing date.

Any Petition for the name change of a minor, that is signed by only one parent, must have this Attachment served along with the Petition and Order to Show Cause, on the other, non-signing parent, and proof of service must be filed with the Court.

AJSD 816

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

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner ThaiBao Vu filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: ThaiBao Vu to Bao Thai Vu. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 11/30/2021 Time: 8:30 AM Dept. N-25 Superior Court of California, County of San Diego North Court 325 South Melrose Dr. Vista, CA 92081 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation printed in this county.

Asian Journal: OCT. 15, 2021 NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT Pamela M. Parker Judge of the Superior Court AJ 807 10/22, 10/29, 11/05, and 11/12/2021 ATTACHMENT TO ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME (JC Form #NC-120) NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE. The Court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120).

If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-100) will be granted without a hearing. One certified copy of the Order Granting Petition will be mailed to the petitioner.

If all the requirements have not been met as of the date specified, the Court will mail the petitioner a written order with further directions.

If timely objection is filed, the Court will set a hearing date and contact the parties by mail with further directions.

A RESPONDENT OBJECTING TO THE NAME CHANGE, MUST FILE A WRITTEN OBJECTION AT LEAST TWO COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) BEFORE THE DATE SPECIFIED. Do not come to court on the specified date. The court will notify the parties by mail of a future hearing date.

Any Petition for the name change of a minor, that is signed by only one parent, must have this Attachment served along with the Petition and Order to Show Cause, on the other, non-signing parent, and proof of service must be filed with the Court.

AJSD 807

8th & B Poke located at 806 B Ave., National City, CA 91950.

Registrant: ESF Enterprise Corp, 5809 Plumas St.., San Diego, CA 92139.

This business is conducted

by Corporation.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME. Signature Christopher L Aure.

Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/02/2021.

AJ 814 11/05, 11/2, 11/19, and 11/26/2021.

AJSD 814

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9024688

Minked Babe located at 1767 Saint Stefan Ter, San Marcos, CA 92069.

Registrant: Alicia Mae Chavez, 1767 Saint Stefan Ter, San Marcos, CA 92069.

This business is conducted

by Individual.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME. Signature Alicia Mae Chavez.

Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/03/2021.

AJ 815 11/05, 11/12, 11/19, and 11/26/2021.

AJSD 815

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9023805

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

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

This business is conducted

by Individual.

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

Signature Maria Candelaria Rodriguez.

Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 10/21/2021.

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

AJSD 809

AJSD 804

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9023234

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

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

This business is conducted

by Individual.

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

Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 10/15/2021.

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

AJSD 805

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9022345

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

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

This business is conducted

by Individual.

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

Signature Alexa Huerta Maciel.

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

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

CASE NUMBER: 37-2021-00045447-CU-PT-CTL

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Jeffrey Sipamouane filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Jeffrey Sipamouane to Phonrakit Soiphet.

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 12/09/2021 Time: 8:30 AM Dept. C-61 Superior Court of California, County of San Diego 330 WEST BROADWAY DEPT. 61 San Diego, CA 92101 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation printed in this county.

Asian Journal: OCT. 26, 2021 NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT Lorna A. Alksne Judge of the Superior Court AJ 812 11/05, 11/12, 11/19, and 11/26/2021 ATTACHMENT TO ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME (JC Form #NC-120) NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE. The Court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120).

If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-100) will be granted without a hearing. One certified copy of the Order Granting Petition will be mailed to the petitioner.

If all the requirements have not been met as of the date specified, the Court will mail the petitioner a written order with further directions.

If timely objection is filed, the Court will set a hearing date and contact the parties by mail with further directions.

A RESPONDENT OBJECTING TO THE NAME CHANGE, MUST FILE A WRITTEN OBJECTION AT LEAST TWO COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) BEFORE THE DATE SPECIFIED. Do not come to court on the specified date. The court will notify the parties by mail of a future hearing date.

Any Petition for the name change of a minor, that is signed by only one parent, must have this Attachment served along with the Petition and Order to Show Cause, on the other, non-signing parent, and proof of service must be filed with the Court.

AJSD 812

AJSD 808

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9023806

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

Registrant: a.

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

This business is conducted

by Married Couple.

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

Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 10/21/2021.

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

EMPLOYMENT / FOR RENT

AJSD 810

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9024086

Tranquility Transportation LLC located at 2667 Camino del Rio South #301-12, San Diego, CA 92108.

Registrant: Tranquility Transportation LLC, 2667 Camino del Rio South #30112, San Diego, CA 92108.

This business is conducted

by Limited Liability Company.

REGISTRANT HAS BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME AS OF 10/25/2019.

Signature Tania Khouri.

Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 10/25/2021.

AJ 811 11/05, 11/12, 11/19, and 11/26/2021.

AJSD 811

SAN DIEGO

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

SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 5-11, 2021

JOURNAL

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N OV E M B E R 5, 2 0 2 1

KINILAW WITH CHENIN BLANC, SPARKLING WINE WITH SISIG, SYRAH WITH LECHON:

Pairing Filipino dishes with wine, according to Jhonel Faelnar, Award-Winning Filipino Sommelier

by MoMar

G. Visaya / AJPress

OR someone who had almost zero knowledge about wine almost a decade ago, Jhonel Faelnar has gone a long way. Today, he is the award-winning wine director at Atomix, F a Korean tasting menu restaurant in New York City with two Michelin stars.

His impressive work at Atomix has earned him recognition as one of Wine Enthusiast’s “40 Under 40 Tastemakers” in 2020 and one of Wine & Spirits’ “Best New Sommeliers” in 2018. He was one of the youngest sommeliers named by Wine & Spirits as the Best New Sommelier of New York.

Atomix and Atoboy are from the husband and wife team of Chef Junghyun Park and Ellia Park. It was always their dream to kickstart a life and restaurants Faelnar’s favorite wines come from some wine regions, like Germany (Riesling is definitely here in New York City.

Atoboy is more of a casual fine there) and also Wachau wine region in Austria, “Those are wines that I just can’t live without, they are so good, they’re so fresh. I think they pair with a lot of different ingredients. Also dining scene where the food was Burgundy in France, so Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These wines are kind of like comfort wines originally a take on the Korean for me at this point in time, it’s something I naturally gravitate towards,” he shared. banchan culture (small plates which are meant to be shared) but has now morphed into a mini tasting menu.

Atomix on the other hand has become a fine dining destination, an experience waiting to happen.

Currently, their tasting menu inspired by Korean traditions and technique offers nine courses plus two snacks. Reservations are definitely a must, that is if you can get them.

Last month, it became one of three New York City restaurants on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards for 2021, joining Cosme and Le Bernardin. There Jhonel Faelnar shares a light moment with colleagues Jinah Rhee and Ellia Park at Atomix. are only six restaurants in the AJPress Photos by Momar G. Visaya United States which made it to

Asked about his dreams, Faelnar told the Asian Journal: I would love to travel more, I would love to visit the different wine regions. I mentioned Manila earlier so I think doing something that’s food and wine related would be an amazing thing as well, especially since Manila is such an exciting place right now for food and wine.

this year’s list.

“So when you come here it’s really an experience from the space, the food, you know, there’s no choice when it comes to the food and so beverage comes into play quite a bit because that’s how your experience can differ from one dish to the next or from one table to the next depending on what you’re having for the night, whether it’s your beer, tea, cocktails or of course, the wine pairing of the wines that we have,” Faelnar shared.

He acts as both sommelier and wine director, curating the wine programs at both locations. His goal is to be able to offer a program that’s “approachable as it is, hopefully, complex and something that can kind of attack the different points of interest for different groups” that are visiting Atoboy and Atomix.

“You have to want to do it,” he replied when asked what it took for him to be a sommelier. For him, being a sommelier means not just being a hospitality pro-

fessional but having to dive deep into the world of wine, in general.

“If you’re the kind of person who wants to learn more, who wants to put themselves in sometimes uncomfortable situations or you don’t know how to pronounce something, you don’t know how to describe something but you want to learn about it, you want to taste this ingredient or taste a different dish, then this is for you,” he added.

Filipino Food + Wine There’s a misconception that Filipino dishes are not wine pairable, something that as a wine professional, Faelnar disagrees with. And to convince the naysayers, he says the easiest way probably to do it is to have that wine when eating a Filipino meal.

“It would be great if we’re having this discussion over Filipino food, because then you can just put a glass or something in front of them and be like, ‘Yeah, taste this,’ he said. “But it’s all trial and error, I think we just haven’t tried enough, and I think maybe we haven’t purposefully tried to pair both food with wine, in general.

I mean, a lot of people are doing it I’m sure and a lot of them are successful, they’re just not necessarily maybe sharing it online or whatnot.”

“I think it’s all about experi-

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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,

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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 high-fiber 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 Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.

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

County Board adopts new framework for ending homelessness THE County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, November 3 voted unanimously to adopt a new framework that aims to end homelessness in the San Diego region.

A comprehensive presentation shown at the Board meeting focused on how the county will centralize critical expertise and operations, and use equity and data, to better provide housing and supportive services that address the needs of people who are homeless or at risk of losing their home.

The Wednesday presentation resulted from an early April meeting where the Board approved the establishment of the Department of Homeless Solutions and Equitable Communities within the County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). The new department launched on July 1, 2021, and consists of the Office of Equitable Communities, the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs and the Office of Homeless Solutions.

To guide existing and future efforts, HHSA has developed the Framework for Ending Homelessness, which is anchored in five strategic domains: • Root cause and upstream prevention strategies • Diversion and mitigation services • Treatment and outreach • Emergency/interim housing and resources • Permanent housing and supportive services.

“This Framework to End Homelessness will allow us to drive a new focused approach to coordination and an expansion of the solution-based programs and services the region desperately needs,” HHSA Director Nick Macchione told the Board.

Under the approach outlined, the County will focus on creating a person-centered system, one that uses a housing-first approach, maximizes social services interactions and follows evidence-based

A Homeless Outreach Team member speaks with a man who is homeless.

File photo www.countynewscenter.com

and data-driven solutions. This will be done to increase affordable and appropriate housing and to ensure homeless prevention and response is done with racial and social equity.

“This strategic unified approach prioritizes communities and populations in San Diego that have been historically left behind,” said Barbara Jiménez, who will be leading the Department of Homeless Solutions and Equitable Communities as community operations officer.

The framework encompasses the County’s ongoing work and provides a vision to support forward, collaborative and impactful progress. The framework supports the County’s Live Well San Diego vision of healthy, safe and thriving residents. It will provide enhanced funding along with innovative new programming to guide existing and future regional efforts to address homelessness.

According to The Regional Taskforce on Homelessness, the 2020 Point-in-Time Count identified 7,638 people who said they were homeless or in shelters throughout the county. Of those who were unsheltered, 58% reported having a disability and 27% were 55 years or older.

People of color are dispropor-

tionally impacted among those experiencing homelessness, with 27.2% identifying as Black or African American, roughly five times the proportion of African Americans in the region; 3.4% identified as American Indian or Alaska Native, which is nearly three times the proportion in the region; and 2.8% identifying as Asian.

To implement the new framework, the county will work with people at-risk of or experiencing homelessness, impacted residents, community partners and other key stakeholders to ensure racial and social equity in all aspects of homelessness prevention.

“We are ensuring cross collaboration between public safety, public health, behavioral health, self-sufficiency services and other systems that persons experiencing or at risk of homelessness are part of to ensure those cross sections are carefully evaluated and gaps identified to drive our future interventions,” said Omar Passons, Director of the Office of Homeless Solutions.

The Office of Homeless Solutions has hired 32 new people to expand direct outreach and case management services countywide. It also is enhancing existing services in the central and south

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

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

Olivia Rodrigo

Photo from Instagram/oliviarodrigo

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.

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 measurements 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. n

Pairing Filipino dishes with wine...

PAGE 9 menting and having fun. And if something doesn’t taste good. Just don’t drink it. You know, that’s the worst that could happen. But the best thing that could happen is you could discover something that’s like, amazing with the food that we have,” he explained.

Based on his experience matching Korean flavor profiles with wine, he was met early on with doubt and questions about whether Korean food pairs well with wine.

His success at Atoboy and Atomix speaks volumes and it has silenced critics so far.

“That all came from, honestly, drinking wine at Atoboy, and knowing that it does work really well or drinking wine in K-Town with Korean BBQ. Sometimes it doesn’t have to be the most mind-blowing pairing,” he shared. “When you’re putting an ingredient on your palate with a piece of food, it’s going to change. And so what that brings about is just your neurons are firing, you’re tasting different things.”

On his own and in the company of friends while eating Filipino food, Faelnar has made mental notes about the combinations that worked for him.

“More acid-driven food like our version of crudo or kinilaw, that could be something that you can pair with a leaner wine like Chenin Blanc from Loire Valley; sparkling wine and or champagne with sisig, and I think that’s such an easy thing, a light red maybe even an earthy burgundy, maybe even a fancy burgundy, to go along with adobo, you know, those things are almost so easy that you almost don’t even have to think about it,” he said.

“Syrah with a bit of lechon, it’s almost like cracking a little bit of black pepper over your lechon. So that’s something that can be amazing, especially with laing as well, a little bit of white burgundy, a little bit of Chardonnay, something lean and crisp and has a lot of texture. I think it works well with the flavors of coconut and the taro leaf. It’s one of my favorite dishes, especially with a bit of spice I think that works so well,” Faelnar added.

Sommelier Journey A Management Engineering graduate, Faelnar moved to Japan for a year and a half and felt he wasn’t quite ready to return home to Manila. After less than a week in the homeland, he flew to New York.

Faelnar’s sommelier story began when he moved to the Big Apple in 2013. Back then, he was shifting careers and just wanted to explore what was out here in New York in terms of the food and wine scene.

At this point, he didn’t know anything about wine yet and that somehow excited him. Everywhere he looked in the city, whether he was just walking on the street or meeting people in restaurants, he felt the city’s wine culture. He immediately felt the challenge because there was so much to learn about it, everything from verbiage to the language to the different wine regions.

“It was almost an impossible task to learn all about them. So that was something that really piqued my interest,” he reminisced. “About a few months after I moved to New York, I started pursuing wine in earnest, and then fast forward, years of working as a sommelier, with my first job back in 2014.” parts of the county, with new staff being deployed this month in North County and next month in East County. It also is collaborating with a range of government

He enrolled in the International Culinary Center’s intensive sommelier program and after graduation in 2014, One Five Hospitality hired him to be a sommelier at The Fourth American Brasserie and Botequim in Union Square. Then he became a somm at The NoMad, which boasted one of the best beverage programs in the city.

It was around this time when he met Ellia Park a couple of years before she and her husband opened up Atoboy. He joined the team in 2018 to help open up Atomix.

Wine Pairing As wine director, Faelnar creates and designs wine pairings for chef Junghyun “JP” Park’s award-winning tasting menu.

“I always look towards the food first, I feel like that’s our job as sommeliers is to make sure that we highlight the flavors of the food regardless of what cuisine, it is or what cuisine it is based out of, whether it’s French, Korean, Filipino,” Faelnar said.

“Wines are so fun to play around with, and also to drink, obviously, especially when you’re with a group of people that you want to be with.

For him, it’s all about creativity, listening to the food and the flavors, and listening to the chef. What is the most important part of this dish that the chef wants to highlight, and what can he do with the beverage side of things to help achieve that, whether it’s wine, beer, tea, or traditional Korean beverages sort of like soju.

Faelnar believes that the pairings give another dimension to the experience of the diners.

“The dishes are amazing in and of themselves but I treat the beverage almost like as another ingredient, which can be very scary, because you know if the ingredient is wrong, then you can ruin a perfectly delicious course with the wrong wine. So that’s a very important thing for me to make sure that it adds to the experience rather than takes away,” he added.

Faelnar describes the Atomix wine list as “a nice mix of classic and also some eclectic selections, an amalgamation of the different experiences” he encountered over the eight years he has spent in New York City so far.

Since the food is seafood and vegetable-driven, the wine list focuses on white wines, not just from big countries like France or Germany but a small selection of the wines from everywhere and a strong selection of sparkling wines as well, because why not, as the somm says, “Everybody loves a good bubbly.”

And every now and then they’ll source some rare wines out there, ones with a bit of age that he thinks carry well especially with fermented flavors that they have in-house.

The challenge now comes within, as in how do they keep their wine program dynamic and ever-evolving and not just resting on the laurels of their success over the past few years.

“How do we incorporate new things into the menu that we haven’t had before beverage-wise, how do we push the cocktail program forward, how do we add more beers to the selections that we have? It’s not just about adding or subtracting but you know it has to be a purposeful thing that we introduce,” he said. n

agencies to improve efficient services and support for people experiencing homelessness.

The Board of Supervisors will receive quarterly reports on the

progress made in implementing the Framework for Ending Homelessness.

(Jose Alvarez/County of San Diego Communications Office) n

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Community

SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 5-11, 2021

11

SFIO: A new age company addressing the ‘new normal’ needs THE COVID-19 pandemic has turned out to be one of major events that we all have witnessed together. Everyone had different approaches to deal with the crisis which led to the situation of lockdown. And then the process of vaccination was initiated along with several new norms of social distancing and remote working to counter the crisis.

The majority of industries went under deep distress on how to handle the pandemic. Thus, there was a beginning of new normal where the business had to adapt to changes such as remote working and rapid digitalization.

Alongside, companies had to face a challenging situation to establish a new model of managing remote working. This was the same time when several companies began restructuring and remobilizing the business.

As a market leader, SFIO saw the opportunity to restructure its business model to suit the new behaviors and needs of its loyal customers in the market.

Expressing his views, Jeths De Jesus Lacson, Chairman and CEO of SFIO says, “We are introducing new models that are suitable for the new normal and may disrupt the traditional way of doing business.”

Identifying Capabilities Incepted in 2021, SFIO is in the progress of renaming to Starfleet Innotech, Inc. The story of SFIO

began with its pilot project, the Epiphany Cafe brand. Epiphany Cafe brand is a franchise business in New Zealand which the founders started from scratch.

The founders of Epiphany Cafe are the same founders of SFIO. The leadership has identified capabilities that will enable Epiphany Cafe to be successful in the global market. This has helped them to integrate into the Epiphany Cafe model through the strategic acquisitions of the partner companies within SFIO. The mission of Epiphany Cafe in providing diverse opportunities to people has carried on in SFIO. The experience at Epiphany Café helped the founders to lay a stronger foundation at SFIO. It assisted the company to innovate and understand the demands of today’s customers. To sustain in this challenging environment, it is important to constantly evolve with the demands of the market. The Technology and Software division of SFIO works closely with the Franchise and Food Manufacturing divisions as it develops business solution applications focused on Small and Medium-Sized (SME’s) businesses which will make the business operations seamless through the use of AI technology and Data Analytics.

SMART-FREEZE Technology The inclusion of advanced technology allows the food

manufacturing division of SFIO to develop the SMART FREEZE Technology. It enables the product to be frozen for up to 3-6 months. Once thawed within an hour at an ambient temperature, the products like donuts are with ‘fresh like quality in terms of appearance, texture, and taste.’

This tech addresses the end-ofday wastage on-site and could eliminate the “limiting” factor to expand a brand in a given region or country. A central commissary can meet the demand of the entire region or country.

SMART-FREEZE has enabled the traditional franchise business to become a diversified model where micro-business concepts can be integrated into. Business operations in these companies are on-site to make the products are no longer required. The fourcore product model (Donuts, Coffee, Cakes, Bread) of Epiphany Cafe provides a value proposition not only to the business partners such as franchisees but also to customers who are looking for premium quality products in one store.

Identifying and analyzing the gaps The nature of the business environment is such that no one can avoid challenging situations, especially with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Furthermore, a franchise start-up business has to encounter other challenges which include maintaining a good profit for its business partners (i.e., Franchisees) without compromising on the product quality and branding.

A franchise business is affected by several key aspects such as branding, product quality, and profitability which makes it successful to expand a brand on a global level.

SFIO has experience from its Epiphany Café business which helped the company to identify the root causes and develop the necessary technology. Moreover, the company has updated its business models to suit the needs of the customers and ensure the stability of the business. SFIO understands the importance of staying in the business for the long run. To maintain its success in the coming years, the company has been studying detailed industry and market analysis.

This has helped to identify and analyze the gap where it needs to be the focus.

“We have considered the

customer behaviors 10 years ago and predicted their behaviors in the next 10 years. This has provided insights as to how we should structure and position our business,” says Jeths.

A leader with a positive mindset Since the beginning of his career, Jeths has been an influential leader with ample years of experience backing his leadership skills. He is also the co-founder of Epiphany Cafe, Ardent Bakers, Gorgeous Coffee, and A+ Electrical. Furthermore, he is a Chartered Professional Electrical Engineer and a Certified Asset Management Assessor with over 15 years of professional experience in different industries. His expertise is in Asset Management and Business Development.

While expressing his views on how important a leader’s mindset is on the success of the company, he states, “Absolutely!

While leaders only represent the entire organization, leadership influences culture, culture drives behaviors within the organization which yields results. Leaders provide the direction where the company is heading and at the same time,

paint the vision in such a way that everyone will be on board.

Ultimately, leaders need to ‘build leaders’ within the organization as part of the succession plan to ensure stability and ‘consistency of culture’.”

Empowering small and medium enterprises As aforementioned, COVID-19 has definitely changed the market landscape and behaviors of the customers in the majority of the industries. Jeths and his team at SFIO have structured and positioned their businesses within the company to address the current challenges and needs. In the retail industry including Food and Beverage, the key focus is empowering small and medium enterprises.

Hence, its business models are upgraded to enable SMEs through its diversified and multi-layered business model which will bring in the “Shared ownership model” into these types of businesses.

“One key area in the business that COVID has taught us so far is in terms of collaboration even with our competitors. In the past, this was seen as ‘threats’ to a business not until COVID happened where businesses

have worked or collaborated together not only to survive but more importantly to adapt to the new playing field in the market,” says Jeths.

A very detailed roadmap for the future With a positive outlook and under strong leadership, the company is optimistic about the coming years. SFIO is introducing a disruptive innovation in the market where it can do a hypergrowth expansion enabled by its SMART FREEZE Technology and the diversified business model. Utilizing the shared-ownership model, the company has also a very detailed roadmap in line with its strategic global expansion in Australia, Asia, and the U.S. in the next 3 to 5 years. The key to this is ‘speed’ with high ‘precision’ in terms of project execution of the detailed plan. SFIO will be launching its global fundraising and marketing campaign from August 2021. Jeths encourages everyone to consider becoming part of SFIO by way of investing in SFIO through its authorized brokers or becoming one of its business partners in the businesses.

(Advertising Supplement)

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