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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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State issues limited Stay at Home Order to slow spread of COVID-19 Non-essential businesses and personal gatherings are prohibited between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. beginning Saturday, November 21

SACRAMENTO – In light of an unprecedented, rapid rise in COVID-19 cases across California, Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on Thursday, November 19 announced a limited Stay at Home Order requiring generally that non-essential work, movement and gatherings stop between 10

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USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Will communities hardest hit get COVID-19 vaccines?

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USCIS revises naturalization test

THE U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has revised the civics portion of the naturalization test.

In its news release on Friday, November 13, the USCIS said it has updated the civics test as part of a decennial update to ensure that the exam remains as an instrument that comprehensively assesses applicants’ knowledge of American history, government and civic values.

The naturalization test has two components: an English test, which has not changed, and a civics test.

The English test allows the applicant to demonstrate an understanding of the language including the ability to read, write, and speak basic English.

Meanwhile, the revised civic test is an oral test wherein a USCIS officer will ask the applicant 20 questions from a list of 128 civics test questions. The applicant needs to answer at least 12 of the 20 questions correctly to pass the revised version of the civics test.

Previously, the civics test only asked the applicant up to 10 questions from the list of 100 civics test questions. The applicant needed to answer six questions correctly to pass the test.

The revised civics test did not change the passing score, which remains at 60%.

“USCIS has diligently worked on revising the naturalization test since 2018, relying on input from experts in the field of adult education to ensure that this process is fair and

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PH sees P90-B economic loss from recent typhoons

DATELINE

THE U.S. is weeks away from rolling out COVID-19 vaccines, but pandemic experts say the challenges of vaccinating people will be acute, especially in communities of color.

“Vaccines don’t save lives: vaccinations do,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, speaking at a Friday, Nov. 13 briefing organized by Ethnic Media Services and moderated by Dr. Tung Nguyen, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

“There’s a huge challenge from a supply chain perspective to getting the vaccines

hospitalizations.

“The virus is spreading at a pace we haven’t seen since the start of this pandemic and the next several days and weeks will be critical to stop the surge. We are sounding the alarm,” said Governor Newsom. “It is crucial that we act to decrease

p.m. and 5 a.m. in counties in the purple tier.

The order will take effect at 10 p.m. Saturday, November 21 and remain in effect until 5 a.m.

December 21. This is the same as the March Stay at Home Order, but applied only between 10 PM and 5 AM and only in purple tier counties that are seeing the highest rates of positive cases and

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

SYMBOL OF CHRISTMAS. A worker starts decorating the Christmas tree made up of lanterns at Welcome Rotonda in Quezon City on Thursday, November 19. Most Filipinos have started putting up Christmas decors in their homes as early as September.

PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.

THE damage caused by the recent typhoons in the Philippines could result in an estimated loss of P90 billion in the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said on Wednesday, November 18.

“I think our initial estimate is that it will shed off something like a 0.15 percentage point to the full year. But again, like I said, it is a very initial estimate. It will have to be updated once we get updates from the ground,” NEDA Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon said in a virtual presser.

“In peso terms... I don’t have the exact amount but it will be something like P90 billion,” she added.

Edillon noted that the damage caused by Typhoon

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Judge rules DACA suspension invalid

by AJPress THE Trump administration’s rules limiting applications and renewals for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program are invalid, a federal judge ruled recently.

Judge Nicholas Garaufis of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York ruled on Saturday, November 14 that the suspension of DACA, which protects some 650,000 young immigrants, was unlawful because Chad Wolf was not legally appointed acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

“DHS failed to follow the order of succession as it was lawfully designated,” wrote Garaufis. “Therefore, the actions taken by purported Acting Secretaries,

who were not properly in their roles according to the lawful order of succession, were taken without legal authority.”

On July 28, Wolf suspended the DACA program pending DHS review, despite the U.S. Supreme Court blocking the Trump administration’s plan to dismantle the program a month before.

The memo further stated that the administration would suspend new applications, while having renewals only for one year instead of two.

The Obama-era program granted renewable deportation protections of two years to certain young undocumented immigrants, known as “Dreamers,” who were brought to the United States illegally as children. Aside from being able to stay in the U.S., recipients were able to work

Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez Philstar.com file photo

Ambassador Romualdez: The alliance between PH, PH Bureau of Immigration clarifies US is very strong guidelines for foreign investors u PAGE 4

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

by AJPress FOREIGN investors planning to enter the Philippines must first secure an investor’s visa before they can be allowed entry to the country, the country’s Bureau of Immigration (BI) clarified on Monday, November 16.

Foreign nationals holding visas under Executive Order No. 226 or the Omnibus Investments Code, and those with a Special Investor’s Resident Visa (SIRV)

issued pursuant to EO 226 can enter the country, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said.

“Those who will be entering the country under visa types not yet allowed by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) will still be restricted,” he stressed.

The IATF on October 22 allowed the entry of foreign nationals with visas issued under EO 226 starting Nov. 1. Their entry, however, is subject to conditions, such as having a valid visa and a pre-

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PHILIPPINE Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez on Tuesday, November 17, affirmed the strong ties between the Philippines and the United States.

During a virtual event hosted by the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, Romualdez noted that the Philippines and the U.S. have one of the oldest military alliances in the Asia Pacific region.

“The PH and the U.S. enjoy one of the oldest military alliances in the Asia Pacific, stretching back since 1951.

We have the mutual defense treaty, the secure and defense cooperation which remains the cornerstone of our bilateral relations, also our friendship with the U.S. spans decades of cooperation, encouraging strong historical, cultural, and economic ties,” he said.

“Our shared history in culture connects our two govern-

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NOVEMBER 20-26, 2020 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL

Dateline USA

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

National coalition launches ‘Get Covered 2021’ urging America to mask up, get insured SACRAMENTO – On Thursday, November 19, a broad coalition of states, consumer and patient groups, and health care providers from across the country launched “Get Covered 2021,” a new national initiative designed to help uninsured Americans enroll into health insurance and promote COVID-19 safe practices.

As part of the Thursday launch, Get Covered 2021 announced tools and information available through a new website www.GetCovered2021.org, where Americans will be connected to their state or federal marketplace to enroll immediately in coverage provided through the Affordable Care Act. Get Covered 2021 is cochaired by Get America Covered Co-Founder Joshua Peck, Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Deputy Secretary Carrie Banahan, and Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee. “COVID focused everyone’s attention on the need for access to health care. Without comprehensive, high-quality, and affordable coverage, care for COVID or anything else can be out of reach for millions of people in this country,” Peck said. “COVID underscores why getting covered matters but not just because of the pandemic.

Coverage is much more affordable than people think, with millions of consumers qualifying for plans that cost them zero dollars per month. Anyone who wants insurance should visit GetCovered2021.org, shop around, and find the option that is right for them. Together, let’s mask up, get covered, and ensure Americans have the health care they need when they need it the most.”

Current data shows that of the 28 million Americans currently uninsured, more than half of them – over 16 million – are eligible for financial help to pay for their health insurance costs or for free coverage through Medicaid. With the President-elect committing to build on the progress made under the Affordable Care Act, Get Covered 2021 is focused on the 16 million who are eligible right now financial help to lower their health insurance costs.

Of those eligible for financial help, 6.7 million are eligible for free or very low-cost coverage

through their state’s Medicaid program and 9.2 million are eligible for financial assistance through their state or the federal insurance marketplace. Currently among those enrolled with coverage through marketplaces, 86 percent receive financial assistance and the average monthly help per household is $742 – covering 85 percent of the total premium -- leaving the average household responsible for less than $130 per month in premium costs.

The Get Covered 2021 initiative is supported by elected officials, national health leaders, health care providers, and celebrities committed to raising awareness of the inextricable link between health and coverage, and that financial help is available for millions of Americans who might not know it.

“The Affordable Care Act has reduced the number of uninsured from 45 to 28 million by providing financial help and a wide variety of coverage options, but even so, we must do more to increase awareness of these options, especially in diverse communities,” Lee said. “The COVID pandemic has put a new spotlight on a long-standing problem – the fact that too many Latinos and African-Americans face worse health outcomes. Getting health coverage to all Americans is essential to our efforts to address health disparities. We’re asking America’s governors and mayors, celebrities to join with millions of Americans to help spread the word and get people enrolled.”

From November 19 launch, Get Covered 2021 is driving toward a national “Get Covered America Day” on December 10th, and will continue through the open enrollment period and into the new year. The goal on December 10th is to drive enrollment across the nation, through united voices in the press and on social media.

“December 10 is Get Covered America Day, and on that day, we’re urging everyone to wear a mask and post a picture of themselves on social media, including a personal message about why having insurance matters, sharing our website GetCovered2021.org and using the hashtag #GetCovered2021,” Banahan said. “We all know someone whose life has been changed because of the life-

saving care they received. It could be your mother, grandfather, daughter, or best friend. So, right now, as we face the challenges of COVID, let us also work to make sure everyone has the same access to care that is provided by having insurance coverage.”

The organizations and individuals that endorse Get Covered 2021 are unified in their commitment to ensuring Americans have coverage that keeps them safe, healthy, and strong. This commitment is based on the recognition that both responding effectively to COVID and getting everyone possible insurance coverage is about health equity and addressing the disparities in health status and care delivery. Health equity begins with access to care, and access to care comes with having health insurance.

Get Covered 2021 is committed to getting all Americans, who are eligible for coverage today, covered.

These groups come together in their agreement on the need to address the COVID pandemic and in the need to provide coverage to Americans to prevent and address other health conditions – including many that have higher impacts on communities of color. If the 16 million uninsured Americans eligible for financial help have the same health profile as Americans generally, not only would about 525,000 of them have been infected by COVID – with many being admitted to the hospital, but 1.8 million would be living with diabetes and over 85,000 would be living with and needing care and treatment for some form of cancer.

“America today understands that achieving health equity means ensuring that all people have the same access to insurance coverage and clinical care,” American Public Health Association Executive Director Georges C. Benjamin, MD said. “COVID exposed for all to see the significant health disparities facing communities of color. Get Covered 2021’s focus on helping people get quality, affordable health insurance coverage is essential to helping all people stay healthy during this terrible pandemic.

Coverage for all is also a critical step towards ensuring a more equitable society.” (Covered CA Release)

CLEANING OPS. Workers of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and the City Environmental and Management Office shovel the thick mud and dirt on Lark Street in Barangay Elena in Marikina City on Thursday, November 19. The city is one of the areas submerged in floodwater at the height of Typhoon Ulysses.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

Newsom orders mass county shutdowns across California

by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

AFTER months of economic reopenings that allowed residents to partake in public life again, California is approaching yet another shutdown period as Sacramento has downgraded three-quarters of the state’s counties to the strictest pandemic restrictions, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced this week.

Newsom announced on Monday, Nov. 16 that 41 of the state’s 58 counties have seen significant increases in COVID-19 transmission, effectively ordering those counties’ indoor dining, gyms, movie theaters and other businesses to either remain closed or shut down.

Newsom hinted at more restrictions to come by Friday, Nov. 20.

“We are sounding the alarm,” Newsom said in a statement.

“The spread of COVID-19, if left unchecked, could quickly overwhelm our health care system and lead to catastrophic outcomes.”

In the last 10 days, the daily coronavirus tallies have doubled across the state; as previously reported in the Asian Journal, California last week became the second state to exceed 1 million coronavirus cases total.

State officials have attributed the rise in cases to the public’s frustration over pandemic safety protocols: large groups of people gathering in close quarters with no masks, socializing in public spaces where the recommended 6 feet distancing is ignored and regularly visiting family and friends’ homes.

California is operating on a color-coded tier-based reopening blueprint — counties that achieve lower transmission rates are able to move out of the more restrictive tiers of the plan. Newsom’s announcement on Monday puts 94.1% of Californians in the strictest purple tier.

Among the counties that moved back to the purple tier include Orange County, which has seen a dramatic increase in hospitalizations over the last month. According to the state, schools that have already reopened won’t be affected by Orange County’s return to the purple tier.

“I’m hoping that people understand when we let our guard down and have these gatherings, we transmit the virus to each other,” Orange County

Health Officer Dr. Clayton Chau told Orange County Supervisors at their meeting on Tuesday.

As of Tuesday, Nov. 17, 270 Orange County residents were hospitalized for the virus with 79 in ICUs, the county’s Health Care Agency reported. It’s the highest amount of hospitalizations the county has seen since the summer.

The current totals for Orange County as of press time include 1,526 COVID-related deaths and 65,957 confirmed positive cases.

Los Angeles County continues to lead the state in confirmed cases and deaths with a huge surge of positive cases over the weekend: 3,780 on Saturday and 3,061 on Sunday. There are currently 1,049 patients currently hospitalized with more than a quarter in the ICU; this is the highest number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients since the summer.

“The county has not experienced daily numbers like this since late July, durin the last surge that resulted in many people becoming very seriously ill and losing their lives to COVID-19,” the county’s public health office said in a press release.

With the surge of numbers, officials are doubling down on their pleas to the public to stay at home as much as possible and avoid socializing with people outside the home. Masks have been scientifically proven time and time again to curb viral transmission, but even with masks, spending the holidays with out-of-household people still poses a significant risk.

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a briefing on Monday that “the risk of this disease has never been higher and the accelerating rate of infections has never been swifter,” calling on residents to take heed of the following: “Stay at home as much as possible for the next two to three weeks, assume that everyone outside your household is infectious and stop gathering.”

Newsom’s announcement of stricter state protocols follows a controversial decision to attend a birthday celebration in Napa Valley on Nov. 6 for his friend and lobbyist Jason Kinney. The governor’s attendance was first reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, and while Newsom assured that the 12-person party adhered to social distancing protocol, Californians criticized the governor.

“I want to apologize to you

because I need to preach and practice, not just preach and not practice, and I’ve done my best to do that. We’re all human. We all fall short sometimes,” the governor said in a briefing on Monday, acknowledging the dinner at the posh French Laundry did not appear as pandemic-friendly as he thought.

“As soon as I sat down at the larger table, I realized it was a larger group than I had anticipated and I made a bad mistake. Instead of sitting down, I should have stood up and walked back, got in my car and drove back to my house,” the governor admitted.

Newsom wasn’t the only lawmaker accused of breaking social distancing recommendations. Nearly 100 lawmakers and lobbyists from four states — including California, Hawaii, Texas and Washington state — gathered at the luxury Fairmont Kea Lani resort in Maui, Hawaii for a legislative conference organized by the Independent Voter Project.

Organizers of this event assured that the annual event was one-third of its regular size and that attendees must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of arrival. But as scientists from the CDC have stressed, tests don’t guarantee a negative diagnosis or mitigate risks; tests could fail to catch the virus during the incubation period and travelers could still expose themselves to the virus on the island and bring it home.

In Washington, after receiving intense backlash from the public, two separate dinners for freshman Republican and Democratic House members became a carry-out meal instead of the planned formal dinner.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) had told the media on Friday, Nov. 13 that the venue was “very spaced” and safety protocols were to be imposed, but due to the backlash, the dinner was modified. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) followed Pelosi’s decision to downgrade the dinner.

“Fair to say that the timing isn’t great,” Jack Pitney, a politics professor at Claremont McKenna College, told Politico “Anybody organizing an in-person event should think carefully about the optics, particularly in California, where the governor has just sent most of the state into purple. There’s a chance this will not be received well by the general public.”

Duterte grants active hazard pay to COVID-19 frontliners

by AJPress PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, November 16, signed Administrative Order No. 35, granting active hazard duty pay and special risk allowance to COVID-19 medical frontliners.

Under the order, national government agencies, government-owned or -controlled corporations and local government units are authorized to grant active hazard duty pay up to P3,000 per month to pandemic frontliners such as medical, allied medical staff, and other personnel in the public sector.

Excluded in the hazard pay

grant are consultants and experts engaged for a limited period to perform specific activities or services with expected outputs; laborers engaged through job contracts and those paid on piecework basis; student workers and apprentices; and individuals and group of individuals whose services are engaged through contract of service or job order, including barangay health workers, who are not assigned to hospitals, laboratories or medical and quarantine facilities.

The grant is in addition to any hazard pay, hazardous duty pay, hazard allowance, special risk allowance or other similar benefits under exist-

ing laws, issuances, rules, and regulations.

It is also exempted from income tax.

The hazard pay grant will be pro-rated based on the number of days that the front line HRHs physically report for work in a month, reckoned from Sept. 15 until Dec. 19.

The Philippine Department of Budget and Management and Philippine Department of Health were ordered to draft the guidelines necessary for the effective implementation of the order.

The order will take effect immediately after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

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SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 20-26, 2020

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NOVEMBER 20-26, 2020 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL

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

From The Front Page

PH sees P90-B economic loss from...

PAGE 1 t Ulysses, which caused Metro Manila’s worst flooding in recent years, was still lower compared to the damage caused by Typhoon Ondoy in 2009.

“Right now we are seeing that the impact is actually a bit less than the impact of (Typhoon) Ondoy and we think it’s really because in areas like Marikina, we see that the flood actually subsided more quickly than during Ondoy,” she said.

The NEDA official also said that some recovery in spending could happen in the last quarter of the year due to the gradual FOR TYPHOON VICTIMS. Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro (2nd from right) talks to an official of the Filipino Chinese Community re-opening of the economy as Calamity Funds (FCCCF), which donated thousands of food and other relief packs on Wednesday, November 18 at Marikina Sports Center. well as loosening of the restricMost of the city residents’ homes were submerged in floodwater at the height of Typhoon Ulysses.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon tions enforced by the government to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

“It will still be challenging because we still want people to practice social distancing,” she said.

On Monday, November 16 to change their personal behavPAGE 1 transmission and slow hospital- iors to stop the surge. We must the state pulled an emergency izations before the death count be strong together and make brake in the Blueprint for a Safsurges. We’ve done it before tough decisions to stay socially er Economy (https://covid19. putconnected but physically dis- ca.gov/safer-economy/) and we must do it again.”

This limited Stay at Home tanced during this critical time. ting more than 94 percent of PAGE 1 t Order is designed to reduce Letting our guard down could California’s population in the ments, the economies, and of opportunities for disease trans- put thousands of lives in dan- most restrictive tier. The state course our people-to-people mission. Activities conducted ger and cripple our health care will reassess data continuously ties,” he added. during 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. are system,” said Dr. Erica Pan, and move more counties back Romualdez also said Philipoften non-essential and more the state’s acting Public Health into a more restrictive tier, if pine President Rodrigo Duterte likely related to social activi- Officer. “It is especially import- necessary. California is also is looking forward to working ties and gatherings that have a ant that we band together to strengthening its face covering with President-elect Joe Biden higher likelihood of leading to protect those most vulnerable guidance to require individuals and fortifying the “many comreduced inhibition and reduced around us as well as essential to wear a mask whenever out- prehensive ties” that the Phillikelihood for adherence to workers who are continuing side their home, with limited ippines and the U.S. have besafety measures like wearing a their critical work amidst this exceptions. tween them.

Late last week, the state isface covering and maintaining next wave of widespread com“President Duterte conveyed munity transmission across the sued a travel advisory (https:// his warmest congratulations physical distance.

“We know from our stay- state. Together we prevented www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/ and we assured (Biden) of the at-home order this spring, a public health crisis in the CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/ Philippines’ commitment to along continue building on a strong, which flattened the curve in spring and together we can do Travel-Advisory.aspx), with Oregon and Washing- open, stable, and prosperous California, that reducing the it again.”

COVID-19 case rates in- ton, urging people entering Indo-Pacific region,” the envoy movement and mixing of individuals dramatically decreases creased by approximately 50 the state or returning home said.

COVID-19 spread, hospitaliza- percent in California during from travel outside the state Romualdez stressed that the tions, and deaths,” said Califor- the first week of November. to self-quarantine to slow the relationship between the Philnia Health and Human Services As a result, Governor Newsom spread of the virus. The travel ippines and the U.S. will remain Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. “We and California’s public health advisory urges against non-es- strong no matter the president. may need to take more strin- officials have announced a list sential out-of-state travel, asks “The alliance between our gent actions if we are unable of measures to protect Cali- people to self-quarantine for 14 two countries remains very to flatten the curve quickly. fornians and the state’s health days after arriving from anoth- strong and it doesn’t matter Taking these hard, temporary care system, which could expe- er state or country, and encour- who the president of either actions now could help prevent rience an unprecedented surge ages residents to stay local. country is,” he said.

(Office of CA Gov. Gavin Newif cases continue their steep future shutdowns.”

“We feel that this relationsom Release) “We are asking Californians climb. ship is so strong that it has withstood many wars and many conflicts in the past worldwide, and perhaps even some issues we may not agree on, but at the PAGE 1 t pose as new applications will be DACA recipients are of Asian end of the day, because of our special relationship, it has enlegally which allowed many to accepted for the first time since American or Pacific Islander dured,” he added. pursue higher education and 2017, according to the Wall (AAPI) descent.

Romualdez also expressed Between 2012 and 2017, pursue other career goals. The Street Journal. optimism that the Philippines According to Asian Ameri- at least 3,880 Filipinos were program, however, does not ofwill not have any problems with fer a pathway to citizenship for cans Advancing Justice (Ad- granted DACA protection, ac- the Biden administration. vancing Justice), an affiliation cording to the U.S. Citizenship the grantees.

VFA termination Saturday’s ruling restores of five independent civil rights and Immigration Services (USAccording to Romualdez, the DACA to nearly its original pur- organizations, at least 16,000 CIS). (AJPress) dynamics between the Philippines and the U.S. shifted after the U.S. rejected most of China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea. tional companies, as well as spouse and unmarried chilPAGE 1 t Early in July, U.S. Secrebooked accredited quarantine their spouses and unmarried dren under 21 years of age of tary of State Mike Pompeo anfacility. children below 21 years of the SIRV holder are allowed to nounced that the U.S. stands Morente said the BI sought age. secure an SIRV as dependents. with its Southeast Asian allies, clarification from the PhilipHowever, Morente said that stressing that Beijing’s claims These visas are also valid for pine Department of Justice three years.

SIRVs issued under Executive to offshore resources across (DOJ) on whether SIRV holdThe SIRV program was Order No. 63 for tourist-relat- most of the South China Sea ers can enter the country, fol- launched by the government ed projects and tourist estab- are “completely unlawful.” lowing questions expressed to attract foreign investments lishments are still restricted. by several business groups.

“Only those issued under EO to the country. It also requires Visas under EO 226 are giv- investors to invest capital in 226 may be allowed for now, en to executives of regional or “viable” economic activities. following the IATF ruling,” he area headquarters of multinaUnder the program, the added.

PAGE 1 t out,” said Jha, noting that the vaccines will have to be stored and delivered frozen. More chalfor these responsibilities, is of between 60 and 90 days from the lenging is “vaccine hesitancy,” PAGE 1 t transparent,” said USCIS Deputy upmost importance to our agen- date of your initial interview,” the especially in communities of color who have been hit hardest by Director for Policy Joseph Edlow. cy,” he added.

USCIS said in its website.

“Naturalization allows immiApplicants who apply for nat- the pandemic, he said.

Applicants have two opportuJha predicted 100,000 more grants to become fully vested nities to pass the naturalization uralization on or after Dec. 1, members of American society, civics test.

2020, will take the updated ver- deaths from COVID-19 in the with the same rights and respon“If you fail any part of the civ- sion of the test. Those who apply U.S. before the new Biden-Harsibilities as citizens by birth, and ics test at your first interview, before Dec. 1, 2020, will take the ris administration is inaugurated offering a fair test, which pre- you will be retested, only on the current version of the test. (Ritch- on Jan. 20, 2021. “We are in the worst moment of the pandemic pares naturalization applicants portion of the test that you failed, el Mendiola/AJPress)

State issues limited Stay at Home...

“If you are talking about a year-on-year growth, then it would still be much lower than what we had last year because last year we didn’t have the COVID-19. But I suppose with respect to a quarter-on-quarter, then hopefully it will be an improvement and that’s also what we hope to see,” she added.

During the third quarter of the year, the Philippines’ GDP contracted by 11.5 percent as the country continued to feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This resulted in a year-to-date economic growth that averaged at -10 percent.

Edillon assured that the government will remain fiscally prudent in its crisis response while reviving the economy.

“We still want to maintain fiscal prudence because as you know, if you stock up on borrowing, then it will be the next

generation who will be paying for it, so we are being very prudent and very strategic about all this,” she said.

“It’s really about making sure that we may use up all the tools that are available there so it doesn’t have to be all the fiscal measures,” she added.

Meanwhile, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said the government’s fiscal response remains on track.

In a separate statement, he said: “What we are really facing is a problem of people’s confidence in the system. No matter what fiscal response you have, if you don’t have confidence, no one is going to spend. So essentially, we are looking at increasing people’s confidence in not getting sick and making sure that they understand that the health infrastructure of the government can support whoever gets sick.”

Ambassador Romualdez: The alliance...

Judge rules DACA suspension invalid...

PH Bureau of Immigration clarifies...

“We all know Secretary Pompeo announced that the U.S. recognized the arbitral award and we were extremely pleased with that. And that has changed the dynamics, as far as our relationship is concerned with the U.S.,” Romualdez said.

“I think there is now a stronger commitment in our mutual defense treaty. There seems to be some teeth to it now,” he added.

However, Romualdez maintained that the Philippines is a sovereign nation, and that the country wants to strengthen its own armed forces.

“You have to have a mutual defense treaty but we also want to strengthen our own armed forces. We want to be able to contribute to that defense treaty,” he said.

“We want to be able to defend ourselves but when the time comes — and we certainly hope it will never come — is that we need to be together and repel any kind of aggression from countries that would take advantage of the instability of the area,” he added, referring to the South China Sea. On the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), Romualdez expressed hope that the Philippines and the U.S. could craft another one that is more “mutually beneficial.”

“So the VFA, we know it’s an important part of our relationship, but we also would like to reserve the right that when the time comes, we would like to be able to do things on our own,” he said.

“But at the same time, perhaps we could have a different kind of VFA, which would be more mutually beneficial,” he added.

The envoy also said that it’s possible that the VFA abrogation will see another extension next year.

“We are open to extending it,” Romualdez said.

“Everything’s been suspended because of this pandemic.

We were supposed to have a bilateral strategic dialogue between the U.S. and the Philippines that happens every year.

We also have the mutual defense treaty board with both the U.S. and the Philippines, that also has been suspended.

But we are hoping that before the August deadline comes into play, we’d be ready to talk about how we can strengthen that alliance we have with the U.S.,” he added.

On Nov. 11, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. announced that Duterte has extended the suspension of the VFA “to enable us to find a more enhanced, mutually beneficial, mutually agreeable, and more effective and lasting arrangement on how to move forward in our mutual defense.”

“The past four years have changed the South China Sea from one of uncertainty about great powers’ intentions to one of predictability and resulting stability with regard to what can and cannot be done, what will and will not be acceptable with regard to the conduct of any protagonist in the South China Sea. Clarity and strength have never posed a risk. It is confusion and indecision that aggravate risk,” Locsin said.

He also attributed the renewal of stability and security in the region to the efforts by the governments of the Philippines and the U.S. “A great deal of credit for the renewal of stability and security goes to deft diplomacy, unequivocal expressions of policy, sturdy postures of strength combined with unfailing tact, and pragmatic national security advice exhibited by both our governments in the same period,” he said.

Will communities hardest hit get...

USCIS revises naturalization test...

right now.”

Dr. Nirav Shah, adjunct professor of medicine in the Division of Primary Care and Population Health at Stanford University stated: “We need to do this in a more structured and standardized way as opposed to the thousand points of light approach where every state, every city is doing something on their own. Simple coordination, using evidence-based approaches, will make a big difference here.”

Dr. William Schaffner, professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University, agreed that vaccine delivery would pose enormous challenges. “This is not a vaccine that will be available at the local pharmacy or in a physician’s office,” he said.

Schaffner also noted that the vaccine is reactive: people taking it may experience a sore arm, fever, or headaches. Nguy-

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Dateline Philippines

5

Amid China law allowing use of weapons vs foreign ships, AFP to have presence in WPS

by Christia

Marie Inquirer.net

Ramos

MANILA — A top-ranking official of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the military will maintain a maritime presence in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) amid a reported law being drafted by China that will allow its coast guard to use weapons on foreign ships in Chinese-claimed reefs.

“Our duty is very clear: To protect the people and secure the sovereignty and integrity of our national territory. We will Students in uniform answer their learning modules during an online class under DepEd’s blended learning system this year due to the COVID-19 remain in the area for maritime pandemic.

Philstar.com photo by Miguel de Guzman domain awareness and maritime presence,” AFP deputy chief of staff Vice Admiral Erick Kagaoan told a panel of the Commission of Appointments on Thursday, No-

2020 English Proficiency Index: Philippines out of world’s Top 20 but is No. 2 in Asia

by Bella

Perez-Rubio Philstar.com

MANILA — The Filipino people’s English competency in 2020 placed seven spots lower on a global proficiency index compared to last year.

International company Education First ranked the Philippines 27th in its 2020 English Proficiency Index (EF EPI), with the country garnering a score of 562 out of 700. For comparison, the highest ranking country, the Netherlands, garnered a score of 652.

The country’s English competency in Asia is ranked second only to Singapore which garnered a score of 611 and is ranked 10th on the index overall.

From 2016 to 2018, the Philippines managed to remain in the top 15 of the index, placing 13th, 15th, and 14th, respectively although the number of countries in the index varied. It included 88 countries in 2018 and 72 in 2016.

In 2019, when the index grew

to include a total 100 countries, the Philippines fell six spots compared to the year previous, but managed to remain in the Top 20.

Philippines maintains ‘high’ proficiency The country’s “Proficiency Band,” which is based on score rather than rank, has consistently remained at “high” from 2016 to 2020. The proficiency bands range from very low proficiency to very high.

According to Education First, those with a high proficiency band can accomplish the following tasks: • Make a presentation at work • Understand TV shows • Read a newspaper Education First said it came up with the index by administering its English Standard Test to over 2.2 million individuals across 100 countries and regions, 54% of whom were female and 46% of whom were male. The median age of test takers, the company said, was 26 years old and 94% of them

are below the age of 60.

Key findings The following is a summary of the 2020 EPI’s key findings: • English proficiency is improving • English and innnovation go hand in hand • Countries with high English proficiency are fairer and more open • Technology spreads English • Adults in their late twenties speak the best English • Managers speak the most English • Non-English speakers cluster in specific job functions • The gender gap is narrow • European English skills are polarized • Asia spans the spectrum of proficiency • Latin America’s proficiency is turning around • Africa’s English competency skews high and low • The Middle East’s English proficiency is improving.

The EF Standard English Test can be taken here: www.efset. org.

vember 19.

He and 59 other AFP senior officials are up for confirmation by the CA. Kagaoan was asked how the reported coast guard law being drafted by China would impact the military’s position and operations in the West Philippine Sea. It was Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. who raised the question to Kagaoan.

“We read a report saying China has drafted a coast guard law that authorizes its maritime law enforces to demolish foreign constructions on Chinese-claimed reefs and allows the use of weapons against foreign ships,” Revilla told the AFP official.

“What are your thoughts on this?” he asked.

According to Kagaoan, issues

regarding the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea are being handled by the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea, which he was a previous member of.

“I’m sure those reports are being validated by the national task force and issues like these are usually being handled first diplomatically,” Kagaoan said.

Asked if the AFP is prepared should another incident of Chinese aggression against a Philippine ship take place in the area.

“There are rules of engagement in that area and the guidance at the National Task Force West Philippine Sea is not to heighten tension,” Kagaoan said.

“If matters like that happen, it will be addressed first through diplomatic means,” he added.

6

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Opinion

No MCC grant

Features

BECAUSE of the immense funding needed for the coronavirus pandemic response, with revenue sources massively reduced amid the economic contraction, the government has had to obtain funds from foreign sources. Officials said that as of Nov. 4, the government had secured a total of $10.1 billion in loans and grants for the COVID response. Obviously, grants that need no repayment should be preferred over loans, no matter how soft the repayment terms.

A grant of over $400 million would go a long way in the pandemic response, especially in the procurement of COVID vaccines that several foreign pharmaceutical companies are expected to roll out within a few months. Senators have lamented what they consider to be a small allocation for vaccine procurement in the proposed national budget for 2021.

A decade ago, the country qualified for a five-year grant of $433.91 million from the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corp. The MCC was established by the U.S. government in 2004 to provide grants to developing countries that demonstrate a commitment to good governance, which places them on the path of solid and sustainable economic growth.

Countries need to pass at least 10 of 20 indicators, plus two “hard hurdles” – either the

“political rights” or “civil liberties” indicator, and the “control of corruption.” A Sept. 8 report of the MCC said the Philippines, whose first MCC grant expired in May 2016, was one of 68 countries being considered for the new package.

A report this week, however, showed that while the Philippines passed 12 of the 20 indicators, it failed one of the “hard hurdles” – control of corruption – and cannot qualify for the MCC grant. The country also failed in rule of law and freedom of information. Philippine officials said the country would opt instead for funding assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development. USAID has extended P780 million so far for the Philippines’ pandemic response.

Still, the MCC aid would have been a significant addition to the pandemic resources.

President Duterte has given priority to the

Editorial

campaign against corruption. But there are major obstacles in his path, among them corrupt politicians and magistrates, and an ombudsman who has become a champion of opaqueness in

government. The country’s failure to qualify for the MCC grant in this public health crisis should add to the government’s resolve to fight corruption. (Philstar.com)

More deaths, chaos, economic hardship in America as Trump blocks Biden transition efforts

The Fil-Am Perspective Gel Santos-Relos JUST when we thought we experienced the worst, President Donald Trump has outdone himself again in attacking America’s democracy, democratic institutions and processes, and the American people.

After losing his desperate bid to be re-elected to a second term, Trump has dug deeper in his bottomless pit of transgressions against America that can lead to even more deaths, chaos, economic and social hardships for the country’s people.

Facts and figures: Election results As of November 17, Biden leads in the national popular vote by a 51% to 47% margin, or by 4 percentage points.

So far, Biden has earned 78,729,579 votes, compared to Trump’s 73,126,938 votes, with outstanding ballots still being counted in several states, including California and New York.

Translate that to electoral votes: 306 Biden, 232 Trump.

The metrics that called Trump president-elect in 2016 are the same ones that declared Joe Biden’s victory this time around, as well as their predecessors.

Trump’s ‘alternate facts’ Even before the November 3, 2020 presidential election, Trump has been planting the seed of doubt in the minds of his die-hard followers that the only way he would lose his re-election bid is if he was cheated. In

fact, this was the same defense he would resort to using in all battles and contests he’d been in as a private citizen, and as a politician.

Trump himself said in an interview on Fox and Friends: “I’m not thinking about concession speech or acceptance speech yet,” he told reporters.

“Hopefully we’ll be only doing one of those two. And, you know, winning is easy. Losing is never easy. Not for me it’s not.”

Despite Trump’s efforts to disenfranchise voters during the pandemic, the American people turned out in historic numbers to cast their votes, both Democrats and Republicans, as well as Independents and those with no party affiliations. Most Democrats chose to mail in their ballots in compliance with public health safety measures to protect themselves from COVID-19 versus most Republicans who followed Trump’s command NOT to mail in their votes but to go to polling stations on election day.

The verdict: a rebuke of Trump’s failure of leadership as the 45th president of the United States. He governed to be re-elected more than to fulfill the oath he took to defend and protect the Constitution and the American people. After four chaotic years, with the coronavirus pandemic testing and revealing his true color, a majority of the American people fired him.

Instead of respecting the will of the American people, Trump refuses to concede and has

doubled down on pushing the conspiracy theory that he was cheated. He is still demanding a recount and is even trashing the sacred votes of people, calling them “illegal votes” except those ballots that voted for him and the Republicans.

Trump and his minions filed at least 16 lawsuits only for the judges to rule that there is no sufficient evidence to prove his allegations of widespread election fraud. Even his own lawyers pulled out of the case to admit there was no fraud.

The President vowed to take this battle all the way to the Supreme Court where he rushed to confirm his nominee less than a month before the election to tilt the balance of power to his favor.

I believe the judges, the Republican and Democratic election officials, state secretaries, governors and lieutenant governors, Republican, Democrat and international poll watchers and observers who publicly say there is no evidence of massive election fraud.

I believe the Republican, Democrat independent, no-party affiliation American people who overwhelmingly cast their sacred vote, whether in person or by mail during this pandemic, to make our voices heard and our will be known.

Enough! We move forward, build back better But it is beyond Trump to even accept nor respect this.

Instead, he claimed he won on Election Day and after Biden was called President-Elect on

One country, two presidents Commentary

Enrique

Philstar.com photo

de la Cruz

THE Philippines once had two presidents but only for a few days.

On Tuesday, February 25, 1986, Ferdinand Marcos and Corazon Aquino held dueling presidential inauguration ceremonies, each being sworn in as President of the Philippines.

Each claiming to be duly elected by the people in “snap elections” held a few weeks before.

With Trump’s refusal to concede, could the 2020 presidential election lead to a similar scenario?

When major media organiza-

tions called the U.S. presidential elections for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, jubilation over their victory led to celebrations in the streets, complete with someone spraying the crowd with champagne, and others crying with joy. Trump is still to concede as of this writing, claiming that he had prevailed by a large margin of votes. It is over a week now since media organizations predicted the Biden/Harris victory. Official results, have yet to be certified (as expected) as every ballot cast has to be duly counted, with election workers in every state and county working feverishly to meet deadlines.

During the February 1986 Philippine elections, the counting became fraught with allegations and counter allegations of fraud, with the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC), a government

but Marcos controlled entity, and a non-partisan, election poll watcher, NAMFREL coming up with different tallies.

COMELEC had Marcos ahead in the count, while NAMFREL’s favored Aquino. The conflicting tallies came to a head when 35 COMELEC computer technicians staged a walkout alleging that the figures they were posting did not correspond to the tallies that were getting posted. This protest pretty much sealed the faith of Marcos as the election loser. NAMFREL’s numbers became the accepted figures for election results.

And the specter of widespread social unrest became a reality. The dueling inaugurations were only a front, as the U.S. worked behind the scenes to diffuse the situation.

Folks will recall that this was during the Cold War era; the Philippines was a client state

November 7. Trump asked his die-hard supporters to protest in the streets despite the threat of COVID-19 to “stop counting the votes” (mail in ballots) on November 3, and when Biden was pulling ahead - to count all the votes their votes he claimed were being “stolen”. Then, Trump demanded monetary contributions toward his election defense. As the fine print says, the money will go to any of his campaign debts.

The WORST part of it all is his order to his administration NOT to acknowledge Biden as the president-elect, and to block efforts toward a peaceful and orderly transfer of power pursuant to the rule of law.

The President Transition Act of 1963 The “President Transition Act of 1963” was enacted “to promote the orderly transfer of the executive power in connection with the expiration of the term of office of a President and the inauguration of a new President.

The national interest requires that such transitions in the office of President be accomplished so as to assure continuity in the faithful execution of the laws and in the conduct of the affairs of the Federal Government, both domestic and foreign.

Any disruption occasioned by the transfer of the executive power could produce results detrimental to the safety and well-being of the United States and its people. Accordingly, it is the intent of the Congress that appropriate actions be authorized and taken to avoid or min-

imize any disruption.

This law was violated by Trump because he could not accept that he lost. Therefore, he has been denying the Biden transition team with information, intelligence briefing and the resources that had been accorded by all other outgoing presidents to their successors. Country before party. The American people before selfish political interests. This is something Trump cannot comprehend nor commit to.

President-Elect Joe Biden spoke to the American people on Monday, saying there will be “dire consequences if President Donald Trump and his administration continue to refuse to coordinate with his transition team on the coronavirus pandemic and block briefings on national security, policy issues and vaccine plans.”

“More people may die if we don’t coordinate,” Biden told reporters during a news conference in Wilmington, Delaware, as reported by the Associated Press.

“Biden and his aides — and a small but growing group of Republicans — have emphasized the importance of being briefed on White House efforts to control the pandemic and distribute prospective vaccines. The Trump administration is working on its own distribution plan, while Biden’s chief of staff indicated his transition team will proceed with their own planning separately because of the obstruction,” the AP said.

“We’re going into a very dark

winter,” Biden said. “Things are going to get much tougher before they get easier.”

As the United States struggles with the record-breaking number of coronavirus cases, hospitalization rate and death toll, President-elect Biden has already been hard at work “in the days after he was projected to be the winner of the presidential election.”

All the while, Trump has been busy golfing, tweeting against his political opponents, spreading conspiracy theories that denigrate and invalidate the integrity of the election and the will of the American people to rile up his base and attempt to delegitimize Biden’s win.

Biden has already announced his transition teams, including the “COVID-19 advisory board comprised of doctors and scientists, which will create a blueprint for tackling the pandemic once his administration is in office,” CBS News reported.

“But Mr. Biden said his team needs access to the Trump administration’s plans for distributing a coronavirus vaccine, which he called a ‘huge undertaking,’ in order to be fully prepared to address the pandemic once in office,” CBS News added.

“If we have to wait until January 20 to start that planning, it puts us behind over a month, month and a half,” Biden said.

“So it’s important there be coordination now, now or as rapidly as we can get that done.”

of the U.S. Marcos was dependent on assistance, especially military assistance, to maintain himself in power. All he had to do, really, in order to maintain himself in power, was to demonstrate, as a fig leaf, some adherence to democratic processes, such as holding periodic “demonstration elections”to insure continued U.S. Support. (Demonstration elections was the term that the progressive community applied to elections held by dictators in U.S. Client states.)

In the fall of 1985, during an interview with Nightline’s host, Ted Koppel, Koppel observed that Marcos appeared to be losing public support.

Marcos denied this, and with much bravado, asserted, “If you want, I will hold elections to prove this.” This set in motion an unscheduled presidential election in the Philippines, thus the term “snap elections.”

No other offices were at stake, only the presidency (and vice

presidency).

As the cliche goes, the rest is history.

U.S. Senator Richard Lugar, a Republican from Indiana, went to the Philippines to observe the elections. Upon his return he convinced President Ronald Reagan, a fellow Republican, that Marcos claims about winning were without merit, but Marcos’ intransigence in the face of election results might well plunge the Philippines, into chaos, and open the way for an ascendant communist insurgency to take over.

The alternative, to abide by the election results and transfer power to Corazon Aquino, would be much more desirable. This led President Reagan to offer Marcos safe passage out of the Philippines and safe haven in Hawaii. Lore has it that Senator Lugar, after delivering the details of President Ronald Reagan’s offer said with finality, “it’s time to leave, Mr. President.” A couple of

days later, under cover of darkness, Marcos abandoned Malacañang, the official residence of Philippine presidents. When news spread that Marcos had left, jubilation spilled out into the streets of the capitol region with Filipinos shouting, “We are free! We are free!”

I would be remiss if I failed to recognize the role that Filipinos played in this “relatively” peaceful and “bloodless” (there were injuries but no lives lost) transition into a Corazon Aquino-led government. The threat of a bloodbath was very real as parts of the military headed by General Fidel Ramos, and Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile staged a military revolt, taking control of Camp Crame, and called upon other members of the armed forces to join them. A bloody confrontation between forces led

by Ramos/Enrile and Marcos loyalists was averted by civilians literally flooding access

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FEEDING PROGRAM. A school personnel hands over a milk pack to a parent of a student-beneficiary during the School-Based Feeding Program for School Year 2020-2021 held at San Miguel Elementary School, Congressional Avenue, Barangay San Miguel II, City of Dasmarinas, Cavite on Thursday, November 19. The program is a component of the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) of the Department of Education nationwide to improve the health of learners.

PNA photo by Gil Calinga

Will communities hardest hit get...

PAGE 4 t en warned that such side effects could increase people’s distrust of the vaccine, and deter them from getting the shot.

Skepticism of the vaccine is strong in the African American community and other ethnic communities, said Schaffner.

“So we’re going to have to do everything we can to reach out and provide information and also provide reassurance,” he said, noting that much of the work will have to be done through churches or by prominent leaders in ethnic communities.

Pfizer and Germany-based BioNTech announced Nov. 9 that they had jointly developed a vaccine with an efficacy rate of 90%. The study enrolled 43,538 participants, with 42% coming from diverse backgrounds. The companies have submitted an application for emergency use authorization to the Food and Drug Administration. The application is expected to be approved by the end of November.

Concurrently, Moderna announced the results of its trial Nov. 16 which had an efficacy rate of 94%. Approximately 37% of the participants in the Moderna trial were people of color.

Jha noted that a 90% efficacy rate for the Pfizer vaccine was astounding. “I was speaking at a conference and saying that we will be lucky if the vaccine is 60 to 70% effective. A 90% effica-

cy was not what I was expecting and am I happy to be wrong on that,” he said.

“We’re not just testing it in 18 to 30 year old white men and women, but in fact we’re testing it in a broad swath of America,” said Jha, noting that the Moderna trial was delayed as the company tried to diversify its testing recruits.

Shah said the news from Pfizer, which indicated efficacy of the vaccine with just two doses, was an enormous step in the right direction. But once the vaccine is approved with by the FDA with emergency use authorization, it is unlikely that most people will be able to get vaccinated right away. A maximum of 10 to 20 million doses will be available by the end of the year, he said.

“There will be a ramp up after that, but it is going to be some time before we get the kind of widespread availability of multiple vaccines with secure supply chains that get everyone the two doses,” said Shah.

Schaffner said treatment for people infected with COVID is getting better. “We’re doing a better job of getting people out of the Intensive Care Unit and out of the hospital; we are lowering the fatality rate.”

He also spoke about the use of the antiviral medication Remdesivir, which was approved last month by the FDA, and dexamethasone, a steroid that helps control the inflammatory re-

sponse during the second half of the infection.

Monoclonal antibodies also received emergency use authorization Nov. 9, but Schaffner said the intravenous treatment poses a challenge as to who should get those and at what stage of the infection.

All four physicians agreed that a coordinated effort by the incoming administration — as opposed to the current patchwork quilt of efforts — would help the U.S. get the pandemic under control. Jha said he was astounded that some states have closed their schools but opened their casinos.

He noted that the President-elect has no formal powers yet, but can use his soft powers to go out to red states and let people know why wearing a mask is effective.

Nguyen said the Biden Administration must impose a national mandatory mask mandate. “If we all had worn masks in the last seven months, we would have 100,000 less deaths,” he stated.

“We do not have a silver bullet,” said Shah. “Testing alone won’t work. Contact tracing alone won’t work. Physical distancing alone won’t work. Wearing masks alone won’t work.”

“But all of these together will collectively bring us to where we need to be, so that we actually see cases go down,” he said. (By Sunita Sohrabji / EMS Contributing Editor)

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Baguio’s swan boats used as transpo for Cagayan flood-hit residents MANILA — Baguio City’s swan boats that used to be among the attractions in Burnham Park, were repurposed to help transport flood-stricken residents in Cagayan.

On Thursday, November 19, Public Information Agency Cordillera reported that swan boats from Baguio reached Amulung, Cagayan, which is one of the flood-hit areas in Cagayan Valley or Region II. It said that these swan boats are used as transportation for for residents in Barangays Anquiray and Abollo. The boats are also used for recreational purposes for children who were traumatized by the heavy flooding following the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses.

The boats were lent by private citizen and proprietor Vivian Celso, who coordinated with the Baguio City Police after learning the need for rescue operation.

She sent four pontoon boats and swan boats. These are being used to carrying tourists in Burnham Lake.

The Philippine National Police Cordillera said pontoon boats can carry ten persons at a time. These are ideal boats “since the fiberglass hulls are not easily punctured as compared to that of rubber boats.”

Some of the boats were transported on board boat trailer from PNP Maritime Group

MOON PHASE. The moon’s waxing crescent phase as seen from the night sky in Barangay Kamuning, Quezon City on Wednesday, November 18. In this phase, a thin fraction of the moon is illuminated and is the moon’s first step toward fullness. According to astrologers, this lunar phase presents us with a major opportunity for change.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

One country, two presidents...

Baguio City’s swan boats are used as transportation for flood-hit residents of Barangays Anquiray and Abollo in Amulung, Cagayan.

Photo courtesy of PNP Cordillera

based in Pangasinan.

Last Friday, #CagayanNeedHelps trended after the region composed of the provinces of Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino experienced heavy flood-

ing caused by“accumulated effects” of recent typhoons that struck the country. The widespread flooding is also attributed to the water release in Magat Dam. (Rosette Adel/Philstar.com)

More deaths, chaos, economic

PAGE 6 t Biden emphasized that economic recovery “starts with a real strategy to deal with the pandemic. We can’t solve the jobs crisis until we solve the public health crisis.”

True patriotism and love for the country In an interview on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” former President Barack Obama said, “When your time is up, it is your job to put the country first and think beyond your own ego, and your own interests.”

This was how Trump’s predecessors showed their true love and patriotism and loyalty to the country.

“My advice to President Trump is, if you want at this late

stage in the game to be remembered as somebody who put country first, it’s time for you to do the same thing,” the 44th president said.

But Obama also directed the call for accountability to the Republican Party that enables Trump and is complicit to his assault against our democracy.

“There has been this sense over the last several years that literally anything goes and is justified in order to get power…There are strong men and dictators around the world who think that, ‘I can do anything to stay in power. I can kill people. I can throw them in jail. I can run phony elections. I can suppress journalists.’ But that’s not who we’re supposed to be,” Obama

LEGAL NOTICE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME Case No. 37-202000037776-CU-PT-CTL Superior Court of California, County of San Diego Petition of: Willard Brian Abe, on behalf of Darine Jay Verano, a minor for Change of Name TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Willard Brian Abe filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Darine Jay Verano to Darine Jay Abe 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: 12/02/2020, Time: 8:30 am, Dept.: 6-61, Room: -The address of the court is 330 West Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101 Hall of Justice 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: The Asian Journal Date: October 20, 2020 Lorna Alksne Judge of the Superior Court 11/6, 11/13, 11/20, 11/27/20 CNS-3411900# ASIAN JOURNAL

said.

And who are we supposed to be? What are we doing, “We the People”, to protect and fight for our democracy? ***

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.

PAGE 6 t points to Camp Crame, especially EDSA, the beltway boulevard that bordered Manila.

Barricades and civilian bodies were literally thrown into the paths of tanks and troop carriers to prevent Marcos loyalist forces from reaching the military rebels. It is really this outpouring of civilian support for the military revolt led by Ramos and Enrile and that morally undermined any Marcos claims of legitimacy and hastened defections. This revolt is known today as the EDSA/People Power revolution. Marcos might have suffered a more ignominious faith, had the U.S. not intervened to pluck him out of the Philippines.

Republicans (Lugar and Reagan) then affirmed the people’s vote in the Philippines for Aquino. In the current U.S. election, they have become conspicuously silent, despite uncontroverted vote counts heavily favoring Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, raising probabilities of a post-election scenario of one country, two presidents for the U.S.A. American democracy, depends as much on law, as on tradition.

The law decrees that every president must stand for election every four years, and can serve no more than eight years, or two terms.

Tradition dictates to insure a smooth transfer of power that the losing candidate concede the elections, as soon as it becomes fairly clear, that he

SERVICES

LEGAL NOTICE CASE NUMBER: 37-2020-00037634-CU-PT-CTL TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner SHERIELAINE LAYSON EDQUILANG filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: SHERIELAINE LAYSON EDQUILANG to SHERIELAINE EDQUILANG ADVIENTO. 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 12/02/2020 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. 19, 2020 NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT Lorna Alksne Judge of the Superior Court AJ 674 OCT. 30, 2020, Nov. 6, 13, and 20, 2020.

AJSD 674

CASE NUMBER: 37-2020-00032333-CU-PTCTL

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner CAMILO ANDRES GARCIA VALENCIA filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: CAMILO ANDRES GARCIA VALENCIA to CAMILO YUNG. 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 12/01/2020 8:30 AM, Dept. C61 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 16, 2020 NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT Lorna Alksne Judge of the Superior Court AJ 675 OCT. 30, NOV. 6, 13, 20, 2020 AJSD 675

cannot win the majority of electoral college votes. This same tradition also dictates that the outgoing president provide as much assistance and resources to the incoming president to insure a minimum of disruption on the affairs of the state and the federal government. Policy and security briefs must be prepared. Security codes must be transferred, and security clearances must be obtained in preparation for these transfers.

Clearly, an outgoing president’s concession of the election is pivotal to all these.

Though not legally required, it eases and smoothens the transfer of power, and tells his supporters to abide by the election results, as he is. There is an unwritten social contract to elections, by the way, which is that by participating in the election process, we all agree to abide by the results, everything else being equal. Compliance with this unwritten contract to abide by the election results is the basis for smooth transfers of power in any democracy. Losing candidates and their supporters who renege from this contract endanger the democratic transfer of power and the processes that presuppose it.

The result could very well be violence, civil unrest, a military coup, or civil war.

While I am normally be skeptical about predictions of civil unrest and violence from this election, I cannot make light of them in light of Trump’s authoritarian tendencies. He

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2020-9017656 JU-ICHI BENTOS & BITES located at 10663 ESCOBAR DR., San Diego, CA 92124.

Registrant: INNOVATIVE CHEF CONCEPTS, 10663 ESCOBAR DR., San Diego, CA 92124.

This business is conducted by LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME. Signature NGHI DAO. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 10/29/2020.

AJ 676 11/06, 13, 20, 27/2020.

AJSD 676

has stoked fear, and repeatedly made baseless claims about election irregularities.

His othering of women, LGBTQ+ folks, and persons of color has encouraged a siege mentality among his followers. During the RNC, he has warned that “Joe Biden and the radical left are also now coming for our freedom of speech, and want to bully us into submission.”

Other convention speakers declared that “They (Democrats and Sanders) want to destroy this country.”

Trump has stoked violence and insurrection; his irresponsible tweet, “Liberate Michigan,” may have encouraged a self-styled militia group to plot the kidnapping of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Fortunately, the plot was foiled.

American democracy is at an inflection point. President Trump can choose to abide by tradition and graciously concede in light of uncontroverted election results, or he can be intransigent. I call on him to do the noble thing, as President Reagan did when it came Philippine election results: Comply with the choice of the people.

It’s time to leave, Mr. Trump. *** 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.

••• Enrique de la Cruz is Professor Emeritus of Asian American Studies at Cal State University, Northridge.

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SEAFOOD CITY FPFC

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

How to celebrate Thanksgiving under the new normal T

by AJPress

HANKSGIVING is on Thursday, November 26 this year, and families are gearing up for their grocery runs and are planning their menus. While the holiday is known for traveling to see loved ones, gathering with relatives and friends around the table, and passing large plates of food, the traditional ways of celebrating are not advised as coronavirus cases continue to spike across the country.

For nearly the past year, holidays and special occasions — from Easter to birthdays — have had to adapt under this socially distanced time by going virtual or moving outdoors.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its holiday guidelines, which include avoiding potluck-style gatherings; not convening in crowded, indoor spaces with individuals not part of your household; and avoiding singing or shouting, especially indoors.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued travel advisories urging residents to stay local and to limit mingling with others outside of their immediate household. Those who come from out of state or another country are advised to self-quarantine for 14 days.

In the Golden State, large gatherings are still prohibited and must follow requirements such as: no more than three households and should be limit-

ed to two hours or less; outdoor gatherings in counties in the restrictive purple tier; higher-risk individuals (e.g. older adults and those with chronic medical conditions) are strongly urged not to attend; and limiting removal of face coverings to only when eating and drinking and maintaining 6 feet apart from others.

Despite the restrictions, there are creative ways to still mark this season of gratitude.

Keep the Thanksgiving meal attendees limited Though Filipinos generally enjoy any reason to gather in numbers, the pandemic is forcing families to make the tough decision of who can attend their respective feasts on Thanksgiving Day. For Jennifer Estacio, who runs the online Flip Family community, the Thanksgiving feast will begin earlier this year with intimate gatherings with both sides of the family.

“Since some of our families want to travel safely we will celebrate with one side a little earlier than Thanksgiving and have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner,” she said. “Then the other side of the family we will celebrate on Thanksgiving.

We get to have all our favorite Thanksgiving dishes twice and not overeat on Thanksgiving Day!” Roline Casper, a chef and restaurant owner in Vacaville, California, starts Thanksgiving morning fulfilling orders

for customers, but closes early so she and her staff can spend time with their families.

“As Filipino Americans, we have a few friends and family over for Thanksgiving because we enjoy sharing food with others and enjoy their company.

We always make sure to pray and give thanks before we eat.

However, this year will be just my immediate family due to the current pandemic,” Casper said.

Divide cooking tasks among family members Pacing out the cooking process and having family members contribute side dishes can help mitigate any stress on a day that is meant to be joyous.

For Val Fishbain, co-founder and president of Spread The Love, this year’s Thanksgiving dinner will be intimate with her family along with her sister’s family and their mother.

Their feast will have a duck at the center instead of turkey, while her husband contributes a cauliflower mash, mom makes pancit and lumpia, and sister and brother-in-law bring over a potato salad and roasted beets.

At Casper’s house, the Thanksgiving feast will feature traditional dishes with Filipino ingredients and flavors: an oven roasted turkey with tamarind leaves, calamansi and other herbs/spices; apple-persimmon stuffing; pochero, baked ube with cinnamon, cloves, and walnuts; and roasted whole kalabasa with coconut ginger cream. For dessert, they’ll have leche flan and baked spiced apples with homemade maple ice cream.

Host a virtual party Though social distancing is the norm, that doesn’t mean connecting with one another is lost. For the holiday, Zoom announced that it will lift its 40-minute time limit on meetings so “your family gatherings don’t get cut short.” Families that can’t be together in person can use technology to swap recipes and cook together, enjoy the feast together virtually, or play interactive games. Estacio’s Flipp Family has introduced various Filipino food and culture-related crafts and activity books that can be enjoyed by all ages.

Order from a local Fil-Am business Though preparing a feast complete with the turkey as the star of the table is a traditional part of the holiday, families who don’t want to spend the day in the kitchen can choose to support a local Fil-Am restaurant offering meal packages.

In Southern California, several chefs and businesses have special family-style entrees and desserts to-go: Seafood City Market’s Grill City has several party kits complete with a meat option like cebuchon and a tray

u PAGE 11

Lola’s Pancit Bihon (Noodles with Vegetables) Serves 4

For this stir-fried noodle dish, my Lola would sit at the kitchen table cutting vegetables in her hand, mounds of snap peas, carrots, cabbage, and onions overflowing the bowl. It was a bounty, and it was about to feed 20 people all day long. These noodles are super thin, similar in texture to rice sticks.

Ingredients •1 pound dried thin rice noodles (the package will say “rice sticks” or “bihon”) • 1 tablespoon canola oil • 2/3 cup thinly sliced onion (½ small onion) • ¼ cup minced garlic (about 10 large cloves) • 1/3 cup thinly sliced celery (½ stalk) • 1/3 cup thinly sliced carrot (1 small carrot) • 4 cups Homemade Chicken Stock (page 44) • 1 cup Datu Puti or Silver Swan soy sauce (see page 60; available at Asian markets and on Amazon) • ½ medium green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced • 1 pound shredded meat from Poached Chicken (page 39/below) • ¼ to ½ cup fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving • ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions (2 to 3 scallions) • Hard-Cooked Eggs (page 125/below), sliced, for garnish (optional) Directions 1. Soak the noodles in a large bowl of cold water for 5 minutes, or until the noodles are softened. Drain thoroughly and set aside.

2. Heat a large wok over high heat until blistering hot. Add your oil, then cut the heat to medium and heat until you see the oil ripple, about 30 seconds.

Add the onion and garlic and stir-fry until the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the celery and carrot and stir-fry until softened, 2 to 4 minutes.

3. Add the chicken stock and soy sauce and stir to combine.

This will essentially deglaze the wok; make sure to scrape the fond (browned bits) from the bottom of the wok so nothing’s stuck there. Cook until the liquid is simmering, then gently fold in the drained noodles.

Add your cabbage and toss with tongs to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, until the noodles have absorbed the liquid, about 7 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until the chicken is heated through, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat if the noodles start to stick to the wok.

4. Plate the noodles, sprinkle the lemon juice and scallions over the top, garnish with hardcooked eggs, and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Poached Chicken Makes 1 chicken Ingredients • 1 (5-pound) whole chicken • 1 cup kosher salt, plus more for seasoning Directions 1. Remove any giblets from the chicken and reserve for Goto (page 41). Rinse the chicken under very cold water, salt the entire chicken liberally inside and out, and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour.

2. Fill a large stockpot with water and add the 1 cup salt.

Bring the water to a boil, then cut the heat until the water is slowly simmering. Add the room-temperature chicken and let the chicken bathe in the slow-simmering water until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 155°F, 25 to 35 minutes.

3. Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Slide your spider under the bot-tom of the chicken, hook your tongs into the cavity, and airlift it out of the pot and into your ice bath. Submerge the chicken fully to stop the cooking, and leave it in the ice bath until cool enough to handle, 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Drain the chicken. Carefully peel off the skin with a sharp knife or your hands, and save it to make Chicharon (recipe follows), the perfect garnish for arroz caldo. Shred the meat into even pieces. Discard the bones.

Hard-Cooked Eggs Makes 12 eggs Ingredients • 12 large eggs Directions 1. Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the water is at a rolling boil, add the eggs and let them boil for 7 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice and water. Pull the eggs out of the pot and dunk them in the ice bath for 15 minutes to stop the cook-ing. Run the eggs under cold water, peel, and I promise, you will have perfect hard-cooked eggs every time.

Excerpted from AMBOY: Recipes from the Filipino-American Dream © 2020 by Alvin Cailan.

Photography © 2020 by Wyatt Conlon. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

As large gatherings and travel are not advised for this year’s Thanksgiving, many families will be connecting with relatives and friends through technology.

AJPress Illustration by

Jillian Penalosa & Godwin Gasacao

Features

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Thoughts on Thanksgiving Day Our Life and Times

By Simeon G. Silverio, Jr. IT IS always nice to see friends and relatives on Thanksgiving Day. It is a time to compare and exchange notes, catch up with one another’s lives, and share each other’s problems and successes.

(In time for Thanksgiving, Mr. Silverio shares a reprint of his column published in 2004 in the San Diego Asian Journal. -- Editor) San Diego, California November 24, 2004 I WOKE up at 4 o’clock in the morning today, Thanksgiving Day, 2004. I usually wake up at about that time, drink my one and only cup of coffee for the day, and sit down before my computer to check my e-mails and record some thoughts.

When I feel sleepy at five a.m., I go back to bed, and sleep till 8 or 9 in the morning, depending on if I wake up when my wife prepares for work.

This time, however, I needed to stay awake until seven a.m., the time when I should put the turkey in the oven, in preparation for our Thanksgiving feast five hours later. Yesterday, my wife called me from work and told me to make sure to buy a turkey for today’s feast.

I dropped what I was doing, went to Ralph’s Grocery Store and got one of those Butterball turkeys. I do not know why they call them “Butterballs” but the name surely hits the mark. It sounds delicious and goads people, at least me, to choose the brand.

“Are you going to cook this tomorrow?” the grocery clerk at the counter asked me.

“Yes,” I said.

“Honey, no matter how much you thaw this, it sure won’t be ready tomorrow!” she said. “You need to go back and ask the butcher for a fresh turkey.”

I was grateful for the very compassionate clerk. If it were not for her, we would be eating our Thanksgiving turkey two days later.

I went to the place where the butcher said fresh turkeys were on display, but I could not find any. I was about to give up when I saw hidden underneath the frozen ones the one and only fresh turkey left in stock. It was still my lucky day!

Simple Roasting a turkey is simple.

There are always instructions in each wrapper. And even if one roasts a turkey only once a year, on Thanksgiving Day, the instructions are easy to follow.

The problem is they do not indicate whether to set the oven to “broil” or “bake”. This is the part I always forget and get confused

every year. I was tempted to get outside help, like a lifeline on the TV quiz show, “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.?” Still, that early in the morning my friends may get annoyed if I call and wake them up.

“Happy Thanksgiving!”

I might greet them. “By the way, now that I woke you up, when roasting a turkey, do you set the oven to ‘bake’ or ‘broil’?”

My greeting might not sound sincere.

I took my chance and set the dial to “bake” with the term “baked chicken” sounding familiar in my ears. When I went back to bed and unintentionally woke my wife, she asked: “Did you put the turkey in the oven?”

I proudly answered yes, and casually asked: “Should I set the dial to “bake” or “broil”?

“Bake,” she said.

I went back to sleep with a smile.

Thanksgiving weekend Two days ago, I picked up my youngest daughter from the airport who was flying in from her school in the East Coast for the Thanksgiving weekend. Worried that my daughter might be hungry by the time she arrived at 10 in the evening, my wife told me to pick up carne asada burrito and a Mexican drink of hortacha at Lolita’s Mexican fast-food on my way to the airport.

Signs of Thanksgiving holidays were evident at the airport’s entry with cars lining up to pick up passengers at the curb. I did not have a problem getting a parking space, however. The sight of the arriving passengers hugging their relatives and friends who came to pick them up makes one realize what Thanksgiving in America is all about: family reunions.

People from all over the United States take time to travel either by car, train, bus or plane to come home on Thanksgiving Day. Some arriving students wore sweatshirts with their school logos. They must be the freshmen who came home from college for the first time, still brimming with pride for being accepted in their respective schools.

Dead battery When I grabbed my cell phone to call up my daughter, I found out that its battery was dead. I remembered forgetting to charge the battery the night before, and there was no way I could call her except by means of a pay phone.

I needed fifty cents to make a call but I only got four ten cents and two one-cent coins, 8 cents short of the required amount. It always happens to me. I always come up with a few cents short of what I always needed. It seems that fate is always teasing me.

I was forced to get in contact with my daughter the “primitive” way: Looking at everyone’s face one by one. It was like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. I checked the baggage claim area; I waited for each arriving passenger at the exit, but

to no avail. I decided to step outside to get fresh air when I saw her waiting by the curb. We hugged each other and went to the car. The delicious carne asada burrito and hortacha made up for my failure to get hold of her right away. One down, two to go.

The next day, my second daughter came down from her school in the bay area in California by driving her car. She needed to leave her car home till after her Christmas vacation.

With my eldest daughter living in her own apartment in San Diego, our family was complete for a pre-Thanksgiving dinner yesterday.

Golden brown By twelve noon, the turkey was golden brown and ready for the feast. We brought it to the house of my wife’s aunt for a clan’s Thanksgiving reunion. Everybody was there and the food was plentiful. Aside from turkey, we had corn bread, pumpkin and pecan pies, leche flan, ube, pancit and other Filipino dishes brought in by the others. I enjoyed the Lengua Estofada that the hostess prepared.

During my first Thanksgiving in America, I did not care much for turkeys. We Filipinos find their taste bland. In fact, in many Filipino homes, native dishes like lechon (roast pig) are served in their place. But as the years went by, I acquired the taste. I also had a much better appreciation of Thanksgiving Day. For many immigrants like us, the saying, “When in Rome, do what the Romans do,” holds true.

It is always nice to see friends and relatives on Thanksgiving Day. It is a time to compare and exchange notes, catch up with one another’s lives, and share each other’s problems and successes.

At six in the evening, we left and watched a movie, “The Incredibles.” We went home to partake of a late evening snack afterwards. Like many other families in America, we will be eating turkey sandwiches during the next few days.

Tomorrow, everyone is gearing up to wake up early to get the best bargains during the big Thanksgiving Sales, called “Black Friday”, in most department stores. It is always the biggest sale of the year. It is where the saying, “the early bird catches the worm,” aptly applies.

My 22nd Thanksgiving in America is history and I am now looking forward to my 23rd next year. As we should always say in our prayers everyday, not only on Thanksgiving Day, thank you Lord for the blessings we all enjoy! *** 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.

***

For feedback, send email to the author at simeonsilverio@yahoo.com

Catriona on checking one’s physical and mental health

by Nika

Roque ManilaTimes.net

NO one is spared from the continuing challenges brought about by the pandemic — not even singer, Miss Universe 2018, and cultural advocate Catriona Gray.

During the whole lockdown period, Gray has not been living in the same home as her family.

Work did not stop for the multi-hyphenate too, which is why she has to continue to take care of her health now more than ever.

Asked about what she has been doing to cope and look after herself these past few months, the 26-year-old shared that though the world has changed, the smallest activities — although mostly done online — help her get by.

“It has been difficult for me to find time to workout because it’s all become virtual. I do a lot of Pilates virtually because I have back problems and it really helps me with my posture as I’m always in heels,” Gray answered The Manila Times during the virtual launching of her newest endorsement.

Thankfully never experiencing a serious illness, she has seen the effects of her lack of sleep because of work and when she does not eat the healthiest food. Gray mentioned that there were times when she feels sluggish because of the nature of her job, reason why she regularly takes Vitamin C supplements.

With this, matched with her strong advocacy for supporting Filipino talent, Gray was tapped to become the newest celebrity ambassador for Santé, a homegrown distribution and direct-selling company that offers organic health and wellness products.

The beauty queen was tapped for the Daily C brand, a convenient non-acidic supplement best for families and young professionals who work all day. This ex-

As someone who had to continue working, Catriona Gray makes it a point to take care of her physical and mental health.

Photo from Instagram_@catriona_gray

tra dose of Vitamin C aids the immune system and adds an extra level of protection, which is why Gray said that she always carries around a packet given her heavy workload.

In addition to that, she believes that taking care of her mental health is just as important.

“Mental health naman — it has been so difficult to navigate.

I think a lot of us can relate that it has been quite an isolating season. Especially me, I’m away from my parents, I’m an only child.

That has been a really hard thing to go through for almost nine months na,” Gray explained.

“But it’s really just finding whatever way I can to stay in contact with them. Mostly it is through virtual [which is a] way that I can find that can keep that interaction. It makes so much difference,” she said.

“And then aside from that, find-

ing time to really check in with myself and how I feel, how am I coping, just having those moments of really [asking myself] like, ‘if I’m not okay, what can I do about it?’ Rather than ignoring it and putting it on the backburner so that it develops into something worse.”

And to further prevent the spreading of any harmful symptoms among the people she works and interacts with, Gray believes that in wearing masks, washing hands, practicing social distancing, as well as looking at the food being eaten, and taking other safety precautions seriously also means that “it’s protecting ourselves, but it’s also respecting our family, our community, and looking out for everyone.

“Check in with yourself. Surround yourself with good energy and the people that you love,” she ended.

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Nanette on what she learned from showbiz: ‘Don’t waste your platform’

by Niña

V. Guno

Inquirer.net

NANETTE Medved-Po made her name as a stunning leading lady in the 1990s, starring opposite top male leads of the time — most notably Fernando Poe Jr. And of course, how could anyone forget her iconic role as the beloved superhero Darna?

Today, she is better known for leading social enterprises.

Her brainchild is Generation Hope, which is anchored on the belief that businesses can make a profit and still contribute to social good.

Hope’s flagship product, bottled water called Hope in a Bottle, donates 100% of its profits to Friends of Hope, which builds classrooms in remote areas of the country. She stresses that Hope is in the business of impact, rather than simply selling water.

Medved-Po collects no salary for her efforts as director of Generation Hope and president of Friends of Hope. “I’m fine, my husband provides wonderfully for us and I don’t think it would be right,” she told CNBC in 2018.

Her husband happens to be

Nanette Medved-Po with beneficiaries of a school from her non-profit Friends of Hope.

Photo from Facebook/@nanettepo

Chris Po, son of Ricardo Po Sr., founder of Century Pacific, which carries the country’s canned food staples such as Century Tuna and canned sardines 555. Forbes puts the Po patriarch among the top 20 richest Filipinos.

The couple, who tied the knot in an intimate South African wedding in 1999, faced scrutiny for their relationship; a Filipino-Chinese tycoon’s son with an actress flouted tradition. As Chris lost his place in his family’s company, the two stuck it out, with Medved-Po

helping her husband chart his own path in the world of business, according to an interview with Esquire in 2019. Perhaps it helped that Medved-Po had her own background in business, having graduated summa cum laude from Babson College with degrees in finance and entrepreneurship.

Besides being partners in building their careers, the couple grew their family and are raising two kids. Medved-Po and her husband have since been given key roles in the

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How to celebrate Thanksgiving...

PAGE 10 t of pancit and leche flan; Petite Peso in Downtown LA is selling platters from kare kare to sans rival meringue cookies that can serve 6-8 people; Ma’am Sir and Obe & Del’s Coffee are collaborating on ube passionfruit cheesecake and banana bibingka loaf cake with a pandan glaze; and Tatang and AJ’s Tex Mex & BBQ have two meal package options that include a whole smoked turkey, crispy pata, ube swirled mashed potatoes, and more.

Share what you’re grateful for At the heart of the holiday is going around the table to share what you’re grateful for. Despite the ongoing pandemic and a host of challenges that 2020 has presented, families take this

moment to express gratitude.

For Fishbain, this year has been about living simply and shifting focus on important things like family time. ”So very grateful for the pandemic forcing us to stay in, live within our simple means and pay attention to really important things in life such as love and family. The pandemic also forced us to look out-of-the-box when it comes to learning options for our kids. We took them out of their elementary school to be in a homeschool learning pod (six neighborhood kids) that we created ourselves. Now they are thriving and learning so much from a credentialed teacher without having to do distance learning on the computer. I trust that we’ll figure things out again when it’s time

for them to go back to school,” she said.

Casper’s restaurant, Roline’s Uniquely Filipino, has weathered COVID-19 restrictions and the Vacaville fires in recent months.

“I am grateful for my family and team members for being safe and healthy, customers are supporting us and keeping our restaurant open, and at the same time, we were able to donate and give back to our community. My cookbook came out in March at the height of COVID-19 and was a #1 new release on Amazon. No matter how challenging the circumstances present themselves to be, I am thankful each day to have the strength to move forward and be resilient,” she said.

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Raised in the USA on Filipino roots

by Ricky Lo Philstar.com

THE 2021 Ginebra San Miguel Calendar Girl is imported from California, U.S.A. Christelle Abello, 26, may look familiar since last month she finished a semi-finalist in the 2020 Miss Universe Philippines pageant won by Rabiya Mateo.

The 2021 edition of the calendar is very timely as it captures today’s “new normal” at home in six different layouts (four of which are published on this page). With the theme “Ganado sa Bahay,” the calendars feature Christelle being “ganado,” motivated and productive even amid the COVID-19 pandemic — working from home, honing her creativity and discovering new skills and taking care of her body and well-being.

“More than just a pretty face, Christelle personifies our latest campaign ‘One Ginebra Nation.’ We were not only charmed by her intelligence, but also by her optimism, her courage, her never-say-die spirit, her heart for others and love for her kababayan,” related Ginebra San Miguel, Inc. (GSMI) sales and marketing manager Allan Mercado.

For Christelle, being chosen as the next Ginebra San Miguel calendar girl is an opportunity of a lifetime.

“I’m so thrilled. I’m so proud and honored to represent Ginebra San Miguel. I’m so grateful to be a part of such an iconic and historical brand,” she said.

To prepare for the shoot, Christelle made sure that she was both physically and mentally ready.

“I’ve been doing a lot of weights and cardio workouts.

I’ve become accustomed to that lifestyle not because I want to look good physically but also because I want to feel good mentally. And I think that’s really important, especially at this time,” shared Christelle who at the start of the pandemic put up a fund-raising effort called Kapit-bisig Tayo to assist healthcare workers.

Christelle was born to Filipino parents. Her father is from Kalibo, Aklan (which she represented in the Miss U Philippines pageant) while her mother is from Silang, Cavite.

She graduated with a degree in

Christelle Abello Photo from Instagram/@christelleabello

Communication from California State University San Marcos.

While she spent most of her life in the U.S., Christelle has always been in touch with her Filipino roots.

“My mom heavily enforced Filipino culture and values at home. She wanted my sister and I to learn Tagalog, and what better way to learn it than through watching teleseryes and movies. So, I grew up watching KathNiel’s Got to Believe, and A Very Special Love,” revealed Christelle who dreams of starring in her own teleserye or movie.

Christelle admitted that the never-say-die story of Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach also inspired her to pursue her other dream — to become a beauty queen.

Recalled Christelle, “Back in the day, my dad would tell me stories about (Robert) Jaworski and that even if the team was falling behind in a PBA game, people would still cheer them on and were confident that they would come back strong and win the game because of their never-say-die attitude. I think Barangay Ginebra resonates with Filipinos so well with who we are as people, resilient despite the adversities that come our way.”

Among those who became a Ginebra calendar girl were Pia, Arci Muñoz (2018), Kim Domingo (2017), Marian Rivera (2009 and 2014) and Sanya Lopez (2020).

How else did you prepare

for the shoot?

“Well personally, I love to eat! So, I had to follow a strict diet and ensured that I worked out at least three times a week. I also believe in having a healthy body and mind. Prioritizing rest and cutting out any negativity was vital for my preparation. Siyempre, dapat parating ‘Ganado sa Buhay!’”

What kind of diet do you follow (what’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner)?

“I love starting my day healthy. Breakfast can range from oats and grains to fruits and protein. For example, I love nilagang saba and pomelo because I love how much energy it can give me while also not being too heavy on my stomach.

“I tend to eat a heavy lunch so that I can keep it light for dinner. For lunch, I go for protein, such as chicken breast, alongside brown rice para good carbs, and steamed vegetables.

“For dinner, I usually go for egg whites and veggies.

“I also don’t eat three times a day only. It’s better for me to spread out my meals but in smaller portions. Snacking is a must for me or else gugutomin ko lang ang sarili ko if I only eat three times a day.”

How much water do you take per day (what about soda, coffee or tea)?

“Water lang talaga ako! I don’t drink coffee because I’ve never been inclined to drink it. Di ko siya nagustuhan once kaya never again did I have coffee. I love water and water will always be my No. 1 and go to drink forever.”

Food that you avoid and food that you usually crave for?

“I don’t necessarily avoid food because if I do, I will deprive myself which is unnecessary. I believe in proper portion control and as long as I work out to compensate for what I’ve eaten, then it’s a balanced and healthy life. When it comes to indulging, I crave all types of junk food! From chocolate to ice cream, lahat lahat, matakaw ako.”

What workout do you do and how often do you do it?

“At least three to four times a week! I usually follow a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and I also like to lift some weights because it keeps me

u PAGE 14

Sitti returns to the music scene with ‘Tahan’

by Boy

Abunda Philstar.com

SITTI’S soothing voice can melt even the coldest heart.

Anyone can find solace while listening to her songs that speak about love, inspiration, hope and dreams. As the Philippines’ Bossa Nova Queen, Sitti is truly a class of her own.

She pours her heart and soul into every performance. She mesmerizes her audience with her seductive tonal palette.

Over the years, Sitti’s passion for her craft remains intense while her musical interests expand to greater heights. She is never afraid to try something new for the love of music.

u PAGE 14

Sitti’s first inspirational release was born during the pandemic .

Philstar.com photos

Nanette on what she...

PAGE 11t family. Chris is now Century’s executive chairperson, while Medved-Po was named chairperson of the Po family council last year.

The Russian-Chinese actress-turned-entrepreneur is still a head-turner at 49, and could fit right back into movies or TV If she wanted to. But it will take a lot to pull her out of her philanthropic efforts.

Besides building classrooms, Medved-Po’s advocacies now include the Plastic Credit Exchange, which encourages businesses to offset their plastic footprint.

In this edition of Take 10, Medved-Po chatted with INQUIRER.net about what she has learned from being in entertainment and her insights on the change desperately needed in the world.

What is your earliest memory of realizing you could make a difference?

Intimately, I think it was the relationship with my father. But publicly, I think it was show business, seeing the influence that celebrities have on their fans, for better or for worse.

What is a lesson from the entertainment industry that you still carry with you?

Don’t waste your platform.

Do you ever miss acting or the showbiz scene?

I think I miss the fun projects

and wonderful people. But I also love what I do now.

You played memorable roles during your career, in “Hiram Na Mukha” with Christopher De Leon, when you co-starred with Fernando Poe, Jr. in the hits “Dito sa Pitong Gatang” and “Ang Dalubhasa,” and of course as “Darna.” Among all these, what has been your most favorite role?

Oh, wow. Each role was different so I worry about picking a favorite. Darna was certainly a dream come true, right? But Ronnie — FPJ — he was in a league of his own for so many reasons so he might be my unparalleled favorite (laughter).

In life, aside from working on your advocacies, you also play the role of a mother. How are you as a mom?

I don’t know. I’m hands-off.

Because that’s how I was raised.

If you could change something from the past, what would it be?

I think I would’ve liked to realize the potential to influence from my platform earlier.

What has been your biggest disappointment?

(Laughter) I don’t think you have enough space or time for all of that.

I think maybe seeing how polarized the world has become and our inability to unite around the really critical issues that affect us all. I think that would be

my biggest disappointment.

What do you consider as your greatest achievement?

My choice of husband.

Who do you look up to as a leader?

My gosh, there’s so many.

Depends on what for. I’m a huge fan of Lee Kuan Yew. I don’t know, Bill Gates? I have huge respect for Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Eleanor Roosevelt.

I have high hopes for President [Paul] Kagame in Rwanda, so we’ll see. There’s so many.

What do you wish would change — or stay the same — after the pandemic?

I hope we can all act on the systemic change that is so needed in our world. We should not aim to go back to normal. We need to do better. Business as usual didn’t work. It failed us.

This pandemic showed us how vulnerable the world can be.

But it also showed us how we can really work together on the most important issues that impact us all. How do we solve inequality, close the gaps in wealth, education, health? How do we protect the planet? Those are the big issues, ‘di ba (right)?

So at the risk of sounding nerdy — wala na (oh well), I think I blew that already — I have hope in what we can do together because I see it in the work that we do every day. The better angels of our nature.

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Community

Seafood City Supermarket launches ‘My Online Suki’ rewards program, holiday meal packages

SEAFOOD City Supermarket and Grill City introduce “My Online Suki,” which offers customers exclusive online frequency rewards and specials through the supermarket’s mobile app.

Customers who register online can now enjoy exclusive introductory rewards from Seafood City and Grill City after shopping a number of times.

These include a free case of 24 pack SFC bottled water from Seafood City, or free 2 item combo meal from Grill City on a customer’s third time to shop; free 10lbs of Long Life calrose rice from Seafood City, or free 4pcs of BBQ value from Grill City on the sixth time; free 12 pack of Pamana champorado from Seafood City or 1pc crispy pata from Grill City on the ninth time; and free 25lbs of Pamana jasmine rice from Seafood City or 1pc Cebuchon from Grill City on the 12th time.

Seafood City has a $60 minimum purchase to count as a frequency transaction, while Grill City has a $20 minimum purchase.

Through their online apps, customers can now also pre-order products online to avoid the rush brought by the holiday season.

For Seafood City, customers need to select the shop or store they prefer on the app, reserve the date and time of the delivery, and choose whether they want pickup or delivery.

With Thanksgiving and Christmas approaching, Grill City is encouraging customers to place their orders for party packages and trays in advance to avoid the holiday rush.

Through the app or Grill City’s hotline (1-877-446-4969), customers can reserve the date and time of the delivery, and choose whether they want pickup or delivery.

The pre-orders have a lead time of 15 days before pick-up or delivery, giving enough time for the stores to meticulously prepare the orders and successfully serve their customers.

SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 20-26, 2020

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SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL

Recipe Corner

Filipino Spaghetti

Grill City has also announced a Holiday Party Package for $109.99 (plus tax) that can feed between six to eight individuals.

The options include: the Cebuchon Party Package with a full Cebuchon slab, 2 pieces of Hardinera, half tray of pancit bihon and 2 leche flans; the Crispy Pata Party Package with 3 Crispy Patas, 2 pieces Hardinera, half tray of pancit bihon and 2 leche flans; the Crispy Bagnet Party Package featuring a 4.5 lb bagnet, 2 pieces Hardinera, half tray of pancit bihon and 2 leche flans; or the Barbecue Party Package with 18 pieces of pork or chicken BBQ, 2 pieces Hardinera, half tray of pancit bihon and 2 leche flans.

The promo is available at any Grill City U.S. location and should be ordered at least three days before pick-up.

Famous for its Filipino-style pork and chicken barbecue, Grill City serves authentic Filipino grilled favorites. It offers delicious grilled choices like inihaw na liempo (grilled pork

belly), stuffed squid and fish (tilapia, pompano and bangus).

As side dishes, classic Pinoy viands are available like adobo, kare-kare, sinigang, nilaga, bopiz, kaldereta and menudo.

With Grill City, families can enjoy delicious grilled and classic favorites with authentic Pinoy ingredients, without the hassle of cooking and grilling at home.

Seafood City Supermarket offers quality and authentic Filipino specialties at the most affordable prices. Launched in 1989, it was the first-ever grocery store that Filipino-Americans could go to, which had led to more stores opening all over California, followed by stores in Nevada, Washington State, Hawaii and Chicago. Seafood City’s locations included iconic Filipino brands like Jollibee, Red Ribbon, Chowking, Philippine National Bank, Atlas Remittance and other brands popular to Filipinos anywhere in the world.

(Advertising Supplement)

Filipino cooking has had a tradition of cooking a foreign dish but substituting ingredients available in the market and suiting the taste to the Filipino palate.

Our version of the Italian spaghetti is sweeter than the original, uses canned processed meat and employs cheddar cheese instead of the traditional Parmesan.

Ingredients 1 pack PAGASA Spaghetti Pasta 1 tbsp Crisco Vegetable Oil 1 can Argentina Luncheon Meat, cut into small cubes 1/2 lb hotdog, sliced crosswise thinly 1 pc medium onion, peeled and sliced 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 2 cups HUNTS Spaghetti Sauce 2 tbsp tomato paste 5 tbsp heavy cream 1/4 cup white sugar Salt and pepper, to taste Kraft Cheddar Cheese Easy Open Can, grated Directions 1. Follow the instructions on how to

cook Spaghetti Pasta. When done, set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large pan, put in the oil and fry hotdogs and luncheon meat.

Set aside.

3. In the same pan, sauté onion and garlic. Add back the hotdogs and luncheon meat.

4. Add the Spaghetti Sauce, tomato paste, heavy cream and sugar with the meats. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Cover and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

6. Serve meat sauce on top of cooked spaghetti.

7. Sprinkle with a generous helping of grated cheddar cheese.

This recipe is provided courtesy of Seafood City. Visit their Facebook Page or http://www.seafoodcity.com for more recipes. If you have any recipes that you would like to share with Asian Journal readers, please send email to editor@asianjournalinc. com or info@asianjournalinc.com, and include a photo of your dish.

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NOVEMBER 20-26, 2020 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL

Community

Why Khalil is reluctant to work with girlfriend Gabbi by

Allan Policarpio Inquirer.net

AT first, Khalil Ramos was admittedly wary of working with his girlfriend, Gabbi Garcia, fearing that it could negatively affect their relationship.

“Unlike other couples who meet on set and then grew close to each other, Gabbi and I met outside work and our relationship had stayed like that for a long time. In our first two years or so, we wanted to be as private as possible because we value our relationship so much that we didn’t want to mix it with work,” Khalil said in a recent virtual conference.

As such, being signed under different networks worked for the two: Khalil had been with ABS-CBN, since finishing second in the third season of the talent tilt “Pilipinas Got Talent” in 2011; Gabbi, with GMA 7 since 2013. “We wanted to have different things to talk about… and there was less pressure, too,” the 24-year-old actor-singer pointed out.

But as time wore on, Khalil and Gabbi managed to build a “strong foundation.” Now that they have been together for almost four years, the couple feels more secure and comfortable about the idea of pursuing projects together.

This is one of the main reasons that convinced Khalil to make the jump and join Gabbi at the Kapuso network.

“For sure, it would be a big change; we would be seeing each other a lot more. And that’s an advantage now. We’re confident that this wouldn’t affect us because we’re happy under one network, with more opportunities to collaborate creatively,” related Khalil, who signed a contract with

Last call for economic impact payments: Nov. 21 at 3 ET

HAVE you gotten your Economic Impact Payment yet? If you haven’t, time is running out. You have until November 21 at 3pm Eastern Time to enter your information with the IRS. Here’s the drill: • If you didn’t file a tax return in 2019, and you haven’t gotten your check, enter your information with the IRS right now.

• If you get Social Security, Railroad Retirement, or VA

benefits, and you got your check, but you didn’t get one for your spouse or child, enter your information with the IRS right now.

Do you know somebody who might be in one of these groups? Please call them right now. Make sure they’ve gotten the money they’re entitled to. If they haven’t, send them to IRS.gov/EIP right away. (If you’re sending them the link by email, this one is more direct – but

if you’re calling to walk them through it online, they can go to IRS.gov/EIP and click the link under “Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here.”)

We can all use a little help right now. So file your information to get your check, if you haven’t. And help someone else get theirs, if you can. And thanks.

(Jennifer Leach/Associate Director, Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC)

Sitti returns to the music...

Khalil Ramos with girlfriend Gabbi Garcia

GMA Artist Center last October.

Khalil, whose first project with Gabbi was the 2019 romantic drama film “LSS,” is set to team up with his girlfriend in the coming GMA News and Public Affairs series “Love You Stranger.” And outside mainstream show biz, they work together for their digital content.

“I would love to work with her more and do creative collaborations. And don’t be surprised to see us in more projects together in the future,” Khalil said. “It’s also a different, fascinating experience to see her in work mode…

We learn from each other.” Another thing that figured in his decision to transfer network is the possibility of working behind the scenes. Aside from acting and singing, the two things he’s known primarily for, Khalil is also a budding writer and director.

“During our talks, the Artist Center asked me about my future plans and the trajectory I see my-

Photo from Instagram/@khalilramos

self taking as an artist. I feel like I will have platforms at GMA 7, not only for acting and singing. They also showed tremendous support, from the get-go, and talked to me about opportunities of doing production work,” he related.

Khalil had digital filmmaking lessons at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. Earlier this year, he was chosen as a participant in the iconic Ricky Lee’s scriptwriting workshops.

“The plan is to come up with my own script,” Khalil said. “I was excited telling GMA that I could probably pitch stories to them in the future. And hopefully I could direct my own project one day.”

Another dream of Khalil is hosting a travel and culinary show. “I’m a big fan of ‘Somebody Feed Phil’ and ‘No Reservations.’ If things turn out well, I would like to do that,” he said.

“It’s heartening to know that they believe in my potential as a storyteller.”

Raised in the USA on Filipino roots...

PAGE 11 t toned.”

Vulnerable part of the body?

“Depends on the time.”

Part that needs improvement?

“Side stomach! My dream is to minimize my ‘muffin top.’

I also want to have stronger arms and legs.”

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Favorite part of your body?

“My smile! Does that count?

Hahaha!!!”

Favorite part of a man’s body?

“Depende sa man.”

How do you cope with stress?

“Cut out negativity in my life! I run to my family and loved ones for emotional sup-

port and love.”

Last thing that you do before you go to sleep?

“Brush my teeth, wash my face and drink plenty of water.”

First thing that you do as soon as you wake up?

“Workout if kaya ng body ko, hehehe!!! IF THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY!”

PAGE 12 t Sitti returns to the musical scene with her first inspirational release, Tahan. “I wrote Tahan one evening in early May; it was born during this pandemic. I was feeling so much all at the same time — confused, sad, unsure, afraid and anxious. This pandemic has really shaken me and I often thought about those whose livelihoods were displaced, those who have lost their loved ones, how they couldn’t even give them proper burials and how uncertain all of life truly is. Tahan was also inspired by the Book of Psalms — how David just poured out his whole heart to God without holding anything back. Feeling all of these, I let it all go in a song,” she shared.

The song encourages everyone to lift up and surrender everything to the Lord. Sitti admitted crying several times during the process of creating Tahan. “I cried as I wrote the song, cried at the end of my first recording session, cried again as I listened to the first rough mix.”

Sitti hopes that her latest single could help people get through this difficult time due to the global pandemic. “I hope it heals them. I hope it strengthens their faith and encourages them that Our Heavenly Father holds us in the palms of His hands and cares for all of our worries,” she said.

Tahan is released under Widescope Entertainment and available on all digital platforms such as iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon and Deezer.

Sitti is thankful that she was able to write again and be healed in the process of writing during this uncertain time. She talked about her creative process when composing songs. “For Tahan, I just cried it all out. Being a mother of a toddler, it’s been harder lately to get into that creative space to be able to write. I had to intentionally seek out that space, that quiet, to be able to let the song make its way out from me.

The only ritual I can think of is my journaling. I try to fill up a page of my journal every day with anything that comes to my mind, unedited, free-flowing. I’ve read somewhere that it helps a lot in unblocking creativity.”

On the homefront, Sitti is singing a happier tune as she enjoys spending quality time with her family. She shared about her precious moments with husband Joey (Ramirez) and daughter Issiah Dañelle (fondly called Lilibubs). “The early hours of the evening after the little one falls asleep and it’s just me and my husband in our room doing our own things, being together. That is a time of companionable relaxation after a full day. With Lilibubs, moments when we play together and I make her laugh. Whatever sadness I feel dissipates quickly.”

According to Sitti, her idea of “me” time is having a meal by herself while reading or going for a leisurely-paced run while listening to a preaching or to music. She likes to learn how to play the cello someday.

“There’s just something about

it that puts me in the most romantic, dreamy moods,” she explained about the musical instrument.

Sitti has ventured into a completely new business when many have become plantitas or plantitos during the quarantine. “We started a homebased food business selling our Manang Klim’s Bacolod-style homemade naked chorizo. It’s an entirely different experience from singing but also very rewarding, especially when we get repeat orders and develop our own following. We started selling cooked pork naked chorizo and have since expanded by making chicken chorizo and chorizo burger patties. It’s different but also exciting.”

We are groping in the dark not knowing when this pandemic will be over. A lot of people are experiencing stress and anxiety these days. Sitti overcomes these negative emotions by beginning her day with daily devotion and prayer. “First, I thank the Lord for His faithfulness and for His encouraging Word and for His continued protection and provision unto us. Then I pray for whatever comes to my mind — continued provision and protection for our family and friends, healing for the sick, protection of our frontliners, guidance for our government and strengthened faith for us all to get through.”

Sitti has a message of hope to everyone. “One day this will all be over. Let’s all keep what faith we have until then, and be there for each other and support each other even in the littlest of ways.”

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