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NOVEMBER 23-29, 2023 Volume 34 - No. 47 • 12 Pages

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DATELINE USA FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Is Novavax, the latecomer COVID-19 vaccine, worth the wait?

ERIN Kissane, a co-founder of the COVID Tracking Project, rolled up her sleeve for the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine in mid-October soon after it was finally recommended in the United States. Like many people with autoimmune diseases, she wants to protect herself from a potentially devastating COVID infection.

Kissane’s autoimmune arthritis seems to make her susceptible to unusual vaccine side effects. After getting an mRNA booster last year, her joints ached so painfully that her doctor prescribed steroids to dampen the inflammation. She still considers the mRNA vaccines “miraculous,” knowing COVID could be far worse than temporary aches.

Nonetheless, when the pain subsided, she pored through studies on Novavax’s shot, a vaccine that is based on proteins rather than mRNA and has been used since early 2022 in other countries. Data from the United Kingdom found that people more frequently  PAGE 2

How misinformation may threaten the 2024 election AS the 2024 U.S. presidential election nears, misinformation threatens to make the race more of a battleground than a civic activity.

At a Friday, November 17 Ethnic Media Services briefing, experts in fair elections, civil rights, and digital justice discussed how misinformation, as an urgent threat to the 2024 elections, is spread by obstacles to voting access, social media misinformation, high turnover of election officials and artificial intelligence “deepfakes.”

Threats to voter access Gowri Ramachandran, deputy director of the Elections & Government Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, said that key to fair elections is undisrupted voter access.

Accordingly, election officials should be resilient “in the event of touchscreen voting machines breaking down, or electronic poll books becoming unusable, or a breach of the voter registration database.”

“We recommend practices like backing off the voter database well before the election, having plenty of emergency and provisional paper ballot supplies, and doing capacity testing for electronic systems,” she  PAGE 4

Marcos secures more than $672-M investment pledges from APEC meet

by KRISTINA MARALIT ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s participation in the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

(APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting resulted in more than $672 million in investment pledges from various sectors, Malacañang reported on Monday, November 20.

The investments include $400 million for the telecommunications sector; $250 million for semi-

conductor and electronics; $20 million in pharmaceutical and health care; $2 million for artificial intelligence (AI) for weather forecasting; and $0.3 million in renewable energy.

Marcos was also able to lock in commitments  PAGE 2

Marcos says no war with China over South China Sea

by JOSEPH L. PERALTA AJPress

SAN FRANCISCO – “I don’t think anybody wants to go to war,” Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos declared during a press briefing with media at the Ritz Carlton on Friday, November 17 when asked about tensions between China and the Philippines.

“That is the premise to all the discussions we’ve been having… how to maintain the peace so that the sea lanes and the airways over the South China Sea are open and continue to be the important gateway to Asia as it is today,” Marcos said as he explained how the talks between the two countries on easing tensions in the South China Sea are a work-in-progress and cannot be solved easily.

The president also said that both countries are sincere in their desire to keep the peace amid the growing tensions, noting that open communication between China and the Philippines is key to helping calm the heightened situation.

Marcos had requested for a meeting with Chinese HOLIDAY LANTERNS. Parol (Christmas lantern) maker, Denmar Delima, displays his lanterns along Tionko Street in Davao City on Wednesday, President Xi Jinping at the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Nov. 22. Delima sells the lanterns, made of bamboo and colored cellophane, for as low as P65 to as high as P1,100 each.

Economic Cooperation forum held from Nov. 11-17 in PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.  PAGE 4

Philippines population may reach 115 million by yearend

by RHODINA VILLANUEVA

population growth rate of 1.6 percent annually, according to Tacardon.

The Philippines is now 13th among the MANILA — The Philippines’ population most populous countries in the world. may reach 115 million by the end of the “Meanwhile, in the Asia-Pacific region, year, the Commission on Population and the Philippines is at seventh place,” Development (CPD) said on Monday, Tacardon said.

November 20.

He noted that the 1.6-percent increase “The Philippines, based on the 2020 in population growth rate annually meant census, has recorded 109 million Filipinos, that the country’s population “has already and it is estimated that it will reach around stabilized.”

115 million by the end of 2023,” CPD deputy “Total fertility rate (in the Philippines) Vice President Sara Duterte executive director Lolito Tacardon said in an showed that a woman of reproductive interview with “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon” health normally gives birth to two children program over government-run PTV. only. This is based on the 2022 Health The number is based on the country’s  PAGE 2 PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stood by Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, November 20, saying she does not deserve to be impeached and

by KRISTINA MARALIT Sunday, November 19 (Monday that he only has positive things ManilaTimes.net in Manila, November 20). “The to say about her work. situation has become more dire While claiming that it is not PRESIDENT Ferdinand than it was before.” unusual to hear about efforts to Marcos Jr. said the situation Marcos spoke during a oust a leader, Marcos said he is in the South China Sea “has question and answer session closely watching the issue bebecome more dire” as China after he delivered a talk at the cause he is against impeaching expands its presence in an area Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific the vice president, who was his where multiple nations have Center for Security Studies in runningmate in the 2022 eleccompeting territorial claims.

Honolulu. He stopped in Hawaii tions.

China has shown interest in to meet with U.S. military leaders “Binabantayan namin nang atolls and shoals that are “closer and the local Filipino community mabuti (We are monitoring it and closer” to the coast of the on his way home from an Asia- closely) because we don’t want Philippines, with the nearest Pacific Economic Cooperation her to be impeached,” Marcos atoll about 111 kilometers away, (APEC) summit meeting in San told reporters here. “She does Marcos said.

Francisco. not deserve to be impeached so “Unfortunately, I cannot The visit held both geopolitical we will make sure that this is RARE MEET. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. meets Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines report that the situation is and personal significance for something we will pay very close of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in San Francisco, California.

Marcos said Malacañang photo improving,”  PAGE 5 Philstar.com

Dispute with China ‘more dire’ – Pres. Marcos

Philstar.com file photo

‘We don’t want Sara impeached’ attention to.”

“Lahat naman kami mayroong ganyan eh (All of us have been through this). So, I don’t think it’s particularly unusual, I don’t think it’s particularly worrisome,” he added.

“There will always be an element that would want to change the result of an election,” he said.

He described his relationship with the vice president, who is also the education secretary, as “excellent.”

“On a professional level, nothing but good things to say about the work she has done in the Department of Education,” the president said.

Earlier, Alliance of Concerned Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said there were talks about impeaching Duterte at the  PAGE 2

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From The FronT Page

Marcos secures more than $672-M...

PAGE 1 in technological advancements across key priority sectors in the Philippines, which include the deployment of the first two Internet MicroGEO satellites dedicated to the Philippines.

The Department of Science and Technology and the U.S.based company, Atmo, have signed an agreement to develop Asia’s largest AI-driven weather forecasting program for the Phil-

ippines.

The president likewise initiated discussion for U.S. companies to invest $1 billion for the Philippine semiconductor industry. The Philippines and the United States have also agreed to work toward strengthening the Philippines’ semiconductor supply chain.

Marcos earlier maintained that the Philippines is ready to take off as the leading investment hub in Asia.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday, November 16 called for stronger economic and technical cooperation to ensure that green energy solutions are accessible and affordable to all.

Photo from PCO

‘We don’t want Sara...

PAGE 1

House of Representatives but leaders of the chamber denied this. Rumors about the supposed efforts to impeach Duterte came as the vice president is facing

controversy over her request for intelligence funds in the 2024 national budget.

The House of Representatives, dominated by the allies of Marcos, has realigned the

“With a solid reform agenda and unabating growth amid headwinds, the Philippines is ready to take off as a leading investment hub in Asia. A wealth of opportunity awaits you in the Philippines, and we are ready to explore new horizons with your investments in the coming years,” he noted during the Philippine Economic Briefing held in San Francisco.

He said the young and talented Filipino workforce will help in enticing investors.

“Because of our young workforce, we excel in tech. Technology is easy for us with the talent that we already have in the Philippines. We just need a little more upskilling, and we will already be at the forefront of this technology,” he said in a separate roundtable with the media delegation.

“So that’s what we were able to explore, and it just — it goes beyond just the application of technologies. It’s also how to open the markets to the different elements of the technology — the tech industry, such as the experts, the engineers, the coders, all of that,” he added. g combined P650-million confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education to security agencies dealing with the threats in the West Philippine Sea. (Alexis Romero, Michael Punongbayan, Ghio Ong/Philstar.com)

FOSTERING LOVE FOR READING. Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte (center) launches her children’s book “Isang Kaibigan” as she led this year’s celebration of Araw ng Pagbasa at the Esteban Abada Elementary School in Quezon City on Tuesday, Nov. 21. Quezon City Vice Mayor Gian Sotto (left) and Department of Education Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Gina Gonong joined the Vice President during the event, which aimed to foster a love for reading among learners and enhance their understanding of reading and literacy as pivotal in cultivating critical thinking.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

Is Novavax, the latecomer COVID-19 vaccine...

PAGE 1

reported temporary reactions — like low fevers, fatigue, and pain — as their immune system ramped up in the days following booster vaccination with Moderna’s mRNA vaccine versus the one by Pfizer. And those boosted with Novavax’s had fewer complaints than either of those. That finding was corroborated in an analysis of international data published last year.

Such studies have driven people with long covid and chronic fatigue syndrome (also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME/CFS) to seek out Novavax, too, since the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention greenlighted Novavax’s vaccine — updated to protect against recent omicron coronavirus variants — about three weeks after recommending updated mRNA vaccines in September.

Waiting paid off for Kissane, whose arm was briefly sore.

“It was a dramatically different experience for me,” she said. “I hope that plays out for others.”

Another group who waited on Novavax are biologists who geek out over its technology.

When asked why he opted for Novavax, Florian Krammer, a virologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, replied on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Because I am [a] vaccine nerd, I like insect cell produced vaccines.”

Whereas mRNA vaccines direct the body to produce spike proteins from the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which then train a person’s immune system to recognize and fight the virus, Novavax simply injects the proteins. These proteins are grown within moth cells in a laboratory, while other proteinbased shots use cells from mammals. And Novavax has said that a special ingredient derived from the bark of Chilean soapbark trees enhances the vaccine’s power.

Research suggests that the Novavax vaccine is about as safe and effective as the mRNA shots.

Its main disadvantage is arriving late to the scene. Vaccine uptake has plummeted since the first shots became widely available in 2021. Nearly 70% of people got the primary vaccines, compared with fewer than 20% opting for the mRNA covid boosters released last year. Numbers have dwindled further: As of Oct. 17, only 5% of people in the United States had gotten the latest covid vaccines, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Daniel Park, an epidemiologist at George Washington University, said low rates might improve if people who felt lousy after their last mRNA shots gave Novavax a try. It protects against severe illness, but researchers struggle to specify just how effective this and other vaccines are, at this point, because studies have gotten tricky to conduct: New coronavirus variants continuously emerge, and people have fluctuating levels of immunity from previous vaccines and infections.

Still, a recent study in Italy suggests that Novavax is comparable to mRNA vaccines. It remained more than 50% effective at preventing symptomatic covid four months after vaccination.

Some data suggests that mixing and matching different types of vaccines confers stronger protection — although other studies have found no benefit.

Given all this, Park held out for

the Novavax vaccine on account of its potentially milder side effects. “Between a demanding full-time job and two young kids at home, I wanted to stay operational,” he said. His arm was sore, but he didn’t have the 24-hour malaise accompanying his last mRNA shot.

Most people don’t strike a fever after mRNA shots. Even when they do, it is brief and therefore far less detrimental than many cases of covid. In fact, most reactions are so minor that they’re hard to interpret. During clinical trials on mRNA vaccines, for example, up to a third of people in the placebo group reported fatigue and headaches after injection.

People with ME/CFS and long covid — a potentially debilitating condition that persists months after a covid infection — have responded to covid vaccinations in a wide variety of ways. Most participants with long covid in an 83-person Canadian study said their levels of fatigue, concentration, and shortness of breath improved following vaccination.

Inflammatory proteins that have been linked to long covid dropped as well.

However, larger studies have yet to corroborate the hopeful finding. Jennifer Curtin, a doctor who co-founded a telehealth clinic focused on long covid and ME/ CFS, called RTHM, said vaccines seem to temporarily aggravate some patients’ conditions. To learn how Novavax compares, she posted polls on X in late October asking if people with long covid or ME/CFS felt that their symptoms worsened, improved, or stayed the same after Novavax.

Most replied: unchanged.

“It’s not scientific, but we need to figure it out since these folks don’t want to get covid,” Curtin said. “My patients are all wondering about what vaccine to get right now.”

Adding to the uncertainty, the rollout of Novavax and mRNA vaccines has been bumpy as pharmacies struggle to predict demand and insurance companies figure out how to reimburse providers for the shots. Unlike previous vaccine offerings, these options are no longer fully covered by the federal government. A testament to this season’s struggle to get vaccinated is that at least one dogooder has created an online tool to find open appointments for Novavax.

Buoyed by anecdotes of relief from others with long covid, Hayley Brown, a researcher at the Center for Economic and Policy Research who has the condition, opted for Novavax recently.

Unfortunately, her symptoms have flared. She said a temporary discomfort will still be preferable to risking another infection. “As someone with long covid, the idea of getting covid again is terrifying.” (Amy Maxmen/KFF Health News) KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

PAGE 1

age population, there is a chance to accelerate economic development,” he said.

“If all or many are working, all will contribute to development rather than receiving help from the government. There is positive contribution to economic development,” he added.

If the number of children in the family is manageable, there will be more investment when it comes to their health, studies and well-being as a family, according to Tacardon.

He said that the CPD is continuously addressing the increasing number of teenage pregnancy cases in the country. g

Philippines population may...

and Demographic Survey. This means that the total fertility level slows down the country’s population growth,” Tacardon explained.

At the same time, the CPD official stressed that the fertility rate has an impact on the country’s age structure.

“The dominant now is the working-age group population of 15 to 64 years old. The dependents, who are aged zero to 14, are getting fewer in number. Its implication is that if the country becomes successful in building human resources such as the working-

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How misinformation may threaten the...

PAGE 1 continued. “Small disruptions like these can be fodder for a lot of misinformation about how voters can vote, or even about the whole election being unfair.”

Another security threat to the upcoming election involves poll worker shortages — which occurred in 2020 due to the pandemic, particularly given that many poll volunteers tend to be elderly — but “you also get shortages when election workers feel unsafe due to threats and harassment,” Ramachandran said.

“To help poll workers feel safe, we recommend that election officials implement security upgrades like bulletproof glass and keycard access … and make it clear that threats like doxxing and disinformation will not be tolerated,” she added.

Offline consequences of online politics Social media companies play a major role in perpetuating misinformation, said Nora Benavidez, senior counsel and director of Digital Justice and Civil rights at Free Press. “Particularly since the January 6 insurrection, the biggest companies — Meta, Tik Tok, Google, YouTube, Twitter — finally seem to accept that their failure to moderate content played a role in undermining public safety and democracy.”

The tens of thousands of layoffs from these companies over the past year, deprioritizing accountability of accurate content, “point to where their values lie,” she added.

“There’s a downstream effect where mainstream media outlets, like CNN and the LA Times, often digest unverified misinformation and disinformation originating on social media … and that will have grave implications towards the next 12 months.”

To promote accurate content around the elections, Benavidez said these tech companies should reinvest in staffing teams to “moderate information and safeguard election integrity,” more efficiently moderate political ads across languages, develop increased transparency practices like data analytics reports shared with researchers, journalists and policymakers, and bolster political ad policies to prohibit content promoting misinformation about polling locations, practices or candidates.

Election official turnover and misinformation On the polling side, too, misinformation threats to a fair

As the 2024 U.S. presidential election nears, misinformation threatens to make the race more of a battleground than a civic activity.

Unsplash.com photo by Arnaud Jaegers

2024 election are worsened by a high turnover of election workers, said William Adler, associate director of the Elections Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Administering elections has always been a “relatively thankless, low-paid government job, which has gotten increasingly complex over the past 20 years,” he said.

“As we’ve incorporated more technology into polling, they’ve become IT managers in the public spotlight, facing public threats …

New responsibilities in how they communicate about their work are a key part of their job as wasn’t the case before 2020 or 2016.”

These factors, alongside safety concerns, translate to a high turnover, Adler continued, citing a November 2023 Reed College survey of approximately 1,000 local election officials. In it, “31% of those surveyed said they knew other “local election officials who left their jobs because of personal safety issues and threats. 11% surveyed had considered leaving because of safety concerns, and over a third of them will be eligible for retirement before 2026.”

This constitutes a dangerous cycle of misinformation, Adler explained: “Election officials face threats, they may be more inclined to leave their jobs that results in less institutional knowledge on how to run an election, which might result in more mistakes, which may in turn undermine voter confidence, which brings more threats … Delays or errors in processing ballots creates a hunger for information which misinformation peddlers are all too eager to fill.”

Artificial intelligence “deepfakes” An increasing amount of this misinformation takes the form of

AI-generated “deepfake” images and audio, said Sam Gregory, executive director of Witness.org.

This process has gotten particularly easier over the last year, as a wide range of technology has emerged whereby anyone can generate images from a text prompt, or mimic voices from audio samples, “to target and push people out of the public sphere.

In conversations I’ve had with people working in electoral processes, this is something they’ve seen and worry about.”

In electoral contexts, patterns of deceptive image and audio use are already on the rise; he mentioned recent examples of an audio deepfake of Slovakian liberal politician Michal Šimeka and journalist Monika Tódová apparently discussing how to rig the upcoming elections; another audio deepfake targeting UK Labour leader Keir Starmer; and another audio deepfake of Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas.

Another form of misinformation involves “cases when someone claims something is a deepfake when it’s actually real,” explained Gregory. Witness.org “receives many cases of deep fakes, and a lot of them are people basically relying on others’ absence of knowledge to deny a piece of audio on the basis that it has been faked.”

“Our information environment, by design, discourages engagement and conversation” across opposing political sides, he added. To combat electoral threats like these, we should “start from a baseline of what’s possible, of how misinformation is spread, so we know where to look for and stop it.” (Selen Ozturk/Ethnic Media Services)

NIGHT SETTING. The busy Ortigas business district in Pasig City is beautifully photographed from a high-rise building on Tuesday, November 21. Hopefully, the weather cooperates as parties, reunions and shopping for the Christmas season reach fever pitch in the coming days.

PNA photo by Joan Bondoc

Marcos says no war with China over...

PAGE 1 the Bay Area.

President Marcos characterized the face-to-face meeting with the Chinese president as important as he was able to relay in person the issues facing the two countries, including a recent collision between Chinese and Philippine vessels as well as the plight of Filipino fishermen.

“I once again voiced to him my concern over some of the incidents that were happening between Chinese vessels and Philippine vessels, culminating in an actual collision as we had seen before. And hopefully to find ways to avoid that and have ways to move forward from this situation. Essentially, we tried to come up with mechanisms to lower the tensions in the South China Sea,” Marcos said. “We were in agreement that the problems that we have should not be the defining element of our relationship.”

“As ever, whenever this issue comes up, I bring up the issue of the plight of our fishermen. I asked if we could go back to the situation where both the Filipino and Chinese fishermen were fishing together in these waters… I think the point was well taken by President Xi,” Marcos added.

With regard to what was tackled at the APEC Forum, Marcos revealed that the leaders from participating countries “talked about climate change, artificial intelligence, food security, energy

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. addresses media at a press briefing at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco on Friday, November 17.

AJPress photo by Joseph L. Peralta

security and what part each of us can play in facing those challenges in the new world economy.”

Marcos also revealed that he was not able to meet with businessman and investor Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, as well as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The former did not attend APEC due to illness, while his meeting with Trudeau got sidetracked due to the length of the APEC meetings.

“He fell ill, so he was not supposed to come,” Marcos said of Musk.

“This was a missed opportunity… I was really looking forward to it. But we’ll find a way again because we have much to discuss with him in terms of technologies we would like for Tesla to bring to the Philippines, specifically bat-

tery technology, even the manufacture of fully-electric vehicles… all of these things that we hope to be a part of in the future,” Marcos further said as he noted Musk’s and Tesla’s leadership in the industry.

While Marcos was not able to meet with Musk and Trudeau, the president was able to meet with Peruvian President Dina Boluarte. In their bilateral meeting, both Marcos and Boluarte discussed some of the topics and issues that may become part of the 2024 agenda. Peru will host the 2024 APEC Forum.

After Marcos’ APEC forum participation, he was scheduled to touch base with Filipino communities in Los Angeles and Hawaii, as well as visit the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii. g

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Filipino journalist’s seething memoir of Duterte’s drug war among TIME Magazine’s 2023 100 must-reads TIME Magazine just published its 100 must-read books of 2023 list, which includes Filipino trauma journalist Patricia Evangelista’s memoir, partly a retelling of the human cost of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody drug war, “Some People Need Killing.”

The magazine lauded Evangelista’s newly published book as “one of the most harrowing and brave books published this year.” TIME’s editorial director Lucas Wittman says of the former Rappler reporter: “She’s unflinching in bearing witness to the thousands of dead killed under Duterte’s reign of terror.”

In the book, Evangelista traces the populist rise of Duterte, his egregious track record as

Davao City’s mayor for over two decades, and how he fulfilled his promise of killing drug personalities at the cost of Filipino lives during his term as president.

She zeroes in on the president’s violent rhetoric and the government’s complacency in trying to justify these killings with words like “nanlaban” or “fought back, forcing police officers to shoot them.”

Since its release in October 2023, the book subtitled “A Memoir of Murder in My Country,” has received praise by foreign and local press alike including The New Yorker editor David Remnick, who compared Evangelista’s work with that of George Orwell.

Evangelista joins other notable

novelists, poets, and writers in TIME’s 100 must-read books of 2023 such as the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature awardee French author Annie Ernaux.

Among those featured in the list are Emma Cline for America’s newly beloved summer read “The Guest,” R.F. Kuang for her satirical literary masterpiece “Yellowface,” activist Naomi Klein with her incisive look at the modern afflictions of life in her latest book “Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World,” and EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscars, and Tony) award winner Barbra Streisand with her memoir “My Name is Barbara.”

TIME’s 100 Books is an annual list that features fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. (Inquirer. net)

Dispute with China ‘more dire...

PAGE 1 Marcos. His father, Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., was forced into exile in Hawaii in 1986 after he was ousted in a “people power” uprising.

His trip comes at a time when the United States and the Philippines have been deepening their long-standing alliance in a shift after Marcos’ predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, nurtured cozy ties with China and Russia.

China claims virtually the entire South China Sea as its own territory and refuses to acknowledge claims from the Philippines and four other governments to some or all of the waterway. Beijing has dismissed the findings of a United Nationsbacked arbitration tribunal that invalidated China’s sweeping historical claims under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Marcos reiterated that his nation wouldn’t yield.

“The Philippines will not give a single square inch of our territory to any foreign power,” he said in his speech.

The U.S. says China has militarized several islands it built in the area, arming them with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment, and fighter jets.

Marcos said features in the South China Sea are “slowly being turned into bases.” He said Adm. John Aquilino, the top

U.S. military commander in the Indo-Pacific region, showed him a model of one earlier in the day.

The level of commitment China made “to those military bases” was “remarkable,” Marcos said.

Tensions in the area have risen recently as China has blockaded an isolated Philippine marine outpost on Ayungin Shoal.

Last month, a China Coast Guard ship and an accompanying vessel rammed a Philippine Coast Guard ship and a military-run supply boat near the contested shoal, according to Philippine officials.

China accused the Philippine vessels of trespassing in what it said were Chinese waters “without authorization” despite repeated radio warnings.

The U.S. and the Philippines have a mutual defense treaty dating to 1951.

Marcos said the U.S., as its only treaty ally, was its main partner. But he said Manila also was seeking to strengthen ties with other nations sharing its ideals and values, noting the examples of Australia, Japan and South Korea.

He said the Philippines also was seeking to negotiate a code of conduct with Vietnam and Malaysia, other nations with whom it has territorial conflicts.

Marcos’ remarks came after he met Friday with Chinese President Xi Jingping on the

sidelines of the APEC summit.

He told reporters afterward that they agreed the challenges in the South China Sea “should not be the defining element” of their relationship. Marcos said the two leaders tried to come up with mechanisms to lower tensions in the South China Sea. Many Filipino immigrants to Hawaii come from the same province as Marcos, Ilocos Norte, and support him. But he still faced small protests at the airport and at a convention hall where he met members of the local Filipino community.

Satu Limaye, the vice president of the East-West Center, noted the U.S. and the Philippines have a long, complicated relationship.

He pointed to years when the US ruled the archipelago as a colony, their signing of the defense treaty and when the U.S. military withdrew from major bases in the country in the 1990s.

Limaye said it’s important to watch how the U.S. and the Philippines manage their nations’ long and complex relationship while facing their common concern, China.

The president was on his last stop of his weeklong official visit to the United States highlighted by his participation in the 30th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting held in San Francisco, California. (With reports from Associated Press)

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OPINION

Ready for AI... or not

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FEATURES

THE Philippines, according to President Marcos, is “embracing” the future with artificial intelligence. He issued the statement as he invited technology companies and venture capitalists in the U.S. to be partners of the Philippines in “navigating the AI future.”

The meeting with the tech entrepreneurs was among the highlights of the president’s participation in this year’s AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco, California.

He said the government is currently crafting a National AI Strategy that “aims to position the Philippines as a center of excellence in artificial intelligence.”

Let’s hope the techpreneurs will be enticed and help Filipinos embrace AI. U.S.-based digital tech giant Cisco, in a recent study conducted among companies in the Philippines, found that while 98 percent of the firms want to adopt AI to boost efficiency and competitiveness, only a low 17 percent are ready to employ AI technology in their operations. Nearly half of the firms lack the proper infrastructure to meet AI challenges. Cisco assessed AI readiness based on strategy, infrastructure, data, talent, governance and culture.

Apart from helping companies transition to AI technologies, the government must also address the impact of AI on jobs. Experts have warned that one of the biggest generators of employment

in the country, business process outsourcing, is among the most vulnerable as AI increasingly takes over BPO functions. BPO workers aren’t the only ones at risk of displacement. In May this year, management consulting firm Kearney estimated that up to 100,000 jobs in the Philippines could become obsolete within three to four years. Among those expected to be badly hit, Kearney said, are retail and back-office roles involving traditional manual data entry. It noted that the impact is already becoming evident in areas such as financial institutions and telecommunications.

Another study conducted by the International Data Corp. ranked the Philippines 12th among 14 economies in the Asia-Pacific on progress in automation.

Experts have been stressing the urgency of upskilling and reskilling vulnerable workers. Both the public and private sectors are struggling to get the skilled workers needed for embracing AI technology. Many of the top talents prefer higher paying jobs overseas. AI can also create opportunities for new types of employment, but

Editorial

Babe’s Eye View BABE ROMUALDEZ NO matter what some people may think, there is no doubt presidential trips, in my view, are extremely important considering we live in an everevolving global village where barriers to economic growth and development are factors in life. There are trips that directly play a significant role in the lives of people, and obviously, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in San Francisco is one of many.

Composed of 21 member economies, APEC has become an important international body where leaders have an opportunity to tackle free trade and investment concerns in order to advance shared goals and interests through economic and technical cooperation.

APEC members are some of the fastest growing economies in the world. They account for almost 40 percent of the global population (approximately 3 billion people), representing 62 percent of world GDP and 48 percent of world trade in 2021,

OK, who started that naughty talk about the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte?

No one will admit it in the House of Representatives, where smoke usually indicates the presence of fire.

Knowing that impeachment is a game of numbers, the tiny genuine opposition bloc couldn’t have created the spark, although it was ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro who was first quoted by the media about it. She later clarified that the discussions were “informal” and an impeachment initiative at this point is “premature.”

Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel confirmed last week that there were indeed such talks, which he said prompted the Makabayan bloc to discuss the prospects for its success.

Despite the denials all around, the story had people scrambling to find out who takes over in case the vice presidency becomes vacant.

Section 9, Article VII of the Constitution states: “Whenever there is a vacancy in the Office

this will require proper training in a field that problem must be able to keep up with the rapidly keeps advancing at warp speed. Responses to the evolving challenges. (Philstar.com)

What APEC means for all of us with real GDP increasing from $19 trillion in 1989 to $58.2 trillion also in 2021.

Obviously, the regional forum is important for us since 11 of the Philippines’ top trading partners are members, accounting for about 85 percent of our total imports and exports worldwide.

In his keynote address during the CEO Summit last Thursday, November 16, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. pointed out that, “As member economies of APEC, we are accountable to our people and future generations to deliver sustained growth and prosperity.”

But while signs “point to darker clouds, this opportunity to collaborate once more is light in the economic horizon in our efforts to pre-empt a prolonged downturn and its very negative consequences,” he said, recognizing that the “resolve to gather” during the APEC Summit is already a testament to their “commitment to improve the lives of the people” in the region.

“We must leverage APEC’s core value propositions as the premier regional forum in the Asia Pacific, incubator of innovative ideas, pathfinder

Sketches

ANA MARIE PAMINTUAN

ManilaTimes.net photo

for collaborative solutions to emerging trade issues, and platform for forward-looking and responsive economic and trade policies,” the president said, emphasizing that economies must develop in a manner that is “resilient, sustainable, and mitigates negative externalities.”

It was very refreshing to see the president engaging in a dynamic manner with CEOs, top business executives, investors and venture capitalists in the technology sector during a roundtable discussion where he highlighted the readiness of the Philippines to embrace artificial intelligence and invited them to become partners in navigating “the AI future.”

During the economic briefing that he conducted with U.S. investors, President Marcos explained in simple but eloquent terms what the country is doing and trying to do to attract more businesses to come into the Philippines.

“With a solid reform agenda and unabating growth amid headwinds, the Philippines is ready to take off as a leading investment hub in Asia. A wealth of opportunity awaits you in the Philippines, and we are

MAD

of the Vice President during the term for which he was elected, the president shall nominate a vice president from among the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, who shall assume office upon confirmation by a majority vote of all the members of both Houses of the Congress, voting separately.”

In 2001, after EDSA Dos presented the presidency on a silver platter to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, she picked senator Teofisto Guingona as her VP. The constitutional provision has triggered speculation that some folks want VP Sara’s position, which is just a heartbeat away from the presidency.

Officially, the House leaders dismissed the story as “fake news.”

But people likened the denial to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s claim that he is not fomenting destabilization, even as he admits meeting with retired military and police officers. In the next breath, he issues a warning to “you who are conniving in Congress,” to “watch the military and the police closely.” * * * The connivers apparently

refer to Speaker Martin Romualdez and Castro, whom Duterte has tagged as a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Duterte believes Romualdez has been wooing the support of different sectors including the left in preparation for his presidential bid in 2028, while at the same time neutralizing the likely strongest rival, VP Sara.

Daughterte, after haughtily firing off that salvo against an unnamed tambaloslos, appears to have retreated, leaving her father to fight her battles.

The emerging political alliance with the Reds, Duterte says, is causing “uneasiness” among government forces who have lost many colleagues in the counterinsurgency campaign.

His warning was issued as the talks swirled about his daughter’s possible impeachment.

Certainly, the House super majority has the numbers to send an impeachment complaint against VP Sara to the Senate.

The mood in the House can be surmised from the exodus from Rody Duterte’s party the PDPLaban to Lakas-CMD, the party of Romualdez, and President Marcos’ Partido Federal ng Pilipinas.

Manuel, however, said the

ready to explore new horizons with your investments in the coming years,” the president highlighted.

“By bringing conversations on the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals, policy roadmap, and investment opportunities closer to the international business community, we aim to reintroduce the Philippines and jumpstart meaningful, concrete, and mutually beneficial partnerships,” the president added.

We were invited to a small private dinner specifically hosted for the president by VISA executive chairman Alfred Kelly Jr. at his private penthouse apartment located in downtown San Francisco.

With us were about a dozen top CEOs in the United States, who engaged in a lively and candid discussion with the president on the economic prospects of the Philippines and our relationship with the U.S. Al Kelly, who also happens to be the APEC 2023 Private Sector Host Committee Co-Chair, lauded President Marcos for his leadership and shared the view of many that the president is now considered to be one of the leading, most influential

world leaders today. The VISA executive chairman had this kind of projection because of the president’s charisma and eloquence, impressing listeners with the way he explained things that showed he is knowledgeable in geopolitics, global economic concerns, the war in Ukraine and other matters worldwide that the businessmen wanted to hear his views on. I was extremely proud to witness our president’s interaction with the CEOs in an area I always knew him to be at his best – a candid discussion on a wide array of topics.

The president had an informal cocktail meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and also met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Peruvian President Dina Boluarte on the sidelines of the APEC Summit.

Of course, the meeting with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who has become a good friend of the president, was extremely important for both our countries, reaffirming the strength of their alliance and underscoring the shared intent to grow and modernize this alliance. They also discussed “strengthening and broadening

economic cooperation bilaterally and through the IndoPacific Economic Framework.”

An important breakthrough was the signing of the landmark 123 Agreement that will pave the way for the U.S. to share nuclear technology and material with the Philippines for peaceful uses. The president sees the agreement as a milestone in ensuring a more energy secure and green Philippines, expressing optimism for nuclear energy to become part of the country’s energy mix by 2032.

As of this writing, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already reached out to our Department of Foreign Affairs for the much-anticipated meeting between President Marcos and Chinese President Xi Jinping, where they are expected to discuss the ongoing tension in the West Philippine Sea and find ways to maintain peace and prevent the situation from escalating. (Philstar.com) ***

Makabayan bloc noted the obvious: if Sara Duterte will be impeached over the P125 million in confidential funds that she requested for her first six months as VP, and spent in just 11 days in December last year, the approving authority (and source of the funds) will have to be included in the complaint. This happens to be another impeachable official – the president himself.

This can render the impeachment of the VP into a move leading to MAD – mutually assured destruction – of the warring Duterte and Marcos / Romualdez clans.

So perhaps the House denials of the impeachment talk are genuine, and the idea was floated simply to annoy the Dutertes. Tit for tat for Rody Duterte annoying the Romualdez-led House with his continuing tirades, and now vague warnings about military and police unrest.

Romualdez has said he’s “not aware of anything. Nothing filed, no news of that… there’s nothing in the offing, nothing in general.” * * * On Friday night, November 17, Romualdez, who is with his cousin BBM as usual in the latest overseas trip, released a carefully worded statement addressing Duterte’s

broadsides. Significantly, there was no categorical denial that Romualdez is eyeing the presidency.

Instead he urged everyone to focus on the challenges faced by the nation and called for “collective efforts” to address pressing problems, stressing that elections are not the answer to a hungry stomach.

“Regarding my personal political aspirations, I am currently committed to my role as speaker and serving the needs of our nation. My focus is on the present responsibilities and not on future electoral possibilities,” Romualdez stated.

He acknowledged the “valuable contributions” of Rody Duterte and maintained he is “grateful for the former president’s engagement with the political discourse, and I understand the curiosity surrounding the 2028 elections.”

VP Sara, asked about her political plans, said over the weekend: “I never really aspired to run for vice president, much more for president.” But she did run for VP. Rodrigo Duterte has openly expressed suspicion that the criminal complaint for grave threats filed against him by Castro bears the fingerprint of Romualdez.

If that sounds outrageous,

there is also speculation, generated by the worsening rift within the UniTeam, that even the release on bail of former senator Leila de Lima, although ordered by a regional trial court, was aimed at spiting Rodrigo Duterte.

Even former opposition senator Antonio Trillanes is now suspected of forging an alliance with the administration, to serve as another thorn in the Dutertes’ side.

All these realignments shouldn’t be surprising in our rambunctious democracy.

We know that politics is addition; politics makes strange bedfellows. What’s (mildly) surprising is that the intramurals are happening this early.

Some folks have warned that VP Sara, whose survey ratings remain high despite the recent double-digit plunge, could suffer the fate of former vice president Jejomar Binay, who made no secret of his plan to seek the presidency. At the rate the UniTeam intramurals are going, however, both the VP and the Speaker can end up bloodied on the road to 2028. (Philstar.com) ***

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

*** babeseyeview@gmail.com

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

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

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 23-29, 2023

7

7 witnesses against De Lima to recant testimonies

by Franco Jose c. Baroña ManilaTimes.net

MANILA — Seven persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) who stood as witnesses in the pending drug case against former senator Leila de Lima have signified their intention to retract their testimonies.

"At this point, we would like to state that our participation as witnesses in the drug cases against former DoJ (Department of Justice) Secretary De Lima was vitiated by undue compulsion and influence, and thus, any judicial statement made by us, is void of lack of consent," the witnesses said in a signed letter addressed

to the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court RTC) Branch 206 dated Nov. 17, 2023.

"We no longer desire to live our lives with the knowledge that we allowed ourselves to become pawns or instruments of injustice. We wish to live a life of dignity, integrity, and responsibility moving forward," they stated.

The witnesses include Germa Agojo, Tomas Doniña, Jaime Patcho, Wu Tuan Yuan also known as Peter Co), Engelberto Durano, Jerry Pepino, and Hans Anton Tan. They are all currently serving sentences at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) The Muntinlupa RTC Branch

206 granted De Lima to post bail for her remaining drug case on November 13.

De Lima has been detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City since 2017 after being implicated in the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison while she was justice secretary.

While under detention, several witnesses had recanted their allegations against the former senator.

These witnesses said they had been coerced.

The former senator won her first two cases in 2021 and in early 2023, respectively. g

Ex-President Rodrigo Duterte vows to rejoin politics if Sara gets impeached by catherine s. Valente ManilaTimes.net

FORMER President Rodrigo Duterte said he would be forced to run for either vice president or senator if Vice President Sara Duterte gets impeached over the use of confidential and intelligence funds.

Duterte issued the statement following reports that some members of the House of Representatives were hatching a plan for the ouster of his daughter.

"Alam ninyo ba kapag ginawa ninyo 'yan, babalik ako sa pulitika.

Mapilitan ako; it's either I run for senator or I will run for vice president maski matanda na 'ko (if you do that, I will return to politics.

I will be forced to either run for senator or for vice president even though I'm old)," Duterte said in an interview on SMNI on Monday night, November 20.

"Mapipilitan akong lumabas sa retirement (I will be forced to come out of retirement). When I begin to talk, election is just around the corner, talagang magka-babuyan tayo (it will get messy). I do not lose anything, I'm retired," he added.

ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro earlier said there were "informal discussions" among her colleagues about a possible impeachment case against Duterte.

But Speaker Ferdinand Martin

LIGHTSCAPADES. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte (center) graces the Eastwood Holiday Lightscapades in Eastwood City, Libis in Quezon City on Tuesday night, Nov. 21. Eastwood City is lighting up the festive season with a dazzling display of colors, music, and lights through more than 2.5 million sparkling lights and a lights and sound show.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

PH, US begin joint patrols by catherine s. Valente ManilaTimes.net

Former President Rodrigo Duterte

Romualdez and other leaders in the lower chamber denied the rumors.

"I'm not aware of anything.

Nothing filed, no news of that," Romualdez, a cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., said.

The impeachment rumors came after the House stripped Duterte's offices of confidential funds and removed her ally Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as deputy speaker.

On Monday, November 20, the President said he and his allies were not seeking the impeachment of Duterte, as he denied supposed cracks in their UniTeam alliance.

"We don't want her to be impeached. We don't want her to — she does not deserve to be impeached," Marcos said.

Marcos said he has an excellent

ManilaTimes.net file photo

relationship with Duterte.

"On a professional level, I have nothing but good things to say about the work that she has done in the Department of Education.

On a very personal level, we get along very well," the president said.

Full support The vice president said that her family would support her father if he decides to go back to politics.

"Kung ano man yung decision ni Pangulong Duterte ay buo ang suporta ng pamilya sa kanya, just like kung ano man ang mga desisyon naming anak regarding sa politika (Whatever the decision of [former] president Duterte, the family will support his decision, just like [how he respected our] decision in regards to politics)," she said. g

THE Philippines and the United States began joint maritime and air patrols in the West Philippine Sea on Tuesday, November 21 as the longtime allies stepped up cooperation in the face of Beijing's aggressive moves in the South China Sea. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the three-day joint activity aims to enhance the interoperability of both military forces in the conduct of maritime and air patrols.

"Today (Tuesday) marks the beginning of joint maritime and air patrols — a collaborative effort between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States Indo-Pacific Command in the West Philippine Sea," Marcos said.

"This significant initiative is a testament to our commitment to bolster the interoperability of our military forces in conducting maritime and air patrols.

Through collaborative efforts, we aim to enhance regional security and foster a seamless partnership with the United States in safeguarding our shared interests," he added.

Marcos said the joint patrols are part of a series of events agreed upon by the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) of the Philippines and the U.S. The MDB-SEB is a framework for security and cooperation, providing an opportunity for the Philippines and the U.S. to exchange views on security concerns and plan the range of military activities they will conduct the following year, including the Balikatan exercises which are held annually.

"I am confident that this collaboration will contribute to a more secure and stable environment for our people," the president said.

"The joint maritime and air patrols are scheduled to continue until November 23, 2023," he

added.

Efforts to have joint maritime patrols with the U.S. stemmed from the various incidents between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea in the past years.

In October, the Philippines conducted a resupply mission, which China attempted to interrupt, resulting in a collision with a civilian supply boat and a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel.

Five China Coast Guard shops and eight Chinese Maritime Militia vessels actively participated in harassing the Filipino vessels during the October resupply mission, the PCG said.

Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel "Babe" Romualdez earlier said the joint patrols that were set for this year were not directed at any country.

Romualdez said Manila has always had an agreement with the U.S. for maritime patrols, but it was "never really implemented." g

8

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November 23, 2023

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Michelle Dee on Top 10 finish in Miss Universe 2023: ‘Thank you so much for raising our flag with me’

by HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net

MICHELLE Dee has nothing but heartfelt gratitude to her supporters after ending her Miss Universe 2023 journey in the Top 10.

The crossover stunner took to her “Hey, MMDVERSE!” Instagram broadcast channel on Saturday, Nov. 18 (morning of Nov. 19 in the Philippines) to thank her fans for the support during the pageant’s coronation night at the José Adolfo Pineda Arena in San Salvador, El Salvador.

“Love and kindness over everything! Mahal ko kayo (I love you all). Thank you so much fun for raising our flag with me,” she wrote.

On the other hand, Nicaragua’s Sheynnis Palacios was crowned as Miss Universe 2023 after nailing the pageant’s swimsuit, evening gown, and question-and-answer portions.

Her court consists of Thailand’s Anntonia Porsild who was named as first runner-up while Australia’s Moraya Wilson earned the second-runner up title.

Dee, however, won’t be going home empty-handed as she was named as one of the “Voice for Change” gold awardees and the Spirit of Carnival award during the pageant.

Prior to the coronation night, Dee’s mother, Miss International 1979 Melanie Marquez, was among the Filipinos seen in the audience cheering for the crossPhoto from Rap Yu via Instagram/@sparklegmaartistcenter over stunner.

Michelle Dee

Dolly hopeful Philippine entry will get Oscars consideration

by KriStofer Purnell Philstar.com

ACTRESS Dolly de Leon is encouraging Filipinos to help promote and market "Iti Mapukpukaw," the Philippines' entry to the Best International Feature Film category of the 2024 Academy Awards.

The film, which Dolly stars with Carlo Aquino and Gio Gahol, made history as the first animated feature to be nominated and win Best Film at the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.

Dolly received the Best Supporting Actress trophy earlier this year for her role in the film.

At the opening night of 11th QCinema International Film Festival, Dolly shared with members of the media including Philstar. com her reactions to the film's grassroots campaign for awards consideration. "'Yun talaga ang pinakakailangan namin, ang suporta ng mga tao to spread the word about 'Iti Mapukpukaw' na ma-nominate siya for consideration sa Oscars," said Dolly. "Ito na 'yung chance natin, ng Pilipinas, na ipakita gaano tayo kagaling. And it's really a beautiful film."

Carlo Aquino and Dolly de Leon in “Iti Mapukpukaw”

Despite positive remarks for her performance as well as Carlo's, Dolly directed the praise to the movie's director-writer Carl Joseph Papa and the nearly hundred animators who worked on the film.

"If not for them, wala 'yung pelikulang 'to. It's a team effort," Dolly ended.

The rotoscope animated film follows a mouthless animator named Eric who crosses paths with a familiar alien.

The Philippines' entry to the Oscars last year was "On the Job: The Missing 8," a film that won John Arcilla the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 78th Venice Interna-

Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya

tional Film Festival.

Dolly also appeared in the country's 2019 entry "Verdict," while John starred in the back-toback entries, "Heneral Luna" and "Birdshot."

No Philippine submission has made the nominees shortlist since the country's first attempt in 1953 with Manuel Conde's "Genghis Khan."

Other popular entries include "Ganito Kami Noon... Paano Kayo Ngayon?," "Karnal," "Dekada '70," "Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros," :Crying Ladies," "Ded na si Lolo," "Noy," "Ang Babae sa Septic Tank," "Ma' Rosa" and "Mindanao."

Kathryn’s celebrity friends unfollow Daniel, Andrea over rumored betrayal

by Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

Kathryn Bernardo's celebrity friends unfollowed Daniel Padilla and Andrea Brillantes over a rumored betrayal.

Chie Filomeno and Robi Domingo unfollowed Daniel and Andrea on Instagram, while Loisa Andalio and Miles Ocampo only unfollowed Andrea.

Earlier this month, veteran showbiz reporter Ogie Diaz claimed that a source told him that Daniel and Andrea were allegedly secretly seeing each other.

"Talagang pinag-uusapan sa social media 'yung ngang diumano ang hiwalayan ni Daniel at Kathryn na ang dahilan daw ay si..." Ogie said.

"Sino?" asked Mama Loi. "Eh siyempre hindi naman to confirmed ha. Kaya dapat marinig din natin ang panig nila. Kasi nili-link si Daniel kay Andrea Brillantes," Ogie answered.

Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla

"'Di ba nakakaloka," he added.

"Pero 'di ba, Nay, dati may mga gano'n na chika?" asked Mama Loi again.

"Oo nga eh, hanggang ngayon 'di mamatay-matay," Ogie said.

"Hindi nga, na ang pinagselosan ni Kathryn ay si Andrea Brillantes.

Na may nag-chika pa sa akin na nagkikita ng lihim o pasikretong nagkikita si Daniel at si Andrea..."

Photo from Instagram/@supremo_dp

he further said in his talk show with Mama Loi. Meanwhile, a screenshot of Daniel's supposed conversation with a fan is now viral on X, formerly Twitter.

"Relax na kayo aming mga Kathniels. Tama na ang pag aalala.

Breathe. Ako na ang bahala sa lahat. Mahal namin kayo sagad," Daniel supposedly said.

Scene from “Jacuzzi”

Photo courtesy of Careless Music

James on risk-taking and self-discovery by rito aSilo Inquirer.net

EVEN before he put up Careless Music in 2017, James Reid had already been trying to expand his musical horizons and expressing himself with alluring songs that allow his followers to peel off the layers of his continually evolving musicality.

While his sound, style and musical sensibility may have significantly deepened since 2013—from “Alam Niya Ba” and his cover of Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” to his JaDine heyday and the steamier, sassier iterations (“u & i,” “Turning Up”) of his music—James said in a recent one-on-one chat with Inquirer Entertainment that he doesn’t take anything for granted. In fact, he embraces the changes with growth-evincing maturity.

When we spoke to the 30-yearold singer-actor to discuss his brand-new single “Jacuzzi,” his catchy, hook-heavy latest collaboration with Grammy-winning producer DJ Flict and South Korean rapper B.I (after “4 Letters”), he said that his attempts at bucking convention didn’t come without risk.

James explained, “It was risky and terrifying when I began making my own music with Careless.

I would know, because back in 2017 or 2018, I did have a lot to lose. But I decided to follow my passion for music and see where it could take me.

“It’s been a lot of self-discovery. I never pretended to have all the right answers. I never said the music I was making would be the future of OPM (Original Pilipino Music). It was just me experimenting, trying out new things.

“But I’m not done yet. You said earlier that I hit my stride with my past few songs, but I feel like I’m just about to actually hit my stride. And that’s why I can really combine everything that I used to do and everything that I’ve learned. I want to create something that will transcend borders and make my fans, the Careless team and the Philippines proud.”

Diverse music When asked how he wanted music aficionados to remember his songs, James quipped, “Wow, I never thought about that. People probably have different opinions about the music I make because it’s so diverse.

“But the way I hope people would remember my music is that it’s quite brave, not sticking to what’s traditional or what the norm is—especially because it’s from someone like me who comes from mainstream TV (“On the Wings of Love”) and movies (“Never Not Love You”), then transitions to music.”For his Filipino fans, the matinee idol may be more known for being the first “Pinoy Big Brother” (PBB) teen edition winner and as the other half of the immensely popular JaDine love team (with former girlfriend Nadine Lustre), but music is expanding James’ reach globally.

Doesn’t he mind becoming more famous for his music than his films or TV shows?

“I’m glad to hear that, actually (laughs),” he replied. “My name has always been bigger than what I do. So, it’s nice to know that people are recognizing me for my music—because it’s something that I myself create.”The rest of our Q&A with James: “Jacuzzi’s” catchy hooks are really right up your alley. After your collaboration with Benjamin Kheng (“Rock Bottom Blues”), what excites you about “Jacuzzi”?

The focal point was the chance to work with B.I [again] on this track. Han-bin is an amazing

James Reid

artist and he was really perfect for the song. His style and voice worked really well with the second verse that I gave him.

I was also able to collaborate with a Singaporean music label (Cross Ratio Entertainment) to help promote the song, which was interesting. We wanted to try out ways of marketing beyond the usual way of doing it.

For the music video [directed

by Hiromi Uematsu], I was also able to collaborate with so many stars, like Maris Racal, AC Bonifacio and Miss Universe Philippines Michelle Dee. AAs for the concept of the video, we wanted something larger than life—super fun, easygoing, not too deep. Something that would evoke a romantic setting with people drinking champagne in a jacuzzi, although I don’t really own a jacuzzi (laughs).

We wanted guest stars who could match that vibe—and Michelle, AC and Maris were perfect for it! Maris looked pretty good despite not ever having played golf before. I told her, “You’re an actress—just act like you know what you’re doing (laughs)”—and she wasn’t bad at all.

You’ve always had a knack for catchy hooks and melodies. But for fans who want to know more about your songwriting process, what comes first—music or a hook or lyrics?

For me, it’s always the music that comes first. I need to start with the chords so I know what the emotion is—that’s when I feel something. Like, “Oh, this makes me feel romantic. I want to dance with somebody.”

That’s what the chords, as well as the drums and percussion, make me feel. That decides the pace and rhythm. After that, I’ll just create melodies and freestyle … whatever comes naturally. Then, I’ll write to it.

You also recorded “4 Letters” with B.I How did this partnership come about?

I was very lucky to have met him backstage at a concert in Seoul. He told me he was doing a concert in Manila [last March] and that he would love to have me onstage with him. And I said, “Yeah, I’m down. Let’s do it.” So, I opened for him.

After that, I sent him my track for “Jacuzzi,” and he said he’d love to be on it. Then, he sent me “4 Letters,” and I jumped on that.

So, these songs actually happened at about the same time.

You’re doing well as a solo act.

But other than B.I and Benjamin Kheng, you’ve also recorded tracks with other exciting talents, like Zack Tabudlo (“Hatdog”), Manila Grey (“Backhouse Ballin’”), Massiah (“Experience”), Billy Crawford (“Manila Girl”),

Photo from Instagram/@James

among others. What did you take away from those collaborations?

From the perspective of my music label when I wear my music-label hat, there’s certainly that aspect of cross-pollination of fans [that we can all benefit from] and seeing what else is possible to do. You’re expanding your reach and your market, especially with artists who complement your music.

But personally, these projects allow me to find out how I am as an artist. Doing them kind of reveals to me what my own style is and what works for me.

I learned a lot from working with Benjamin, who’s one of the best out there, and seeing how B.I, who’s excellent at what he does, connects with his rabid fan base.

They really push me to be better, which is great because I like challenging myself.

What’s exciting about your music is the fact that we don’t quite know what else to expect. Any reaction?

I like that. People never really expected me to do something like “Jacuzzi.” But I promise you, people will not be expecting the song that I’m doing next.

Do you know how different you’ve become from the young and almost shy James Reid who won “PBB” in 2010?

Yes, it’s like they’re two very different people (laughs).

You’ve released a lot of music since 2013 or so. For new fans who are just beginning to appreciate your songs, which of your recordings do you think best represents your sound?

That’s hard to answer. I have a lot of musical influences. I definitely have favorites, but I’ve always been very versatile with my sound—from R&B and pop to rock, electronic and “dance-y.”

It’s also kind of funky and disco.

So perhaps the album, “Lovescene,” would be the album to listen to. If you listen through it, you can kind of get where it’s very diverse. I was really just experimenting with all the things that I like. I think the whole album is a good representation of my taste and all of my musical influences.

But definitely, the next album I’ll be working on will be a bit more “refined.”

“Refined”? In what way will the next album be different?

These current songs (“Jacuzzi,” “Rock Botton Blues”) are not leading up to the next one… no.

They’re standalone singles.

I want the next one to be a lot more personal, more introspective. The next one will be very different from “Palm Dreams” or “Lovescene.” I feel like this might be the most personal and vulnerable I’ve ever been. It’s definitely going to be a side of me that the fans have not seen.

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EntErtainmEnt

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 23-29, 2023

9

Derek makes a showbiz comeback Gerald on wanting to play ‘superhero with a twist,’ reuniting ‘Kimerald’

by Ronnie CaRRasCo iii ManilaTimes.net

IT'S not at all "goodbye, showbiz!" for Derek Ramsay as the Filipino-British actor has an entry to this year's Metro Manila Film Festival to watch out for — "(K)ampon."

As the very title suggests, it apparently is a horror film. If I'm not mistaken, this is the same project originally offered to Kris Aquino (during her healthier days, of course) opposite Derek. For some reason, the plan fizzled out.

It will be remembered that the onslaught of the global pandemic in 2020 had sidelined Derek.

It was by choice that he had ditched a couple of TV and film assignments with the gnawing fear that he might contract the dreaded virus (yet he was not spared anyway).

Derek's decision to turn his back on showbiz has rubbed off on his wife Ellen Adarna whose last appearance was via a shortlived sitcom on TV. It is pretty understandable why

the couple would rather sacrifice their showbiz career and do a lot of traveling: they got the means.

Isn't this what Derek's erstwhile buddy John Estrada once said of him: "He's actually rich"?

No, Derek having lots and lots of it has nothing to do with his self-imposed retirement.

More than ever, Derek feels like working on his own terms, and at his own pace.

Can he not be his own boss?

Doesn't he have the right to set his own rules?

Any curious movie buff, however, cannot help but ask what was it that made Derek stage a showbiz comeback? Is his forthcoming festival entry something he hasn't done before?

Is it because of his leading lady Beauty Gonzales, his wife Ellen's close friend — them being both Visayans?

Or does Derek feel it's about time he got back on his toes, and there's no better time than Christmas? Does it mean we'll be seeing much of Derek in the coming holidays and beyond?

by MaRinel CRuz Inquirer.net

Derek Ramsay Photo from Instagram/@ramsayderek07

What about Ellen, isn't she just as eager-beaver to make her screen presence felt all over again, at least before she plans to get pregnant in the Year of the Dragon?

With all the network collaborations going on these days, Derek and Ellen may want to take advantage of these.

No baby plans yet for Yeng

by Jan Milo seveRo Philstar.com

SINGER Yeng Constantino and husband Victor "Yan" Asuncion revealed that they have no plans yet to have a baby.

Victor said he wants Yeng to enjoy her life first because she began working at an early age. The couple were guests on broadcast journalist Karen Davila's YouTube vlog.

“Wala pa po right now. When we got married, sinabi namin na after two years mag-baby na kami.

Pero ngayon eight years na kami pero wala pa rin,” Victor said.

"For Yeng, nakikita ko na 'Ahh ngayon lang siya nagiging bata.' She's been working since 'yung early age niya. Parang ngayon, I can finally provide for her na. Pwede kang maglaro-laro ngayon,” he added.

Yeng revealed that she knew Yeng Constantino Victor was the right one for her mamahalin ko 'to kaysa mamahalin on their first date. niya ako. Tina-try ko pang pigilan.

“First date pa lang. Nu'ng After nu'ng date namin na 'yon, nagsasalita siya, mukha akong sabi ko lakad muna tayo. Three calm pero sa loob ko, 'yung kaba hours naglakad kami around ko grabe. Sabi ko, 'Bakit ganon? BGC (Bonifacio Global City) na Kasama naman sa worship team naka-heels ako. Sabi ko, 'Nako, 'to pero wala naman akong ma-iinlove talaga 'ko nito kasi kaya nararamdaman.' Pero nu'ng first ko nang maglakad ng naka-heels,” date namin, nu'ng kaharap ko na she added. siya, ninerbyos ako,” she recalled.

After their first date, Yeng “Na-predict ko na na mas called Victor because she couldn't

Photo from Instagram/@yeng

sleep.

“Pero first date namin, 'pag-uwi ko ng bahay parang sasabog 'yung puso ko. Hindi ako makatulog so tinawagan ko siya ng 4 a.m. tapos sabi ko, 'Hello, gising ka pa?

Gusto mo ba talaga ko?' Sabi niya, 'Oo, gusto talaga kita e.' Tapos sabi ko, 'Pag itutuloy mo, 'wag mo kong iwanan ha,'” she said.

Yeng and Victor tied the knot on February 14, 2015.

NOW that he has achieved his dream of building a good home for his mother, actor Gerald Anderson said he has moved on to accomplish another goal: To give her more of his time.

“I won’t deny that there was a point in my career when I seriously questioned why I was doing all these things. ‘Are they all worth it?’ I asked. Oftentimes, if a person is going through something behind the cameras, even his loved ones and the people around him get affected. This is why, more than anything, I choose to just count my blessings and be grateful for all the opportunities given to me,” he told Inquirer Entertainment shortly after he renewed his talent management agreement with ABS-CBN. "I would always try to remember the reason I entered the business (by joining the reality talent search ‘Pinoy Big Brother’). I wanted to build a house for my mom. I didn’t grow up in a rich family, although I can’t say we were poor. My parents worked hard to provide for us. Everything we have now, we worked hard to achieve,” the 34-year-old actor pointed out.

“Now, I want to give them my time. When I accept offers to go abroad for work, I bring along either my mom or dad. When I shot a movie in Switzerland, I was with my dad. It’s normal for our parents to want to spend more time with us. I understand that,” he added.

Gerald said another reason that kept him from quitting show biz was that he was able to channel his energy to other interests. The actor currently owns a commercial gym, a beach resort and a restaurant. “I get myself involved in these things not because I plan to quit acting. I consider them a diversion. If I want to relax or just take my mind away from my main line of work, I focus my attention to them. They also remind me that there’s life outside show biz, that I can still take care of my family if I decide to stop acting. However, I make sure they don’t take me away from my passion, from my craft,” he explained.

When asked what kind of project he dreams of doing in the near future, Gerald said he has nothing specific in mind, but he’d like to work on something that inspires his followers. “It’s not really about the role, but the message of the show, just like ‘Budoy,’ ‘A Soldier’s Heart,’ ‘Tayong Dalawa’ and even ‘A Family Affair,’ which is all about sibling rivalry but the message of the show is that love has to prevail over everything else. I know that if a project I’m doing has a positive effect, people tell me they’re inspired by it,” he pointed out.

Superhero ‘with a twist’ Gerald said he would also like to play a superhero, “But with a twist.” He explained: “He could be a superhero who isn’t necessarily good, an antihero.”

“Like Venom?” we asked. “Yeah. Someone who may have done mistakes in the past. This humanizes the character.”

The actor said he is also open to do collaborations, especially since ABS-CBN talents are now able to appear on its former rival channel, GMA 7. In fact, he has just participated in the Kapuso-network produced game show “Family Feud.” Prior to that, he starred in the romantic drama “Unravel,” opposite Kapuso talent Kylie Padilla.

“I got to speak with Dingdong (Dantes) while guesting on the show. Maybe we can work on a project together someday. I would also like to work with Dennis (Trillo) or Alden (Richards). There are so many possible projects, and they don’t have to always

Gerald Anderson

Photo from Instagram/@andersongeraldjr

be with a leading lady,” he pointed out, successfully avoiding potential intriguing questions from the media, especially because his two ex-girlfriends, Bea Alonzo and Maja Salvador, are now appearing on GMA 7.

Politics?

What Gerald said he would rather not do, today or in the near future, is join politics, even though he admitted that he has had offers from politicians to join their parties. “I’m OK where I am. Through Star Magic, as well as by being a celebrity, I’m able to help others, like the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and other related departments of government,” he began.

Gerald is currently an auxiliary commander of the PCG’s K9 Support Squadron.

“To me, politics is a totally different world. I really need to study before I even consider it. It’s not an easy profession because that’s where power is. That’s where you can really help, because you get to make the decisions for the people you work for. Right now, I’m happy doing my thing as an actor,” he stressed.

Doubts He then recalled the time he first joined the industry in 2006 through the first “PBB Teen Edition,” where he placed third. His first teleserye was “Sana Maulit Mulit” with Kim Chiu as onscreen partner. “While working on the series three times a week, MWF, we also had to shoot a movie, ‘First Day High,’ every TTHS, and had to appear on ‘ASAP’ every Sunday. I was just 17 and had no idea what I was doing. I would just go with the flow. There was one time, I went behind the building where we were rehearsing for ‘ASAP’ and cried. I really broke down,” he recalled.

“I guess it was out of frustration. I didn’t think I was good enough to be an actor. I was tired, because we also had to shoot commercials in between. I had to ask myself why I was there, why I joined PBB,” said Gerald. “I chose to compete because I wanted to help my mom—that’s what was in my mind. Since then, no matter how tired I was—there were times when we would just go home to shower and head back to work—I would remind myself that I have to carry on, to work hard, to fight. Tuloy lang.”

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Features

NOVEMBER 23-29, 2023 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL

Health @Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS ONE of the great advances in medical science is the discovery that Ultraviolet C (UVC) rays effectively kill bacteria, and neutralize viruses, fungi and molds. This has led to the introduction of UVC lamps for cleaning and sterilization of medical/dental instruments and accessories. The expanded use was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to include sterilizing food items, baby pacifier, bibs, utensils, cups, toys, toothbrush, nail cutters, etc., even cell phones, headsets, and earbuds, chargers, cords, CPAP masks and tubing.

How long does it take to sterilize?

Disinfection using UV light is called ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), which has been found to have very effective killing power against a broad spectrum of bacteria. Viruses, fungi, and spores require repeated treatments, perhaps 15 minutes instead of 5 minutes, the standard time of irradiation it takes to kill bacteria.

What are the common types of UV rays?

The 3 spectra of UV wavelength are: UV-A (320 to 400 nm), UV-B (280-320 nm), and UV-C (200-280 nm). UV-C has the strongest germicidal power and popularly used as mercury lamps to inactivate microorganisms in food items, your baby’s eating utensils, bibs and pacifier, CPAP masks and tubing, medical/ dental instruments, toothbrushes, combs, shavers, hair curlers, jewelries, watches, keys, cellphones, headsets, earbuds, paper money and coins, and practically anything that fits into the UV-C sterilizer bag or box.

How does UV-C light kill microbes?

The UV-C rays inactivate/kill microorganisms by destroying their nucleic acid and disrupting their DNA, disabling their vital cellular function and ability to replicate. And all it takes is between one 5-exposure for bacteria, and three 5-minute exposures for viruses, fungi, and molds. This same UV-C light is used to disinfect and sanitize our drinking water and food items (meats, especially chicken, fruits, vegetables, and seafood) as a standard safety procedure in the United States and other countries in the world.

Could these UV-C lamps sterilize a room?

Yes, UV-C lamps can sterilize an entire room, and routinely used daily to sterilize hospital operating rooms, ICU and individual rooms to reduce HAI (hospital acquired

UVC destroys viruses Angelica bares battle with painful bone disease infections) which victimize some 2 million patients every year, with an estimated death of 90,000 as a result. In the past two decades, there was an increase of 36 percent of HAI in the U.S., with an economic burden up to $45 billion a year. The latest advancement for this type of sterilization is the robot sterilizer technology, also using UV-C lamps, for all rooms in the hospital.

Is UV-C light safe?

Used properly, UV-C lamps or irradiation is safe for humans and animals. As long as the UV-C rays do not hit the eyes or the skin, no injury will result from its use. This is why UV-C lamps are self-contained in a zippered tote, bag or ocked box, thus preventing any leak of rays.

They are turned on only after the container lid is zipped or the sterilizer door is closed securely.

As for the UV-C sterilization in the operating room and all other rooms, the area is sealed to prevent exposure to people, with signs indicating the room is being sanitized and warning that UV sterilizer lamps are turned on and dangerous to the eyes and the skin.

What blocks UV rays?

Most any solid material, like cardboard, aluminum foil, wood, concrete, etc. block UV rays. If you do not see any UV light at all, it means the rays are effectively blocked. Dark eyeglasses do not totally block UV lights.

How much microbes are in our home?

It is mind-boggling but there are trillions of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, molds, algae, protozoa) in every home, no matter how we clean it in the conventional way. Indeed, there are more microbes in one home than all humans (8.1 billion, the current world population) in the galaxy. While not all of them are pathogens, a significant number of them can cause illnesses of varying degrees, some silent infections, resulting in continuous inflammation in our body system we do not even know or sense. This inflammation increases our risk for the development or aggravation of cardiovascular, pulmonary, or metabolic illnesses, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer. Any form of inflammation in us is the enemy of our body, negatively impacting our immune system. Besides microbes, stress, tobacco, vaping (e-cigs), alcohol, lack of exercise, loneliness, and/or bitterness can also cause inflammation within us.

Could UV-C lamps be useful at home?

Do a due diligence on this subject and discuss it with your physician about the benefit of adding this sterilization method in sanitizing your home to prevent illnesses in your household, by eliminating or minimizing viruses (colds, herpes simplex) bacteria,

fungi and molds through UV-C sterilization. The home UV-C sterilization bag (about 8x10x8) emits no ozone and could be used to sterilize almost any item at home (baby’s food utensils, bibs, pacifiers, toothbrush, etc.), following the accompanying instructions on safe handling of this sterilizer. The UV-C bulbs last for about 9,000 to 12,000 hours use, roughly one year. This small portable collapsible (for travel) bag sanitizer is available at a discounted price on Amazon.

For more info, send email to steriletote@hotmail.com.

When was UV sterilization first used?

UV light has been used for more than 5 decades by the food manufacturing industry with excellent effectiveness, preventing illnesses and deaths from ingestion of infected food items. Actually, the first use of UV-C as germicidal agent was in the late 1800s and it has been utilized for sanitizing drinking water and food items for 219 years now. The method, which is effective against E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria and other foodborne pathogens in meats, vegetables, fruits, etc., also helps preserve food items longer. It is a legal requirement for the food industry to follow the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) controls, using UV-C as an acceptable method. It is clear that the UV-C sterilization method for CPAP masks and tubing, food items, and practically any item is most effective and safe in our fight against infection, even in our home. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life.

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

He was a recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, conferred by then Indiana Governor, later Senator, and then presidential candidate, Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry Truman, President George HW Bush, Muhammad Ali, and Astronaut Gus Grissom (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.

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

Social Security and scam awareness

by Annie WAlters Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in Nevada

SOCIAL Security imposter scams continue to be widespread across the United States. Scammers use targeted, sophisticated tactics to deceive you into providing sensitive information or money.

If you receive a suspicious letter, text, email, or call, do not respond. We want you to know how to identify a scammer and avoid becoming a victim.

We will NEVER: • Text or email images of an employee’s official government identification.

• Suspend your Social Security number.

• Threaten you with arrest or other legal action unless you immediately pay a fine or fee.

• Require payment by retail

EMPLOYMENT

http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678

gift card, wire transfer, internet currency, or cash by mail.

• Promise a benefit increase or other assistance in exchange for payment.

• Mail or email “official” letters or reports containing your personal information.

We only send text messages

if you have opted in to receive texts from us and only in limited situations, including the following: • When you have subscribed to receive updates and notifications by text.

• As part of our enhanced security when accessing your personal my Social Security account.

If you owe money to us, we will mail you a letter with payment options and appeal rights.

We encourage you to report suspected Social Security imposter scams — and other Social Security fraud — to the OIG’s website at oig.ssa.gov/report. You can find more information about scams at www.ssa.gov/scams. Please share this information with your friends, family, and colleagues to help spread awareness about Social Security imposter scams.

SERVICES

by evAngeline vAlderrAmA Inquirer.net

ANGELICA Panganiban bared her battle with a bone disease that she said has been causing her severe pain in the hip area, and which began when she was pregnant with daughter Amila Sabine.

In her vlog, Panganiban revealed that she is suffering from avascular necrosis, so-called “bone death,” a disease that results from the temporary or permanent loss of blood supply to the bone due to injury or trauma.

“Six months into pregnancy, meron nakong mga nararamdaman sakit sa may hips. Hindi ko actually ma-pinpoint noon kung sa hips, sa leg, sa likod o sa puwitan. Yun yung mga struggles ko noon. Nagtanong-tanong ako sa mga doktor, and friends ko na naging mommy na rin and lahat naman sila sinasabi na it’s part of pregnancy. So nung nanganak ako, wala nakong time na pansinin yung mga masakit sa akin,” she narrated.

Panganiban said that when she started her physical exercises and yoga, she began experiencing again the pain on her hip, thinking it was just a pinched nerve. It turned out that her rigorous activities would only aggravate her condition.

When she and her celebrity friends went to Palawan, it was when she was rendered almost immobile by the severe pain,

Angelica Panganiban Photo from Instagram/@iamangelicap

wherein she had a hard time walking.

After that trip, she went straight to the hospital where doctors advised her to undergo therapy in lieu of medication since she was breastfeeding her daughter. At first she said the therapy proved beneficial for her for a time, but she would soon begin experiencing intermittent pain until it would recur more steadily.

Her fiancé Gregg Homan then brought her to a bone specialist, which then cultivated plasma from her own blood, which then served as her own treatment. This treatment involved the injection of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to

avert the progression of necrosis.

“Namatay na yung mga bones ko sa balakang. Kaya pala hirap na ako maglakad. Nung una ang sabi sa akin ay surgery, parang joint replacement na parang nakakatakot pakingan. So naghanap ako ng doctor na magkakaron ng conservative approach,” she said.

“So bumalik kami sa pagsaksak ng PRP sa hips ko. This time, nag drill sila ng hole. Ininject nila yung PRP directly doon sa dead bone.

Masakit ba yung procedure? Di ko inakala masakit sya. Tulo ng tulo yung luha ko. Nakaramdam ako ng awa sa sarili ko na bakit ako, bakit sa akin nangyari ito. Kasi ang cause ng avascular necrosis ay steroids abuse,” she further said.

At this point the actress couldn’t help but laugh at the irony, pointing out that steroids use was never part of her lifestyle.

“So ano yung cause nya? Wala.

Malas lang talaga at nangyari sya sa akin.”

Panganiban said she’s choosing to remain positive despite her condition, believing that the mind has the power to heal. She is also grateful that at least the doctors have identified her condition and have prescribed an apt treatment for her.

She couldn’t help but realize that at 37 years of age, “there was something dead inside (her),” a fact that tickled her funny bone, pun intended. She said she is hopeful that her recovery would be speedy as she planned to go back to work by next year.

‘Lovers/Liars’hopes to bring back the Claudine‘people missed’

by AllAn PolicArPio Inquirer.net

SHE may not have been the luckiest when it comes to love life and marriage, but her children, Claudine Barretto said, more than make up for it.

“I’m very happy with my kids … ‘Di man ako swerte [sa love life], swerte naman ako nang sobra-sobra sa mga anak ko,” she told reporters at a recent press conference for GMA 7 and Regal Entertainment’s upcoming drama series “Lovers/Liars.”

"Sabi siguro ni God, ‘Grabe na ‘yung mga pinagdaanan mo, so ‘yung mga anak mo magiging mabait,” she added.

Claudine has four children: Sabina, 19; Santino, 16; Quia, 8 and Noah, 4—all “sweet and kind” and don’t give her a headache.

“Sabina recently surprised me with flowers on our first taping day. Santino wrote me a letter, thanking me for working hard for him and his siblings. ‘Thank you for doing everything for us to make us happy,’ he wrote,” Claudine related. “They couldn’t be happier seeing me return to acting.”

“They’re so proud of me. They were teasing me, saying that, ‘The queen is back,’ so nakakatuwa naman,” she added. “They’re supportive of my going back to work.”

At 44, Claudine can safely say that she’s already happy and content with her life. A romantic relationship, she said, is longer on her list of priorities. “You don’t see me being linked to anyone. Hindi ko siya hinahanap,” she stressed.

“I’m focused on being a mother. I think I was born to be one.”

Just a bonus That’s not to say, however, that she’s completely closing her doors on love. “It would just be a bonus. I believe that if it’s meant for you, it will come at the right time,” Claudine said, adding that should she find herself entering a new relationship, it would be with someone who will understand that her kids come before everything else.

“I want someone who will love my children more than anything.

Kung mahal ako, sana mas mahal ang mga anak ko. Because at the end of the day, they’re No. 1. The partner comes second,” said Claudine, whose marriage with estranged husband Raymart Santiago is in the process of being annulled.

Return The last time Claudine starred in a soap opera was seven years ago. That’s why she couldn’t hide her excitement with her return to GMA 7’s primetime block. “I feel like I’m in heaven. I’m happy and excited,” she said.

But as experienced as Claudine is in the field of television, the nerves, she admitted, never really go away. “I get nervous about every teleserye I do. I grew up working with the likes of directors Wenn Deramas and Olive Lamasan.

And they always told me, ‘Kung ‘di ka ninenerbyos, nerbyosin ka na. Because that means you have become complacent,” she said. “I take every role to heart.”

Directed by Crisanto Aquino, “Lovers/Liars,” which premieres today, is set in “a world of empowered women struggling with authenticity and vulnerability.” Claudine is Via Laurente, a successful businesswoman who gets ensnared in an illicit affair with a much younger man named Caloy (Yasser Marta).

“I have been getting scripts and offers. But when I was presented with this project, I thought it was different from other roles I have done. I have played my share of powerful female characters, CEOs … But this is the first time that involves an illicit affair,” she said. “We got to show here that no matter how brave you are, you’re bound to have a weakness.”

Show the range For Claudine, love and lies are not so strange bedfellows. “When you start a relationship, we put our best foot forward and that can be considered a lie. You never fully know a person until after a while. Sometimes, you keep secrets to protect yourself, your past and the people you love,” she said.

“And when love breaks, it’s almost always because of betrayal

SERVICES

Claudine Barretto

GMA photo

and lies,” she added.

What was it like working with Yasser and the show’s other young cast members like Lianne Valentin, Kimson Tan and Rob Gomez?

“It feels great working with new actors you don’t know yet. But now I see that they have hunger and depth,” she said. “Yasser is the same age as some of my nephews. And I know the feeling of being a newbie and working with a veteran star. It’s nervewracking. That’s why I make sure to make him feel comfortable, especially since my character is feisty.”

The character Claudine plays is a “sensual woman.” Intimate scenes are inevitable. But she’s leaving it all up to Direk Crisanto, whom she wholeheartedly trusts.

“He talked to me and asked, ‘Hanggang saan ang kaya mo?

Ano ang limitation mo.’ And I grew up thinking that the director is the captain of the ship. And as an actor, it’s my job to respect the director and do what is required of me,” said Claudine, who—as part of her preparations— shed 84 pounds. through intermittent fasting.

“And I trust the director that he won’t do anything vulgar, especially with the love scenes.

Because it will also reflect on them. If their execution of the love scenes or sensual shots is bad, then it’s also on them,” she said.

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 23-29, 2023

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NOVEMBER 23-29, 2023 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL

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