112422 - Las Vegas Edition

Page 1

Attorney Gen. Rob Bonta investigates hospital algorithms for racial bias

SACRAMENTO — California Attorney General Rob Bonta sailed to victory in the Nov. 8 election, riding his progressive record on reproductive rights, gun control, and social justice reform. As he charts a course for his next four years, the 50-year-old Democrat wants to target racial discrimination in health care, including through an investigation of software programs and decision-making tools used by hospitals to treat patients.

Bonta, the first Filipino American to serve as the state’s top prosecutor, asked 30 hospital CEOs in August for a list of the commercial software programs their facilities use to support clinical decisions, schedule operating rooms, and guide billing practices. In exchange, he offered them confidentiality. His goal, Bonta told KHN, is to identify algorithms that may direct more attention and resources to white patients than to minorities, widening racial disparities in health care access, quality, and outcomes.

“Unequal access to our health care system needs to be combated and reversed, not carried forward and propagated, and algorithms have the power to do either,” Bonta said.

It’s too early to know what Bonta will find,

Online platform becomes essential tool in ght against hate incidents

IN February of 2020, COVID-19 had not yet hit American shores.

But even before the pandemic emerged in the U.S., Manju Kulkarni, executive director of the AAPI Equity Alliance, noticed a menacing trend: the rise in hate-motivated violence and speech targeting Asian Americans, fueled by former President Donald Trump’s xenophobic remarks on the origins of the virus and its carriers. “The China virus,” proclaimed Trump. “Kung Flu,” he stated, to his cheering fans on the campaign trail.

The first incident Kulkarni became aware of was a young boy who was physically and verbally attacked at his school in a biasmotivated incident. The AAPI Equity Alliance worked with the Los Angeles Unified School District to address the crime.

Confronting bias, head on Kulkarni herself was exposed to racism as she visited a hair salon. “Two white

Kamala Harris reiterates US commitment to defend PH

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and visiting U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday, November 21 hailed the “strong” and “enduring” ties between the Philippines and the United States amid global headwinds.

“Your visit is a very strong symbol that these relationships remain strong, that these relationships remain important as indeed they do. I have said many times, I do not see a future for the Philippines that does not include the United States,” Marcos told

Harris during her courtesy call in Malacañang. In their tete-a-tete, the early part of which was aired on state television, Harris described the Philippine-U.S. relationship as “a long and enduring one” and spoke about “so many opportunities for us to continue to strengthen our relationship” under Marcos’ leadership.

Harris cited, among others, “mutual concerns” about regional security, which she said was one basis of bilateral ties between the two nations.

“We are both proud members of the Indo-Pacific [region]. And in particular, as it relates to the

Philippines, I will say that we must reiterate always that we stand with you in defense of international rules and norms as it relates to the South China Sea,” she said.

Harris alluded to the general terms of the 1951 Philippine-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), saying “an armed attack on the Philippines armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the South China Sea would invoke U.S. mutual defense commitments.”

“And that is an unwavering commitment that we have to the Philippines,” she said.

Another basis of bilateral relations, the American  PAGE 2

Marcos: Harris visit ‘very strong symbol’ of Philippines-US alliance

MANILA — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to the Philippines is a ‘very strong symbol’ of the enduring alliance between the Philippines and the United States, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said on Monday, November 21.

Harris paid a courtesy call on Marcos at Malacañan as part of a visit that a senior U.S. administration official said is meant to strengthen the relationship between the Philippines and the U.S.

Ties between the two countries are now being mended, following tumultuous times under the previous administration with former President Rodrigo Duterte distancing the country from the U.S. in favor of China and Russia.

“We went through different phases of relationship, but as in since the war, it has just been strengthened in every way,” Marcos said.

“I cannot think of an area where we have not cooperated, collaborated, and have had good results

PH rejects same-sex marriage: We’re not ready for that, says DOJ’s Remulla

MANILA — The Philippine government is firm against same-sex marriage.

Same-sex marriage was among the recommendations made by member-states of the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Legalization of Abortion and Divorce that was rejected by the country.

“Culturally, our values may [has a] conflict with many of the values that they want to impose upon us…That’s what we believe, ha unless somebody argues otherwise; that is our position right now,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said in a press conference.

Over the weekend, Remulla also said that

the country is rejecting measures such as the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression Equality (SOGIE) bill.

“I think, culturally, we are not ready for that,” Remulla said.

If the country rejected same-sex marriage, it has deferred its stand on divorce because, according to Remulla, it is a matter that is up to the legislators.

“We cannot immediately grant it unless the legislature properly debates about it and lays down the premises–advantages and disadvantages,” Remulla said, adding that he believed that the Philippines is now one of the few countries that do not allow divorce.

US pledges $5 million more to fund COVID-19 ght in PH

MANILA — The United States on Monday, November 21 committed an additional $5 million or P287 million in COVID-19 funding for the Philippines.

U.S. Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, who made the announcement as he visited Caloocan City, said that the funding would be coursed through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

“This assistance, funded through the American Rescue Plan, will support vaccine distribution for children and adults in line with the Philippine government’s

COVID-19 vaccination efforts to intensify and strengthen the country’s wall of immunity,” the USAID said in a statement.

To date, the Philippines received almost $50 million or P2.86 billion in COVID response aid from the U.S.

The U.S. government likewise donated more than 33 million COVID-19 vaccine doses through Covax since the start of the pandemic.

More than 73.6 million individuals in the Philippines have so far been fully immunized against COVID-19 as of November 17, according to government data.

Aside from COVID-19, Emhoff

PH not likely to rejoin ICC

JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Friday, November 18 that it is highly unlikely that the Philippines will rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Remulla added he deemed it unnecessary, noting the Philippines is not a troubled country like Sudan “that has no government running the show.”

“You always think if [a recommendation is] practical, necessary or beneficial for your country. You do not jump in and say, ‘Oh, we’ll jump in because they say it,’” Remulla said following his return from the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the Philippines’ human rights record in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Philippines ratified the

Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the ICC, on Aug. 30, 2011, which took effect on Nov. 1, 2011.

However, the Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2019 during the term of former president Rodrigo Duterte, the second country to do so after Burundi in 2017.

Duterte made the decision to withdraw the Philippines’ membership from the body after the ICC launched a probe into his controversial anti-drug campaign in 2018.

The ICC said that it retains jurisdiction over the crimes allegedly committed by Philippine authorities that occurred from Nov. 1, 2011 to March 16, 2019, when the country was still a state party to the statute.

Remulla said extensive consultations with various sectors including Congress will be required

LAS VEGAS Volume 33 - No. 47 • 12 Pages Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY DATELINE USA FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA NOVEMBER 24-30, 2022 2770 S. Maryland Pkwy., Suite 201 Las Vegas, NV 89109 Tel: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879 T HE F ILIPINO A MERICAN C OMMUNITY N EWSPAPER  PAGE 2  PAGE 3  PAGE 3
WARM WELCOME. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (left) shakes hand with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris during a courtesy call at Malacañan Palace on Monday, Nov. 21. Harris, who is on a three-day working visit to the Philippines, also flew to Palawan on Tuesday, November 22. PNA photo by Rey S. Baniquet
 PAGE 2
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla ManilaTimes.net file photo United States Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff leads the turnover of hygiene kits to the city government of Caloocan and its students on Monday, November 21. PNA photo
PAGE
 PAGE 2
2

PH not likely to rejoin...

PAGE 1

for the Philippines to return to the ICC.

He said the Philippines rejoin ing the body was just one of the 297 recommendations made by the United Nations Human Rights Council during the UPR.

Of the 297 recommendations, Remulla said the Philippines only accepted 200.

“We have until December to submit our position on everyone,” he said.

Remulla added that the admin istration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has already been acting on many of the recommendations, including investigating the killings connected to Duterte’s war on ille gal drugs.

Remulla said that during the review of the Philippines’ hu man rights record, he reiterat ed that the alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during Duterte’s drug war were not state-spon sored.

He said a review panel was cre ated by the Department of Justice to reexamine the matter, and its initial findings said that at least seven incidents involving deaths were filed before the courts result ing in the indictment of 25 police officers.

A total of 302 cases have also been referred by the review panel to the National Bureau of Investi gation for case buildup.

Remulla added that the Philip pine National Police conducted its

own investigation on 17,500 offi cers involved in drug war opera tions, of which 27 were dismissed from service, 18 were demoted and 98 were suspended.

He said appropriate criminal charges were filed via the Admin istrative Order 35 mechanism on the alleged EJKs.

“This is a fruit of enhanced, secure and open dialogue I have personally made with civil society leaders who previously did not wish to come forward,” Remulla said, noting he is com mitted to disproving that there is a culture of impunity in the country.

“We will not tolerate the denial of justice nor any violation of hu man rights,” he said. g

PH rejects same-sex marriage: We’re...

“We just don’t recognize it because the premises have not been laid out properly. We want the legislature to do their job here. That is why we cannot commit to it because we cannot impose upon the legislature on a policy that they

have to do within Congress,” he said.

Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said the Philippines had accepted 200 of the 279 recommendations by the UN body. Of the 79, he said they deferred from accepting it, such as divorce, because it requires the

participation of another branch of the government.

While same-sex marriage, he said, was rejected because “of our national identity, our religious beliefs, and our cultural traditions and the Philippines sovereignty that we need to protect and uphold at all times.” g

US pledges $5 million more to fund COVID-19...

PAGE 1 PAGE 1

also guaranteed their support to the Philippines in combating tu berculosis and other infectious diseases.

“The United States is so proud to support the Philippines in its

fight against COVID-19 and tu berculosis. I am looking forward in continuing the partnership be tween our countries and working together to keep our communities safe and healthy and our schools open,” he said.

The U.S. official led the cere monial turnover of hygiene kits to the local government and its students.

Emhoff is in the Philippines as his wife, U.S. Vice President Ka mala Harris, is on a state visit. g

Kamala Harris reiterates US...

PAGE 1

vice president added, was mutual commitments to international rules and norms.

“Upholding those international rules and norms in all of the ways that we know allow for, again, prosperity and security for our respective nations in the region,” she said.

“So again, I will reiterate that the alliance between the United

States and the Philippines is a strong and enduring one, and only under your leadership continues to be strengthened. And we look forward to working with you on many of these issues,” she said.

Evolving ties

The president, for his part, described the Philippine-U.S. relations as “something that both our countries have really come to depend upon,” and reiterated his desire to strengthen and at the same time evolve the ties.

“[W]ith more upheavals that we are seeing, not only in the region, but especially in the region, this partnership becomes even more important. The situation is rapidly changing. We must evolve to be properly responsive to that situation. And so that is why it is very important that we continue to progress, that we continue to strengthen, as we redefine those relationships,” he said.

Marcos noted that bilateral ties have gone through “different phases of relationship” and since the postwar era “has just been strengthened in every way: in the economic sense, in the political sense, [and] defense security.”

“You cannot think of an area where we have not cooperated, collaborated, and have had good results for both our countries,” he said.

Harris said she intended to talk with the president about opportunities presented by mutual concerns such as the climate crisis “and what we might do in terms of investments and renewable energy and thinking about clean power and the industries that will come about because of that commitment.”

A fact sheet on Harris’ visit to the Philippines released by the White House on Sunday, November 20 said that the United States and the Philippines were initiating negotiations on a civil nuclear cooperation agreement. Once in force, this will provide the legal basis for U.S. exports of nuclear equipment and material to the Philippines.

Harris was accompanied in the Palace by her husband, second gentleman Douglas Emhoff, and U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson.

She arrived in the Philippines on Sunday night, the first visit in five years by a high-ranking U.S. official since former President Donald Trump visited the country for the 2017 Asia-

Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit.

Vice President Sara Duterte, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez, and other government officials were also present at the courtesy call and tete-a-tete.

Mr. Marcos, touching on the U.S. official’s visit to Palawan province on Tuesday, November 22, jestingly told Harris: “I’m sure you’re just going to the resorts and the beaches,” to which she replied, “that is not the life I’ve chosen these days.”

‘Dangerous deals’

In Congress, two of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies in the Senate on Monday, November 21 welcomed the U.S. official’s visit, saying this could signal that the United States was showing its true commitment to defend the Philippines in any conflict in the West Philippine Sea.

Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, however, called on the U.S. government to fully commit to the MDT with the Philippines.

“That (Harris visit) is an indicator that they are really here for us because otherwise, they could just be ignoring us. But the relationship should be mutual and not one-sided,” he said.

Sen. Christopher Go said visiting dignitaries from allied countries were welcome, especially if these would usher in more support for the Philippines such as the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

In the House of Representatives, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez noted that the visit of Harris sent a clear signal to China that the Philippines has U.S. support in the South China Sea dispute.

However, Gabriela women’s party list said that Harris’ visit to Palawan might be seen as a provocation, as it slammed the package of “dangerous deals” that the U.S. vice president brought with her.

The group cited the civil nuclear cooperation agreement, which House deputy minority leader and ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro also strongly opposed, saying that modular or microreactor nuclear power plants were still in the experimental stage. g

Attorney Gen. Rob Bonta investigates hospital...

PAGE 1 and his office will not name the hospitals involved. The California Hospital Association said in a statement that such bias “has absolutely no place in medical treatment provided to any patient in any care setting” and declined to comment further.

Advocates have high hopes for what Bonta will find — and for the next four years. “We expect to see a lot more from him in this full term,” said Ron Coleman Baeza, managing director of policy for the California PanEthnic Health Network. “There is much more work to do.”

Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Bonta as attorney general after Xavier Becerra left the position to join the Biden administration as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In the Nov. 8 election, which won him his first full term, Bonta faced Republican challenger Nathan Hochman, a former federal prosecutor who campaigned on prosecuting violent criminals and pulling the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl off the streets. In contrast, Bonta advocated for gun control and decriminalizing lower-level drug offenses, and in

January advised law enforcement officials not to prosecute women for murder when a fetus dies, even if their drug use contributed to the death.

In unofficial results, Bonta had about 59% of the statewide vote, compared with 41% for Hochman.

Bonta, formerly a state legislator representing the East Bay, will be eligible to run for a second full term, which could allow him to serve for nearly 10 years.

His wife, Democratic state Assembly member Mia Bonta, was among the public officials who discussed their abortion experiences after a leaked draft of a U.S. Supreme Court opinion that was published in May revealed the justices would likely repeal Roe v. Wade. After they did, the attorney general threatened legal action against local jurisdictions that tried to adopt abortion bans.

Bonta called health care a right for all Californians and said he wanted to help people of color and low-income communities get more access to doctors and treatments, as well as better care.

NOVEMBER 24-30, 2022 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678 2 From The FronT Page
I’ve been PAGE 3
“It’s something
IMPOSING. Giant figures made of paper mache parade along Quezon Avenue, Angono, Rizal for the Higantes Festival on Sunday, Nov. 20. The annual feast honors St. Clement, the patron saint of fisherfolk, and at the same time, depicts farm workers who mock their wealthy employers with stern looks. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

Marcos: Harris visit ‘very strong symbol’ of...

for both countries,” Marcos said as he told Harris that her visit is “a very strong symbol” of the enduring relationship between the two countries.

“I have said many times, I do not see a future for the Philippines that does not include the United States.”

The U.S. is the Philippines’ treaty ally and former colonizer.

Reaffirming 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty

At the same meeting, the U.S. reaffirmed its “unwavering commitment” to its mutual defense treaty with the Philippines.

“I will say that we must reiterate always that we stand with you in defense of international rules and norms as it relates to the South China Sea,” Harris told Marcos.

“An armed attack on the Philippines’ armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft

in the South China Sea would invoke U.S. mutual defense commitments,” she added, emphasizing previous pronouncements that Washington would come to Manila’s defense if needed.

Harris emphasized that this is an “unwavering commitment” the U.S. aims to maintain.

Nationalist groups have long protested the Philippines’ military ties to the U.S., saying it puts the country at risk. g

Attorney Gen. Rob Bonta investigates hospital...

PAGE 2

actively working on as an elected official my entire career, and even before that,” said Bonta, whose father helped organize health clinics for Central Valley farmworkers.

But health equity remains an elusive goal, even as it has become a catchphrase among advocates, researchers, politicians, and health care executives. And as with most aspects of the state’s mammoth health care system, progress comes slowly.

The Newsom administration, for example, will require managed-care plans that sign new Medicaid contracts to hire a chief equity officer and pledge to reduce health disparities, including in pediatric and maternal care. The state’s Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal, serves nearly 15 million people — most of whom are people of color. But those changes won’t come until 2024, at the earliest.

State lawmakers are also trying to minimize racial discrimination through legislation. In 2019, for example, they passed a law that mandates implicit bias training for health care providers serving pregnant women. Black women are three times as likely to die from having a baby as white women.

In recent years, researchers started warning that racial discrimination was baked into the diagnostic algorithms that doctors use to guide their treatment decisions. One model predicted a lower rate of success for vaginal births among Black and Hispanic women who previously had a cesarean delivery than among white women, but failed to take into account patients’ marital status and insurance type, both of

which can affect the success rate of a vaginal birth. Another, used by urologists, assigned Black patients coming into emergency rooms with “flank pain” a lower likelihood of having kidney stones than non-Black patients — even though the software’s developers failed to explain why.

Some researchers likened such medical algorithms to risk assessment tools used in the criminal justice system, which can lead to higher bail amounts and longer prison sentences for Black defendants. “If the underlying data reflect racist social structures, then their use in predictive tools cements racism into practice and policy,” they wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2020.

Bonta is seeking the hospital industry’s cooperation in his algorithm investigation by framing racial and ethnic disparities as injustices that require intervention. He said he believes that his inquiry is the first of its kind and that it falls under the California Department of Justice’s responsibility to protect civil rights and consumers. “We have a lot of depth,” he said of his 4,500-employee agency.

Coleman Baeza and other advocates for health care consumers said the attorney general should also monitor nonprofit hospital mergers to ensure that health care facilities don’t reduce beds in underserved communities and crack down on predatory medical lending, particularly in dental care.

“They violate existing consumer protections, and that falls squarely within the AG’s jurisdiction,” said Linda Nguy, a senior policy advocate for the Western Center on Law and Poverty.

Nguy urged Bonta to go after underperforming health plans

when they fail to contract with enough providers so patients can get timely appointments, even though the California Department of Managed Health Care is the state’s main health insurance regulator.

“During covid, the health plans were essentially given a pause on reporting of their timely access. But that pause is over, and the plans have to meet these requirements,” Nguy said. “He can ask for that utilization data.”

Bonta remains circumspect on a particular issue related to race.

His office has been facilitating California’s reparations task force, which issued a nearly 500page preliminary report this year that noted that Black Californians had shorter life expectancies and poorer health outcomes than other groups. In surveys of hospitals across the country, Black patients with heart disease “receive older, cheaper, and more conservative treatments” than white patients, the report said.

The task force could recommend cash compensation for Black Californians who can establish ties to enslaved ancestors, but Bonta hasn’t endorsed that plan. The final report is due in July.

“If we can move the needle, then we should,” Bonta said. “There are a whole set of different possible solutions, pathways to get there.” (Mark Kreidler/Kaiser Health News)

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

Online platform becomes essential tool in fight...

PAGE 1

women were making really racist comments about Asian Americans: their food habits, and how they brought the virus on.” Kulkarni’s stylist, who is Japanese American, was the apparent target of the women’s remarks.

“I confronted them, and told them they were factually incorrect,” Kulkarni told Ethnic Media Services. “They said I had misunderstood them,” she added, noting that the women summarily dismissed her concerns.

Then out of the blue Kulkarni received a call from Russell Jeung, a sociologist at San Francisco State University. Immediately, Kulkarni and Jeung, along with Cynthia Choi, co executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action, embarked on collecting signatures for a letter they presented to former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, asking his office to collect and share data on hate crimes against Asian Americans.

Stop AAPI hate Becerra, according to Kulkarni, said his office was not in the business of doing data collection, and relied instead on local law enforcement agencies. The trio decided it was time to do some data collection of their own. On March 19, 2020, they launched the web portal stopAAPIHate.org.

The portal allows victims of hate crimes or bias-related incidents to self-report the occurrence, in one of several Asian languages. To

date, the site has collected more than 11,000 instances of biasrelated crimes and incidents.

Monumental initiative

This year, the three organizations — along with 98 community-based organizations and 49 ethnic media outlets — received a portion of a $166 million grant from the state of California, aimed at combating anti Asian American hate. In partnership with the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs, the campaign is being managed by the California State Library. Grantees support the public awareness efforts of the Stop the Hate Program administered by the California Department of Social Services, which provides support and services to victims and survivors of hate incidents and hate crimes.

“I want to express my deep gratitude to the AAPI Legislative Caucus for this $166 million investment in our community. Our communities have experienced under-funding for decades,” said Kulkarni. “It is monumental. No other state has done this. The investment is exactly what we need to create the infrastructure to combat hate.”

Mental health toll

The community activist said she cannot predict trends or patterns as to whether hate crimes have increased or decreased as a result of community awareness. “We get reports every day, but often

people report several weeks or even months after they have been attacked.”

“They may still be processing what has happened. There is a huge mental health toll,” she said. On the legislative front, the three organizations have managed to get two anti-hate bills through the California state Legislature and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom. SB 1161, sponsored by State Senator Dave Min, aims to reduce harassment in public transport systems throughout California.

AB 2448, sponsored by Assemblymember Phil Ting, calls on businesses to train their employees against discrimination. The bill also creates a program that trains employees on how to report, protect and respond to hate incidents in cases of customer harassment.

Without fear

The initiative is also focused on getting Asian American studies into the K-12 school curriculum. It is also working on community safety solutions, such as safe housing, and living wage jobs. “These are factors that prevent hate and crime,” said Kulkarni.

“It is so important that our government stands by its people, and doesn’t allow people to violate the civil rights of others. We want self actualization that enables people to be who they really want to be, without fear,” said Kulkarni. (Sunita Sohrabji/ Ethnic Media Services)

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com 3 LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 24-30, 2022 Dateline USa PAGE 1
CONTENDERS. Dance presentations are mixed with the final judging night of the 15th “Belenismo sa Tarlac” on Saturday, Nov. 19. A total of 51 life-size depictions of the nativity of Jesus will vie for cash prizes in different categories of the event that started in 2007, held annually except at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. PNA photos by Avito Dalan

Average life expectancy of Filipinos is 71, says World Bank Dateline PhiliPPines

MANILA — The average life expectancy of Filipinos is 71, which is two years the global average of 73, according to a

study by the World Bank for 2020.

The same study also showed that the average life expectancy of Filipino males is 67 and females  is 76.

The highest life expectancy was in Hong Kong and Japan at 85

and the lowest was in the Central African Republic at 54.

Meanwhile, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the projected life expectancy for Filipinos was 71 for males and 78 years for females. g

‘BBM made good impression at APEC’

FORMER president now Pam panga Second District Rep. Glo ria Macapagal Arroyo believes President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made a "good impression" in his first participation at the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Coopera tion (APEC) Summit in Bangkok, Thailand.

In a statement on Sunday, No vember 20, Malacañang said Ar royo was satisfied with Marcos' performance speaking before more than half of the world's economies.

"He certainly made a very good impression on the leaders of the very important economies. And not only the very important economies but also the great economic thinkers of the world," Arroyo was quoted as saying.

Marcos earlier described Arroyo as his "secret weapon" during his meeting with the Filipino community in Thailand on Saturday, November 19.

He personally invited Arroyo to accompany him during the APEC Summit, noting that her experiences and insights were valuable.

"Sinasabi kong secret weapon dahil ako 'yung baguhan dito eh. Ako 'yung bagong naging lid

er. Kaya't 'pag papasok kami sa meeting, noong nakita si GMA (I say secret weapon because I'm the newbie. I'm the new leader. That's why when we started the meeting and they'd see GMA, they'd say), 'Ah my good friend! My good friend!' Oh madali na kaagad 'yung usapan (Then it would be easy to start talking to them)," he said.

Highly successful Department of Migrant Work ers Secretary Susan "Toots" Ople described Marcos' first APEC as "highly successful."

She said he developed a good rapport with other economic leaders, particularly Saudi Ara bia's Crown Prince, describing their exchanges as "very relaxed, very uplifting."

"Makikita mo na both sides excited mag-engage, and lalo na noong nakausap na niya 'yung Crown Prince, si His Royal High ness Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman o MBS kung tawagin siya sa Saudi Arabia (You could see that both sides were excited to engage, especially when he spoke to the Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Moham med Bin Salman of Saudi Ara bia)," Ople said.

Marcos and the Crown Prince had a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the APEC Summit.

"Makikita mo pag-upo pa lang nila parang magkaibigan na nag katagpo, nagkuwentuhan, pare hong forward-looking, parehong visionary, at parehong proud sa mga Pilipino. Parang 'yun din 'yung kanilang naging common ground (The moment they sat down they seemed like friends who have reunited, telling stories, both forward-looking, both vision aries and both proud of Filipinos. That was their common ground)," Ople added.

During the bilateral meeting between the two leaders, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia com mitted to shoulder the unpaid wages of around 10,000 Filipi no workers who were displaced from construction companies that went bankrupt.

Marcos said there was also an assurance from the Saudi Min istry of Labor that there will be no more unpaid salaries among Filipinos in the Middle Eastern country.

The two leaders also talked about energy and petroleum amid the prevailing oil crisis. (PNA)

Senate forms oversight committee on intelligence funds, programs

MANILA — The Senate on Monday, November 21 formed the Select Oversight Committee on Intelligence and Confidential Funds, Programs and Activities to keep an eye on how the executive branch will spend around P9.28 billion in lumpsum allocations in the proposed 2023 national budget.

The grant of confidential funds to the executive branch — P4.5 billion to the Office of the President and around P650 million for Vice President Sara Duterte, who is concurrently secretary of the education department — has raised concern because these are not subject to the same audit rules as other budget items.

"In these times, we need to be more trusting of our government agencies," Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, who was later designated chair of the select committee, said. He said that crime has evolved and that government agencies should be given resources to address it.

"We have to have faith that they will use every inch

of diligence and discretion in undertaking surveillance and intelligence catheting in the discharge of their sacred mandates and in keeping with their oaths," he also said.

He said, however, that Congress must remember its "power and responsibility of the power of the purse" in checking how these funds are used. "Please trust that we will do our jobs," he said, promising that the committee would hold hearings on how Confidential and Intelligence Funds are used "if necessary."

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III, who will also be part of the committee, acknowledged that the creation of oversight committees on intelligence funds has long been done by the Senate.

"Let’s continue the good practice,” he said, adding, however, that “ there is an even better practice, which is to discourage the allocation of lump sums."

He said that while lawmakers "tried our best" to decrease the amount of and discourage the

grant of CIFs, the committee would be a "second level of defense in the name of the people and for the people, in the name of transparency."

Sen. Robinhood Padilla said he supports the grant of these intelligence funds, especially to Duterte’s office. "Davao can now be considered a safe zone, it has been cleared of those who we call terrorists," he said in Filipino as he credited the former mayor of Davao City for the security situation in Mindanao’s commercial and economic center.

Apart from Zubiri and Pimentel, the Senate designated Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, finance committee chair Juan Edgardo Angara and public order committee chair Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa as members of the select oversight committee.

As a show of solidarity, all members of the Senate were designated co-authors of the resolution to form the oversight committee. It was passed with no objections or revisions. (Philstar.com)

NOVEMBER 24-30, 2022 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678 4
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Bangkok, Thailand Malacañang photo ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. addresses a sparse crowd that includes Vice President Sara Duterte upon his arrival at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Saturday, Nov. 19. The President, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and select Cabinet officials came from the 29th AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, bringing with them good news of pledges, commitments and cooperation secured from the other regional leaders. PNA photo by Rey Baniquet
(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com 5 LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 24-30, 2022

Medium risk for corruption

TRACKING the results of the Corruption Perceptions Index drawn up in January this year by Transparency International, the Philippines has also slipped in the Global Corruption Index 2022. In the GCI released last week, Geneva-based business risk management consultancy Global Risk Profile ranked the Philippines 105th out of 196 countries and territories, down from last year’s 102nd place. GRP classified the country at “medium risk” for corruption.

Based on perceptions and actual experience, the GCI measures public and private corruption as well as risks for white-collar crimes such as money laundering and terrorism financing. The Philippines, once described as a “black hole” in international finance, is still working to get out of the gray list of countries under close monitoring by Paris-based global dirty money watchdog Financial Action Task Force. GRP noted that financial aid programs during the COVID-19 pandemic “triggered new opportunities for corruption, bribery, falsification of submissions and embezzlement of public funds, therefore draining new resources.”

Editorial

terms by Congress and Malacañang. In Southeast Asia, the Philippines ranked behind Singapore, which placed 13th overall in the GCI, as well as Malaysia (49th), Brunei (70th), Indonesia (98th) and Thailand (101st). The Philippines was ahead of Timor-Leste (114th), Vietnam (131st), Laos (174th), Cambodia (175th) and Myanmar (177th).

Apart from the multibillion-peso scandal involving the sweetheart supply deal for personal protective equipment awarded to favored company Pharmally Pharmaceuticals, which remains unresolved, dozens of barangay captains were also indicted for various anomalies related to the distribution of ayuda during the COVID lockdowns. Instead of punishment, incumbent barangay officials have been rewarded with yet another extension of their

In the Corruption Perceptions Index released by Transparency International in January this year, the Philippines also slipped by a notch, placing 117th. Denmark, New Zealand and Finland were tied at first place, while Singapore as usual ranked high at fourth place alongside Sweden and Norway. In Southeast Asia, the Philippines ranked below Brunei (35th),  Malaysia (62nd), Timor-Leste (82nd), Vietnam (87th), Indonesia (96th) and Thailand (110th).

The Philippines has also seen its scores fall in the latest indeces on economic freedom and global bribery, attributed to weakening transparency in government and institutional weaknesses in preventing political corruption.

Sandwiched between two major powers

THE visit of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris to the Philippines brought us right into the center of international attention, most especially with her itinerary that included a high-profile trip to Palawan province which is located near the Spratlys. Observers predicted that the Palawan visit – which included a tour aboard a Philippine Coast Guard vessel around Puerto Princesa City – may be interpreted by our neighbor to the north as a “rebuke,” with the turn of events being a cause of “irritation.”

But whatever it is, we must remember that from day one of his presidency, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been consistent in communicating to the international community that we have a clear foreign policy that strives in no uncertain terms to be “a friend to all and an enemy to none,” focusing on rebalancing relations with existing and new allies.

Certainly, we value our oldest and only treaty ally, the United States, but we also want to work with other countries including China, and this has been evident during the President’s state visits and bilateral meetings with other heads of state. However, there is no avoiding the fact that we have an issue with China regarding disputed territories, with the Philippines obtaining a favorable ruling from the arbitral court in

Flea Market of Ideas

THE United States has just gone through one of the most consequential midterm elections in its recent history. Filipinos are keenly interested in the elections in the so-called land of milk and honey, even if we are distant spectators from our islands of misery and hopelessness. In fact, it’s the only foreign election where many Filipinos take sides in, either expressing preference for the Republican Party or voicing out affinity with the Democratic Party.

The reasons are obvious: a Filipino who has no relative in the U.S. is as rare as a white carabao; the Philippines remains both an economic and cultural colony of the U.S., because the latter persists as our biggest

The Hague, Netherlands in July 2016 that junked China’s historic claims on the South China Sea on the basis of its so-called ninedash line.

During his meeting with the Asia Society in New York last September, the President was unequivocal in saying that the position that the Philippines takes is that “we have no territorial conflict with China” because what we have is “China claiming territory that belongs to the Philippines.”

Nevertheless, the President is intent on working with China and other claimant states with the end in view of “resolving the issues involving the West Philippine Sea through diplomacy and dialogue,” he said.

The President reiterated this message during the recently concluded ASEAN summits when he pushed for the early conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea as this is envisioned to help reduce the risk of conflict. He also called on leaders to be guided by the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) that outlines universal principles of peaceful coexistence and cooperation, particularly among the “high contracting parties” such as the ASEAN membernations and others that include the U.S., China, Japan and Russia.

Likewise, he highlighted the potential of the South China Sea to become “a nexus of vibrant economic engagements and interactions” and “not an epicenter of armed conflict or geopolitical maneuverings.”

With that having been said,

the in-person meeting between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping during the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia is seen by many as a right step towards de-escalating the tension between these giants, as both have promised to put more effort into repairing “a relationship that has been at its most rancorous point in decades,” went an article in the New York Times

“None of that hid the deeply divergent views behind their disagreements, including over the future of Taiwan, military rivalry, technology restrictions and China’s mass detentions of its citizens. But with the stakes so high, both Mr. Biden’s and Mr. Xi’s language represented a choice not to gamble on unrestricted conflict but to bet that personal diplomacy and more than a decade of contacts could stave off worsening disputes,” the NYT succinctly put it.

“But neither leader went into the meeting expecting the other to concede on their major areas of disagreement. The point, they said, was to keep lines of communication open to prevent the relationship from devolving further,” the New York Times article pointed out.

In a report written by Don McLain Gill and Joshua Bernard Espeña published at geopoliticalmonitor.com, they pointed to the “critical role” that the Philippines – a middle power – can play in the “overall power equation as the U.S. and China battle for influence in the Indo-Pacific.” The country’s strategic location serves as a tipping point in the rivalry as it

has “the potential to change the balance of power” between these two giants and can “cause major power shifts in the greater IndoPacific region.”

One important factor is that a large majority of Filipinos consider the United States as the most trusted nation and believe President Marcos should assert our rights in the West Philippine Sea. At the same time, they also do not want the Philippines to be like ham in a sandwich – caught between two slabs of bread and be gobbled up in the end.

As I pointed out on many occasions, any conflict can only lead to death and destruction

as we are seeing in the war in Ukraine, and the only way out is through continuing dialogue and diplomacy. While critics may say that what has been happening so far is all talk, that is still by far better than engaging in warfare. My ASEAN colleagues in Washington and I have always maintained that the only way to peace is through the continuing conduct of dialogue and diplomacy, a position that the Philippines continues to advance.

President Marcos emphasized during the ASEAN summit that the South China Sea should remain “a sea of peace, a sea

Crisis of leaders, crisis of voters

trading partner and our lives are inundated with American music, movies, fashion, sports, food, and all kinds of merchandise, and; an overwhelming number of Filipinos still long for the American dream.

I have not encountered any professional survey so far, but from my anecdotal appraisal of the sentiments of fellow Filipino citizens, it’s safe to say that an overwhelming majority of our countrymen identify more with the Democrats rather than with the Republicans.

As outsiders who view American politics from afar, it’s easy to understand why this is generally so for Filipinos: Democratic leaders sound friendlier to immigrants and minorities, they show more empathy for the working class, and they express more hostility toward abusive foreign

governments. In contrast, Republican leaders are viewed as unwelcoming to immigrants, they’re reputedly pro-rich, and they’re tolerant of oppressive foreign governments.

When it comes to Filipino immigrants in the U.S., however, there is a marked increase in the number of Filipinos who support Republicans. The reasons often cited by U.S.-based and pro-Republican Filipinos are as follows: they espouse policies that are good for the US economy; they’re hard on crime; they are against illegal immigrants and “over-generous” handouts, and; they’re on the side of “conservative values” when it comes to issues of abortion and LGBTQ rights.

Even when the Republican Party was taken over by former president Donald Trump, who has been a magnet of many

scandalous controversies all his life, there’s still a substantial number of U.S.-based Filipinos who are rabidly supportive of Trump as a Republican. This has been the case even if Trump has uttered brazenly racist comments against Mexicans and Muslims, who are colored people and minority groups with whom Filipinos should naturally empathize with. Trump has also been recorded bragging about his exploits at seducing married women and at kissing unsuspecting ladies. He was caught on tape saying: “I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. … Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.” At another time, he publicly declared that he trusted Russian President Vladimir Putin more than he did American intelligence agencies. Trump

also fomented the 2021 violent attack on the U.S. Capitol, aimed at the unthinkable objective of unconstitutionally keeping himself in the White House despite his reelection loss. On Tuesday, November 15, Trump announced that he will seek the U.S. presidency again in the 2024 elections.

Democrat leaders are not exactly saints in comparison, because they’ve had their own share of scandals, but it’s not supposed to be a pissing competition aimed at extolling and elevating to power the most wicked of each party.

But what do we Filipinos know? We have installed in power far more scandalous leaders in our recent elections.

It’s a strange phenomenon that more of this mold of leaders are being elevated to power in multiple countries around

of security and stability and of prosperity.”

And as he clearly articulated, the leaders of the world must remember that they have a “moral and legal obligation to work toward finding solutions and not resort to inciting conflicts” – because to do otherwise will surely lead us to perdition. (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 world. Some bizarre new elements must have been added to our planet’s biosphere that are causing voters worldwide to behave strangely.

This regression in the world’s choice of leaders represent a stepback in the progress of human civilization. It should prompt experts across all countries to come together in order to find out the common denominators of what’s happening and to identify potential solutions. If they do, they will find out that the world does not have a crisis of leaders. Humanity has a crisis of voters.

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. *

Comments to fleamarketofideas@gmail. com

NOVEMBER 24-30, 2022 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678 6 FEATURES OPINION ASIAN JOURNAL PUBLITIONS, INC. publishes the Los Angeles Asian Journal, published twice a week; Northern California Asian Journal, Las Vegas Asian Journal and the New York / New Jersey Asian Journal which are published once a week and distributed to Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange Counties, Northern California, Las Vegas and New York and New Jersey respectively. Articles published in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Letters to the Editor are welcome. Letters must contain complete name and return address. The materials, however, are subject to editing and revisions. Contributions and advertising deadlines are every Mondays and Thursdays. For advertising rates and other informations, please ll the L.A. office at (213) 250-9797 or the Las Vegas Sales Office at (702) 792-6678 or send us an email at info@asianjournalinc.com Asian Journal Publitions, Inc. (“AJPI”) reserves the right to refuse to publish, in its sole and absolute discretion, any advertising and advertorial material submitted for publition by client. (“Client’s Material”) Submission of an advertisement or advertorial to an AJPI sales representative does not constitute a commitment by AJPI to publish a Client’s Material. AJPI has the option to correctly classify any Client’s Material and to delete objectionable words or phrases. Client represents and warrants that a Client’s Material does not and will not contain any language or material which is libelous, slanderous or defamatory or invades any rights of privacy or publicity; does not and will not violate or infringe upon, or give rise to any adverse claim with respect to any common law or other right whatsoever (including, without limitation, any copyright, trademark, service mark or contract right) of any person or entity, or violate any other applible law; and is not the subject of any litigation or claim that might give rise to any litigation. Publition of a Client’s Material does not constitute an agreement to continue publition. Client agrees and covenants to indemnify AJPI and its officers against any and all loss, liability, damage, expenses, cost, charges, claims, actions, uses of action, recoveries, judgments, penalties, including outside attorneys’ fees (individually and collectively “Claims”) which AJPI may suffer by reason of (1) Client’s breach of any of the representations, warranties and agreements herein or (2) any Claims by any third party relating in any way to Client’s Material. AJPI will not be liable for failure to publish any Client’s Material as requested or for more than one incorrect insertion of a Client’s Material. In the event of an error, or omission in printing or publition of a Client’s Material, AJPI shall be limited to an adjustment for the space occupied by the error, with maximum liability being ncellation of the cost of the first incorrect advertisement or republition of the correct advertisement. Under no circumstances shall Asian Publitions, Inc. be liable for consequential damages of any kind. ADVERTISING AND ADVERTORIAL POLICIES 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.
LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board
MACABAGDAL-ORIEL President MOMAR G. VISAYA Executive Editor
ROGER
CORA
Vice
& General Manager Las Vegas Asian Journal Main Office: 1210 S. Brand Blvd Glendale, CA 91204 Tels: (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797 Fax: (818) 502-0858 • (213) 481-0854 e-mail: info@asianjournalinc.com
Las Vegas Sales Office: 2770 S. Maryland Pkwy., Suite 201 Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Tel.: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879 With offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York/New Jersey, Las Vegas, San Diego. Philippines
ROBERT MACABAGDAL
President
http://www.asianjournal.com
ManilaTimes.net photo It is no coincidence that countries ranked high in comparative studies on transparency and corruption are also among the most prosperous and advanced in quality of life. The World Bank and other organizations have stressed that corruption draws away much needed funds from programs that could otherwise be used for poverty alleviation and development efforts. The latest corruption index should encourage more decisiveness in addressing this problem in the Philippines. (Philstar.com)
* * *
* *
Babe’s Eye View FRIENDLY MEETING. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. shares a light moment with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris during a courtesy call at Malacañan Palace in Manila on Monday, Nov. 21. Both leaders are expected to articulate their commitment to working more closely to strengthen investment ties, pursue the digital economy and upskill and accelerate the transition to clean energy. PNA photo by Rey S. Baniquet

House approves bill for enhanced media workers’ protection, benefits

MANILA — The House of Representatives has passed on final reading a measure providing for enhanced protection, security, and benefits for those working in the media industry.

Congressmen voted 252 with no abstentions to approve on the third reading House Bill No. 454 or the “Media Workers’ Welfare Act,” a consolidation of five similar bills.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez said Congress “regards the Fourth Estate as an essential partner in nation building and in protecting our democracy.”

“The approval of the measure highlights the importance we in the House give to promoting the welfare of media personnel and ensuring that the press remains free,” he said in a statement.

If enacted into law, HB 454 will apply to all media workers and media entities in the private sector.

The measure provides that the minimum compensation for media workers should not be less

than the applicable minimum wage set by the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board.

They will be also entitled to overtime and night shift pay as provided under the Labor Code and related laws.

Media workers shall be covered by the Social Security System, Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG Fund, and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. or PhilHealth upon employment.

The employer and the media worker will share in the payment of monthly premiums in accordance with existing rules.

Media workers required to physically report for work in dangerous places like embattled and disease-stricken areas will receive a hazard pay of P500 a day, and shall be provided with safety gear like bulletproof vests and protective equipment by their employer.

They are also entitled to P200,000 death benefit, disability benefit of up to P200,000, and medical insurance of up to P100,000.

The bill further provides that a media worker shall be deemed

a regular employee after six months from the start of their employment. An employer shall not terminate the services of an employee except for a just cause and with the observance of due process, it also states.

The Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) regional offices will settle all labor-related disputes concerning the media worker and the employer.

In addition, the bill holds media entities as responsible for all content released in their platforms, including those produced by block timers.

However, exemption is when the media entity is able to prove that they exercised due diligence, or that the fault, misconduct or violation of law was done solely by the media worker or block timer.

The DOLE secretary will be tasked to create a News Media Tripartite Council, which shall serve as a link among various stakeholders.

The council will also provide a platform where media workers and employers can agree on mutually beneficial policies and programs and settle disputes. g

Prepare for worst in 2023, lawmaker urges gov’t

MANILA — A senior opposition lawmaker has warned the Marcos administration to not rest on its laurels like the recent robust economic growth, but should prepare for the projected “looming global recession” in fiscal year 2023.

Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr., who replaced the Camarines Sur district position that former vice president Leni Robredo left in 2016, said he sees bleak prospects ahead, based on the continuous surge in United States interest rates, record-high inflation, unresolved Ukraine war, among others.

“We do need to protect our people from the impact of the global recession as well as the real and direct consequences of an economy that is very vulnerable to the shocks caused by global conflict,” Bordado said.

The third-term congressman, who belongs to the official minority bloc at the House of Representatives headed by

Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, conceded that while the local economy “appears to be resilient,” there is still a need to “prepare” for the worst.

Bordado made these remarks in his recent privilege speech, noting that issues brought about by global conflict, like the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the worsening climate crisis spawning extreme weather events and calamities, need to be solved.

The Philippines was in recession in late 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bordado also highlighted the country’s vulnerability to “external forces” or developments either in the Asian region or globally, being a “country highly dependent on imported commodities.”

Last August, the balance of trade reached a record high deficit of $6 billion.

While it narrowed down to $4.8 billion in September, the continued negative balance of trade only highlights the fact that the country needs to seriously come up with measures to address

self-sufficiency, food security and lesser dependency on imports, according to the lawmaker.

While the cautious Bordado raised the specter of yet another domestic recession, Speaker Martin Romualdez is optimistic about the country’s chances of being over the hump by next year, as shown by the steady economic growth for several quarters now.

“I have no doubt on my mind that we can all fully recover from this crisis if we are united. The best is yet to come, if we come together and work hard together. This is for our country, our future,” Romualdez said.

“The President has an Agenda for Prosperity. This agenda has as its core mission the country’s economic transformation towards inclusivity and sustainability,” he added.

The House leader credited the Marcos administration’s MediumTerm Fiscal Framework and its eight-point socio-economic agenda for the economic expansion, which Romualdez said surprised many analysts. g

Johnny B. Shaw, MBA Telephone: (702) 477-3146 Email: jshaw@snvrha.org

Linda Price Telephone: (702) 477-3144 TDD: (702) 387-1898 Email: lpsimpson@snvrha.org or

1. 2.

To Download the Bid: Go to www.snvrha.org click on Procurement tab, click on “Current Bid Invitations” and scroll down to the appropriate solicitation number. Problems downloading the Bid document, notify our IT Department at (702) 477-3160.

Download and Respond to the Solicitation: Register your company first, down and respond: NGEM Website. https://nevada. ionwave.net/Login.aspx, 8AM EST to 4PM PST, Questions: 866-277-2645, Option 4.

Thursday, December 7, 2022, 9 AM (PST)

Site Visits: Begin at 10:30 at 4980 EAST OWENS AVENUE, LAS VEGAS, NV 89110 Additional site visits available upon request

Thursday, November 21, 2022, thru Thursday, December 22, 2022, 5PM (PDST)

All questions and answers must be submitted in writing at: https://nevada.ionwave.net/Login.aspx and will they will be responded to the same way. Questions must be submitted prior to the deadline date and time.

All bids must be submitted to: Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority Procurement Department 340 N. 11th Street, Suite 180 Las Vegas, NV 89101

Your Bid costs must be entered at the applicable website, https://nevada.ionwave. net/Login.aspx by the deadline date and time. Additionally, your three (3), sealed, hard-copy, proposals must be received in-hand and timestamped by the SNRHA Procurement & Contracts Office no later than 10:00 AM (PDST) on January 5, 2023.

Thursday, February 16, 2023, 12 Noon

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com 7 LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 24-30, 2022 Dateline PhiliPPines
IFB INFORMATION AT A GLANCE
SOUTHERN NEVADA REGIONAL HOUSING AUTHORITY Procurement Dept. 340 N. 11TH Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101
HOW TO OBTAIN THE SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS ON THE APPLICABLE INTERNET SITES: NOTE: Copies of bid documents received from sources other
the
will cause your bid to be deemed invalid. VIRTUAL PRE-BID CONFERENCE AND SITE VISIT: MS TEAMS: +1 323-406-1159 - Phone Conference https://tinyurl.com/2p94ryww ID: 269 780 746 961# Passcode: 8XhRE8 ANTICIPATED APPROVAL BY SNRHA BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, if necessary QUESTION & ANSWER SUBMISSION DEADLINE: SEALED BID SUBMISSIONS:
SNRHA CONTACT PERSON(S) ONLY: Note: Contact with any other SNRHA staff other than the named Johnny B. Shaw or Linda Price, within this document is prohibited and will result in your Proposal being rejected. This also includes contact with SNRHA’s Residents and Board of Commissioners.
than
SNRHA
Emerging Small Business (ESB): Women, and/or minority-owned businesses are encouraged to participate in our Solicitation Processes. For full details of the ESB Program and for possible increased business opportunities, contact Jeanette Holguin, (702) 486-2700, jholguin@diversifynevada.com

Dolly shares fighting chance in Hollywood amid buzz on possible Oscar nom

VETERAN actress Dolly de Leon shared her fighting chance in Hollywood after her name was floated among the possible nominees for a major category in the upcoming Academy Awards or the Oscars.

Fresh from the United States, the actress graced the opening of the 10th QCinema International Film Festival on Thursday, November 17 where her Canneswinning movie, “Triangle of Sadness,” had its Philippine premiere.

Dolly was in the stateside where she participated in the producer’s campaign to woo members of the Academy Awards to select her as a finalist in the 2023 Oscars Best Supporting Actress category.

Her performance in the dark comedy film earned similar commendation from Filipinos after receiving a rousing standing ovation following its Philippine premiere.

According to Dolly, she chose to be in the country for the film’s

local premiere to feel the reaction of her fellow Pinoys.

“It was my choice to be here,” she told ABS-CBN News.

The actress also said that she believes Southeast Asians have more “representation” on the international stage, saying that there’s more “diversity” when it comes to casting and on film production teams.

Nagbabago na ‘yung mundo ngayon eh, dun na tayo sa, ‘yung inclusivity, na lahat ng ethnicities welcome dun sa mundo nila,” Dolly said in a video uploaded by News5 entertainment journalist MJ Marfori.

The actress cited the international breakthroughs of fellow Pinoy actors Soliman Cruz, Chai Fonacier, Ruby Ruiz and others for continuing to open more doors for Filipino artists on the global stage.

Dolly also described the campaign for the movie to get nominated under Best International Feature Film category of Oscars 2023 as “super solid.”

Talagang ang sipag sipag nila na i-campaign tayo tsaka ‘yung

pelikula, as in back-to-back ‘yung mga pangyayari,” she said.

“May interview ta’s photoshoot, ta’s screening, ta’s Q&A, ta’s cocktails, ta’s ganon ulit. Gising na naman nang maaga tapos tulog na naman nang late. So talagang solid ‘yung campaign nila dun,” Dolly added.

In relation to her possible Oscar nomination, the actress admitted that she does not want to expect too much since she does not want to feel bad if she fails to get in.

“Kung hindi pumasok, okay lang, siguro iiyak ako ng isang araw ta’s okay nako ulit,” she said with a laugh.

Moving forward, Dolly teased that she will work in the U.S in March where she will take part in a comedy film.

“Parang ano ako doon, medyo mean or medyo masungit na stepmom,” she said.

‘Triangle of Sadness’

The actress stars in Ruben Östlund‘s “Triangle of Sadness” as Abigail, a toilet manager on a luxury cruise ship.

The movie tells the story of celebrity couple Carl (Harris

Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean) who were invited to a yacht for a luxury cruise after Fashion Week.

Things take a turn for the worse when a storm occurs and they get shipwrecked on a desert island with several other billionaires who joined the cruise.

Mild-mannered Abigail, who ends up being the most capable of them, becomes a ruthless survivalist and leader figure among the privileged passengers as they deal with their situation. The film has earned the Palme d’Or for Best Picture, the top award, at the prestigious 2022 Cannes Film Festival.

Dolly’s performance was also lauded by the foreign press, with  Variety saying that “her every line has so far prompted cheers in press and public screenings alike.”

“Her story is just one part of Östlund’s searing commentary on privilege, greed and power — but Abigail’s power play, exquisitely brought to life by de Leon’s deadpan delivery, is what audiences will remember,” the

Dolly de Leon in this photo taken by Jojit Lorenzo and uploaded on her Instagram on April 5. Photo from Instagram/@dollyedeleon entertainment publication said.

Variety awards guru Clayton Davis said that Dolly “could be the frontrunner walking into awards season,” referring to the Oscars.

“Her committed turn not only makes her the defining supporting performance of the year thus far, but also, if enough Academy members make a note to focus on quality (and not simply name recognition as they can often do),” he predicted.

Variety has released its Oscar predictions for 2023 and ranked

the Filipina third among the possible Best Supporting Actress contenders.

The Oscars is an awards ceremony in the US that annually honors the best technical and artistic achievements in the American and international film industry.

Winners are selected by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a professional honorary organization composed of distinguished cinematographers, directors, actors, musicians, writers, editors and such.

Iza explains why it should be sex reveal, not gender reveal ‘Small but significant’ role for Ritz in Mamasapano film

KAPAMILYA actress Iza Calzado believes that it should be "sex reveal" and not "gender reveal" when it comes to her baby's shower party.

At the press conference of her new series "K-Love," a reporter asked Iza if she plans to have a gender reveal for her upcoming baby with husband Ben Wintle.

“Sorry. [It’s] sex reveal. Gender is an expression, and we cannot reveal it,” she said.

In her interview with Cosmopolitan, Iza elaborated further her stance.

"We already found out sex accidentally, so that takes out the point of a reveal for us, the parents. I see how this surprise can make other parents excited, and I appreciate and see the value in that. I have been to some sex or gender reveal parties, and it’s filled with so much joy and love!" she said.

"In today’s PC (politically correct) world, I can only reveal the sex as gender is a social and cultural construct. I would choose to highlight a baby’s good health as that is my fervent wish and prayer for our child above anything else," she added.  Iza said that they will focus financially on the birth of their child instead of spending for a party.

"From an economic standpoint, I think another party that we have to spend on does not make sense to me, personally, as all our efforts should and must focus on the baby’s birth and first few months and years," she said.

"All these decisions are our personal choice. Please do what you think is best for you and your

Carla admits she still cries over ‘very painful’ split with Tom

CARLA Abellana has confessed that there are times she still cries over her failed marriage with actor Tom Rodriguez, saying that the breakup is a “serious personal change” that is “very painful.”

The actress opened up on her separation from Rodriguez during the second part of her interview with Nelson Canlas for his “Updated with Nelson Canlas” Spotify podcast on Nov. 17. Abellana was asked whether she still cries over the breakup, to which she replied, “Oo naman (Definitely).”

“Napaka-natural lang, kasi parte ‘yun ng pain, parte ‘yun ng pag-heal. Ang tao naman— kasi ang dami kong nababasang books—ang tao naman kapag nag-heal hindi ibig sabihin na okay na siya or nagstay na siya doon o never na siyang iiyak ulit,” she told Canlas.

(It is just natural because it is part of pain, part of healing. People— because I have read many books—[I learned] that when people heal, it does not mean they are okay or they will remain [okay] or will never cry again.)

Abellana stressed that what she experienced with her split with Rodriguez was a “serious personal change,” so she believes it is just normal to cry or break down when triggered by a song or a movie.

“Ang katawan ng tao natural lang naman na kapag nalungkot, iiyak, and kapag ganun you will just let it out. Hindi mo pwedeng

i-stop sarili mo or i-judge sarili mo or pigilan ‘yung iyak mo from falling, your tears,” she said.

(It is natural for a person to cry when they are sad, and when that happens you will just let it out. You cannot stop yourself or judge yourself or stop your tears from falling.)

“Napakaimportante na i-acknowledge mo ‘yung emotions mo at any particular moment… so kailangan mong i-recognize ‘yun, kasi in a way, that’s respecting yourself and body mo, your heart,” Abellana added.

(It is important to acknowledge your emotions at any particular moment… so you need to recognize it because in a way, that’s respecting yourself and your body, your heart.)

Abellana had stated in an earlier interview that she could not give a definite answer on whether she still loved Rodriguez. For her, other emotions were still “taking over” her heart so she could not give a “yes” or “no” answer.

Prior to this, Abellana spoke about the status of her life, saying that she still believes in love and there are other forms of it that she can receive from family and friends.

The actress had also stated that her divorce from Rodriguez had not fully sunk in yet as it is still not recognized in the Philippines. Rodriguez, an American citizen, was able to obtain a divorce decree in the United States where he is currently based.

IN our industry, it’s not how popular you’ve become, but how long you’ve lasted that’s more important,” said actress Ritz Azul, who also believes that longevity is the basis of how effective a person really is in his work as an actor.

“I was never picky when it came to accepting projects. I’m in this industry as an actor. I don’t turn down a role just because it’s small. I want to be able to experience all that my work has to offer. I’m just lucky that when I first joined the business, most of the projects assigned to me required me to play lead roles,” she told Inquirer Entertainment during a recent media gathering for the actiondrama “Mamasapano: Now It Can Be Told.”

“These days, I’m happy to accept offers to do supporting roles. I believe that this industry doesn’t base success on how popular you are, but on how long you’ve lasted because, as we would always hear people say, acting is not a stable job,” Ritz pointed out. “Acting is a passion for me. As long as I have a character to play, I’m happy. Why would I turn down the opportunity to be part of a movie like this when it has a noble intention?”

“Mamasapano,” directed by Lester Dimaranan, tells the tragic story of the so-called Mamasapano massacre on Jan. 25, 2015, when members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force had an encounter with two of the world’s most wanted Islamic terrorists.

Told in nonlinear fashion, the film alternates between battle scenes and the proceedings of the PNP-Crime Investigation and Detection Group Board of Inquiry. It gives a unique perspective of that disastrous incident from the point of view of the investigators, survivors and witnesses.

Ritz and actress Myrtle Sarrosa play field reporters from rival broadcast networks. “When I

read the script, I said, ‘This seems good.’ Even though I will be seen in the film for only short periods, the role is important and the film is big. It attempts to tell the truth about what happened in Mamasapano during that fateful time,” she began.

“The role I play here is also new to me. I had to study how to act like a reporter. It was challenging for me and Myrtle because we’re rivals here,” she explained. “Before this project, I never knew that news reporters also feel pressured because of the network war. I used to think that they just tell the story, report the news, and that’s it. It’s really good to be able to assume different roles because you learn new things.”

Fictional character

Ritz said her and Myrtle’s character will try to outdo each other in the film. “Patalbugan kami. I’m the more senior one, while Myrtle is relatively new. And no, I didn’t try to copy any broadcast reporter. Since mine is a fictional character, I created one by watching news programs,” the actress said.

Ritz opted to lay low from show biz after she got married in November 2021. While on break,

“MEGASTAR” Sharon Cuneta revealed that she and husband Francis Pangilinan had a six-month lovers’ quarrel, but all is well now between them.

In a series of Instagram posts, Sharon posted photos of her and Kiko.

“Bati na kami today after pagkahaba habang LQ mula pa nung nasa U.S. kami ni Nana @reginevalcasid !!! Kaya sa lahat ng Korea vlogs ko sa YouTube di kami halos magtabi!” Sharon captioned one of the posts.

In another post, Sharon said that she thought she will be single next year.

“Kala ko single na ako uli next year. Ayan buti bati na,” she wrote.

She also said that she thought that their fight would lead to separation.

“Reunited after a 6-month long L.Q. which we thought would lead to a separation,” she said. (Philstar.com)

she said she took on a new sport and a hobby. “I’m into golf now because my husband (Allan Guy) is a golfer. I’m happy to have found a new sport to focus on. The downside is that I have terrible tan lines,” she said, laughing. “I’m also into pottery now. I’ve been doing this since the start of the pandemic. It enables me to meditate. We all went through a lot during that difficult period. This hobby helped me relieve myself of stress and frustrations.”

Personal choice Taking a break from work was something that Ritz and Allan talked about after they got engaged. “I told him that I would very much want to continue acting. It’s just that, now, I’ll have limitations. That’s a personal choice. Allan is so supportive that he would become my stylist sometimes.”

Ritz continued: “I’m really happy with my life now. I used to feel frustrated with my schedule. I would go to tapings every single day, no rest. After 10 years of working in show biz, I’m now able to do what I want, when I want to. Ang sarap ng pakiramdam! I guess this is why I’ve grown a lot heavier lately.”

Ritz said she has left Star Magic, her talent management company, and has decided to be a freelancer. “I wanted to focus on my personal life,” she stressed, adding that she hoped to start working behind the cameras soon. “I really want to become a director. Back when I was still doing teleseryes, I would try working as AD (assistant director) because I wanted to experience it. I want to start from the bottom and work my way up. I also want to see for myself what production people go through.”

“Mamasapano” is an official entry to the 2022 Metro Manila Film Festival in December. A production of Borracho Films, it also features Edu Manzano, Paolo Gumabao, Aljur Abrenica, Allan Paule, Rey PJ Abellana and Gerald Santos.

NOVEMBER 24-30, 2022 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678 8
LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL LIFESTYLE • CONSUMER GUIDE • COMMUNITY • MARKETPLACE November 24, 2022
VEGAS&STYLE JOURNAL
Sharon, Kiko reunite after 6-month LQ
Iza Calzado showing her baby bump Photo from Instagram/@missizacalzado Carla Abellana Photo from Instagram/@carlaangeline Ritz Azul plays TV reporter Maryann del Rosario in “Mamasapano” Photo from Instagram/@ritzazul Kiko Pangilinan and Sharon Cuneta Photo from Instagram/@reallysharoncuneta child. By all means, throw a reveal if it will make your family and loved ones happy by coming together for that joyful moment. However, don’t be pressured to do one just because everyone else around you is doing it. Your journey to parenthood is uniquely yours. Celebrate it! Enjoy it!" she added.

Pahrump guided tours to start soon

A GUIDED tour to the points of interest in the town of Pahrump will start soon, according to local newspaper the Pahrump ValleyTimes.

With the October 26 ribboncutting behind them, Cheers! Nevada will focus on offering specially-curated tours to those wanting to take in what Pahrump has to offer. Per the article, the company may start with their guided tours on Thanksgiving weekend.

According to owner Stefanie Kai Brant, the guided tours, have been created to highlight the town’s unique and diverse businesses –including wineries, eateries and more – with the help of the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Southwest Central Regional Economic Development Authority and local business owners.

She added that it was important that the community was on board with the plans, as providing quality

tours is of utmost importance to them.

Although the tours will showcase the various wines, meads, ciders and beers from Pahrump’s local artisans, Brant is careful not to make it look like a purely alcoholicdriven spectacle. Instead, she wants it to be a fun, educational and all-inclusive experience for each of the passengers. To that end, videos in the tour vans will present information about each destination as the tour goes along. Brant also wants to make sure that the tours will showcase the artisans’ passion in making their products and the quality of the products they come up with.

Among the points of interest in Pahrump that may be included in the Pahrump Town Tour include Coffinwood, Death Valley Marketplace and Chicken Ranch.

A great component of the guided tours is that that the company behind it is giving back to the

community a part of what it earns to develop and enhance after-school programs for the youth.

Said Brant in the article: “The biggest motivation behind this tour company is community. We see a need for after-school programs. We want to give at least 10 percent of everything that comes in for youth art programs with the goal that other businesses will join as well to start supporting that.”

The announcement comes in the heels of a long-time event that drew thousands of people to Petrack Park in Pahrump for three days of family fun.

The 9th Annual Balloon Festival this year was organized by the Dubin family, in partnership with Doug Campbell of Balloons Over Pahrump. They took over from the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce, the previous organizer, ensuring that people would not miss out on a local tradition that has

been embraced by the community. The event also honored the men and women who have served in the military as the event’s first day took place on Veteran’s Day (November 11), with a Veterans Day Sunrise Service and a special balloon honoring prisoners of war and those missing in action flying the American flag above the park.

This is another case of community members coming together to showcase what’s special about the town of Pahrump. From food vendors, to artisans, to featured games/tournaments, and other local vendors, the balloon festival attendees – young and old – were entertained.

Indeed, the town of Pahrump has improved noticeably since its humble beginnings. Originally inhabited by the Southern Pauite, settlers eventually came to live in the area by the late 19th century. Initially the town had mostly

large ranch-style holdings where livestock were raised and crops like alfalfa and cotton were grown.

Today’s Pahrump has seen its share of development. In addition to various wineries and establishments, it also has local hotel-casinos. It also features Spring Mountain Motor Sports Ranch which features the longest road course in North America (6.1 miles) and has nearby Spring Mountain Estates, luxury trackside homesites where homeowners have full access to all the amenities offered at Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club.

Another often-visited and highly-regarded jewel in Pahrump is the Mountain Falls Golf Club, which features an 18-hole layout co-designed by Nicklaus Design Group and Cal Olson Design. There are also homesites available in Mountain Falls. I hosted the late Philippine President Fidel Ramos, who was an avid golfer, in one of his trips to Nevada, and he was profuse in his compliments about the place.

Pahrump is located just 62 miles west of Las Vegas, and it is an easy drive for those who want the taste of big city life and entertainment of Sin City (Las Vegas) but who want the peace and quiet of living in a developing town, away from bustling traffic and big city headaches.

The town has many parks for avid walkers/joggers, off-road trails for trail bikes, ATVs and motorcycles, bird-watching and

hiking for those who prefer to commune with nature, and other recreational clubs that offer a host of activities.

I have seen its development through the years, and its proximity to Las Vegas makes it an ideal choice for those who are priced out of the Las Vegas market. With real estate prices in the state still higher than it was from a year ago, or even a decade or two ago, it may be an opportune time to look for your piece of real estate heaven –whether you’re looking for a new home, a vacation place, or looking for an investment property.

Some of my clients have begun reaping the benefits of their investments, as they have turned their properties into rentals or Airbnb.

I have decades of experience helping clients look for the right piece of property for their budgets. My team and I will work hard to look for the best real estate opportunities in Pahrump and other areas so you can achieve that American dream.

My company, Precious Properties, is a full-service company that has served its clientele since 1992. You can reach me at 775513-8447, 805-559-2476 and 702538-4948 for more information, or send me an email at fely@preciousproperties.com or fely.precious@ gmail.com. We have investors who buy houses in California and Nevada for cash and quick escrow in as short as 7 days.

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com 9 LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 24-30, 2022 Features
Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman helps those who need business financing, including loans for small businesses. For more information, call (702) 538-4948, or send email to fely@preciousproperties.com or fely.precious@gmail.com. Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman was recently in Egypt where she visited the world-famous pyramids, one of the ancient wonders of the world. One of two gas stations (Coyote Corner) in Pahrump that will open soon. A second Circle K gas station will open in town on Homestead Road. Guided tours will soon start in Pahrump that will feature the town’s local wineries, eateries and more. The tours will showcase the products made by local artistans and is projected to be fun, educational and all-inclusive for all tour participants. Photo above shows the Sanders Family Winery in Pahrump, NV. Screengrab from internet/www.sanderswinery.com

GUANGZHOU, one of China’s largest and busiest cities, is locking down as it battles a major outbreak of COVID-19. Lockdowns are truly effective and less cumbersome, a lot simpler to enforce, if done in a timely fashion when it comes to a contagious killer disease like the SARS-CoV2 virus.

In this case, the horses are already out of the barn, so to speak, so a lockdown is a bit too late. It will likely be more of a crackdown now. It should have been implemented in the whole of China as a preventive measure when the first diagnosed case in Wuhan City was confirmed. Overkill? Not if we want to save millions of lives. Science has the proof of the gross mistake: Almost 7 million people have died from COVID-19 around the world. It is a grave international disgrace because the strict principles of science and medicine have not been faithfully implemented and enforced, resulting in this negligent “genocide.”

The best scenario would have been the total lockdown of Wuhan City on December 8, 2019 when it first identified the mysterious killer pneumonia as caused by the novel coronavirus we now know as SARS-CoV2 virus, the super-contagious killer (almost 644 million cases today, with more than 6.6 million deaths). Had Wuhan been locked down (100 percent) – no-onein, no-one-out – it could have contained the deadly virus within the city. The cases and deaths would have been limited to that city alone. And even the rest of China could have been spared, not to mention, the whole world.

For infectious diseases, it must be 100 percent lockdown, and not 99 percent, because one single infected person going out (or coming in, like in the U.S.) could spread the virus like an exponential wildfire, which is what happened. This COVID-19 pandemic started December 8, 2019 with one person, Wei Guixian, a female vendor at the large Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan City, who was the first person infected with the novel coronavirus. Indeed, one person is enough to start a deadly global catastrophe.

As most people know, Typhoid Mary (Mary Mallon, a cook) single-handedly (no pun-intended), innocently and unaware, totally without symptoms, started the typhoid outbreak in 1906-07 in New York and surrounding cities. To prevent the spread of typhoid

Social Security is thankful to serve you! Lockdown too late

fever since she was always positive for the disease (but without symptoms), she was quarantined in North Brother Island (Bronx) for more than 23 years, isolated, until she died of stroke at age 69 in 1938. A sad story of a grave injustice!

If the United States, on December 31, 2019, or even on January 18, 2020, upon confirming the first case of novel coronavirus infection in Washington State involving a person who returned from Wuhan City, had imposed a total national lockdown and immediate contact tracing, mandatory masking in public and social distancing, and had federally mandated vaccination of everyone in the country, when the vaccines were available (those refusing to be vaccinated, quarantined at home, those returning to the U.S. quarantined at facilities near the airport, seaport, etc.), the more than 100 million U.S. cases of COVID-19, with greater than a million deaths, would have been reduced by more than 90 percent. And the devastation of the national economy and of children’s education would have been avoided.

Faithfulness to the century-old proven epidemiologic measures to minimize the spread of a contagious disease and people discipline and cooperation could have saved at least 900,000 of those lives lost in the United States alone. But that requires pure medical, pure science, and a wise and steadfast national leadership in the management of the pandemic, sans politics and fake news.

Unfortunately, people in a free nation like the U.S. appear to savor the exercise of their freedom of choice under our First Amendment Rights more so than preventing the spread of this killer virus and saving the lives of their fellowmen, as shown by the number of cases and deaths from COVID-19 in the United States. People’s refusal to mask up in public and refusal to get vaccinated (“because WE have the freedom to choose what to do with our own body”) contributed to the massive exponential spread of SARS-CoV2 virus around the country and the almost 1.1 million deaths in the United States, not to mention a devastated national economy and education. The greater tragedy is the fact that majority of the more than 100 million cases and those deaths were, epidemiologically speaking, mostly preventable, had the government followed pure science in controlling the killer virus.

The confusion and chaos about the virus, mitigating

measures, and the vaccines were caused by the poor messaging by our government, who had 50 commanders-in-chief, one for each state, with conflicting partisan and personal views, policies, and rules, contradicting each other.

A pandemic is like a world war. In dealing with it, we must have only one commander-inchief, with one national policy, based on pure science and medicine, with all-hands-on deck of the nation’s people, united, all fighting (not with each other but) against our common invisiblekiller enemy. The nation and its people acting as one solid force, focused on one objective, even voluntarily giving up some of our individual freedoms temporarily to save the lives of our fellowmen and our nation as a whole.

Two of the most perpetrated fake news in the social media claim masks are useless and that vaccines are dangerous. Science has repeatedly shown masks are effective in preventing the spread of respiratory diseases. This COVID-19 pandemic has proven masks do help save lives. Masks not only protect the wearer but people nearby! Like bulletproof vests, they are not 100 percent, but nonetheless, they are lifesavers. Past epidemics and pandemics have also proven that.

As for the vaccines, more than 13 billion have been administered worldwide saving billions of lives around the world during this pandemic, contrary to disinformation anti-vax mongers are promoting which has caused countless deaths.

I hope we have learned enough from this pandemic to prepare us for a future one. Even one death is one too many.

* * *

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. Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday. com, and philipSchua.com; Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com.

Bea hopes to do more hosting aside from acting

WHEN her contract with GMA 7 ended sometime last year, Bea Binene had to work freelance for a while. There was a feeling of uncertainty. But thankfully, she said, she eventually found a new home in Viva Entertainment.

“I’m very grateful because they were there for me… During the time Viva was working on my contract, I went freelance because I didn’t have one anymore with GMA. Luckily, work opportunities were still there,” she told the Inquirer at a recent story conference for the upcoming 10part series adaptation of author Gwy Saludes’ popular Wattpad novel “The Rain in España.”

“There’s nothing certain about the future,” added Bea, who was formally welcomed by Viva Artists Agency (VAA) to its roster last September. “But I feel very blessed. I didn’t have to worry because VAA made sure to welcome me with open arms. And just a couple of weeks after I signed with them… game na agad. There’s a new project for me already. Good things are happening. I’m ready to work.”

Wider opportunities

With no exclusivity with any network, the 25-year-old actress—who was last seen in the primetime series “Beautiful Justice”—hopes to do projects with companies or celebrities she has yet to work with. “Wherever there’s work or a good offer, of course, I will be thankful. Because I’m an independent company, I think there will be a wider [range of] opportunities,” she said.

In her previous meetings with her new bosses, Bea talked about the kind of direction she plans to take in her show biz career. “I told them about the projects I prefer doing. They discussed roles that we think will suit me. I told them about my limitations. I love how they value what you want to do, as well as your boundaries. They’re very open with that,” she said.

While acting is her main priority, Bea hopes to do more hosting jobs.

“It’s one of the things I love to

do,” said Bea, who used to cohost the weekly news magazine show “Good News Kasama si Vicky Morales.” “I have been doing public affairs-related programs for a while now. I would love to have my own travel show… This is something I’m passionate about because the training and knowledge you get… are valuable.”

Productive

During the lockdown, Bea busied herself taking online classes and certificate programs.

“In the beginning, I spent my free time catching up on Korean dramas. But later on I realized that I had to do something productive.

So I took three executive courses: one from Harvard Business School Online, one from the Kellogg School of Management and another from London Business School,” she related. She also took up language lessons in Korean and Mandarin. “No joke! I really wanted to keep myself busy. And it was the right time to do all those things because I had the time. I believe these lessons will be helpful in the long run,” she said.

Directed by Theodore Boborol, “Rain in España” follows the

romance between Kalix (Marco Gallo), a young man from a family of doctors who decides to carve a different career path. He takes up legal management at University of Santo Tomas, where he meets the architecture student Luna (Heaven Peralejo). Bea plays one of Luna’s friends, Via.

“This project is an ensemble piece, so we really have to help and lift each other up to make the show good. As someone who has done youth-oriented shows in the past (‘Tween Hearts’), I have learned that you have to make the audience feel your bond and closeness with your coactors,” she said.

While she’s one of the more experienced actors in the cast, Bea knows that she can’t be complacent.

“Your dedication should be there. There’s always room for improvement,” said the actress, who admitted that her new work environment is something she will have to adjust to. “Back in GMA, I knew everyone, even the camera men. Now, I’m working with a new production staff, new actors. But the things I learned at GMA I will continue to apply here.” g

THANKSGIVING is a time to reflect on the blessings we have in our lives and to share memories with our loved ones. We are thankful because we’re able to provide you and your family with services, benefits, tools, and information to help you throughout life’s journey.

Social Security is more than just a retirement program. We provide services that assist many families across this country. We are there for joyous moments like the birth of your child and issuing their first Social Security card. We are there during times of hardship and tragedy to provide disability, spouses, and survivors benefits. And we’re there to help you celebrate your retirement, too.

We’re here to serve you online, by phone, and in person in our local offices. You can learn more at https://blog.ssa. gov/we-remain-committed-toserving-you/. Please share this information with those who need it. Happy holidays!

Veterans and active-duty military members: Social Security has your back!

VETERANS Day is on Friday, November 11, 2022. Every year on this day, we honor all veterans who served our country and risked their lives to protect us.

Our Wounded Warriors webpage is an important resource for military members who return home with injuries. If you know a wounded veteran, please let them know about our Wounded Warriors webpage at www.ssa.gov/woundedwarriors.

The page shares information about our Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits for veterans, including:

• How SSDI benefits are different from benefits available through the Department of Veterans Affairs and require a separate application.

• How we expedite the processing of Social Security disability claims for service members. If they develop a disability while on active military service on or after October 1, 2001, they can file a disability claim regardless of where the disability occurs.

• Answers to questions asked about Social Security.

If active-duty military service members are unable to work due to a disabling condition and continue to receive pay while in a hospital or on medical leave, they should consider applying for SSDI. Active-duty status and

receipt of military pay doesn’t necessarily prevent payment of SSDI benefits.

Our webpages are easy to share on social media and by email with your friends and family. Please consider passing this information along to someone who may need it.

Kuya Kim shares learnings from Itaewon crowd crush

“WHAT was supposed to be a coverage with a happy and merry tone, turned into a disaster coverage,” recalled TV host-anchor Kim Atienza, who happened to be in South Korea when the fateful crowd crush in Seoul happened on Halloween night.

“I was scheduled to tour the city to cover the Halloween parade. It was a good thing the flight of my team and I was delayed because of the typhoon. We were supposed to take off from Manila at 12:40 a.m. but only managed to leave an hour later. When we arrived there, the crowd crush was just happening. If we got there an hour earlier, we would have been in the middle of the stampede. Since I was supposed to cover it, I would obviously go to where the most people are, right?”

At least 158 people were killed and 196 others were injured on the night of Oct. 29 in Itaewon, a multicultural commercial area in Seoul.

Atienza said he felt helpless because he saw people suffering but was unable to save them. “I saw the kids die. We couldn’t do anything but just cover what was happening. What was supposed to be a soft coverage, which should have been happy because it was for the first anniversary of GMA7’s ‘Dapat Alam Mo,’ turned into a disaster coverage. We shifted to hard news,” the TV host told Inquirer Entertainment.

Being a close call for him and his crew, we asked Atienza about his personal reflections on the tragedy. To this, he said: “That life is so fragile. One minute you’re partying—you feel young, wild and free—and the next minute, you’re gone. Most of those who died were younger than 20.”

Teenage kids

He continued: “Life can be taken away from you anytime, so you have to be prepared. The question is not ‘when’ because we really don’t know, but ‘where will we go: heaven or hell?’ The victims were just kids. They had a full life ahead of them, but they died, just because they wanted to party.”

Atienza added that he could relate very well with the incident because his kids are currently teenagers, too. “They are of the same age as those who died in the tragedy. I know that we will all die

at a certain point, but where will we go? It’s the duty of the parents now to ingrain in the minds of their kids the value of spirituality and of being Christians. That’s the challenge now. I want all of my kids to go to heaven.”

Did the incident now make him fear for the safety of his children?

“Funny how my kids are so smart because of social media,” Atienza said. “There are a lot of videos circulating on how to avoid a crowd crush or a stampede, and how to survive them. My kids are actually the ones sending me links to reports on the incident. All I can do is to remind them but I cannot stop them.”

Atienza said that while his wife felt worried about him, “she was happy that I was not harmed. Knowing me, she was afraid that I’d actually go inside the area,” said Atienza in a postevent interview during the recent Inquirer Read-Along Festival, of which he is an ambassador.

Atienza read Augie Rivera’s “Bisnesboy Minggoy” to some 60 school kids via Zoom.

Meanwhile, Atienza’s “sexy photo” went viral recently. It was an old picture of his on the beach with his family. People were complimenting him on how he has managed to maintain a good physique and healthy lifestyle through the years.

“I was surprised with the netizens’ reactions. I’ve already posted that photo several times. I realized that every good photo has its own time to go viral,” he said, laughing. “I guess people took notice because I’m older now and they are not expecting me to appear the same way I looked

Sexy ’80s photo

Atienza explained that at the time the photo was taken in the ’80s, he was part of a show called “Muscles in Motion” on Channel 9. “My body was like that in 1988, but when I joined politics in the ’90s, I totally forgot about it. I thought that the fitness and the muscles that I had would be able to sustain me. I got really focused on politics and television that I forgot about my health. That’s when I got really sick and had a stroke,” he recalled.

“In 2010, I got my fitness back. Only this time, I did a lot of cardio and participated in triathlons. Now, I’m back to lifting weights again,” Atienza said. “Now, my body is like how it was before, but better. In the ’80s, mass was ‘in,’ so my idols back then were bodybuilders Lou Ferrigno and Arnold Schwarzenegger, both winners of the Mr. Universe title. Today, it’s different. Bodybuilding now is more functional. The exercises I do at the gym are designed to make me function better, as an older person. My muscles now are not massive, but are more ripped.”

Last week, Atienza hosted a get-together for members of #TeamNOEL, the talent management group he belongs to. Headed by Noel Ferrer, the group gathered for the first time since the pandemic and celebrated recent victories, infanticipating, weddings, engagement, network transfers and awards, as well as welcomed new members. g

NOVEMBER 24-30, 2022 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678 10 Features
Health @Heart
* *
Bea Binene Photo from Instagram/@beabinene Kim Atienza Photo from Instagram/@kuyakim_atienza before. This probably surprised them. I’m turning 56 in January,” Atienza said in reaction to his photo becoming viral.
(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com 11 LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 24-30, 2022
NOVEMBER 24-30, 2022 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678 12

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.