112522 - New York & New Jersey Edition

DATELINE USA

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-yearold 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

Harris reiterates US commitment to defend PH

by JEROME ANING Inquirer.net

for the Philippines that does not include the United States,” Marcos told Harris during her courtesy call in Malacañang.

two nations.

MANILA

“strong”

“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

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

“We are both proud members of the IndoPacific [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

by KAYCEE VALMONTE Philstar.com

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

by TETCH TORRES-TUPAS Inquirer.net

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

Harris paid a courtesy call on Marcos at

Ties between the two countries are now being mended, following tumultuous times under the previous

Marcos Jr.: PH to send note verbale to China after Pag-asa island incident

by DAPHNE GALVEZ Inquirer.net

MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday, November 22 said the Philippine government would send a note verbale to China following the incident near Pag-asa Island where a China Coast Guard ship seized rocket debris from the Philippine Navy.

Marcos said the issue must be resolved, considering China and the Philippine Navy have different

accounts of the incident.

“Yes, I think that that’s what we need to do because the… when it was first reported to me by the Chief of Staff, I asked him to immediately call his… the Philippine…  the military attaché in the Chinese embassy and to get a report,” he told reporters in an interview.

“Hindi nagtugma ‘yung report ng Philippine Navy at saka ‘yung report na galing sa China because the word ‘forcibly’ was used in the

— President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and visiting U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday, November 21 hailed the

and “enduring” ties between the Philippines and the United States amid global headwinds.

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 Monday, November 21.

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.

administration with former President Rodrigo Duterte distancing the

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO

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

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

PH not likely to rejoin ICC

by Franco Jose c. Baroña ManilaTimes.net

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 for the Philippines to return to the ICC.

He said the Philippines rejoining 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 administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has already been acting on many of the recommendations, including investigating the killings connected to Duterte’s war on illegal drugs.

Remulla said that during the review of the Philippines’ human rights record, he reiterated that the alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during Duterte’s drug war were not state-sponsored.

He said a review panel was created 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 resulting 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 Investigation for case buildup.

Remulla added that the Philippine National Police conducted its own investigation on 17,500 officers involved in drug war operations, of which 27 were dismissed from service, 18 were demoted and 98 were suspended.

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

“This is a fruit of enhanced, secure and open dialogue I have personally made with

Harris reiterates US commitment to...

PAGE 1

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 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

She arrived in the Philippines on Sunday night, the first visit in five years by a highranking 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 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 US 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.

—With reports from Melvin Gascon and Jeannette I. Andrade g

ADVOCACY. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel on Monday, Nov. 21, 2022, for a town hall meeting where she talked about the empowerment of women and girls. Photo by RICHARD A. REYES / Philippine Daily Inquirer

husband, second gentleman Douglas Emhoff, and U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson.

PH rejects same-sex...

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.

“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

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, 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 Pan-Ethnic Health Network. “There is much more work to do.”

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.

“It’s something I’ve been 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.

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

“The United States is so proud to support the Philippines in its fight against COVID-19 and tuberculosis. I am looking forward in continuing the partnership between our countries and working together to keep our communities safe and healthy and our schools open,” he said.

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

Emhoff is in the Philippines as his wife, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, is on a state visit. (by Daniza Fernandez/Inquirer. net)

Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Bonta as attorney general after Xavier Becerra left the position to join the Biden administration as

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.

Marcos Jr.: PH to send note verbale...

what they say, adding that the Chinese must be asked why their account is “so different and much more benign.”

(The report of the Philippine Navy and that from China does not match because the Philippine Navy used the word “forcibly” in its report, and that was not the characterization in the report from China. So we have to resolve this issue.)

The President said he has “complete trust” in the Philippine Navy and believes

“We’ll have to find a way to resolve this. This is one of the things, this kind of incidents are some of the things that I’m glad that I’m going to Beijing in early January because these are the things that we need to work out because with the way that the region, our region, Asia-Pacific is heating up, baka may magkamali lang, may mistake, may misunderstanding then lalaki ‘yung sunog,” he said.

(Someone may just make a mistake, and there will be a misunderstanding which will become bigger.)

“We don’t want that to happen. So we want to have a mechanism na we have to find a way na hindi na mangyari ‘yun, na wala tayong mga incident na ganyan,” he said.

(We have to find a way that will not happen again.)

The face-off between the Philippine Navy and a vessel of the Chinese coast guard happened on Sunday morning, November 20, several hours before U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’

arrival in Manila for a threeday visit.

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 Navy, in the Philippine Navy report. And that was not the characterization in the Chinese navy report or the report coming from China. So we have to resolve this issue,” he added.

According to the military, the Philippine Navy was towing suspected rocket debris to Philippine-held Pag-asa (Thitu) Island, some 480 kilometers northwest of Palawan province, when a China Coast Guard ship appeared and blocked the boat, then “forcefully retrieved” the debris.

National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos has recommended to the President the sending of a note verbale in light of the incident. g

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 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

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

FEATURES OPINION

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

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.”

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 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).

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.

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)

Crisis of leaders, crisis of voters

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 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

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Dateline PhiliPPines

‘BBM made good impression at APEC’ Senate forms oversight committee on intelligence funds, programs

FORMER president now Pampanga Second District Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo believes President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made a “good impression” in his first participation at the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Bangkok, Thailand.

In a statement on Sunday, November 20, Malacañang said Arroyo 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 lider. 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 Workers Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople described Marcos’ first APEC as “highly successful.”

She said he developed a good rapport with other economic leaders, particularly Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, describing their exchanges as “very relaxed, very uplifting.”

“Makikita mo na both sides excited magengage, and lalo na noong nakausap na niya ‘yung Crown Prince, si His Royal Highness 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 Mohammed Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia),” 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 nagkatagpo, nagkuwentuhan, parehong 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,

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 lump-sum 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,”

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

Senate President Juan

House approves bill for enhanced media workers’ protection, benefits

by Julie M. Aurelio Inquirer.net

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 diseasestricken 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

‘BBM made good impression at...

PAGE 6

both visionaries 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 committed to shoulder the unpaid wages of around 10,000 Filipino workers who were displaced

from construction companies that went bankrupt.

Marcos said there was also an assurance from the Saudi Ministry 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)

Attorney Gen. Rob Bonta investigates...

PAGE 4

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 500-page 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. g

China coast guard took debris Philippine Navy retrieved off Pag-asa

MANILA — The Chinese Coast Guard “forcefully” took custody of what the military Western Command said is believed to be debris from a Chinese rocket found floating off Pagasa Island in Palawan, the Puerto Princesa headquartered Wecsom said.

In a statement sent to media, Wescom said it first received a report from Naval Station Emilio Liwanag on Kalayaan Island on November 20 that an unidentified object had been spotted via long-range camera drifting about 800 yards west of Pagasa Island in the West Philippine Sea.

Naval station personnel then proceeded to the area for inspection and observed the object drifting towards Pag-asa Islands Cay 1 sand bar due to strong waves and currents. Upon arrival, the team retrieved the floating object, tied it securely to their boat, and started towing it back to Kalayaan Island.

“However, as the [Naval Station Emilio Liwanag] Team was towing the floating object, they noticed that China Coast Guard vessel with Bow Number 5203 was approaching their location and subsequently blocked their pre-plotted course twice,” the statement read.

“The vessel then deployed its Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat [and] forcefully retrieved said floating object by cutting the towing line attached to the NSEL rubber boat.”

The inflatable boat then returned to its main vessel, and the NSEL Team decided to return to Pagasa Island. No member of the NSEL Team was injured.

The Philippine Space Agency earlier this month said similar debris recovered in waters off Palawan and Mindoro islands were likely from a Chinese Long March 5B rocket launched in late October. PhilSA has also been calling on “spacefaring nations must abide by the protocols and mechanisms enshrined in the UN Outer Space Treaty, encourage close coordination, and timely resolution of issues such as space debris mitigation.”

West Philippine Sea incidents

The incident is the latests between Beijing and Manila in a simmering dispute in the South China Sea, part of which Manila calls the West Philippine Sea.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. earlier called for the completion of a code of conduct among parties with claims to the strategic waterway.

PAGE 6

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)

Senate forms oversight... PH not likely to...

PAGE 2

civil society leaders who previously did not wish to come forward,” Remulla said, noting he is committed to disproving that there is

a culture of impunity in the country.

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

Las Vegas housing market still a ordable

By REALTOR FELY QUITEVIS-BATEMAN

THE housing market in Las Vegas has cooled down from the buying frenzy that was 2021. At that time, eagle-eyed buyers were on the lookout for any property they could snap up, sometimes offering prices way above the asking price. Sellers had the pick of their buyers, sometimes being inundated with multiple offers.

With the recent rise in mortgage rates, many buyers have now become gun shy about their home purchases. Local home values have fallen for the fifth consecutive month as of October 2022.

Currently, industry experts have said that there is about a 4.6-month supply of homes in Southern Nevada, which is higher

than the October numbers of 1.1 months. Clearly, the trend is moving towards favoring buyers, although it is still in the seller’s market segment.

On a bright note, median home prices (single family homes) are still up from about a year ago – specifically about 7.3% higher, somewhere around the $440,000 level.

In October 2021, median home prices were leveling at $410,000. Look further a year ago from that, median home

prices were about $340,000 in October 2020.

Overall, home prices in Southern Nevada are way up from what they were in the recession times. The median price for a single-family home in Southern Nevada was around $118,000 in January of 2012, a post-recession low.

Right now, buyers can haggle with sellers when it comes to buying property. Although mortgage rates are higher, buyers can negotiate on a variety of components, including price, closing costs, and other concessions they can bargain with sellers.

Still, this is a great time to consider Southern Nevada – and the State of Nevada, overall – when it comes to buying property.

Construction in Las Vegas is still ongoing, with a lot of projects slated to either open in 2023 or begin construction by next year.

The crew at Fontainbleau is knee-deep in work as they move towards a late 2023 opening, while Red Rock Resorts, Hard Rock International, Caesars

Entertainment, MGM Resorts and VICI Properties are busy with their own projects for their properties along the Strip and elsewhere. Resorts World Las Vegas’ opening was a

first for the Las Vegas area in a while; it is owned by the Genting Group.

Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta has bought a piece of property along the Strip

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman is currently overseas, visiting the Holy Land. She is shown in photo above wading in the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Realtor Fely Quitevis- Bateman (holding the Philippine flag) at the Western Wall, or what is known as the Wailing Wall or Kotel. The Western Wall, located in the old city of Jerusalem, is considered the most religious site for Jewish people in the world and draws millions of visitors from around the world every year.

Russ Bateman and Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman take a photo at one of the tourist spots in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman poses in front of one of the great pyramids in Egypt, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world.

UN expert coming to help upgrade PH forensic capabilities

MANILA – The Department of Justice (DOJ) has invited a special rapporteur from the United Nations (UN) to improve the government’s forensic pathology capabilities as part of efforts to address extrajudicial killings (EJKs).

In a press briefing Monday, November 21 on the recently concluded fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the Philippines human rights situation in Geneva, Switzerland, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said upgrading the skill will also be helpful during disasters.

Remulla said forensic doctor Morris TidballBinz will be arriving in the country, along with two other rapporteurs for children and human rights, in the early part of 2023.

“(I)f there are murders or there are deaths that are

untimely in the provinces, at least they can help us with investigations. If our people are trained already in the art and the science of forensic pathology, then we will have experts determining the results,” Remulla said.

“But the other side of it of course is the long term, the capacity building for disasters. Remember (Supertyphoon) Yolanda (in November 2013) where there were thousands of bodies that had to be processed? International pathologists went here to help us,” Remulla said.

Tidball-Binz began his career with forensic and human rights organizations and helped create the International Committee of the Red Cross’ forensic unit, of which he was the first director until early 2017.

Remulla said the country’s outright

PAGE 10

US, Philippines to launch negotiations on civil nuclear cooperation

by Kaycee Valmonte Philstar.com

MANILA — The United States and the Philippines are launching negotiations for a civil nuclear energy cooperation during U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ first official trip to Manila.

According to the U.S. Office of the Vice President (VPOTUS), the two countries will be launching the negotiations for the agreement, dubbed the “123 agreement,” to collaborate on zero-emission energy and nonproliferation priorities.

“[The] ‘123 agreement’ is the legal basis that the United States needs to expand civil cooperation and it consists of arrangements to ensure that civil nuclear energy cooperation is protected against nuclear weapons proliferation,” a senior administration official told reporters in a background briefing on Sunday evening, November 20.

He added that the agreement is integral before

the formal civil cooperation can begin as required under the U.S. National Security Act.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has made it clear that he plans to adopt nuclear power, along with leading the country’s

transition to renewable energy, as the country grapples with an energy crisis.

Washington said it aims to assist the country “to increase energy security and deploying advanced nuclear reactor technology

as quickly as safety and security conditions permit to meet the Philippines’ dire baseload power needs.”

“Such a deployment would support both energy security and climate goals, as well support workers and businesses in both countries,” the statement from Harris’ office read.

In his first State of the Nation Address, Marcos said the government will comply with rules set out by the International Atomic Energy Agency for nuclear power plants.

He said this plan could be backed by public-private partnerships. Although aside from the U.S., France has also expressed interest in supporting the Philippines’ goal.

However, groups such as Power for People Coalition criticized Marcos’ plans for the country’s energy security, saying that it is “distracted and unsound” by prioritizing both renewable energy even as he pushed for LNG and nuclear. g

This photo taken on April 5, 2022 shows a security guard walking in front of the main gate of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in the town of Morong in Bataan province, north of Manila. The nuclear power plant built in the disaster-prone Philippines during Ferdinand Marcos’s regime, but never switched on due to safety fears and corruption, could be revived under president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s term.

Crisis of leaders, crisis of...

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 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 step-back 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.

which will be the site of a luxury hotel-casino. Fertitta owns the Golden Nugget casinos in Las Vegas and Laughlin. The property in the Strip is the billionaire businessman’s foray into the most competitive hotel-casino area in Las Vegas.

The Oak View Group, meanwhile, has plans for its own $3-billion entertainment complex, that includes an arena, shopping/food areas, hotel-casino and amphitheater. The arena will be made NBA-ready, in anticipation of any future move by the National Basketball Association to add to its current mix.

The Formula 1 racing slated for late 2023, continued artist residencies/shows in Las Vegas, the additional of shows at the different hotel properties, popular chef-owned and diverse restaurants in Las Vegas, and highend retail shopping at some of the hotelcasinos are just some of the attractions that keep people going to Sin City.

With Las Vegas also positioning itself as an upcoming sports capital in the West with its major professional sports teams (Las Vegas Raiders in the National Football League, Las Vegas Aces in the Women’s National Basketball Association, the Vegas Golden Knights in the National Hockey League), people are taking a second look at Southern Nevada not just as a gambling and entertainment haven to visit, but as a legitimate place to settle in and establish roots.

Las Vegas is not a one-trick pony anymore, fueled solely by the gaming industry. It caters to many – individuals, couples and families. Gainful employment is not only present in the construction, gaming and hospitality industries, but in many fields that service the needs of the population – food, education, recreation, healthcare and distribution.

There are many things slated for the city, county and state that make it a draw for people. In fact, a study by the University of Las Vegas-Nevada’s Center for Business and Economic Research projected that the population of Clark County, where Las Vegas is situated in, will see an increase of 1 million people by 2060. That will bring the population of the county to about 3.38 million, from the estimated 2.38 million people currently living within the county.

The state offers great opportunities for the savvy and forward-thinking – great returns on your investments in real estate and a host of tax benefits for Nevada residents (competitive business state tax, a county sales tax of 6.75% (not on food items), and no taxes associated with estate/inheritance, franchise, gift, inventory/interstate commerce, corporate

income and personal income).

Right now may be the best time to find or snap up that property or real estate in the market for those intending to buy in Southern Nevada or other parts of the state. Even with the rise in mortgage rates, Las Vegas, Pahrump and other areas in Nevada are still more affordable buys than other parts of the United States.

I can definitely help you look for the best opportunities for real estate in Las Vegas, Pahrump and other areas. Now is the time to take advantage of deals in land and real estate properties. I have had decades of experience in helping people look for that piece of real estate heaven they want to build their special place or something that their budget can afford.

My company, Precious Properties, is a fullservice company that has successfully helped its clientele find the best deals since 1992. You can reach me at 775-513-8447, 805-559-2476 and 702-538-4948 for more information, or send me an email at fely@precious-properties. 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. (Advertising Supplement)

UN expert coming to help... China coast guard took...

So far in 2022, the Philippine Coast Guard has reported at least four incidents of China Coast Guard vessels conducting close-distance maneuvering while Philippine vessels were on maritime patrol. It called these incidents a clear violation of the 1972 International Regulations for

Preventing Collisions at Sea.

At one point in 2021, the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs was filing daily diplomatic protests “against the incessant deployment, prolonged presence, and illegal activities of Chinese maritime assets and fishing vessels in the vicinity of the Pag-asa islands” which numbered in

the hundreds.

The DFA said in a statement that it is “aware of the incident and awaits detailed reports from maritime law enforcement agencies,” saying also that a thorough review will be conducted.”

The Philippine Coast Guard directed inquires on the incident to the Wescom. (Philstar.com)

acceptance of 200 out of the 279 recommendations made during the UPR was groundbreaking.

“It was very fruitful and enlightening and of course, very satisfying that we saw the attitude change within the different countries that we had to face from what we did in October. Three years ago, what we saw in Geneva at this time was a complete turnaround,” he said.

the Philippines.

“Normally there are three options given you – accept, reject or you defer. There are several items that [we had to reject] because of our national identity, our religious beliefs, and our cultural traditions and the Philippine sovereignty,

that we need to protect and uphold at all times,” Vasquez said.

Among the rejected recommendations were the legalization of divorce and same-sex marriage.

“This legislation is there every Congress. Someone files it. It is a matter of policy whether we will accept it or not. And I think that we know as a country that we are not ready for those,” he added. (PNA)

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@precious-properties.com or fely. precious@gmail.com.

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

DOJ Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said the Philippine delegation rejected outright those which are culturally incompatible to

COMMUNITY JOURNAL

Client gets his green card even after aging out and before the Child Status Protection Act became law, on an encore episode success story on ‘Citizen Pinoy’ this Sunday

TWENTY-FIVE years ago, San Diego area’s “King of Lechon” was denied his green card because he aged-out before his case was approved.

The family was heartbroken, but leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel was persistent to the point of filing a lawsuit against the INS for failing to expedite Michael’s case.

Although the Federal Court denied the case, Atty. Gurfinkel knows when he is right, and he appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and won. INS was ordered to issue Michael’s green card despite his aging out.

Watch this success story on a encore episode of “Citizen PAGE 12

LEADING U.S. IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL (RIGHT) SUES THE INS, AND WINS GREEN CARD FOR CLIENT, ON AN ENCORE EPISODE SUCCESS STORY OF CITIZEN PINOY THIS SUNDAY! Michael (left) aged out before his green card was approved. Unfortunately, the INS did not expedite the case despite the Law Offices of Michael J. Gurfinkel repeatedly urging them to do so since they were trying to beat the clock before Michael’s 21st birthday. Atty. Gurfinkel filed a lawsuit against the INS and appealed the case to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled in their favor. Michael was able to get his green card even though he already aged out. And this was before the Child Status Protection Act became law. Watch this success story on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy”on Sunday, November 27 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo.

(Advertising Supplement)

PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS

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-one-in, no-oneout – 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) singlehandedly (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 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 centuryold 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-in-chief, 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 invisible-killer 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

Kuya Kim shares learnings from Itaewon crowd crush

By Marinel Cruz Inquirer.net

“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 GMA-7’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.

Client gets his green card even after...

Pinoy” on Sunday, November 27 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/ Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol

one. Even one death is one too many.

* * *

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

Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app.

to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health.

* * *

Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health

Advocate, Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He is a recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1996, whose other awardees include President Harry Truman, President George HW Bush, Astronaut Gus Grissom, Mohammad Ali and David Letterman. Websites: FUN8888.com and philipSchua.com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.

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Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel (right) with his client, Michael.

Kim Atienza Photo from Instagram/@kuyakim_atienza

Paolo calls Yen ‘my best actress’ in birthday greeting

By anne Pasajol Inquirer.net

PAOLO Contis greeted his rumored girlfriend and “his best actress” Yen Santos on her birthday, which the actors celebrated together over dinner.

Contis and Santos were next to each other in what appears to be a restaurant, as seen on Contis’ Instagram page on Sunday, Nov. 20.

“Happy Birthday, My Best Actress!” he said, following Santos’ recent best actress win at the 45th Gawad Urian Awards.

Santos also gave a glimpse of her celebration by showing a similar photo through her Instagram page.

Santos bagged the top acting honor for her performance in the film “A Faraway Land” where she

starred alongside Contis in 2021. At the time, Santos and Contis both unfollowed everyone on Instagram, leading fans to speculate that the actress was the cause of the actor’s split with his then partner, actress LJ Reyes.

Contis later admitted that he cheated on Reyes

— with whom he shares daughter Summer — but he insisted that Santos had no involvement in the breakup. He also confirmed that he spent a day in Baguio City with Santos “as a friend.”

Despite this, Contis and Santos have yet to confirm the status of their relationship. g

Kuya Kim shares learnings...

PAGE 12

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 post-event 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 before. This probably surprised them. I’m turning 56 in January,” Atienza said in reaction to his photo becoming viral.

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

‘Small but significant’ role for Ritz in Mamasapano film

By Marinel Cruz Inquirer.net

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 action-drama “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 PoliceSpecial 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 PNPCrime 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, 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. g

Ritz Azul plays TV reporter Maryann del Rosario in “Mamasapano” Photo from Instagram/@ritzazul

Paolo Contis and Yen Santos Photos from Instagram/@paolo_contis

How a Fil-Am author ’s debut novel was inspired by a quote, then a question B R O W N G I R L S B Y DA P H N E PA L A S I A N D R E A D E S

DAPHNE Palasi Andreades was a second-year graduate student pursuing an MFA in fiction writing at Columbia University when she first heard a quote by the author Toni Morrison: “If there is a book you want to read, but it has not been written yet, then you must be the one to write it.”

“My workshop professor, Elissa Schappell, mentioned it in class one day, and they were the right words that I needed to hear at the right time. Prior to this, I had been struggling in the program—I didn’t have many peers who were immigrant kids or writers of color, nor faculty members I could turn to; the authors we read in class were ones I respected and admired, but who were predominantly white,” she recalled. “It was also 2017 and, in the larger world, Trump had just been elected. Anti-immigrant sentiment increased. In many ways, I felt erased and voiceless.”

Inspired by the quote, the aspiring Filipino American novelist felt empowered to write. She asked herself a question: ‘What is the story that I am longing to read, but don’t see depicted in art or literature?’

Andreades realized that it was a story that centered immigrants and communities of color, in all their beauty and complexity.

“I also wanted to set the book in Queens, New York, my hometown, a place that is the most ethnically and linguistically diverse place in the entire U.S.—yet one not really represented in art,” she shared. “I wanted to change this narrative.”

That book is Brown Girls, her first novel. It is now a New York Times Editors’ Choice, a Finalist for the New American Voices Award, and featured in The Center for Fiction’s 2022 First Novel Prize. CUNY Baruch College, her alma mater, picked the book for their incoming freshmen to read.

Born and raised in Queens to Filipino parents from Baguio City, Andreades holds an MFA from Columbia University, where she was awarded a Henfield

Prize and a Creative Writing Teaching Fellowship.

“This book is a culmination of years of hard work and determination,” Andreades told the Asian Journal. “I hope other people—women, immigrants, people of color, and folks from Queens, New York, especially—see themselves and their lives reflected in these pages. I hope it inspires other young people interested in the arts, especially if they are the children of immigrants, to work hard and pursue their dreams.”

Andreades describes writing her debut novel as challenging for many reasons—the stress of feeling out of place and alienated at school, the hardships of the pandemic, and her own self-doubt.

Despite wanting to give up so many

times, she pulled back and kept returning to the work. The process of writing a book taught her that perseverance is essential.

“Writing Brown Girls also pushed me to take creative risks. For example, my novel is told through a chorus of voices. I use an unconventional point-of-view, the “we,” which means that there’s no single protagonist, but a symphony of women’s voices,” she explained. “By using this unconventional perspective, I wanted to highlight the shared experiences—of immigration, assimilation, and dealing with marginalization in the U.S.—and histories between people of color, across different ethnicities and diasporas.”

In our Q-and-A, Andreades shared her journey, how she overcame the challenges along the way, and how immigrant writers and their stories fueled her desire to become a writer herself.

How long did you work on Brown Girls?

I worked on Brown Girls for fourand-a-half years. I started it in 2017 when I was a second-year MFA student and continued working on it after I graduated, from 2018 to 2020, while I was also juggling various jobs teaching, copywriting, and working in a restaurant. These different gigs allowed me to write in the morning, which is what I prefer. However, in February 2020, I promised myself that, come spring, I would double down on finishing my novel.

However, March 2020 came and the COVID-19 pandemic swept through New York City and the rest of the world.

It was an extremely difficult time—I was furloughed from my jobs and worried for my family members who

by MoMar G. Visaya / AJPress

Andreades worked on Brown Girls for four-and-a-half years starting in 2017. A Toni Morrison quote inspired and empowered her to write this story.

Daphne Andreades Photo by Jingyu Lin

“I am really grateful to my friends, family, and teachers who encouraged me to keep going and reminded me that I had a story to tell,” Daphne Palasi Andrades told the Asian Journal in a recent interview. Bottom photo shows Daphne Palasi-Andreades (left) and her fellow authors Victor Manibo (The Sleepless) and Albert Samaha (Concepcion) along with event host Marisa Seifan of Honeybrains and moderator Vina Orden at a fundraiser for the nonprofit ARK, a social impact innovator.

Andreades with one of the event’s moderators, TV host and journalism educator Ernabel Demillo. AJPress Photos by Momar G. Visaya

Iza explains why it should be sex reveal, not gender reveal

By Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

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 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. g

How a Fil-Am author’s debut novel...

PAGE 14

are healthcare workers. My mother and brother, specifically, were nurses at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, which was called “the epicenter of the epicenter.”

During this time, I contemplated giving up on writing. However, I kept going because making art was an outlet to both escape the world and confront it, to grieve and to heal, and a way to have a voice when I felt voiceless. In May 2020, I finished a draft of Brown Girls that I was proud of.

In June 2020, I sent the manuscript to trusted readers and incorporated their feedback. In July 2020, I signed with my now agent. In September 2020, we sold the book to Random House. My editor, Marie Pantojan, is Filipino. It has been so meaningful to collaborate with her on Brown Girls.

What was it like when you held the book for the first time?

Holding the book in my hands for the first time was amazing, surreal, and joyous. Brown Girls has been out for almost a year now! However, the paperback edition publishes this November.

The book is a celebration of Queens and bits of Filipino culture - did you have that dream when you were younger, of coming up with a culturally-specific book?

Ever since I was in high school, it was a dream and a goal to become a writer and publish a book that centered on the lives of immigrants. As a teen, I encountered work by contemporary authors who were immigrants and wrote about immigrant communities—novels and short story collections by Jhumpa

Lahiri, Edwidge Danticat, Zadie Smith, and Julie Otsuka, to name a few.

Their work made a huge impression on me. I recognized myself and my experiences in their fiction. Their work also made me think: ‘If they could do it, then maybe I could, too.’ Later, in college and graduate school, I read work by Filipino American authors Jessica Hagedorn, Lysley Tenorio, and Mia Alvar, who further fueled my desire to become a writer.

I believe that all of these authors paved the way for me, and other young, emerging artists who are immigrants and people of color, to tell our stories. I’m indebted to these authors and hope that my work inspires other young artists in the future, too.

What is your writing process like?

An important part of my writing process is keeping a journal. I’ve kept a journal since I was seven years old. My aunt gave my first one for Christmas, and it’s been a practice I’ve had ever since. Keeping a journal is a space for me to jot down my thoughts, observations, overheard bits of dialogue, lyrics, dreams, lists, images, everything. In short, it’s a great way to observe the world and capture it through language.

In my journals, I also work out ideas and scenes for my fiction. I prefer to write my first drafts by longhand, rather than on the computer. Something about writing by longhand feels lower stakes to me; I am looser, less self-conscious, and I let myself make a mess on the page, which is what I think writing a first draft is all about!

After some time, I transcribe my journals onto the computer; through this

process, I also come up with another draft, the first of dozens. I love revision— trying to find the verb or adjective that captures what I want to evoke, adding scenes, thinking of a story’s structure, and deepening the story’s themes and characters, are both challenging and fun.

Where are you based now? How long have you been based there?

I am based in New York City. New York is a place that really inspires me— the mix of people all living together, the sights, sounds, smells. However, I love to travel but haven’t gotten to do much of it because of the pandemic these past two years. But I plan to travel again in 2023. I could see myself living in other cities in the future and allowing those places to influence my writing.

Where are your parents from in the Philippines?

My parents are from the Cordillera region of the Philippines.

When was the last time you traveled there? Any fond memories?

The last time I visited the Philippines was seven years ago. I had just gotten married and traveled with my husband, who is also from New York and an artist, to meet my relatives and to see parts of the country. It was really special to experience the Philippines together. We loved traveling to Sagada and exploring the Sagada Caves, though it was also terrifying! We visited Bontoc, Banaue, and stayed with my cousins in Baguio. I loved seeing art at BenCab Museum and Easter Weaving.

I will also be traveling to the Philippines this spring and am so excited! g

John Lloyd waiting for Bea for reunion project

By Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

KAPUSO actor John Lloyd Cruz revealed that he’s just waiting for Bea Alonzo for their muchawaited reunion project.

In an interview with Philstar.com and other media outlets last week for his reunion with Biogesic, John Lloyd said he’s willing to do a project with Bea soon.

“Ang tagal niya na nga eh. Ang tagal na po akong naka-standby, Miss Bea. Waiting lang po, any time po on your cue,” John Lloyd told Bea.

John Lloyd said that there are concepts already offered to them, but they are not still talking about the reunion project.

“To be honest, marami na kong script na nabasa, more than a couple of concepts naibato na sa amin, but at the end of the day kung hindi tayo uupo at mag-uusap kung kailan ‘yan gagawin, paano ba ‘yan gagawin, gagawin ba natin, that’s the most important question,” he said.

“Kung hindi masasagot ‘yang mga ‘yan, para tayong nagpapaasa sa mga taong nag-aabang sa reunion. So ang masasabi ko lang, hanggang magkaroon ng konkretong plano, mayroon na ma-pencil mark na schedule. Ayoko munang umasa,” he added.

John Lloyd renewed his partnership with Unilab, which launched his endorsement career, at a time when looking after one’s self and others rings

ever important. Today, John Lloyd waves the iconic “Ingat” salute once more as the partnership evolves into a deeper, more meaningful, more collaborative relationship: one that aspires to provide “Alagang Walang Pinipili” to Filipino families.

“Mahirap hindi maramdaman ‘yung alaga at suporta ng mga taong nakatrabaho ko at nakilala ko sa Unilab, kasi gusto ka nila makita — kumusta ka ba, ano ba ang lagay mo, and pinapakinggan ka kung ano ang napipisil mong gawin,” John Lloyd said.

John Lloyd first collaborated with Unilab in 2007 as the brand ambassador of Biogesic, the trusted branded paracetamol for headache and fever relief that has been caring for Filipinos for over 50 years.

According to Alexander Panlilio, Unilab Corporate Vice President, the partnership takes on new meaning at the time of a global health crisis.

“We at Unilab and Biogesic have always believed in the value of caring and providing trusted quality healthcare to every Filipino family. Through the years, Biogesic has been synonymous with the iconic “Ingat” tagline and we endeavor to make this kind of alaga felt in many more Filipino households,” Panlilio said.

“With our Alagang Walang Pinipili campaign, we aim to further strengthen this connection we have built with our beloved consumers,” he added. g

John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo

Photo courtesy of Jollibee

Iza Calzado showing her baby bump Photo from Instagram/@missizacalzado