SACRAMENTO — California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed his forty seventh lawsuit against President Donald Trump, challenging new restrictions on federal homelessness grants. The case targets changes to HUD’s Continuum of Care program, which funds permanent housing and services for people exiting homelessness.
Continuum of Care grants total about four billion dollars each year. Most funds support permanent housing. The program has operated for decades under both parties. Local officials credit it with helping vulnerable residents secure stable housing and avoid repeated homelessness.
SAN DIEGO
Zaldy Co extends allegations to Marcos family; Palace rejects claims as unverified
Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos, and the First Lady’s brother Martin Arane
ta held roles in budget kickbacks or agricultural supply
The claims, released between mid-November and Nov. 27, remain unverified, and no government agency, court, or regulator has filed charges in relation to any of Co’s allegations. Co has not presented documentary evidence to support his statements. Palace officials and those named have denied wrongdoing and dismissed his claims as unfounded. Co issued the videos while facing arrest orders and
plunder referrals tied to what authorities describe as the nation’s largest ongoing infrastructure corruption investigation. Co names president, Romualdez, Sandro, first lady, DOJ official and others in expanding series In the video releases, Co alleges: • Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez received roughly P55 billion in kickbacks tied to u PAGE 2
by AJPress
California warns of large losses in permanent housing California argues that the new rules would reduce permanent housing funds and rediWASHINGTON, D.C. – The Trump administration removed nursing programs from the federal
NEW YORK — Families of several Filipino nationals detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities are speaking out, alleging both the United States and Philippine governments have neglected their loved ones, who now face possible deportation.
The statements came as relatives of Filipino freelance journalist and DACA recipient Yaa’kub Ira Vijandre – whose legal name is Jacob Ira Azurin Vijandre – and green card holder Sonny John Lasquite recently appeared in court, joined by the Tanggol Migrante Movement, an advocacy group assisting Filipino migrants across the United States.
Yaa’kub Ira Vijandre Vijandre has been held in immigration
MANILA — The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has officially added Manila to its 2026 calendar with the launch of the Philippine Women’s Open, a WTA 125 tournament set for January 26–31, 2026. It marks the first time the Philippines will host a WTA tour-level event, placing the country on the global tennis map during a period of renewed expansion for the sport in Asia. The WTA lists the event as a 32-player sin-
MANILA — The Philippines has endured what could be “one of the most disaster-prone” years in its recent history this year, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said on Wednesday, November 26.
During the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum, Gatchalian cited the series of calamities that battered the country and left hundreds of people dead nationwide. This year would be one of the most disaster-prone years – from Typhoon Nando (in September,
gles and 16-team doubles tournament with a $115,000 prize purse, making it one of the key early-season stops in the region.
PSC, PHILTA finalize preparations
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA) will jointly stage the competition.
PSC chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio said preparations include significant upgrades to the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center, which is being reinforced to meet WTA standards. The
MANILA — Expect the “big fish” in the multibillion-peso flood control corruption scandal –including senators and congressmen – to fall into the government dragnet and get locked up in five weeks, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said on Tuesday, November 25. “Big fish are coming soon. We should expect the Discayas, senators and congressmen in the next five weeks. There will be no special treatment. They will be treated like everyone else,” Remulla said at a briefing with Bureau of
Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) officials at the New Quezon City Jail where six of eight public works officials charged for involvement in flood control anomalies are now detained.
Remulla said some of the suspects or accused still at large are abroad, including in Qatar and the United States. He said they have until Thursday, November 27 to surrender to the nearest Philippine embassy.
We have copies of their passports. We can find them wherever
— Seven
who are owners of construction firms that have contracts with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) have been recommended for prosecution by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure. Also on ICI’s list – the eighth –was resigned party-list representative and fugitive Zaldy Co.
The lawmakers – mockingly called “cong-tractors” – “ap-
peared” to have violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Government Officials and Public Employees, for taking part in firms found doing business with the DPWH, the ICI said in its recommendation addressed to the Office of the Ombudsman.
These congressmen should not be engaging in private business activities that conflict with their official duties and they should not influence bids and awards,” ICI chair-
Zaldy Co extends allegations to...
flood-control allocations.
• President Marcos received a P1-billion delivery of funds allegedly linked to budget insertions.
• Rep. Sandro Marcos received another P1 billion, which Co claims flowed from insertion requests.
• A Department of Justice undersecretary acted as a “bagman” in some transfers.
• First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and her brother Martin Araneta held influence within a rice and onion cartel that allegedly shaped importation flows and pricing.
Co has not provided documents, receipts or sworn affidavits supporting these claims. None of the allegations have been confirmed by investigators. Regulators note that existing cartel and economic-sabotage cases involve other traders and firms, not the Marcos family.
Officials named by Co say the accusations are false. Romualdez and Sandro Marcos both rejected the claims in public comments.
The Palace says Co’s narratives shift across his videos and lack substantiating records.
Flood-control probe advances as Co remains abroad
The Sandiganbayan earlier issued arrest warrants for Co and 17 others over an allegedly irregular river-dike project in Oriental Mindoro. Authorities say the case forms part of a larger DPWH-ICI audit of nearly 10,000 flood-control projects worth an estimated P545 billion, with potential losses pegged at P118.5 billion.
Law-enforcement teams have detained several suspects. Co has already left the Philippines before the warrants came out.
The Bureau of Immigration confirmed that Interpol issued a blue notice to help track Co and three other suspects who traveled abroad.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) have recommended plunder, graft and bribery charges before the Ombudsman against several lawmakers, including Co, in connection with project allocations.
Co and Sandro Marcos trade explosive allegations as flood-control scandal widens
Conflicting accounts emerge while investigators expand review of public works spending
MANILA — A corruption scandal that began with a technical audit of flood-control projects has escalated into a public clash between former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co and House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, the eldest son of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The confrontation comes as investigators widen a multibillion-peso review of infrastructure spending across the Philippines.
Co directly implicates the president’s son
In a new video posted online from abroad, Co claims that Sandro Marcos, who leads the House majority and represents Ilocos Norte, directed him to push budget insertions totaling around P50 billion across several recent national budgets. He says the alleged instructions involved flood-control and infrastructure items now under scrutiny
Co presents himself as a lawmaker who followed orders under political pressure. He acknowledges that he helped move funds through budget insertions but denies receiving kickbacks or designing the scheme. He has not publicly released documents that support his account, and his claims have not been tested in court.
The video marks the most direct attempt so far by a figure linked to the scandal to implicate the president’s son in alleged budget irregularities.
Sandro Marcos dismisses accusations as “lies on camera”
Sandro Marcos has rejected Co’s statements in a detailed written response and media interviews. He says Co’s video contains “lies on
Co alleges first lady, brother influenced food-price inquiries; regulators report no cases tied to them
MANILA — Former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co released new video statements alleging that First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and her brother Martin Araneta intervened in congressional inquiries into rising food prices. The claims come as Co continues to issue public allegations while facing graft charges related to flood-control projects.
In his latest video, Co said the first lady “personally intervened” in the 2022 House investigation into surging onion prices and again in a 2024 inquiry into elevated rice prices. He asserted that both inquiries involved traders linked to a cartel that manipulated supply and that her brother had “interests” or influence within that network. Co did not provide documents supporting the allegation.
Martin Araneta is a private individual and does not hold public office. His name appeared during the 2022 onion hearings when several witnesses mentioned him in relation to the importation process. Those references did not result in charges, and official reports issued after the hearings did not list him as a respondent or subject of further investigation.
Regulators monitoring food-supply cases say Co’s new claims do not match any active inquiries. The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) continues to prosecute an onion-industry case involving alleged coordination by several trading groups, but none of its filings name the first lady or her brother. The Department of Justice (DOJ), which has pursued hoarding and price-fixing cases since 2023, also u PAGE 4
California sues Trump over cuts to homeless...
rect money toward short term or conditional models. Internal documents reviewed by state officials show that the shift could affect as many as one hundred seventy thousand people who already live in permanent housing. These residents include families, veterans and people with disabilities.
Bonta said HUD does not have authority to impose those limits. He said Congress never approved caps on permanent housing. He also said the department cannot change national homelessness policy through a funding notice.
“This program has helped states, local governments and nonprofits combat homelessness and provide stable housing,” Bonta said. “These new restrictions violate federal law and threaten proven programs.” Coalition argues HUD violated federal law California filed the case with a coalition of states and the District of Columbia. The states argue that HUD violated the Administrative Procedure Act by issuing sweeping changes without formal rulemaking. They also object to new political conditions attached to the grants. They say those conditions reach beyond the purposes defined by Congress.
Federal officials defend shift from Housing First
The changes follow Trump’s
July executive order on crime and disorder. That order directs agencies to reduce support for housing first programs and expand treatment based or work based models. HUD leaders say the new rules follow that directive. They argue that housing first does not address addiction and serious mental illness. They say communities need stronger tools to manage encampments and public safety. They also say federal dollars should support programs that show measurable results.
Lawsuit adds to growing federal-state clashes California officials warn that cuts to
ers fear that
Manila to host first WTA tour stop...
government-run complex, which previously hosted Southeast Asian Games tennis events, will serve as the tournament’s initial venue.
Organizers also view the tournament as a bridge to long-term plans for a 10-hectare Philippine Tennis Center in New Clark City, a partnership between PHILTA and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA). The dedicated hub, now in development, is expected to support future international events and national training programs.
A possible homecoming for Eala
The Manila stop follows a breakout 2025 season for Alexandra “Alex” Eala, who became the first Filipina representing the
Philippines to enter the WTA Top 50. Her rapid climb has fueled national excitement over the prospect of her competing in a home tournament. However, Eala’s participation is not yet confirmed due to an overlap with the 2026 Australian Open, which runs from January 12 to February 1. A deep Melbourne campaign would place her in Australia during the Manila dates; a shorter run or strategic scheduling could allow her to appear at the inaugural event.
Filipino heritage in global tennis
The global game has seen standout athletes of Filipino lineage, most prominently Canada’s Leylah Annie Fernandez, a U.S. Open finalist whose maternal fam-
ily comes from Ilocos Norte and Leyte, yet Alex Eala remains the first Filipina carrying the Philippine flag to break into the WTA Top 50.” Fernandez competes for Canada and does not represent the Philippines in international play. Manila’s new role in regional tennis
By hosting its first WTA event, Manila joins a select Asian roster and strengthens the Philippines’ long-term bid to become a regular venue for international tennis. For local athletes and fans, the Philippine Women’s Open marks the start of a new era — one that brings global competition closer to home and elevates the country’s presence on the world stage. n
Attorney General Rob Bonta
Photo from Facebook/@AGRobBonta
4
NOVEMBER 28-DECEMBER 4, 2025 • ASIAN JOURNAL
DATELINE USA
Ako, LORENA S. PORTILLO, ang itinalagang Tagapagrehistro ng Lalawigan ng Clark, Nevada, ay nagpapatunay na ang mga sumusunod na tanggapan ng Estado, Distrito, Lalawigan, Lupon ng Tagapayo at Nayon ay ang mga tanggapan kung saan ang mga kandidato ay nominado sa Pangunahing Halalan na gaganapin sa ika-9 ng Hunyo 2026, sa Lalawigan ng Clark.
Ang paghahain ng panghukumang kandidato ay isasagawa sa Enero 5 hanggang Enero 16, 2026.
Ang paghahain ng hindi panghukumang kandidato ay isasagawa sa Marso 2 hanggang Marso 13, 2026.
Ang mga kandidatong naghahain para sa mga tanggapan ng distrito at mga kandidatong naghahain para sa tanggapan ng munisipal ay maghahain sa loob ng kanilang sariling nasasakupan sa mga sumusunod na lokasyon. Ang mga petsa at oras ay nag-iiba sa panahon ng paghahain ng panghukuman at hindipanghukumang kandidato gaya ng sumusunod:
• Paghahain ng Kandidato, Clark County Government Center (panghukuman at hindi panghukuman)
500 South Grand Central Parkway, 1st floor, Pueblo Room, Lunes - Biyernes 8:00nu-5:00nh; sarado Sabado at Linggo; sa pamamagitan ng appointment at walk-ins
• Lungsod ng Boulder City, Tanggapan ng Klerk ng Lungsod (hindi panghukuman)
401 California Avenue, Boulder City, NV 89005, Lunes - Huwebes, 8:00nu – 5:00nh; sarado Biyernes, Sabado at Linggo; sa pamamagitan ng appointment at walk-ins
• Lungsod ng Henderson, Tanggapan ng Klerk ng Lungsod (panghukuman at hindi panghukuman)
240 S. Water Street, Lunes - Biyernes 8:00nu – 5:00nh; sarado Sabado at Linggo; appointment lamang
• Lungsod ng Las Vegas, Tanggapan ng Klerk ng Lungsod (panghukuman at hindi panghukuman)
495 S. Main Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101; Lunes - Biyernes, 8:00nu - 5:00nh; sarado Sabado at Linggo; sa pamamagitan ng appointment at walk-ins
• Lungsod ng Mesquite, Tanggapan ng Klerk ng Lungsod (hindi panghukuman)
10 E. Mesquite Blvd, Lunes - Huwebes 8:00nu - 5:00nh; sarado Biyernes, Sabado, at Linggo
• Lungsod ng North Las Vegas, Tanggapan ng Klerk ng Lungsod (panghukuman at hindi panghukuman) 2250 Las Vegas Boulevard North, North Las Vegas, NV 89030, Lunes - Huwebes 8:00nu - 5:00nh; sarado Biyernes, Sabado, at Linggo
Ang mga tanggapang natukoy na mayroong mga asteris (*) ay kumakatawan sa mga distrito na ibinahagi sa ibang mga lalawigan o sa buong estado. Ang mga kandidato para sa mga tanggapang iyon ay maghahain
sa Kalihim ng Estado sa mga tanggapan ng Las Vegas o Lungsod ng Carson.
MGA TANGGAPANG PEDERAL
Kinatawan sa Kongreso, 2 taong termino
Distrito 1, 3, at 4*
MGA TANGGAPAN NG PARTIDISTA SA ESTADO
Gobernador*, 4 na taong termino
Tinyente Gobernador*, 4 na taong termino
Kalihim ng Estado*, 4 na taong termino
Tesorero ng Estado*, 4 na taong termino
Kontroler ng Estado*, 4 na taong termino
Pangunahing Abogado*, 4 na taong termino
Senado ng Estado, 4 na taong termino
Distrito 2, 8, 9, 10, 12, 20, at 21
Asembliya ng Estado , 2 taong termino
Distrito 1 hanggang 23, 28, 29, 34, 35, 36*, 37, 41, at 42
MGA TANGGAPAN NG PARTIDISTA SA LALAWIGAN
Komisyon ng Lalawigan, 4 na taong termino
Distrito E, F, at G
Abogado ng Distrito, 4 na taong termino
Tasador ng Lalawigan, 4 na taong termino
Klerk ng Lalawigan, 4 na taong termino
Rekorder ng Lalawigan, 4 na taong termino
Tesorero ng Lalawigan, 4 na taong termino
Pampublikong Administrador, 4 na taong termino
MGA TANGGAPAN NG HINDI PARTIDISTA SA ESTADO AT DISTRITO
Hustisya ng Korte Suprema, 6 na taong termino
Puwesto B* at D*
Hukom ng Hukumang Distrito, Ikawalong Panghukumang Distrito, 6 na taong termino
Departamento 1 hanggang 32
Hukom ng Hukumang Distrito Dibisyon Pangpamilya, Ikawalong Panghukumang Distrito, 6 na taong termino Departamento A hanggang Z Lupon ng mga Rehente Distrito 2, 3, at 5, 2 taong termino Distrito 8*, 2 taong hindi pa natatapos na termino
MGA TANGGAPAN NG HINDI PARTIDISTA SA LALAWIGAN
Tagapangasiwa Lalawigan ng Clark Distrito ng Paaralan, 4 na taong termino Distrito D, F, at G Miyembro ng Lupon Moapa Valley Distrito ng Tubig Logandale, 4 na taong termino Miyembro ng Lupon Moapa Valley Distrito ng Tubig Overton, 4 na taong termino Miyembro ng Lupon Virgin Valley Distrito ng Tubig Bunkerville, 4 na taong termino
Miyembro ng Lupon Virgin Valley Distrito ng Tubig Mesquite, 4 na taong termino
Bumoto ng hindi hihigit sa 2 Tagapangasiwa Moapa Valley Distrito ng Pagpapanatili ng Telebisyon
Bumoto ng hindi hihigit sa 5 Tatlong Puwesto, 2 taong hindi pa natatapos na termino
Dalawang Puwesto, 4 na taong termino
Tagapangasiwa Overton Distrito ng Kuryente #5, Puwesto 1 Overton, 4 na taong termino Tagapangasiwa Overton Distrito ng Kuryente #5, Puwesto 2 Logandale, 4 na taong termino Tagapangasiwa Overton Distrito ng Kuryente #5, Puwesto 4 Bunkerville, 4 na taong termino Tagapangasiwa Overton Distrito ng Kuryente #5, Puwesto 6 Mesquite, 4 na taong termino Bayan ng Bunkerville Lupon ng Tagapayo, 2 taong termino
Bumoto ng hindi hihigit sa 5 Bayan ng Laughlin Lupon ng Tagapayo, 2 taong termino
Bumoto ng hindi hihigit sa 5 Bayang ng Moapa Lupon ng Tagapayo, 2 taong termino
Bumoto ng hindi hihigit sa 5
Bayan ng Moapa Valley Lupon ng Tagapayo, 2 taong termino
Bumoto ng hindi hihigit sa 5 Bayan ng Searchlight Lupon ng Tagapayo, 2 taong termino
Bumoto ng hindi hihigit sa 5 Serip, 4 na taong temino
MGA TANGGAPAN NG LUNGSOD NG BOULDER CITY (HINDI PARTIDISTA)
Lungsod ng Boulder City Alkalde, 4 na taong termino
Lungsod ng Boulder City Miyembro ng Konseho, 4 na taong termino
Bumoto ng hindi hihigit sa 2
MGA TANGGAPAN NG LUNGSOD NG HENDERSON (HINDI PARTIDISTA)
Lungsod ng Henderson Alkalde, 4 na taong termino
Lungsod ng Henderson Konseho Purok III, 4 na taong termino
Lungsod ng Henderson Hukom ng Hukumang Munisipal Departamento 1, 6 na taong termino
MGA TANGGAPAN NG LUNGSOD NG LAS VEGAS (HINDI PARTIDISTA)
Lungsod ng Las Vegas Konsehal Purok 2, 4 na taong termino
Lungsod ng Las Vegas Konsehal Purok 4, 4 na taong termino
Lungsod ng Las Vegas Konsehal Purok 6, 4 na taong termino
Lungsod ng Las Vegas Hukom ng Hukumang Munisipal Departamento 1, 2 taong hindi pa natatapos na termino
Lungsod ng Las Vegas Hukom ng Hukumang Munisipal Departamento 2, 4 na taong hindi pa natatapos na termino
MGA TANGGAPAN NG LUNGSOD NG MESQUITE (HINDI PARTIDISTA)
Lungsod ng Mesquite Miyembro ng Konseho Puwesto 1, 4 na taong termino
Lungsod ng Mesquite Miyembro ng Konseho Puwesto 3, 4 na taong termino
Lungsod ng Mesquite Miyembro ng Konseho Puwesto 4, 4 na taong termino
MGA TANGGAPAN NG NORTH LAS VEGAS (HINDI PARTIDISTA)
Lungsod ng North Las Vegas Alkalde, 4 na taong termino
Lungsod ng North Las Vegas Miyembro ng Konseho Purok 1, 4 na taong termino
Lungsod ng North Las Vegas Miyembro ng Konseho Purok 3, 4 na taong termino
Lungsod ng North Las Vegas Hukom ng Hukumang Munisipal Departamento 1, 4 na taong hindi pa natatapos na termino
MGA TANGGAPAN NG HINDI PARTIDISTANG BAYAN
Konstable Bayan ng Bunkerville, 4 na taong termino
Konstable Bayan ng Goodsprings, 4 na taong termino
Konstable Bayan ng Henderson, 4 na taong termino
Konstable Bayan ng Laughlin, 4 na taong termino
Konstable Bayan ng Mesquite, 4 na taong termino
Konstable Bayan ng Moapa, 4 na taong termino
Konstable Bayan ng Moapa Valley, 4 na taong termino
Konstable Bayan ng North Las Vegas, 4 na taong termino
Hustisya ng Tagapamayapa Nayon ng Henderson, Departamento 2, 3, at 4 (bago), 6 na taong termino
Hustisya ng Tagapamayapa Nayon ng Las Vegas, Departamento 11 at 12, 6 na taong termino
Hustisya ng Tagapamayapa Nayon ng North Las Vegas, Departamento 3, 6 na taong termino
BILANG SAKSI, itinalaga ko ang aking kamay at inilagay ang Selyo ng Lalawigan sa aking tanggapan sa Lungsod ng North Las Vegas, Lalawigan ng Clark, Nevada ngayong ika-20 ng Nobyembre 2025.
Loren S. Portillo
Tagapagrehistro ng mga Botante
PUB: Nobyembre 28, 2025, Las Vegas Asian Journal
Zaldy Co extends allegations to...
2
Palace response: “Come home and face the accusations” President Marcos has challenged Co to return and submit evidence to investigators. Marcos says Co’s lawyer attempted to negotiate over a possible passport cancellation, which the President described as an attempt to “blackmail” the government. Co’s counsel previously denied that interpretation in earlier interviews.
The administration says investigators will rely on audits, transaction records and sworn statements, not online videos, to determine liability.
Cartel allegations shift national attention to food supply chain Co’s newest allegations place
the First Lady and her brother at the center of a supposed rice and onion cartel.In his latest video message, Co’s claim that the pair influenced importation schedules and market flows. Regulators counter that current cartel and smuggling cases, including the PCC’s 2024 Statement of Objections and the DOJ’s economic-sabotage reviews, target traders identified in earlier congressional findings. None of the dockets name the First Lady, her brother or any member of the Marcos family. Investigators weigh next steps The Makabayan bloc has urged the ICI to examine Co’s statements and determine whether expanded investigations are warranted. The Ombudsman continues to review the DPWH-ICI plunder referrals, while authorities pursue remaining suspects in the flood-control cases. Co maintains that he aims to expose systemic corruption. Officials maintain that his claims require evidence and formal evaluation.
For now, the infrastructure corruption probe and Co’s online allegations proceed along separate tracks, one grounded in official audits and prosecutions, the other in statements that investigators have yet to corroborate. n
Nursing loses ‘professional degree’ status...
$50,000 a year and $200,000
overall. The rules also eliminate Grad PLUS loans starting July 1, 2026, removing a tool many students use to bridge tuition gaps.
The Education Department defends the classification. Officials say “professional degree” is an internal label for loan purposes, not a measure of professional standing. They argue that many nursing students borrow below the new cap and say the goal is to prevent unmanageable debt.
Nursing groups warn of restricted access
Major U.S. nursing organizations strongly oppose the rule.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) said the change “creates unnecessary financial barriers” and undermines efforts to strengthen the nursing workforce. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) described the exclusion as “deeply problematic,” noting the rigorous academic and clinical preparation required for advanced roles. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) pointed to sustained shortages in primary care, critical care and long-term care, warning that tighter loan caps may deter qualified candidates from pursuing graduate education.
Nurses of color raise equity concerns
In a joint statement on Nov. 20, the Nursing Organizations of Color, led by the Philippine
Nurses Association of America and several partner groups, condemned the redefinition. They warned that the policy creates new barriers to advanced nursing education, especially for nurses of color.
Nurses of color already carry disproportionately higher student loan debt than their white counterparts,” the coalition said. “Excluding Master of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice and nursing PhD programs from professional degree classification will create insurmountable financial obstacles for aspiring nurse leaders of color who are essential to providing care in medically underserved communities.”
The coalition stressed that workforce diversity strengthens patient outcomes and expands healthcare access. They added that advanced nursing programs meet federal criteria for professional degrees, citing rigorous clinical preparation, advanced licensure and doctoral pathways. Data from the Berkeley Migration Initiative show that Filipino-trained nurses account for about 33 percent of all foreign-born registered nurses in the United States. Separately, reporting from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Record notes that Filipinos make up roughly 4 percent of the broader U.S. nursing workforce, a category that includes registered nurses as well as licensed prac-
tical nurses, nursing assistants and other support roles.
Philippine officials monitor impact abroad Rep. Kristine Alexie Besas-Tutor of Bohol urged Philippine agencies to study the U.S. rule and determine its impact on Filipino nurses. She said many Filipino nurses rely on U.S. graduate programs to reach advanced practice and leadership roles. Lawmakers warn that tighter borrowing limits may discourage students from pursuing these pathways.
Philippine officials have not issued a diplomatic protest. They emphasize that the U.S. decision affects federal loan access only and does not alter immigration, licensure or employment eligibility.
Advocates prepare evidence for 2026 rulemaking
The Education Department will release its final rule in 2026 after a public comment period. ANA, AACN, NCSBN and the Nursing Organizations of Color plan to submit evidence urging the government to include nursing in the professional-degree category. Current graduate nursing students keep their existing terms. Future cohorts will enter programs under the new caps once the rules take effect in 2026. Advocates in both countries say the outcome will determine who can afford advanced nursing education—and who cares for patients in already strained health systems. n
Co, 7 lawmakers face plunder...
man Andres Reyes Jr. said.
Members of Congress must not sway procurement processes nor should they participate in or benefit from government contracts,” he said.
President Marcos also announced the development in a video statement, where he vowed no letup in efforts to recover funds lost to corruption. “This is our promise, that the money of the people will be given back to the people,” Marcos said.
Co was included on the list for his ties with FS Co Builders and Supply, owned by a sibling.
Construction Workers Solidarity Party-list Rep. Edwin Gardiola is related to top shareholders of Newington Builders Inc., Lourel Development Corp. and S-Ang General Construction and Trading Inc.
Uswag Ilonggo Party-list Rep. James Ang Jr., one of the 17 lawmakers tagged by the Discayas in the flood control mess during a Senate hearing in September, has links to IBC International Builders Corp. and Allencon Development Corp.
Ang issued a statement on Wednesday saying his “resolve for truth to come out is stronger and clearer.”
Pusong Pinoy Party-list Rep. Jernie Jett Nisay remains as the general manager of JVN Construction and Trading.
The family of Bulacan 2nd District Rep. Augustina Dominique Pancho owns C.M. Pancho Construction Inc.
Cagayan 3rd District Rep. Joseph Lasam Lara founded JLL Pulsar Construction Corp., which his children now own.
Surigao Del Norte 1st District Rep. Francisco Matugas, already indicted in July for allegedly diverting disaster response funds to other projects without authority, has ties with Boometrix Development Corp.
Tarlac 3rd District Rep. Noel Rivera, already facing a case for allegedly colluding with his wife and a DPWH engineer to secure over P600 million in government contracts, has links to Tarlac 3-G Construction and Development Corp.
All in all, their firms cornered 1,300 infrastructure projects from 2016 to 2024, but the ICI is mum about the specifics of the joint referral with the DPWH.
“We looked at the records. We looked at the contracts. That’s all I can say because this is investigative work. I cannot divulge how we arrive at these conclusions,” he said.
The ICI cited Article VI, Section 14 of the Constitution, which states that neither a senator nor a representative should “be interested financially in any contract with, or in any franchise or special privilege granted by the government, or any subdivision, agency or instrumentality thereof, including any government-owned or controlled corporation, or its subsidiary, during his term of office.”
‘Culture of contracting’
Reyes called for the eradication of the “culture of contracting in Congress” as corruption in government continues to fester.
This practice should have ended decades ago,” he said. “The longer we allow it to exist, the more it corrodes public trust.”
Let us tear down this abusive system one by one with every filing,” the ICI chairman added.
More names will come out in the coming weeks, he said without elaborating.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin
Remulla said he is set to discuss with Speaker Faustino Dy III how to deal with the congressmen facing prosecution.
There will be disruption. I have to talk to the Speaker because many will get affected. Our law is full of statutes that will make people accountable and make them pay the price for their misdeeds,” he said at a briefing.
Remulla said “more than 10 percent” of House members would likely be affected by the investigations. He also said apart from the eight lawmakers being tagged, there could be around 12 to 15 more “with obviously conflict of interest.” The ombudsman, however, said they are waiting for the lawmakers themselves to “come clean.”
Also on Wednesday, November 26, Quezon 3rd District Rep. Reynante Arrogancia and Occidental Mindoro Rep. Leody Tarriela appeared before the ICI – but behind closed doors – to debunk the Discayas’ claim that they had also received kickbacks from anomalous flood control projects. ICI executive director Brian Keith Hosaka said the commission granted the request of the two not to livestream their testimonies because of “sensitivity” of some information.
“They cited sensitive and private information that might be divulged during their testimonies, and the commission saw it fit to allow an executive session,” Hosaka said. “There is information that should really be divulged in confidence so
that the investigation will proceed without any hitches or problems because the commission needs to get as much evidence and information as possible for us to arrive at the truth,” Hosaka said. I encourage everyone to read our guidelines because they are based on law, jurisprudence and even the pronouncements of the Supreme Court,” he added.
In his video statement, Marcos also reported that the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has secured two freeze orders for properties linked to the flood control controversy, bringing the total amount of frozen assets to about P12 billion. Among those covered by the orders are Co’s assets valued at P4 billion, he added.
Also covered by the freeze order were 3,566 bank accounts, 198 insurance policies, 247 motor vehicles, 178 real properties and 16 e-wallet accounts.
This is just the beginning. More assets will be frozen so the money can be returned to the people,” the chief executive said. The flood control controversy started after Marcos ordered an investigation on substandard and ghost projects during his fourth State of the Nation Address last July.
The scandal has caused leadership changes in Congress, resignations as well as calls to cleanse the bureaucracy of corruption.
“The issuance of the freeze orders will enable AMLC to pursue a more extensive financial investigation to uncover any possible money laundering scheme linked to the flood control projects,” said AMLC executive director Matthew David.
“The public can be assured that the AMLC will continue to pursue all possible legal remedies to ensure that those involved in the misuse of public funds are held accountable,” he added.
The AMLC has not publicly identified the officials involved, citing confidentiality restrictions while investigations are ongoing. Meanwhile, DPWH accountant Juliet Calvo, who had posted P90,000 bail for her temporary release, was rearrested after she was included among respondents in malversation of public funds charges.
Another DPWH official, Mon
(With reports from Daphne Galvez, Keisha Ta-asan, Emmanuel Tupas, Rainier Allan Ronda, Jose Rodel Clapano, Rudy Santos)
OPiniOn FeAtures
As ad hominem politics rises, citizens must learn to recognize it
Personal attacks increasingly shape political arguments in the Philippines and the U.S. Citizens play a crucial role in identifying and resisting these tactics to keep public debate grounded in fact
THE oldest tactic in political rhetoric has found new life in the present moment. It is the ad hominem attack, the act of striking at a person instead of addressing the idea. The phrase comes from Latin and means “to the person.” It describes an argument that targets the speaker rather than the issue. The move dates back to ancient debates, yet it now shapes political conversation in both the Philippines and the United States with striking force.
Ad hominem thrives when institutions face pressure and when the public grows weary of complexity. It offers a shortcut. It allows leaders to avoid evidence. It encourages supporters to respond with emotion rather than analysis. Francis Bacon, a major architect of modern rational thought, once observed that “truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion." Today, confusion often triumphs because public discourse turns inward, focusing on the individual instead of the claim. In this shift lies the erosion of both civility and reason.
Lessons from centuries of thought
Editorial
This pattern has a long and well-documented intellectual history. Ancient thinkers warned against arguments that target the person rather than the claim. Aristotle described these moves as errors
public lives
WHEN one or two families dominate politics, it is not only democracy that weakens. Family life itself begins to fray. We are seeing this today in the very public and increasingly ugly conflict between President Marcos Jr.’s family and his elder sister, Sen. Imee Marcos.
At last week’s Iglesia ni Cristo prayer rally in Luneta, the senator—now an avid supporter of Vice President Sara Duterte— railed against her own brother. She repeated the claim that he is addicted to drugs, effectively telling the crowd that he should not continue as president if he could not overcome this alleged dependency.
This spectacle is not entirely new. We saw something similar, though less dramatic, in the quarrels among the children of former Vice President Jejomar Binay, who have taken turns as Makati mayor. One wonders how many other political clans around the country experience the same painful fractures because they have allowed political disputes to seep into the family table.
In a radio interview, Sen. Mar-
Richard Heydarian
I WOULD rather have a government run like hell by Filipinos than a government run like heaven by Americans,” former President Manuel L. Quezon once (in) famously declared. The conventional interpretation of the quote often reduces it to a high-minded form of patriotic sentimentalism. Less charitable interpretations tend to dismiss it as idealistic folly. But Quezon’s well-intentioned declaration also inadvertently presented a false binary with troubling consequences over the next century. Quezon intended to emphasize the pricelessness of independence. Over time, however, his eloquently sentimental declaration had the unintended consequence of associating self-rule with malgovernance and corruption. In his new magisterial book, “The Profligate Colonial,” University of California, Berkeley historian Lisandro Claudio deftly explains the crystallization of this self-Ori-
that miss the real issue. The English philosopher John Locke, often called the Father of Liberalism, argued that people possess inherent rights that no government may violate. He also examined how arguments shift when evidence becomes uncomfortable. His writings helped shape the modern understanding of ad hominem attacks and the danger they pose to reason. At its core, an ad hominem attack is not an argument. It replaces thought with instinct and logic with impulse. It says, “I need not address your point because I have found fault in you.” What begins as dialogue becomes dissection, not of ideas but of identities. We stop listening to understand and start listening to expose. Public debate loses clarity. Two democracies, shared vulnerabilities This dynamic is now evident in the Philippines. In-
Politics in the grip of families — and vice versa
cos joked that their family lunches have grown leaner as relatives avoid attending to escape uncomfortable conversations. The joke says something serious: when family gatherings turn into political battlegrounds, the risk of lasting personal rifts grows. What political parties and conventions are supposed to settle in mature democracies is instead fought out among parents, children, and, inlaws.
What is damaged, in the end, is not only politics but the very idea of the family as a safe space. Families are meant to be havens— places where one can share fears, struggles, and dreams without judgment. But families trapped in politics become extensions of political warfare. Marriages suffer, siblings drift apart, and what should be private wounds become public spectacles.
This problem is not confined to political dynasties. It also plagues business empires that are enmeshed in politics, such as the Villars. Their case raises a recurring question: are they politicians who happen to be in business, or business tycoons who happen to be in politics? In the long run, no family can hope to play both roles well. The deeper issue, as always,
is the failure to keep key social spheres properly differentiated.
At a University of the Philippines forum on corruption the other day, I argued that corruption often springs from this failure to distinguish one domain from another—public from private, government from business, politics from family, religion from politics. Sociology students in the audience immediately recognized the framework. It draws from the work of the German sociologist Niklas Luhmann.
But in modern societies, Luhmann wrote, each domain fiercely protects its autonomy. When a system cannot preserve its boundaries, it loses authority and becomes entangled in conflicts that are not its own. It can no longer perform its proper function. Real life, of course, is messier than theory. Institutions, in practice, constantly negotiate their limits.
Perhaps no one expressed this tension more clearly than another German thinker, Pope Benedict XVI. In his encyclical Deus Caritas Est, he wrote: The Church cannot and must not take upon herself the political battle to bring about the most just society possible. She cannot and u PAGE 7
Hundred years of war on corruption
entalizing malice throughout and beyond American colonial rule. From American colonial officers to Western scholars and organizations in more contemporary times, the consistent narrative has been this: The Philippines is ruled by a hapless and helplessly corrupt elite. What this narrative conveniently elides, however, is the irredeemably corrosive impact of American colonialism, including a puerile tradition of libertarian antistatism as well as “pork barrel” politics that singularly bedeviled US democracy a century ago. Nor did Americans focus on building a strong bureaucracy capable of shepherding sustained economic development. Contrast this to the ruling elites in neighboring Taiwan or South Korea, who faced constant American pressure to curb their greed and engage in land distribution and rapid industrialization lest they fall prey to the communist wave. There is, however, also a pernicious ideological legacy, which induced not only historical am-
vestigations into public-works spending, flood-control failures and governance practices require patience and clarity. Yet many debates quickly collapse into personal attacks. Critics face accusations of bias. Officials confront questions about motive instead of evidence. These exchanges draw attention but weaken understanding. They replace serious public inquiry with personality-driven drama.
The United States shows a similar pattern. Debates on immigration, voting rules, economic policy and health-care access often turn toward labels, ideological identities or personal histories. Complex questions lose depth. Character becomes the centerpiece. Social media amplifies this shift. The “clapback” replaces the forum. A person’s entire worth is judged by a single phrase or affiliation, and once dismissed, their argument dies unheard. The emotional pull of personal attacks The psychology behind this tactic explains its appeal. Personal attacks feel simple. They offer fast conclusions. They spare citizens the effort of studying dense policy questions. They provide a false sense of clarity in a world that often feels chaotic. The danger lies in the illusion. When public debate centers on personal conflict, societies lose the ability
Demand and supply
NATIONAL Artist Nick Joaquin,
in Culture and History, a book he wrote in 1988, wondered if our mindset for smallness is responsible for our inability to address the growing needs of our people.
The depressing fact in Philippine history, he rued, is what seems to be our native aversion to the large venture, the big risk, the bold extensive enterprise. We blame our colonizers for many of our current problems but according to Joaquin, it was the colonial years that “there was actually an advance in freedom, for the unification of the land, the organization of towns and provinces and the influx of new ideas, started our liberation from the rule of the petty, whether of clan, locality or custom.
I was going through a recent paper of Prof. Jesus Felipe and some economists at the De La Salle University and some of his comments on our Viber thread. Failure of policy, possibly because of small thinking, caused us to lose our status as the second-best economy in Southeast Asia. We landed on our ass down in the pits.
Marcos Sr. tried to imitate the industrialization program of Korea,” Dr. Felipe wrote. “It failed due to policy mistakes. The implementation was very poor and the government failed to push exports. The program was financed with dollars….and the 1980s crisis hit us.
“Korea’s autocrat simply made the same decision that every single nation that has attained high income made: industrialize… Who would have thought 10 years ago that Vietnam (a planned, inefficient economy) would overtake us?
“The reason? They focused on manufacturing… Vietnam is also corrupt. That’s what we need to understand: failure is due to policy mistakes…
“The Philippines did not have the carrot and stick incentives that Korea had. Markets were protected but we had no push to export (wrong incentives, etc).”
Along the lines of thinking small, we seem to also think we can survive in isolation from the rest of the world, institutionalized in our inwardly looking Filipino First Constitution.
While we also had an industrialization policy, it was of the import substitution type. Korea, in contrast, thought of the world market…exports.
Our so-called industrialists were content to be protected to
“manufacture” overpriced but sloppy products for the domestic consumers. Their game is capturing the regulator, penetrating and weakening the state, to extract maximum profits.
Today, we do not have a decent manufacturing sector. When world trade was liberalized with the WTO, our import substituting industrial sector was wiped out. And because we have small minds, our “industrialists” turned to “sure things” like property, pawnshop style banking, malls and politics.
Same problem in agriculture. A good example is the piggery sector. Thailand, with a population smaller than ours, produced over 21 million heads in 2024 compared to the Philippines’ estimated 10 million heads. A substantial portion of Thailand’s production came from large farms. Our industry, in contrast, is dominated by small-scale farms. Sugar is another example that should make us cry. We had a head start of over 150 years, yet Thailand’s sugar sector is now significantly larger than ours, with an estimated 2024/25 production of 10.2 million metric tons compared to our pathetic production of 1.85 million metric tons. In both the piggery and sugar sectors, the Thais took advantage u PAGE 7
nesia about American colonial rule in the Philippines but also inadvertently cultivated a shallow political discourse that often dismisses our country as congenially and exceptionally corrupt.
In a recent journal article, titled “A Thousand Years of Corruption,” University of Chicago sociologist Marco Garrido examines a whole series of corruption scandals, dating all the way back to the war-surplus scandal during the Manuel Roxas presidency. What Garrido discovered is that corruption has been an evolving challenge immanent to our political development as a postcolonial nation rather than a monolithic crisis.
Both lay and intellectual discourse, Garrido argues, tend to treat corruption as “genetic to Philippine culture or politics” and as a “generic social problem,” which is divorced from the inherent dynamics of state-building and democratization identified by leading thinkers such as Samuel Huntington. The upshot is a danu PAGE 7
WITH horrible tales of corruption being served to us every day, not degustation-style but in overflowing platters, many in the business circles say it’s time to just privatize many of the impossibly graft-riddled government functions.
Their suggestion is to privatize notorious agencies – from the Bureau of Customs to the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the most corrupt of them all, the Department of Public Works and Highways, as well as many other agencies here and there whose operations are covered with bureaucratic cobwebs.
Is privatization really the answer to our perennial corruption woes?
Power, airports, water
Many in the private sector, of course, believe so, including tycoon Henry “Big Boy” Sy, Jr. “Privatization with good governance is the answer,” he told me recently.
Big Boy, of course, is part of the successful privatization of the country’s power industry through the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, the privately owned grid operator.
Today, NGCP charges P0.55 per kWh, lower than the P0.74 per kWh before privatization. And since the company took over the country’s transmission highway in 2009, outages have dropped by 82 percent. NGCP, of course, isn’t perfect, but is a more efficient and better grid operator compared to the government.
As a testament to its efficiency and viability, the Marcos administration sought to become part of it. We all know that Maharlika, the country’s first sovereign wealth fund, invested in Synergy Grid and Development Philippines Inc., the listed company behind the NGCP.
Another successful privatization, Big Boy said, is the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, now operated by the San Miguel Corp.-led New NAIA Infra Corp., noting that NNIC has already remitted P52 billion (including upfront payment) to the government
in just one year of private operations.
Of course, this comes with higher airport fees such as landing, passenger and rental payments, in exchange for better services.
In short, in privatization, we get what we pay for, although admittedly, in some cases, we need to pay more.
Another successful privatization is in water services.
Some of us may still remember those times when Metro Manila had to grapple with water woes. What I remember about it was lining up at the neighborhood pump with my siblings to get water.
Fortunately, that is now a thing of the past following the successful privatization of the water sector.
Note, too, that Pangilinan-led Maynilad has even made its debut on the Philippine Stock Exchange recently, a testament to its success as Metro Manila’s west zone water concessionaire.
Against this backdrop, to a certain extent, I agree with Big Boy on the benefits of privatization u PAGE 7
IrIs Gonzales
Boo Chanco
As ad hominem politics rises...
Every culture carries its own etiquette of disagreement, but the impulse to defend the ego is universal. When an idea challenges what we believe, it can feel like a threat to who we believe ourselves to be. Rather than question our certainty, we question the sincerity of the other person. This instinct fuels ad hominem reasoning in both nations.
Training the public to recognize the fallacy
This is why democratic strength must begin with the citizenry. People who understand the fallacy behind personal attacks can resist the distraction. When a public figure answers scrutiny by attacking the person rather than the claim, citizens can pause. They can ask what evidence remains
unaddressed. They can observe which questions remain unanswered. This awareness strengthens public judgment. To resist ad hominem thinking is not only a rhetorical discipline. It is a moral one. It asks citizens to separate the person from the proposition and to recognize that imperfect messengers may still carry fragments of truth. The Stoics spoke of apatheia, a calmness that allows one to respond, not react. In modern discourse, that serenity is rare but essential. It calls us to disagree without demeaning.
A call for evidence-based debate
A well-informed public is difficult to mislead. Citizens who understand fallacies can separate criticism from character assault. They can identify when
accountability is necessary. They can recognize when rhetoric obscures deeper issues. This discipline builds trust and keeps democratic institutions responsive. There is quiet courage in those who debate without rancor. They remind us that the purpose of discussion is not conquest but understanding. When citizens refuse to strike at the person, they strike at confusion instead and make space for clarity. As ad hominem politics rises, the path forward depends on people who choose reason over impulse. Democracy strengthens when citizens demand substance over spectacle. In a time of division and uncertainty, the refusal to reduce people to their positions becomes not only a civic skill but a democratic safeguard. (AJPress)
Politics in the grip of families...
must not replace the State. Yet at the same time she cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice. She has to play her part through rational argument…”
It is a delicate line to walk, and I see this challenge in the statements of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, now led by my brother, Cardinal Pablo Virgilio “Ambo” David.
He must remind the faithful that justice is central to the Church’s mission—hence its presence in protests against brazen corruption—while also making clear that the Church does not seek political power. Balancing moral witness with institutional restraint is never easy. But unless we learn to honor these boundaries—between family and politics, faith and power, public duty and private interest—
we will continue to see corruption flourish, institutions weaken, and even the closest relationships torn apart by battles they were never meant to fight. (Inquirer.net)
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.
* * * public.lives@gmail.com
Hundred years of war on...
gerous and “intolerant approach,” which Garrido aptly described as anticorruption “fundamentalism.” Never mind that, practically, all of our most successful neighbors, from South Korea to China and Malaysia, have been constantly grappling with massive corruption scandals throughout their high-growth periods.
In fact, leading economists such as Yuen Yuen Ang of Johns Hopkins University have spoken of “corrupt meritocracy” as an engine of economic development. This obviously doesn’t make corruption “okay,” but shows that there are many forms of corruption (e.g., “access,” ”petty,” “speed,” “grand theft”)— and, crucially, the Philippines is NOT singularly corrupt but just another struggling and modernizing post-colonial state.
“Anticorruption fundamentalism,” which sacrifices analytic nuance in favor of self-Oriental-
izing moralistic posturing, seems to have colonized even our journalistic and social science discourse. This is most evident in the misplaced response to a recent economic paper by economists Jesus Felipe, Gerardo Largoza, and Mariel Sauler, which was lambasted by commentators as “fringe economics” or, worse, insensitive to the obvious devilry of corruption.
Never mind that the paper’s main point was that bad economic policies, namely underinvestment or lack of industrial strategy, can cause far more poverty and misery than even the worst forms of nepo-kid profligacy and individualized graft. Absolutely, corruption is evil. And corrupt politicians, who stole taxpayer money and oversaw shoddy projects costing countless lives, should be held accountable. Heads have to roll. Justice must be served.
Let’s also keep in mind that our
gross domestic product growth decelerated to only 4 percent in the latest quarter, thanks to a massive contraction in infrastructure spending. We surely need to clean up the books and avoid more shoddy flood control projects, but even worse is to forego trillions in foregone economic activity in the name of performative reforms. Thus, properly balancing good governance reform and productivity-boosting investments is key here. The appropriate metaphor for our government spending conundrum is not the cliché “leaky bucket,” but instead this: avoiding prescribing the wrong medicine that kills the patient. (Inquirer.net)
* * *
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.
* * *
richard.heydarian@inquirer.net
Privatization vs corruption?
– professional, efficient and less prone to corruption.
Even many suppliers I’ve talked to – from MSMEs to big players – attest to the professionalism of private operators compared to unscrupulous individuals in many government agencies.
These are just some examples of successful privatization in the country. There are also success stories elsewhere in the world.
Privatization, in industry parlance, means the shift of some or all of the responsibility for a function from government to the private sector.
The term has most commonly been applied to the divestiture, by sale or long-term lease, of a state-owned enterprise to private investors. But another major form of privatization is the granting of a long-term franchise or concession under which the private sector finances, builds and operates a major infrastructure project. A third type of privatization involves government selecting a private entity to deliver a public service that had previously been produced in-house by public employees. This form of privatization is increasingly called outsourcing,” according to an article published by the Library of Economics and Liberty.
PAGE 6
of economies of scale.
We are happy with backyard piggeries. PIDS, the government economic think-tank, said our backyard hog farms have operating costs of P148.26 per kilo post-slaughter. Commercial farm costs are about P112.40 per kilo. Compare that to Thailand’s P97.53.
Our sugar industrialists chose to live the good life and squandered their salted sugar quota earnings. They failed to invest in modernization the way the Thais did.
Or maybe our agrarian reform program made it difficult for our sugar sector to give the Thais a good run for their money. But given the political clout of our sugar barons, they could have influenced government policy to induce modernization if they wanted to.
Nick Joaquin asks: “Is that the explanation for our continuing failure to rise — that we buy small and sell small, that we aim small and try small, that we think small and
The first organized effort to divest state-owned enterprises, the article said, took place in Chile under the influence of the “Chicago boys” during the 1970s’ Pinochet era of economic reform.
But the largest and bestknown effort was that of Margaret Thatcher’s government in the United Kingdom during the 1980s. Thatcher succeeded in making privatization politically popular while selling off the commanding heights of the British economy: British Airways, British Airports Authority, British Petroleum, British Telecom and several million units of public housing, to name only a few examples. Thatcher’s political strategy emphasized widespread public share offerings rather than auctions to other private firms. Over the decade, this approach tripled the number of individual shareholders in Britain, giving the policy a popular base of support,” according to the article authored by Robert Poole, founder of the Reason Foundation, a Los Angeles-based think tank.
The privatization in the UK is actually the model that the Philippines followed under the Ramos administration, which privatized power, water and other utilities. We’ve had success stories, for
Small minds
do small?”
Our political structure is affected by this small thinking.
Nick Joaquin observed: “We don’t grow like a seed, we split like an amoeba. The moment a town grows big it becomes two towns. The moment a province becomes populous it disintegrates into two or three smaller provinces…
“This attitude explains why we’re finding it so hard to become a nation…Foreigners had to come and unite our land for us; the labor is far beyond our powers…we start small and end small without ever having scaled any peaks…we are not capable of sustained effort and lose momentum fast…
“One writer, as he surveyed the landscape of shortages — no rice, no water, no garbage collectors, no peace, no order — gloomily mumbled that disintegration seems to be creeping upon us and groped for Yeats’s terrifying lines: Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed… “As the population swells, our problems will expand and multiply. If they daunt us now, will they
sure. On the other hand, there are also horror stories. We are all familiar with the complaints against PrimeWater and other service providers, including telcos and internet providers – at some point, each one of them: Globe, Smart, Converge, DITO. So, what Big Boy said holds true. Privatization must be implemented with good governance and, may I add – it must be under close scrutiny by regulators. If this is done well, then for sure, we might have a better BOC, BIR, DPWH and other government agencies if these functions are transferred to the private sector. It has been done in other countries including the US, Europe, Canada and parts of Africa. Will this finally be the answer to our corruption woes? It’s worth a try for sure, given the way things are at present. (Philstar.com)
* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
* * *
Email: eyesgonzales@gmail.com. Follow her on X @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.
crush us then? The prospect is terrifying…
“Have our capacities been so diminished by the small effort we are becoming incapable even of the small thing?
“One American remarked that, after seeing Manila’s chaos of traffic (in the late 1980s), he began to appreciate how his city of Los Angeles handled its far, far greater volume of traffic. Is building a road that won’t break down when it rains no longer within our powers? Is even the building of sidewalks too herculean a task for us?” Too bad, Mr. Joaquin did not live long enough to witness how we have embraced bigness at last: stealing from the government, at least a trillion pesos worth. That’s progress. (Philstar.com)
* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
* * * Boo Chanco’s email address is bchanco@ gmail.com. Follow him on X @boochanco
DAteline PhiliPPines
Fitch: Political instability ‘significant risk’ to Philippines credit rating
by Ian nIcolas P. cIgaral Inquirer.net
MANILA — Political flare-ups
would remain a “significant risk” to the credit ratings of several emerging-market sovereigns in the Asia-Pacific until next year, including the Philippines, where an escalating antigraft drive has unsettled businesses and slowed growth, Fitch Ratings said.
While none of this year’s protests have yet led to a deterioration in creditworthiness, the global debt watcher warned that sustained social unrest could undermine governments’ fiscal and economic strength through disrupted activity, weaker revenue collections and pressure on public spending.
Fitch pointed to the Philippines as a case in point, noting that the widening probe into anomalous flood control projects already weighed heavily on the economy.
Growth slowed to 4 percent in the third quarter—a fouryear low—as investor sentiment soured and public spending weakened.
Mass protests
At home, the latest anticorruption protest, staged this month by the Iglesia ni Cristo in Manila, drew an estimated 650,000 people. But in countries where demonstrations have been even more disruptive, such as Bangladesh and Nepal, Fitch said the effects have been “more dramatic.”
Should the social tensions highlighted by protests persist, they can become more of a drag on growth as confidence among
foreign and domestic investors suffers,” the credit rating agency said.
“Tensions can also serve as a distraction for policymakers, impeding the passage of reforms that have the potential to enhance economic productivity and competitiveness, or to address other underlying weaknesses in the sovereign credit profile such as fiscal imbalances,” it added.
Elusive A rating dream
The Philippines currently holds a triple-B rating from Fitch— above the minimum investment grade—with a “stable” outlook, signaling that any adjustment is unlikely in the near term. But the high-profile corruption scandal has already derailed the country’s push for an “A” rating this year.
Former Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said that, based on recent discussions with S&P Global Ratings, the Philippines would likely have secured the long-sought upgrade were it not for governance concerns tied to the widening corruption investigations.
An A rating, Recto noted, would have strengthened lenders’ perception of the country’s ability to service its debts and, in turn, lowered borrowing costs for issuers, including the government.
Fitch said the external balances of affected countries could also weaken as social unrest saps investor confidence and disrupts foreign-currency inflows. Political instability, it warned, can likewise spur capital outflows—from
nonresident investors cutting their exposure to domestic securities to residents shifting assets offshore.
The Philippines has already shown signs of such strain. The corruption scandal has been widely blamed for the peso’s slide to record lows in recent months and for the local stock market’s underperformance. These pressures, Fitch said, compound economic stress and could ultimately weigh on sovereign ratings.
Fiscal constraints
Governments confronting political unrest may also grow more hesitant to pursue fiscal consolidation—whether through tax increases or subsidy reforms—or may ramp up spending to head off public discontent. Even so, the agency noted that the disruption can be temporary and may, in some cases, pave the way for long-overdue fiscal and governance reforms.
“Major protests can serve as important catalysts for changes in governments’ fiscal policy approaches, but if social and political tensions persist over time, they can also have a negative influence on budgetary performance,” it said.
Protest movements also have the potential to have a positive impact on fiscal performance. If governments respond by improving efforts to curb corruption, for example, it may be possible to cut public spending without impairing productive investment, allowing the same economic results to be achieved at a lower fiscal cost,” it added. n
among most disaster-prone...
a howler with 130 miles per hour gusts and winds), to Ramil (in mid-October), two major earthquakes, cyclones Tino and Uwan and now Verbena,” he said.
During these calamities, Gatchalian highlighted the critical role of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)’s two main production centers in Pasay City and Cebu, which have sustained rapid prepositioning of relief goods.
“We can and we have automated 25,000 family food packs per day, that is our production output. The only missing link here is in Mindanao where we don’t have a resource center. It is because in disasters, speed matters,” the DSWD chief said.
Gatchalian also underscored the country’s vulnerability, reminding the public that the Philippines, situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire, remains among the top five nations most exposed to natural hazards.
Recognizing the growing demands brought by climate-related events, Gatchalian expressed hope that the Senate would increase the DSWD’s budget by at least P32 billion, similar to the House-approved level.
He noted that half of the DSWD’s budget goes to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps program, which must be sustained.
The DSWD chief also outlined the agency’s disaster-preparedness strategies, including the Buong Bansa Handa program, and reaffirmed the president’s directive to ensure that “no Filipino experiences hunger” in times of crisis.
Gatchalian further emphasized the need to boost funding for the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program to help families rebuild immediately after calamities, saying the proposal is now under Senate review as part of ongoing budget deliberations.
According to the Office of Civil Defense, Typhoon Tino has claimed more than 200 lives while government reports tallied around 30 deaths due to Uwan.
Meanwhile, the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu in September left more than 70 people dead, injured 1,200 others and damaged 185,900 homes.
The onslaught of Tropical Storm Verbena added to the year’s devastation, affecting tens of thousands across the Visayas and Mindanao.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the storm has impacted 275,458 people in the Negros Island Region.
Heavy rains and flooding also hit Caraga, Western and Central Visayas and Mimaropa, forcing 48,450 people into 469 evacuation centers.
Verbena likewise disrupted the education sector, damaging 24 classrooms and affecting 6.7 million learners, 303,290 personnel and 15,260 public schools across 11 regions.
In support of disaster-hit areas, the Philippine National Police deployed nearly 6,000 personnel for response operations, with 1,076 officers assigned directly to affected areas and 4,912 on standby as augmentation forces.
The DSWD, for its part, remains on high alert as Verbena
affects more regions.
According to DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao, the agency has intensified operations under Code Blue status, distributing family food packs (FFPs), hygiene kits, kitchen kits and ready-to-eat meals to affected local government units.
In Bacolod City alone, the Negros Island Region field office delivered 10,000 FFPs, 250 hygiene kits and 150 kitchen kits, while the Caraga office provided 21 boxes of ready-to-eat food to stranded passengers in Agusan del Norte.
Dumlao assured the public that the DSWD will remain vigilant and responsive as Verbena moves toward the waters off the Kalayaan Islands.
As of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, the storm’s center was located 230 kilometers northeast of Pagasa Island, packing maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 115 kph. It was moving west at 15 kph, with strong to storm-force winds extending up to 450 km from its center.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, Verbena will continue to track west to west-northwest over the West Philippine Sea and is expected to pass north of the Kalayaan Islands between Wednesday night and this afternoon. The storm was forecasted to exit the Philippine area of responsibility on Wednesday or early Thursday. (With reports from Jose Rodel Clapano, Michael Punongbayan, Bella Cariaso, Emmanuel Tupas, Christine Boton)
Families of Filipinos in ICE detention decry...
tention since Oct. 7 after federal authorities terminated his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status over social media posts and public statements criticizing prison conditions and U.S. policy in Gaza, according to his legal team.
A habeas corpus petition filed in federal court in Georgia argues that Vijandre’s detention violates his First Amendment and due process rights because it is based on constitutionally protected political speech rather than any criminal conduct.
A relative who previously worked with the Philippine Embassy said the family has sought help from Philippine consular posts but has not received diplomatic support or financial assistance more than a month into his detention.
Advocates say the case raises concerns that lawful residents and long-term immigrants could face detention and deportation for activities that the U.S. Constitution protects.
Sonny Lasquite Relatives of Lasquite also criticized the lack of support from the Philippine government.
Lasquite was detained by ICE at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina after re-
turning from a trip abroad in July this year.
Public records show Lasquite, who has lived in the U.S. for more than two decades, is being held at Stewart Detention Center in Georgia in connection with a 2012 federal narcotics conviction for which he already served his sentence.
His brother described Lasquite as the main breadwinner who returned to school and tried to rebuild his life. He said the family has struggled to cover mounting legal costs. The family said a request for additional Philippine government legal aid was denied after officials cited the existence of a community fundraiser, which relatives say is nearly depleted.
The families’ concerns were echoed by Nerissa dela Cruz of California, whose husband, Zenar, was deported to the Philippines after developing medical issues while in ICE custody.
Dela Cruz said Zenar has been hospitalized twice since his return and nearly died during a recent emergency due to a chronic condition. The family has faced difficulty securing welfare and medical support from Philippine agencies, she added.
Dela Cruz, a mother of three, said she continues to lobby for assistance from the U.S. and Philippine governments and advocate
Marcos launches DPWH transparency portal to curb corruption
by Dexter cabalza Inquirer.net
MANILA — In another step to end corruption, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday launched the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Transparency Portal, which aims to give the public access to comprehensive information on government infrastructure projects nationwide.
For the first time, data on all DPWH projects since 2016 are now open for public monitoring, allowing citizens to track implementation and report any irregularities.
The transparency portal can be accessed at transparency.dpwh. gov.ph.
It serves as a digital library for 247,172 DPWH projects worth P6.359 trillion as of 2025.
Marcos attributed the lack of transparency to the widespread irregularities in the DPWH, which he exposed when he denounced billions in alleged kickbacks during his fourth State of the Nation Address on July 28.
“One of the most important things that became very clear in all the investigations into these incidents is that we lost transparency. People could no longer monitor what was really happening inside the government,” he said in a press briefing in Malacañang.
And because of that, all sorts of things were being done, no one was reporting anything because things were hidden. These wrongdoers were able to conceal their misconduct, since ordinary people — and even officials, at times — could not check what was going on,” Marcos added.
Patterned after the successful Sumbong sa Pangulo website, the DPWH Transparency Portal includes not only flood control projects but all types of infrastruc-
does not list either individual in any of its complaints. There is no public record of a statement from the first lady or
ture such as farm-to-market roads, irrigation canals, classrooms, hospitals, and other facilities. And right away, if you have any questions or issues about that project, you can simply press ‘report,’ where you can tag the project as completed, defective, duplicate, unfinished, or a ghost project,” the president explained as he gave a rundown of the portal.
Projects can be searched by contract name, location, or contractor.
Upon clicking a project, users can view details such as the implementing office, project cost, progress rate, and funding source. Procurement documents can also be accessed. A photo gallery shows the project’s status over time, and satellite images from the Philippine Space Agency are available.
The system also features a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence (AI) for a quicker, more user-friendly experience, especially for less tech-savvy users.
The public may submit reports anonymously, which the DPWH–Office of the Secretary will review, endorse, and act upon.
Let us make sure that if we see anything improper or illegal, we act on it immediately—especially when it is brought to our attention by our fellow citizens,” Marcos said.
the Office of the President addressing Co’s allegation. Public filings from the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ)
“This is why I keep telling all Filipinos, do not hesitate to report any inkling of corruption. If you have something to report, report it so we can study it, look into it, and assess whether there is truly a problem or not,” he added.
Like the Sumbong sa Pangulo website, the president urged Filipinos to use the DPWH Transparency Portal, underscoring the role of public feedback in the government’s anti-corruption drive.
“The Transparency Portal is not just a website. It is a promise. It is a digital wall against corruption—one that strengthens our belief that the government is open, honest, and listens to the people,” Marcos said.
“So let us encourage every Filipino to get involved—ask questions, monitor, and participate in fighting corruption,” he added.
According to Marcos, Sumbong sa Pangulo received more than 20,000 reports in the three months after its launch.
Many anomalous flood control projects, he said, would not have been uncovered without public reports.
The information provided by the public to the government is very important because there are many details that we wouldn’t have obtained if not for your reports,” he noted. n
for other migrant families separated by detention and deportation.
Migrant rights groups have noted that deported Filipinos often face hardship in the homeland, having limited access to public health care and social services.
Tanggol Migrante, which has organized campaigns to provide legal and humanitarian support for detained Filipino migrants, accused both the Trump administration and the government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of neglecting Filipinos in ICE detention.
Philippine consulates said they provide assistance to distressed Filipinos abroad, including detained nationals, within the limits of host-country laws, such as monitoring cases, visiting detention centers and facilitating travel documents.
Advocates, however, contended that the gap between official policy and on-the-ground support have left families relying on crowdfunding and grassroots organizing. They are now pushing for systemic changes in immigration enforcement and consular response.
Tanggol Migrante Movement encourages families of Filipino detainees who need support to contact them at (415) 320-7823 or visit their website. (Elton Lugay/ Inquirer.net)
Co and Sandro Marcos trade explosive allegations... Co alleges first lady, brother influenced food-price...
camera” and calls the accusations “as fantastical as they are false.” He insists he has “nothing to do” with illegal budget insertions. Marcos says intelligence briefings suggest that Co “struck a deal” with groups seeking to destabilize the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. According to Marcos, Co is trying to create political turmoil to escape the consequences of his own legal problems. He urges the public to rely
show no case involving the first lady or her brother. As of this writing, Co’s allegations involving the first lady and her brother remain unverified. n
on evidence presented in official proceedings and notes that Co has not submitted a sworn affidavit backing his allegations.
Two clashing narratives, one expanding probe For now, Co’s claims against Sandro Marcos remain allegations. Marcos’ assertions about Co’s motives also remain unproven. No court has ruled on either account, and all parties are presumed innocent while investigations and court proceedings continue. n
Coming soon: Arrest of flood scam...
they go,” he said.
He noted that the search for alleged mastermind and former Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co has been difficult because the former lawmaker holds two passports.
Go home. You need to answer to the law,” the DILG chief said, adding that tracker teams confirmed Co’s recent movements in Europe, Asia and the U.S.
Remulla also disclosed that one suspect was arrested inside the home of a Mindoro vice mayor who, along with household members, may face charges for obstruction of justice.
Do not help those who continue to hide. If you care for them, you should also care for yourselves,” he said.
Acting Philippine National Police chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. also issued the same warning and ordered the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and other police units implementing the arrest warrants to prepare criminal cases against people found coddling the fugitives.
“We understand the close ties among relatives and friends but accountability and the rule of law must always prevail,” Nartatez said in a statement.
“There’s no need for you to get embroiled here and suffer the consequence,” he said.
No special treatment
BJMP director Ruel Rivera said the detainees will receive the same food, services and privileges as other detainees.
They will be held in one cell and have access to 24-hour in-house medical services. The BJMP food allocation was recently increased from P70 to P100 daily per inmate.
The BJMP allows two to five family members to visit the detainees at designated areas. Visitors may bring cooked food subject to inspection from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except Mondays and Fridays.
The New Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory remains at 80 percent capacity, with 14 cells still vacant.
Each building can house up to 3,000 inmates. Detained at the New Quezon City Jail male dormitory in Payatas are Gerald Pacanan, Gene Ryan Altea, Ruben delos Santos Jr., Dominic Serrano, Felisardo Casuno and Dennis Abagon.
One female accused, Lerma Cayco, is being held at the Camp Caringal Female Dormitory while another, Juliet Calvo, was allowed to post bail on a falsification charge and will face trial before the Ombudsman’s Fifth Division.
The accused are facing charges of plunder, indirect bribery and violations of the anti-graft law before the Office of the Ombudsman’s Sixth and Seventh Divisions.
At the Senate, Foreign Affairs
Secretary Theresa Lazaro said Co’s passport can’t be cancelled yet in the absence of a court order.
Security guarantee
Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, interpellating on the DFA’s proposed budget for 2026, pressed the DFA on the potential implications of Co’s passport cancellation, citing the scale of the former lawmaker’s corruption allegations.
“Considering the magnitude of Mr. Zaldy Co’s exposé… the magnitude of corruption described in his exposé… is mind-boggling,” Marcoleta said.
He asked what role the DFA would play in ensuring Co’s safety “right from the cancellation of his passport, considering that there will be trillion of reasons why people would like him silenced.”
Sen. Imee Marcos responded that the DFA’s mandate ends at the administrative processing of a court directive.
“As to his safety upon arrival in the Philippines, assuming that he does come back home, I think other authorities such as perhaps the police as well as the DOJ would have to take over,” Marcos added.
Meanwhile, Quezon City Rep. Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde and Caloocan City Rep. Dean Asistio, tagged by contractor Curlee Discaya as recipients of kickbacks from flood control projects, appeared before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) on Tuesday behind closed doors despite the issuance of livestreaming guidelines last week.
In a press statement issued after the meeting, the ICI said Atayde and Asistio belied Discaya’s allegations and were asked to submit some documents. Asistio was given until Nov. 28 to submit the required documents, while the deadline for Atayde was set for Dec. 2.
The ICI said the two had requested for executive session.
The ICI granted the requests after finding that these had sufficient factual and legal basis, pursuant to the ICI Live Streaming Guidelines, which was published in the Official Gazette on Nov. 22, 2025,” the ICI said.
“The ICI remains committed to conducting its investigation in a manner that upholds the Filipino people’s right to information, ensures due process, adheres to the rule of law and protects the individual rights of its resource persons,” the ICI said.
In an interview with reporters before the meeting, Atayde said that he was appearing before the ICI as a “volunteer,” having even written the commission to fast-track the process of getting a schedule for his appearance.
I told people I’ll answer at the proper forum and the proper time, and this is it. I also have my affidavit. And I’m ready to answer. I’ll lay my cards on the table, facts lang po,” Atayde said.
I don’t want to invalidate the feelings of people towards the gravity of the situation if I deny. So I had to gather all the evidence,” he said. (With reports from Neil Jayson Servallos, Emmanuel Tupas)
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. conducts a press briefing at Malacañang. PCO photo
What’s on your table: A Filipino Thanksgiving spread
A warm, vivid look at how Filipino families blend tradition, heritage and culinary experience to create a uniquely Filipino Thanksgiving feast rich with gratitude
by AJPress
pot lid to taste what is almost, but not quite, ready. The holiday may have come from America, but Filipinos have long made it our own. We kept the spirit of gratitude and remixed the table with flavors and instincts carried across oceans. What emerges each year is a feast that reflects memory, migration and a cultural instinct for generosity.
On Thanksgiving morning, the scene feels familiar to anyone who grew up in a Filipino kitchen. A golden turkey roasts in the oven, filling the house with the scent of butter, herbs and garlic. Yet the rest of the table reveals another narrative. Pancit waits to be reheated. Lumpiang shanghai sits in a neat pile beside sweet chili sauce. A pot of kare kare bubbles gently, its peanut aroma wrapping the kitchen in warmth. These dishes share space with the turkey the way Filipino identity shares space with American life, side by side and comfortably intertwined.
A feast that blends traditions Filipino cooks do not simply follow tradition. We shape it. The turkey becomes a canvas for soy sauce, calamansi, garlic and black pepper, creating a seasoning both familiar and entirely ours. Pancit brings a welcome brightness, each strand
carrying the promise of good fortune. Lechon belly adds the unmistakable crackle that signals a celebration has truly begun. Kare kare delivers depth and comfort, made complete with a scoop of bagoong that each person adds at their own pace and preference. Leche flan cools nearby, dense and glossy, steadying itself for the moment it will close the meal. Each dish holds its own story. Together they form a table that looks like both home and history.
The rhythm of the Filipino kitchen
The kitchen moves in patterns passed down by mothers, titas and lolas who never needed recipes to know what felt right. Someone stirs the pancit and adjusts the seasoning until the balance hits the mark. Another
slices embutido into clean rounds and fans them on a platter. A niece dresses the kare kare with fresh greens. The sound of lumpia frying provides the steady backbeat of the day.
No one rushes. No one stands idle. Every movement holds intention. The kitchen becomes a shared language, where instruction is rarely spoken but always understood.
Gratitude served family style
A Filipino Thanksgiving table carries more than flavor. It carries the story of departure and arrival, the courage to begin again and the resilience it took to stay. The dishes reflect what families brought from the Philippines and what they discovered in America. They reflect how culture evolves, not by forgetting the past but by folding it into the present.
The portions are generous, because Filipino hospitality is an inheritance. The flavors are layered, because they mirror the lives of those who left home to build another. The intention is unmistakable. We cook to honor where we came from. We cook to honor where we are.
A homecoming you can taste
What makes a Filipino Thanksgiving special is not the abundance of dishes but the meaning they carry. Each ingredient links two worlds. Each plate becomes a quiet archive of stories and sacrifices. Together they tell a narrative passed from one generation to the next, not through speeches but through the instinctive act of feeding one another.
This is who we are.
This is where we came from.
This is how we give thanks. Thanksgiving, Filipino-style, is not simply a meal. It is a homecoming you can taste.
by HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net
JERICHO Rosales is aware of the good, bad, and ugly reactions to “Quezon,” where he starred as the titular character, saying it was a film that taught him to be the bigger person.
The film made headlines after Manuel L. Quezon’s grandson Ricky Avanceña called out Rosales and its director Jerrold Tarog for allegedly disrespecting and distorting the former president’s legacy. This led to a swarm of mixed reactions from netizens on social media, with some speaking up in its defense.
“I did Manny Pacquiao, I did [Jesse] Robredo, but for ‘Quezon,’ ang daming lessons. It just really pushed me to become a bigger person,” he told reporters on the sidelines of Esquire Philippines’ Man at his Best award ceremony. “Someone kinder. I picked up wisdom talaga.”
I learned to be more compassionate, humble, stronger, braver, and [have more] conviction. I never swayed and I learned about myself. It is what it is, we are actors and artists, and we serve the art,” he continued. After the weeks-long promotion, Rosales has been more chill. Looking back, he admitted that “Quezon” was one of the films where he gave everything he had into sharing it to the public.
“We had more busy promotion days than shooting days, and I never promoted a film this much. It’s because I believe in the film and I believe what it added to cinema. We welcomed naman everything,” he said. Open kami sa reactions so it was a very interesting year for me. I learned a lot. I became calmer, wiser, more understanding, more accepting, so there were a lot of big lessons. All good ones. I still believe in what we made, I love what we did, and I’m so honored to serve cinema and our audience, and to be a helper of history, “ he further added.
For now, the actor will be taking a short break in December to catch up on his private life and, according to him, “learn more” about himself and his craft. But when asked if there’s anything he wanted to change about what happened this year, he declared that he won’t change a “single thing.” Not a single thing. Really. I feel like I’m blessed beyond what I asked for in terms of the good, the heavy, and the light, everything. I learned so much this yea,r and I worked so hard this year. I want more. I want to learn more. I want to be even bigger as a person,” he said. One of the actor’s reported projects is a film with Anne Curtis, marking their reunion in 14 years since the Philippine adaptation of “Green Rose.” He clarified that he doesn’t want to disclose further details but he’s excited about it. I’m very excited. I’m nervous, just because it’s another big and bold move for me, and for my team also. But I’m really excited about it now that I’ve learned so much,” he said.
by Jessica ann evangelista Inquirer.net
FILIPINO singer Sofronio Vasquez and Canadian musician Michael Bublé‘s upcoming holiday duet is set to feature Tagalog lyrics.
Bublé recently took to Vasquez’s Instagram comments section to share that he couldn’t wait for the listeners to hear the Tagalog lyrics from their duet “Maybe This Christmas,” which will be out on Friday, Nov. 28.
“I can’t wait for them to hear the Tagalog lyrics,” the Canadian singer wrote on Vasquez’s announcement post.
The “The Voice USA” Season 26 champion replied that the
holiday song is their “gift to the Filipinos” as he thanked Bublé for the opportunity to collaborate with him. When you’re new, you pray for someone to give you a chance.
[Michael Bublé ] didn’t just give me a shot; he gave me his time, his wisdom, and his voice. I’m still in disbelief,” expressed Vasquez.
In the same comments section, singer Martin Nievera congratulated Vasquez for his duet with Bublé, who used to be his coach on “The Voice” before he made history as the first Filipino to win the competition, as well as its first male Asian winner.
“Every Filipino singer dreams
of meeting their idol, their all-time hero. You were discovered and became friends and now collab buddies with one of mine. I envy you. Now my hero is yours, and now you are mine!” Nievera told Vasquez.
Back in August,
shared that
an extended
by
include
an English-Filipino
as collaborations
Sofronio Vasquez and Michael Bublé.
Photo: Instagram/Vasquez
Vasquez
he would release
play (EP) produced
Bublé, which would
a Christmas duet and
song, as well
with David Foster and Paul Anka. Vasquez returned to the Philippines in July to sing the Philippine national anthem at the fourth State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
HEALTH @HEART
Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS
Part II – Conclusion
LAST week, we took our readers on a journey back to the year 1628, almost 400 years ago, when blood circulation, as we know it today, was “discovered,” understood, and accepted by medical science for the first time. This fundamental information inspired and led to cascading advances, one after the other, in medicine as a whole, and in cardiovascular medicine and surgery in particular. One discovery enabled the invention of more sophisticated diagnostic and therapeutic measures or procedures. The cutting-edge and state-of-the-art medical and surgical procedures available to patients today were made possible and ushered in by those past proven concepts and evidence-based discoveries.
The first right heart angiography in humans was done in 1929 by Werner Forssmann on himself. He was derided as crazy but was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1956, which he shared with Andre Cournand and Dickinson Richards, who introduced diagnostic cardiac catheterization in the early 1940s. Selective coronary angiography, which is used today worldwide to diagnose coronary artery disease (which causes heart attacks), was introduced by Mason Sones of the Cleveland Clinic in the 1960s. Rene Favaloro of Argentina, also on the staff at the Cleveland Clinic, pioneered the technique of coronary bypass surgery in the early 60s, which is used today with refinements. In 1962, autogenous saphenous vein grafts were used for coronary bypass by D. Sabiston.
The first reported use of the Internal Mammary Artery (from behind the breast bone) as a coronary graft was performed by R. Goetz in 1960 using a sutureless technique. Four years later, V. Kolessov did the first sutured IMA as a coronary bypass graft. IMA grafts are superior to vein grafts. It was not until the early 70s that the full impact of Forssmann's discovery was realized when Marcus De Wood, M.D., of Spokane, Washington, used coronary angiography to search for blockages in the coronary artery. As late as that time, the accepted concept was that heart attacks were “merely the last gasp of a dying heart,” a gloomy and hopeless situation that could not be treated or altered, or improved. His concept and research were ostracized and derided. In 1980, De Wood was able to prove by angiography his theory that virtually in every heart attack there was a clot blocking the artery. This was a revolutionary change in
Cardiac surgery
cardiology, which has led to the modern clot-dissolving therapy to prevent a full-blown heart attack and save heart muscle and save lives. This has dramatically improved survival from a heart attack.
Angioplasty opens new horizons In 1977, the first angioplasty was performed by Andreas Gruentzig, M.D., of Zurich, Switzerland, to “open up” a tight blockage in a coronary artery. This was improved on by the invention of “stent” (a tiny mesh tube of coiled spring, like car shock absorbers) to keep the angioplastied artery from re-collapsing and re-closing. The stainless steel stents were then improved on with the introduction of drug-coated stents that keep the angioplastied artery patent (open) much longer.
Robotic heart surgery
In May 1998, the first coronary bypass using the da Vinci robot was performed with a mini-chest incision. A year later, the first totally endoscopic da Vinci robotic coronary bypass surgery was accomplished with no chest incision, except for small holes through which instruments were inserted and manipulated. With the more sophisticated da Vinci robots today, cardiac surgery and other specialty surgeries are routinely performed.
There are at least 21 industrial robotic firms and 11 surgical robotic companies in the United States. Robotic surgery is a standard part of the surgical residency training today. It is evident that the use of robots is the trend for most surgeries. The widespread use in the industrial arena is far ahead compared to that in surgery for obvious reasons.
TAVR: Hope for the rejected Another more recent advance in cardiac surgery is Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) or Implantation (TAVI), which was first performed by Cribier and associates on April 16, 2002. This is a much less invasive procedure to replace a severely diseased aortic valve (with no chest incision) among old, high-risk patients with other major illnesses, who were, before TAVR was developed, deemed inoperable and hopeless. TAVR has been so successful that it is now used for Mitral valves and more.
The past half-century has brought us life-saving knowledge and discoveries in cardiovascular medicine and surgery. Since then, the mortality rate from coronary heart disease, among other illnesses, has coasted down in a steep plunge, from its record peak in the early 1960s. People today are healthier and live longer…thanks to all the dreamers, explorers, and brilliant minds in the various sectors of science and technology. With the mind-boggling ad-
vances in computers, it is apparent that the best is yet to come. No one discovery or invention could be awarded all the credit for improving the standard of care. Most of the new innovations have built upon and improved on the ones before them. Each technology – from computer science to medical science –has made possible the development of better, safer, and more effective diagnostic procedures and/or therapies.
“Insanity and audacity”
Many of the great minds in medicine who dared to espouse new concepts or to alter the “status quo” had faced ridicule and contempt of their peers, who thought their “ideas and concepts” were inspired by “misinformation”, if not by “insanity and stupid audacity.” However, as medical history shows, these pioneering physicians were vindicated, and humanity was the better for their vision and courage to risk their name and reputation to venture into the world of possibilities to help mankind.
However, the potential positive impact on mankind of all these cutting-edge technologies and state-of-the-art evidence-based medicine and surgery is dependent on the wisdom, will, personal behavior, and lifestyle of the individual. Beneficial information and bountiful resources are only useful when taken advantage of and wisely utilized to the fullest for ourselves and our families.
As always, our health is, to a significant degree, in our hands.
* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
* * *
The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health.
* *
*
Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, medical missionary, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He is a decorated recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, presented by then Indiana Governor, U.S. senator, and later a presidential candidate, Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry S. Truman, President George HW Bush, Astronaut Gus Grissom, pugilist Muhammad Ali, David Letterman, distinguished educators, scientists, etc. (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com. On Amazon.com, search for “Where is My America?” Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.
Emma Tiglao arrives at NAIA with the ‘grandest welcome’ from supporters
by HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net
MISS Grand International 2025 Emma Tiglao was welcomed by a throng of supporters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), a month after winning the golden crown at the global tilt. Tiglao, who made history as the first back-to-back titleholder after her predecessor CJ Opiaza, was greeted with a group of supporters giving small gifts and waves at Terminal 3 of NAIA on Sunday, November 23. She was joined by the pageant’s founder and president Nawat Itsaragrisil. Pilipinas, na-miss ko kayo,” she captioned her post while posting a clip of her arrival in the country. Meanwhile, Itsaragrisil also
shared snippets of Tiglao’s return to the country, where he was seen greeting the beauty queen’s supporters with a big smile on his face.
“I am here with your victory queen @emmatiglao Philippines,” he wrote.
Tiglao and Itsaragrisil is also joined by Miss Grand International 2025 first runnerup Gotchabell Sarunrat Puagpipat, who arrived at a later flight, where she was welcomed by pageant fans as well. This is my first time in the Philippines. Thank you for welcoming me so warmly. I’m so happy that I can’t stop smiling. I love you,” she said. Puagpipat seems to be enjoying her time in the Philippines so far, as she shared a clip of herself trying balut with
Tiglao in what appears to be a street market.
First time to eat ‘balut’ The first time to eat duck egg. I’m crying. I feel sorry for the little one,” she wrote in Thai.
Tiglao greeted her supporters in a grand homecoming celebration, with a parade held in Makati on Monday, November 24. The route started at the Tower One & Exchange Plaza, and traversed through Ayala Avenue, Paseo De Roxas, Makati Avenue, before ending at Ayala Triangle Gardens.
Also gracing the homecoming parade in Makati was Miss Grand International 2024 CJ Opiaza.
Tiglao returned to her hometown in Pampanga, where another homecoming parade was held in her honor on Tuesday, November 25 in Mabalacat.
Coming of age in the Philippines
What are the societal rituals that differentiate ‘child’
by carl lorenz cervantes Inquirer.net
I AM turning 31 soon, and at this point, people might tell me that I am about to be dropped from the calendar—that is, because a calendar month only goes up to 31! At this age, I feel “more adult” than I was at 21, so whenever I look at a 21-year-old, especially pictures of myself at that age, I cannot help but think: “They are still so childlike!”
In times long past, we used to have rituals that distinguished the threshold between child and adult. This is called a “rite of passage,” because a person transitions from one status to another. This means that they get more benefits as part of the adult world, but it also means that they have more responsibilities. Around the time a person turns 18 to 21, they can now buy alcohol and cigarettes, enter a casino, and watch R-rated movies.
But they are usually also expected to get a job, pay taxes, get married, and eventually, start a family. They are expected to be able to make clear decisions. Yes, there are benefits, but also responsibilities.
Meaningful life transitions
Many Indigenous cultures around the world still have their own rites of passage, but for urbanized and globalized people, these rituals have become superficial performances of meaningful life transitions. If anything, many Indigenous traditions are at risk of extinction precisely because of how Westernized we are becoming—through influences from Hollywood and our social media feeds!
Religions have been very consistent with these rites. In Catholicism, the Rite of Confirmation that children go through at age 12 is meant to be a meaningful transition from growing up in a Catholic household to actually accepting Catholicism as their personal faith.
But not everyone is Catholic, and not everyone finds Confirmation meaningful. I was raised Catholic, and, sorry, I do not even remember my own Confirmation.
Filipino rites of passage
So it got me thinking: What are some rites of passage we still practice today? What rituals do we actually do in our modern-day lives that most Filipinos are expected to celebrate? (Though this
does not mean that every Filipino will go through it the same way, as there might be some societal pressures to do it.)
First, I immediately think of a girl’s debut in the Philippines, which happens when she turns 18. It’s supposed to celebrate the blossoming of a woman, but this might also reinforce old ideas of “femininity” (pagkababae). Of course, it is also an avenue for a family to showcase their wealth.
Imagine all the magnificent debuts you have been to, and think about how much one of those costs—sometimes it can be just as expensive as a wedding!
After all, the suppliers and locations are usually the same. In a way, blowing candles on birthdays is a rite of passage, but this just marks the completion of a year. A debut is the clear transition from child to adult.
But even when we agree that 18 is technically a legal adult, older adults know that it is still too young to start engaging in “adult things.” I cannot think of an equivalent of a debut for boys, even when they turn 21, but I do think of tuli (circumcision) as a rite of passage.
When I was much younger, there was a stigma attached to the uncircumcised (supot), implying that they are ignorant about the ways of the world because of their rawness. Being supot is like being an unripe fruit that still has its covering (“supot” is also the term for a plastic bag). But if we think about the mental, physical, and social development of children, the age of circumcision is too young to actually call them a “man,” and yet, older men will say, “Lalaki ka na!
Markers of maturity
Apart from these two, most Filipinos might consider graduating
a rite of passage, whether that is from senior high school or from college. This is probably because we still hold the idea that education is the key to a good life, and most jobs (even those that do not need the complexity of a college degree) still expect applicants to have graduated from college. After college, the emerging adult begins to navigate the “real world” by joining the workforce and becoming serious tax-paying members of society. And yet, writing this as a 30-year-old, I still feel like I did not get a true rite of passage. I was too young to find any meaning in tuli or the Rite of Confirmation, and, as a man, I did not get a debut. Yes, I graduated from university, and I eventually graduated again after completing my master’s degree. But these are just completions of programs, not necessarily markers of maturity. I had to develop in my own way as I navigated the very strange adult world—what we call “adulting,” which sounds like something you are trying to do, not necessarily something you are doing well.
Maybe this is why so many adults are still “isip bata,” and why many men still carry a very childish, “toxic” masculinity. We need serious rituals—events that really mark a level of maturity and allow people to be functioning, responsible members of a larger society.
For now, most of what we have is very kaniya-kaniya. There are barely any more masters to learn from or meaningful guidebooks that can help us survive and thrive. We need better parental figures— or, since we are the new adults, we must take it upon ourselves to be the adults that would have really helped our younger selves.
Franco Laurel shares the stage with his three
MANILA — Singer-actor Franco Laurel cannot be any happier that he is sharing the stage for the first time with his three daughters — Mariella, Sophia and Lucia — in 9 Works Theatrical’s forthcoming offering, “A Christmas Carol.”
“I can’t take away my being a dad when I’m with them,” he told The STAR. “They grew up watching me and their mom (Ayen Laurel) perform. Now, seeing them in a field that they love…
“We never forced them to get into theater. They are the ones who actually like to get into it. To get into character and discover their talents during rehearsals, it really makes me proud as a dad.”
Fun fact, according to Franco, Lucia was actually born during their production week eight years ago in November 2017 when they first did “A Christmas Carol.”
So this is like a full-circle moment with our family because now, she is part of the show. I’m just so happy about it.”
“A Christmas Carol” marks the first time that all four of them are performing together. “This is Sophia and Lucia’s first professional theatrical production,” Franco offered. “I previously worked with Mariella in ‘A Christmas Carol’ in 2017. This is like a family affair for us.”
Franco, who shuttles between theater, TV and film, remains constantly amazed that he gets to discover new things about his daughters while they are doing rehearsals.
“Both Sophia and Lucia are very smart,” Franco said. “They are very observant. When they are given directions, they take them in, but when they start acting onstage, they’re on-point. So that means they are thinking about their characters and they are adding their own flavor to it.”
That makes the dad remark that his girls are really smart.
“Not that I want to just praise and admire them,” Franco said. “They are really theater kids, as they call themselves.”
When the family watched the musical, “Side Show” last August, director Robbie Guevarra asked Franco if he’s free to do “A Christmas Carol” again.
“I didn’t give an affirmative answer right away,” Franco recalled. “I told him I need to check my schedule because I’m doing a movie and a teleserye at the same
daughters
time. Then I went out to the rest room and when I returned, Robbie told me, ‘Franco, your two girls are in the cast of ‘A Christmas Carol.’
“Then I said, ‘Give me a week to fix my schedule.’ Then one dinner at home, Sophia and Lucia were praying, ‘And Lord, we pray that Dad will do ‘A Christmas Carol’ (again) with us.’ How can I say no to that? They already talked to God. So I made it a point to fix my schedule and here we are.
” When Sophia, 11 and Lucia who’s turning eight, are in rehearsals, Franco allows his daughters to act freely, aside from the guidance of direk Robbie. “What’s so cool about it, I asked Ayen, who’s a theater major from UP (University of the Philippines), to give a workshop to the kids,” Franco said.
“So at home, just to bring out more from my daughters, I allowed Ayen to coach them, guide them and help them rehearse. In their rehearsals, they do their choreography and blocking. But discovering their character, I let them do it on their own.
Admittedly, Franco can’t help being a (stage) dad even when they are in rehearsals. “I always encourage my daughters to bring out the best in them,” Franco said. “I would even call them and remind them that they are next. ‘You are going to come in already.’ Sometimes, they are not aware of it. I always remind them to give their energy onstage.
“Adding to PJ’s choreography and Robbie’s direction, just adding a little bit here and there, it’s still the character I created eight years ago. We have a new Scrooge. I worked with the late Miguel Faustmann. Arnel Carreon is the new Scrooge. He reacts to something new that I do. That’s what’s nice about it.” With this 2025 cast being new, that also allows Franco to give a different take and nuance to his role.
Joining Franco is Lorenz Martinez as the jovial Ghost of Christmas Present, Carmelle Ross as the haunting Ghost of Christmas Yet To Be, Boo Gabunada as Jacob Marley, CJ Navato as young Ebenezer, John Joven Uy as Bob Cratchit, Anna Santamaria returns as Mrs. Cratchit, a role she played in the 2016 staging, the first time 9 Works staged “A Christmas Carol.”
“When I’m the only one acting, I just think of myself and what I’m going to be doing for my character. This time, I’m consciously thinking, ‘Where’s Sophia? Where’s Lucia? What’s next? When they know what they’re doing already, I get calm rehearsing. Franco is playing the Ghost of Christmas Past, reimagining his previous role in the musical in 2016. “It’s like riding a bike, because I did it before, I wanted to add something new and different to the role,” he shared. “You will see it when you watch the show. It’s the same. I want to still retain what I created eight years ago. But I want to do it differently. Add something new in terms of nuances and choreography.
by leaH c salterio Philstar.com
Tiglao greeted her supporters in a grand homecoming celebration, with a parade held in Makati on Monday, November 24.
Photo courtesy of Miss Grand Philippines
Franco Laurel, who shuttles between theater, TV and film, is joined by daughters Mariella (right), Sophia (left) and Lucia (front) in 9 Works Theatrical’s staging of ‘A Christmas Carol.’
Unsplash.com photo by Simon Maage
Used Trash and Recycling Bins Being Recycled into New Products
AS the City of San Diego rolls out new gray trash bins to more than 225,000 households eligible for City trash service, you may wonder what happens to the old black trash bins being taken away. Thanks to a collaboration with bin manufacturer Rehrig Pacific Company, the old trash bins (and soon the old blue recycling bins) are being recycled and given a second life. As new gray trash bins are delivered to homes, old black trash bins are being collected and taken to the Environmental Services Operations Station in Miramar.
At the yard, crews clean and disassemble the bins -- wheels and metal bars are removed and sent to regional facilities for recycling and the lids are detached. The plastic recycling process begins with the bins and lids being placed into an industrial chipper. Bins are chipped into small chunks, which drop from a chute into containers. The containers are sent to Rehrig plants, where they are cleaned, pelletized and made into new products.
“By chipping the bins on site, each truck can carry more material, reducing the number of trips required and lowering overall carbon footprint, said Andrea Deleon, Deputy Director of the Environmental Services Department Waste Reduction Division. “Each bin becomes part of a circular process that keeps plastic in use and out of the landfill.”
Some chipped material is sent to a Rehrig plant, where it re-enters production as brand-new bins or other reusable transport packaging including totes, pallets and trays, creating a true closed-loop cycle.
The rest of the recycled material takes a different path, traveling to toll grinders in California, where it
is processed and prepared for use in a wide range of products, such as pails, composite railroad ties and conduit fittings.
These gray and light blue bins have several benefits: Because they are new, they are less prone to breakage (more than 75% of the old bins are 20 years old, well past their service life). They include helpful new trash and recycling labels, making it easier for San Diegans to sort their waste properly. The updated colors help Environmental Services Department drivers quickly identify which containers to service. And all of the new bins feature scannable tags to help the City track performance and improve service and, in some cases, return a bin to its assigned home if it has found its way onto someone else’s property. The new trash bins (now gray instead of black) are being rolled out to customers now through March 2026. At that time, replacement of lighter blue recycling bins will begin and continue through late summer.
For most customers, the delivery will occur on their regular trash day schedule, and crews will also remove the old black trash bins the same day. Customers can check their delivery date by searching their property address
on the City’s bin delivery schedule. For more information about City trash service, visit sandiego. gov/trash.
About the Environmental Services Department: The Environmental Services Department (ESD) ensures that City of San Diego residents have a clean and safe environment. The department pursues waste management strategies that emphasize waste reduction; recycling and composting; and environmentally sound landfill management.
About Rehrig Pacific
Rehrig Pacific is a leading manufacturer of integrated sustainable solutions for the supply chain and environmental waste industries. Their customer partners include Fortune 500 companies, municipalities, and delivery distributors. Founded in 1913, Rehrig Pacific offers an ecosystem of end-toend solutions, including returnable plastic products, material handling delivery lifts and sleds, asset-tracking technology, and dedicated service teams. With a focus on innovation, safety, and sustainability, Rehrig Pacific enables the responsible and effective movement of goods, services, and ideas throughout the global supply chain. Learn more at RehrigPacific.com.
(City of San Diego Release)
County shares gratitude on National Public Health Thank You Day
IN recognition of National Public Health Thank You Day, the County is expressing gratitude to the professionals who work to prevent diseases, promote health and keep our communities safe.
While this special occasion was celebrated on November 24, the region’s public health history dates back 170 years to a time when public health professionals biggest challenges were smallpox, the Spanish flu and water contamination.
Today, the County’s Public Health Services, an accredited health department through the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to keep the county’s 3.3 million residents safe, responding to threats while focusing on its mission to promote health and improve quality of life.
Public health professionals strive to provide accessible programs and services throughout the county. They prevent disease and injuries and respond to disasters.
“Every day I am grateful to our dedicated staff who show up motivated to keep the residents of our region healthy,” said Dr. Sayone Thihalolipavan, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “It is an honor to work each day with the disease investigators who prevent, track down and respond to outbreaks, the lab experts who test for pathogens, the public health nurses who provide care with compassion, and the staff who go out into the community to promote healthy habits and help prevent illness. Their work does not go unnoticed and I’m appreciative of the support within the County and from the broader community.”
Public Health Services’ programs touch residents in all parts of the county. Some highlights include:
• Disease Prevention and Response –PHS epidemiologists or “disease detectives,” use modeling to prepare for contagious diseases that might affect San Diego and syndromic illness monitoring to find them when they occur. Over the last several years, responses have included the COVID-19 pandemic, seasonal flu, Hepatitis A, Mpox, dengue and restaurant foodborne outbreaks. In 2023, County epidemiologists and communicable disease investigators were among the first to detect a salmonella outbreak in raw milk that led to a nationwide recall.
• Public Health Nurses – County public health nurses serve thousands of clients annually at six public health centers, Edgemoor Skilled Nursing Facility, the Psychiatric Hospital and San Diego detention centers. They promote disease prevention and wellness services like vaccinations and harm reduction for underserved and at-risk communities such as people experiencing homelessness. Their work includes home visits with more than 1,200 families a year. • Supporting the Community’s Health – Public Health Services programs provide impactful community support. Examples include the Black Infant Health program which delivers culturally appropriate advice to prenatal and postpartum new moms and helps them create plans to support and connect them with other County resources. The Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention provides resources to families with young children to test lead levels and prevent lead-related illness. The California Children’s Services unit helps families with children who have disabilities get therapy services, medical interventions and referrals to diagnostics. Other services available include testing, care, treatment and prevention services for TB, HIV, Hepatitis and STIs. More information on public health services and clinics can be found at the County’s Public Health Services website. (County of San Diego Communications Office)
Pechanga Resort Casino gives away
One Million Dollars in cash & easyplay, just in time for the holidays
TEMECULA, Calif. — Pechanga Resort Casino makes the cash and EasyPlay add up this December holiday during the Million Dollar Holiday Drawings. All guests have to do to win is to sign up for a Pechanga Club card, play their favorite slots or table games in December, then come in every Saturday during the month to activate entries and see if their name is called as a winner.
Starting December 1, Pechanga Resort Casino guests who are Pechanga Club members can earn drawing entries. The way to earn is by playing their favorite slots and table games with their Club cards properly inserted into the machine or at their table game. The more they play, the more entries they earn. Mondays and Fridays are multiplier days so the entries stack up faster depending on the guest’s tier level. Guests with entries should make plans to visit Pechanga Resort Casino every Saturday in December to activate those hard earned entries, and to find out if they’re a big winner of EasyPlay or cash. Guests may activate entries by inserting their Pechanga Club card into a slot machine or at a table game between 4 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Drawings happen every hour from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., guests win their share of $25,000 in EasyPlay. At 10 p.m., three lucky players are randomly selected to choose a gift. Inside those gift boxes are two $25,000 in EasyPlay prizes and one $100,000 cash prize.
The ante increases for the finale drawing on Saturday, December 27. If St. Nick didn’t bring a guest what he or she likes, this may be their chance to play Santa themselves. From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on December 27, selected guests with activated drawing entries will win a total of $75,000 in EasyPlay. At 10 p.m., the excitement gets unleashed as five winners will be drawn. Each of the five choose a gift box to reveal their finale prizes. Three lucky finale winners take home $100,000 cash each. Two receive $50,000 in EasyPlay. If guests are not yet a member of the Pechanga Club, signing up is free and easy. Simply stop by the Club desk inside Pechanga Resort Casino with a valid photo ID and
you will be on your way to earning valuable perks as a Pechanga Club member. Pechanga also offers tier matching for rewards members at 16 other Southern California casinos, as well as guests of the Venetian Las Vegas. For more information, visit Pechanga.com/join. About Pechanga Resort Casino Pechanga Resort Casino offers one of the largest and most expansive resort/casino experiences anywhere in the United States. Rated the best resort/casino in the United States by Condé Nast Traveler and rated a Four Diamond
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Notice is hereby given that the San Diego Unified School District, acting by and through its governing board, will electronically receive bids for the furnishing of all labor, materials, transportation, equipment, and services for: CP26-0583-52-00-00 PLAYGROUND MATTING AT 5 SITES GROUP 3
A mandatory site visit is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2025, outside the main office of Sandburg Elementary School, 11230 Avenida Del Gato, San Diego, CA 92126: Upon completion of the first site, contractors shall proceed to the following sites in the order listed: Toler Elementary School, 3350 Baker Street, San Diego, CA 92117, Edison Elementary School, 4077 35th Street, San Diego, CA 92104, Kimbrough Elementary School, 321 Hoitt Street, San Diego, CA 92102, Carver Elementary School, 3251 Juanita Street, San Diego, CA 92105. The parking at all sites is limited to street parking, with the exception of Kimbrough Elementary. Prime contractors must be present at all 5 sites in order to bid this project. All attendees must preregister with the District prior to attending the site walk at sandiegounified.org/sitewalks. The Bid and Contract Documents may be downloaded free of charge at the District’s online Planroom at sandiegousdplans. com. All bids must be received electronically via PlanetBids before 1:00 p.m. on THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2025. Prime contractors interested in submitting a bid must go to tinyurl.com/ SDUSD-PlanetBids then search under “Bid Opportunities” for “Invitation number” CP26-058352-00-00 Playground Matting at 5 sites Group 3. For new vendors, please register under “New Vendor Registration.” The project estimate is between $815,000 and $870,000, inclusive of allowances. This is not a PSA project but requires the District’s prequalification for projects estimated under $1 million. The District requires that Bidders possess any of the following classification(s) of California State Contractors License(s), valid and in good standing, at the time of bid opening and contract award: C61/D34, or other appropriate license, subject to District approval. SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, George A. Harris III, Director, Fiscal Controls and Information Systems, Facilities Planning and Construction CP26-058352-00-00.
THE holiday season is back; the bells and the cash registers will soon be ringing.
That means it’s the perfect time to remind everyone to always double-check your receipts to make sure you’re not accidentally overcharged by faulty cash registers and price scanners.
While buying online has become a normal part of daily life, most of us are still heading to the stores and the shopping malls to buy a lot of the things we want.
The U.S. Census Bureau’s Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales report for the 2025 second quarter, shows that online sales make up about 16% of all retail sales. That means that eight of every 10 of us are still going to, and spending money in, the malls and stores where we face cash registers and price scanners. And overcharges can and do happen.
The County’s department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures inspects more than 1,620 local businesses and 23,900 price-scanning devices every year to make sure customers are being charged accurately. That includes scales
that charge for items by weight, and other price-setting equipment. And every year, even the best businesses have occasional overcharges.
Between January and August this year, 19.2% of every business inspected — nearly one out of every five — had overcharge errors. And the average overcharge was $1.94. An extra two bucks doesn’t sound like much. But even tiny overcharges can add up to make big dents in your wallet or purse, especially during the holiday shopping season. So do yourself a favor. Be like Santa! Check your receipts; check ‘em twice. That will keep your “hoho-hos” from turning into “oh-nono’s!”
Here are some other tips to help you shop smartly and safely: Protect Against Overcharging:
• Always verify receipts and immediately notify store management of any price discrepancies.
• Stores are required to display the price of an item, as you are buying it, before the transaction is complete. Watch the display screen as your items are scanned.
• Take sales advertisements with you when shopping to verify prices.
• Know that stores cannot legally charge more than their lowest advertised, posted or quoted price.
Shop Smart:
• Plan ahead. Start watching for store sale flyers, flea markets, garage sales, clearance sales, etc.
• Make a list of what you need.
• Comparison shop with at least five different sources for the best values.
• Don’t buy everything at once. Establish a spending plan and timetable to buy what you need over several weeks or months to take full advantage of future sales and true bargains.
• Download and use the County’s Tell Us Now app to contact Agriculture, Weights and Measures, or call AWM at 1-888-TRUE SCAN (1-888-878-3722) or email to wm.awm@sdcounty.ca.gov to report overcharges you can’t resolve with a store. For more information, go to Agriculture, Weights and Measure’s Consumer Protection webpage. (County of San Diego Communications Office)
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2025-9020474
Tony’s Independent Living located at 1514 Klauber Ave, San Diego, CA 92114.
Registrant: Sergio Cervantes Ortiz, 1906 E Ave, National City, CA 91950.
This business is conducted by An Individual. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 10/27/2025.
Signature: Sergio Cervantes Ortiz. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 10/27/2025.
AJ 1804 11/07, 11/14, 11/21, and 11/28/2025. AJSD 1804
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2025-9021124
Imperial Precision Contractors located at 12005 Wintercrest Dr. Apt 247, Lakeside, CA 92040. Registrant: Robert Doerr, 1093 Red Maple Dr., Chula VIsta, CA 91910. This business is conducted by An Individual.
REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 11/05/2025.
Signature: Robert Doerr. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/05/2025. AJ 1810 11/14, 11/21, 11/28, and 12/05/2025. AJSD 1810
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2025-9021024
Envy Nails and Spa located at 9119 Clairemont Mesa Blvd #C, San Diego, CA 92123. Registrant: KT & KV INC, 9119 Clairemont Mesa Blvd #C, San Diego, CA 92123. This business is conducted by A Corporation. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 11/04/2025. Signature: Khanh Loc Lam. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/04/2025. AJ 1816 11/28, 12/05, 12/12, and 12/19/2025. AJSD 1816
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2025-9020776
a. Big City Painting located at 510 62nd St #12, SanDiego, CA 92114. b. Big City Water Damage Restoration &Reconstruction located at 510 62nd St #12, SanDiego, CA 92114. Registrant: Josue Salazar, 510 62nd St #12, SanDiego, CA 92114. This business is conducted by An Individual. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 10/31/2025. Signature: Josue Salazar. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 10/31/2025. AJ 1805 11/07, 11/14, 11/21, and 11/28/2025. AJSD 1805
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2025-9021307
Aging Gracefully Care of Vista located at 228 Iron Drive, Vista, CA 92083. Registrant: Aging Gracefully Care Homes, LLC, 1895 Avenida Del Oro #6605, Oceanside, CA 92052. This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company.
REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 10/01/2025. Signature: Irene Palad. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/10/2025. AJ 1811 11/14, 11/21, 11/28, and 12/05/2025. AJSD 1811
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2025-9021423
Accurate Medical Billing Solutions located at 3035 Plaza Paolo, Bonita, CA 91902. Registrant: Liezel Simsuangco, 3035 Plaza Paolo, Bonita, CA 91902. This business is conducted by An Individual. REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE. Signature: Liezel Simsuangco. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/12/2025. AJ 1817 11/28, 12/05, 12/12, and 12/19/2025. AJSD 1817
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2025-9020785
U-Trust Notary, LLC located at 1473 Franceschi Dr, Chula Vista, CA 91913.
This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company.
REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.
Signature: Xiao Cui.
Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 10/31/2025.
AJ 1806 11/07, 11/14, 11/21, and 11/28/2025. AJSD 1806
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2025-9021235
Pho Mai Cali & Grill Inc located at 1635 Sweetwater Rd #H, National City, 91950. Registrant: Pho Mai Cali & Grill Inc, 1635 Sweetwater Rd #H, National City, 91950. This business is conducted by A Corporation.
REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 11/07/2025.
Signature: Reginald M. Regala. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/07/2025. AJ 1812 11/14, 11/21, 11/28, and 12/05/2025. AJSD 1812
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2025-9021986
Holy Grounds located at 2525 Southport Way Suite G, National City, CA 91950. Registrant: Ashley Olivero, 2525 Southport Way Suite G, National City, CA 91950. This business is conducted by An Individual. REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE. Signature: Ashley Olivero. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/19/2025.
AJ 1818 11/28, 12/05, 12/12, and 12/19/2025. AJSD 1818
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2025-9020811
Saffron And Sage APC located at 2555 State St Ste 100, San Diego, CA 92101.
Registrant: Kasawa Medical APC, 2555 State St Ste 100, San Diego, CA 92101.
This business is conducted by A Corporation.
REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 08/25/2025.
Signature: John Kasawa. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 10/31/2025.
AJ 1807 11/07, 11/14, 11/21, and 11/28/2025. AJSD 1807
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2025-9021114
a. Practice And Prosper By NP Sandee located at 914 E. 8th Street Suite 210, National City, CA 91950.
b. Glowhaven Aesthetics located at 914 E. 8th Street Suite 210, National City, CA 91950.
Registrant: Neuromattters And Wellness APNC, 914 E. 8th Street Suite 210, National City, CA 91950 . This business is conducted by A Corporation.
REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE. Signature: Sandee C San Mateo. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/05/2025. AJ 1813 11/14, 11/21, 11/28, and 12/05/2025. AJSD 1813
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT NO. 2025-9022016
Erick Party Rentals located at 308 E 22nd St., National City, CA 91950. Registrant: Erick Martinez, 308 E 22nd St., National City, CA 91950 . This business is conducted by An Individual. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 11/19/2025. Signature: Erick Martinez . Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/19/2025.
AJ 1819 11/28, 12/05, 12/12, and 12/19/2025. AJSD 1819
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2025-9020563
DaBella located at 3333 Camino Del Rio S. Ste 230, San Diego, CA 92108. Registrant: Viceroy Improvement LLC, 400 E Anderson Lane, Austin, TX 78752
This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company.
REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 06/15/2021.
Signature: Donnie McMillan
Jr. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 10/28/2025. AJ 1808 11/07, 11/14, 11/21, and 11/28/2025. AJSD 1808
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2025-9021446
MBA Tires LLC located at 908 Paraiso Ave., Spring Valley, CA 91977.
Registrant: MBA Tires LLC, 908 Paraiso Ave., Spring Valley, CA 91977 . This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company.
REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 10/26/2025.
Signature: Kristina Tizapaneco Andres. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/12/2025. AJ 1814 11/21, 11/28, 12/05, and 12/12/2025. AJSD 1814
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT NO. 2025-9022177
DACAFE located at 3345 Rosecrans St, Suite C, San Diego, CA 92110. Registrant: TK2 EATS LLC, 3345 Rosecrans St, Suite C, San Diego, CA 92110. This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company.
REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 11/20/2025.
Signature: Than Thai. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/20/2025. AJ 1820 11/28, 12/05, 12/12, and 12/19/2025. AJSD 1820
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2025-9020968
a. SD SISIG located at 1845 Jake Mills Ct, San Diego, CA 92114. b. SAN DIEGO SISIG located at 1845 Jake Mills Ct, San Diego, CA 92114. Registrant: PINOYS FINEST LLC, 2122 Via Estancia, Chula Vista, CA 91913
This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company. REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE. Signature: Rhicon Turla. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/04/2025. AJ 1809 11/07, 11/14, 11/21, and 11/28/2025. AJSD 1809
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT NO. 2025-9021547
a. Lumea Studio located at 7465 Mission Gorge Road Suite #106, San Diego, CA 92120.
b. Lumini located at 7465 Mission Gorge Road Suite #106, San Diego, CA 92120. Registrant: Diya Siev, 6903 Halifax St, San Diego, CA 92120. This business is conducted by An Individual.
REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.
Signature: Diya Siev. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/13/2025. AJ 1815 11/21, 11/28, 12/05, and 12/12/2025. AJSD 1815
