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DECEMBER 4-10, 2020 Volume 14 - No. 5 • 16 Pages

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DATELINE Fil-Am coach Mike Magpayo intent on opening doors for other AAPI coaches FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

BACK in July, Filipino American coach Mike Magpayo made history by becoming the first U.S. NCAA Division 1 head coach of Asian descent.

He was named head coach of University of California (UC) Riverside, which is a feat in

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

Balikbayans, family allowed to enter PH starting Dec. 7

by RITCHEL MENDIOLA AJPress

FORMER Filipino citizens or “balikbayans” will be allowed to enter the Philippines visafree starting December 7, Malacañang said on

Friday, November 27.

Their spouses and children, regardless of age, are permitted entry into the country without a visa requirement as well.

According to Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Dis-

eases (IATF-EID) Resolution No. 85, they are allowed to enter the country provided that they have a quarantine facility booked and a swab test scheduled at any Philippine airport.

“They, too, must be subject to the maximum

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Big bounce back for PH economy seen in 2021

by BEN O. DE VERA Inquirer.net

President Rodrigo Duterte presides over a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members prior to his talk to the people at the Malacañang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on Monday, November 30.

Malacañang photo by Toto Lozano

DESPITE a deep recession poised to be the steepest in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year, the Philippine economy would bounce back next year, thanks to its growth potential and COVID-19 vaccines expected to control the outbreak sooner than later, according to global investment banking giant Goldman Sachs.

In 2021, “we expect growth to rebound the most in the Philippines (9.4%) and Malaysia (6.6%), which were among the hardest hit by virus containment this year,”

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GIANT SANTA CLAUS. Motorists speed past a Giant Santa Claus on display at the APT Studios along Marcos Highway in Cainta, Rizal on Wednesday, December 2. APT Studios is the home of the studio of the longest-running noontime show ‘Eat Bulaga’.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

Duterte allows Duterte invites Putin DOT eyes subsidizing half emergency use of of testing costs for tourists again to visit PH COVID-19 vaccines

by KRISSY AGUILAR

by CHRISTIA MARIE RAMOS

by RITCHEL MENDIOLA

Inquirer.net

Inquirer.net

AJPress

THE Philippines’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been granted the authority to allow emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, December 1, signed Executive Order No. 121 allowing FDA Director General Eric

MANILA — The Department of Tourism (DOT) is eyeing to subsidize half of the cost of travelers’ COVID19 tests, which are mandated before entry to a local tourist destination.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat on Tuesday, December 1 said the DOT will be tying up with

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Philippine Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo Puyat Inquirer.net photo

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte has again invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit the Philippines “as soon as circumstances allow” to reaffirm the ties between the two nations.

The President made the remarks on Wednesday, De-

cember 2 as he met with the new Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Marat Pavlov, Malacañang said.

“It will be an opportunity to celebrate and reaffirm the enduring friendship and cooperation between our countries,” Duterte said, as quoted in a Palace statement.

The President said this as

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DECEMBER 4-10, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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From the Front Page

Fil-Ams react to new safer-at-home order as Los Angeles County beats single-day COVID-19 record December begins with 7K new cases, officials prepare for a forthcoming surge from Thanksgiving travel, large gatherings

by Klarize Medenilla AJPress

IN an effort to curb the spike in coronavirus cases and deaths, Los Angeles County issued a strict stayat-home order that took effect on Monday, Nov. 30.

The order, which was announced on Friday, will remain in effect until at least Dec. 20 and urges people to stay home for the next three weeks. The order places new limits on out-ofhome gatherings, activities and business patronage.

LA County Public Health issued the order as a response to the dramatic uptick in cases that immedi-

ately followed the week of Thanksgiving, which saw a disturbing increase of travel despite orders from the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) to avoid holiday travel.

On Tuesday, Dec. 1, LA County reported 7,593 new cases, the highest singleday report which doesn’t include cases reported by Long Beach and Pasadena.

At least 46 new coronavirus-related deaths in the county (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena) were also reported on Tuesday.

(It’s unclear whether or not the increase is due to more people testing or a backlog in test results.)

The previous singleday record was Nov. 23, which tallied 6,186 positive countywide cases.

“The most important action we can all take to stop the surge is to stay home as much as possible,” Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of LA County Public Health, said at a briefing on Monday.

Ferrer led the new rollout of the new stay-at-home order that closes public playgrounds and places capacity limits on businesses, outdoor museums and galleries, zoos and aquariums and strongly prohibits gatherings with people from different households,

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HOLIDAY WORKOUT. A group of young people takes a rest after jogging in front of the Pinaglabanan Shrine in San Juan City on Monday, November 30. The government has allowed young people aged 15 and above and senior citizens up to 65 years old to leave their homes as quarantine restrictions due to coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) were eased.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

Wesley So spoils Magnus Carlsen’s birthday with Skilling Open title

by MarK GionGco Inquirer.net

WESLEY So played the spoiler’s role on his way to claiming the Skilling Open title in thrilling fashion on Tuesday, December 1.

The Filipino-born So, who began representing the United States in 2014, toppled reigning World chess champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway to bag the $30,000 (P1.5 million) prize.

“I have to apologize to Magnus for semi-ruining his birthday,” said So. “I’m very shocked, of course, to beat Magnus.

He’s the best player in the world,” he added. “Coming to the match, all I wanted to do is to put up a good fight and make the games interesting.”

Carlsen, the world clas-

Wesley So

sical, rapid and blitz chess champion, couldn’t make it a double celebration on his birthday following his loss to the underdog So, but still took the defeat graciously.

“First of all, huge congratulations to Wesley on a deserved win,” Carlsen,

Photo from Chess.com

who also rued making crucial blunders in the match, said.

“It was a very exciting match. Frankly, to lose to him is not a shame, it’s not a disaster.”

The win also put So on top of the rankings with 46 points. n

DOT eyes subsidizing half of testing...

PAGE 1 the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), which she noted offers reverse transmission – polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 testing at only P1,900.

“The President already instructed the DOH (Department of Health) and the DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) to put a price cap but having said that we also have, we are going to have a tie up with the UP-PGH. They are only charging 1,900

for the RT PCR and the results come out in 24 hours,” Puyat said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel.

“Then we are looking at how to probably make travel vouchers. Because mura na nga yung P1,900 but then gusto pa namin mas affordable so we’re looking at making it parang subsidizing 50 percent of the RT PCR in UP-PGH,” she added.

With the easing of restrictions, some tourist destina-

tions in the country have opened to domestic travelers.

“Today Coron, Palawan is opening and Siargao. Finally. They’ve already been under modified GCQ (general community quarantine) for quite some time. The LGUs were hesitant to open,” the DOT chief said.

“So, it’s really up to the LGU if they’re going to open or not. So we’re quite happy that they finally decided [to open],” she added. n

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DECEMBER 4-10, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

Big bounce back for PH...

PAGE 1 Goldman Sachs economists Andrew Tilton, Danny Suwanapruti and Jonathan Sequeira said in their Nov. 19 report titled “ASEAN 2021 Outlook: Vaccine Critical to Regional Recovery.”

But for 2020, Goldman Sachs expects the Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP) to post the biggest contraction of 8.5% in ASEAN-5, followed by Malaysia’s 6.5%, Thailand’s 6.3%, Singapore’s 5.8% and Indonesia’s 1.8%, or an average of 4.5-percent drop across these five countries.

Goldman Sachs attributed its 2020 GDP forecast for the Philippines to the country having “among the most stringent lockdowns in the region this year and limited success with domestic virus containment.”

“Given the extended demand contraction and lim-

ited fiscal offset to private sector balance sheets, we also build in larger permanent output losses going forward. However, with virus spread now slowing domestically, some relaxation in containment policies is likely—and this combined with the deployment of an effective vaccine next year could see a meaningful normalization in service sector activity in the second half of 2021” in the Philippines, Goldman Sachs said.

“The government also plans to normalize capex spending under its flagship ‘Build, Build, Build’ infrastructure spending program in 2021. Program expenditures are expected to contract 6% this year as the government prioritized social and health-care spending. However, we expect capex spending to rise to 5.6% of GDP in 2021

(after declining to 4.4% of GDP this year from 5.2% in 2019)—with the government budgeting a 40percent increase in capex spending in 2021. Compared to previous years, when the government relied entirely on its budget to finance infrastructure spending, there will also be higher private participation—with around 30% of ‘Build, Build, Build’ projects now expected to be financed by the private sector,” Goldman Sachs added.

Across ASEAN-5, “places with more success in curbing virus spread were able to ease containment policy more (Singapore, and until recently, Malaysia) and saw stronger rebounds than places with less success in curbing the virus and tighter containment policies (the Philippines and Indonesia),” Goldman Sachs noted. n

Duterte allows emergency use of...

PAGE 1 Domingo to issue Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for vaccines or treatments deemed safe and effective against the novel coronavirus.

The order shortens the process of approving vaccines from the regular six months to 21 days.

“It is a priority of the State to ensure that the lives of the Filipino people, especially the underprivileged, poor, and marginalized, our frontliners, healthcare providers, police officers and soldiers, and those in the essential services shall be protected from COVID-19 by ensuing accessibility and adequacy of supply of related drugs and vaccines,” said Duterte in the order.

EUA can be issued provided these following conditions are met: • Based on the totality of evidence available, includ-

ing data from adequate and well-known controlled trials, it is reasonable to believe that the drug or vaccine may be effective to prevent, diagnose or treat COVID-19; • The known and potential benefits of the drug or vaccine when used to diagnose, prevent or treat COVID-19 outweigh the known and potential risks of the drug or vaccine if any; and • There is no adequate, approved and available alternative to the drug or vaccine for diagnosing, preventing or treating COVID-19.

The order allows the FDA to convene a panel of experts to conduct a review of data on the safety and efficacy of a COVID-19 drug or vaccine applying for an EUA. Afterwards, the panel needs to submit to the FDA Director General its report and recommendations on the application for EUA.

The issued EUA will only be valid “within the duration of the declared public emergency due to COVID19.” The FDA director general may revisit or revoke the EUA to protect the general public health and safety.

Domingo, for his part, welcomed the order.

“We at the FDA will do our best to help make safe and efficacious COVID-19 vaccines available in the Philippines,” he told Philstar.com.

Last Friday, the Philippines signed a tripartite agreement for two million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine against COVID-19.

According to the country’s vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., the two million doses will be funded by the private sector as the national government negotiates with the British vaccine maker for 20 million doses using public money. n

Duterte invites Putin again to...

PAGE 1 he noted the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and its “good friend and partner” Russia.

Duterte also took the opportunity to thank Russia for its offer to supply the Philippines with its Spuntik V vaccine and share its technology on vaccine reproduction.

Pavlov, for this part, said Russia is keen on stepping up efforts to “promote people-to-people connectivity through cultural and educational exchanges.”

The Russian envoy also noted that the “possible distribution and production” of Sputnik V in the Philippines would greatly contribute to the growth of Russian-Phil-

ippine relations.

Prior to the pandemic in October 2019, then Russian Ambassador to the Philippine Igor Khovaev said Putin already accepted Duterte’s invitation to visit the country.

Meanwhile, Duterte already made two official visits to Russia in 2017 and 2019. n

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Balikbayans, family allowed to enter...

PAGE 1 “They, too, must be subject to the maximum capacity of inbound passengers at the port and date of entry,” the resolution read.

Filipino citizens’ foreign spouses and children are likewise permitted entrance to the country.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the Philippine Bureau of Immigration has been directed to formulate guidelines to ensure the policy’s smooth implementation.

The Philippine Department of Tourism, meanwhile, was directed to issue separate guidelines on providing sufficient accommodation for returning spouses and children of Filipinos.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat welcomed the decision to allow balikbayans to return to the Philippines during the Christmas season.

BI clarifies travel restrictions Foreign spouses and children of Filipino citizens are only allowed to enter the Philippines if the Filipino citizen or balikbayan is traveling with them, the Philippine Bureau of Im-

migration clarified on Tuesday, December 1.

“The intent of the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) resolution was to enable foreigners to reunite with their families in the Philippines,” Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said.

He added, “Thus, such intention is not served if the alien comes here when his wife or children are not in the country.”

The BI commissioner issued the statement after the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) sent the bureau a clarification explaining the rationale behind the IATF’s newest resolution that lifts restrictions on traveling foreigners who are immediate family members of Filipinos.

Morente warned that arriving dependents may be denied entry in the Philippines if they are not travelling with the Filipino citizen or former Filipino citizen, or if their Filipino family is not in the country.

“The intent of the relaxed restriction for balikbayans is to allow families to reunite this holiday season.

Apart from those exempted by the IATF, others who will

be entering under a tourist status will still not be allowed,” he said.

According to Morente, dependents, including minors, of Filipino citizens who are not traveling with the principal may still enter the Philippines if they are joining the Filipino citizen in the country.

“The Balikbayan privilege is specifically for spouses and children of a Filipino or a Former Filipino only, who is traveling with him,” said Morente.

However, they must secure an entry visa from a Philippine Embassy or Consulate abroad.

“If they are not traveling with the Filipino or former Filipino spouse, and are just joining him in the Philippines, then they may be allowed to enter if they secure an entry visa, but with a limited stay in the country,” Morente added.

The country’s Balikbayan Program was launched by the national government in 1989 under Republic Act 6768, amended by Republic Act 9174. The program aims to attract and encourage overseas Filipinos to come and visit the Philippines. n

Fil-Am coach Mike Magpayo intent on...

PAGE 1 feat in and of itself.

“People of Asian descent make up a disproportionately small number of professional athletes in the majority of professional leagues, as well as in the NCAA,” Sports Illustrated wrote in its feature on Magpayo published Wednesday, November 25.

“More than 18.6 million Asians live in the United States. Of the more than half a million NCAA athletes who compete every year, just 1% of them are Asian.

That number gets even smaller when carried over to the professional level; in 2015, Asian players made up only 0.2% of the NBA,” it added.

Magpayo, 41, was the defensive coordinator at UC Riverside before replacing David Patrick as head coach. He also had stints at University of San Francisco, Campbell University, and Columbia University before making his way to UC Riverside in 2018.

Outside the NCAA, Mag-

payo is the founder and president of the Asian Coaches Association, an organization that unifies, supports, and elevates all Asian coaches beyond just the basketball community.

“I hope I can open the door for other Asian coaches… that’s the mission,” he told Sports Illustrated.

However, Sports Illustrated noted that while Magpayo and his organization continue to open doors in the sports industry for Asians, “his own door has been wavering shut.”

UC Riverside in August began considering eliminating its entire athletic program to address the financial deficits that the school is experiencing due to the global health crisis.

“A number of Power 5 universities have already eliminated several sports teams—including Stanford’s rowing program and Minnesota’s indoor and outdoor track and field teams— though no one in 2020 has ended athletics entirely,” said Sports Illustrated.

“But for a non-Power 5 school like UC Riverside, which additionally lacks a lucrative football program (the Highlanders’ football team is a member of the NCAA’s Division II), a notion to cut its entire athletic program could be seen as justifiable,” it added.

Magpayo, for his part, expressed disbelief over the situation.

“I know it’s about dollars and cents and we’re in a once-in-a-century pandemic, but I just truly believe in the value of athletics and sports in general. Especially in a pandemic… I just can’t imagine it,” he said.

On the bright side, the Filipino coach will remain steadfast in his goal to continue opening doors for future basketball generations despite the uncertainty he currently faces.

“And those inspired by his presence as a coach can clearly see how crucial it is to keep his own door open,” Sports Illustrated concluded. (Ritchel Mendiola/ AJPress) n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 4-10, 2020

OPINION

5

FEATURES

Asia’s leading destination THE Philippines has always taken pride in its world-class beaches and diving sites. Now another destination is increasingly gaining recognition among international travelers: Intramuros, Manila’s walled city.

Manila has long been associated with urban blight, but Intramuros has always had the potential to be turned into what in other countries are the historic Old Towns. Such preserved enclaves are typically major tourism draws.

In recent years, efforts have been made to restore Intramuros to its historical splendor.

Museums have been opened, vehicle movement regulated and, in the past months, more streetlights and artistic building illumination installed. Fort Santiago has been rehabilitated. The efforts have started paying off. In 2016, the walled city was chosen for the first time as Asia’s Leading Tourist Attraction, at the World Travel Awards Asia.

This year, at the 27th edition of the awards, Intramuros has repeated its feat. The Philippines also bagged its fourth award as Asia’s Leading Beach Destination and its second as Asia’s Leading Dive Destination. The

awards in the World category are still being awaited, but the regional recognitions are welcome news even as the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the global travel and tourism industry.

With COVID vaccines now being prepared for mass application, it’s only a matter of time before people will start traveling again.

There will be stiff competition for visitors especially among countries whose economies are heavily dependent on tourism. The World Travel Awards make it easier to market the Philippines as a priority destination for people who are raring to end the COVID mobility restrictions.

The pandemic has shown the economic importance of tourism and its downstream industries. With the latest official accolades, the challenge is to maintain the environment that won the recognition. Travel destinations must not only feature unique

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

attractions but must also be clean, safe, and supported by the necessary services and infrastructure. Winning awards this year is

not enough; the country must sustain the momentum and develop a solid reputation as a top travel destination. (Philstar.com)

God’s advent message for us amid the challenging 2020: Wait!

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS ADVENT is very special to me because year after year, my birthday (December 1) is within the Advent season.

This year, Advent lasts for four Sundays leading up to Christmas — from Novem-

ber 29 to December 24.

The reflection of this year’s advent season has an even deeper meaning and significance to us as we are all going through the worst health crisis around the world, which has greatly exacerbated the hardships we are now facing politically, economically, and socially and therefore, in our personal lives.

The sermon of the Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan during the

mass at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral has such a profound message to us Christians last Sunday, November 29, during the trials and tribulations we are now facing.

But before that, let me share with you some interesting things I read about Advent.

According to christianity. com, “the word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” which is a translation of the Greek word parousia.

Scholars believe that during

the 4th and 5th centuries in Spain and Gaul, Advent was a season of preparation for the baptism of new Christians at the January feast of Epiphany, the celebration of God’s incarnation represented by the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus (Matthew 2:1), his baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist (John 1:29), and his first miracle at Cana (John 2:1).”

“During this season of preparation, Christians would spend 40 days in pen-

ance, prayer, and fasting to prepare for this celebration; originally, there was little connection between Advent and Christmas.”

However, beginning the 6th century, “Roman Christians had tied Advent to the coming of Christ. But the ‘coming’ they had in mind was not Christ’s first coming in the manger in Bethlehem, but his second coming in the clouds as the judge of the world. It was not until the Middle Ages that the Advent

season was explicitly linked to Christ’s first coming at Christmas.”

Going back to the sermon of Cardinal Dolan that my family got to hear during the televised Sunday mass during this time of the pandemic.

Cardinal Dolan said the message for us Christians during Advent is to WAIT. And he confessed how human as he is, he hates waiting.

PAGE 10

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

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Dateline PhiliPPines

CHRISTMAS TIANGGE. Christmas decors for sale are on display in a tiangge at the Cogeo Market, Antipolo City on Tuesday, December 1. Among the Christmas decorations for sale include Santa Claus, snowmen, and Christmas tree figurines.

PNA photo by Rico H. Borja

Metro Manila remains under GCQ until year-end

by Ritchel Mendiola AJPress

METRO Manila will remain under general community quarantine (GCQ) for the entire month of December.

Philippine President Ro-

drigo Duterte on Monday, November 30 approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to extend the capital region’s GCQ status.

Aside from Metro Manila,

seven other areas will be under GCQ until December 31, namely: Batangas, Iloilo City, Tacloban City, Lanao del Sur, Iligan, Davao City, and Davao del Norte.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Philippines will be unPAGE 10

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DFA: Over 277K overseas Filipinos repatriated amid COVID-19 pandemic

by Ritchel Mendiola AJPress

TROOP THE LINE. Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso (in white barong) troops the line escorted by outgoing Manila Police District head Brig. Gen. Rolando Miranda (left) during the Change of Command at the MPD Headquarters, United Nation Avenue, Manila on Tuesday, December 1. Miranda will be replaced by Brig. Gen. Leo Francisco. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Fil-Ams react to new safer-at-home...

PAGE 2 excluding worship services and political demonstrations.

“Yes, we’re asking a lot.

Yes, people are going to make more sacrifices, but if we don’t get this virus under control it will cost all of us dearly,” Ferrer added.

As it had been throughout the pandemic, LA County Public Health reminded the public once again to avoid non-essential travel and gatherings outside the home.

“Even if you don’t feel sick, the simple act of gathering with people outside your household is extremely risky right now. For the next 3 weeks, avoid doing activities that are not essential. People’s lives depend on it,” LA County Public Health tweeted on Tuesday.

Franco Dilig, a retired Navy veteran from Reseda, told the Asian Journal that he supports the general effort to lower coronavirus numbers in LA County, but he doesn’t believe that the current stay-at-home order will be effective.

“This isn’t the way to control behavior: people are going to do whatever they want and they’ll find ways to meet with others and congregate,” Dilig told the Asian Journal in a phone interview on Tuesday.

Dilig also mentioned that the order is “too restrictive” and especially lamented the closure of playgrounds and recreational facilities, which could prevent young children, like his 5-year-

old granddaughter, from physical exercise. (Outdoor operations of fitness facilities, mini-golf, batting cages and go-kart racing remain open with 50% occupancy and public parks, beaches and hiking trails remain open.)

“We always wear masks when we go out and do all that we can to keep sanitized and all that, so it doesn’t make sense to restrict open areas just because there [are] other people — who are likely also wearing masks — there, too,” Dilig said, adding that although he and his family are capable of doing these things at home, “getting outside of the house was and is necessary [to] our mental well-being, too.”

“People think that these orders are controlling our lives, but it’s controlling the virus and the spread,” Danica Valenzuela, a communication student at Cal State Northridge, told the Asian Journal.

Valenzuela, 21, said that her family (whom she doesn’t live with) were among the thousands of families that traveled to other families’ homes for Thanksgiving, a decision she thought was “stupid and irresponsible.” She doesn’t know the results of their COVID-19 tests, but she continues to be worried as more families plan to travel for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

“I stayed home and didn’t attend even though I was pressured and almost guilted into spending time with

my family,” said Valenzuela, who is studying biology with the hopes of working in the public health sector. “My family thought I was being too paranoid, but there’s a reason why [the CDC and other public health officials] urged us not to travel. We don’t want to risk spreading the disease because you could be asymptomatic but make someone else sick, someone who might be more atrisk.”

Filipinos, by nature, are extremely family oriented and the Christmas holiday is an extremely important holiday in the community, which Valenzuela said “definitely complicates” things.

“There’s almost a resistance to following the rules [among Filipinos] because we don’t think that it’ll happen to us because we’re strong, but then when it does happen, it’s too late,” Valenzuela said, acknowledging that although the Los Angeles Times article published in July about the COVID-19 mortality rate among Filipino Americans was “flawed” it “should be a warning to [the Filipino community].”

That piece posited that the mortality rate among Filipinos is a whopping 40%, but the only data used in that story came in the form of an unofficial list from the Philippine Consulate of Los Angeles that only comprised 48 COVID-19 patients, of which 19 had died of the virus.

PAGE 10

A total of 277,320 Filipinos abroad have been repatriated by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) since it began its COVID-related repatriation efforts in February.

Of the figure, 86,413 (31.16%) are sea-based overseas Filipinos (OF), while 190,907 (68.84%) are land-based.

The DFA on Wednesday, December 2, announced that it has brought home 34,312 OFs from the Middle East, 3,310 from Asia and the Pacific, 2,316 from Europe, 10 from Africa, and nine from the Americas for the month of November.

“The DFA also organized three chartered flights which flew home 460 distressed overseas Filipinos who have been stranded in China, Saudi Arabia, and Timor Leste for several

months,” the agency said.

“These chartered flights were shouldered by the DFA through its augmented ATN funds under Republic Act No. 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act,” it added.

The month of November also saw the medical repatriation of 21 OFs with serious illness from Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Cuba, Italy, Kuwait, Laos, Oman, and Pakistan.

“All throughout November, our DFA frontliners were at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and assisted in the safe return of our distressed kababayan,” the DFA said.

Likewise, nine Filipino seafarers were brought home after their shipping vessel was abandoned by its owner at the Port of Djibouti.

The Department, through the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs, coordinated

with its missions abroad to lobby hard with the Djibouti representatives in the International Maritime Organization in London, the United Nations in New York, and the Djibouti Embassy in Tokyo to allow the disembarkation of the Filipino crew of MV Arybbas on humanitarian grounds.

The repatriated Filipinos arrived safely in Manila on November 24 after being stranded onboard their vessel for more than fourteen months.

“The DFA continues to deliver on its promise of bringing home our overseas Filipinos, regardless of the challenges we face,” said Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Sarah Lou Y. Arriola.

“As 2020 draws to a close, the DFA remains unwavering in its promise to repatriate Filipinos all around the world amidst the pandemic,” the agency added. n

DECEMBER 4-10, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

‘Fighting pandemic costly’: PH foreign loans, grants now P509-B

by Ben O. de Vera Inquirer.net

MANILA—Foreign loans and grants spent by the Philippine government on COVID-19 response have already reached more than $10 billion (P509 billion), according to Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III. “Fighting the pandemic is costly, as you very well know,” Dominguez said at the online Philippines-Japan Business Investment Forum 2020 on Tuesday (Dec. 1).

In his presentation, Dominguez said the Philippines secured $3.8 billion in loans from Asian Development Bank and these other sources: • $1.78 billion from World Bank • $750 million from the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank • $917.9 million from Japan International Cooperation Agency • $275.7 million from Agence Francaise de De-

velopement, the aid agency of France • $100 million from Export Import Bank of Korea Aside from direct loans from lenders, another $2.53 billion was raised through the issuance of US dollar-denominated bonds in two tenors, or maturity periods, last May. Proceeds from the loans and commercial borrowings were for budget support for COVID-19 response.

Last November, the Philippines also borrowed $615 million for COVID-19 projects.

Grants of $26.36 million had been given to the Philippines for projects to fight the pandemic.

“This year, we expect to collect less in taxes even as we increase spending in health care and relief measures,” Dominguez said.

“The borrowings we have secured at concessional rates will help cover our revenue shortfall,” Dominguez added.

Dominguez told Japanese investors that “the

people and government of Japan have been very generous at providing muchneeded support for the Philippines.”

On top of the financial assistance in the fight against COVID-19, Dominguez also acknowledged Japan’s help in rolling-out the Duterte administration’s ambitious “Build, Build, Build” program.

“Our infrastructure program is a sound strategy strongly supported by our development partners, especially Japan, through soft project loans and official development assistance,” said the head of the Duterte economic team.

Dominguez said that “with our enduring financial strength, we will meet these obligations.”

Dominguez earlier acknowledged that repaying these massive borrowings could require higher taxes in the future and possibly selling government assets, like mining sites and contracts, and selling gaming operations to the private sector. n

(212) 655-5426 • http://www.asianjournal.com

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 4-10, 2020

Philippines dislodged from top 10 nations for women in workplace

by Ian nIcolas cIgaral Philstar.com

MANILA — The Philippines dropped out of top 10 in this year’s global ranking that examined women representation in work places, a direct result of the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on women seen across the globe.

Among 58 economies tracked by this year’s Index of Women Entrepreneurs, Manila ranked 16th, down from last year’s 9th spot. While the number of economies surveyed varied across the years, this also marked the Philippines lowest ranking since the first report in 2017.

In previous years, Manila consistently figured in the top 10 placing ninth in 2018 and eighth in 2017.

A precedent Asia Pacific ranking of Mastercard for women in the workplace in

2016 likewise placed the Philippines fourth in the region.

The survey is conducted annually by Mastercard, a global payments provider, which tracked 12 indicators that measure, among others, women’s financial inclusion, education level and training, among others. These indicators were grouped on three components that each corresponded to a score.

In terms of score, the Philippines likewise suffered a decline of 1.4 points to 66.5 this year. Israel dominated this year’s index for “focused institutional support” to women small business owners while the pandemic hit businesses.

Bangladesh was last.

“Those in developed economies have been shielded in part from the more drastic impacts due to higher knowledge assets...

while women in developing economies have been harder hit due to on-average lesser knowledge assets and an overrepresentation in the informal and harderhit business sectors,” Mastercard explained.

In Asia Pacific, Singapore led the pack of losers after failing 12 notches year-onyear. Hong Kong, whose image as central business district has been tarnished by recent national security law that curtails freedoms, fell eight places. Vietnam dropped seven notches.

Across three components used in the index, the Philippines’ score was unchanged at 65.7 under the first that gauges “women’s advancement outcomes.”

This was highly result of Filipinas dominating board rooms accounting for 51.4% of business leaders.

A higher 57.6% of professionals such as doctors and

CALL TO RESIGN. Members of the groups League of Parents of the Philippines, Liga Independencia Pilipinas, and Hands Off Our Children hold tarpaulins calling for the resignation of solons belonging to the Makabayan bloc, during a rally at the Senate grounds in Pasay City on Tuesday, December 1. The groups also lambasted the so-called progressive organizations linked to the communist movement for the recruitment and exploitation of the youth.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

lawyers were also women, the survey found.

On top of these, Filipinas were considered at par with men in terms of entrepreneurial activity rate, the

report said.

But under second component, which looked into women’s access to credit for their business, the Philippines’ score dropped 6.1

points to 75, the second deepest decline in the index. In contrast with leading Israel, the report found that support to local SMEs PAGE 10

10 DECEMBER 4-10, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

STATION MAINTENANCE. Personnel of the MRT-3 Quezon Avenue Station clean the floor of the area in Quezon City on Tuesday, December 1. They also regularly disinfect the various areas inside the station to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease.

PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.

Fil-Ams react to new safer-at-home...

PAGE 7 Forty-eight is too small a sample size to really capture the virus’ effect on the largest Asian American community in California, but it doesn’t negate the fact that the virus is dangerous and has taken the lives of thousands of Filipinos, Valenzuela acknowledged.

“It’s true that the virus has had a really disturbing effect on our community, but we need to be realistic, too. But that doesn’t mean we’re immune to the possibility that we could reach a high mortality rate or a high case rate. It’s so much better to be safe and try to stay as stationery as we can than risk [worsening] the state of things just because you wanted to see your cousins,” she said.

The startling situation in LA County acts as a microcosm to the overall predicament happening at the state level. California surpassed

its previous daily high of 20,654 positive coronavirus cases recorded last week to 21,848 on Monday.

The state acknowledged that the inflated numbers are due to delays in reporting tests following the Thanksgiving holiday, but as of press time, California is averaging 14,000 daily coronavirus cases over a seven-day period.

Pushing ICU capacity In a press briefing on Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said that Southern California, specifically, is expected to run out of ICU capacity by mid- to late December if the uptick continues. Currently, 75% of the state’s 7,733 ICU beds are occupied with nearly 2,000 of them filled by COVID-19 patients.

Newsom hinted at possible additional shutdowns, which may increase Californians’ frustrations over the restrictive measures,

but he and other state officials emphasized that solutions may be on the horizon in the form of the much anticipated vaccine rollouts.

At Monday’s briefing, officials announced that the state expects to receive roughly 327,000 doses of the new COVID-19 vaccine

by Pfizer in the next few weeks but noted that the most vulnerable communities will be prioritized.

Widespread rollout of the vaccine to the general public will likely happen well into 2021, but Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s health and human services secretary, stressed the importance of the vaccine’s arrival.

“Our most vulnerable could be getting vaccinated, our frontline workers could be getting vaccinated in just a matter of weeks, opening the gateway to so many more receiving this important tool to protect us,” Ghaly said. n

Metro Manila remains...

PAGE 6 der modified GCQ, the least stringent quarantine classification in the country.

Duterte urged the public to continue observing health measures such as wearing masks, frequent handwashing, and social distancing to avoid contracting COVID-19.

“Let me remind you that Europe and America are experiencing what they would call, some say a third wave na pagbalik. Mas maraming magkasakit ngayon at mamatay. This is a country

that is rich na dapat may bakuna na can afford it and yet maraming nagkakasakit, namatay (Let me remind you that Europe and America are experiencing what they would call, some say a third wave. More people will get sick and die.

This is a rich country that can afford vaccines and yet many people still get sick and die),” he said.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, for his part, assured that the government has been preparing the country’s health facili-

ties in case of a post-holiday surge.

However, he reminded the public not to be complacent, advising people to stay away from large crowds and gatherings to avoid contracting the virus.

Duque also suggested everyone to celebrate Christmas only with their immediate family members.

As of this writing, there are a total of 432,925 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, with 8,418 fatalities and 398,782 recoveries. n

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

God’s advent message for us...

PAGE 5 And we all do, especially during this time of a fastpaced life and the sense of entitlement to fast results and instant gratification.

But Cardinal Dolan said life, in reality, is all about waiting. We experience this in our everyday life. We want for the mass to end, for the food to be cooked, for our train or bus ride, for our paychecks to be released or deposited to our accounts, for the results of an exam to come out, or for the results of a COVID test to come out.

Mothers need to wait for nine months and endure the hardship and suffering of pregnancy and childbirth but when the baby comes out, the joy of motherhood makes us forget the hardship we endured as we were waiting.

The Archbishop of New York said that God’s message for us especially during Advent is to WAIT. And he explained why. Dolan said waiting during advent helps us to: 1. Flex our emotional and spiritual muscles to strengthen our faith; 2. Prepare us until we are ready to receive the grace of God and the answers to our prayers; and 3. To make us realize God is in command, that God is in control.

Listening to Cardinal Dolan made me think about how this is so real in our life, especially this year.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come.”

The threat of the coronavirus to our lives and livelihood; the financial problems we are facing; the hatred and division in our families, in our nation, in our world; the feeling of emptiness and disconnect in our hearts and among us — these make us pine for a better tomorrow, for a better world, for solu-

tions to our problems, answers to our prayers.

For us, Christians, or for people of other faith, or for those with no religion at all — we feel that deep need to plug into a higher power, a power greater than ourselves, than our might. For us Christians, that is God. However, God uses our trials and tribulations to make us introspect as we wait, and search within our hearts if our own thoughts and actions go toward the direction of our prayers.

We pray for our good health and safety during this pandemic: do we do our part to protect us, or loved ones and others? Do we wear a mask, practice social distancing, avoid crowds, and sacrifice so that lives may be saved?

We pray for abundance in harvest, but do we plant good seeds? Do we nurture them with hard work? Do we protect them with integrity?

Do we foster growth and protection in others? Do we rush things, sacrifice quality, life, safety and miss on God’s best?

We pray for enlightenment and peace, but do we search for and share the truth? Or do we lean on our own understanding, ego and personal agenda and false gods that twist our fidelity to the truth?

We pray for love and unity, but do we fill our thoughts and our hearts with the divinity of every human being and our equality in the eyes and heart of God? Or do we think we are more superior than others? Holier than others? Do we speak words and do acts of empathy?

Compassion? Do we forgive or do we harbor resentment, revenge and ill will, instead of goodwill?

Do we choose to think of what we share in common with others rather than what makes us different and apart?

Do we think and speak and act toward building bridges instead of walls?

We pray to honor and

serve our God, but do our thoughts and words and action follow God’s Ways and calling in our life: “Whatever you do to the least of your brethren, you do unto me”? Do we think of the greater good and commit to something bigger than ourselves?

God is using our trials and tribulations to reach up to Him, to allow Him to mold us, to prepare us to receive His grace.

Remember the candles that the priest lights up during each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas?

Christianity.com explains: “The most common Advent candle tradition, however, involves four candles.

A new candle is lit on each of the four Sundays before Christmas. Each candle represents something different, although traditions vary.

The four candles traditionally represent hope, faith, joy, and peace. Occasionally, a fifth white candle is placed in the middle and is lit on Christmas Day to celebrate Jesus’ birth.

In Advent, God is asking us to WAIT. When we wait, we hope. When we hope, we have faith. When we have faith, we experience the joy and peace as we take that step of faith, and God will help us do things we cannot do on our own, and will take us to where we cannot go on our own — in His time.

“Peace be with you.” *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.

Philippines dislodged...

PAGE 9 had been “significantly scaled back” when they are needed the most during the health crisis.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez has so far not responded to request for comment.

In the third and last com-

ponent, the country fared better in terms of business conditions that could affect women’s ability to thrive as entrepreneurs. Under this indicator, the Philippines scored 57, up 1.5 points, but was still outperformed by other economies that likewise improved their

marks.

Overall, Mastercard noted that the coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately posed setbacks for women regardless of geographical location, education level and the wealth of the economy where they live in. n

(212) 655-5426 • http://www.asianjournal.com

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 4-10, 2020

COMMUNITY Journal

11

Citizen Pinoy gets in the holiday spirit while answering immigration questions on an early Noche Buena episode THIS Sunday, December 6 leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel and the Citizen Pinoy family celebrate the holidays with a Noche Buena feast prepared by Arko Foods in Glendale, California.

Attorney Gurfinkel also continues to provide public service by providing important information and answer to immigration questions from Kapamilya.

Seph, from Oahu, HI, has

a brother who is unmarried, but now has a five-year old daughter. Seph petitioned his brother in 2004 and would like to know if he can include the daughter under that same petition, even though she was not born when the petition was filed.

Ronald, from Vancouver, Canada, was petitioned by his U.S. citizen mother. He will be bringing his wife and two children under that petition. The priority

date is March 2012, and they got an approval notice last 2018. Ronald wants to know how much longer they need to wait.

These questions and more from Manila and California will be answered on a brand-new holiday episode of “Citizen Pinoy: Your Tanong, My Sagot” this Sunday at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

(Advertising Supplement)

‘CITIZEN PINOY’ ANSWERS QUESTIONS FROM KAPAMILYA IN HAWAII AND CANADA ON A NOCHE BUENA HOLIDAY EPISODE THIS SUNDAY. Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (left) celebrates the holiday season with a Noche Buena feast, and in the Kapamilya spirit answers immigration questions from guests from Hawaii and Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. Seph, from Oahu, HI, (top right) asks if he can include his brother’s five-year-old daughter under the same petition he filed for his brother back in 2004, even though the child was not even born when the petition was filed. From Vancouver, Ronald would like to know how much longer he must wait for his petition by his U.S. citizen mother. He is bringing along his wife and their two children. Their priority date is March 2012, and they got an approval notice in 2018. How long is the processing time in Canada? These questions and more will be answered

by Atty. Gurfinkel on the Noche Buena episode of “Citizen Pinoy: Your Tanong, My Sagot” this Sunday, December 6 at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

(Advertising Supplement)

NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY

EVERYDAY

9:00am - 11:00am

12 DECEMBER 4-10, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS COVID-19 affects only the lungs As of today, the COVID-19 pandemic has victimized almost 64 million people and had killed nearly 1.5 million around the globe. The heart is one of the organs affected by COVID-19 infection, besides the lungs. Actually, as the disease progresses, multipleorgan damages could occur, especially among the seniors with other health issues. The healthier ones with robust immune system, including children, recover from this viral illness more readily than the vulnerable high-risk people 65 and older. There is no question that the persistence (worsening) of the pandemic is due to people’s lack of discipline and non-compliance, especially among the arrogant non-thinking people who demand civilrights and do whatever they want in the name of freedom and democracy, regardless of other people’s right to remain healthy and not be killed, and

Be heart wise

of societal good and public safety. Some of them have accidentally killed people not knowing it, without even realizing their reckless behavior was tantamount to homicidal negligence. Let us continue to do only essential travels outside our home, use facemask or two in public, not touch our face, wash our hands frequently, and do social distancing. Science has shown that the use of facemask protects BOTH the wearer and others, and that social distancing works. Again, let us not accidentally kill people, including our loved ones.

Persons younger than 40 do not get heart disease This is a myth. The youngest patient we did coronary bypass surgery on in Indiana, U.S.A., was a 28-year-old diabetic Caucasian female, who had very high cholesterol level, high blood pressure, and a cigarette smoker. At Cebu Cardiovascular Center in Cebu City, the youngest heart bypass patient we had was a 34year-old man. Coronary artery disease does not respect any age, gender, or any person who abuses himself/herself

with an unhealthy lifestyle.

Sex is bad for the heart.

On the contrary, sex is good for the heart. The morphinelike opiates and other feelgood hormones our own body secretes during sex or during any happy activities or thought processes we have, the physical exercise during sex, and the healthy outlet it provides both partners, actually benefit the heart. Only those with untreated coronary artery disease or heart failure could get into trouble during sex.

Heart disease is inherited.

Rarely, certain congenital (inborn) structural defect of the heart may be genetic, but in general, we cannot blame our ancestry for the heart diseases that are very common today, like coronary artery disease (cause of heart attacks), or heart valve diseases (due to Rheumatic Fever). Although some families seem to be more prone to heart attacks, and the traits could be a part of the genes, the important causative factors in this situation are mostly not heredity but environmental --- the life style of the family members.

PAGE 13

Hey college students: Have you seen this scam?

SCAMMERS are targeting college students. In the last year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has told you about a car wrap scam and a COVID-19 scam hitting college students. Today, we want to tell you about a fake check scam.

In this one, a scammer posing as a professor sends you an email. It uses a college domain name and a format like your. name@collegename.edu. The scammer offers you a parttime job, like personal assistant or dog walker. Then, the scammer sends you a check, asks you to deposit it, send some of the money to someone else, and keep the rest as payment. A while later, the bank realizes the check was fake and deducts the original check amount from your account. So, if you deposited a $1,000 check, they’ll take that back. But if you sent $400 to someone else, you’re now out $400 of your own money.

People report losing a lot of money to fake check scams.

The median loss in 2019 was $1,988. That’s a lot of money for anyone to lose. But an FTC analysis published earlier this

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

December 2020 priority dates Immigration Corner

The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows: FAMILY CATEGORY: First Preference

atty. MiChael GurFinkel, eSQ THE December 2020 priority dates, continue to provide great news for workers in the EB-3 (skilled/professional) and “other worker” (unskilled workers like caregivers). The priority dates for all countries (except India and China) are CURRENT! This includes the Philippines!

This means visas are available, regardless of the person’s priority date. If a person is being petitioned by an employer, and their Form I-140 employment-based petition has been approved or is pending, they could possibly be eligible to file for adjustment of status and work authorization, assuming they are otherwise eligible for adjustment of status (i.e. no issues re maintaining status, no fraud/crimes, etc.) People with approved or pending I-140 petitions should see an attorney about their eligibility to file for adjustment, now that the priority dates for these employment-based categories are current.

Each month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment-based categories.

A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If

Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens (over 21 years of age)

Application Filing Date

Visa Issuance Date

October 08, 2012

December 15, 2011

(2A) Spouse and Second Preference minor children (below August 01, 21 years old) of green 2020 card holders

Current

(2B) Unmarried sons and daughters (21 April 01, 2012 years old or older) of green card holders

August 01, 2011

Third Preference

Married sons and daughters of US Citizens

December 22, 2002

February 15, 2002

Fourth Preference

Brothers and sisters of US Citizens

September 01, January 01, 2002 2002

LABOR CERTIFICATION:

Application Filing Date

Visa Issuance Date

Second Preference

Advanced Degree (Masters)

Current

Current

Third Preference

Professional/ Skilled Workers

Current

Current

Other Workers

Non-Skilled Workers

Current

Current

your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have to wait until it becomes current again. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”,

endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/ GurfinkelLaw, Twitter @GurfinkelLaw and Youtube: US Immigration TV Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

Will Brillante bag an Oscar?

By Ricky Lo Image capture consumer.ftc.gov

year showed that people in their twenties are more than twice as likely as people over 30 to report losing money to fake check scams.

So how do you avoid a fake check scam? Never use money from a check to send gift cards, money orders, or wire money to someone. It’s always a scam. And, once you send the money or put it on a gift card and give someone the gift card PIN, it‘s like giving them cash. It’s almost impossible to get your money back.

Banks have to give you money from deposited checks within a few days. But if the check turns out to be a fake, they’ll make sure they get that money back from your account. The bottom line is, if someone sends you a check and tells you to send money by wire transfer or gift card — it’s a scam.

Spotted a scam like this? We want to hear about it. Let us know at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

(Ari Lazarus/Consumer Education Specialist, FTC)

Philstar.com

TOO early to celebrate.

Of course, there’s great expectation when Brillante Mendoza competes in yet another international event, after all he has won awards in three of the considered Top 5 film festivals — Best Director in Cannes 2009 for Kinatay (Butchered), Orizzonte Jury Prize for Verdict in Venice 2019 and Caligari Award for Tirador in Berlin (the two others are Toronto and New York). This time, his award-winning film Mindanao has been officially selected by the Film Academy of the

Philippines (FAP headed by Vivian Velez) as the country’s official entry to the Best Foreign Language Film category of the 93rd Oscars set for April 25 next year, several weeks behind schedule due to the pandemic.

It’s Brillante’s third attempt at the Oscars, following in 2016 with Ma’ Rosa (that won Best Actress for Jaclyn Jose in Cannes, the first Filipina to do so in a major film festival) and Verdict (as producer, director is Brillante’s protégé Raymund Ribay Gutierrez).

Until the announcement presumably in late January PAGE 13

Brillante Mendoza

Philstar.com photo

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 4-10, 2020 13

(212) 655-5426 • http://www.asianjournal.com

EMPLOYMENT

Will Brillante bag an...

PAGE 12 or early February, it won’t be known which will make it to the magic circle (five or seven finalists). Mindanao, which Brillante himself produced and directed, is only one of the presumably 100 (or more) films from around the world “submitted for consideration.”

“We are not yet shortlisted,” clarified Brillante, a veteran in major film festivals (aside from Kinatay and Ma’ Rosa, his other entries in Cannes included Foster Child, Serbis and Taklub; Lola and Thy Womb in Venice; and Tirador and Captive in Berlin).

“We still have to campaign,” which is something perhaps he didn’t do in the filmfests mentioned. The Oscars is something else, another (new) battle altogether.

“And we need money,” admitted Brillante, “a minimum of at least US$100,000 (roughly P5 million), with $20,000 (P1M more or less) provided by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP). We have to spend for promotions.

The producers of the chosen film should hire a publicity and promotion company to reach as many academy members

SERVICES

as they can, depending on the allotted budget that they have.” (As estimated, there are around 500 voting members, one of them actress-turnednun Dolores Hart, and most of them if not all, unless you can afford them, must be provided with a CD/DVD copy of the submitted entry.)

A Herculean task, really. It’s an accepted practice to openly campaign (by placing ads in industry papers like Variety and Hollywood Reporter) unlike here when campaigning is done “secretly.”

According to Brillante, “Hollywood spends about $150M to campaign for their films every year. Those behind Parasite, the Korean production that won Best Picture (and other major awards) last year, spent several million dollars.”

The selection process for the Oscars differs from that of the filmfests mentioned.

“In the film festivals, ‘any’ filmmaker can submit his film and a selection committee will decide if the submitted film can compete or be part of the festival, based on the creative merits of the film.

“On the other hand, the Oscars accept only films chosen

SERVICES

by the representing body from countries all over the world. It can be any film these representing bodies choose.”

Even if a film has won several awards locally is not a guarantee that it will make it in those filmfests, including the Oscars.

Mindanao won majority of the awards in the 2019 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress for Judy Ann Santos for her performance as a Muslim mother taking care of her cancerstricken daughter (played by Yona Tangog who won Best Child Performer) while waiting for her husband (Allen Dizon, Best Actor) to return from serving as a medic soldier in the South.

“It was an answered wish,” Judy Ann told The STAR in a post-MMFF interview.

“Matagal ko nang gustong maka-trabaho si direk Brillante. I watched his films, especially Ma’Rosa. I’d been hearing a lot about how he worked kaya gusto ko siyang ma-experience.” (Note: In 2009, Judy Ann submitted Ploning, a film she herself produced and starred in, to the Oscars’ Best Foreign Language Film category. It did not qualify.)

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14 DECEMBER 4-10, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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people events arts culture entertainment

Kimberly Camara’s Kora doughnuts ooze with Filipino flavors and fillings

I

by MOMAR G. VISAYA / AJPress

T’S the season of the Filipino lolas.

Disney UK released last week its Christmas video featuring a grandmother (lola) and the Filipino parol, tugging hearts of Filipinos in the diaspora. Then a couple of weeks ago, Blue’s Clues introduced Josh’s lola, along with yet another Filipino classic, the bibingka.

But before these grandmas even made it into everyone’s consciousness, another Filipino lola already became viral somehow, thanks to her granddaughter Kimberly Camara who named her online bakery in her honor and memory.

Camara is the brains behind Kora, the NYC bakery now famous for its doughnuts infused with Filipino flavors and a long wait list. They staged their first ever popup in October and to say that the event was a smashing success would be a massive understatement.

“I draw my inspiration from my culinary background and also my Filipino heritage,” Camara told the Asian Journal. “It’s a combination of a lot of different influences in my life, one of the biggest one is my grandma, Lola Cora.”

Week after week, the anticipation built up as the demand for Camara’s Filipino doughnuts rose. We asked around while waiting in line and most were curious because they all failed in getting their orders on the day of the release as everything was sold out after just a minute or two. Others were repeat customers who wanted to have more.

Camara makes the doughnuts from her apartment in Woodside, Queens, around six blocks away from the pop-

“It’s a lot of hours of manpower and mental planning involved in every single recipe and every single donut. New flavors will be added and rotated on a weekly basis,” Kimberly Camara tells the Asian Journal.

AJPress Photos by Momar G. Visaya

up venue at Fabula Cafe on 61st Street.

On their way to the cafe, she surveyed the line and was immediately overwhelmed.

“I did not expect five blocks of lines, maybe 100, 150 people at most. I was absolutely dumbfounded when I saw the line outside wrapping round so many blocks,” the NYCborn chef said. “For me mostly it was the feeling of anxiety knowing that more than half

of those people are not going to be able to get anything.”

Not bad for something that was started in the middle of the lockdown due to the global pandemic.

Last June, Camara posted an update on her Instagram account, apologizing to friends, family and followers for being MIA (missing in action) for a while and revealed that she was working on a “little project.”

“Prior to lockdown, I was working full-time and I was in the process of developing multi-coursed, private Filipino dinners to be held from my apartment,” she shared. “Of course, as the world still remains upended, these dinners may not be possible for some time, so I wanted to come up with a way to keep creating and introduce you all to some of those Filipino flavors.”

Kora was that “little project.”

Like many of us, Camara took to baking and cooking while in lockdown. She baked an ube cake for a friend one day and realized she had leftover dough so she fried some of them and the first version of her ube doughnut was born.

“It tasted great and I thought, ‘I could try and sell this and see what happens’,” she shared. She took a photo and posted it on her Instagram account and it took off from there.

Camara then came up with ideas, among them using Filipino flavors from classic Filipino desserts that her mother’s mother Corazon used to make for them. Now, she makes all the doughnuts and its components from scratch and in small batches right from her own kitchen.

Here are the basics: each doughnut costs $6.50 and PAGE 15

Among the five flavors included in the popup were Churron, a portmanteau of churros and turon (center). Champorado, Leche Flan ni Lola, Ube and Sans Rival.

Kora’s Sans Rival is a brioche made with The Ube brioche doughnut includes roasted cashews, cashew dacquoise and fresh ube custard, ube glaze, purple yam Tanduay rum buttercream. crisps, and ube powder.

Kimberly Camara with her mom Babes and Lola Corazon (center), the inspiration behind Kora.

Photo courtesy of @kimberlymcamara

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Kimberly Camara’s Kora...

PAGE 14 Camara only makes a limited amount. Customers click a link every Monday at 3:00 p.m. to pre-order the doughnuts and if they’re not quick enough, they end up on a waiting list for canceled orders, if there are any.

Every Friday, the doughnuts are made available for pick-up and delivery in Queens for the lucky ones who got through.

This is lovingly referred to as the ‘doughnut drop.’

Among the flavors she introduced are traditional Filipino favorites: Leche Flan ni Lola (brioche doughnut stuffed with her grandma’s famous leche flan); Ube (ube brioche doughnut, fresh ube custard, ube glaze, purple yam crisps, ube powder); Halo-halo (brioche doughnut, classic halohalo mix-ins, cream, ube glaze, flan, pinipig, banana chip, maraschino cherry); Buko Pandan (pandan brioche, coconut & sago cream, pandan glaze, flaked coconut, pinipig).

Kora has evolved from a “small side project to something that has developed into a full-time, passion-driven craft” and the popup was the cherry on the top for now.

I asked her about her dream for Kora.

“That’s an interesting question mainly because I never had this dream to begin with,” she quipped. “I never even thought Kora was gonna be anything when I first started.”

“It was something I did for myself, my grandma was definitely a big influence but as it grew, I hope we that can get a shop one day so we can be able to give people more doughnuts and expand our horizon,” she added. “I definitely want to get into more savory food as well, that’s something we’re looking in to.”

Just how big of an influence was her lola to the flavors she has created?

Well, let’s just say the flavors are a nod to the desserts Camara’s Lola Cora used to make, including the leche flan mentioned earlier.

Camara also makes her Sans Rival (brioche, roasted cashews, cashew dacquoise, Tanduay rum buttercream), which she explains is one of her Lola’s favorite Filipino desserts. She recalls her lola’s house in the town of Balayan, Batangas has a huge cashew tree in the backyard.

Among the five flavors included in the popup were Churron, a portmanteau of churros and turon (cruller,

saba banana & jackfruit filling, caramelized spring roll wrapper, banana chips, toasted sugar, caramel drizzle) and Champorado (brown sugar & chocolate brioche, champorado filling, puffed rice tuile, whipped ganache, cocoa powder, cacao nib, DIY salted condensed milk drizzle).

“Growing up, when my grandma used to make champorado for us kids, though I loved having it at any time of day and any time of the year, it was one of the most comforting dishes in the winter time,” Camara posted on her Instagram account.

“Stepping inside after playing in the snow, nippy-nosed and hungry, nothing compared to a stewed, steaming hot bowl with all the sticky sweetened condensed milk a little girl could ask for. Leftovers were just as delicious the next day—can’t say I’m not guilty of scooping spoonfuls right out of the pot inside of the fridge…”

Other flavors that have made an appearance since she started the project are Itlog na Pula (salted egg yolk lava filling with cured yolk dust), Maja Blanca (coconut and corn pudding), and Calamansi Amapola (calamansi curd, poppy cream, calamansi glaze, torched meringue, graham crunch).

“We wanted to put halohalo today, that’s one of my favorites, but that’s also one of the most labor intensive.

We wanted to make sure that we’d be able to make everything on time,” Camara said, responding to a question why the ubiquitous flavor was missing.

True to her earlier assessment, not everyone was able to get their hands on the tasty treats.

“For myself and all of us cultured in hospitality and have that as a strong foundation, we don’t like turning people away, we don’t like to say no. We also are only human and we can only do what we can do,” she said.

Camara shared that they were expecting more people would be open to sitting inside since partial indoor dining has been allowed in the city.

“This is a very big learning experience for us because this is the first time we’re doing this, we have a physical space where we can welcome people in,” she added. “I hope this doesn’t turn people away from us as a whole.”

Herstory Camara studied at the Culinary Institute of America.

After graduation, she said she bounced around different New York restaurants including Eleven Madison Park at the same time dabbling in catering as well. She was working at Union Square Hospitality Group when the lockdown happened last March.

Intricate Filipino doughnuts was not something Camara intended, but because of the look of the finished products, that is how her followers have been describing them.

She said she prepares the ingredients herself and makes every single component. She has a team that comes together on the day of the drop to build the doughnuts.

For the popup, they prepared hundreds (she declined to reveal the actual number) to accommodate the demand.

Family Camara’s family also came in droves to support her.

We met her father Tino Camara, who was excitedly taking photos of the long lines.

“They are the entire thing, every single person that’s on our team is either a family member or a very, very close friend of mine. We all each have our different skill sets that we apply to this business,” she said. “We’re selling doughnuts but it’s really about the experience that ties in with the doughnuts, we want to make sure that people are learning more about Filipino culture and they feel heard through our customer service.”

This means that they make sure everyone experiences the human connection for people who talk to them on their different platforms. They read and listen to the comments left on their social media accounts so they could improve further.

Camara has created an opportunity in the middle of a pandemic and helping friends and family is a big bonus, which is why she is thankful for the opportunity.

She believes that she is lucky to have this platform “to not only share my culinary spirit with all of you, but also all the stories these pastries carry with them.”

In the end, it’s all about passion and being true to one’s self.

“Don’t be afraid to be genuine, that’s what people respond to the most. When you’re being yourself and you can relate to other people in that way because you are being sincere, that’s what takes you places and that’s what people admire and love,” she said.

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 4-10, 2020 15

April Boy wears signature cap during wake

By Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

APRIL Boy Regino’s wife Madelyn Regino thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for providing financial support for the Original Pinoy Music (OPM) icon.

In her Facebook page, Madelyn said Duterte gave financial support to April Boy for his maintenance medicines monthly.

“Maraming Salamat sa aming Mahal na Mahal na Pangulo Duterte na Mula Noon Hanggang Sa Huling Laban Ng Buhay Na Aking Mahal na Mahal na Asawa

Idol April Boy Regino ay hindi niya ito binitawan,” she said.

“Sa hindi po nakakaalam si Tatay Digong po ang nagbibigay buwan buwan para sa maintenance ng mga gamot ni Idol, simula pa nun Mayor pa lang siya hanggang sa naging Presidente na siya,” she added.

She also thanked Sen. Bong Go and other people who paid their respects to the singer.

“Gayundin sa aming Mahal na Senator Bong Go at sa lahat ng nakiramay sa unang gabi at sa

lahat ng nakikisampatiya sa fb, messenger, celpon, you tube, mga babasahin at sa ibat ibang programa sa telebisyon at radyo na binigyan siya ng tribute Maraming Salamat po,” Madelyn said.

April Boy died last Sunday due to complications from diabetes.

Madelyn said that the singer also had stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease.

In his wake, the “Jukebox Idol” wore his trademark jacket and cap instead of the traditional Barong Tagalog.

Be heart wise...

PAGE 12 Children of heart attack victims will have the same fate This is not true. Even if both parents had heart attacks or coronary artery disease, their children are not necessarily condemned to same fate, provided the children live a healthier lifestyle, unlike their parents. If these children stay on low cholesterol diet, eat fish (instead of red meat), a lot of vegetables, fruits, and high fiber foods, do not smoke, exercise at least 5 times a week, maintain a normal weight, know how to relax and manage stress, they can escape significant coronary artery disease. Healthy lifestyle outweighs genetics in more than 80 percent of people around the globe.

Exercise damages the heart.

Definitely does not. The heart can take a lot more challenges than one can imagine. It is one of the strongest muscular organs in the human body.

Exercise has beneficial effects on the heart. Even heart attack patients who have recovered from the acute phase are prescribed an exercise regimen.

Exercise dilates (opens wider) coronary arteries that supply the heart muscles with oxygen and nutrition. Brisk walking is the new recommendation, because of the significant resulting injuries to the spine, hips, knees, ankles of jogging in the long run.

Heart attack victims should be sedentary Nothing is farther from the truth. Heart attack patients who have recovered should resume normal activities as prescribed by their physicians.

It is most essential for these people to be active again as soon as they are medically allowed to. A sedentary life for

these patients would only lead to deterioration of the heart and to vegetation. Those who bounce back to as normal a life as possible following a heart attack will fare much better physically and mentally than those who resign themselves to invalidism.

Longevity is shortened by heart bypass This is another myth. Coronary bypass surgery, not only improves the quality of life by eliminating chest pains but also increases the life span of patients, whose life will otherwise be reduced by heart attack. Heart bypass is superior to angioplasty among those with more than 2 (multiple) coronary artery blockages.

More and more clinical studies are showing this to be the case.

Red meats and eggs are good for children A dangerous myth! High cholesterol diet is bad for children as it is unhealthy for adults. It has been shown on autopsies performed on children (victims of various accidents and illnesses) ages 4 to 6 that the inner walls of their arteries were already lined with a thin layer of cholesterol plaques (fatty deposits). Therefore, it is clear that hardening of the arteries starts even earlier than that tender age. Since red meats (like pork and beef and anything made of them) and eggs (particularly the yolk) are high in cholesterol, these foods are detrimental to children and to all of us.

They cause arteriosclerosis (hardening of our arteries) which leads to heart attack or stroke, which kills one person every 60 seconds in the United States alone. Indeed, not only an epidemic, even here in the Philippines, but a pandemic, worldwide! Fish, on the other hand, contains Omega 3 fatty

acids that is cardioprotective (good for our heart), the reason why it is highly recommended for all of us (together with the other healthy life style regimen we discussed above), and most especially for our toddlers and children, where prevention of cardiovascular diseases could be, and should be, maximized.

Unwittingly and without malice, we, the parents, are “killing” our children with love by allowing them to live the same undisciplined, unhealthy and deadly lifestyle we have, which, in essence, cheats them of good health and well-being, and shortens their lives. Being good examples ourselves and teaching healthy habits to our kids (starting from) while they are still in the crib and learning to say “no” to our children, when and where appropriate, will lead to a healthier, wiser and happier family. It is time for us, parents, to stop “killing” our children with love.

Go to philipSchua.com for more details. *** 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, a Health Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States.

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

16 DECEMBER 4-10, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426