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Volume 19 - No. 48 • 14 Pages
T H E F I L I P I N O A M E R I CA N C O M M U N I T Y N E WS PA P E R
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USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Fil-Am coach Mike Magpayo intent on opening doors for other AAPI coaches
DE C E MBE R 4 - 1 0 , 2 0 2 0
Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, SAN DIEGO, LAS VEGAS, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY
New COVID measures take effect in San Francisco, Santa Clara County Newsom hints at another statewide stay-at-home order
BACK in July, Filipino American coach Mike by AJPRESS Magpayo made history by becoming the first U.S. NCAA Division 1 head coach of Asian de- AS California’s COVID-19 rates continue to soar, scent. cities across the Bay Area are implementing new He was named head coach of University of measures to hinder the spread of the virus. California (UC) Riverside, which is a feat in and Most of the state has been placed in the mostof 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 coordinau PAGE A3
restrictive tier, meaning they must follow a limited stay-at-home order as introduced by the state last month. San Francisco is the latest county to move into the purple tier over the weekend, placing the area under curfew daily from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and limiting nonessential activities and gatherings dur-
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Balikbayans, family allowed to enter PH starting Dec. 7 by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
Where COVID-19 is on the menu: Failed contact tracing leaves diners in the dark COVID-19 outbreaks have affected restaurants throughout Los Angeles County, from a Panda Express in Sun Valley to the University of California’s Bruin Cafe. If you live in Los Angeles, you can access health department reports about these outbreaks online. But in most of the country, diners are left in the dark about which restaurants have been linked to outbreaks of the virus. Restaurants appear to be among the most common places to get infected with the COVID-19 virus, but contact tracing in most areas has been so lackluster that few health departments have been able to link disease clusters to in-person dining. When KHN contacted the health departments serving the 25 most populous counties in the U.S., only nine could confirm they were collecting and reporting data on potential links between restaurants and COVID cases. As of Monday, November 30, 13 of the 25 counties hadn’t announced changes to their indoor restaurant dining policies, despite record-setting numbers of new COVID infec-
ing this time period. The order began on Monday, November 30 for San Francisco and will run until December 21. “We have to get this under control now and we can’t afford to let things continue at this rate.
FRONT-LINERS’ MURAL. Several artists paint images of front-liners and the Philippine flag on a wall of the Buendia-Roxas Boulevard flyover in Pasay City on Wednesday, December 2. The painting is meant to honor the valuable contributions of the front-liners. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
FORMER Filipino citizens or “balikbayans” will be allowed to enter the Philippines visa-free 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 Diseases (IATFEID) 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 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
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DFA: Over 277K overseas Filipinos DOT eyes subsidizing half repatriated amid COVID-19 pandemic of testing costs for tourists by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
MORE than 277,000 Filipinos have returned to the Philippines since the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) began COVID-related repatriation efforts in February. 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 seabased overseas Filipinos, while 190,907 (68.84%) are land-based. The DFA on Wednesday, December 2, announced that it has brought home 34,312 Filipinos 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 strand-
by CHRISTIA
MARIE Inquirer.net
RAMOS
MANILA — The Department of Tourism (DOT) is eyeing to subsidize half of the cost of travelers’ COVID-19 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 u PAGE A4 tying up with the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), which she noted offers reverse transmission – polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 testing at only P1,900. GCQ, the least stringent quaran“The President already intine classification in the country. structed the DOH (Department Duterte urged the public to of Health) and the DTI (Departcontinue observing health mea- ment of Trade and Industry) to sures such as wearing masks, put a price cap but having said frequent handwashing, and so- that we also have, we are going cial distancing to avoid contract- to have a tie up with the UP-PGH. ing 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 u PAGE A3
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 Rodrigo 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 CHRISTMAS TIANGGE. Christmas decors for sale are on display in a tiangge at the Cogeo City, and Davao del Norte. Market, Antipolo City on Tuesday, December 1. Among the Christmas decorations for sale Meanwhile, the rest of the Philinclude Santa Claus, snowmen, and Christmas tree figurines. PNA photo by Rico H. Borja ippines will be under modified
Philippine Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo Puyat Inquirer.net photo
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
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december 4-10, 2020 • NOrcAL ASIAN JOUrNAL
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From the Front Page
Balikbayans, family allowed to enter PH... PAGE A1 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 Immigration 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 inten-
tion 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, de-
pendents, 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
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
New COVID measures take...
PAGE A1 Please, please do your part and encourage those around you to do the same,” San Francisco Mayor London Breed wrote in a Twitter post on Nov. 28. Due to the purple tier assignment, San Francisco has closed indoor movie theaters, indoor gyms and fitness centers, indoor museums, zoos, and services at houses of worship. Non-essential indoor retail has been reduced to 25% capacity. The city previously issued a travel advisory for those traveling outside of the Bay Area but remaining in state to self-quarantine for 14 days after return and to continue measures like social distancing and wearing face coverings. As of Wednesday, December 2, San Francisco has recorded 15,792 cases and 160 deaths. Seven other Bay Area counties in the purple tier are Alameda, Napa, Contra Costa, Sonoma, Solano, San Mateo and Santa Clara. Travel limits Meanwhile in Santa Clara County, a new travel quarantine order took effect this week wherein anyone — both residents and non-residents — who traveled more than 150 miles (whether by air, car, train or any other mode of transportation)
from the county will have to follow a 14-day quarantine upon entering. Licensed health care professionals and those who travel to perform an essential governmental function are exempt from the mandatory quarantine, the county clarified. Even with the new measure, officials are warning that hospitals could continue to be overwhelmed and that ICUs are reaching over 90% capacity. “We continue to be at risk of exceeding our hospital capacity, with typically used beds in our hospitals potentially exceeding capacity by mid-December if the trend continues,” Dr. Jennifer Tong, Associate Chief Medical Officer at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, told CBS Bay Area. The county has recorded 35,457 COVID-19 cases and 482 deaths, as of this writing. Statewide caution Earlier this week, Governor Gavin Newsom said that the state could see a more restrictive stay-at-home order given that 51 counties are now in the purple tier of the state’s COVID19 monitoring system. “If these trends continue, we’re going to have to take much more dramatic, arguable drastic, action,” Newsom said during an
online press conference on Monday. The state added 20,759 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total to 1,245,948 positive cases. Meanwhile, 113 new deaths were recorded for a total of 19,324. The number of hospitalizations due to confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases in California reached a total of 9,365, an increase of 316 from the prior day total. The number of ICU patients due to confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases in California reached a total of 2,121, an increase of 121 from the prior day total. If the uptick continues, the governor warned that the 78% of the hospital beds across the state could be filled by Christmas Eve and ICU beds occupied by mid-December. “We’re now looking in real time at hospitalization numbers and ICU capacity in those regions,” he said. “We are assessing this in real time over the next day or two to make determinations of deep purple moves in those purple tier status (counties) that is more equivalent, more in line with the stayat-home order that folks were familiar with at the beginning of this year, with modifications in terms of the work that we are currently doing.” n
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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • deCembeR 4-10, 2020
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Wells Fargo NeighborhoodLIFT program to Metro Manila remains under GCQ... create pathways to Bay Area homeownership PAGE A1 t
As the Bay Area grapples with COVID-19 economic recovery, $9.5 million effort helps 350 low- and moderate-income residents SAN FRANCISCO – In the Bay Area, more than four in 10 renters pay over 30% of their income on housing. Additionally, nearly 25% of renters are severely cost-burdened, paying over half of their income on housing, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. Renters, including people of color, are disadvantaged in being able to build equity and wealth as the Bay Area grapples with recovery from the economic fallout and housing instability caused by COVID-19. To address this ongoing issue, Wells Fargo, NeighborWorks® America, and its network member Community Housing Development Corporation on Wednesday, December 2 announced the NeighborhoodLIFT® program, a $9.5 million collaboration funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation to boost homeownership in the Bay Area for low- and moderate-income individuals. The NeighborhoodLIFT program will offer $25,000 in down payment assistance to 359 eligible homebuyers. “The economic fallout caused by COVID-19 has only exacerbated the housing affordability challenges in the Bay Area as far too many families struggle paying too much of their income on rent,” said Max Seetho, Wells Fargo Bank region president for the Silicon Valley. “While affordability and inventory continue to pose challenges, this initiative will make a positive impact on the lives of more low- and moderate-income families by putting them on a pathway to housing stability, wellness, and wealth accumulation through successful homeownership.” Because of COVID-19, the NeighborhoodLIFT program for six Bay Area counties is redesigned to virtually assist low- and moderate-income homebuyers purchase a home in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Solano counties through the collaboration with the nonprofits. “We have much more work to do to broaden economic opportunity in the Bay Area and it’s heartening to see Wells Fargo launch an initiative that embraces homeownership as the surest path to financial resilience for our families struggling on modest incomes,” said San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. Wednesday’s expansion of the NeighborhoodLIFT program is Wells Fargo’s 80th LIFT programs launch and follows similar Bay Area initiatives in 2012 and 2017 that assisted 536 homeowners with down payment assistance with a combined $16 million investment by Wells Fargo. The 2020 expansion of the initiative for six Bay Area counties includes $525,000 for 700 people to receive NeighborhoodLIFT Home Ownership Counseling so they can learn how to navigate the home purchasing process and determine how to best budget for ongoing homeownership costs. “This important collaboration will assist more than 350 homeowners,” said Lisa Hasegawa, regional vice president, Western region with NeighborWorks America. “The required homebuyer education provided by trained professionals better prepares NeighborhoodLIFT homebuyers to achieve their goal of sustainable homeownership.” Montie Cross, a retired technology company worker purchased her family’s Fairfield, Calif. home with NeighborhoodLIFT down payment assistance. “This is my first-time owning a home so working with the credit counselor to prepare for the steps to qualify for a mortgage made everything go smooth,” said Cross. “This is my house now and I don’t need to rent any longer.” Eligible homebuyers can earn 80% or less of family median income in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Solano counties, as determined by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council. Participating homebuyers can obtain mortgage fi-
nancing from any participating NeighborhoodLIFT lender, and Community Housing Development Corporation will determine eligibility and administer the down payment assistance. Interested individuals should visit www.wellsfargo.com/ lift for additional information and the steps to apply for down payment assistance. Homebuyers can view a list of participating lenders and sign-up for homebuyer education with a HUD-approved provider at www.communityhdc.org/lift. Applications for down payment assistance may be submitted beginning Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. “We are ready to help more Bay Area families achieve successful and sustainable homeownership,” said Don Gilmore, executive director of Community Housing Development Corporation. “NeighborhoodLIFT is a unique program in how it changes lives by moving away from the uncertainty of renting by making homeownership more affordable, achievable, and sustainable.” The NeighborhoodLIFT program also aligns with the goals and principles of the Roundtable for Economic Access and Change (Project REACh) founded by the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The Project REACh coalition focuses on removing barriers to financial inclusion and providing greater access to credit and capital. Wells Fargo is involved in all four Project REACh work streams, including the Alternative Credit Score Utility; Small Business Opportunity; Revitalizing Minority Depository Institutions Working Groups; and is leading the Homeownership Working Group, which seeks to expand and preserve affordable homeownership among minority populations. The NeighborhoodLIFT program addresses several of the challenges facing potential homeowners, including engaging in homebuyer education, savings, and wealth creation. Additional information can be found at www.occ.gov/REACh. Since 2012, Wells Fargo has invested $511 million in NeighborhoodLIFT and other LIFT programs across more than 1,000 communities to help 24,600 Americans become homeowners, purchasing more than $4.86 billion in real estate on an aggregate basis as of June 2020. The program is part of the Wells Fargo Foundation’s commitment to donate $1 billion in support of housing affordability solutions across the U.S. Additionally, since 2016, Wells Fargo has financed 34 affordable housing developments in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Solano counties. The $1.8 billion in debt and equity financing has supported the construction or renovation of 4,045 rental homes for families, seniors, and people at risk of being homeless due to increased housing costs in the Bay Area. The Wells Fargo Foundation has also distributed $175 million in donations across the U.S. in 2020, in response to the economic fallout caused by COVID19. These resources have helped provide support for food, small businesses, andhousing needs. Grants focused on keeping people housed include funding for national nonprofit housing intermediaries, local nonprofits, and legal assistance organizations, including Bay Area Legal Aid, that drive advocacy efforts and work with people to mitigate rental evictions. Community Housing Development Corporation (CHDC) is a chartered member of NeighborWorks America, a national organization that creates opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives and strengthen their communities. NeighborWorks America supports a network of more than 240 nonprofits, located in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. CHDC is a 30-year-old comprehensive community development organization providing homeownership counseling, down
DOT eyes subsidizing half...
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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 UPPGH,” she added. With the easing of restrictions, some tourist destinations 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
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
facilities 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 ev-
payment assistance, developing rental and homeownership homes, economic development, lending, property and asset management and community engagement. CHDC is a Neigh- PAGE A1 t borWorks Homeownership Cen- tor at UC Riverside before replacing David Patrick ter. Visit www.neighborworks. as head coach. He also had stints at University of org or www.communityhdc. San Francisco, Campbell University, and Columbia University before making his way to UC Riverside org to learn more. Wells Fargo & Company in 2018. Outside the NCAA, Magpayo is the founder and (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial ser- president of the Asian Coaches Association, an orgavices company with $1.92 tril- nization that unifies, supports, and elevates all Asian lion in assets. Wells Fargo’s vi- coaches beyond just the basketball community. “I hope I can open the door for other Asian coachsion is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them es… that’s the mission,” he told Sports Illustrated. However, Sports Illustrated noted that while Magsucceed financially. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San payo and his organization continue to open doors Francisco, Wells Fargo provides in the sports industry for Asians, “his own door has banking, investment and mort- been wavering shut.” UC Riverside in August began considering elimigage products and services, as well as consumer and commer- nating its entire athletic program to address the ficial finance, through 7,200 loca- nancial deficits that the school is experiencing due tions, more than 13,000 ATMs, to the global health crisis. “A number of Power 5 universities have already the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has eliminated several sports teams—including Stanoffices in 31 countries and terri- ford’s rowing program and Minnesota’s indoor and tories to support customers who outdoor track and field teams—though no one in conduct business in the global 2020 has ended athletics entirely,” said Sports Ileconomy. Wells Fargo serves lustrated. “But for a non-Power 5 school like UC Riverside, one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & which additionally lacks a lucrative football program Company was ranked No. 30 (the Highlanders’ football team is a member of the on Fortune’s 2020 rankings of NCAA’s Division II), a notion to cut its entire athletic America’s largest corporations. program could be seen as justifiable,” it added. Magpayo, for his part, expressed disbelief over News, insights and perspectives the situation. from Wells Fargo are also avail“I know it’s about dollars and cents and we’re in a able at Wells Fargo Stories. once-in-a-century pandemic, but I just truly believe (Wells Fargo Release)
eryone 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
Fil-Am coach Mike Magpayo intent on opening...
Mike Magpayo
Photo courtesy of UC Riverside
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)
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december 4-10, 2020 • NOrcAL ASIAN JOUrNAL
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Wesley So spoils Magnus Carlsen’s birthday with Skilling Open title by Mark
GionGco Inquirer.net
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.
Yuka Saso, Bianca Pangdanganan reunite during US Women’s Open THEY last played together in 2018, anchoring Team Philippines’ breakthrough gold medal romp in the Asian Games in Jakarta with Yuka Saso winning the individual gold and Bianca Pagdanganan bagging the bronze. In the next eight days, the power-hitting pair would be meeting again — not as teammates though but as fellow competitors in the US Women’s Open. But unless they dish out games that would merit spots in the leaderboard, Saso and Pagdanganan could be just two of the 156 players who have made it to the exempt list of what has long been considered as the world’s premier ladies championship for its lore, cast, prize money and history. Pagdanganan, 23, clinched a spot by placing joint ninth in the last LPGA Tour major, the Women’s PGA Championship in Pennsylvania last October while LPGA of Japan Tour stalwart and world No. 48 Saso is one of the 28 who earned their way into the fabled event through the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. The ICTSI-backed power hitters are sure thrilled to be slugging it out with the best in the world and a slew of young, rising international stars but more than the excitement, it is the rare chance to showcase their talent and skills before the world’s biggest golf stage that drives and motivates them to outdo themselves in the historic 75th staging of the event.
Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan
The cream of the world ladies pro crop are all primed up for the $5.5 million event firing off December 10 at the Champions Club in Houston, Texas, including the top five — Jin Young Ko and Sei Young Kim of Korea, Americans Nelly Korda and Danielle Kang, and Korean In Bee Park and defending champion Jeongeun Lee6, also of Korea. Saso, 19, has just wrapped up her JLPGA rookie campaign, finishing second in the Players’ ranking after 14 events although the Tour said it would still add some tournaments early next year to make up for the cancellation of a number of championships this year due to pandemic. Results of the additional tournaments will also offer ranking points, giving the likes of the FilJapanese ace chances to still go for top honors.
Philstar.com photos
Saso’s fellow JLPGA campaigners are also joining the Houston joust, including leading player Ayaka Furue, two-time major winner Erika Hara, Sakura Koiwai, Yuna Nishimura, Eri Okayama, Teresa Lu and Lala Anai. Pagdanganan, on the other hand, is vying in the Volunteers of America Classic set December 3-6 in The Colony, also in Texas, as part of her buildup for the US Open, originally set last June but was moved to next week due to the global health crisis. To account for the expected reduced daylight during winter, the US Women’s Open organizers said they are tapping the Jackrabbit Course at Champions Club in the first two rounds along with the Cypress Creek Course, which was originally slated to host all four rounds of championship play. n
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 classical, rapid and blitz chess champion,
Wesley So
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, who also rued
Photo from Chess.com
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
DFA: Over 277K overseas Filipinos... PAGE A1 ed 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
Where COVID-19 is on the menu: Failed contact...
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tions in the U.S. While public health researchers are convinced indoor dining is a risky activity in areas where COVID-19 is spreading, getting solid data to justify restaurant restrictions has been difficult. It takes in-depth, resource-heavy disease investigations to determine where people were exposed to the coronavirus, and those contact-tracing efforts have never gotten off the ground in most of the country. This has made it hard to develop more specific information about risky restaurants and bars, and may have contributed to an overall feeling of powerlessness in the face of the pandemic among people and officials. It didn’t have to be this way, said Dr. Bill Miller, a senior associate dean of research at the Ohio State University College of Public Health. “We’ve really missed an opportunity” to use contact tracing systematically to provide “useful information to give us ideas of where we might need to be intervening,” he said. For contact tracing of other infectious diseases, such as HIV/ AIDS, investigators usually ask patients to think through all the contacts with whom they might have shared a virus. They also dive further into the past to try to determine who might have infected the person in the first place. But U.S. contact tracing for COVID-19 hasn’t taken this approach, in part because of a lack of resources and public trust. Contact-tracing departments are stretched thin, gathering minimum data and facing a suspicious and often uncooperative population. Contact tracers in Maricopa County, Arizona, prioritize learning the names of individuals over the locations where the coronavirus may be spreading. With the exception of long-term care facilities and a few other locations, investigators don’t consider something an outbreak until they can trace 10 potential cases to a location, said Ron Coleman, a county spokesperson. As winter looms and people increasingly gather indoors, many local governments are flying blind, lacking the data to create and adjust COVID restriction policies that could make a meaningful dent in rising case rates. “Imagine there’s some major sporting event,” Miller said. “You might miss an entire cluster that came out of a social situation” if you didn’t check whether, for example, a COVID-positive person had gone to a crowded bar to watch it. The COVID virus spreads mainly through respiratory droplets that an infected person can release by sneezing, coughing or talking, and a restaurant meal combines several high-risk activities in a single setting: going maskless to eat and drink, meeting up with people outside your household “bubble,” and chatting over a leisurely meal. If the meal takes place indoors, poor ventilation aggravates these risks because of the virus’s potential to linger in still air.
Published research on the role restaurants play in the pandemic is highly suggestive. Taken altogether, the studies paint a scary picture of how potent restaurants can be in spreading COVID-19. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study across 10 states found that those who had tested positive for COVID-19 were more than twice as likely to say they had dined at a restaurant in the two weeks before their illness began, compared with those who tested negative. Dining at a restaurant was the only activity that differed significantly between those who tested positive and those who tested negative for the coronavirus. For example, that study seemed to show no increased risk of infection linked to shopping, gathering with 10 or fewer people or spending time in an office, said Kiva Fisher, a CDC epidemiologist and lead author of the study. Not surprisingly, restaurant restrictions appear effective at slowing viral spread in a community. Out of the many social distancing restrictions states chose to implement at the beginning of the pandemic, shutting down restaurants had the strongest correlation to reducing the spread of the disease, according to researchers at the University of Vermont. A recent Stanford Universityled study that used mobile phone data from different cities to create a simulation of viral spread suggests that restaurants operating at full capacity spread four times as many additional COVID19 infections as the next-worst location, indoor gyms. The model predicts that only about 10% of “points of interest” — public places where people gather — account for over 80% of infections that occurred in public places, said Jure Leskovec of Stanford University, lead author of the mobile phone data study. “There are a small number of these superspreader sites that account for a large majority of infections,” he said. One characteristic of superspreader sites is that “people are packed and stay there a long time.” Still, none of these studies can definitively prove that restaurant dining causes infections, the researchers said. Identifying any individual restaurant case or cluster requires the kind of shoeleather investigation that few communities in the U.S. have been able to conduct. “You’d have to follow the person and have a lot more detail and information to be able to make that claim,” said CDC epidemiologist Fisher. Many countries have succeeded in following individual trails of virus. In China, for instance, contact tracing revealed how a restaurant’s air conditioning unit may have carried a positive patient’s viral droplets from one table to two others, infecting nine other people. In Japan, investigators use contact tracing to identify clusters of disease where people live or congregate. Out of about 3,000 cases confirmed from January to April in that country,
investigators could identify 61 clusters, 16% of which were in restaurants or bars. The failure to achieve comprehensive contact tracing means that decisions about whether to close restaurants, or how many customers to allow at a time, have relied heavily on the local political climate. Because the data from contact tracing is sketchy, it’s not always easy to correlate a community’s restaurant restrictions with case rates. In San Diego, where indoor dining had been permitted with restrictions since the debut of the state’s tiered reopening system in August, 9.2% of COVIDinfected residents reported visiting a bar or restaurant up to two weeks before their symptoms appeared. All indoor dining ended in the county Nov. 14 because the county reached a threshold of case reports that led to staterequired closings. In Houston, meanwhile, 8.7% of COVID-positive people interviewed for contact tracing listed a restaurant, cafe or diner as a potential source of exposure since June 1. Restaurants there have been allowed to operate at 75% of indoor capacity since mid-September. Other local governments have contact tracing completion rates so low that the data gleaned may not be meaningful. For example, in Philadelphia, only about 2% of the COVID patients interviewed by contact tracers reported going to a restaurant, and the city allowed restaurants to reopen for indoor dining on Sept. 8. But it’s not clear how representative the city’s figures are. In one recent week, Philadelphia investigators were able to reach only 29% of the 2,110 positive cases they sought to contact. Despite this, indoor dining was stopped on Nov. 20 to combat a surge of cases. In California, the state restricts the operation of establishments based on overall case and positivity rates in each county. But counties with more robust contact-tracing programs, like Los Angeles, have been able to glean striking insights from interviewing positive patients. In Los Angeles, about 6% of COVID infections have occurred among restaurant customers, according to the public health department, though only outdoor dining has been allowed there since the state debuted its current tiered system in August. That data suggests that even outdoor dining may spread the virus, said Shira Shafir, an associate professor of community health sciences and epidemiology at UCLA. She gets takeout regularly to support the restaurants in her neighborhood but hasn’t eaten out since February, having concluded it isn’t worth the risk to herself and other patrons, or to the restaurant workers. “I don’t want to ask someone else to take a risk that I’m unwilling to take,” she said. (Anna Almendrala/Kaiser Health News) This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation. n
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Duterte allows emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines by Ritchel
Mendiola 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 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, including data from adequate and well-known controlled trials, it is reasonable to believe that the drug or vaccine
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte
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
Richard Madelo/Presidential Photo
declared public emergency due to COVID-19.” 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, November 27, 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
DOH recommends prohibiting minors in malls By aJPRess
MINORS should stay inside their homes during the holiday season as they are also at risk for contracting the coronavirus, the Philippine Department of Health advised on Wednesday, December 2. “Our position has not changed. As much as possible, we discourage that because the risk is still there,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III maintained. He added, “Around 3% to 5% of our total infected cases are children. They’re not exempted from getting infected.” His statement came after the Department of the Interior and Local Government urged the Metro Manila Council (MMC) to draft unified guidelines for allowing minors to enter malls.
According to Duque, children can be spreaders of the virus despite not showing severe symptoms. “When they talk or hug their family members, children could cause transmission and we would have a high infection rate,” he explained. Metro Manila mayors, for their part, consulted with the Philippine Pediatric Society before coming up with a decision. “Mayors are not experts in the medical field. And if a surge happens, mayors will be blamed. It’s good to hear the opinion of experts in that field,” Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Jojo Garcia said in an interview on radio DZBB. Once the MMC receives the experts’ input, it will hold an
emergency meeting to discuss the matter and vote on the decision. Currently, only residents aged 18 to 65 can go outside of their homes and visit malls. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday approved the recommendation of the InterAgency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to keep Metro Manila under general community quarantine (GCQ) for the entire month of December. Aside from the capital region, 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 under modified GCQ, the least stringent quarantine classification in the country. n
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
Lacson mulls proposal to criminalize red tagging by BeRnadette
taMayo ManilaTimes.net
PHILIPPINE Senator Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday, December 2 said he was studying the proposal to criminalize red tagging as long as such legislation will not infringe on the bill of rights. The senator made the remark as he dismissed the claim of the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives that the Senate inquiry on red-tagging of some personalities and groups by the military has become a venue for witch hunting. “As a matter of fact, I am seriously considering the recommen- Philippine Senator Panfilo Lacson dation to criminalize red tagging hearing on the alleged red tagging as long as such legislation will of some individuals and organizanot infringe on the bill of rights tions by the security sector. involving freedom of speech and “We will collate all the testimoexpression,” Lacson said. nies and documents submitted by The chairman of the Senate both sides to the committee and Committee on National Defense thereafter come up with our conand Security on Tuesday, Decem- clusions and recommendations ber 1 conducted the third hybrid in our committee report,” Lacson
ManilaTimes.net photo
said in a text message. Detained Sen. Leila De Lima said that President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, November 30 went on a red tagging “rampage” against the Makabayan bloc. “It’s supposed to be a Presiu PAGE A7
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DECEMBER 4-10, 2020 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL
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FeatURes
OPiniOn
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 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)
Editorial
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 November 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 penance, 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
DE LA CRUZ
“My generation in Germany were always asking our parents and grandparents how Adolf Hitler could have happened in a democratic state—I think, now we all know it from firsthand [watching the United States]” Hartmut Mueller, Germany SHORTLY after major media organizations called the elections for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris folks came out in jubilation, complete with someone spraying the crowd with champagne. I have witnessed celebrations like this before, only when a city’s sports team wins a major championship. Never for election results. It reminded me of the celebrations and tears of joy Filipinos shed after they deposed Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. The 2020 presidential election broke voter turnout records. Joe Biden amassed more than 80 million votes, the highest in history, with Donald Trump garnering 74 million, the second-most in history. While voter turnout is a huge positive, the votes themselves reveal a deeply divided country: 51% Biden, 48% Trump. I personally find Donald Trump’s incompetence and divisiveness, deeply disturbing. The COVID-19 pandemic requires that we come together as a community to fight the community spread of the virus. Instead, he has encouraged wrong-headed
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. And we all do, especially during this time of a fast-paced 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 solutions 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:
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Trump’s authoritarianism is still dangerous
Commentary
ENRIQUE
Philstar.com photo
exceptionalist behavior. I was in line to enter a grocery store the other day when a few patrons ahead of me was a man not wearing a mask. An employee approached him, saying, “Sir you need to wear a mask” to which the man answered, “I don’t care about masks.” The employee responded, “Sir, it’s not about you. We are trying to keep this store open, so folks can buy groceries; we will get shut down if someone gets sick while shopping here.” The challenges in managing the spike in coronavirus cases here in the U.S. could very well be due in part to these exceptionalist attitudes that pervade the American psyche. I think, however, that despite American exceptionalism, Trump’s failure to unite the nation in a common fight against a serious health threat has needlessly led to more American deaths from the virus. For comparison, the 260,000 deaths and counting (as I write this), is more than four times the American combat deaths in Vietnam (60,000). I am puzzled why so many Americans affirmed Trump’s leadership. It is true that many voted for him, simply on the basis of single issues like abortion while ignoring his racism. But the vast majority feel that his leadership has given them reassurance and comfort. Why is this? I have been nudged into this search by a chat—via text message—with a German friend, a space scientist in Germany who
texted me the observation that begins this essay. What is it that my friend is so attuned to about developments in the United States under Trump to draw this observational parallel between the rise of Nazism in Germany and the rise of authoritarianism in the United States? A recent article by Matthew C. McWilliams in Politico may offer some insight into why my German friend found Trump’s tenure at the White House so compellingly descriptive of the rise of Hitler and Nazism in preWWII democratic Germany. McWilliam’s Politico essay derives from a much larger work, “On Fascism: 12 Lessons From American History”. I should also note that there are other studies out there about America’s authoritarian tendencies, but I find McWilliam’s observations rather prescient of the tableau that unfolded during this election year. McWilliams begins by observing that through high school civics classes, we come to believe that America is uniquely immune to authoritarianism as a country founded on freedom, equality, and justice. But he quickly adds, this is a national fairy tale. An authoritarian strain in American politics appears to have been stirred up by Trump’s candidacy during the 2016 elections, he observes. Voters then had a chance to repudiate this strain, but Trump won. Much damage has been done in the ensuing 4 years but voters in 2020 finally repudiated him. Yet, McWilliams warns this strain
of American authoritarianism will not magically vanish even if Trump loses. It is thus critical to understand the characteristics of this strain; it is doubly urgent to shine a light on it given the huge support that Trump has garnered, which shows how prevalent it is in the American body politic. What kinds of policies and changes will American authoritarians support once stirred up? McWilliams notes that American authoritarianism is not a policy preference such as lower taxes or pro-life, but a world view “that can be activated in the right moment by anyone with a big enough megaphone who is willing to play on voter’s fears and insecurities.” Thus activated, authoritarian leaning Americans “are predisposed to trade civil liberties for strongman solutions to secure law and order; and they are ready to strip civil liberties from those defined as the ‘other’.” Several incidents attest to this willingness to curtail civil liberties in ‘strongman’ fashion. During the summer of 2020 at the height of protests over the deaths of African Americans in the hands of police, Trump famously tweeted, “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” Shortly afterward, law enforcement officers used tear gas and riot control tactics to forcefully clear peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square for Trump to walk to St. John’s Church for a photo-op. He has openly encouraged violence. When protests
against “stay at home” orders to help blunt the spread of the virus took place in Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia, In separate, all-caps tweets, Trump shouted, “LIBERATE MICHIGAN,” LIBERATE MINNESOTA,” LIBERATE VIRGINIA.” In the latter, he urged Virginians to “save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!” These may have encouraged open insurrection for shortly thereafter, a militia group engaged in a plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor Gretchen Whitmer. Fortunately, the plot was thwarted. More recently, he fired his Defense Secretary for no apparent reason other than his refusal to use the military to quell peaceful protests in Washington, D.C. McWilliams feels, that authoritarian leaning Americans are more likely to support limiting the freedom of the press and agree that the media is the enemy of the people rather than a valuable independent institution. (Trump’s animosity with the press is public knowledge.) They are also more likely to think the president should have the power to limit the voice and vote of opposition parties, while believing that those who disagree with them are a threat to our country. This election year, Trump and Republicans have repeatedly cast aspersions on the validity of mailed ballots as open to fraud and have filed lawsuits to prevent them from being counted. Fortunately, those in charge of canvassing votes, have conscientiously carried out their
tasks, as judges have thrown out lawsuits alleging irregularities as being without merit. “American authoritarians fear diversity,” McWilliams writes, “they are more likely to agree that increasing racial, religious and ethnic diversity is a clear and present threat to national security. They are more fearful of people of other races, and agree with the statement that “sometimes other groups must be kept in their place.” This fear of diversity is clearly the motivation behind Trump’s order to defund diversity training. A ban issued in late summer forbids federal funding for “spending related to any training on ‘critical race theory,’ and ’white privilege.’” The memo urges agencies “ to identify all available avenues within the law to cancel any such contracts and… divert Federal dollars away from these un-American propaganda training sessions.” McWilliams observes that “The political path to galvanize American authoritarianism is… well worn and documented. First, purveyors of the paranoid style conjure an “other.” Second, this other is described as different from mainstream Americans, and identified as a clear and present threat to majoritarian values and traditions. Third, the paranoid leader stokes fear that a hidden conspiracy to undermine mainstream values is afoot and alleges that the other is behind it—activating American authoritarians. Finally, in its
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Lacson mulls proposal to criminalize...
PAGE A5 vid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) situation but what we’ve been hearing since Day 1 are desperate attempts at damage control,” she said. “In his latest address to the nation, he went on a red-tagging rampage against the Makabayan bloc, clearly a diversionary tactic,” De Lima stressed. Lacson maintained that the
Dateline PhiliPPines
hearings have been fair, with all sides given their chance to air their concerns – contrary to the Makabayan bloc’s accusations. He said that the inputs gathered during the three hearings will lead to legislation that seeks to address the issue. “Just because the Makabayan bloc cannot have it themselves, in spite of all the time and space that the committee had given them,
not to mention the fact that I was even defending them at least a couple of times, they still have the temerity to accuse the Senate of with hunting,” he said. Lacson added, “Looking for a scapegoat in the committee for their failure to address squarely the allegations of the former NPA (New People’s Army) rebels could only indicate their inadequacy during the hearings.” n
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.” ***
reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
God’s advent message for us amid... PAGE A6 “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.
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily
*** 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.
Trump’s authoritarianism is still... PAGE A6
most virulent manifestation, the growing fear of the other is manipulated to rationalize actions that violate fundamental values, norms, laws and constitutional protections guaranteed to all Americans.” The fear that Trump has stoked, was most evident this summer amid BLM protests when a St. Louis couple started waving guns at BLM protesters who were peacefully walking through their neighborhood. Fear-mongering was most evident during the Republican National Convention when Trump himself warned that “Joe Biden and the radical left are also now coming for our freedom of speech, and want to bully us into submission.” Another speaker, without much evidence, declared, “They (Democrats and Sanders) want to destroy this country.” In defeating Trump this election cycle, Americans may have dodged the proverbial bullet of authoritarianism and fascism. But immediate and longer-term dangers lurk. The fear-mongering that was on open display at this summer’s RNC plays on the unease many whites feel about the increasing diversity that they are experiencing through changes in the demographics of their
neighborhoods, towns and cities. This unease is well illustrated by increased racially biased calls for police intervention through 911— for BBQing in a park (Oakland), for a Latino man playing with his lighter complexioned grandson (Torrance), for sitting at a Starbucks (Philadelphia), for a black student napping in her dorm’s commons room (Yale). A White woman was also caught on video for blocking an African American from entering the apartment building where he lives. In an age characterized by easy access to social media platforms, disinformation and falsehoods seem to have become part of our daily informational diet. We have yet to master the critical thinking skills to winnow out the chaff from the truth. Our social networks have turned into giant echo chambers, making it difficult to be objective on some issues. For the longer term, McWilliams urges us to “rebuild faith in the institutions of government and democracy by demanding that our leaders are constrained by the rule of law and our fundamental constitutional principles.” He adds that “we must confront and make peace with our history. We have much to be proud of as Americans, but we also have a history that needs to be confront-
ed…Reconciliation of our past transgressions strengthens us as a people.” This is strong medicine. I agree. White supremacy is a central pillar of nazism. It is likewise the scaffolding that supports slavery, apartheid, and Jim Crow. The attitudes and beliefs that grew out of these institutions still infuse American culture today. They manifest themselves through feelings of discomfort at the sight of “othered ” Americans in spaces they weren’t expected to be at, leading to 911 calls. They are what make Americans highly susceptible to authoritarian leaders. McWilliams warns that “A country where authoritarian ideals are ascendant, and remain ascendant, is no longer a democracy. It is on the road to fascism...” I hope that this presidential election has rerouted us away from fascism, and towards a society that affirms equality, diversity, and individual liberties. *** 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. ••• Enrique de la Cruz is Professor Emeritus of Asian American Studies at Cal State University, Northridge.
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Features
december 4-10, 2020 • NOrcAL ASIAN JOUrNAL
Kollaboration celebrates 20th anniversary of promoting diversity in entertainment with AAPI lineup Pinay rapper Ruby Ibarra among guest performances
ON December 12, Kollaboration will be virtually celebrating its 20-year anniversary of inspiring and promoting the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) creative community in media and entertainment. The show will be full of star studded shoutouts, guest appearances, and incredible performances. The show will feature special guest performances by rapper Ruby Ibarra, singer-songwriter Megan Lee, musician and YouTuber David Choi, singer-songwriter CLARA, co-founder of Kinjaz and former Jabbawockeez member Ben Chung, and renowned violinist Jason Yang. Kollaboration has hosted over 170 live events spotlighting over 1,200 AAPI performers in their STAR Showcases and over 1,500 industry professionals and influencers through their annual EMPOWER conferences. Some of the organization’s alumni, performers, and supporters include
actor Randall Park, actor Steven Yeun, comedian Ali Wong, actress and rapper Awkwafina, comedian Jo Koy, music band Run River North, hip hop group Far East Movement, K-Pop artist Eric Nam, and rapper Dumbfoundead. “We are at a critical moment to advance equitable opportunities for AAPI artists and creatives in the entertainment industry,” says Roy Choi, Kollaboration’s Board Chair. “With recent awareness and commitments to diversity, inclusion, and equity, Kollaboration is positioned to advance the talents and stories of AAPI artists and strengthen our collective voices to empower through entertainment.” National entertainment companies HBO, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and The Walt Disney Studios partners with Kollaboration as Legacy Sponsors to celebrate the achievements in diversity the organizations have
created together over the years. In addition, Kwon Orthodontics of La Canada, CA joins as a Celebration Sponsor to support Kollaboration’s 20th Anniversary event. “At HBO, we are honored to be one of the industry players leading the conversation around diversity in the media,” said Jackie Gagne, SVP Multicultural Marketing at WarnerMedia. “As a Legacy sponsor, HBO has shared Kollaboration’s mission to elevate the work of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, as well as introduce and connect talented newcomers to the industry. Now more than ever we want to continue elevating unique, bold and emerging talent.” The virtual celebration will be free to attend on December 12, 2020 at 3 p.m PST using Facebook and YouTube Live. To RSVP for the event, visit https://www. kollaboration.org/
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celebrity world By Ferdie Villar
Internationally known boxing champ Manny Pacquiao heads list of famous December birthday celebrants FOR the merry month of December, internationally known boxing champ and Philippine senator Manny Pacquiao heads the list of prominent celebrities who will be celebrating their birthdays this month. The eightdivision world champion boxing legend turns 42 on December 17. Known by his monicker “PacMan,” Senator Pacquiao added to his list of accomplishments when he became the oldest welterweight boxing champion in history in a thrilling split decision victory over previously undefeated WBA titleholder Keith Thurman at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in 2019. According to Wikipedia, Pacquiao is the only boxer to hold four world championships across four decades – 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s. Prior to his current senatorial post, Pacquiao had been elected as Congress representative for the province of Sarangani, which is located at the southernmost tip of Mindanao island and is part of what is known as the Soccsksargen (South Cotabato-CotabatoSultan Kudarat-Sarangani-General Santos) region. Other prominent personalities celebrating their birthdays in December are: December 4: Former Miss Republic of the Philippines-USA winner Sarah Atienza Leong, pop rock singer-songwriter Yeng Constantino; December 6: Philippine News Today vice president for operations/promotions Thelma Cruz; December 7: GMA Network Inc. chairman/CEO Atty. Felipe Gozon, model/actor/TV host Derek Ramsay, Daly City medical assistant Susan Gonzales, San Jose jewel designer/manufacturer Josie Harris; December 8: Filipina caregiver Aida Marinas; December 9: Marina Seaside community leader Anita Lomboy; December 10: Former Miss RP-
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World famous boxer Manny Pacquiao celebrates his 42nd birthday on Thursday, December 17.
USA World Eva Reyes; December 11: Former Philippine Medical Society of Northern California president Dr. Carmelo Lim Roco; December 12: Concert Queen Pops Fernandez, TV host/rap artist/actor/model Carlos Agassi, Hillsborough successful businesswoman Upeng Abad Sy; December 13: Former senator and billionaire businessman Manny Villar; December 15: Cupertino jetsetter Rema Zafrani Vasa; December 16: Multi-awarded actress Gloria Romero, actress/ politician Aiko Melendez, Health Professionals Inc. chief accountant Elvie Angeles, the late and original Queen of Philippine Mov- Rema Zafrani Vasa, a Filipina jetsetter based in Cupertino, celebrates her birthday on Tuesday, ies Rosa del Rosario; December 17: Former Miss December 15. United Nations International top-rated GMA Pinoy TV show Anna Satorre, actor/comedian/re- “Bubble Gang”); December 18: “The Gift” telescording artist Michael V (of the erye actress Mikee Quintos; December 20: South San Francisco community leader the late Connie Belleza Gaspar; December 21: Actress/TV host/ endorser Valerie Concepcion, former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, former Mrs. Republic of the Philippines International and fashion model Marilen Bernardo; December 23: Multi-awarded actress Lorna Tolentino, Statewide Realty real estate broker Marc Garvida; December 27: Gilroy auto mechanic/shop owner Dar Rabonza; December 28: Former Mrs. Republic of the Philippines Las Vegas and fashion designer Nina Alberto, former LBC treasurer Fely Ruiz; December 29: San Ramon businesswoman Flora Enriquez; December 30: Star Cinema talented actor and model Jake Cuenca (born in San Jose, California). Happy Birthday to all December celebrants, and advance HapBillionaire Manny Villar, a former senator in the Philippines, celebrates his birthday on Sunday, py Holidays to all Asian Journal December 13. readers!
Elvie Angeles, chief accountant of Health Professionals Inc. in Daly City, celebrates her birthday on Wednesday, December 16.
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Anna Satorre, former Miss United Nations International, celebrates her birthday on Thursday, December 17.
Marc Garvida, a real estate broker for Statewide Realty in Daly City, celebrates his birthday on Wednesday, December 23.
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Joel and Margie Cabrera, born on the same day (November 19), celebrated their birthdays together at the Cabrera residence in Antioch recently.
Thelma Cruz, vice president for operations and promotions of Philippine News Today, celebrates her birthday on Sunday, December 6.
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The December 2020 Priority Dates Immigration Corner 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 eli-
gible 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 employmentbased 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 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.
The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows: FAMILY CATEGORY: First Preference
Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens (over 21 years of age)
Second Preference
* * * 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 attorney-client 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 ‘CITIZEN PINOY’ ANSWERS QUESTIONS FROM KAPAMILYA IN HAWAII AND CANADA ON A NOCHE BUENA HOLIDAY EPISODE THIS SUNDAY. Leading U.S. Four offices to serve you: Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (left) celebrates the holiday season with a Noche Buena feast, and in the Kapamilya spirit answers LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK immigration questions from guests from Hawaii and Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. Seph, from Oahu, HI, (top right) asks if he can include ∙ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement) 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 Application Filing Date Visa Issuance Date Sagot” this Sunday, December 6 at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers). (Advertising Supplement)
October 08, 2012
December 15, 2011
(2A) Spouse and minor children (below 21 years old) of green card holders
August 01, 2020
Current
(2b) Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years old or older) of green card holders
April 01, 2012
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, 2002
January 01, 2002
Application Filing Date
Visa Issuance Date
LABOR CERTIFICATION:
Advanced degree (masters)
Current
Current
Third Preference
Professional/ Skilled Workers
Current
Current
Other Workers
Non-Skilled Workers
Current
Current
ANA continues 3 weekly flights from SFO to Manila via Tokyo Narita for holiday season Airline starts SFO to Tokyo Haneda service until January 31
flight from SFO to Tokyo Haneda Airport, close to downtown Tokyo, from December 1st to January 31st. For those who may have essential travel to Tokyo, departure from SFO to Haneda will operate every Wednesday and Sunday, leaving SFO at 00:20 midnight and arriving Haneda at 4:40 a.m. There is currently no same-day connection from Haneda to Manila but there will be an additional flight option from Manila to SFO via Tokyo Haneda. The service will
operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays, departing Manila from 2:50 p.m. and arriving SFO at 3:00 p.m., the same day. ANA will promote the “ANA Care Promise,” its initiative to provide a clean and hygienic environment at airports and aboard aircraft so that all customers can travel safely and comfortably. For more information, please visit our website: www.fly-ana. com or contact your travel agency. (Advertising Supplement)
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 part-time 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 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)
Why Sarah feels like she’s been married for 10 years already By Rito
P. Asilo Inquirer.net
Sarah Geronimo
by izA iglesiAs Manilatimes.net
Second Preference
ALL Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest 5-Star airline for eight consecutive years, will continue to offer its 3 weekly flights from Tokyo Narita International Airport to Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) in December and January in time for holiday travel. This provides a same-day connection for our passengers flying between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Manila via Tokyo Narita. The flights depart from SFO on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. and arrive in Manila the next day at 9:55 p.m. The return flights from Manila, also on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, leave at 9:30 a.m. and arrive in SFO at 9:15 a.m., the same day. Both routes have a same-day twohour connection at Tokyo Narita, so no PCR test is required. For customers planning their travel, please always check the latest information from embassies, consulates, and health institutions in your destination. ANA also launched a new
Enchong on staying loyal to ABS-CBN, Star Magic
IN a recent virtual interview that we attended, Sarah Geronimo was asked if having babies or raising kids was already on top of her priorities, now that she’s married to Matteo Guidicelli. “Not just yet,” she said. “Unang una sa lahat, we want to save first. Before the kids come, we want to enjoy this stage in our lives as husband and wife. We hoped we’d have enough time to enjoy each other’s company. Pero biglang nag-lockdown, so we didn’t get to travel and enjoy married life as much as we would have if not for this pandemic. “I even joked that it felt like Matt and I have already been married for 10 years because we were together 24/7. Gusto sana naming makapag-ipon for our travel funds. Ang galing nga ng asawa ko—he’s very organized. He’ll say, ‘Let’s set these funds for groceries, for our needs at home, etc.” “Then, we also want to build our own home. We’ve set our priorities … medyo nakakalula po. But if you plan ahead and organize your priorities well enough, everyPhoto from Instagram_@justsarahgph thing will follow.”
A CERTIFIED heartthrob, Enchong Dee has been in showbiz since he was 17 years old, successfully emerging as one of the most popular actors in the country, both on television and the movies. Now 32, and amid the huge changes going on in the entertainment, he loyally remains a certified Kapamilya and homegrown Star Magic talent. This, despite the impact of ABS-CBN Network’s franchise denial back in July. The non-renewal led to the retrenchment of thousands of employees, cancelled programs, the closure of provincial stations and a surge of artists transferring to other agencies and networks. Dee shared why he opted to stay in the network where he started his career. “Kasi sa akin, isa sa mga bagay na na-realize ko and naintindihan ko rin… hindi ko kasi pwedeng gawing measurement yung loyalty just because of what’s happening now. Siguro sa akin na lang, I’m very fortunate and very blessed that I was able to invest my money as early as pag-pasok ko pa lang sa showbusiness 15 years ago. Kum-
baga hindi ako naging kampante. Katulad nga ng sinasabi nila, you have to grow your money in such a way that you will have that freedom in the future whether in your career or personal life.”
A successful restaurateur outside showbiz for one [Dee is both part owner and face of popular Peri Peri Charcoal Chicken], the actor has always been businessPAGE B4
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Be heart wise
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, multiple-organ 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 civil-rights 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 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 34-year-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 morphine-like
opiates and other feel-good 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. 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
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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
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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
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)
Enchong on staying loyal to... PAGE B3 minded. “As early as 17 or 18 years old, ipinasok ko na sa utak ko na kailangan ko yung [financial] freedom na yun. Kailangan ko yung options na yun. Now, with all these things happening, hindi ako masyadong worried about saan ko kukunin yung pangkuryente, pangtubig, renta — yung mga ganung bagay — because I invested my money properly,” he explained. “Ngayon, hindi mahirap sa akin yung desisyon na ‘OK, lilipat ba ako or hindi?’ because again, showbusiness is only a part of who I am. Maraming bagay tayo na iniintindi at pinagkakaabalahan and for me, itong nangyari sa atin, hindi siya masyadong mahirap gawan ng desisyon.” Dee made it clear, however, that he understands and respects the decisions of his colleagues who have accepted offers from other networks and managements. “I understand them, yung mga na lumipat — sobra. Because at the end of the day, a lot of my contemporaries, a lot of artistas are
breadwinners. Hindi mo naman pwedeng alisin sa kanila yung pagkakataon magtrabaho sa ibang lugar,” he stated. Indeed, as Dee’s showbiz career gained traction, he was wise to pursue other income-generating pursuits. Besides his showbiz gigs, he is currently involved in agribusiness, real estate, and as mentioned earlier food franchising. Very willing to share his formula on how to achieve stability even at a young age, Dee’s advice is to complement an active income with financial instruments such as an insurance policy with an investment component, health protection insurance, as well as mutual funds. “Looking back, when I started earning money, my motivation was ‘How will the quality of my life improve? Therefore, all of the things I spent on were basically for my security, my comfort and to improve of the quality of my life. Doon ko siya lahat nilagay, Enchong Dee Photo from Instagram_@mr_enchongdee with the help of Sun Life. So up to now, I’m grateful and I feel that I right decision I made years ago,” am reaping the benefits of all the Dee ended.
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. information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a com for more details.
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*** 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
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Below Market Rate (BMR) Rental Apartments Available Konrad on the Park at 971 Eddy St, San Francisco CA 94109 1 Studio at $1,228 a month; 8 One-Bedrooms at $1,357 a month; 2 Two-Bedrooms at $1,494 month.
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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,
Seven parking spaces available to BMR renters for an addi�onal $100 a month and will be offered to households in lo�ery rank order. Must be income eligible and must not own a home. Households must earn no more than the maximum income levels below:
60% of Area Median Income 1 person
2 Persons
3 Persons
4 Persons
5 Persons
$53,800
$61,500
$69,200
$76,850
$83,000
Applica�ons must be received by 5pm on January 1, 2020. Apply online through DAHLIA, the SF Housing Portal at h�ps:// housing.sfgov.org. Contact a housing counselor for assistance with your applica�on:housing.sfgov.org/get-assistance. Please contact the Konrad on the Park leasing team for more informa�on at 415-636-5097 or bmr@rentkonrad.com. Units available through the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development and are subject to monitoring and other restric�ons. Visit www.sfmohcd.org for housing preferences and program informa�on. SF#2941
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 Public Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian and antigraft foundation in the United States. Visit our websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com
(650) 689-5160 • http://www.asianjournal.com
NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • deCembeR 4-10, 2020
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december 4-10, 2020 • NOrcAL ASIAN JOUrNAL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160
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