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DECEMBER 9-15, 2021 Volume 32 - No. 49 • 12 Pages

T HE F ILIPINO A MERICAN C OMMUNITY N EWSPAPER

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Should travelers cancel holiday fl ight plans?

DATELINE USA Filipina housekeeper US tightens travel measures amid omicron found dead in Las FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Vegas hotel room

A FILIPINA hotel housekeeper was found dead in a room at Bally’s Hotel in Las Vegas on Sunday, Nov. 28.

Basilisa Tagget-Smith, 61, was found unresponsive and was rushed to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Tagget-Smith, immigrated from Bohol to the U.S. in 1987 and had worked at Bally’s for over 30 years. Her death is the second to be experienced by her family within a few months.

In March, her other son Reggie, 42, shot and killed security guard at the Wynn Resort parking lot before turning the gun on himself.

At first police considered her death suspicious, possibly a homicide, and even released a video of a person of interest.

However, her son Lemuel Tagget, who later spoke with the police said his mother died of natural causes. She apparently had a stroke.

(Inquirer.net)

by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

THE coronavirus omicron variant couldn’t have come at a worse time for travelers planning to hop on planes for the holiday season.

The highly contagious COVID-19 variant has made its way to the United States, prompting the U.S. to implement yet another round of controversial

restrictions and regulations.

Last week, the White House announced new actions to combat the omicron variant (as well as the delta variant) this coming winter season.

Starting Monday, Dec. 6, all international travelers coming into the U.S. will now be required to test within one day of departure — previously the time frame to get tested was “within three days of departure” to the U.S.

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Funeral set for Las Vegas Fil-Am student who died after boxing match

by AJPRESS

Is it time to change the definition of ‘fully vaccinated’?

AS more indoor venues require proof of vaccination for entrance and with winter — as well as omicron, a new covid variant — looming, scientists and public health officials are debating when it will be time to change the definition of “fully vaccinated” to include a booster shot.

It’s been more than six months since many Americans finished their vaccination course against covid; statistically, their immunity is waning.

At the same time, cases of infections with the omicron variant have been reported in at least 17 states, as of Monday, December 6.

Omicron is distinguished by at least 50 mutations, some of which appear to be associated with increased transmissibility. The World Health Organization dubbed it a variant of concern on Nov. 26.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that everyone 18 and older get a covid booster shot, revising its narrower guidance that only people 50 and up “should” get a shot while younger adults could choose whether or not to do so. Scientists assume the additional shots will offer significant protection from the new variant, though

The one-day time frame applies to everyone, regardless of vaccination status and nationality, the White House said. Testing will be required for all travelers aged 2 years old and above, and it only applies to air travelers.

Foreign travelers entering the U.S. still need to be fully vaccinated in order to travel, but unvaccinated Americans and legal permanent residents

BOOSTER SHOTS. Assistant Secretary Wilben Mayor (left), National Task Force against COVID-19 head of strategic communications on current operations, and other officials put Resbakuna stickers on the boxes containing a portion of 255,200 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the NAIA Terminal 1 on Thursday, December 9. The jabs are expected to boost the country’s inoculation drive, which includes the administration of booster shots for priority sectors.

PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.

NATHAN Valencia, a Filipino American college student from Las Vegas, will be laid to rest during a memorial service and funeral mass nearly a month after he died during an amateur charity boxing match.

Funeral services for the 20-year-old will be set for Sunday, December 19 at 7 p.m. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church (Bishop Gorman) on Mesa Park Drive in Las Vegas.

The funeral, which is open to the public, comes nearly a month since Valencia succumbed to his injuries on Nov. 23, four days after he collapsed during a boxing match that was intended to raise money for charity.

The event, which was organized by the University of Las Vegas Nevada’s Kappa Sigma fraternity, was held off campus on Nov. 19, as previously reported by the Asian Journal.

Valencia’s cause of death was blunt force trauma

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Pacquiao: No favors to individuals Comelec receives 2022 helping me in 2022 presidential bid elections source code from US MANILA — Aspiring president Senator Manny Pacquiao on Wednesday, December 8 vowed he would not give any favors to anyone even if they help him in his 2022 presidential bid.

Pacquiao admitted that he has businessmen friends who help him in his 2022 bid.

“May mga kaibigan ako dito sa Pilipinas na tumutulong, mahirap naman magsabi na wala, tumutulong kahit papaano para makasurvive,” he said in an interview over ABSCBN’s TeleRadyo when asked if there are businessmen contributing to his campaign.

(I have friends here in the Philippines who are helping. We can’t say that there’s nothing. There are people who are helping

so that we can survive.)

“Kapag may tumulong, sinasabi ko na hindi ako makipag-compromise,” he added when asked if those who are helping him are asking for favors in return.

(When someone is helping, I tell them I will not compromise.)

Pacquiao is running for president under the Probinsya Muna Development Initiative, an allied group of the supposed dominant but now split party PDP-Laban.

The boxer-turned-politician maintained he is firm on running for the highest post of the country, and will only consider withdrawing from the presidential race if he gets instructions to do so from God. (Inquirer.net)

by DAPHNE

GALVEZ Inquirer.net

MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) received on Wednesday, December 8, the source code and the final trusted build for the automated election system for the 2022 elections.

The source code and trusted build were brought from Huntsville, Alabama, after the U.S.-based International agency Pro V&V Inc. conducted the source code review of the trusted build led by its chief

Executive officer and director, Ryan Jackson Cobb.

The source code — saved in USB sticks, sealed in envelopes, and signed — will be deposited at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), where these will be held in escrow, as mandated by the Poll Automation Law. As of this writing, the source code is under the custody of the Comelec information technology department.

The system will be tested during the mock elections on Dec. 29. ■

Meet the young Filipinos who made Forbes’ ‘30 Under 30’ class of 2022

by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

THE year 2021 was a complicated year for the Filipino American community.

As Filipinos (and Asians and Asian Americans in general) continue to fight misinformation and bigotry of anti-Asian hate, communities are seeking respite and unity amid the tragedies of COVID-19.

However devastating and hopeless the year may have been for Filipinos, there were plenty of high points and young members of the community stepping up and providing inspiration to the masses.

Every year, Forbes releases its “30 Under 30” list which honors innovators, tastemakers, and influencers under 30 years old to show that wisdom and tenacity can manifest even in younger

generations.

The class of 2022 is one of the most diverse lists since the magazine began its “30 Under 30” lists 10 years ago. According to the magazine, nearly half of the individuals listed identify as people of color and about a quarter are immigrants.

And, unsurprisingly, quite a few of the celebrants are members of the Filipino and Filipino American communities.

Olivia Rodrigo, singer/songwriter/actor If only one name could define the pop music genre in 2021, it would be Olivia Rodrigo. The 18year-old sensation claimed 2021 with her viral hit single “drivers license.” The award-winning torch ballad would just be the beginning of her speedy ascent, which accelerated with the May release of her debut album “SOUR,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200.

Aside from being the voice of Generation Z,

Rodrigo also participated in a vaccine campaign alongside the White House to promote vaccinations among younger Americans. In the latter half of the year, the young star scooped up a bevy of awards including Best New Artist at the American Music Awards and three MTV Video Music Awards.

As if the year couldn’t get better for America’s It Girl, Rodrigo also received seven 2022 Grammy nominations.

Marianne Paguia Gonzalez, engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Lab At 29 years old, Marianne Gonzalez’s work is out of this world — literally. As a chemical engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, she has worked on several projects including an experiment designed to generate oxygen on the planet Mars. Currently, she is working on an exploration

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Olivia Rodrigo

Photo from Instagram/@oliviarodrigo

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december 9-15, 2021 • LAS VeGAS ASIAN JOUrNAL

From The FronT Page

Is it time to change the definition of...

PAGE 1 they do not know for certain how much.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, during a White House press briefing Wednesday was unequivocal in advising the public. “Get boosted now,” Fauci said, adding urgency to the current federal guidance. About a quarter of U.S. adults have received additional vaccine doses.

“The definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ has not changed. That’s, you know, after your second dose of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, after your single dose of a Johnson & Johnson vaccine,” said the CDC’s director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, during Tuesday’s White House briefing on covid. “We are absolutely encouraging those who are eligible for a boost six months after those mRNA doses to get your boost. But we are not changing the definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ right now.” A booster is recommended two months after receiving the J&J shot.

But that, she noted, could change: “As that science evolves, we will look at whether we need to update our definition of ‘fully vaccinated.’”

Still, the Democratic governors of Connecticut and New Mexico are sending a different signal in their states, as are some countries — such as Israel, which arguably has been the most aggressive nation in its approach. Some sci-

entists point out that many vaccines involve three doses over six months for robust long-term protection, such as the shot against hepatitis. So “fully vaccinated” may need to include shot No. 3 to be considered a full course.

“In my view, if you were vaccinated more than six months ago, you’re not fully vaccinated,” Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said Nov. 18 during a press briefing.

He was encouraging everyone to get boosted at that time, even before the federal government authorized extra shots for everyone.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham had a similar response in mid-November, saying she defined “fully vaccinated” as receiving three shots of the mRNA type. She also opened up booster eligibility to all of her state residents before the CDC and Food and Drug Administration did.

What do the varying views on the evolving science mean for vaccine requirements imposed on travelers, or by schools or workplaces? And what about businesses that have required patrons to provide proof of vaccination?

Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania, said the CDC’s stronger recommendation for everyone to get boosted signals to him that a booster is now part of the vaccine regimen. Yet Offit, who is also a member of the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee, wrote a joint

op-ed this week in which he and two other scientists argued that boosters were not yet needed for everyone and that healthy young people should wait to see whether an omicron-specific booster might be needed.

“I think when the CDC said they are recommending a third dose, they just made the statement that this is a three-dose vaccine series,” Offit told KHN. “And, frankly, I think it’s going to throw a wrench into mandates.”

Yet to be determined is whether restaurants or other places of business will look more closely at vaccine cards for the booster.

Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said it’s too early to say. “For now, businesses should stay focused on current guidelines,” he said.

Dr. Marc Siegel, an associate professor of medicine at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, said the question of whether you are fully vaccinated with just two doses or need a booster is a question of semantics. Covid immunity level is the more important issue.

Siegel said he thinks more suitable terminology would be to call someone “appropriately” or “adequately” vaccinated against covid rather than “fully” vaccinated, since it’s possible that more boosters could be needed in the future — making “full vaccination” a moving target.

But, as with so many aspects of the pandemic, ambiguity prevails — both in federal guidance on the definition of “fully vaccinated” and in entrance policies, which vary by state, school and business.

Right now, businesses don’t appear to be checking for boosters, but that could change. So, it may be wise to first check the requirements — lest patrons present a two-shot vaccine passport, only to be turned away as inadequately protected. (Victoria Knight/Kaiser Health News) This story was produced by KHN (Kaiser Health News), a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation. n

RAILWAY WORKERS. Railway workers cross the corner of España Boulevard corner Antipolo Street, Sampaloc in Manila on Thursday, December 9. The Philippine National Railway (PNR) has been continuously rehabilitating and upgrading its station as new trains from Japan are deployed.

PNA photo by Oliver Marquez

Should travelers cancel holiday...

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are permitted to enter the U.S. with a test taken within one day of their departure to the U.S. President Joe Biden also announced that masks are required for all travelers in airports, planes, trains, and other public transit modes — again, regardless of vaccination status and nationality. This federal mandate is an extension of a previous one and applies through March 18.

The CDC warns that a person should be fully vaccinated before traveling internationally, while the World Health Organization (WHO) advises people who are not fully vaccinated, have never been infected, and have underlying health issues to postpone travel plans.

Last week, the Biden administration announced a travel ban of foreign nationals of eight countries in southern Africa: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

The controversial ban came after the CDC classified these nations as “very high” for COVID19 transmission.

U.S. citizens and LPRs who may be in those countries are permitted to return with the one-day test requirement.

These travel restrictions, and the threat of a new coronavirus variant entering new countries, put a hold on travel plans, even those who plan to travel to and from countries with no currently known cases of omicron.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday (which was when the WHO classified omicron a “variant of concern”) U.S. airlines transported about 2.4 million passengers, the most since February 2020.

Though not much is known about the variant so far, health officials and experts are urging travelers to not risk it and stay home for the holidays.

“We’ll know more in a couple weeks, but I think people should really get ready to hit the pause button [on air travel plans],” Dr. Robert Murphy, professor of infectious diseases and director of the Institute for Global Health at Northwestern University, told NPR this week.

He added that immunocompromised individuals, senior citizens, and anyone with any underlying health issues “should not be traveling anywhere.”

Murphy especially cautioned people planning to travel overseas, who are “at much higher risk than” domestic travelers.

With countries imposing their own travel restrictions, there’s a

chance that travelers may find their flights canceled and themselves stranded overseas.

Following the news of omicron, the Philippines quickly imposed its own travel ban and restrictions to prevent the spread of the new variant. Along with the aforementioned southern African countries, the Philippine government added Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, and Switzerland — which all have reported cases of omicron — to its red list, barring travelers until Dec. 15.

The U.S. had not been included in its red list despite reporting cases of Omicron in multiple states, including California, however, travelers to the Philippines will be subjected to quarantine protocols depending on their vaccination status and COVID-19 test results.

“Border controls can be used to delay entry of the new virus and buy time, but every country and community must prepare for new surges,” Dr. Babatunde Olowokure, regional emergency director of WHO, said on Friday in a press briefing.

In the Western Pacific region, the omicron variant has been detected in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea. n

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‘I’m dreaming of a flight this Christmas’

by Sunita

Sohrabji Ethnic Media Services

The December holidays are traditionally the most-traveled time of year for U.S. residents.

Last year, even amid a surge in COVID infections, the Transportation Security Administration reported 15 billion trips made by people travelling between 50 to 500 miles, using all forms of transportation.

More travel is expected this year, including international travel, as countries around the world begin to loosen their COVID-related travel restrictions.

But late last month, travel concerns emerged afresh as a new variant known as Omicron was first identified by scientists in South Africa.

“Omicron is named a ‘variant of concern’ by the World health Organization, and is potentially more contagious than previous variants,” said Dr. Dali Fan, a UC Davis health Science Clinical Professor who also serves as a volunteer vaccinator at California Northstate University in elk Grove, California. “Information about the Omicron variant is still emerging, but from what we do know, caution and careful monitoring are important.”

The first confirmed case of the Omicron variant in the U.S. was identified at the end of November in San Francisco, in a person who recently travelled internationally. 12 states have subsequently confirmed at least one case of the Omicron variant, as of Dec. 3.

President Joe Biden called the variant “a cause for concern, not a cause for panic,” and has imposed travel restrictions on people traveling into the US from foreign countries. Proof of a negative test regardless of vaccination status is required within one day of departure for all passengers travelling to the US, effective Dec. 6.

Additionally, several countries have imposed or tightened their COVID-19-related travel restrictions. India, for example, will impose further testing and surveillance on travelers from high-risk countries, including the United Kingdom, Brazil, Bangladesh, China, and Mauritius, among others.

U.S. travelers will have to pay attention to restrictions by different countries.

Those travelling to India will be required to be fully vacci-

nated. Proof of vaccination status is required prior to boarding an airplane to the United States.

For U.S. citizens and Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) who are eligible to travel but not fully vaccinated, proof of a negative COVID-19 test is required one day prior to their flight to India. U.S citizens and LPRs who are fully vaccinated will need to present airlines with proof of vaccination and of a negative COVID-19 test three days before their flight.

The Philippines is imposing similar restrictions: travelers who are not fully vaccinated will not be able to board a flight from the U.S. to the Philippines. Moreover, travelers will need to provide proof of a negative COVID test taken one day before traveling.

China is also imposing similar restrictions, but Zhong Nanshan, an advisor to the Chinese government, told CNN the country has “no plans to take any major action in response to the Omicron variant.”

The U.S. government had earlier advised people to restrict travel to Mexico unless absolutely necessary. In November, it issued a new advisory. effective Nov. 8, all nonimmigrant, non-U.S. citizen air travelers to the U.S. over the age of two are required to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to the United States.

Similar to travelers to India, U.S. citizens and Legal Permanent Residents traveling to Mexico who are not fully vaccinated will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test one day before their flight.

Vaccinated travelers to the United States will need to provide either proof of vaccination or of a negative COVID-19 test three days before their flight.

In this FAQ, Dr. Dali Fan provides guidance for those who choose to travel during the holiday season.

EMS: Would you recommend that people reconsider plans for international travel, in light of the emerging Omicron variant? Are there countries you believe may be riskier as travel destinations?

The Biden administration issued a travel ban to seven other African countries (see above). This list is fluid and will continue to evolve, but

caution is advised if you plan to travel there. Keep in mind the Delta variant remains the biggest threat to public health, so vaccination and other safety precautions like masking are best.

International arrivals to the United States must get a COVID-19 viral test (regardless of vaccination status) within one day of travel by air back into the United States. You must show your negative result to the airline before you board your flight.

If you booked an itinerary from a US state or territory to another US state or territory and the itinerary has you taking a connecting flight through a foreign country, you do not need to be tested. An example of this situation is an itinerary booked between the Northern Mariana Islands (a US territory) and the US mainland via Japan.

If you travel within the US between states and territories, the CDC has recommendations (see the answer of question 2). In general, you are recommended to test for COVID-19 if you are not fully vaccinated. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/ testing-international-air-travelers.html Always follow the CDC’s international travel guidelines: Do not travel internationally until you are fully vaccinated.

Check your destination’s COVID-19 situation and travel requirements before traveling, because guidance may change.

Countries may have their own entry and exit requirements.

When you travel to the United States by air, you are required to show a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before you board your flight.

The timing of this test depends on your vaccination status and age.

Wearing a well-fitting mask over your nose and mouth is required in indoor areas of public transportation (including airplanes) traveling into, within, or out of the United States and indoors in U.S. transportation hubs (including airports). https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/ international-travel-during-covid19.html Travelers can expect states to lead their own efforts as PAGE 4

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‘I’m dreaming of a flight this...

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What about safety measures while inside a private home?

In general, people should use preventive measures, including hand hygiene, physical distancing, and wearing face masks to keep themselves safe while travel. The same principles apply in other indoor settings as well, especially when you are with people you are not normally around.

Wearing a mask over your nose and mouth is required in indoor areas of public transportation (including on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and while indoors at U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations.

Travelers are not required to wear a mask in outdoor areas of a conveyance (like on open deck areas of a ferry or the uncovered top deck of a bus).

The key is still: get fully vaccinated.

EMS: Would you recommend getting a booster before travelling? How long before travelling to get the optimal protection?

Yes, a booster is recommended to give yourself boosted protection. The COVID-19 neutralizing antibody levels started to rise within a few days of the booster shot. Schedule your booster shot two weeks before you are set to travel

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– this will give the booster time to be most effective. Get your booster if it has been at least six months since your second dose of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or two months after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. https://www.deseret. com/platform/amp/coronavirus/2021/11/23/22798557/covid-booster-shots-how-longdoes-it-take-to-work EMS: Finally, should people quarantine or get tested for COVID once they have returned?

If you are fully vaccinated and suspect you have been exposed a possible COVID-19 case dur- Marianne Paguia Gonzalez ing travel, upon return, the CDC recommends you get tested 5-7 days after close contact.

If you are not fully vaccinat- PAGE 1 ed: into the possibility of microbial • Self-quarantine and get life on one of Jupiter’s moons. tested after travel.

In March, Gonzalez, who is • Get tested with a viral test a second-generation Filipino 3-5 days after returning from American, told the Asian Jourtravel. nal, “As a Filipina and a minority • Stay home and self-quar- in this field, it is easy to feel like antine for a full 7 days after you might not belong. I would travel, even if you test negative encourage any aspiring Filipina at 3-5 days. engineers to work on build• If you don’t get tested, stay ing their confidence. Being a home and self-quarantine for woman of color in a dominantly 10 days after travel. male field can be scary at times.

• If Your Test is Positive As long as you remind yourself • Isolate yourself to protect about why you’re passionate others from getting infected. about engineering, it makes it https://www.cdc.gov/corona- all worth it.” virus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fullyAlyssa Navarro, executive vaccinated-guidance.html n producer at Walt Disney Studios As media and entertainment companies strive toward more diverse workforces, Alyssa Navarro of Walt Disney Studios is front and center of the cause.

Navarro, 27, specializes in minority representation and inclusion strategies for the entertainment titan and was integral in the formation of Disney Launchpad Shorts Incubator, which gives up-and-coming filmmakers a platform to showcase their work on Disney+.

Writing in an Instagram post celebrating her inclusion on Forbes’ list, Navarro wrote, “Representation, diversity, equity, and inclusion is so meaningful and personal to me. The fact that Forbes has recognized this work validates my passion and dedication to continue to open doors so that more people from underrepresented backgrounds get to tell their stories on the big COMMITMENT WALL. Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) Director-General Jeremiah Belgica leads the signing on the Pledge of Commitment wall screen.” at the Ease Of Doing Business (EODB) summit at the Hotel Novotel Manila Araneta City in Cubao, Quezon City on Thursday, December 9. The John Vincent Salcedo, vice summit’s theme is “Doing Business in action: Pursuing greater efficiency towards the new normal.”

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon president of digital marketing

well. For example, California is expanding COVID-19 testing at international airports and prioritizing arrivals from affected countries and monitoring for the variant’s presence.

EMS: What about domestic travel? Are some modes safer than others?

The CDC’s domestic travel guidance mostly aligns with their international guidelines: wait to travel until you get vaccinated, check the COVID-19 situation of your destination, wear a mask and cancel plans if you become sick or are exposed to COVID-19.

If you are not fully vaccinated and must travel, get tested both before and after your trip (see the end of this document for details or visit: https://www. cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019ncov/travelers/travel-duringcovid19.html Generally speaking, passengers are at low risk of contracting the novel coronavirus while flying, but the COVID-19 virus can—and has—spread on planes with low rate. https:// www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2020/09/22/covid-flights# Obviously, driving yourself is the safest.

EMS: How would you recommend people keep themselves safe while aboard a plane, train, or cruise ship, and in hotels or rental homes?

http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678

Alyssa Navarro

Meet the young Filipinos who made Forbes...

Trisha Bantigue

Bella Poarch

John Vincent Salcedo

Rachell Hofstetter

at Columbia Records As Columbia Records youngest and only Filipino vice president, Salcedo has been overseeing marketing strategies for some of today’s most exciting musical acts, including Tyler, the Creator’s Billboard No. 1 album “CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST” and Lil Nas X’s hit singles “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” and “Industry Baby (feat. Jack Harlow).”

As a Filipino who migrated to the U.S. as a young kid, he has made it a mission to bring in more Filipinos and Filipino Americans into the music industry. He told Myx Global earlier this year, “Filipinos have wild talent and as one of those who have been blessed with a position in one of the biggest global music labels, I hope to bridge the gap, build more connections, and bring to the spotlight our creative prowess.”

Bella Poarch, TikTok star In the pantheon of viral social media stars, Bella Poarch’s rise seemingly came out of nowhere.

But once she came on to the scene, her place in the Generation Z cultural imagination was secured.

An immigrant from the Philippines who was born to Filipino parents and adopted by a white father and Filipina mother, the now-24-year-old Poarch initially enlisted in the United States Navy and served from 2015 to 2019, after her parents disapproved of her performing in a high school talent show.

In 2020 she created a TikTok account that started off as a gaming and cosplay account, but that summer, she gained a massive following from her lipsync videos where she dons a

cutesy, e-girl aesthetic. This past May, she released her first single, “Build a Bitch,” and continues to rise the ranks of Gen Z idolatry.

Trisha Bantigue, co-founder of Queenly As a Pinay, Trisha Bantigue knows the importance of pageantry in the Filipino community. But her story is unlike most Filipinas who decide to model and enter beauty pageants.

After escaping abuse as a teenager, Bantigue leveraged her ambition for a better future through working at fast-food joints, modeling and entering pageants to earn a living. After graduating from UC Berkeley, she worked at some of Silicon Valley’s largest firms like Facebook and Google before co-founding the online marketplace Queenly with Kathy Zhou (with whom Bantigue is featured on the Forbes list) in 2017.

Queenly allows users to resell formalwear to other pageant contestants, kind of like Poshmark or Depop but specifically for pageant wear, which can cost hundreds of dollars.

“Making it to the @forbes 30 Under 30 list is a literal dream come true, and never would I have thought I’d be on a Forbes cover by age 27. I can’t even begin to explain the overwhelming feeling of gratitude right now as it all feels so surreal (yes I’m screaming inside as I type this out),” Bantigue wrote on Instagram.

She added, “Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to create an impact onto society and with @ queenlyapp, I have the opportunity to touch millions of lives.

My past self would be so damn proud seeing this today.”

Rachell Hofstetter, gaming content creator at 100 Thieves As an entertainment medium, gaming has become one of the hottest spaces over the last decade. Traditionally a maledominated (and often misogynist) space, several women have come to the fore to establish a more diverse gaming community.

Rachell “Valkyrae” Hofstetter is quite possibly the most influential female game streamer in the gaming world with more than 3 million subscribers on YouTube and Instagram, each.

In 2020, she was named Content Creator of the Year at The Game Awards and joined 100 Thieves, a top gaming and esports organization.

Reacting to her placement on the Forbes list, she wrote on Twitter, “I MADE THE FORBES 30 under 30 LIST!!!!!!!!!! I’m honored.. this was one of my goals and i can’t believe it actuPhoto from Instagram/@bellapoarch ally happened.. wow” n

Funeral set for Las Vegas Fil-Am student...

PAGE 1 to the head and was ruled a homicide, according to the Clark County Coroner’s office.

“Although Mr. Valencia’s death is tragic, the circumstances surrounding his death are not criminal and no charges will be filed,” the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a previous statement.

The fraternity hosting the event has been suspended and the Nevada Athletic Commission will be doing its own investigation.

A GoFundMe page (www. gofundme.com/f/rememberingthe-life-of-nathan-valencia)

has been set up to help his family with medical and funeral expenses.

“Nathan Tyler Valencia was someone who made an impact on anyone he met,” the page, written by Lacey Foster reads.

“Nathan had a smile that lit up every room he walked into.”

At the time of his death, Valencia was a junior at UNLV majoring in kinesiology. He was an active member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, his GoFundMe page said.

A registered organ donor, Valencia’s organs were donated tot help eight people, according Nathan Valencia to his family. n Photo courtesy of GoFundMe

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DECEMBER 9-15, 2021 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL

OPINION

Corruption and the pandemic

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FEATURES

A RECENT forum highlighted how corruption is exacerbating the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The problem has also been tackled by the World Justice Project. In a report earlier this year, the WPJ observed that the rapid mobilization of massive resources to respond to the public health crisis, combined with the suspension of corruption prevention and enforcement mechanisms during an emergency, have opened vast opportunities for graft.

Apart from eroding public trust in the government – as we are now seeing amid the multibillion-peso Pharmally Pharmaceutical scandal – corruption leads to waste of supplies and resources and compromises the pandemic response, the WPJ pointed out.

It stressed that in the pandemic response, speed need not come at the expense of public accountability. The WPJ suggests that easing public procurement mechanisms must be limited to what is necessary to meet immediate needs.

Procurements must always be subject to official audit and vetting of suppliers for competence and potential conflict of interest.

To promote transparency in pandemic procurements, the WPJ recommends that all government contracts forged under special emergency procedures should be published for open scrutiny.

In the Philippines, people have faced the spectacle of suppliers preferring to languish in the

overcrowded Pasay City jail rather than submit official records of their pandemic supply deliveries to the government.

Similar approaches should be applied to the distribution of pandemic emergency stimulus packages and aid programs for households and businesses, according to the WPJ. Best practices and guidance in this area have been laid out by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, based on standards set in the UN Convention Against Corruption.

From the start of the pandemic last year, a Europol bulletin had already warned about the risks of fraud, cybercrime, criminal profiteering and money laundering as countries scramble to source badly needed medical supplies. Corruption, however, need not be inevitable, according to the WPJ; it is possible to develop strong integrity cultures as well as implement global norms against corruption in the course of the long-term pandemic recovery. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Omicron variant: mRNA vaccine technology has the edge

Babe’s Eye View BABE ROMUALDEZ UNDOUBTEDLY, the new coronavirus Omicron variant has caused widespread concern because it shows multiple mutations, with early evidence indicating that it may have increased transmissibility compared to the Delta variant. But there is still a lot to be scientifically discovered and known about this new variant, and scientists here in the United States are working 24/7 to get the right answers. We were told by the White House that we should know within the next 10 days the results regarding its virality, and whether it can evade vaccines and cause severe illness.

The World Health Organization has confirmed Omicron infections in 23 countries that include the United States, with border closures once again imposed to prevent community transmission. But as President Biden had stressed, this should not be a cause for panic. While it’s possible that Omicron may have “immune escape” potential or the capacity to evade immunity from prior infection – scientists believe vaccines still continue to provide “a good degree of protection” and will at least slow down the spread of the variant and prevent severe illness.

According to Professor Salim Abdool Karim, a South African epidemiologist who wrote the article “Omicron SARS-CoV-2

No Free Lunch CIELITO F. HABITO I ALWAYS feel discomfort when I hear talk about the need for “voter education,” usually in the context of lamenting the nature of the candidates who tend to get the strongest support from the Filipino voting public. We hear terms like “bobotante” and “tangang masa” in such conversations, especially now as we again prepare to choose new leaders in 2022.

There’s no denying that we’ve seen elected into office too many people with reputations for vote buying, thievery, plunder, immorality, and even murder; show business or sports personalities and other public celebrities with no known qualifications for

Philstar.com photo

variant: a new chapter in the COVID-19 pandemic” published in The Lancet, while there is very early evidence of increased transmissibility and reinfection among those who have been vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19, people should not “make too much of the early data.”

In our regular interactions with Moderna and Pfizer – both of which have developed COVID-19 vaccines using the mRNA (messenger RNA) technology – it is apparent that both companies have been very proactive, reviewing and assessing the efficacy of their vaccines and developing booster shots that would target mutations from new variants such as Omicron.

There is no question that the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the superiority of mRNA technology through the COVID-19 vaccines that have proven to be the most effective, providing very high levels of protection.

Scientists such as Yale University professor of immunology, epidemiology and molecular, cellular and developmental biology Akiko Iwasaki point to the relative ease and speed with which companies can develop “very, very good vaccines” using mRNA technology as it only took Moderna several weeks to develop its COVID-19 vaccine and make it ready for testing and clinical trials, compared to traditional approaches that take so much longer for vaccines to be developed.

The beauty of mRNA technology, many scientists all over the world agree, is that the

time needed to create boosters that would target specific variants is shortened, because existing vaccines can be tweaked or adjusted to produce variantspecific shots within several weeks. It’s pretty much like upgrading cellphones or smart gadgets though software downloads to make them responsive to the changing needs of users.

Many agree – mRNA technology is the solution to lead the world out of this pandemic.

BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin, whose company developed the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine in partnership with Pfizer, said they are working on an upgraded version of their current vaccine quickly in response to Omicron, and is confident that people will still have substantial protection against severe disease caused by the new variant. “The only thing that worries me at the moment is the fact that there are people who have not been vaccinated at all,” Sahin said.

Pfizer and BioNTech have assured that actions have been taken “months ago to be able to adapt the mRNA vaccine within six weeks and ship initial batches within 100 days in the event of an escape variant.”

Moderna, on the other hand, said their booster shot will be ready by March next year.

Aside from an Omicron-specific booster candidate, the company is also working on “multivalent” booster candidates to anticipate mutations from the Omicron variant as well as the Beta and Delta strains. The

Unsplash.com photo by Spencer Davis

company is also reviewing the efficacy of 100 micrograms of vaccine as a booster for the Omicron variant as opposed to the current booster of 50 micrograms. According to the company, they can advance the booster candidates to clinical testing within 60 to 90 days.

The real good news is coming from Pfizer. The company submitted its application this month to the FDA to authorize their pill, Paxlovid, for emergency use. The company says the pill reduces serious illness, hospitalization and death by 89 percent. Pfizer is very confident that this oral drug can work for all known mutations including Omicron, and is continuously

working on other drugs just in case there is resistance to the drug down the line. Psychologically for all of us, this is absolutely good news.

What is important, however, is that this new variant still underscores the need for vaccination to protect people from severe illness and even death, and at the same time, lessen the chances of the coronavirus to spread and mutate into more virulent and threatening variants. The ramping up of our vaccination rollout in the Philippines, registering one of the highest single-day jabs worldwide with over 2.7 million people vaccinated last Nov. 29, is wonderful news, too.

The best tool to fight COVID19 is still the vaccines, and those who have been vaccinated and had their booster shots are better poised to get back to life that is as close to “normal” as we can get prior to the pandemic. Those who continue to refuse getting vaccinated are practically playing Russian roulette – endangering other people’s lives, including themselves. (Philstar.com) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

*** Email: babeseyeview@gmail.com

Educated by the voters governance; and even returning officials with past records of incompetence and nonperformance. A quote attributed to former Singapore leader Lee Kuan Yew made the rounds in social media years ago, where he supposedly called Filipinos “stupid” for perennially voting bad leaders into office.

Calls for “voter education” strike me as presumptuous, even bordering on arrogance.

To me, the Filipinos’ supposed lack of political maturity reflects a failure in the system that ultimately points the finger back at society’s economic and/or intellectual elite. I’m not the first to point out that those who want voters to be “educated” could well be the ones needing to be educated by those they want “educated.” What has been missing perhaps is for the country’s elite

and even middle class to listen more and engage more with the so-called “bobotante,” whom we have collectively failed and neglected. After all, how they cast their votes would have a legitimate motivation behind it.

For some, it is persistent poverty that leads them to keep looking for leaders who can promise immediate relief—including wads of cash and promises of more to come. That is one of the strong attractions of the candidate with whom many seem to have fallen for the yarn that once elected, he will give away the immense riches their family amassed while in power.

It is said that many in our elite actually prefer to perpetuate widespread poverty in our midst, appalling as that may sound, because it is through the patronage relationships it fosters by

which they maintain their grip on power.

For thinking voters with a longer perspective, the motivation could be a long-simmering dissatisfaction with the existing order, and anyone who sounds like he/she can deliver drastic change would attract their support. Seeing little improvement in their lives across various presidencies, it’s natural for common people to embrace leaders who break out of the familiar mold. But this one is not just about poor and less educated voters wanting to change the power balance in our society, in the hope of better lives for themselves. Let’s not forget that the current leader many of us love to hate found his strongest support base from the ABC classes of voters and not the bottom ones, seduced by the promise of change, not knowing that

it was going to happen in the wrong direction.

“What we see during elections,” a writer once put it, “is an accumulation of the collective resentment, frustration, and even anger of many Filipinos from past years or even decades.” It stems from the failure of society’s political and economic elite to sufficiently uplift the lives of the wide majority left farther behind as they uplifted their own. And as has now emerged, our greatest failure could have well been in education in general, and with all the cross-country evidence at hand, there is no denying this. The fact that our country has found itself at the bottom of the list of countries ranked in the Programme for International Student Assessment—worst in reading and second to worst (to the Dominican

Republic) in math and science— speaks for itself. Our education failure has been a huge impediment to achieving a progressive and inclusive economy and building a strong nation. Unless we change this fast, we are condemned to more of the same for time to come.

All told, the persistent call to “educate” voters is probably misplaced. Maybe we need to be “educated” by them first, to move us all to take a direct role in shaping a better future for the nation, and not count on one leader to do it. (Inquirer.net) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

*** cielito.habito@gmail.com

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

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SFIO closes $5M series of global distribution partnerships for premium beverages and New Zealand Manuka honey GLOBAL asset management company Starfleet Innotech, Inc. (OTC: SFIO-Smokefree Innotec, Inc.) entered into a partnership last month with food ingredients supplier Annapolis Co., Ltd., granting SFIO distribution rights over a suite of products under their premium beverage solutions brand LongBeach.

This is the latest in a series of agreements the asset company has signed, following a similar arrangement with SFIO’s New Zealand-based subsidiary Gorgeous Coffee Co. Altogether, these partnerships are projected to launch SFIO towards their $100 million revenue target by the end of 2022.

With this latest partnership, Thailand’s leading premium ingredients supplier for beverages and bakeries, Annapolis Co., Ltd., will see its LongBeach brand premium purees, syrups, sauces, powders, and teas sold across SFIO’s sprawling food service network in Australia and New Zealand.

According to the latest data from Statista, despite the ongoing pandemic, Australia and New Zealand’s cafes, restaurants, and takeaway food services together present a roughly $36 billion market, which is expected to grow steadily over the next few years. Beginning January 2022, SFIO will be the sole distributor of LongBeach products across these two markets’ thriving food service industries.

The company expects this deal alone to bring in up to $5 million in additional revenue for SFIO’s food and beverage division.

Earlier this year, SFIO established a global expansion roadmap for their fully-owned sub-

sidiary Gorgeous Coffee Co. that would see New Zealand Manuka honey and a premium health brand of 5-in-1 Instant Coffee reaching U.S. shelves as early as next year.

New Zealand’s Manuka honey, considered the best in the world, is a highly valued, energy-boosting superfood boasting a distinct earthy flavor and health benefits such as antioxidants, probiotics, and antibacterial support. The honey is graded according to a global potency scale called the Unique Manuka Factor, or UMF. Come January 2022, SFIO will be distributing Manuka honey variants, including UMF 5+, UMF 10+, UMF 15+, and UMF 20+.

Revenues from this arrangement are expected to reach $1 million by the end of 2022. Samples of the Manuka honey products have already been shipped to the United States and parts of the United Arab Emirates, with SFIO currently working on sending more to other countries across Asia.

Similarly, Gorgeous Coffee Co.’s 5-in-1 Instant Coffee will be exported across the United States, Australia, and Asia, including the United Arab Emir-

ates. The product is a healthful mix of premium Arabica coffee, Manuka honey, barley grass, non-dairy MCT creamer, and Stevia. In addition to the benefits of Manuka honey, the instant coffee mix claims to aid in digestion, reduce inflammation, and boost immunity thanks to its barley components. Followers of the popular keto diet will also appreciate the instant coffee’s MCT creamer, an easy-to-digest alternative to traditional dairy.

The instant coffee product is expected to bring in at least $2 million in additional revenue for SFIO. Samples have already been sent to potential partners in the United States.

These partnerships play into the asset management company’s long-term ecosystem strategy, which prioritizes high-value synergies across its growing portfolio of companies. Leveraging the expanding footprint of its food and beverage businesses, including flagship franchise business Epiphany Cafe, these products will be rapidly stocking shelves across the globe as early as the first quarter of next year.

(Advertising Supplement)

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • december 9-15, 2021

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december 9-15, 2021 • LAS VeGAS ASIAN JOUrNAL

High court ruling on anti-terrorism law: ‘Small, important’ win for ‘defeated’ human rights

by Kristine Joy

Philstar.com

Patag

MANILA — The long, anxious wait of 37 groups of petitioners assailing the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 ended with a “small win,” as the Supreme Court struck down a dangerous qualifier on protests and advocacy work but they vowed: The bigger fight for human rights continues.

The SC voted 12-3 to declare as unconstitutional the qualifier to the proviso in Section 4 of the Republic Act 11479, that read “which are not intended to cause death or serious physical harm to a person, to endanger a person’s life, or to create a serious risk to public safety” for being “overbroad and violative of freedom of expression.”

The qualifier was attached to exception that “terrorism as defined in this section shall not include advocacy, protest, dissent, stoppage of work, industrial or mass action, and other similar exercises of civil and political rights.”

Rep. Edcel Lagman (Albay), one of the oralists, welcomed the SC move which he said “corrects the erroneous and dangerous view of the law’s proponents that equate activism with terrorism.”

The move of the SC may ease the fears of some of the petitioners, including groups that mount protests and rallies, who raised that the wording of the assailed section is vague and gives authorities, whose track record does not inspire confidence, unbridled discretion on how to entertain it.

For the Free Legal Assistance Group, the SC vote on part of Section 4, is an “important win for the protection of civil liberties.”

“The vote 12-3, as contained in the Court’s advisory, sustains FLAG’s position on this issue and affirms the inherent danger posed to civil liberties by the language of the qualifier to the proviso,” they added.

Court rules activism is not terrorism

BAYAN Secretary General Renato Reyes said in a statement: “Our main win from the SC ruling on the terror law is that activism is not terrorism. This is a partial victory for petitioners as protests and advocacy are not acts of terror.”

The National Union Peoples’ of Lawyers, counsel to petitioners and to many activists haled to court, said the SC’s move was an assurance on the exercise of civil and political rights. It “[sustains] our position that activism and advocacy are legitimate activities and sacred rights of the people and should not be considered as terrorism at all,” they added.

Lawyer Tony La Viña, counsel for Indigenous Peoples petitioners, also counted the SC ruling as a “small but important victory in a big defeat for human rights.”

“The declaration of unconstitutionality of the provision in Section 4—which defined terrorism as including constitutionally protected acts when it leads to certain outcomes—is a big victory for the petitioners.

But it is a small victory in what is still a big defeat for human rights,” he added.

Large part of the law still intact Aside from the declaring part of Section 4 as unconstitutional, the SC also voted 9-6 that allowing the Anti-Terrorism Council to adopt requests for designation by other jurisdictions or supranational jurisdictions is unconstitutional, the second method of designation under the law.

The third item on the advisory meanwhile read: “On the basis of the current petitions, all the other challenged petitions of R.A 11479 are not unconstitutional.”

It also advised the parties and the public to “await the publication and read the decision and the separate opinions for the explanation of votes.”

Lawyer Theodore Te, also counsel to petitioners, told reporters that the basis for the third item on the advisory re-

mains unclear. Stressing that it is still largely speculation, he said the court may have ruled based on whether facial challenge—which petitioners mounted—is applicable to other provisions of the law.

But as it is, a large part of the feared anti-terrorism law still stands.

The heavily challenged power of the Anti-Terrorism Council to designate individuals and groups as terrorists upon finding of probable cause, which will trigger the freeze of subject’s assets, and the section of prolonged detention of up to 24 days has been retained.

BAYAN’s Reyes pointed out: “[T]he dangerous provisions of the terror law remain and can still be abused. Other dangerous provisions on designations, proscription, warrantless arrests and prolonged detention remain and must be challenged.”

Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay, meanwhile said that the SC’s move to “adopt repressive provisions… will only set to worsen the already dismal human rights situation in the country.”

House Deputy Minority Leader Carlos Zarate (Bayan Muna partylist) said the SC’s affirmation of “many anti-people provisions” of the law “may still give the president, especially now President Duterte, a booster shot for further attacking his critics and the opposition.”

Petitioners swore that they will continue to fight these provisions that they assert remain dangerous for the people’s rights.

La Viña said: “The fight including the motions for reconsideration—must now focus on the provisions that affect due process and other rights of accused: arrest, detention, designation by Anti-Terror Council, freezing of funds.”

NUPL president Edre Olalia vowed: “We will certainly regroup and close ranks and file a motion for reconsideration.

We will not allow the dying of the flickering light of our basic rights.” n

SNACKS ON WHEELS. An ambulant food vendor offers to customers puto (steam rice cake), sapin-sapin, rice cakes topped with latik, and other local delicacies loaded on a bike with a sidecar along service road, Mangubat Avenue, Dasmarinas City, Cavite on Thursday, December 9. Those in the food and essential services have been allowed to operate in a limited capacity as long as they follow the strict health safety protocols.

PNA photo by Gil Calinga

BSP sees 7% GDP growth in Q4

by Mayvelin

U. Caraballo ManilaTimes.net

year is 4-5%. I think it would be more likely that it will be more than 5$ his year, because right THE Bangko Sentral ng Pili- now, the year-to-date average is pinas (BSP) forecasts the Phil- 4.9%. So it stands to reason that ippine economy to grow by 7% the fourth quarter will be higher this fourth quarter, which will than maybe around at least 7%,” support the full-year expansion BSP Governor Benjamin Dioto surpass the government’s tar- kno announced in a briefing on get.

Thursday, December 9.

“Our revised forecast for this His announcement came af-

ter the central bank released the highlights of its Monetary Board meeting on November 18, in which the monetary authorities said that mobility indicators have been trending upward in recent months as the national government implemented the Alert Levels System, which allowed for a more granular approach to lockdowns. n

Number of returning OFWs for Christmas nearly back to pre-pandemic level

by DaPhne

galvez Inquirer.net

MANILA — The number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) returning home for the holidays is almost back to preCOVID-19 pandemic levels, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said on Thursday, December 9.

This is because the economies of other countries where Filipinos are coming from are recovering, enabling them to have stable jobs again and go home to the Philippines for vacation, according to OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac.

“Ang tantiya namin ay hindi ganoon kalaki ang kaibahan noong pre-pandemic sa uuwi ngayong Pasko. Kasi nga sabi ko ay hindi na rin unusual na may umuuwi na magbabakasyon lamang. Kasi nag-resume na ang economic life abroad,” he said in a public briefing.

(Our estimate is that the number of OFWs going home for Christmas is not far from before the pandemic. OFWs returning home for vacation is no longer unusual since economic life abroad has resumed.)

When he was in a conference in Dubai, Cacdac said he observed that life there is almost back to the old normal, saying the country “made a tremendous effort in bringing back their economies to life.”

“That also means na iyong trabaho ng OFWs natin ay restored na rin sa pangkalahatan.

Ang ibig sabihin lang nito ay hindi na natin nakikita katulad noong 2020 na bumagsak talaga iyong numero noong umuwi,” he said.

(That also means that the work of OFWs has been restored. We don’t see anymore the drop in returning OFWs like in 2020.)

“Ngayon nakikita na natin more or less halos kahalintulad

na ng levels natin. ‘Yung 80,000 to 100,000 na ‘yan ay halos pa rin tulad ng levels ng pre-COVID pandemic,” Cacdac added.

(Now we’re already seeing more or less almost the same levels pre-pandemic. The 80,000 to 100,000 is almost the same levels pre-pandemic.)

To date, the Philippine government placed 15 countries under its “red list.” Countries in this list are considered high risk for COVID-19, especially amid the detection of the latest coronavirus variant named Omicron.

Returning Filipinos from these countries are barred from entering the Philippines until December 15.

These 15 countries include France, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Mozambique. n

PH borrowed $23.4-B for COVID-19 response

by Mayvelin

U. Caraballo ManilaTimes.net

FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd said on Wednesday that the Philippines has so far borrowed a total of $23.4 billion (P1.17 trillion) from international sources to fund its COVID-19 pandemic response.

“From March 16, 2020 to Dec. 7, 2021, the government has secured a total of $23.4 billion in COVID-19-related external financing,” Dominguez said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.

He said $21 billion will be used for general budget assistance to compensate for the loss in government collections while $2.4 billion will be allocated for COVID-19 response and recovery projects, including vaccine procurement.

He reported that $19.8 billion had been disbursed to bridge the budget gap since March of last year.

Dominguez said that roughly $1.2 billion of the $2.4 billion grant has been released to purchase laboratory equipment, medical supplies and vaccines, as well as support interventions to mitigate the pandemic’s impact on low-income areas.

Disbursements were implemented by the relevant agencies involved in pandemic response.

“So, bulk of the funding for the vaccines has been actually used to buy the vaccines, and the way we financed that is we borrowed the money from the ADB (Asian Development Bank), AIIB (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank) and World Bank,” Dominguez said.

He explained the government chose to finance vaccine procurement through multilateral institutions to ensure that there would be no overpricing.

“You know, a World Bank, AIIB and ADB will not finance anything that smells of overpricing and believe me, they see the prices

around the world, they know the prices in other countries, which we do not know, they definitely will not lend us any money if they suspect that there is any hint of corruption,” he added.

Dominguez explained that the government’s external gross borrowings increased to P518.7 billion because of overseas financing that includes funds raised through global bond offerings.

Adding the P2.2 trillion from domestic sources, he said the total loan accumulated by the government in the first 10 months of 2021 amounted to P2.7 trillion.

“Rest assured this administration will make sure to help the next president and the next generations address the fiscal and economic risks brought about by the pandemic. In fact, the Department of Finance is now preparing our transition plan and among the recommendations will be a roadmap to fiscal consolidation,” he said. n

New disqualification case filed vs Marcos

by WilliaM

DePasUPil ManilaTimes.net

A NEW disqualification case has been filed against presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. before the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The disqualification case was filed by a group from the socalled Pudno Nga Ilokano (The Real Ilokano) group, which claimed that its members were martial law victims.

The petitioners were Margarita Salonga Salandanan, Crisanto Ducusin Palabay, Mario Flore Ben, Danilo Austria Consumido Raoul Hafalla Tividad, Nida Mallare Gatchallan, and Nomer Calulot Kuan.

Marcos now has four disqualification cases, two petitions for cancellation of his certificate of candidacy (COC) and a petition seeking to declare him a nuisance candidate.

In their 37-page petition, the group cited the guilty verdict

handed down by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 105 in 1995 which found Marcos guilty for violation of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1977 for failure to file his income tax returns (ITR) for taxable years 1982 to 1985, and for the respondent’s failure to pay his tax deficiencies.

It pointed out that Marcos was “convicted eight times” but was reduced to four counts only following the respondent’s appeal before the Court of Appeals (CA). It stressed though that just the same, the appellate court affirmed the lower court’s judgment of “guilty beyond reasonable doubt” on four convictions.

Petitioners claimed that the CA’s ruling omitting the penalty of imprisonment against Marcos was erroneous because the “CA made no justification as to why the penalty prescribed by law was not applicable”.

Petitioners said that “the correct penalty of fine and im-

prisonment as prescribed by the NIRC of 1977 on a person’s ‘failure to make a return’ should be considered for purposes of determining the qualification of respondent to run for President under existing laws”.

It also noted that the Marcos handed down a penalty of prision correccional or imprisonment of three years under Criminal Case No. Q-91-24391, which carries with it an accessory penalty of perpetual special disqualification from the right of suffrage under Article 43 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), which has a “suppletory application” to the NIRC as a special law.

The group likewise noted that the penalty of prision correccional carries with it accessory penalty of perpetual special disqualification from the right of suffrage under Article 43 of the Revised Penal Code which, they said, has “suppletory application” to the NIRC as a special law. n

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Kyle: No regrets, just lessons learned after PBB SB19 dethrones BTS in Billboard Hot Trending Songs chart SB19 climbed its way to number one in the Billboard Hot Trending Songs chart with their song “Bazinga,” overtaking “Butter” by global K-pop sensation BTS. BTS held the top position for the chart’s entire existence before losing it to SB19, who were on the 8th spot, this week, Billboard reported on Tuesday, Dec. 7. The Hot Trending Songs chart, which tracks globally trending songs on Twitter, was only founded this year.

“Bazinga” garnered 1.5 million Twitter mentions from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2, the report said. Billboard attributed this spike to SB19’s performance during the Philippine Association of the Record

by Nathalie

tomada Philstar.com

KYLE Echarri said he was happy with his stay inside the Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) house because it was an opportunity to show who he really is, including his “vulnerable” side.

The 18-year-old actor-singer, the fourth evictee from Pinoy Big Brother: Kumunity Season 10, also opened up on the real reason he joined the ABSCBN reality show.

Kyle recalled being asked why he joined when his career was “good” already. “I even got nominated one night because someone said I don’t need PBB anymore, parang ganun. For me, it’s not just about getting more supporters, being more big because of the PBB. For me, it was just to show who the real Kyle Echarri is through PBB,” the Cornerstone artist told The Star in an exclusive Zoom interview.

“Lagi akong na-mi-misinterpret ng mga tao, lagi po akong napagbibintangan na ganito ako (or) ganito din ako, so I just felt like it was the right platform to show myself,” he also said, adding that PBB also afforded him the chance to take a big step out of his comfort zone. “It really made me happy and made me feel good again.”

For him, having no connection to his family was the hardest part of the entire experience. “Kasi kahit nasa lock-in taping ako, lagi po akong nag-feface time sa kanila (family). I always called them. I always make sure that I’m able to update them. So, it was hard.”

B stint, it was “learning how to trust again.”

“Even Kuya (Big Brother) said he saw that I learned how to trust again. I’ve been in the industry for a long time and it really gets to you once you lost so many people because of things that you do, or may nakilala ka na plastic sa buhay.

So, I learned how to trust again, I learned how to make new friends again, and open up to everyone.

I was very vulnerable inside the house, which is something that I tried my best not to be, but grabe yung emotional warfare sa bahay so talagang di mo mapigilian minsan.

“But I felt like my best learning would just be to do things that make you happy… like, just going into the house itself. It was a make-or-break for me, it was (again) a big step out of my comfort zone. Dun po ako masaya sa mga bagay na di ko kontrolado pero gagawin ko lahat para maging kontrolado siya. So, it felt good. Sobrang masaya po ako sa lahat ng nangyari.”

SB19

Photo from Facebook/SB19

Industry’s 34th Awit Awards, where the band won People’s Voice Favorite Song for their track “Hanggang sa Huli.” The group was nominated for three other categories, including Best

Performance by a Group Recording Artists.

The P-pop group thanked their fans on their Twitter page, also yesterday, by quoting a line from their new Billboard chart-topper “Bazinga.”

“I’M FIRE / I LINGER YEAH. Wow! Thank you A’TIN for bringing us to the Top Spot on the @ billboard #HotTrendingSongs!” the group said.

SB19 released the music video for “Bazinga” last October and it has garnered over 2,500,000 views, as of writing. Recently, the band announced a concert series called “OUR ZONE: REPLAY” to mark their third anniversary.

(Sam Mayoralgo/Inquirer.net)

Yen Santos, Jake Gyllenhaal top Google PH’s most searched personalities of 2021 Kyle Echarri on the ‘best lesson’ from Pinoy Big Brother stint: ‘I learned to trust again.’

Photo from Instagram/@kyleecharri

Kyle also pointed out that the housemates became a family. “We were all there for each other whenever we were sad. And we all had an emotional support system for each other… Everyone treated each other like family.”

What’s next for Kyle? The Gold Squad member has a new teleserye and a movie for 2022. He also plans to release an album as he became very creative in PBB and rediscovered his love for music and writing songs.

Kyle said, “I’m grateful for all the blessings I’ve already received for the couple of days that I’ve been outside the house and tanggap ko po lahat what will happen to me in the next couple of days, months, years. That’s something I’m trying to teach myself, to really just live by it, kahit ilang beses sabihin minsan hindi katanggap-tanggap.

So, sometimes you really just have to tell yourself na whatever happens, happens,” he said.

Moving forward from PBB, he said, “I’m just taking everything, learning from my mistakes and shortcomings, and just taking it day by day.”

YEN Santos and American actor Jake Gyllenhaal led Google Philippines’ most searched personalities for 2021, alongside celebrities Rabiya Mateo, AJ Raval and Olivia Rodrigo, among others.

Santos was put under scrutiny by the public this year after she got involved in the split between fellow actors LJ Reyes and Paolo Contis. Meanwhile, Gyllenhaal gained social media attention after singer Taylor Swift released last month the 10-minute version of her song “All Too Well,” which is speculated to be about her former relationship with the actor.

Google released on Thursday, Dec. 9, its lists of top searches in the Philippines for 2021 under different categories.

Aside from Santos, Mateo, Raval and Rodrigo, the list of top female personalities also includes singer Bella Poarch, “Squid Game” star

Yen Santos Photo from Instagram/@ysantos

HoYeon Jung and Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo, who hosted Miss Universe 2020.

The male personalities who joined Gyllenhaal in the most searched list are “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” actor Kim Seon-ho, “True Beauty” star Hwang In-youp, actors Gerald Anderson, Dominic

Roque and Dylan O’Brien, as well as former Interior Secretary Mel Sarmiento, who got engaged to actress Kris Aquino last October.

Anderson made headlines earlier this year after he admitted his relationship with actress Julia Barretto. His ex-girlfriend Bea Alonzo later confirmed her relationship with Roque in August. O’Brien, meanwhile, starred in the music video of Swift’s “All Too Well.”

The hit Korean series “Squid Game,” “Pagsamo lyrics” and the Korean drama “True Beauty” were also among the top trending search queries for this year.

“Six out of 10 searches are entertainment-related, which speak volumes on how Filipinos use the internet to connect to their passion points as a form of detachment and escape during the second year of the pandemic,” Google stated.

(Inquirer.net)

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Tax benefits of Nevada corporations Who is Angelica when no one is watching?

Tax Tips ViCtor Sy, MBa, CPa (retireD) NEVADA has no state personal income tax. It has no corporate income or franchise tax tax either. On the other hand, neighboring California has the highest personal tax rates in the country.

It also has one of the 10 highest corporate income tax rates. It’s no wonder that businesses and individuals leave the Golden State for Nevada, Florida, Texas or Wyoming that have no state income taxes. Toyota, Oracle, HP, Uber, Airbnb, and Twitter have relocated their headquarters to Texas and Florida. Wealthy individuals like Elon Musk and Larry Elli-

Health @Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS IT does not take an Einstein to understand that clean air, pure water, and unpolluted environment are conducive to health and longevity. In certain parts of the world, like in the serene Okinawa to the verdant valleys of Ecuador to the unspoiled hills of the Himalayas, a significant number of people normally live to a hundred. A common denominator among these centenarians is an environment that is nature’s best, untainted by the toxic byproducts of the advances in technology in this modern world of ours.

Today, man, in most parts of the earth, especially in well-developed cities, is no longer living in harmony with nature. He has been hostile to his environment, gradually killing it with poisonous gases and deadly chemicals from our factories and toxic smoke from our vehicles that pollute the air and deplete the ozone layer which shields and protects us from dangerous solar radiation. Irresponsible massive deforestation, obviously for financial gains and disregarding the law of nature, has caused widespread flooding and mudslides that kill thousands every year. Individually, we use countless noxious chemicals at home for cleaning which eventually end up in rivers and oceans that destroy bodies of water and their priceless inhabitants and contaminate our drinking water. And there are other human activities, some criminal like arson-causing forest fires, that negatively alter the “homeostasis” in our world, as well as the equilibrium in our environment and in our own selves.

These unwise and negligent human behaviors against Planet Earth and Mother Nature for centuries have boomeranged, causing untold calamities worldwide in the form of human diseases and destruction of our physical milieu, not to mention their immeasurable adverse effects on the human psyche around the globe.

Our immune system as a species, for one, has been negatively impacted. Various diseases, including cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, diseases of the heart, lungs, and various other organs, and some unexplained ailments, have increased, especially in the last century or so. Our misadventures are now haunting us and our children.

While the governments of the world are trying to remedy this dire global “climate change,” it behooves us, earthlings, to do our daily share in showing more respect and love for our environ-

EMPLOYMENT

son are also leaving the tax-andspend state of California. It’s our politicians, of course, but I wonder who placed them there. Let’s discuss Nevada taxation for now.

So why are large corporations and wealthy individuals relocating to Nevada?

• No state personal income tax.

• No corporate income tax or franchise tax.

• No information-sharing agreement with the IRS. • Officers and directors are protected from personal liability for lawful acts of the corporation.

• Low annual fees and minimal reporting and disclosure requirements.

• Stockholders, directors, and officers are not public record.

• They are not required to reside or hold meetings in Nevada.

• They are not required to be US citizens.

• Directors are not required to

hold stock.

• Corporations may purchase, hold, sell, or transfer shares of its own stock.

• Corporations may issue stock for capital, services, personal property, or real estate.

• Directors may determine the value of any transactions and their decision is final once determined. *** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV – Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation. *** He retired after 50 years of defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He published a book on “How to Avoid or Survive IRS Audits” that’s available at Amazon. Readers may email tax questions to vicsy@live.com.

Cruelty to our planet ment. After all, Planet Earth is the only home we’ve got today. And destroying it is like helping detonate a bomb on board a plane we are in.

Organic is healthier Most of the produce and products on the market today are “contaminated” with some type of chemicals used in fertilizing them, protecting them, making them more appealing, preserving them, or enriching them. Let’s opt for organic foods, vegetables, meat products, fruits, etc. that are raised and produced without pesticides, herbicides, hormones, antibiotics, preservatives and coloring. We must also avoid processed foods, which increase our risk for cancer.

Versatile plastic wares abound in the world, many of them releasing vinyl chloride and other toxic gases, or phthalates, which are cancer and birth defect-causing agents, and which are also harmful to the lungs and liver.

Surprisingly, unbeknownst to most of us, some plastics are also used in chewing gum, cosmetics, carpeting, mattresses, toilet paper, sanitary napkins, polyester clothing, and tissue paper. The use of glass containers, natural fiber clothing, personal care-cosmetic products made with natural ingredients, wooden toys for kids, etc. and staying away from aluminum cookware to prevent aluminum poisoning, are the healthier ways to go.

All white paper products are bleached with chemicals that leave behind residues of cancercausing dioxin, which are likewise found in lunch bags, coffee filters, diapers, paper towels, napkins, tissue, and toilet paper.

Dioxin, like other harmful chemicals, enters the soil and eventually contaminates groundwater.

The use of organic household cleaners, otherwise known as “Green Your Clean Routine,” is the safer and healthier alternative.

An effective and safer cleanser, for instance, is diluted vinegar for use in the kitchen and bathroom tiles, mirrors, and even in carpets to inhibit mildew and bacteria.

For hand sanitizer against viruses, alcohol (must be 75 percent or higher) is effective, but frequent handwashing with soap is still the safest. For COVID-19, social distancing is beneficial, and vaccination is a must to prevent getting infected with this killer virus with its Delta variant, and now, the new South African Omicron strain, which experts are closely monitoring.

Our obligation The corporate world, our community, and we, as individuals, have the moral duty and responsibility as members of society to protect and preserve our planet and Mother Nature for our surviv-

al and the survival of our family and all our fellow human beings traveling with us in this journey on Planet Earth. We, as a species, our genus, our race, will only survive if we all endeavor together to save Mother Earth. We do not have any other option. If we don’t stop poisoning and destroying our only home where we are all trapped, the end of man is not far behind. I pray that reality catches up with our race sooner than later while there is still time.

The basic principle in all this is for us, the inhabitants of Planet Earth, to be responsible and be good to our environment by not contaminating our natural habitat with poisons in whatever form, and to allow Mother Nature to flourish at its best. We each can start this education, positive awareness, behavioral modification, compassion, and responsible practices in our own homes and community.

The purer the air we breathe in, the cleaner the water we drink, the more unadulterated food we eat, the more robust the ozone layer is, and the healthier our lifestyle is, the more wonderful our world will be, not only for us and our loved ones, but for humankind as a whole and for all the future generations to come.

Before the year 2021 ends, in the midst of this deadly COVID19 pandemic which has so far killed 5.3 million, let’s be wiser and kinder to ourselves. Let us protect ourselves and others around us by wearing a mask and doing social distancing in public.

More importantly, let us all get vaccinated. More than 4.5 billion people have been safely vaccinated around the world, with more than 230 million of them in the United States. It is really a matter of life and death. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life.

Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, 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

FOR RENT

by Boy

ABundA Philstar.com

I HAD an interesting conversation with Angelica Panganiban on Who Are You When No One Is Watching on The Boy Abunda Talk Channel on YouTube and on my podcast.

She looked back and talked about her previous acting projects and her memorable experiences with the directors she worked with. Throughout the years, she has proven her versatility by portraying various roles in teleseryes and movies.

Angelica, or Angge as she is fondly called, started in showbiz as a child actress. “I remember the first time I saw myself on television. I was with my playmates from Balut, Tondo. We were in the living room and we were all amazed. Bakit nandito ako at nasa TV din ako? I could not understand and explain,” she recalled. Angge had several projects but she didn’t realize at that point that she was a talented artist. “Hindi po. Feeling ko nakakaiyak lang ako kasi bata ako.

Mabilis talaga akong umiyak.”

Some people describe her acting style as “slow burn.” She explained, “I first heard it from direk Mae (Cruz-Alviar). She told me, ‘Diesel ka noh?’ Then I asked, ‘Anong meaning noon?’

She said, ‘Matagal kang uminit pero pag uminit ka na, suwabe

Angelica Panganiban

Photo from Instagram/@iamangelicap

ka. Parang ang sarap mong idrive.’ Oo, nga naman because when you give me a character, di ako iyong alam na alam ko na ito. It’s trial and error, then ‘pag nakuha ko na, non-stop, talagang dire-diretso talaga ako.”

Angge shared about her process as an actor. “It’s experimental. Walang tamang timpla.

There’s no right process. You have to include the people who work with you like the different directors and artists. You need to be sensitive sa kung anong ibinibigay sa iyo ng katrabaho mo.

Then doon tayo maglalaro, doon tayo sasayaw. Ito iyong beat mo, sige game.”

At the end of our conversation, Angge reveals who she is when no one is watching.

What are you wearing when no one is watching?

“Mahilig ako naka-T-shirt lang, tapos panty.”

What are you eating when no one is watching?

“Peanuts.”

Where are you when no one is watching?

“Bedroom.”

What are you watching when no one is watching?

“Crime.”

When no one is watching what makes you cry and laugh?

“K-drama.”

What makes you laugh?

“Myself.”

Who are you when no one is watching?

“Angge. What you see is what you get.”

Bea gets out of her comfort zone BEA Alonzo considers 2021 as a year of changes and of growth.

People not only saw her transfer to GMA Network from her former mother network of more than two decades; they also saw her become more confident and open to conquering new challenges.

This is what makes her the perfect Tanduay Calendar Girl for 2022, as the brand wanted someone who is brave enough to try new things and undergo change for growth.

“She is the Tanduay Calendar Girl we need during these uncertain times. Someone who will remind us that change can be a good thing, but you have to be strong as you breeze through these changes. No stress, just be calm and collected, so you can emerge beautifully out of every situation you are in,” said said Marc Ngo, Tanduay Senior Brand Manager and International Business Development Manager.

The theme for Bea’s Tanduay Calendar Girl shoot is La Dolce Vita. While she was briefed about the theme, the talented actress was given the freedom to interpret it with direction from the creative team.

Bea Alonzo

“I was really nervous at first because it was my first time to do a sexy photo shoot,” Alonzo confessed.

Nevertheless, Alonzo was more than excited to become part of the elite circle of women who became Tanduay Calendar Girls.

“Each of them are not only beautiful, but have many admirable attributes as well. They’re strong, independent, and talented,” she said.

Previous Tanduay Calendar Girls include Heart Evangelista, KC Concepcion, Ellen Adarna, Barbie Imperial, and 2021’s Ivana Alawi, among others.

Asked how she felt when she learned that she was chosen to represent the brand for the coming year, Alonzo said that she was surprised at first and ecstatic the next.

“I couldn’t believe it! Tanduay is an iconic brand that is known all over the world and has received so many international awards. To be the Tanduay calendar girl is a huge honor,” Alonzo said.

Alonzo herself has numerous awards to her name. In 2019, she was declared the “Leading Lady of the Century” by the Film Development Council of the Philippines. She also has several Best Actress awards for movies and TV, and has been a recipient of a Box Office Queen award and a Phenomenal Box Office Star award.

As for her movie and TV projects for the coming year, fans can look forward to her first primetime teleserye as a Kapuso, and a movie with brand ambassador Alden Richards, among others.

(ManilaTimes.net)

Acting tips Angelina gets from mom Sunshine

by Alex

BrosAs

Philstar.com

Angelina Cruz Photo from Instagram/@angelinaisabele

ANGELINA Cruz depends on her mom, veteran actress Sunshine Cruz, for advice, and all the more now that Angelina is acting in her first movie, “Love Is Color Blind.”

One of the basic tips she got from her mom is to study the script and “follow your lines.”

“But most importantly, to really know your character, to really know the idea of everything because that really helps. That’s what she told me,” Angelina shared during the online press conference for the movie, last Friday, Dec. 3.

A little more help came when she sought for her mom’s advice on how to pronounce some words that are quite strange to her.

“Actually, even during lock-in, if there are lines na hindi ko ma-

SERVICES

pronounce well (that I can’t pronounce well), I would ask her for voice memos. ‘Mom, how do you say this well?’ She would help me naman,” Angelina said.

She is also grateful to have been cast as Iris for the movie which will launch the Donny PangilinanBelle Mariano love team.

“I feel like the viewers will find her very interesting. She is an interesting character. She is confident, she’s smart,” Angelina described Iris.

Angelina is also a singer and her transition from being a singer to an actress has been challenging.

“My last project is actually a sitcom so very light lang po siya and very different from filming a movie because it is very detailed. Kaya po I have to really learn. I have to adapt. They were able to guide me naman po when it comes to emotions and to really become my character,” she said.

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