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DECEMBER 11-17, 2020 Volume 14 - No. 6 • 16 Pages

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DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Southern California now under regional stay-at-home order AS coronavirus cases continue to climb and ICU capacities reach critical lows, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Monday, Dec. 7 that Southern California — along with the San Joaquin Valley — is on modified lockdown per the regional stay-at-home order announced last week.

The plan originally stated that any of the five regions in the state that reach 15% or lower ICU capacity are automatically issued the stay-at-home order.

Southern California’s ICU capacity is currently at 10.9%, meaning that the counties of Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura are currently under the modified stay-at-home order.

San Joaquin Valley — which includes Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne — currently has an ICU capacity at 6.3%.

The state’s overall remaining ICU capacity, however, has dropped to 14%.

Newsom described the new order as an

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

World Bank: PH economy to bounce back in 2021

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE World Bank expects the Philippine economy to start recovering in the next two years as the country eases quarantine restric-

tions, allowing more industries to resume operations.

The multilateral lender on Tuesday, December 8, forecasted the Philippines an economic growth of 5.9% in 2021, and 6.0% in 2022.

“With the steady decline in daily cases de-

spite the gradual re-opening of industries, the risk of reversing to stricter quarantine restrictions is likely reduced,” said Rong Qian, World Bank Senior Economist.

“If the positive trend persists, the infection

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Filipina nurse administers first COVID-19 vaccine in UK

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

LGBTQI PEDESTRIAN LANE. Manila City Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso (3rd from right) and Vice Mayor Honey LacunaPangan (2nd from right) lead the inauguration of the rainbow-colored LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex) pedestrian lane in front of the Plaza Rajah Sulayman along Roxas Boulevard on Wednesday, December 9. The pedestrian lane has a rainbow color to symbolize the sector of society.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

A FILIPINA nurse was part of history this week as she administered the first COVID-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials to a 90-yearold woman in the United Kingdom.

National Health Service (NHS) nurse May Parsons on Tuesday, December 8, administered the vaccine to Margaret Keenan, the first person in the world to receive the PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccine after its clinical

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Maria Ressa Online registration for overseas Judge restores DACA, lands on 2020 orders DHS to accept voting in 2022 PH elections begins Bloomberg 50 list new applications

RAPPLER co-founder and veteran journalist Maria Ressa is among 2020’s Bloomberg 50, an annual list of influential leaders, icons, and innovators who helped define the year.

She is only the second Filipino to land on the list, following Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corp., who was honored in last year’s line-up.

Ressa, a vocal critic of the administra-

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by AJPRESS

OVERSEAS Filipinos may now register to vote online for the 2022 Philippine elections.

The Philippine Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) iRehistro, which has been operational since December 1, is accepting applications for new registrants, transfer and reactivation of voter records,

the change of name or correction of entries on record, and inclusion of records in the book of voters/reinstatement of name in the list of voters.

The online facility also requires the applicants to provide their personal information, citizenship details, and residency data.

However, the poll body stressed that accomplishing the online form

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by CHRISTINA

M. ORIEL

AJPress

FOR the first time in three years, the program that has protected young undocumented immigrants from deportation will accept new applications.

Judge Nicholas Garaufis of

the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on Friday, December 4 ruled that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program will be restored to its original form, and that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security must post a

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From the Front Page

Pfizer’s COVID vaccine may arrive US transfers military hardware to PH in PH between Q2 to Q3 of 2021

by Krissy

AguilAr Inquirer.net

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines might only get a hold of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine between the second and third quarter of 2021, the country’s vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Wednesday, December 9.

Galvez said the production line of Pfizer and other leading vaccines for start of 2021 were already secured by rich countries.

“Ang nakita po natin sa Pfizer at saka sa ibang leading vaccines, dahil nga naprocure na yun, nakita natin yung productions from the first quarter and the second quarter, nakuha na po ng mga rich countries,” Galvez said in an interview over ABS-CBN Channel.

(We saw that Pfizer and other leading vaccines, since these were already pro-

cured, we saw that its productions from the first and second quarter were already secured by rich countries.)

“Sa atin, ang natitira na lang po is middle or last portion of the second quarter and the third quarter,” he added.

(For us, we are left with the middle or last portion of the second quarter and the third quarter.)

Some 80 % of global COVID-19 vaccine supply have already been secured by rich nations, Galvez earlier said.

Even if the Philippines has a good plan on securing COVID-19 vaccines, Galvez said rich nations will still get it first since they were the ones that financed its development.

“Alam niyo po yung mga vaccines came from the first world countries. They even finance it. Definitely, kapag po sila na-finance, sa kanila nanggaling, definitely sila

po ang ang mauuna mag roll out,” Galvez said.

(Vaccines came from the first world countries. They even finance it. Definitely, if they are the ones that financed it, it came from them, definitely they will be the first to roll out.)

“Kahit na magaling po ang plano natin, talagang kahit nauna po tayo magplano, I believe we cannot get the vaccine because it is already reserved to the origin countries,” he went on.

(Even if we have a good plan, even if we planned ahead of them, I believe we cannot get the vaccine because it is already reserved to the origin countries.)

Britain already began its vaccination program, with a 90-year-old being the first person to receive the COVID-19 vaccine of Pfizer.

Pfizer said the COVID-19 vaccine it developed showed 95 % efficacy. n

THE Philippines has received an additional P1.4 billion ($29.3 million) worth of military equipment from the United States, demonstrating the longstanding and steadfast U.S. military commitment to the Philippines.

Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller on Tuesday, December 8, met with Philippine Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jr., announcing the recent transfer of the defense articles, including sniper and anti-IED equipment, to senior Philippine military officials.

The turnover of the defense equipment will support the modernization goals of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). The new equipment will strengthen the AFP’s joint precision strike, sniper, riverine, and counterimprovised explosive device capabilities.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to visit the Philippines, the United States’ oldest treaty ally in Asia. It was

an honor to meet with Secretary Lorenzana and Secretary Loscin to discuss deepening our alliance and supporting a free and open South China Sea and Indo-Pacific region,” Miller said.

During the meeting, Miller stressed the importance of the U.S.-Philippine alliance to national and regional security, and discussed opportunities for greater bilateral security cooperation to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

He likewise highlighted the more than P1.1 billion ($23.4 million) in U.S. COVID-19 assistance and disaster relief for recent typhoon victims, as well as ongoing U.S. support for Philippine counterterrorism and maritime security efforts.

“We are grateful for the support provided by the United States as we continuously work on the enhancement of the Philippines’ defense capabilities,” said Lorenzana.

“The modernization of the AFP will ultimately allow us to respond more effectively

to both traditional and nontraditional security threats to our maritime nation. Our government expresses our deep appreciation for the US government’s assistance in protecting our borders from external threats,” he added.

Miller’s visit followed the November 25 visit of U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett, as well as U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien’s November 22-23 visit, during which he announced P868 million ($18 million) in supplementary military equipment and training for the AFP. “The Philippines is by far the largest recipient of U.S. military assistance in the Indo-Pacific region,” noted the U.S. Embassy in Manila.

“Since 2015, the United States has delivered more than P33 billion ($650 million) worth of planes, ships, armored vehicles, small arms, and other military equipment to the Philippines, while training side-by-side with our Filipino allies,” it added. (Ritchel Mendiola/AJPress) n

Maria Ressa lands on 2020 Bloomberg...

PAGE 1 tion of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, was convicted of cyber libel this past June for a 2012 Rappler article about a businessman, sentencing her to a penalty of imprisonment ranging from six months to six years.

“In June a judge ruled on the charge, which can be initiated when a party who believes he’s been defamed requests a prosecution. The ask had come from businessman Wilfredo Keng, who said Rappler defamed him when the online news site cited a report about his alleged links to drug smuggling in a story,” read Ressa’s profile on the Bloomberg website.

Ressa, for her part, said the verdict was “not unexpected,” and vowed to continue fighting.

“Freedom of the press is the foundation of every single right you have as a Filipino citizen. If we can’t hold power to account, we can’t do anything,” she said in a press conference following the verdict.

Bloomberg lauded the Rappler CEO for her un-

Maria Ressa

flinching journalism, which included investigations of alleged police abuses in the president’s anti-drug efforts.

“She’s carried on despite what journalism advocates say is a campaign of official intimidation, including a tax evasion case and a claim by regulators that financial support Rappler received violated a ban on foreign ownership of media,” it said.

“Free on bail, she’s fighting all those allegations — and still publishing,” it added.

Ressa, who was among

Photo from Twitter/@mariaressa

TIME’s 2018 “Persons of the Year,” was recently honored with the international 2020 John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award by the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Aside from her, Bloomberg also honored Billie Eilish, singer-songwriter; Bong Joon-ho, director of Oscarwinning film “Parasite;” Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix; Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; and Tsai Ing-Wen, president of Taiwan. (AJPress) n

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World Bank: PH economy to bounce...

PAGE 1 curve is likely to flatten in the first half of 2021, which will help pave the way for a sustainable economic recovery in 2021-2022,” she added.

The World Bank noted that government spending for infrastructure projects next year would help ensure a stable economic footing as the programs would create and provide job opportunities.

“Regaining momentum on the public infrastructure program will support economic recovery and increase growth potential which might have been negatively affected by the pandemic,” Qian said.

Additional 2.7 million poor Filipinos The World Bank forecasted that the economy would contract even deeper at 8.1% in 2020, a revision from its 6.9% forecast last October.

This is due to several “shocks” like the COVID19 pandemic as well as Typhoons Quinta, Rolly, and Ulysses which battered parts of the Philippines between October and November.

“The series of natural disasters that hit the country while we are battling the pandemic highlights the importance of mainstreaming disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation into policy and planning,” said Ndiame Diop, World Bank Country Director for Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.

“While the Philippines is

financially resilient, stronger coordination, execution and implementation will help further improve social and physical resilience to frequent shocks,” Diop added.

The contraction is expected to increase poverty in the country, according to the World Bank.

“The expected growth contraction in 2020 is likely to increase poverty in the short term, resulting in an additional 2.7 million poor people in 2020,” Qian said, basing the poverty line on a $3.2 or roughly 150 daily per capita income for middle-income countries.

“The poor and vulnerable, are especially likely to experience significant welfare losses, given their limited capacity to manage risks,” she further said.

The multilateral lender also pointed out that private consumption, which accounts for two-thirds of the country’s economy, also declined at a record pace due to high unemployment and falling incomes.

“While addressing the pandemic, the country needs to sustain focus on the structural reform agenda,” Qian stressed.

“Speeding up reforms that improve the business environment, foster competition, and strengthen resilience against natural disasters will support the economic recovery and boost productivity

growth in the long term,” she added.

‘Do better’ Malacañang, for its part, vowed to do better in 2021 following the World Bank’s latest projection.

“Siyempre po nalulungkot tayo diyan dahil ibig sabihin mas marami maghihirap sa pagbagal ng ating pag-unlad. Pero iyan naman po ay naging resulta ng pandemya at ng mga sigalot na sunodsunod na dumaan sa ating bansa (Of course, we are sad because it means more people will suffer due to our slow growth. But it is the result of the pandemic and the series of disruptions that hit the country),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Tuesday.

“Kaya po natin ito, babangon tayo (We can do it, we will recover) we will do better in 2021,” he added.

The spokesman reminded the public to follow the minimum health protocols placed to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

“And pagdating po sa pandemya, kaya po natin ito, sundin lang natin ang sinasabi ng Presidente: Mask, Hugas, Iwas. Pag-ingatan ang buhay para sa hanapbuhay (And when it comes to pandemic, we will overcome this, just follow what the President said: wear face mask, wash hands, physical distancing.

Protect life for work),” said Roque. n

Filipina nurse administers first...

PAGE 1 approval in the country.

“It’s a huge honor to be the first person in the country to deliver a COVID-19 jab to a patient,” Parsons said in a statement released by NHS. “I’m just glad that I’m able to play a part in this historic day. The last few months have been tough for all of us working in the NHS, but now it feels like there is light at the end of the tunnel,” she added.

Following Keenan, an 81year-old man named William Shakespeare was the second individual to receive the vaccine.

In an interview with “Good Morning Britain,” the Filipina nurse said she was proud to participate in a step toward curbing COVID-19.

“I’m really glad to be telling all the Filipinos in the country and in the world that we can make a difference,”

Parsons said, continuing “It’s a historical event for Filipinos all across the globe for making sure we are proud of what we’ve achieved...and the care that we give.”

“I’m very proud to say to everyone that I’m a BritishFilipino today, making history,” she added.

Parsons, a Filipina migrant, has been working in the UK’s NHS for the past 24 years now.

She inoculated the vaccine to Keenan at a local hospital in Coventry.

Keenan, for her part, expressed her gratitude for the Filipina nurse as well as the NHS staff for their service.

“I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against COVID-19. It’s the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the New Year after being on my

own for most of the year,” she said in a separate statement released by the NHS. “I can’t thank May and the NHS staff enough who have looked after me tremendously, and my advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it – if I can have it at 90, then you can have it too!” added Keenan.

In a tweet, British Ambassador to the Philippines and Palau Daniel Pruce called the event a “fantastic moment.”

“A fantastic moment! And great to see that the vaccine is administered by Nurse May Parsons from the Philippines – one of the many thousands of Filipino healthcare workers making such an enormous contribution to the #NHS,” he wrote.

The UK is the first country to start a mass vaccination campaign in the world.

It has secured 40 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech

‘CHRISTMASK’ TRAIN. Light Rail Manila Corporation president and chief executive officer (CEO) Juan Alfonso unveils a wagon of the Light Rail Transit 1 (LRT-1) painted with a “face mask” at the Baclaran station on Monday, December 7. The “Christmask”themed train aims to spread holiday cheer and remind passengers of the importance of observance of health protocols such as wearing of face coverings amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Judge restores DACA, orders...

PAGE 1 public notice by Monday that it will review new applications.

The approved applications will receive work permits for two years.

This comes after the Trump administration in 2017 moved to terminate the program, but the legality of the program has been weighed by several federal courts, including the Supreme Court this summer.

DACA, which was introduced by former President Barack Obama in 2012, granted renewable deportation protections of two years to certain young undocumented immigrants, known as “Dreamers,” who were

brought to the United States illegally as children.

Aside from being able to stay in the U.S., recipients were able to work legally which allowed many to pursue higher education and other career goals. The program, however, does not offer a pathway to citizenship for the grantees.

On November 14, Garaufis ruled that the Trump administration’s rules limiting applications and renewals for DACA were invalid because Chad Wolf was not legally appointed acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Wolf in July suspended the DACA program pending

DHS review, despite the U.S. Supreme Court blocking the Trump administration’s plan to dismantle the program a month before.

Around 650,000 individuals have benefitted from the DACA program.

According to Asian Americans Advancing Justice (Advancing Justice), an affiliation of five independent civil rights organizations, at least 16,000 DACA recipients are of Asian American or Pacific Islander (AAPI) descent.

Between 2012 and 2017, at least 3,880 Filipinos were granted DACA protection, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). n

Online registration for overseas...

PAGE 1 does not automatically make the applicant a registered voter.

“Take note that using this online facility only attempts to facilitate the process of accomplishment of the Application Form. It does not automatically mean approval of your application,” Comelec said in an announcement

on its website.

“You still have to personally appear before the concerned Philippine embassy or consulate together with the printed online application forms (3 copies) for QR scanning and biometrics capture to complete the filing process,” it added.

Biometrics capture may be done only at Philippine

embassies and consulates during office hours.

Comelec also said that the Election Registration Board (ERB) will approve the application on the scheduled date for the next ERB hearing.

The voter registration period resumed last September 1 and will run until September 30, 2021. n

vaccine after clinical trials showed an efficacy rate of 94% against SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is moving ahead with its process to determine whether to provide emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s vaccine.

On Tuesday, the FDA announced that its review

found the vaccine to be safe and effective after one dose.

According to Dr. Greg Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group in Rochester, Minnesota, he could “see absolutely no reason why this emergency use authorization would not be granted.”

If granted the EUA, the first round of vaccine rollout in the U.S. is expected to be

distributed within days.

The Philippines, on the other hand, is waiting for a number of vaccines to be evaluated by the country’s FDA for use in the country.

It recently signed a tripartite agreement for two million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine with the help of the private sector, and plans to acquire 20 million more doses using public money. n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 11-17, 2020

OPINION

5

FEATURES

Body cameras vs abuse IN 2017, surveillance camera footage belied the police version of the killing of 17-year-old student Kian de los Santos in Caloocan City. The video footage together with eyewitness accounts led to the conviction of the policemen who summarily executed De los Santos as he knelt on the ground and pleaded for his life.

That was one of the rare cases in the brutal drug war wherein the three executioners were not only caught but also convicted and sent to prison for life. Justice came swiftly mostly because of the evidence on video, corroborated by the eyewitnesses.

De los Santos’ execution did not put an end to the killings in the war on drugs, but it led to proposals to use body cameras so anti-drug operations would be properly documented and abuse of police power prevented.

In September this year, about 2,600 body cameras arrived for use by the Philippine National Police. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, tasked by law to lead the campaign against illegal drugs, has also procured its own body cameras.

The cameras can be used not only for the

drug war but also for other police operations against criminality. Law enforcers themselves will find body cameras useful in belying accusations of suspects about planting of evidence and unlawful arrest. Body cameras are useful particularly in areas where there are no closed-circuit television cameras – and there are still many places all over the country without CCTV. Video footage used as evidence will also speed up adjudication of cases, so law enforcers will see the fruits of their work paying off.

A bill is pending at the Senate, requiring the use of body cameras in police operations and their activation particularly when lives are at risk. Recordings must be retained for six months before deletion, unless these are needed as documentary evidence. The pro-

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS JOE BIDEN has officially secured enough electors to become president. He accrued more than 270 electors when California certified its presidential election on Friday, December 4, and appointed 55 electors pledged to vote for Biden, officially handing him the Electoral College majority needed to

Philstar.com photo

posed Body Camera Act includes provisions to protect the privacy of crime victims, people in their homes, and informants.

Law enforcement agencies need not wait

for the passage of the law to start using body cameras. Enactment of the law, however, can enhance the utilization of the devices. (Philstar.com)

Readers weigh in: Should Biden pardon Trump to unify the country? Could Trump pardon himself and his children? win the White House. Biden now has 279 electors, which is over the 270 threshold for victory.

As the Associated Press reported, “The electors named Friday will meet Dec. 14, along with counterparts in each state, to formally vote for the next president. Most states have laws binding their electors to the winner of the popular vote in their

state, measures that were upheld by a Supreme Court decision this year. There have been no suggestions that any of Biden’s pledged electors would contemplate not voting for him.”

As all election processes and results lead the way to Biden’s inauguration as the 46th President of the United States on January 20, 2021, the issue of PARDON has

been talked about in the news and on social media.

This is especially relevant in light of all the charges Trump could be facing after his term due to his reported abuse of the power, resources, and public trust accorded to him by the Office of the President.

This is not even including other charges against him that are already in court, but

he could not be indicted because of the Department of Justice memo that prohibits deposing a sitting president.

This is in part fueled by Trump’s tweets in 2018 claiming he can pardon himself, contrary to the law.

Trump was also reportedly in talks with his advisers about granting preemptive pardons to his children Don Jr., Eric, Ivanka and her hus-

band Jared Kushner, a White House senior adviser.

Last week, I wrote an article about what the law says about presidential pardons and clemency, as well as other legal perspectives pertaining to Trump pardoning himself and his children.

Some Trump supporters have been opining that Biden as president should consider PAGE 10

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

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Dateline PhiliPPines

House, Senate ratify 2021 national budget

MANILA — Both chambers of Congress on Wednesday approved the final version of the Duterte administration’s penultimate budget worth P4.5 trillion.

In a tweet Wednesday night, the House announced that it has ratified the bicameral committee report on the 2021 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

A few hours later, the Senate also ratified the bicameral version of the proposed 2021 national budget.

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco said the approval of the 2021 national budget “reflects the serious commitment of the Duterte government to defeat COVID19 and bring the economy back on track.”

“When we keep our com-

mitments to our fellow Filipinos and continue to put their interests first, we will surely overcome the health, social and economic impacts of the pandemic,” Velasco said.

The final version of the budget bill includes P20 billion allocation for COVID-19 vaccines, P2 billion for the purchase of personal protective equipment and P462 million for the Medical Health Assistance Program and P100 million for the mental health program under the Department of Health.

The top 10 recipients of the 2021 budget are the following: • Education (DepEd, SUCs, CHED, TESDA) P708.2 billion • DPWH - P694.8 billion • Health (DOH, Phil-

Health, Vaccines) - P287.5 billion • DILG - P247.5 billion • DND - P205.5 billion • DSWD - P176.7 billion • DOTr - P87.4 billion • DA - P68.6 billion • Judiciary - P44.1 billion • DOLE - P36.3 billion As of writing, the Senate is still deliberating on the final version of the 2021 budget.

Once approved by both chambers of Congress, the bill can be forwarded to the president for final approval.

According to Velasco, the enrolled copy of the 2021 GAB will be sent next week to Malacañang for the signature of President Rodrigo Duterte. (Patricia Lourdes Viray with report from Xave Gregorio/Philstar.com) n

In this file photo, officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs welcome home 16 stranded Filipino seafarers and three landbased overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from China.

DFA photo

Filipinos abroad with COVID-19 near 11,700

by Christian

Deiparine Philstar.com

MANILA — The foreign affairs department on Wednesday, December 11 said four more Filipinos abroad have contracted the coronavirus to bring the total to now at 11,699.

Officials in a daily bulletin said today’s additional infections came from the Asia Pacific region, which has reported 1,971 cases to date.

No new deaths and recoveries were reported by December 9, with fatalities staying at 847 and the num-

ber of persons who got well at 3,274.

Still, some 3,274 Filipino patients are receiving treatment for the COVID-19 in 82 countries.

The Middle East in 32 countries has 7,544 confirmed cases, and it also PAGE 10

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 11-17, 2020

No ceasefire ever again – Duterte

by Catherine

S. Valente ManilaTimes.net

BLACK NAZARENE. ‘Wengweng’, a 40-year-old vendor, sells necklaces with an engraved image of the Black Nazarene in front of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Cubao in Quezon City on Tuesday, December 8 a special non-working holiday in the country in commemoration of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. For the first time, the January 9 grand procession of the Feast of Black Nazarene that usually draws millions was canceled due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

Southern California now under regional...

PAGE 1 “emergency brake” to curb the exponential spread of the virus in California where ICU capacity is dire. The order is to remain in effect for the next three weeks, and regions will be able to lift the order on Dec. 28 if the ICU capacity projections for January are above or equal 15%.

“This is the most challenging moment since the beginning of the pandemic,” Newsom said. “If there was ever any time to put aside your doubt, to put aside your skepticism, to put aside your cynicism, to put aside your ideology [and] to put aside any consideration accept this: Lives are in the balance.

Lives will be lost unless we do more than we’ve ever done.”

What does this stay-athome order mean?

With the issuance of the order to Southern California this week, all bars, wineries, nail salons, hair salons and barbershops and other personal care services are to close. Restaurants can remain open only for takeout and delivery; indoor and outdoor dining options, which is believed to be a major source for superspreading, are shut down.

Another source of the super spread, large gatherings and parties with people from different households, is also being more closely monitored with this new order.

Unlike the first stay-athome order issued in March, this new order states that retail stores are allowed to be open at 20% capacity. In his remarks last week announcing the new order, Newsom recognized that the first

stay-at-home order unfairly favored big box retailers, which were allowed to stay open with little restrictions compared to small businesses.

Non-essential travel is “temporarily restricted statewide” and hotels and motels are now only allowed for guests traveling for an “essential reason,” including for work, school or a family emergency.

Regarding the enforcement of these rules, Sacramento is largely leaving those decisions to local authorities, but Newsom emphasized that uncooperative counties would see consequences.

“If you’re unwilling to adopt the protocols to support the mitigation and the reduction of the spread of this disease, we’re happy to redirect those dollars to counties that feel differently,” Newsom added.

LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva confirmed last week that the LA County Sheriff Department will target “super spreader events, where people are congregating and there’s no social distancing [and] no mask-wearing.”

Villanueva’s remark comes a week after Los Angeles instituted its own local stayat-home order that prohibits large gatherings. On Saturday, Dec. 5 the LASD arrested 158 people at a party in Palmdale, a “super spreader for COVID” that officers said had more than 100 maskless people packed inside the house.

Looking back and moving forward This year has been marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and the various stay-at-home (or, shelter-in-place) orders

that governments have triggered to try to mitigate viral transmission. In turn, this has resulted in extreme economic downturn as businesses suffered, tens of thousands of workers laid off and millions of residents frustrated at stringent rules limiting access to public life.

California previously operated on a color-coded tiered plan. Counties that successfully reduced viral transmission (through a series of measures, like 7-day averages, hospital bed availability, and daily case and death rates) were allowed to advance to less restrictive tiers on the plan.

However, as soon as businesses began offering in-store services and restaurants began expanding its inside dining options, positive COVID-19 cases and deaths mounted. LA County, one of the worst counties in terms of COVID-19 minimization, continues to break daily records as the holiday season threatens to double the current counts.

Most notably, LA County set new records for coronavirus hospitalizations every day of December so far.

The new regional stayat-home order, in fact, was a response to the lack of compliance among Southern Californians who have been ignoring social distancing and public health protocol regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Places like Pasadena and Orange County continue to defy the public health guidelines limiting restaurant and personal services, risking potential viral increases among its communities as the annual flu season looms. n

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has ruled out any ceasefire with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), saying the government will work to crush communist rebels.

The President declared that there will be no ceasefire this Christmas “or ever again.”

In his weekly address to the nation late Monday, Duterte claimed that the ceasefire with the CPP NPA had long been dead.

“There will be no ceasefire ever again under my term… For all intents and purposes, ‘yung (the) ceasefire is dead. Wala na ‘yon.

Matagal na ‘yon (It’s long gone),” he said.

The Philippine government traditionally declares a holiday ceasefire with the communists during the Christmas holidays, which is reciprocated by the rebel group.

The military earlier announced that it would not recommend to the Presi-

Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison Inquirer.net photo

dent a traditional holiday ceasefire, citing the communist rebels’ “crimes.”

Earlier this year, the government and the CPP declared a ceasefire to allow the government to focus on the coronavirus pandemic.

Both sides claimed that the other violated the ceasefire.

In the same public address, Duterte also shot down the resumption of peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF), the CPP’s negotiating arm.

He admitted that he “walked away” from the peace talks “because we PAGE 8

DECEMBER 11-17, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

Democratic freedoms in PH now ‘severely restricted’ – global rights monitor

by Gaea

Katreena Philstar.com

CabiC

MANILA — Fundamental freedoms such as freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association in the Philippines are now “severely restricted” due to ongoing attacks against activists and journalists, an international watchdog said.

In its report released ahead of the Human Rights Day, CIVICUS Monitor, the research tool of international alliance CIVICUS, downgraded the state of democratic freedoms in the Philippines from “obstructed” to “repressed.”

CIVICUS Monitor said the rating change was due in particular to the vilification of activists and targeting of human rights defenders and journalists in the country.

“The Duterte government has incrementally chipped away at civic freedoms since it came to power in 2016 but

Activist groups marched from University of the Philippines Diliman to the Commision on Human Rights on June 4, 2020 to protest the passage of the “Anti-Terrorism Act”.

Philstar.com photo by EC Toledo

this has further eroded over the last year,” Josef Benedict, CIVICUS Monitor Asia-Pacific civic space researcher, said.

“In 2020, we have seen systematic intimidation, attacks and vilification of civil society and activists, an increased crackdown on press freedoms and a pervasive culture of impunity take root,” he added.

Documented incidents in the report include killing of peasant activist Randall Echanis and human rights activist Zara Alvarez in August. Both had been red-tagged—labelled as communist rebels and enemies of state—before they were murdered.

It noted the ongoing atPAGE 10

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

No ceasefire ever again – Duterte...

PAGE 7 cannot understand each other.”

“Maybe we were talking in different dialects, I don’t know why, but I simply cannot understand the way it was being carried by the other side, the way it was being played.

What was evolving before me was something that was not acceptable to the Republic of the Philippines, lalo na ‘yang (especially that) coalition government,” he said.

The President insisted that the rebel demand to form a coalition government was unacceptable, saying, “No stupid president will allow it. He will get impeached. You are not supposed to share that power… those powers given to me under the law are only to be exercised unless they are capable of being delegated. I cannot compromise anything in this government. It’s either I will be impeached or the military and police will shoot me.”

Duterte also insisted that all communists were “bad”

since they were conspiring to overthrow the government.

“I have to destroy you,” the President said, adding that while the anti-subversion law had been repealed, the communists had committed murder, arson and other atrocities.

“These are serious offenses under the Revised Penal Code and your organization, simply communists all of you, the act of one is the act of all,” he said.

Duterte also disclosed plans to identify other people belonging to the communist rebel organization.

“So, what do we do? Well, I’m trying to sort out what we will do to you because you are now criminals and I said I have pointed out we are not only tagging you.

We are identifying you and we will identify you anytime you want. But there will be a time before my [term ends], I will name all of you, kayong lahat sa NDF,” he said.

Thankful The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) wel-

comed the President’s declaration.

“We are thankful to the Commander-in-Chief for heeding the AFP’s recommendation not to declare ceasefire this holiday season and beyond,” Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesman, said in a statement. “[This is] not because we do not want peace, but because what we advocate is a genuine and lasting peace that we cannot achieve through a peace pact with the NPA that is notoriously insincere and unworthy of public trust,” he added.

The CPP, meanwhile, said Duterte’s announcement was no surprise.

Duterte’s declaration was “no surprise” for the communist movement.

“His government’s policies have always been shaped by military generals who are obsessed with prolonging the civil war,”Marco Valbuena, CPP’s information officer, said in a statement.

“They are addicted to war because of the profits they pocket from it.” n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 11-17, 2020

CALL FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE. Representatives of disaster-affected communities and members of the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice hold placards demanding concrete actions to address the effects of climate change in a press conference in Quezon City on Monday, December 7. The groups call for a more comprehensive and integrated approach in addressing the climate crisis, as the Philippines is among the most susceptible countries to hazards brought about by climate change.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

Impeachment rap filed vs Leonen

by Arlie

O. CAlAlO ManilaTimes.net

AN impeachment complaint was filed on Monday, December 7 against Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Mario Victor Leonen before the House of Representatives for culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust.

The 40-page complaint was filed by Edwin Cordevilla, secretary-general of the Filipino League of Advocates for Good Governance-Maharlika (FLAG-Maharlika).

Cordevilla’s lawyer, Lorenzo Gadon, said Ilocos Norte Rep. Angelo Marcos-Barba endorsed the complaint.

Barba is the cousin of former senator Ferdinand Marcos, who has a pending electoral protest before the Supreme Court, which serves as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.

Leonen is in charge of the protest case.

Gadon said the filing of the complaint had nothing to do with the fact that Barba and Marcos are relatives.

Marcos “did not have anything to do with this particular complaint. He did not know this as we never had any chance to talk about this.

In fact, when I filed the quo warranto petition prior to this impeachment complaint demanding for Leonen’s release of his SALN (statement of assets, liability and net worth), he even tried to discourage

Lawyer Lorenzo Gadon shows a copy of the impeachment complaint against Associate Justice Marvic Mario Victor Leonen.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy Martinez

me from pursuing it because he did not want to be blamed that he was the one who initiated it,” he explained in a news briefing.

Gadon said Cordevilla is a town-mate and a constituent of Barba.

He added that the charge of culpable violation of the Constitution stems from Leonen’s failure to resolve 82 cases within the required 24-month period.

The complaint said Leonen was sitting on 37 “aging” cases.

“Respondent’s track record of gross inefficiency as shown by the snail pace in which he resolves his cases casts doubts on his competency.

No other sitting justice has ever displayed the same inefficiency and incompetence,” the complaint read.

Gadon said Leonen betrayed public trust for failing to file SALNs from 1989 to

2003 and 2008 to 2009, or a total of 15 years, including the time he was the dean of the College of Law at the University of the Philippines.

“I was just wondering why the Supreme Court could not provide me the copies of Leonen’s SALN because the truth is that they do not have copies of his SALN, unlike when I asked then for the similar documents of then-Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, it readily gave me copies,” the lawyer added.

In an 8-6 decision, the Supreme Court ousted Sereno as chief justice in 2018 for failing to file her SALN. The court handed down its ruling on May 11, 2018.

Describing Leonen as incompetent, biased and lazy, Gadon said the magistrate was not even qualified to be part of the high court.

“It was only the former PAGE 10

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DECEMBER 11-17, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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

Readers weigh in: Should Biden...

RISKY JOBS. Vendors sell snacks and drinks along Edsa in Cubao, Quezon City on Wednesday, December 9. These vendors risk life and limb just to earn a living.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

Democratic freedoms...

PAGE 8 tacks on press freedom: the shutdown of broadcast giant ABS-CBN and the cyber libel conviction of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and former researcher-writer Reynaldo Santos Jr. Benedict said the threats and assaults against journalists have contributed to self-censorship and have had chilling effect within the media industry.

The arrest of human rights defender Teresita Naul and women’s rights activist Beatrice Belen as well as the continuing detention of Sen. Leila de Lima were also cited in the report.

In a report last June, the United Nations Human Rights said the vilification of dissent and attacks against perceived critics of the Philippine government are being “increasingly institutionalized and normalized in ways that will be very difficult to reverse.”

‘Draconian’ anti-terror law CIVICUS Monitor also said

that the passage of the “draconian” the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 contributed to the further shrinking of civic spaces in the Philippines.

“There are serious concerns that the new anti-terrorism law, which has few safeguards, will institutionalize and facilitate and abuse of power,” Benedict said.

Human rights defenders, lawyers, environmentalists and other critics of the legislation stressed the broadness and vagueness of definition of terrorism could be used to silence dissent and members of the opposition.

It has become one of the most challenged laws before the Supreme Court with at least 37 petitions filed against it.

Assessment of civil society conditions CIVICUS Monitor provides civic space ratings for 196 countries by combining several sources of data on the freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and ex-

pression.

Each nation’s civic space is rated in one of five categories: “open,” “narrowed,” “obstructed,” “repressed” or “closed.” “Open” is the highest rating possible.

“Civic space conditions are declining year on year.

In 2020, 43.4% of people now live in countries rated as having repressed civic space while the percentage of people living in countries with obstructed civic space jumped from 15.8% to 18.3%,” CIVICUS Monitor said.

The Philippines joined 43 countries including Cambodia, Venezuela and Russia in the “repressed” category.

Among the countries categorized as “closed” include Asian neighbors China, Vietnam and Laos.

Top 10 violations to civic freedoms include detention of protesters, harassment, censorship, intimidation, attacks on journalists, protest disruption, restrictive law, detention of journalists, excessive force and detention of rights defenders. n

Impeachment rap filed vs...

PAGE 9 president Noynoy (Benigno Aquino 3rd) who appointed him from nowhere, and his only experience was when he became chief negotiator of the peace talks between the government and MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front). He was not even involved in any previous work in the judiciary,” Gadon said.

Leonen is one of the three remaining Aquino appointees in the Supreme Court.

In filing the complaint, Gadon said Cordevilla drew from reliable sources, including articles written by former ambassador Rigoberto Tiglao, who writes a column for The Manila Times.

In the complaint, Cordevilla said it would be difficult for investigating authorities to pin Leonen down in a corrup-

tion trial.

“If respondent wakes up one day and decides to build a castle for his retirement home, it would be next to impossible to examine his assets and net worth since these were never filed for 15 whole years,” he added.

He claimed that he was also shocked that Leonen, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, would think of renovating a cottage assigned to him in the Supreme Court compound in Baguio City.

The House will determine if the complaint is sufficient in form and substance. If the complaint holds up, the chamber will decide whether to impeach Leonen.

An impeachment trial will be held, with the Senate acting as judges and the House taking on the role of prosecu-

tor.

In a statement on Monday, Leonen said he welcomes the impeachment complaint and asked the lawmakers “to do the right thing.”

“Given the urgent and pressing needs of our people during this time of crises, we are confident that our leaders will do the right thing. Certainly, this may not be to attend to false issues raised by some for clearly personal or vindictive reasons,” he bared.

Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said President Rodrigo Duterte had nothing to do with the filing of the impeachment charge against Leonen.

“Absolutely none. Wala pong kinalaman diyan (We have nothing to do with that.

We don’t even know who the proponents are,” he added. n

PAGE 5 pardoning Trump like what President Gerard Ford did to his predecessor Richard Nixon. They contend it could help heal and unify our divided nation.

Of course, Biden already stated his definitive stand on this issue. In a town hall meeting during the presidential campaign, Biden already gave a firm answer to this very question. He pledged that he would not use his new executive powers to pardon President Donald Trump of any potential crimes.

“We never saw anything like the prostitution of [the presidency] like we see it today,” Biden said. “What’s going on is an absolute travesty. A travesty of justice.”

Filipinos in America who read the article posted their comments on social media.

Here are some of them: “Absolutely NO PARDON. Trump should be made an example of how a president should NEVER be and how his destructive actions should NEVER be repeated by any future president. Pardoning him is sending the wrong messages. Lock him up and throw away the key.

Any president in the future shall shudder at the thought of abusing power.” - Lee Leon “Ask this question on January 20th.” - Karen Kay Kelly “I will regret that I voted for Biden if he does that!” Manolo Patoot “What would VP Biden pardon Trump for if the former takes office as president? All accusations on Trump were unfounded. The question is: would he be able to pardon his son since he could not pardon himself. Biden’s only recourse would be to resign snd the VP becomes President who, in return, pardons him as Ford did to Nixon.

Remains to be seen!!!” - Evelyn Andamo “How will a Biden pardon for Trump unify the country?

His supporters will only accept Trump’s return to power, nothing less. A united United States of America, redundant and funny as it sounds is not going to happen soon (if at all) as long as Trump is around.” - Alex Aison “I think we will still be divided even if he pardons him. It will encourage others to become as reckless as Trump because they will count on a pardon after all the destruction they create.

Trump should be subjected to the consequences of his actions according to law. He is what he is now, because growing up, he was always shielded from the consequences of his actions. Pardoning him will create many more Trumps in future generations.” -Angela Vergel de Dios “Thank you for this article.

Saved me from doing my own research. I don’t think anyone in this group wants Biden to pardon Trump. But, like you said, if trump wants a pardon, he has to admit he did something wrong. He will never admit that he did something wrong.” -Grace Bustamante “Trump should not pardon Biden for stealing the election! You are disgusting for being biased. Not all Asians support your hypocrisy.” Josie Robb “With all the anger, confusion and division he started in America...He deserves to be punished and feel the pain we suffered.” -Vilma Camaya “Why should Biden pardon Trump? In fact, the DOJ should prosecute Trump for his crimes.” - Malou de Asis “Justice, law and order cannot be sacrificed for the

sake of unity. If Trump, his family and cult members broke the laws, they should all be persecuted and punished. No one is above the law. - Rogelio G. Sion “If Biden pardons the POS traitor then Biden becomes complicit in the crimes.” Peter Cabal “A pardon will be a stupid move and a betrayal of the voters who voted to oust Trump.” -Jet Guerrero “Anybody in their right sense knows inside them that TRUMP is as delusional as it gets! This is an awful period of our generation and things should be done RIGHT....what is going on!?!?!? Nobody seems to be doing anything about this President!?!?!? I am quite shock[ed] that the people... the Republicans just let him still do what he please[s]... nobody to stand up against his lunatic behavior...

Where is the hero against all [these] misfit character[s]... I thought at one time... there was one guy!?!?!?” - Mary Rose Amistad “Truth Prevails...Justice Prevails...No one can defy the Constitution. No one can be above the Law. God Bless America” - Joy Carpio *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.

Filipinos abroad with...

PAGE 6 has 553 deaths and 4,657 recoveries.

Asia continues to keep its death toll at nine with some 1,390 recoveries.

Europe — where Britain has begun vaccinating its citizens with shots from Pfizer/BioNTech — accounts for 1,415 Filipino cases, along with 96 deaths and 1,010 recoveries.

Americas in its 10 countries, meanwhile, have 769 infections, 521 recoveries and at 189 deaths, hold the

second highest death count among Filipinos.

Globally, the novel coronavirus has infected over 68.3 million individuals, nine months since the disease caused by it was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11.

The United States continues to have the most number of infections and deaths at 15.17 million and 286,338, respectively.

This was followed by India with 9.7 million cases,

Brazil with 6.6 million, Russia with 2.5 million and France with 2.3 million.

Brazil accounts for the second highest number of fatalities at 178,159, with India trailing at 141,360, Mexico at 110,874 and the United Kingdom at 62,130.

The Philippines’ 444,164 confirmed cases put it at the 27th spot and continues to rank as the second in Southeast Asia with the most count of infections, next only to Indonesia’s 592,900. n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 11-17, 2020

COMMUNITY Journal

11

What is ‘birthright citizenship’?

Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ DONALD Trump has often stated he wants to end “birthright citizenship” for children born in the U.S. to undocumented parents. He is obviously against “birth tourism,” where pregnant women, about to give birth, enter the U.S. solely for their child to be born in the U.S. and therefore be considered a U.S. citizen.

He also opposes undocumented immigrants coming across the border (or overstaying their visas) and giving birth, making their children automatic U.S. citizens.

There have been millions of children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants, who have long been considered U.S. citizens. Many of those children have even gone on to perhaps petition their parents when they reached 21 years of age.

But what is birthright citizenship, and what is the argument for precluding children of undocumented immigrants from being considered U.S. citizens even if born within the U.S.?

We start with the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which provides the foundation for birthright citizenship: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein

they reside.” (Emphasis added) The key phrase in the 14th amendment is that persons born in the U.S are considered U.S. citizens only if they are “subject to the jurisdiction” of the U.S. If a person is not subject to U.S. jurisdiction, they should not be considered a U.S. citizen at birth.

The phrase “subject to the jurisdiction” of the U.S. has always been interpreted to pertain to citizenship claims by the children of diplomats, ambassadors, and hostile combatants. For example, ambassadors and other diplomats enjoy diplomatic “immunity” while in the U.S., and are therefore not subject to U.S. jurisdiction. If their children are born in the U.S., they are PAGE 13

NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY

EVERYDAY

9:00am - 11:00am

‘CITIZEN PINOY’ ANSWERS QUESTIONS FROM KAPAMILYA IN THE PHILIPPINES AND IN CALIFORNIA ON A PRE-CHRISTMAS EPISODE THIS SUNDAY. Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (left) renews his commitment and public service of bringing families together by providing relevant immigration information to Kapamilya. Hildi from Taguig, Metro Manila in the Philippines (top right) asks about the 1997 petition of her father, who died in 2017. The petition finally became current in 2019 and she wonders if there is still hope for her and her adult children to come to America? Jon from Riverside, California (bottom right) is a dual citizen who just returned to the U.S. after spending nine years in the Philippines. He was able to bring his four-year old daughter to the U.S., as she was considered a U.S. citizen at birth. Jon wants to know the fastest way to bring his daughter’s mother to the US: via a fiancée visa or should he marry her first and then petition her as his wife?

These questions and more will be answered by Atty. Gurfinkel on the “Parol” (Christmas Lantern) episode of “Citizen Pinoy: Your Tanong, My Sagot” this Sunday, December 13 at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

(Advertising Supplement)

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DECEMBER 11-17, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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

COVID, Ghrelin, orgasm...

Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS COVID-19 news: As of December 8, 2020, 12:48 GMT, worldwide, there were 68,057,474 cases with 1,553,408 deaths; USA, 15,371,268, with 290,649 deaths; and The Philippines, 442,785, with 8,670 deaths. In the USA, 42 States showed continued rise in COVID-19 cases. Only 8 appear (Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, North Dakota, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming) more stable. Officials across the USA “are rolling out a patchwork of restrictions on mask and social distancing…Restrictions are ramping up in many areas as cases surge nationwide. Health officials warn that easing restrictions too soon could bring new outbreaks, but many states forged ahead.”

Let’s be wise, disciplined, and complaint to shorten this pandemic. It is, after all, ONLY in “(We) The People”’s hands.

The genetically altered yellow fever vaccine (proven effective against yellow fever for 80 years, among 500 million worldwide who developed life-long immunity) was highly effective in animals, reports NATURE journal. If it passes clinical trials, the new single-shot vaccine would have some advantages over other SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, like those of Pfizer-BioNTech’s 2 shot (one month apart) vaccine. The Pfizer-B vaccine has been distributed last Monday for all first responders and seniors and other vulnerable persons first, then for the public starting early next year.

This inspires hope among peoples around the world.

The Community Healthcare System hospitals in Northwest Indiana are using “a new antibody therapy treatment called Bamlanivimab to treat COVID-19 and reduce its symptoms.”

This monoclonal antibody treatment is given as an hour-long intravenous infusion to patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms who are at higher risk for related complications.

The U.S. FDA has issued

“emergency use authorization for the yet-to-be-approved medication, because use of this drug showed “a decrease in viral loads and reduced rates of symptoms and hospitalization.” Further research and clinical trials are required to insure its effectiveness and safety.

Other drugs for prevention and treatment of COVID-19 are in the pipeline.

What controls the urge to eat?

While there are other hormones involved, there are two main ones, which signal the brain when we are hungry or full. The hunger hormone is Ghrelin, which is secreted by our guts (stomach and intestines).

When its level goes up, we feel hungry and have the urge to eat. The level of Ghrelin goes up when we get less sleep or not enough sleep. This is the reason why those who are trying to lose weight should get adequate amount (about 8 hours) of sleep. An imbalance meal and stress also elevate the Ghrelin level.

Food deprivation obviously increases the Ghrelin level, hence it is better to keep the level of this hormone on an even keel and not fluctuate too much by eating regularly (or even more than 3 times a day) but at a controlled total calorie ceiling, to maintain health and body weight. So, starving oneself is not a good way to lose weight, since this will lead to a Ghrelin “boomerang” in the latter part of the day.

The satiety or “counter” hormone, which is called Leptin, signals the brain when to stop eating.

It controls the appetite.

This “satiety hormone” is produced by fat cells in the body. When a person loses weight, the leptin level in the blood stream also goes down. As a result, there is less signal to the brain for the individual to stop eating, resulting in a “rebound” weight gain.

The best strategy in losing and maintaining a desired weight level is to lose in a slow and steady pace, about one to two pounds a week, and not more. In this manner, there will still be an effective level of leptin in the body to control the urge to eat.

Does sun exposure make the skin age faster?

Yes, constant exposure to the sun makes the skin

age prematurely, especially on the face. This is called dermatoheliosis or extrinsic aging. The skin changes may appear like those seen among patients after undergoing radiation therapy for cancer for a period of time. This condition is seen more commonly among North American and European people who love to bathe in the sun. Asian women have been noted to have younger-looking skin because they use umbrellas and hats a lot to protect their face from the direct sunlight, even on the beaches. And they are really the wiser and the healthier for that, because this practice also reduces the incidence of ultraviolet-induced skin cancers among Asian women compared to their American and European counterpart.

Is camote tops “cure” for dengue?

The internet abounds with claims that camote (sweet potato) tops extract “is effective in preventing or in curing dengue…. because they are excellent sources of antioxidative compounds, mainly polyphenolics, which may protect the human body from oxidative stress that is associated with many diseases including cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and that it boosts the immune system.” To put things in their proper perspective, there has been no original scientific research, much less randomized, double-blind, clinical studies to support this claim.

Indeed, it would be terrific if this were true. Hopefully, future investigations in the laboratory and in human will prove this to be so.

In the meantime, for the safety of the patient, most of them children, it is best to rely on the currently proven and accepted medical therapy, rather than abandoning this scientific treatment and dangerously gambling on camote top extracts.

Does frequent orgasm prolong life?

The answer appears to be yes. A study conducted in 1997 and published in the British Medical Journal, involving 918 men aged 45 to 59, who were followed up for ten years, revealed that “those who ejaculated less than once a month were twice as likely to die durPAGE 15

Citizen Pinoy’s Christmas ‘parol’ special answers more of your US immigration questions this Sunday LEADING U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel and the Citizen Pinoy family recognize that Christmas is a time for family. Many Filipinos in the U.S. are still waiting for the day when they are finally reunited with their family in America.

While waiting for that day, Attorney Gurfinkel works hard to help people realize that dream of uniting (or legalizing their status) by providing helpful information to Kapamilya.

Jon from Riverside, California is a dual citizen and he just returned to the U.S. after spending nine years in the Philippines. He brought his four-year old daughter to the U.S., as she was considered a U.S. citizen at birth.

Jon would like to know what is the fastest way to bring the mother of his daughter to the US: is it via a fiancée visa? Or should he marry her first and petition her as his wife?

Hildi from Taguig, Metro Manila in the Philippines

asks about her father’s petition for her in 1997. Unfortunately, her father died in 2017 and the petition only became current in 2019. Can Hildi and her two adult children still to come to America on her father’s petition?

These questions and more will be answered on brandnew holiday episode of “Citizen Pinoy: Your Tanong, My Sagot” this Sunday, December 13, at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

(Advertising Supplement)

COVID-19 vaccines are in the pipeline, scammers won’t be far behind

REPORTS about the release of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of the year are promising, but plans for distribution are still being worked out.

Here’s what we know right now: Two vaccine manufacturers (Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna) have submitted applications for Emergency Use Authorization to the Food and Drug Administration(FDA). The FDA could complete its review of these applications by the third or fourth week of December 2020. Additional vaccine manufacturers are expected to apply for FDA authorization in 2021. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an independent group of experts convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has already recommended that health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities should receive the first available doses. As additional data is available, more vaccines are authorized by the FDA, and vaccine production increases, ACIP will continue to update its recommendations.

Once the FDA authorizes one or more vaccines from pharmaceutical manufacturers, vaccines will be distributed to federal- and state-approved locations.

For most people living in

The Federal Trade Commission is warning consumers of possible scams related to the release of COVID-19 vaccines.

Image capture from www.ftc.gov

the U.S., states and territories will make the final decisions on who will get the vaccines and when.

States are also working on their own specific vaccination plans. You may want to check with your state for specific information regarding distribution plans in your state. More information on where and how

to get a COVID-19 vaccine will be available once vaccines are authorized and/or being shipped out.

While we wait for a timeline and more information, there’s no doubt scammers will be scheming. Here’s what you need to know to avoid a vaccine-related scam: PAGE 15

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SB19 ranks 6th among Billboard’s What is ‘birthright citizenship’...

Top Social 50 Artists of 2020

By Ian

BIong Inquirer.net

FILIPINO group SB19 has claimed the No. 6 spot on Billboard’s Top Social 50 Artists of 2020 chart, making them the only Filipino act in the top 10.

“Thank you for the recognition, @billboardcharts And of course, to our beloved A’TIN, thank you for all of the unimaginable plot twists in our life. Too grateful to have you. Stay amazing, guys!” the group stated on Instagram on Friday, December 4.

K-pop superstar groups, meanwhile, dominated the top 5, with BTS once again claiming the top spot, followed by Exo and NCT 127 at Nos. 2 and 3, while Seventeen claimed No. 5.

American singer Ariana Grande landed in No. 4.

The Social 50 chart ranks musical artists based on their online popularity by tracking their activity on

EMPLOYMENT

Filipino boyband SB19

social media platforms.

SB19’s achievement came just after the group claimed the top spot on Billboard’s LyricFind Global chart for their hit song “Alab” late last month.

The group also ranked 6th on the LyricFind chart in the United States, as seen on Billboard’s website.

Prior to landing in the Top Social 50 Artists of 2020 chart, the group already previously entered the Social 50 list at number 3 back in July, just be-

Photo from Facebook/@SB19Official

hind BTS and EXO. SB19 is the first and only Filipino group to make it to the Social 50 chart so far. They debuted at the 28th spot back in December 2019.

In November also last year, SB19 also made it to Billboard’s Next Big Sound chart. The P-pop group, composed of Sejun, Josh, Stell, Ken and Justin, was trained by a Korean entertainment company before debuting in the Philippines in 2018.

SERVICES

PAGE 11 not considered automatic U.S. citizens.

The argument goes that if a person is out of status, or owes allegiance to another country, they are not subject to U.S. jurisdiction. Therefore, if their children are born in the U.S., the children are not birthright citizens.

However, I do not believe Trump would be successful in attempting to end birthright citizenship. A constitutional amendment to the 14th Amendment is remote. If he tries an executive order, Biden would immediately rescind it.

In addition, the U.S. Supreme Court has a history of deciding cases upholding birthright citizenship.

As early as 1804, the U.S. Supreme Court decided a case, where they held that a person born in the U.S. was a U.S. citizen, even if the person later on lived most of his life outside the U.S. Birth in the U.S. was enough to convey citizenship.

In conclusion, unless there is a constitutional

amendment to the 14th Amendment, I do not believe birthright citizenship will change. If a child is born in the U.S., and their parents are not diplomats, the child will be considered a U.S. citizen at birth.

Once they reach 21 years of age, they could petition their parents. However, whether their parents will be eligible to adjust status (apply for a green card) in the U.S. may be a different issue. Being out of status, the parents’ manner of entry into the U.S. and their immigration history could affect the child’s ability to petition their parents.

If you have a U.S. born child over 21 years of age, and are considering having that child petition you, I would recommend that you consult with an attorney who can evaluate your situation, including your immigration history and status, to determine eligibility and the best course of action for you to legalize your status. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years

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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 Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

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people events arts culture entertainment

Food and beverage gifts from Fil-Am businesses that deliver tasting experiences at home

T

by CHRISTINA

M. ORIEL / AJPress

HOUGH the past year has been challenging, the holiday season is an opportunity to show support for small Filipino American businesses and restaurants in the community, as well as to deliver some joy to family, friends, coworkers and others on your shopping list. Purchasing a gift card to your favorite Fil-Am restaurant, which likely has had to minimize operations to takeout and delivery due to stay at home orders, will go a long way in helping keep it afloat, while giving someone on your list a dining experience to enjoy from their homes.

Aside from a prepared meal, several Fil-Am chefs, restaurants and shops are offering edible holiday treats and sets that go beyond the traditional gift basket, and are available regionally or can be shipped nationwide. Here are 12 options to choose from as gathered by the Asian Journal editorial team.

Food-themed gift boxes celebrating Filipino/a artisans Filipina American sisters Michele and Anna-Marie Josue introduced Para Sa’Yo (“For You” in Tagalog), an online shop selling curated gift sets featuring Filipino/ a artists and businesses for anyone on your list. For the nostalgic, the So Filipino ($50) box features staples Fil-Am kids grew up with like Sky Flakes and Jufran banana ketchup. The box also comes with a Vicks Vaporub! For those who start their day with a cup of joe, the But First Kape ($110) set features a pair of porcelain mugs, handwoven abaca coasters, and small-batch, single-origin Philippine light roast Arabica Coffee from Asukar. Sets come with an added greeting card of your choice and can be viewed at shopparasayo.com.

Open up a taste of the Philippines

Some small gift options from Fil-Am businesses Santos Candles, Lu France Interiors, Kaya Essentials, FWD Floss and MAAARI.

Gifts that showcase Filipino/Fil-Am artisanship by

Twelve food and beverage gift options from Fil-Am businesses promise to pack in rich Filipino sweet and savory flavors.

The Filipino Food Movement has rolled out a collection of some of the best Filipino food products that you can share with your loved ones this holiday season. The “Patikim” boxes come in three types: The Pearl Edition ($160), Gold Edition ($85), and Silver Edition ($60) with an array of items from signature sauces from San Franciscobased restaurant The Sarap Shop to chocolate bars from

Oodaalolly, which uses Philippine cacao. Proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit Gawad Kalinga’s Kusina ng Kalinga project, an initiative to end the hunger of Filipino children, and the FFM’s projects for the year. The boxes can be purchased at filipinofoodmovement.org/.

Satisfy wanderlust with travel-inspired ice cream flavors In time for the holidays, SoCal-based Wanderlust

Creamery is now shipping pints of their travel-inspired ice cream nationwide. For the ice cream aficionado and jetsetter grounded at home, the over a dozen pint flavor options — from Australian Pavola to Sakura — will transport them on an international palette journey starting at $12 a pop. To get into the holiday spirit, the shop has also introduced seasonal flavors like Christmas PAGE 15

aJPRESS

CONTINUING on the theme to support local and small ventures, here are several one-of-a-kind gift ideas that highlight Filipino/a talent — from scented candles to unique jewelry pieces.

Statement jewelry handmade by Filipina artisans If you’re looking to gift a jewelry piece for someone on your list, check out MAAARI, a “uniquely Filipina” modern accessories and home goods brand that pays homage to traditional design and cultural practices. The line’s Onyx Lunar Drops are earrings that serve as protection against negative energy and help guide intuition, and use ethically-mined metal and sustainably-sourced earth stones. Or the Sebu Ring, “a contiguous spiral ring that represents refuge and security,” made by T’boli artisans using upcycled brass and metal scraps.

Most items are made to order and can be purchased at maaari.co.

Sustainable, handmade candles and home decor Launched during the pandemic, Lu France In-

teriors (lufranceinteriors. com) is a Pinay-founded ecommerce site that curates sustainable and handmade home decor pieces that pay homage to the skills, traditions and artistry of artisans from the Philippines and beyond. Starting at $25, the site offers soy candles in various scents from bamboo coconut to sampaguita that would be elegant stocking stuffers.

Other gift ideas on the site include a set of kahoy (wood) round dishes and silk charmeuses — which can be used as a scarf, tapestry or wall art — naturally dyed by the site’s founder, France, in San Diego.

An array of scents to destress Lighting a candle is an effortless pleasure to unwind after a long day. With scents ranging from jasmine and orange blossom to grapefruit and mangosteen, Los Angeles-based Santos Candles’ products (starting at $21.99) will help create a relaxing ambiance and fill your space with alluring aromas. For holiday-specific gifts, the online shop has introduced PAGE 15

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 11-17, 2020

Food and beverage gifts from...

PAGE 14 Cookies & Sea Salt Cream, Food For the Gods, and Christmas in Tokyo (bittersweet uji matcha ice cream with housemade strawberry “kit kats”). Can’t decide on the individual flavors? The Pilipino Pint Pack comes with five pints inspired by favorite Filipino desserts like brazo de mercedes and sapin sapin. Or there’s the Asian Jet Set pack with six pints that transport you through the continent from the Sticky Rice and Mango to Ube Malted Crunch. Orders, which require a minimum purchase of four pints and arrive at the recipient in an insulated shipping box with dry ice, can be placed at shop.wanderlust.com.

Self-care in beverage form 2020 has been tough on everyone and more than ever, folks are seeking ways to practice self-care safely and conveniently at home.

Enter Droplet, a Pinayfounded line of sparkling beverages with real fruit and adaptogens, non-toxic substances derived from plants that help one’s body adapt and regulate the natural ability to respond to stressors. The “drop” in the brand’s name pays homage to Dalikamata, a clairvoyant and health goddess in Visayan pantheon, who was depicted with thousands of eyes on her body and whose tears would form morning dew drops. According to the legend, drinking the drops had healing effects, such as relieving eye problems.

The new beverage company offers the “Next Level You Wellness Kit” ($20, shipping included), a starter set of Droplet’s three flavors: Pretty Balanced (passion fruit, cacao, vanilla bean and rhodiola) for anti-anxiety, energy boasting and skin-hydrating effects; Pretty Balanced (white peach, lemon verbena, moringa and ashwagandha), the goto for a stress balancer and digestive aid; and Pretty Bright (yuzu, ginger and reishi mushroom) for a reset and mood enhancer.

“The entire idea behind Droplet was our own roots as Filipina Americans and our experiences with herbal medicine,” Celeste Perez, founder and CEO of Droplet, said in an interview with the Asian Journal. The set can be purchased through drinkdroplet.com.

Enjoy a round of sparkling craft cocktails safely

at home Meeting up with friends and partaking in a round (or multiple) of drinks at a bar is an experience that will have to wait until after it’s safe to go out again. But that doesn’t mean you can’t distantly imbibe a flavorful cocktail and reminisce on nightlife from the comfort of your home.

Los Angeles-based Vervet has four canned cocktails in a can full of ingredients local to the region and concocted with the city’s diversity in mind, including of course, the Filipino community.

Not to miss is the Tiki Tea — a nod to the city’s Filipino bartenders and Tiki culture — with prickly pear vodka, oolong tea, lime, allspice, ginger, clove and vanilla.

“People are home, but they still want to drink well...It’s nice to crack open a bottle of wine or beer, but it’s really such a limited experience and we want to bring something complex and that tastes like it was made in front of you,” Alex Rosenblum, who is half Filipino and one of the Vervet co-founders, told the Asian Journal. The cocktails, which start at $5.99 a can, be purchased at select stores in the Los Angeles area or can be delivered/shipped to your gift recipient online at drinkvervet.com.

Artisanal chocolates that taste as beautiful as they look Giving chocolate as a gift is never a bad idea, but instead of the usual big-name brands, turn to a small batch purveyor that molds and designs each piece by hand.

Romeo Chocolates, based in Long Beach, California, offers nationwide shipping on perfectly boxed and wrapped gift sets featuring its truffles with a flavor range from Tanduay rum to Calamansi Mojito. Have someone on your list who considers chocolate a main food group? The shop offers a subscription gift box starting at $48 with a mix of fine chocolates and local fine goods each month. Orders can be placed at Romeochocolates.com.

Spread kindness with an assorted box of cookies In the midst of the pandemic, we saw dozens of examples of Fil-Ams starting businesses from home, whether it’s mask-making or desserts with Filipino flavors.

Young Filipina Americans Malia and Kailani started Conscious Kid Cookies from their own kitchen to “change

the world through sharing kindness through cookies.”

Now their venture operates out of a commercial kitchen, and cookies can be shipped nationwide by ordering at consciouskidscookies.com.

Cookie flavors range from the classic chocolate chip to Filipino-inspired like pandan, and can be purchased individually or in boxes by the dozen, starting at $36.

Ten percent of the proceeds benefit No Kids Hungry.

Cook a full Filipino dish with sauces from a jar For the individual who wants to make classic Filipino dishes while in a time crunch, a new Fil-Am business is making it easier with a line of bottled simmer sauces. Fila Manila’s Variety Pack ($29) features three sauces — Adobo, Kare Kare, and Caldereta — which are gluten-free and have no added sugar or artificial colors. All the home chef has to do is add water, protein and veggies of choice and the jar of sauce and simmer until cooked. Orders ship free nationwide at filamanila.com.

A surprise to satisfy Pinoy snack cravings while giving back Recreate the pasalubong experience by sending a box of beloved snacks and ingredients to someone who needs to satisfy their appetite for Pinoy flavors.

E-commerce site Filiflavors. com offers the “sopresa” (surprise) box filled with sweet and savory items. For a limited offer, use the code PR10OFF until 12/18/2020 to receive 10% off your Filiflavors order. Additionally, for the holiday season, a free pack of Filipino Spaghetti Sauce will be included in your order.

“Filiflavors aims to provide you with the most convenient and delightful experience to get a taste of what the Philippines has to offer,” said Bianca Trinidad, Filiflavors founder and owner. A percentage of each sale is donated to San Franciscobased nonprofit Support for Families of Children with Disabilities.

Insta-worthy pancakes for Christmas morning Noche Buena on Christmas Eve is considered the staple feast in Filipino tradition, featuring a feast from ham to rice-based desserts.

But what about for Christmas morning after opening gifts? Though Ninong’s Cafe in Northridge, CA closed its doors recently, their photogenic ube pancakes can

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COVID-19 vaccines are in...

PAGE 12 • You likely will not need to pay anything out of pocket to get the vaccine during this public health emergency.

• You can’t pay to put your name on a list to get the vaccine.

• You can’t pay to get early access to the vaccine.

• No one from a vaccine distribution site or health care payer, like a private insurance company, will call you asking for your Social

Security number or your credit card or bank account information to sign you up to get the vaccine.

• Beware of providers offering other products, treatments, or medicines to prevent the virus. Check with your health care provider before paying for or receiving any COVID-19-related treatment.

If you get a call, text, email — or even someone knocking on your door — claiming they can get you

early access to the vaccine, STOP. That’s a scam. Don’t pay for a promise of vaccine access or share personal information. Instead, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud. ftc.gov or file a complaint with your state or territory attorney general through consumerresources.org, the consumer website of the National Association of Attorneys General.

(Colleen Tressler/Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC)

COVID, Ghrelin, orgasm...

PAGE 12 ing the study than men who had orgasm at least twice a week.” In another report, sex was found to have some degree of protection from prostate cancer, all other lifestyle factors being equal. Sex also reduces stress and produces endogenous secretion of “happy hormones” in our body, which lessen depression and even strengthens the immune system. The more you know about the human body and its mind-boggling intricate physiology, the

more you marvel at its creation and “complicatedly simple perfection,” which, to date, no man-made machine, no matter how sophisticated, can equal or even come close to. *** The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate

for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888. com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail. com.

Gifts that showcase Filipino/Fil-Am...

PAGE 14 scents like Frosted Juniper (“reminiscent of a fresh morning after snowfall”) and Under the Mistletoe (“a simple reminder of classic holiday traditions and festivities”). Candles can be shipped nationwide.

Self-care stocking stuffers Looking for stocking stuffers for anyone on your list? Kaya Essentials, a Pinay-founded organic coconut skincare line, has small, yet impactful products from calamansi lip balms to charcoal salt

milk baths. The site (kayaessentials.com) has also partnered with various Filipino artisans that produce goods like Rags2Riches’ face masks (using fabrics sourced from indigenous communities) and parol ornaments featuring upcycled fabric. Every purchase made through Kaya Essentials provides a school meal for a child in the U.S. through No Kid Hungry and in the Philippines through Gawad Kalinga.

Eco-friendly dental hygiene Floss may seem like a

mundane gift, but it can be a tiny reminder to the recipient to take time out of their day for some dental care beyond brushing.

FWD Floss is a new Fil-Am business that uses activated charcoal for enhanced cleansing, and is packaged with earth friendly recyclable materials to reduce single plastic waste. Starting at $5.99 per pack, the floss can be purchased at fwdfloss.com. Five percent of each purchase is donated to non-profit organizations that provide dental care for those in need.

be made at home with the Breakfast Regalo ($48.50) in partnership with Bakersfield’s Umaga Coffee. The set comes with a 12 oz bag of Single Sourced Bokod Arabica Medium Dark Roast (either beans or grounds); the pancake mix, which only requires water to cook; two jars of Ninong’s Ube Cookie Butter which would pair perfectly with the pancake stack or on anything else; and a Maligayang Pasko greeting card from Manila Oriental. The special can be

purchased at umagacoffee. com.

Butters for pan de sal and more For those who want to get creative with what to put inside of a pan de sal, Chef Barb Batiste of Big Boi offers a Filipino Butter Jar Sampler ($40), which comes in a set of three butters — Ube, Ensaymada, and Buko Pandan.

Slather them on pancakes, waffles, and anything else you can think of. Orders for nationwide shipping can be placed at www.shopbigboi.

com/.

Lumpia delivered to your door Those in the greater Los Angeles/Orange County area can fry Petite Peso’s lumpia and enjoy them from the comfort of their homes.

The Downtown LA-based restaurant is offering frozen lumpia, either pork or impossible meat straight to the gift recipient’s door in the Southern California region starting at 25 pieces for $20.

Orders can be placed at pesogoods.com.

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