122322 - Northern California Edition

Major metropolitan areas did not submit data to FBI, causing severe undercount of hate crimes

THERE was a huge spike in hate crimes against Asian Americans last year, nearly doubling the number of such crimes in 2019.

Several major law enforcement regions, including Los Angeles County, New York, Miami, and Chicago did not submit data for the FBI’s 2021 Uniform Crime Reports, which likely led to a dramatic under-count of hate crimes.

Law enforcement agencies are currently not mandated to report data for UCR reports: reporting is voluntary. Data for the 2021 report — released on Dec. 12 — was derived from 11,883 law enforcement agencies. 6,929 agencies — almost one third — did not provide data.

Overall, 7,303 hate crimes were reported for 2021, a drop from 2020, in which 8,263 hate crimes were recorded by the FBI.

US supports PH amid swarming of Chinese vessels in West Philippine Sea

by DANIZA FERNANDEZ Inquirer.net

Marcos approves PH Dev’t Plan for 2023-2028

by CATHERINE S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Friday, December 16 approved the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028, providing a roadmap to a deep economic and social transformation for the country.

Marcos, who heads the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) board, approved the plan prepared by the agency on Friday .

“I’m happy to announce that today, at the NEDA board meeting, we approved the Philippine Development Plan for 2023 to 2028 and this sets out the framework of the development plan for the Philippines and we have included all of the priority areas,” Marcos said in a message.

The President enjoined agencies to employ a wholeof-nation approach in the implementation of the PDP 2023-2028 and steer government instrumentalities into the “same direction.”

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, December 13 agreed to hear an appeal by a North Carolina man serving life in prison after being convicted of taking part in a plot to murder a woman in the Philippines at the behest of the head of a multinational criminal organization.

Adam Samia, 48, was convicted in 2018 alongside former U.S. Army sergeant Joseph Hunter and another North Carolina man, Carl David Stillwell, on charges related to the murder of Filipino real estate agent, Catherine Lee, Prosecutors said Samia killed her while working as a mercenary for Paul Le Roux, a Zimbabwe-born transnational crime leader who was sentenced in 2020 to 25 years in prison after cooperating with authorities investigating his organization.

Prosecutors said his organization committed money laundering, drug and weapons trafficking and murder in multiple countries.

Prosecutors said Joseph Hunter, a former U.S. Army sergeant who led Le

Most Pinoys facing new year with hope – Pulse

by PIA LEE-BRAGO Philstar.com

MANILA — A majority of Filipino adults will be facing the coming year with hope, according to a Pulse Asia survey.

The survey released on Monday, December 19 found only 8 percent were ambivalent or could not say if they were hopeful or not for 2023, while only 0.1 percent said they were hopeless for the new year.

“Virtually all Filipino adults (92 percent) will face the year ahead with hope, a sentiment echoed by 89 percent to 99 percent across geographic areas and by 86 percent to 94 percent in the various socio-

economic classes,” Pulse Asia said.

“Ambivalence on the matter is expressed by 8 percent of adults while less than 1 percent say they will face the coming new year without hope,” the polling firm added.

The nationwide survey, conducted from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1, showed 43 percent of adult Filipinos believed their Christmas celebration this year would be more prosperous.

It also showed that 42 percent expect their celebration to be the same as last year, while 6 percent said their Christmas  PAGE 5

CPP founder Joma Sison dies

JOSE Maria Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), has passed away after being confined for two weeks in a hospital in the Netherlands where he was in exile for years. He was 83.

Sison died around 8:40 p.m., Friday, December 16, according to the information relayed through an email account of CPP chief information officer Marco Balbuena.

He said the “Filipino proletariat and toiling people grieve the death of their teacher and guiding light.”

Balbuena added that the entire CPP will give the highest possible tribute to its founding chairman,

“great Marxist-Leninist-Maoist thinker, patriot, internationalist and revolutionary leader.”

‘A new era dawns’

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said that its disagreement with Sison ended with his death.

“We may have an opposing stance on the methodology he adopted to effect societal reforms but still, we pay our respect to the dead and extend our sincere condolences to his bereaved family, “ the AFP said.

“Let us now all pray for peace to reign in our country, “ it added.

Col. Medel Aguilar,

“This will facilitate the coordination and the alignment of all departments and all agencies in government to a single plan so that we are all working in the same direction,” he added.

The PDP 2023-2028 aims to reinvigorate job creation and accelerate poverty reduction by steering

Almost 2.4 million foreign tourists since February – DOT

by GHIO ONG Philstar.com

MANILA — The Philippines has welcomed almost 2.4 million foreign tourists since the country reopened its borders to international travel in February, data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed.

As of Thursday, Dec. 15, the tally recorded 2,397,919 foreign arrivals with majority of them coming from the United States (447,278), South Korea (374,097), Australia (118,228), Canada (109,041) and the United Kingdom (90,196).

The number exceeded DOT’s 2022 target of only 1.7 million tourists, which was achieved in October.

Tourism Secretary Christina

Garcia-Frasco attributed the increase in the country’s tourist arrivals this year to the relaxation of travel restrictions like mandatory COVID-19 testing, wearing of face mask and quarantine period that were imposed by the government to control the spread of the virus.

Easing the travel requirements, according to Frasco’s statement, also gave the country higher tourism-related revenue –estimated to be at P130 billion as of last month.

Relaxing pandemic-related travel rules also pushed the DOT, in partnership with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the private sector, to introduce its Bisita Be My Guest (BBMG) program on Thursday.

AFP

US Supreme Court to review conviction of hired gun in murder of Filipina

MANILA — The Philippines received support from the United States amid the swarming of Chinese vessels in the Philippine territory.

The Department of National Defense earlier expressed concern on the surge of Chinese vessels at the Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

“The United States supports the Philippines’ continued calls upon the People’s Republic of

China (PRC) to respect the international law of the sea in the South China Sea, as reflected in the UN (United Nations) Convention on the Law of the Sea, and its legal obligations pursuant to the 2016 arbitral ruling,” U.S. Department of

Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Maria “Joma” Sison ManilaTimes.net photo

US supports PH amid swarming...

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State spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement on Tuesday, December 20 (Philippine time).

“The reported escalating swarms of PRC vessels in the vicinity of Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands interfere with the livelihoods of Philippine fishing communities, and also reflect continuing disregard for other South China Sea claimants and

states lawfully operating in the region,” he added.

The U.S. also shared the Philippines’ concerns on the unsafe encounter between the Chinese Coast Guard and Philippine naval forces in the West Philippine Sea.

In November, the Philippine military said that the Chinese Coast Guard forcefully retrieved Chinese rocket debris from them.

China, however, disputed and claimed that a “friendly” consultation took place.

Following the incidents, the U.S. expressed solidarity with the Philippines.

“The United States stands with our ally, the Philippines, in upholding the rules-based international order and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea as guaranteed under international law,” Price said. g

CPP founder Joma Sison...

spokesman, meanwhile, said the death of Sison will surely weaken the underground movement.

“The loss of a ‘teacher’ and ‘guiding light’ leaves the organization with no purpose and clear direction,” he said.

He said the organization needs to have “a good teacher and guiding light who will lead its members away from violence

and destruction.”

Arsenio Andolong, Department of National Defense’s public information officer and spokesman, said that Sison’s death is but a symbol of the crumbling hierarchy of the CPPNational Democratic Front and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, which he founded to violently put himself in power.

“His death deprived the Filipino people of the opportunity to bring this fugitive to justice under our country’s laws,” Andolong said.

“Sison was responsible for the deaths of thousands of our countrymen. Innocent civilians, soldiers, police, child and youth combatants died because of his bidding,” he added.

The Defense spokesman called on the remaining few believers, “who have unwittingly turned themselves into the enemy of the people, still blinded by Sison’s duplicitous and failed promises,” to turn their backs on the violent and false ideology of the CPPNPA-NDF.

The DND official said further that five decades of brutal and bloody aggression against the state and the Filipino people have led to nothing but destruction and strife for thousands of Filipinos.

“A new era without Jose Maria Sison dawns for the Philippines, and we will all be better for it. The greatest stumbling block of peace for the Philippines is gone; let us now give peace a chance,” Andolong said.

Former National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) spokesman Lorraine Badoy was less sympathetic.

“Death is too good for this evil communist terrorist. I bitterly spit this one out. How I wanted so badly to, at the very least, kick his ugly face in. I take great comfort at the thought that he saw the start of the end of his evil empire and he saw it crumbling via the NTF-Elcac and that we cut him to size and sent him to his grave,” she wrote on Facebook.

Sison’s ‘legacy’ Bagona Alyansang Makabayan head Renato Reyes, in a tweet on Saturday, said Sison’s legacy was “the profound understanding and exposition of the problems of Philippine society. Second is establishing a movement that would address those social

issues. It was never enough to interpret the world. The point always was to change it.”

“The entire revolutionary forces in Southern Mindanao pay our highest revolutionary tribute to CPP founder, Ka Jose Maria Sison for his immeasurable contribution to the national democratic revolution,” wrote the NDF-Southern Mindanao executive council’s publication, Pasabilis.

Who is Joma Sison?

Sison was born in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur on Feb. 8, 1939.

A graduate of literature from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1959, Sison, then a literature professor, founded the Kabataang Makabayan in 1964, alongside Nilo Tayag, who was involved in the 1970 First Quarter Storm against then president Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.

He founded the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Dec. 26, 1968, from the First Great Rectification Movement that criticized the 1930-era Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas. The current CPP is currently designated as a terrorist group by the government of the United States, along with the NPA.

Sison was imprisoned from 1977 to 1986. Since 1987, he had been living in the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands. In 1992, Sison and National Democratic Front (NDF) negotiator Luis Jalandoni had an ideological campaign called the Second Great Rectification Movement, which split the Filipino Left in the 1990s.

On Aug. 28, 2007, Sison was arrested in the Netherlands for the deaths of three people between 2003 and 2006. He was released on Sept. 13, 2007.

In 2016, Sison, who also served as chairman of the International League of Peoples’ Struggles and then president Rodrigo Duterte were awarded the Gawad Supremo award, as part of their efforts to revive peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the Communist rebels, with mediation from the Royal Norwegian Government. However, the relationship soured in 2017 when Duterte branded Sison and the CPP-NPA-NDF as a terrorist organization. Before his death, Sison served as the NDF’s chief political consultant. g

million foreign tourists

Almost

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Frasco

Several ships believed to be Chinese maritime militia were spotted by fishermen in Iroquois Reef in the West Philippine Sea in this photo taken in September. The military said an average of 25 vessels have been monitored there from September to December based on their patrols. PCG photo

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco

Philstar.com

photo

PAROLE. A total of 118 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) leave the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City after being granted clemency by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday, Dec. 19. The DOJ has so far released nearly 6,000 PDLs this year, including 328 this December.

PNA photo by Yancy Lim

Marcos approves PH Dev’t Plan for...

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the economy back on the high-growth path and push for efficient economic transformation for a prosperous, inclusive and resilient society.

Last week, NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the PDP “offers an inclusive way forward, identifying the program priorities, strategies, and targets — as well as enabling policies and governance mechanisms — toward a ‘matatag, maginhawa, at panatag na buhay (strong, prosperous and peaceful life)’ for all Filipinos.”

“Addressing inflation and the constraints to rapid economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction in the new normal requires a wholeof-government and whole-of-society approach,” Balisacan said in a statement.

US Supreme Court to review conviction of hired...

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Roux’s teams of mercenaries, recruited Samia and Carl David Stillwell for a “kill team,” and in exchange for money the two murdered Lee, who Le Roux believed had stolen from him. In 2018 all three men were convicted at trial and are serving life sentences.

At trial, prosecutors introduced a post-arrest confession by Stillwell in which he named Samia as the person who pulled the trigger.

Stillwell did not testify at trial, so Samia’s lawyers could not question him. To protect his rights under the U.S. Constitution’s Sixth Amendment

to confront witnesses against him, his name was redacted.

But Samia’s lawyers say the confession remained incriminating and that the federal appeals courts are divided on how to assess whether how such redacted confessions should be used at trial. (Inquirer.net)

Most Pinoys facing new year with hope...

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celebration would be poorer than last year.

Pulse Asia said the same pattern of public opinion may be observed in the rest of Luzon, Mindanao, Class ABC, Class D

and Class E.

Most Visayans (66 percent) said their Christmas celebration this year would be more prosperous while 58 percent of Metro Manila residents said their celebration would be just

as prosperous as what they had last year.

The survey was conducted on 1,200 Filipinos aged 18 years old and above, and has a plus/minus 2.8 percent error margin at the 95 percent confidence level. g

Major metropolitan areas did not submit...

New reporting platform John Duran, a Southern California-based civil rights attorney and LGBTQIA activist who served on the California Hate Crimes Commission in 1987, told Ethnic Media Services that the FBI made significant changes in reporting requirements, but failed to train law enforcement personnel in the new procedures.

The new data collection system is known as National Incident-Based Reporting System. Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta issued a statement Dec. 12, saying the system was designed to provide “significantly more detailed data for each individual criminal incident.” The FBI has set out a five-year timeline and provided technical assistance and funding for the transition.

“The FBI wanted to collect more data on perpetrators and victims, to provide a more detailed composite and demographics. Unfortunately, it did not equip law enforcement for those changes with proper resources,” said Duran.

Trump and anti-semitism

“As a result, hate crimes were vastly under-reported this year, in what would have been a peak year with the rise of antiSemitism,” he said. “Trumpism has unleashed so much hidden hate and allowed it to come into the open.”

Duran’s statement is borne out in FBI data. In 2019, 963 hate crimes targeted Jewish Americans. This year, because of the number of agencies that did not report, anti-Semitic hate crimes dropped to 324.

Black Americans have consistently and overwhelmingly been the targets of hate: the community was subjected to 2233 hate crimes in 2021, a drop from 2020 data, which noted 2,871 hate crimes against the community.

‘Wheel of misfortune’

The activist attorney said he has witnessed the ebbs and flows of hate crime targets in his almost 40 years of advocacy on the issue. “I call it the Wheel of Misfortune: we see peaks in rises against specific communities,” he said, predicting that — as Republicans take the House next year — immigrants will be the targets of hate crimes and incidents.

At a news briefing Dec. 14

organized by the Act Against

Hate Alliance, Duran equated the U.S.’s national discourse to a modern day “Tower of Babel.”

The dizzying array of social media platforms run unfettered, with no guard rails to reign them in. “Truth suffers. If I only talk to people who look like me and think like me, I would be subjected to a lot of misinformation and disinformation about other communities, with the revival of old prejudices,” he said.

The LGBTQIA community suffered 1,084 hate crimes in 2021, including crimes against gay males and lesbians.

Nefarious intent?

Manju Kulkarni, Executive Director of Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council, and cofounder of the web portal Stop AAPI Hate, believes there is no “nefarious intent” by law enforcement agencies who did not submit data this year.

“I believe most state and local law enforcement agencies in California do take hate crimes very seriously.”

Despite under-reporting, FBI Uniform Crime Reports data reveals that hate crimes against the AAPI community have nearly doubled since 2019. In 2021, 305 hate crimes targeted Asian Americans, 214 targeted Sikhs, 33 targeted Pacific Islanders, 29 targeted Buddhists, and 10 targeted Hindus. Disaggregated data for other Asian subethnicities is not collected by the FBI.

Stop AAPI Hate, a web portal which allows victims to selfreport hate crimes or incidents, logged 4,632 reports in 2020, and 6,273 reports in 2021. The vast majority of these incidents were not hate crimes, said Kulkarni, noting that verbal harassment which makes up the bulk of reports, is not prosecuted.

One in 5 AAPI individuals have experienced some sort of hate incident amid the pandemic, she noted, adding that victims need access to resources that can help them report and heal.

Distrust of law enforcement

Amr Shabaik, Civil Rights Managing Attorney for the Council on American Islamic Relations’ Los Angeles chapter, said Muslim Americans are historically under-reported in FBI data collection of hate crimes because victims are often too afraid to report to law enforcement.

“There is an inherent distrust of law enforcement, which has a history of surveilling our community,” he said. In a recent case he worked on, a victim was verbally and physically attacked by his neighbor who uttered racist epithets. The victim reported the incident to LAPD. FBI recruiting informants? A few days later, he was contacted by the FBI. “They said they would help him with his immigration status if he would be an informant for the community,” alleged Shabaik, noting media reports of similar incidents in other cities. The Muslim American community, including Arab Americans who are disaggregated in the UCR report, were targeted in 171 hate crimes in 2021. This is a dramatic drop from 2019, when 273 hate crimes involved Muslim American victims.

Marshall Wong, who serves on Los Angeles’ Human Rights Commission, and is the primary author of the Commission’s 2021 report on hate crimes in Los Angeles County, noted that FBI UCR data has always been imperfect, because it is based on voluntary reporting. Previously, more than 85 percent of law enforcement agencies did not report crime data to the FBI. However, that number has been rising in recent years.

Amid the pandemic

The HRC dropped its own report for hate crimes in Los Angeles County in 2021 earlier this month. The number of such crimes rose by 20 percent in 2020 and by 23 percent in 2021. Wong believes the “pent-up frustration” of the Covid-19 pandemic and “the need to blame someone” for pandemic related issues such as unemployment, the housing crisis, and Covid-mandated lockdowns contributed to the jump in hate crimes.

In Los Angeles County, there were 77 reported hate crimes against Asian Americans in 2021, the largest number on record.

Hate crimes in Los Angeles are up by 13 percent in 2022, according to Police Chief Michael Moore, who spoke at a police commission meeting Dec. 13. Surprisingly however, Asian Americans experienced a 20 percent decrease, he reported. (Sunita Sohrabji/Ethnic Media Services)

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Malacañang photo

With the approval of the development plan, it will be ready for immediate implementation in 2023. g

GIFT ITEMS. Dolls in colorful dresses are among the bestselling items at a toy shop in Cubao, Quezon City on Tuesday, Dec. 20. Malls have extended operating hours until midnight to allow shoppers to complete their Christmas purchases. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

PHILIPPINES

Former TV host Daphne Oseña-Paez is ‘Malacañang press briefer’

by XAVE GREGORIO Philstar.com

MANILA — Former TV host Daphne Oseña-Paez began serving on Tuesday, December 20 in Malacañang as its “press briefer” who will relay news and information about the activities and programs of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“She’s not new to the industry because she has been a reporter who was also assigned to cover Malacañang,” Office of the Press Secretary officer-in-charge Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil said in Filipino of Oseña-Paez’ appointment.

It is not clear what OseñaPaez’ exact designation is. Asked whether she should be called an undersecretary or an assistant secretary, she replied: “You can just call me Daphne.”

“My role here is to amplify and communicate the message of President Marcos and the Cabinet and the government. And you are my partners in this,” she told reporters on her first day in her position.

She also made it clear that she is not speaking for Marcos, whom she said “will speak for himself” as she is “just here to support the Office of the Press Secretary for now.”

Oseña-Paez acknowledged her past as a reporter, saying “this is no longer new to me.” She later said that she only reported on Malacañang for six months.

“Since I will be the one who will be regularly your source of updates from the Palace, I look forward to working with all of you,

I’m also one of you,” she said.

“I’m very honored to be communicating the message and programs of this administration, of course, in an accurate and effective way and I will do my best.”

According to a 2021 feature story by The STAR, Oseña-Paez first started as a reporter and newscaster on ABS-CBN and Studio 23 for two years beginning in 1997. Following this, she began hosting lifestyle and magazine show F that aired for seven years on the same networks.

Oseña-Paez then hosted other lifestyle shows including Urban Zone on ABS-CBN, which she “conceptualized, wrote and created,” and Cignal TV’s Recreate.

During the 2022 presidential campaign, Oseña-Paez caught the attention of social media users when she posted a photo of her wearing a red blazer embroidered

with the Philippine flag along with a caption echoing Marcos’ campaign slogan: Sama-sama tayong babangon muli

A 2009 column by Tanya T. Lara said Oseña-Paez’ father was the pilot of the president’s father and namesake. Her father was assigned as a diplomat to Canada in the early 1980s, but his papers were “lost” following the People Power Revolution.

“My father was not allowed to come back because he was a senior military official. It was just sad and strange that he was on the wanted list — and he was simply a pilot and a diplomat when all this heaviness happened,” Oseña-Paez was quoted as saying.

“As a teenager it made me confused. I rejected the Philippines altogether; I didn’t have Filipino friends in Canada. But in my adult life, I ended up coming back here — and I was the only one of all my siblings who married a Filipino.” 

Marcos invites public to Malacañang

by RED MENDOZA ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has opened the Palace's grounds for the public to enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas in Malacañang.

In a video posted on his official social media accounts over the weekend, the Chief Executive invited families, especially those from Metro Manila, to view the Malacañang Christmas Tree and lanterns and attend the

traditional Simbang Gabi in the complex.

From December 18 to 24, the public can enter the Palace grounds from 7 p.m to 6 a.m. the next day.

Visitors may enter the Palace through Gate 6.

The dawn Mass is held at 4:30 a.m. in front of the Mabini Hall.

"Binuksan po namin ang Palasyo. ... Dalhin ninyo ang mga pamilya ninyo, ang mga bata, bago kayo mag-Simbang Gabi.

Dumaan muna kayo rito (We have opened the Palace. ... Bring

your families, the kids, before you attend Simbang Gabi. Pass by here)," the President said.

He also invited visitors to sample Malacañang's new specialty, the "puto Bongbong," a play of words referring to the Filipinos' holiday staple, puto bumbong, purple rice cake steamed in bamboo tubes and slathered with margarine or butter.

Early this month, the President led the lighting of the Christmas tree at the Kalayaan Grounds in Malacañang. 

In ation top concern of Filipinos

by KRISTINA MARALIT ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte continue to enjoy “stable” approval and trust ratings, but he has to attend to the economy and address inflation, the top concerns of Filipinos, according to PUBLiCUS Asia’s end-of-theyear survey.

The top concerns of the country the respondents want Marcos to immediately resolve are the high inflation rate and skyrocketing prices of commodities, the survey found. “The PH economy is still considered the topmost priority for President BBM to focus on. Prices/inflation moves up as a clear second place indicating a growing concern, particularly in NCR (National Capital Region),” it said.

Also listed as issues needing

resolution are difficulty in finding employment and not getting enough pay for those already with jobs.

The President “needs to arrest inflation increase to prevent turning Filipinos’ worries into disappointment with his administration,” the PUBLiCUS summary for the survey which was conducted from November 25 to 30, said.

PUBLiCUS said 64 percent of the 1,500 respondents approved of Marcos’ performance, and 57 percent rated his trustworthiness in addressing the country’s problems as “high” or “very high.”

Duterte earned 68 percent for performance and 63 percent for trustworthiness.

The high trust in the President spilled over to members of his Cabinet. Social Welfare and Development Secretary Erwin Tulfo and Duterte, as

Department of Education chief, took the top two spots with 65 and 61 percent approval ratings, respectively.

Marcos, who concurrently heads the Department of Agriculture, is third with 50 percent, followed by Finance chief Benjamin Diokno (32 percent) and Department of Health Officer in Charge Ma. Rosario Vergeire (25 percent).

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri preserved his approval scores, with 49 percent, along with House Speaker Ferdinand Romualdez (44 percent), although their trust ratings have declined with Zubiri at 36 percent and Romualdez at 35 percent.

Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo’s rating dipped, compared to the previous quarter, with 38 percent for performance and 30 percent for trust. 

World champ Hidilyn returns home, upbeat on 2024 Olympic gold chances

by JOEY VILLAR Philstar.com

MANILA – Newly-minted world champion Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo arrived in the country on Tuesday, December 20 and didn’t waste time in revealing her goal of taking a shot at a second Olympic gold medal in a heavier division in the 2024 Paris Games.

Mahirap pero kaya basta naka mind-set na ako for that,” said Diaz-Naranjo, who was welcomed by Philippine Sports Commission board member Olivia “Bong” Coo.

Diaz-Naranjo, fresh from a three-gold haul in the Worlds in Bogota, Colombia, was forced to climb up to the 59-kilogram class after the 55kg division where she delivered the country’s first Olympic mint in Tokyo last year was scrapped from Paris calendar. Interestingly, Diaz-Naranjo will compete in the same division as fellow Olympian Elreen Ando. Diaz-Naranjo though remained unfazed by the daunting task. Pinanood ko yung 59kg na labanan sa Colombia and nakita namin na kakayanin,” said the confident Southeast Asian Games

gold winner.

Coo lauded Diaz-Naranjo, whom the former accompanied at the latter’s Eastwood residence.

“In behalf of the Filipino people, we profusely thank Hidilyn who continuously make our country proud,” said Coo. “And she has no plans of slowing down. She

vows to again carry the Philippine flag in Paris.”

Diaz-Naranjo said there will be no holiday for her as she will plunge back to training at a gym in San Juan while proceeding to Jala Jala, Rizal to train with kids at the academy named after her.

TIPS FOR A HEALTHY HOLIDAY SEASON

Make COVID-19 an uninvited guest. It's okay to set rules! Whether that's having everyone be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines or getting tested, everyone wants to celebrate safely.

Stay healthy to ensure you can fully enjoy all the celebrations.

Getting your vaccine and updated booster will help protect you and your loved ones so you can make the most of the festivities together. The holidays are a busy time of year and staying healthy ensures you can fully enjoy all the celebrations with family and friends.

Enjoy your festivities in the fresh air. Consider hosting your guests outdoors, if weather permits. If gathering indoors, open a few windows to keep fresh air circulating.

Test before gathering.

At-home COVID-19 tests provide a sense of security before you gather. Testing positive for COVID-19 means staying home until symptoms have passed.

Consider wearing a mask based on local transmission rates.

COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations can change quickly. It’s a good idea to know what’s going on in your community and to recognize your own tolerance levels and those of your guests. If you’re hosting a large indoor event, consider placing a basket of masks at the door for your guests if they choose to wear one. Attending a large-scale event? Remember to bring a well-fitting mask to use when you arrive if it makes you feel more comfortable.

Former TV host Daphne Oseña-Paez began serving on Tuesday, December 20 in Malacañang as its press briefer. Malacañang photo of course, in a harmonious and collegial manner because

WORLD CHAMP. New weightlifting world champion Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo poses with her fans upon her arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on Tuesday, Dec. 20. Diaz-Naranjo, the country's only Olympic gold medalist, won three gold medals to rule the 55-kg. category in the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championships in Bogota, Colombia on December 8.  PNA photo by Avito Dalan

COVID is still around

THE World Health Organization keeps saying it: COVID-19 isn’t over. The world is seeing this in China, which only recently lifted its zero-COVID policy and loosened most restrictions following unprecedented public protests and calls for the resignation of President Xi Jinping.

Now the Chinese on their own are confining themselves to their homes as a COVID surge similar to the one at the start of the pandemic sweeps across the country, particularly in densely populated urban centers such as the capital Beijing and financial hub Shanghai.

Editorial

Trading was thin at the Shanghai stock exchange on Monday, December 19 as many employees called in sick or preferred to stay home to avoid infection in the workplace. Many schools in the city shut down anew starting Monday.

Considering that the SARS-CoV-2 originated from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the country has registered one of the lowest COVID death rates, at 5,235 as of Dec. 3. Chinese officials attribute this to the wide availability of several locally developed coronavirus vaccines and to the zeroCOVID policy. But scientific modeling by the U.S.based Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation now projects over a million COVID deaths in the country for 2023, with infections peaking by April 1 when the fatalities hit 322,000. An earlier peak is projected by next month, as the country’s 1.4 billion population celebrate the Lunar New Year

holiday.

As always, the elderly and immunocompromised, particularly the unvaccinated or partly vaccinated, are the most vulnerable to critical infection. Health experts attribute the surge to the new and highly transmissible Omicron variant BF.7, against which the traditional COVID vaccines made in China are reported to be ineffective. Booster uptake is also low as many Chinese, according to reports, do not want their domestically developed vaccines for their boosters.

The WHO and other health experts are pressing Beijing to speed up approval of new-generation Western-made bivalent vaccines that tests have shown to be effective against the emerging SARSCoV-2 strains.

Vaccine uptake has also slowed down in the Philippines, and booster uptake is even more lackluster. People seem to be waiting for the arrival of bivalent vaccines against the new COVID variants, with little awareness about the reminder of health experts that these can be given only to those who have received their second boosters.

The government will have to further intensify

D AN E. N INO

BASED on my experience as I age up going through tough battles in life, I encounter some tough love. We all do.

Tough love is an example of unconditional love with one’s partner, siblings, relatives, kids and even with my fraternity brods and sisses with whom I have shared common denominators, experiences, initiations and rituals.

Tough love is about recognizing faults of our partners and loved ones without being affected or distracted emotionally — overcoming, overlooking or forgiving their faults or sins because

With Due Respect

ARTEMIO V. PANGANIBAN

THE “sanctions” imposed by the United States Department of Treasury on Apollo Carreon Quiboloy, founder and selfproclaimed “Appointed Son of God” of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) religious sect for alleged human rights violations (fittingly on Dec. 10, Human Rights Day) and other offenses recall the case of the late congressman Mark Jimenez.

WHEN THE SANCTIONS WERE IMPOSED, Quiboloy was no longer in the U.S. but his and the KJC’s properties and bank accounts there were frozen. U.S. citizens and residents were barred from transacting with him and the KJC.

May I add, in fairness, that Quiboloy, in local media briefings, claimed he was deprived of his human rights when the U.S., without prior notice and due process, suddenly imposed the sanctions.

While no request for Quiboloy’s extradition has been made, many have asked what our country’s response should be and, specifically, what process would be undertaken, if such a request were made. When asked these questions, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, in an abundance of caution, was noncommittal, saying the Department of Justice (DOJ) has no official notice of the sanctions and would have, in

we are really stuck with that relationship until one gives up. There’s no turning back, so to speak because it creates more problems especially when you’re married.

As a tax preparer and business consultant, I encounter clients who pour out their problems to me. Sometimes, I also serve as a marriage counselor. So I listen. There’s an issue of division of property. And when the couple don’t agree with what to divide between them with the termination of that relationship, the marriage take its toll like anxiety, mental health issues and no peace of mind. It’s only the lawyers who are benefiting. The more the issue of divorce gets longer, the more the lawyer gets more money from both

litigants.

Do you know the meaning of this idiom, “familiarity breeds contempt?" What does it mean?

I’ll answer that with an example: Because you know someone very well like a member of your family, you stop respecting them and show your hostility by uttering words that are hurting. In that you think the recipient of that tirade can just bear it, can just take the bullet or can just take it for granted. That’s wrong! No matter how we have known each other in a relationship, we have to say our statements lovingly, tenderly and with respect.

Topics to avoid in a gathering I found out are: politics, religion, inheritance and sometimes sports. An avid fan would dispute

Tough love

who is the better shooting guard: Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan. Centers Shaquille O’Neal or Kareem Abdul Jabbar; Forwards Lebron James or Kawhi Leonard?

But the most toxic topic is politics especially those who are avid pro-Republicans like Trumpism, conservative values, anti-abortion, or election deniers vis-a-vis pro-Democrats who are mostly pro-immigration reform, spousing abortion rights, medicare reform and lower drug prescription, among others.

As you know I belong to the old school. I grew up in a family that cannot just answer back one’s father, no matter how wrong or right a father is. Never answer a father. The tough love mentality kicks in. You might face serious consequences like belting you in

the buttocks. I know of someone when a son answered his dad here in California. He did not let his son enter the family home.

The son slept in his car for many months and didn’t talk for years.

The loving mother had no choice but to buy the son a house.

How do you do deal with tough love? Many times, the practice of tough love reveals that a person uses it because they assume their partner is incapable of learning by showing soft love or affection. They assume that is the only way to make their partner understand something and that being 'soft' with them won't help them learn. So they resort to TOUGH LOVE.

This is what our Lord Jesus said: “If someone sins against you, then you're to confront that

person in a respectful way. If he or she listens and repents, you're to forgive, and the relationship is healed. If there's no repentance, you must take additional steps of TOUGH LOVE. The purpose isn't revenge, but redemption.” To me, that's TOUGH LOVE.

Another way of getting over a tough love situation is: lean on trusted friends to help you remain motivated, confident and on track. This way, you can release your pent-up emotions and feel better. It’s cathartic.

* * * 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.

* * * denino1951@gmail.com

What if the US asks for Quiboloy’s extradition?

any case, to study any request for extradition, if one is made.

TO BE CLEAR, AN EXTRADITION TREATY BETWEEN THE PHILIPPINES AND THE U.S. was signed on Nov. 13, 1994, which our Senate later ratified. The extradition process has two phases or stages: (1) a preliminary or an evaluation stage during which the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) ascertains whether the extradition request of the U.S. is supported by the documents and information required under the Treaty; and (2) the extradition hearing during which the DFA, in coordination with the DOJ, after determining that the extradition request is properly supported by the required documents, files the extradition charge in an appropriate Regional Trial Court or RTC, which in turn determines whether the wanted person should be extradited. The first is essentially an executive determination, while the second is a judicial process. The issue in the Jimenez case is whether during the first phase, the wanted person is entitled to notice and hearing and whether he/she had the right to have copies of the extradition request and its supporting documents.

IN SECRETARY OF JUSTICE V. LANTION (Jan. 18, 2000), the Supreme Court, voting 9-6, answered the question in the affirmative: Yes, Mark Jimenez—the Filipino wanted by the U.S. government for the criminal offense of donating to the election campaign of Bill

Clinton (who was subsequently elected U.S. President but who did nothing to stop the criminal suit and extradition request against Jimenez)—was entitled to be heard. (Foreigners like Jimenez are barred by U.S. law from making political donations.)

The decision written by Justice Jose A. R. Melo (joined by JJ Bellosillo, Vitug, Kapunan, Quisumbing, Purisima, Buena, Santiago, and De Leon) mainly ruled that Jimenez was already at risk of being “deprived of his life, liberty or property” even at that early phase because under the Extradition Treaty, the U.S., “in case of urgency,” could ask for the provisional arrest and detention of the wanted person to prevent him/ her from fleeing.

Justice (later CJ) Reynato S. Puno and I (joined by CJ Davide and JJ Mendoza, Pardo, and Reyes) wrote dissents principally because Jimenez was not at risk of being arrested; the DFA would merely determine the questions of whether the documents were complete and whether the charge against him was politically motivated. It was the RTC that would determine whether a warrant of arrest should be issued.

THIS INITIAL VICTORY OF JIMENEZ WAS SHORTLIVED. Acting on a motion for reconsideration, the Court, on Oct. 17, 2000—by the same vote of 9-6 (JJ Quisumbing, Purisima, and De Leon somersaulted and joined the erstwhile dissenters)—reversed itself and adopted the dissents

of J Puno and me. Principally, an extradition case is not criminal in nature. Its purpose is merely to determine whether the wanted person should be placed in the custody of the U.S. where he would have to face the criminal charges and argue his defenses.

Eventually, Jimenez had to face criminal charges in the U.S. courts where he was given the usual constitutional rights accorded to the accused.

To close, for fairness sake again, may I stress that as of now, no request has been made

for the extradition of Quiboloy. But if and when made, the Philippines will have no choice but to follow the Extradition Treaty as it did in the case of Mark Jimenez.

Though a member of Congress, Jimenez was still subjected to the extradition process. And though he was close to both former presidents Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Joseph Estrada, neither intervened in the process without endangering our diplomatic relations with America. Jimenez was charged

merely with prohibited election contributions to the winner (Clinton), while Quiboloy was sanctioned for alleged violations of human rights, dollar trafficking, and rape of young women-members of the KJC.

* * *

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.

* * *

Comments to chiefjusticepanganiban@ hotmail.com

MOMAR

JOSEPH PERALTA

ManilaTimes.net photo

the COVID inoculation effort while speeding up the procurement of the bivalent vaccines. At the same time, the country must tighten screening of visitors from China particularly when many resume

international travel next month for the Lunar New Year. The ongoing surge in China provides ample warning that COVID is still around, and countries become complacent at their own risk. (Philstar.com)

From My Point of View

Founder and self-proclaimed “Appointed Son of God” of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC), Apollo Carreon Quiboloy Inquirer.net file photo

Fortune and fame aside, this simple thing would make Vice Ganda truly happy

by MARINEL CRUZ Inquirer.net

IN spite of being on top of his game, comedianTV host Vice Ganda admitted that he still continues to work hard for things he doesn’t have, something that, at this point, has to do with time.

“I’m in constant need of more time. If I could only ask God to add more hours to a day, more days to a week, more weeks to a month, more months to a year, I’d definitely do it,” Vice told a group of writers over lunch recently.

“People will probably react to this article and ask, ‘You’ve already been given so much in life, but you’re still unhappy?’ I tell you, not everything is about fame and fortune. Sometimes, the simplest things are valued, like time—time to be silent, time to just be myself, time to talk to myself and, most of all, time to be unfunny,” the comedian pointed out.

He said that because of his work, people expect him to be funny all the time. “I don’t always allow this. Sometimes, even though I know people will get disappointed, I become unfunny just so I’d get my personal space,” he pointed out.

Family matters

“Just like most people who work so hard, I also wish to have time to go to the beach, soak in the sun and feel the sand and water inbetween my toes. I also want time with friends, something I rarely have now because I need to protect them. It’s hard to do this, especially whenever we go to public places. I know that I also have to have time with my partner (Ion Perez), but because I’m doing two TV shows (‘It’s Showtime!’ and ‘Everybody, Sing’), a movie, some endorsements, and concerts, we hardly see each other,” he explained.

“Now, the time I give for my mother is another thing. I always have to chase time for her. She once called to ask me if I could come over to play bingo with the family—they have sessions every Wednesday and Saturday—but I said I couldn’t and would just send her money. She said she already has money. What she wanted was for me to be there, so she could cook for me,” Vice recalled.

The comedian said he was surprised to discover that this is also what his next movie, “Partners in Crime,” is all about. “Sometimes, I suspect that

Star Cinema purposely made this story for me,” Vice said, laughing. The film, directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina and also features Ivana Alawi, is an entry to the 48th Metro Manila Film Festival.

“It may be a comedy film, but it’s also about an over-achiever who has unconsciously set aside his family, or people who truly matter to him, because he was too focused on achieving his dreams or serving other people,” he said.

Turning serious, Vice recalled the time he asked to be excused from work because he had to be at home to celebrate Ion’s birthday. “I understand why the team didn’t want me absent at work, it’s because we’re so delayed with the shoot. So when they asked me, “Can we meet halfway?” I said, “OK. I can only stay until 7 p.m.” Yes, there are a lot of times when I would feel guilty because I know that when a shoot gets packed up, we lose money; when I’m not present in ‘Showtime,’ they’d tell me the ratings dipped. I’m very concerned about those things, too.”

Vice admitted that he would often feel the

Atty. Gur nkel answers more immigration questions from Kapamilya on Citizen Pinoy’s Christmas episode

THE

Immigration

•

YOUR TANONG, MY SAGOT PART 2 IN GLENDALE. This Christmas, Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel answers more immigration questions from Kapamilya at Arko Foods in Glendale, CA in “Your Tanong, My Sagot” Part 2. Among the questions Atty. Gurfinkel answers are – From Janet (top photo): Can I petition my nephew in the Philippines to be a caregiver for my parents who are already in their 90s?; From Meriel (bottom right): My friend’s brother had a green card when he was young, but he went back to the Philippines before turning 18 to become an actor. What steps can he take if he wants to return to the U.S. now that he is 55 years old?; From Marites (bottom left): My friend secretly married her boyfriend who was petitioned as single. Can she come to the U.S. as a tourist to marry him again? Watch Part 2 of “Your Tanong, My Sagot” at Arko Foods in Glendale, California on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, December 25 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. (Advertising Supplement)

second part of Citizen Pinoy’s “Your Tanong, My Sagot” brings more immigration questions from Kapamilya shoppers at the family-owned Arko Foods International in Glendale, California. In this episode, leading U.S.

Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel provides answers and helpful information to the following inquiries:

Marites’ friend secretly married her boyfriend who was petitioned as single. She now wants to know if her friend can

come to the U.S. as a tourist so they can get married again in the U.S.

• Janet would like to know if she can petition her nephew in the Philippines as a caregiver, to take care of her parents who

Vice Ganda Photos from Instagram/@praybeytbenjamin

The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District concludes 50th anniversary with new documentary

LOS ALTOS — The

Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen) celebrated its 50th anniversary throughout 2022. As a capstone to the yearlong celebration, Midpen partnered with NBC Bay Area to develop a television documentary about the public agency titled “50 to Forever: Midpen’s Mission to Preserve Nature & Open Space”, which airs on Saturday, December 24 at 4 p.m. and Sunday, December 25 at 10 p.m.

Midpen was created by local voters in 1972, following a grassroots effort by community members concerned about the impacts of rapid development and growth in the area. Since then, Midpen has protected a regional greenbelt of more than 70,000 acres of public open space and agricultural lands throughout the greater Santa Cruz Mountains region. Midpen also restores the ecological health and function of the natural environment, encourages viable agricultural land use on the San Mateo County Coastside and provides nearby access to nature for the community through programs and more than 250

miles of trails in 26 preserves.

The documentary will take viewers on a journey back into local history, out on the trails, up to the mountaintops and into the secret lives of local charismatic wildlife. From preserving natural wildlife habitats to purchasing and restoring thousands of acres of land including bay wetlands, redwood forests and coastal grasslands, the 48-minute film (hour broadcast) takes a closer look at the work Midpen and its partners have achieved through in-depth interviews and behindthe-scenes footage.

The documentary caps off a milestone year for Midpen.

Highlights from the anniversary celebrations include the Bayside Family Festival at Ravenswood Preserve (April 30, 2022) and Coastside Community Celebration at Johnston Ranch (September 10, 2022), events which drew over 2,000 attendees combined. Other anniversary activities included the “Open Hearts” campaign, which gave community members the opportunity to submit stories and memories about the open space preserves, the “Open Stories” campaign which profiled 50

individuals to help tell the myriad of ways folks were involved with Midpen and #SpottedAtMidpen, a social media campaign that encouraged visitors to post photos of observations made at Midpen preserves.

For more information about Midpen’s 50th anniversary, please visit: openspace.org/50years or our online media kit where you can view images available for download and publication.

The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District’s mission is to acquire and preserve a regional greenbelt of open space land of regional significance in perpetuity, protect and restore the natural environment and provide opportunities for ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education. On the San Mateo County coast, our mission also includes preserving agricultural land of regional significance and rural character and encouraging viable agricultural use of land resources. Midpen has successfully protected more than 70,000 acres of public open space land in the Santa Cruz Mountains region since 1972. (MROSD Release)

Here’s where to get free COVID tests

WITH the reopening of the federal government program to order no-cost COVID-19 tests, there are more options to get free tests this year. But how do you know what’s legit and what’s a scam? Read on.

To steer clear of scams, know that there are four ways to get FREE at-home tests:

• Visit COVID.gov/tests to order four free rapid tests per residential household. Or call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888720-7489) to order. The Postal Service will start shipping them during the week of December 19, 2022.

• Get free tests through your health insurance plan. Contact

your provider to find an innetwork pharmacy where you can get up to eight at-home COVID-19 tests per month. They’ll either be free on the spot or you’ll get fully reimbursed once you submit a claim to your insurance plan.

• Get free tests through Medicare. Medicare beneficiaries can receive 8 free tests a month at participating pharmacies. Find a partial list of pharmacies participating in the Medicare COVID-19 Over-theCounter tests initiative.

• Check community testing sites, libraries, food banks, and schools in your area to see if they’re handing out rapid tests.

Remember: At COVID.gov/ tests, there are no shipping costs, and no need to give a credit card number or anything but your home address. (You’ll have the option to share your email if you want updates.) And, as you take stock of what tests you have and what you might need, check to see if the expiration dates of your COVID-19 tests have been extended before you throw them out.

Learn more about the latest COVID-related scam at ftc.gov/ coronavirus/scams. And, as ever, if you spot a scam, tell the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. (FTC Release)

OBESITY has been known to be a major risk for the development of diabetes mellitus Type2 (DMT2) for decades. Being overweight not only increases the risk for diabetes but also for high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke, and it also elevates one’s risk for cancer. Worldwide, there are about 463 million adults with DMT2. Many are undiagnosed. In the United States, about 37.3 million people have diabetes mellitus T2.

DIRECT (Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial) in the United Kingdom has shown that among T2 diabetics, who lost significant weight (more than 10 kilos or 22 pounds) sustained over 12-24 months) could lead to remission (reversal) of DMT2.

I know of people, even seniors, who lost 40-50 pounds and achieved their normal weight of 130-150 pounds for 12 months or longer by staying away from carbohydrates and controlling their daily total calorie-intake and exercising, and who were able to stop taking their insulin shots and maintained normal blood sugar level. Is this remission or a cure? Whichever it is, this “transformation” is amazing and is definitely an inspiring discovery for all diabetics. Obviously, this takes a lot of discipline, hard work, and personal sacrifices. Knowing how diabetes damages our organs, increases our risk even for cardiovascular illnesses, including cancer, and how it shortens lives, the great hurdles and pains of dieting and exercise (not by taking pills, which is dangerous) is worth all sacrifices, because health is, indeed, wealth!

The uninvited celebrant Christmas season, my favorite time of the year, is around. The King of all kings, the humble sacrificial lamb, the Savior of the world, born in a manger, is once again to be honored and celebrated. But watch how most of us behave in dashing through the snow, the silent night, and the jingling of the bells.

The plot in the old TV series God friended me in the United States portrays “an outspoken atheist whose life is turned upside down when he receives a friend request on social media from God and unwittingly becomes an agent of change in the lives and destinies of others around him.”

The show is both funny and full of subtle wisdom and practical earthly realities. This makes me look at myself and our society as a whole, and

Weight loss ‘cures’ diabetes

comment on our social behavior and attitude, especially about Christmas. Even atheists and non-Christians seem to have this perception of us, Christians, on how we celebrate the sacred day.

I remember well when movie icon, Marilyn Monroe, in her sexy tight-fitting gown, in May of 1962, sang “Happy Birthday, Mr. President,” and the attention of the world was only momentarily on her, but John F. Kennedy, 45, on whose honor the party was being given, was still center stage, the man of the hour, where the spotlight was redirected fully. After all, he was the honoree. He was not only invited but honored as should be.

Jolly Santa Claus, with his famous white moustache, beard, and long curly hair, red baggy outfit and winter black boots, is a most popular figure at Christmas. Every year, he gets the honor, and men and women, young and old, and children of all ages, have accepted him as a symbol of Christmas itself –holiday cheers, gifts, food, and merriment.

It almost seems that without Santa Claus, there would not be any reindeer, no sleigh, no stockings, no gifts, and no Christmas. Ask any child, and that will invariably be the answer you get. Santa Claus is very important during this holiday. Without him there won’t be any Christmas. There won’t be any gifts. He is, after all, the bearer of gifts from the North Pole. That’s what the children are led to believe by our actions, unintentionally I am sure, but nonetheless that’s the subliminal vibe they get from us adults as they grow up.

Everything during the Christmas season, including our conversation and greetings, is about Santa, about parties and gifts, and about all the material things we can buy and/or receive in this highly commercialized world of today. Our mind seems to focus mostly on material things. Many of us hardly talk to our children and amongst ourselves about the Birthday Boy, the celebrant Himself.

About His wonders, about His greatness, about His ultimate sacrifice. And why He deserves to be celebrated and honored every day and especially on His birthday.

Many of us are focusing too much on the material and earthly things and too little on the sacredness of Christmas. There is nothing wrong with the glitz, glamor, festivities, food and drinks galore, and all the external grandeur we surround ourselves with during this greatest season of all, so long as we consciously invite to our midst, wherever we are

celebrating, the Birthday Boy, the Celebrant Himself.

I really think many of us around the Christian world habitually, albeit unintentionally and unwittingly, neglect to invite the Celebrant, which, sadly, is not only a great sacred omission but glaringly even a violation of Emily Post’s human rules on social etiquette.

We seem to have lost our focus, and Jesus, the celebrant, is often relegated to the background, even forgotten during His own birthday party. Shopping, food, and merriment preoccupy and overwhelm everybody’s mind during this holiday. The honoree, the main event, the very reason why we are celebrating this blessed day in the first place, is no longer on centerstage. Sometimes, I feel that some of us are indifferent to even consciously invite Him to His own party. In many cases, He is nowhere to be found, because He may not be a conscious priority on our minds on this busy and festive occasion. The sheer joy of the celebration and the loud Ho! Ho! Ho! seem to have drowned Him out. We seem to be missing the significance and the holiness of it all.

Isn’t it time we invited the Birthday Boy and put the Celebrant back on centerstage where He belongs, and to pay homage and honor Him? After all, this is His party, remember? And we are only His guests.

Here’s wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful and blessed CHRISTmas, and to the Child in the manger: Happy Birthday, and thanks for the e-vite and for enabling us to attend.

Peace on earth to all men of goodwill! And to the others as well.

* * *

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

* * *

The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health.

* * * Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday. com, and philipSchua.com; Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com.

Atty. Gurfinkel answers more immigration...

brother can do?

In keeping with the season of giving, Atty. Gurfinkel also asks trivia questions to the shoppers and gives away food from Arko as prizes to the delight of Kapamilya Watch “Citizen Pinoy’s” Christmas offering in Part 2 of “Your Tanong, My Sagot,” with Kapamilya from Arko Foods

Fortune and fame aside, this simple...

heavy weight of pressure on his shoulders. “I would just cry it out. I’d say, ‘Deadma na! I’m able to provide for my family, anyway; or, I have money, anyway!’ I’d tell myself, ‘It’s OK. You’re able to entertain people, make them happy. You can’t be selfish!’”

Explaining the film’s concept further, Vice said: “It’s about one’s struggle to figure out what really is of value in life. It’s how one personally discovers when to take a pause or stop. I’m really convinced that the writers purposely wrote the story for me. There were some scenes that would make me pause because they hit so close to home.

“The last scene was really something. Direk Cathy had to ask me to do a Take Two because, she said, it was too sad. I cried too much, and they were unable to stop me. Members of Direk Cathy’s staff, na puro barako, were all crying, too,” he recalled.

Vice said he really prepared for the final scene, even watched a video that made him recall a specific time in his life that’s similar to it. “That’s why when I was finally doing the take, I wasn’t just telling a story, I was

reliving the moment. It took me 10 minutes to repeat the scene.”

Source of happiness

Vice was also quick to point out that there are a lot of things that make him happy, too. “My family makes me happy, that’s a given, but doing ‘It’s Showtime!’ is also my source of joy. Its set is my safest place, aside from my actual house. Even though I would quarrel with the staff, sometimes—this is normal because ours is a live show and I’m head of creatives—I would automatically feel happy when I’m already holding the mic and talking with people.”

Vice plays Jack to Ivana’s Rose in “Partners in Crime.”

They’re an ex-couple who got involved in a crime. With the help of friends, they struggle to clear their name while, at the same time, they try to resolve unsettled past issues.

“Ivana is very cute,” Vice said when asked what it was like to work with the social media superstar in a movie. “She feels insecure because, she said, she is really not a funny person. I would sometimes feel the pressure on her, especially when she gets told how to deliver specific lines. This is why I told her, ‘You don’t need to be funny.

You’re fine the way you are. You look cute and sexy onscreen.’ She was able to deliver what was expected of her, that’s fine.”

Meanwhile, Vice said he personally asked Star Cinema for a chance to work with Direk Cathy. “I wanted to be ‘cathyfied.’

Throughout the shoot, when she would ask me to preview a scene and consult me, ‘I’d say, if it’s OK with you, then it’s already OK with me.’ If I kept on insisting on what I wanted and didn’t follow what she asked me to do, then that’s me ‘vicifying’ her. I was really conscious of that,” the comedian explained.

He also claimed to have discovered a lot about Cathy in their first collaboration. “That what people are saying about her is true—she is actually scary sometimes. She has a very strong personality, and that’s what I like about her. I respect people like her—she is good at what she does. I yielded to her, and that was very humbling.

It was an experience that gave me a lot of wisdom,” he said.

“I prefer working with someone who is good, but a little crazy than someone who is just kind to me. I want to work with someone who’s badass, and she is nothing but that.”

International in Glendale, California. Watch this brandnew episode on Sunday, December 25 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET through select Cable/Satellite providers), right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app. (Advertising Supplement)

are now in their 90s.

• Meriel asks about her friend’s brother who had a green card when he was 14 years old but moved back to the Philippines before he turned 18 to become an actor. The brother is now 55 years old and would like to return to the U.S. Meriel wants to know what the

Marites (right) asks Atty. Gurfinkel an immigration question regarding her friend.

YouTube channel.

New Year’s Eve fireworks expected to draw more than 300,000 to LV Strip

by RealtoR Fely Quitevis-Bateman

WHEN Las Vegas does one thing, it typically goes big. And that goes with New Year’s Eve (NYE) celebrations, which can rival the party atmosphere in New York, which has the traditional, glittering ball that drops at the stroke of midnight on December 31. That’s why Sin City has become a go-to destination for NYE celebrations, fun and revelry.

There will be fireworks galore and many parties taking place in the Strip, in the downtown area, and across the Las Vegas Valley to usher in 2023.

According to news reports, fireworks display will be launched from the rooftops of eight casino properties in the Strip, as part of the ‘America’s Party 2023” event in Las Vegas. If past fireworks displays are taken into consideration, this year’s display should be quite the spectacle that many are looking forward to seeing.

The eight properties taking part

in the event are MGM Grand, Aria, Planet Hollywood, Caesars Palace, Treasure Island, The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, Resorts World Las Vegas and The STRAT.

Whether you are out on the streets or inside one of the casinos, prepare to be amazed at the pyrotechnic displays prepared by organizers of this year’s NYE celebrations.

Aside from the fireworks, each of the casino-hotel properties have their own New Year’s Eve parties going on so visitors will have plenty of opportunities to join the revelry and enjoy the festivities.

Plus, the Strip is not the only place to party in Las Vegas. The downtown area, courtesy of Fremont Street, will have its own festival-type atmosphere where ticket holders get to experience fireworks, acrobatic performances, live entertainment, drink and dining options and a lot more.

If you want to escape the crowds along the Strip and in downtown,

there are a bevy of options – places like M Resort Spa Casino or Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa where one can also view the fireworks display happening in Las Vegas at a distance.

So, if you are planning on being in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve, it’s advisable to have a location or two singled out so you, along with family, friends and other guests, can enjoy the NYE fireworks display and other goings-on.

Of course, fun and entertainment is on the menu in Las Vegas all year round.

Aside from artist residencies, major concerts, sporting events, shows, great restaurants, 24-hour gambling, and nearby tourist attractions (yes, one can visit the spectacle that is the Hoover Dam and the great wonder of The Grand Canyon easily from Las Vegas), locals and tourists have many things to look forward to in 2023.

For one, major sporting events are taking place in Las Vegas, which is poised as the next big sports capital in the United States. It already has football, soccer, triple-A baseball, hockey and recentl-crowned WNBA champion, the Las Vegas Aces. There are rumors of a Major League Baseball franchise moving to the city in the near future, and there is one group planning to construct an entertainment/shopping hub with an NBA-ready arena should the National Basketball Association decide to expand on its current size.

Las Vegas hosts Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games for the NCAA tournament in 2023 for the first time. Typically, Sin City hosts March Madness watch parties for the NCAA tournament, but with games scheduled in Las Vegas, this could even become a bigger event for sporting enthusiasts.

Later in the year, specifically in November, Formula 1 racing takes centerstage – crowds will hear the roar of racing cars as they navigate the twists, turns and straightaways of a 3.8-mile, 1215m wide street track where F1’s seasoned drivers will aim to win the title. Racing fans from around the world were reported to have rushed to buy tickets to the F1 Las Vegas race when it went on sale last November, about a year away from the actual race date.

Secondly, there are major changes taking place with the casino properties. Bally’s has been rebranded into a Horseshoe Casino after a multimillion-dollar renovation. Visitors to Sin City will

want to be the very first ones to experience the rebranded hotelcasino, which is part of Caesar’s Entertainment Inc.

Also, the Fontainebleau will be opening in late 2023 after undergoing many changes since its announcement in 2005. With a 2-story retail complex, lots of meeting/convention space, a hotel and casino, it will add to the bevy of spaces where expos, big meetings and corporate events can take place in Las Vegas.

The MSG Sphere at The Venetian, a music and entertainment arena, has been rescheduled to a 2023 opening. The MSG Sphere will rise to a height of 366 feet and width of 516 feet (at its broadest point), and can accommodate up to 20,000 people (17,500 seating, plus standing capacity). The sphere’s exterior venue can accommodate 580,000 square feet of programmable lighting, while the interor wraparound screen will measure 160,000 square feet.

Beyond 2023, the major hotel-casino properties are planning their own renovations and developments. Hard Rock International will be joining the scene as it purchased the operations of The Mirage and is scheduled to construct a guitarshaped property along The Strip.

Jobs will be available in Las Vegas in the foreseeable future, with all the construction, activities and openings scheduled in 2023 and in the foreseeable future. Perhaps that is why Las Vegas continues to be an attractive addition to those wanting to expand their real estate portfolio. Despite the increase in mortgage rates, Las Vegas properties – and those in nearby cities, towns and areas – continue to be affordable. Whether as an investment property

or real estate holding, those who want to invest in Las Vegas surely have something to look forward to as the city continues to expand and develop.

Now is the time to take advantage of deals in land and real estate properties. I have had decades of experience in helping people look for that piece of real estate heaven they want to build their special place, invest their money on and turn it into an income-generating property, or just buy something that their

budget can afford.

My company, Precious Properties, is a full-service company that has successfully helped its clientele find the best deals since 1992. You can reach me at 775-513-8447, 805-5592476 and 702-538-4948 for more information, or send me an email at fely@precious-properties.com or fely.precious@gmail.com. We have investors who buy houses in California and Nevada for cash and quick escrow in as short as 7 days. (Advertising Supplement)

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman helps those who need business financing, including loans for small businesses. For more information, call (702) 538-4948, or send email to fely@preciousproperties.com or fely.precious@gmail.com.

The 3.8-mile, 12-15m wide street track for the Formula 1 race in November 2023 will feature exciting twists, turns and a straightaway. Global race fans were among those who bought tickets to the Las Vegas F1 stop when it went on sale last month, about a year away from the actual event. File photo/www.f1lasvegasgp.com

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman (left) with her clients and repeat investors Neneth Suarez (right) and husband Tony Suarez (not in picture) who are extremely happy with their properties in Pahrump. With Realtor Quitevis-Bateman and Neneth in photo is prospective client Josephine Devlin.

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman (center) with her new Pahrump investors, (from left) Ron Quilang and Mico Osotio.

FAHAM honors 3 Fil-Am physicians

THE Filipino American Heritage and Arts Museum, Inc. (FAHAM) a national foundation based in Las Vegas, Nevada, recently bestowed upon three Filipino-American physicians the prestigious Award for Literary Excellence, according to Salve V. Edelman, national president of FAHAM.

The awardees included Asian Journal columnist and cardiac surgeon Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, who is a health advocate, an author, and an international medical lecturer. His book on pre-emptive and proactive strategy in disease prevention and healthy lifestyle at the DNA starting in the womb and in the crib is entitled “Let’s Stop ‘Killing’ Our Children,” is listed in the

U.S. Library of Congress and on amazon.com. Dr. Chua was a recipient in 1996 of the Sagamore of the Wabash Award, presented by then Indiana Governor, later senator, and U.S. presidential aspirant Evan Bayh. Previous Sagamore awardees include President Harry S. Truman, President George HW Bush, Muhammad Ali, Astronaut Gus Grissom, David Letterman, among others.

Another FAHAM awardee was Edward E. Quiros, MD, MBA, FACS, a hand surgeon who practiced in New York, and is a writer and book author. He and Dr. Chua are both past presidents of the Society of Philippine Surgeons in America and editors of The Philippine Surgeon. Dr. Quiros was the first Asian elect-

ed president of the Ten-County Medical Society, serving as a delegate to the Texas Medical Association.

The third recipient of a FAHAM award was Cesar D. Candari, MD, FCAP Emeritus, a pathologist, and a writer and book author. He is a Diplomate in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and the first Filipino Diplomate in Immunohematology and Blood Banking. He just retired from being a columnist of The Philippine Times of Southern Nevada for the past 12 years.

The three awardees were also officially recognized with a Diploma of Distinction by U.S. Senators Catherine M.C. Masto and Jacky Rosen and Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak. g

Hannah reflects on Miss International journey

by Armin P. AdinA Inquirer.net

HANNAH Arnold captured her Binibining Pilipinas crown, her ticket to the 60th Miss International pageant, in June 2021, which gave her more than a year to prepare for the global tilt. But there was still something that she was not ready for, she said.

“I didn’t expect all the bloggers to be so updated every day, that was a new thing for me. I was like ‘wow, they see everything,’” she told the Inquirer after the international pageant’s coronation program held at the Tokyo Dome City Hall in Tokyo, Japan, on Dec. 13. She finished in the Top 15.

The 26-year-old Australian-Filipino forensic scientist and model from Masbate said pageant followers have been commenting on just about everything, to the smallest detail of her styling.

Arnold said “everyone” already warned her not to browse social media while in Japan. “I said ‘no, it’s fine.’ But it can get to you. Sometimes it did get to me. I was like, ‘oh they don’t like my hair today? Okay,’” she confessed.

Because of this, she would like to impart the same advice she received to her successor, and jested an additional tip: “So Nicole [Borromeo], practice your hair.”

Borromeo inherited Arnold’s Bb. Pilipinas International title in July, even before the latter got to participate in the global competition. And the predecessor said she is grateful for the trust that the national pageant organization gave her.

Binibini believed in me enough to allow me to compete here today. They could have told me ‘your reign is over.’ They could’ve told me ‘you’re gonna crown someone and she would compete.’ But the fact that they believed in me, that was the most outstanding thing for me. When they told me that, my heart got so happy that they believed in me,” Arnold shared.

“I’ve been a big fan of Miss International for years. So everything that happened, I saw in the past. And I’m so grateful I got to be the girl to do all of those activities,” she continued.

And aside from veering away from social media, she also gave Borromeo another piece of advice:

“Just enjoy. All the girls will be so excited to see you, so just enjoy.”

She also expressed her gratitude for her “Hannabees” (avid supporters) who “stayed with me for so long, since my first Binibini. That’s really amazing.”

Arnold also imparted a message to avid pageant followers online: “Thank you. Even if it’s [a] negative [comment] it means you cared about my journey. There were constructive things also, a lot of positive. I’m just grateful for everyone.”

The 2022 Miss International crown went to Jasmin Selberg, the third winner from Germany. Borromeo will represent the Philippines in the global tilt’s 61st edition next year.

Hannah Arnold Photo from Instagram/@arnoldhan_

PH CONSULATE JOINS SOMA PILIPINAS IN 20TH ANNUAL PAROL LANTERN FESTIVAL IN SAN FRANCISCO. San Francisco’s cold and wet weather did not stop Filipino Americans in the Bay Area from celebrating Christmas at the 20th annual Parol Lantern Festival, organized by the SOMA Pilipinas Filipino Cultural Heritage District and the Filipino American Development Foundation (FADF) at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on Saturday, December 10. The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, led by Consul General Neil Ferrer and Mrs. Miriam Ferrer, took part in the festivities by joining the rest of the community in a parol stroll around the Yerba Buena Gardens.

The Consulate’s Philippine-made parols were made of colorful capiz (translucent oyster) shells. ConGen Ferrer and other Consulate officials also joined a reception hosted by SOMA Pilipinas and the FADF for city officials and community leaders. First mounted in 2003 as the first Filipino Christmas lantern festival in the U.S., the Parol Lantern Festival has become a yearly tradition among Filipino Americans in San Francisco and the Bay Area to enjoy Christmas the Filipino way through parol-making, music, and food. Photos courtesy of San Francisco PCG