122322 - San Diego Edition

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.

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. has 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, December 16.

“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 whole-of-nation approach in the implementation of the PDP 2023-2028 and steer government instrumentalities into the “same direction.”

“This will facilitate the coordination and the

Fil-Am sworn in as Los Angeles County Superior Court judge

California Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Roxas to serve as a judge in October, according to a release from the Governor’s Office.

The Fil-Am lawyer fills in the vacancy created by the appointment Judge Maame Frimpong to the federal bench.

Pinoy faithful gather for 9-day Simbang Gabi

by robertzon ramirez Philstar.com

MANILA — The traditional pre-dawn novena masses, popularly known as Simbang Gabi” in the Philippines, will officially started on Friday, December 16.

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president and Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said most parishes in the country would adopt “synodality” as the theme for this year’s nine-day pre-dawn masses to promote journeying with Jesus Christ and with one another.

“It looks like most parishes all over the country will be adopting synodality as the

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

WASHINGTON

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

main running theme for the ‘Simbang Gabi’ celebration because Christmas is really about God who has been journeying with us so that we learn to journey with one another,” David said.

“Synodality has to do with promoting communion within the Church as well as greater participation towards mission, and our dream is missioning Church and we hope that through these nine novena masses, our priests will be able to impart message, good news of synodality of communion participation and mission,” he added.

In a video message, CBCP vice president and Pasig Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara

Almost 2.4 million foreign tourists since February – DOT

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 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.

State of California recognition will give City of San Diego an advantage in competing for housing funding

SAN DIEGO – Mayor Todd Gloria’s commitment to housing action that provides more homes for people in all communities has earned the City of San Diego a “prohousing designation” from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). This was awarded based on policies adopted by the city that prioritize and expand new home construction and will give the city an advantage over other agencies when competing for state funding for housing and related programs.

“Under the leadership of Mayor Todd Gloria, San Diego continues to take significant steps at the local level to addressing the need for housing,” Governor Gavin Newsom said. “As part of only seven communities to receive a Prohousing Designation from the state, the leadership and the community of California’s second-largest city is paving the way for others to follow.”

“San Diego is part of a unique group of seven cities in California being recognized for their work to increase the development of more housing close to amenities and daily destinations,” added

HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. “The state is rewarding these cities with access to exclusive funds to accelerate their efforts.”

In 2019, as part of the 20192020 Budget Act, Assembly Bill 101 enacted the Prohousing Designation Program. Jurisdictions that receive the prohousing designation are given preference

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

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

A FILIPINO American lawyer is now a sitting judge for the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Adrian Gidaya Roxas, 43, was sworn in on Friday, Dec. 16 during an enrobing ceremony in Downtown Los Angeles attended by county judges and members of legal organizations and the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria says, “Housing is the solution to homelessness, a key strategy for climate action and a path to economic opportunity for all our residents.” File photo/www.sandiego.gov

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

YUMMY DISPLAY. Mouth-watering roasted pigs or lechon are displayed in front of a store in La Loma in Quezon City on Thursday, Dec. 22. La Loma area has boasted the best-roasted pigs in the country.

PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.

Filipina real estate agent, Catherine Lee was murdered in the Philippines by contract killers. DOJ photo

– 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.

Adrian Roxas, 43, is now a judge for the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

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, AFP 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 CPP- National 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 CPP-NPA-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

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 u PAGE 4

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

“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. n

People gathered outside for an anticipated mass at the Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral in Baguio City on December 15. Photo by Fernando Zapata Jr.

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urged the Catholic faithful to attend the first of the nine-day novena masses as he emphasized that the first day will determine the faithful’s disposition toward the coming of Jesus Christ.

Vergara said the faithful should emulate St. John the Baptist who served as the Lord’s “precursor” and led a greater majority to the protection of the Lord.

The Simbang Gabi will run from Dec. 16 until Dec. 25.

Masses at the Manila Cathedral from Dec. 15 to 23 will be held at 8 p.m. while pre-dawn masses will be held from Dec. 16-24 at 4:30 a.m. Masses at the Quiapo church will be held from Dec. 15-23 at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. while pre-dawn masses will be from Dec. 16-24 at 4 a.m. and 5 a.m.

Quiapo church spokesman Fr. Earl Valdez said they are preparing for “a slight increase” of people attending the nine-day masses as he urged the faithful to continue observing health protocols to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

“We are preparing for a slight increase in mass attendance so cleaning and maintenance, plus placement of markers for physical distancing. We also have several volunteers deployed for ushering and observance of safety protocols (particularly masking),” Valdez said. He added that they are also in close coordination with the Manila city government and the police

US supports PH amid swarming of Chinese... Marcos approves PH dev’t...

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 the economy back on the high-growth path and push for efficient economic

for increased security measures as he hopes that the observance of Simbang Gabi will become meaningful and not become a super spreader event.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Thursday, December 15 all security measures are in place to ensure the public’s safety at the start of dawn masses.

Col. Jean Fajardo, PNP spokesperson, said they went on full alert status on Thursday, December 15 which will run until Jan. 10, “so that all available police officers are ready for deployment and respond in case of emergencies.”

In compliance with the directive of PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., all police commanders are required to deploy 85 percent of their personnel on the streets to secure churches and other places of convergence.

Fajardo told dzBB that least 85 percent of the PNP force or 192,950 policemen should be on field duty.

While the PNP has not monitored any credible threat to security, she said policemen are not keeping their guard down to prevent lawless elements from disrupting the Simbang Gabi and the rest of the Yuletide season.

In Metro Manila, Lt. Col. Dexter Versola, National Capital Region Police Office spokesman, said at least 14,000 policemen are deployed for Simbang Gabi – Emmanuel Tupas n

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 whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach,” Balisacan said in a statement.

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

AND LUCKY.

CPP founder Joma Sison dies

Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Maria “Joma” Sison ManilaTimes.net photo terrorist. I bitterly spit this one out. How I wanted so badly to, at the very least, kick his ugly face in.

As of 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). Philstar file photo

Almost 2.4 million...

PAGE 1

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 last Thursday, December 15.

The program aims to promote the country’s tourism industry by encouraging overseas Filipino workers and Pinoys living abroad to fly back to the Philippines and bring potential tourists, especially foreigners, along with them.

According to the DOT, the program offers a raffle promo, BBMG passport and a privilege card, which participants can use to avail of discounts, special rates and packages.

Frasco said the program is one of the ways a Filipino can show love for the country by inviting their foreign friends to visit the Philippines and allowing them to experience world-class Filipino hospitality. (By Ghio Ong/Philstar.com) n

CPP founder Joma...

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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. n

Medicare pay cuts will hurt seniors’ care, doctors argue

DOCTORS are urging Congress to call off cuts scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1 in the reimbursements they receive from Medicare.

In what has become an almost yearly ritual, physician groups are arguing that patients will have greater difficulty finding doctors who accept Medicare if lawmakers allow the pay cuts to happen.

A more than 4,000-page draft government spending bill released by lawmakers early Tuesday morning proposed much smaller-than-planned cuts to Medicare payments. But the bill, which Congress hoped to pass by the weekend to keep the government funded and avert a shutdown, would not go as far as doctors wanted.

“Despite overwhelming bipartisan, bicameral support to stop the full Medicare physician payment cut, Congress failed once again to end the cycle of harmful Medicare cuts, showing a disregard for vulnerable seniors,” the Surgical Care Coalition, an organization representing surgeons and anesthesiologists, said in a statement.

The doctors’ lobbying campaign had gained traction on Capitol Hill. A bipartisan group of 115 House lawmakers rallied behind doctors in a letter to congressional leaders and President Joe Biden last week, urging them to prevent cuts that they argued would “only make a bad situation far worse” for Medicare patients.

In recent years, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services scheduled the pay cuts to offset the cost of increasing payments for underpaid services, like primary care. Physicians also stand to see reductions tied to broad cuts implemented by Congress in recent decades to try to control government spending.

Some Republicans have pushed to wait on passing the spending package until their party controls the House of Representatives next year and can have a greater say over what they call out-of-control spending. One priority of the incoming House Republican

majority is curbing Social Security and Medicare, a federal health insurance program for people age 65 and older, among others.

“We’re mortgaging our kids’ futures,” Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, a Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, told reporters, referring to overall spending. “This is killing us from a financial standpoint. It’s got to stop.”

Despite concerns about ballooning government spending, for years doctors have been successful in delaying or softening proposed pay cuts, arguing that there would be dire consequences if the cuts kicked in.

Physicians carry a lot of political weight in Washington. The American Medical Association, the professional organization that represents and lobbies on behalf of physicians, has spent more than $460 million on lobbying since 1998, more than almost any other organization, The New Yorker reported this year.

Since the early 2000s, Congress has voted every year or two to delay or reverse plans to reduce Medicare payments to doctors. In 2015, Congress ended one measure that would have cut payments by 21%. Last year, Congress plugged a 3% hole.

If Congress is unable to pass the spending bill, physicians face a 4.5% cut in Medicare fees. Under the draft legislation released Tuesday, they would instead see about a 2% cut beginning Jan. 1. Other reductions — including a 4% cut under a congressional budget rule that balances spending and the expiration of a payment program that offered 5% bonuses — would be delayed further or reduced.

As in previous years, physicians have waged a frantic campaign to convince Congress that reducing the amount paid to care for Medicare patients would drive more doctors away from accepting them as patients at all.

Earlier this month, the American Medical Association sent a letter to congressional leaders signed by all 50 state medical associations, as well as that of the District of Columbia,

arguing pay cuts would take a toll on doctors and patients.

“Burnout, stress, workload, and the cumulative impact of COVID-19 are leading one in five physicians to consider leaving their current practice within two years,” the letter said. “Payment cuts will only accelerate this unsustainable trend and undoubtedly lead to Medicare patients struggling to access health care services.”

According to the American Medical Association, the costs of running a medical practice climbed 39% from 2001 to 2021, but Medicare payments to doctors, adjusted for inflation, dropped by 20% over that span.

“Running our businesses is more expensive than it was,” said Dr. Loralie Ma, a radiologist in the Baltimore suburbs, citing rising costs for expenses ranging from gauze and surgical tubing to salaries for office staff. “It’s very hard, and when Medicare does something like this, it decreases access, specifically for seniors.”

“There are patients looking for physicians they can’t get. They’re on Medicare, and physicians aren’t accepting new Medicare patients,” said Dr. Donaldo Hernandez, a physician based in Santa Cruz, California, who is president of the California Medical Association.

It is difficult to “break even” caring for Medicare patients under the current government rates, he said. “It just doesn’t make economic sense.”

An agency that advises Congress on Medicare matters has expressed concern about certain Medicare payments for primary care and has reported that, from 2015 through 2020, the number of primary care physicians treating Medicare beneficiaries dropped from 2.8 to 2.4 per 1,000 beneficiaries.

According to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), about 3% of Medicare beneficiaries surveyed in 2021 said they had looked for a new primary care provider in the previous year and had trouble finding one.

However, looking at a broader picture based on data from 2019 through 2021, “access to clinician services for Medicare

beneficiaries appeared stable and comparable to (or better than) that for privately insured individuals,” MedPAC Chair Michael Chernew said in an Oct. 28 letter to members of Congress.

Gerard Anderson, a professor of health policy and management at Johns Hopkins University, said doctors’ objections to the scheduled pay cuts have a familiar ring.

“For 40 years I have heard providers argue that they will go out of business or not accept Medicare patients if … cuts go through,” Anderson said. “Medicare patients are still seeing their physicians, hospitals, and other providers 40 years later.”

For most doctors, feefor-service payments from Medicare represent a small portion of their business, Anderson added. The rest can include payments from Medicare Advantage health plans, which have their own payment systems, and private insurers, he said.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, a top Senate Democrat, and Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, a top Senate Republican, in November wrote a letter signed by a bipartisan group of 44 other senators in November urging party leaders to block the looming cuts.

“We’d like very much to have a health package that would stop cuts and do some other policy changes that we need. It’s not agreed to yet, but I’d love to see it happen,” Stabenow said in an interview with KHN on Dec. 15.

Asked if she was optimistic, she said, “I think we have a reasonable chance.” n

KHN Washington editor and correspondent David Hilzenrath contributed to this report.

This story was produced by KHN (Kaiser Health News), a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

by Michael Mcauliff California Healthline

Tulfo seeks free legal education in exchange for two-year gov’t service

MANILA — Sen. Raffy Tulfo has filed a bill that seeks to make attending law school in state universities and colleges free, but those who graduate and eventually become lawyers must work in government for two years.

“One of the reasons for lack of access to justice in the Philippines is the shortage of practicing lawyers,” Tulfo said in his explanatory note for Senate Bill No. 1610. “This measure seeks to ensure that law students will have access to legal education in the SUCs and at the same time increase the workforce of the legal profession.”

Filipino students taking up the Juris Doctor program in state universities and colleges will be qualified for free legal education should the bill pass into law in its current form.

Law students must carry a full load of subjects every semester and must finish

the entire program within the time frame prescribed by the SUC where they are enrolled in and must take the Bar Examination within a year of graduating.

Aside from tuition fees, Tulfo’s bill also seeks to waive Bar Exams and licensure fees and other school fees like books, student registration fees and library fees.

The proposed law also mandates SUCs to create a mechanism which will ensure that “students with the financial capacity to pay for their education” need not apply.

Also disqualified from enjoying the benefits of the proposal for free tuition in law schools are students who have already obtained a Bachelor of Laws or a Juris Doctor degree, those who fail to comply with admission and retention policies of SUCs and those who fail to complete the Juris Doctor degree within

the prescribed period.

Those who do become lawyers after graduating from the free legal education program must work in government for two years within four years after obtaining their license either in the Public Attorney’s Office or “any government agency lacking lawyers” as determined by the Legal Education Board.

Those who fail to comply with the mandatory return service will be required to reimburse the government the full cost of scholarship, including other benefits and expenses.

“The requirement to render return service in the public sector shall pave the way for a sustainable human resource deployment in the public sector that is critical for the nation’s justice system,” Tulfo said. (by Xave Gregorio/Philstar.com) n

State of California recognition will give City of...

when applying for housing, transportation and infrastructure programs. These programs include the Affordable Housing & Sustainable Communities (AHSC), Infill Infrastructure Grant (IIG), Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) and the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP). Affordable housing developers who apply for the AHSC grant program will receive additional points if their housing is located within the city. The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) plans to apply the designation to some of its grant programs as well.

“Housing is the solution to homelessness, a key strategy for climate action and a path to economic opportunity for all our residents, so we are doing everything we can in the City of San Diego to cut red tape and build more,” Mayor Todd Gloria said. “I want to thank the State of California for validating the hard work we’ve done in San Diego to be a state leader in expanding housing opportunities near transit, job centers and college campuses. By passing prohousing policies at the local level and leveraging new tools and funding provided by the State, we will continue to build more homes, so all San Diegans can have a roof over their head at a price they can afford.”

In order to qualify for the program, the city is required to have a Housing Element compliant with state law and certified by HCD, as well as to submit an application

showing policies that facilitate the planning, approval or construction of more homes.

“With our city in a continuing housing crisis, having the advantage to secure more state funding is an important step toward providing more homes and infrastructure like parks and safe and enjoyable streets for San Diegans of all ages, incomes, family sizes and abilities,” said City Planning Director Heidi Vonblum. “Receiving this designation is a significant recognition of our ongoing dedication to providing more home opportunities and infrastructure investments needed to serve our residents and create great communities.”

Some of the policies and actions that helped the City earn the title include:

• Affordable Housing Regulations: These regulations provide incentives for 100% affordable projects. To be eligible under this program, a development must set aside 100% of the pre-density bonus units as affordable to very low, low- and moderate-income households.

• Affordable Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Home Density Bonus Program: For every ADU home built and set aside as affordable to very low-, low- or moderate-income households, this program allows an additional ADU home to be built.

• Transit Priority Areas Parking Standards: Allows zero minimum parking requirements for multifamily residential developments in Transit Priority

Areas (TPAs), which are areas in major transit corridors or where transit improvements are planned in the next five years.

• Mixed-Use Base Zones: This allows for a mix of residential and non-residential uses within TPAs, with development intensity governed by Floor Area Ratio rather than density per acre. In addition, many of the city’s Commercial Base Zones allow residential uses and the IP-31 Industrial Park zones allow residential uses.

• Complete Communities Housing Solutions: This opt-in incentive program waives density and height limitations and allows for a floor area ratio-based density bonus for development that provides affordable housing and infrastructure amenities.

• Community Plan Updates: The City has approved 15 community plan updates since 2015, which have created capacity for more than 98,000 additional homes.

• OpenDSD: The City’s online portal, OpenDSD, allows the general public to review permits, property information and code enforcement cases.

• Affordable, Infill Housing, and Sustainable Buildings Expedite Program: This program provides expedited discretionary and ministerial permit processing for projects that provide five or more homes, compared to standard review times, and waives all expedite fees for 100% affordable housing projects. In addition, the Permit Now Program streamlines the ministerial building permit process for 100% affordable housing projects. For

other projects, Express Plan Check provides review times 40% to 50% faster than standard review times for an additional fee.

• Permanent supportive housing for people formerly experiencing homelessness: In 2020, the City acquired two hotels totaling 336 units by leveraging the state’s Homekey funding, the city’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding, local Community Development Block Grant and private loan proceeds from Chase Bank.

Additionally, Mayor Gloria in 2021 launched the “Bridge to Home” program, under which the city provides gap financing assistance to builders of affordable housing to help get their projects across the finish line. Through two rounds of funding so far, the city has invested roughly $46 million in 10 projects that will create 904 affordable apartments, 232 of which will be home to San Diegans experiencing homelessness.

Further, the City Council in 2022 passed the first Housing Action Package under Mayor Gloria’s “Homes For All of Us” initiative. A second Housing Action Package will be presented to the Council in 2023. Together, these packages comprise 20 unique reforms aimed at making it easier to build housing in all communities

HCD also announced it was it was giving five other cities the prohousing designation. The City of Sacramento was the first to earn the designation earlier this year.

(City of San Diego Release) n

Major metropolitan areas did not submit data to...

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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.

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 underreported this year, in what would have been a peak year with the rise of anti-Semitism,” 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 the AAPI Equity Alliance, and co-founder 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 sub-ethnicities is not collected by the FBI.

Stop AAPI Hate, a web portal which allows victims to self-report 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 lock-downs 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. (By Sunita Sohrabji/Ethnic Media Services) n

Fil-Am sworn in as Los Angeles County...

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“The only thing I remember was how grateful I was for the people who got me here — from the people who trusted in me, from the people who believed in me,” Roxas recalled in his speech during the reception. “There’s a lot of work that went into this appointments process, a lot of

behind the scenes support.”

Prior to the judgeship, Roxas has been a partner at Roxas Law, a boutique law firm in Southern California, specializing in family law and victims’ rights.

He previously served as a prosecutor with the LA County District Attorney’s Office from 2007 to 2020, where he prosecuted

and tried to verdict a wide array of crimes, from misdemeanors to serious/violent felonies, including sexual assault crimes, domestic violence, murder and special circumstance murders.

Roxas was joined by his wife Sandy, also a lawyer and founding partner of Roxas Law, their two daughters, his mother and

extended family.

“[This] is a testament to how important it is to surround yourself with a community of people who uplift you and support you,” Roxas said. “I have been blessed to have that community throughout my entire life, as a young child and up until now as a judge.” (AJPress) n

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

MANILA — Former TV host Daphne Oseña-Paez began serving on Tuesday, December 20 in Malacañang as its “press briefer” who will

“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-incharge 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, of course, in a harmonious and collegial manner because 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, OseñaPaez 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,” OseñaPaez 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.” n

US Supreme Court to...

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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 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. (Reuters/INQUIRER.net U.S. Bureau) n

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.

FOR THE INDIGENTS. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. talks to one of the children during the “Pangkabuhayan at Pamaskong Handog ng Pangulo at Unang Ginang sa Sambayanang Pilipino” at the Open Amphitheater in Rizal Park, City of Manila on Thursday, Dec. 22. Led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the gift-giving activity was for 400 children and 574 families, including several members of indigenous peoples groups and children in street situations coming from all local government units of the National Capital Region.

PNA photo by Alfred Frias

relay news and information about the activities and programs of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

by Xave GreGorio Philstar.com

Former TV host Daphne Oseña-Paez began serving on Tuesday, December 20 in Malacañang as its press briefer. Malacañang photo

‘RH law success depends on LGU action’

by Red Mendoza ManilaTimes.net

AS the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Law enters its first decade, the Commission on TMT and Development (PopCom) said that the success of the law will depend on the efforts of local government units (LGUs) to cascade its benefits to marginalized members of the community.

Republic Act 10354, as the law was numbered, was passed on Dec. 21, 2012. It was the most divisive national policy ever implemented in the country.

In a panel discussion held in commemoration of the law’s passing, PopCom Officer in Charge Lolito Tacardon said that the RPRH Law enabled the enhanced partnership between national and local governments by opening opportunities for implementing reproductive health policies and programs at the grassroots level.

He added that based on PopCom’s rapid appraisal on the preparedness of local

governments to assume full devolution of family planning services, only 60 percent of all LGUS have allotted budgets for 2023, specifically for the procurement and distribution of family planning commodities.

Tacardon said the funds were allotted for pills and implants, and rarely for permanent contraception methods despite the huge demand for these.

“The RPRH Law was able to create public awareness on SRHR (sexual and reproductive health and rights) among Filipinos through which many of our women are now clamoring for commodities, acknowledging their usage as a right. We consider creating awareness of this right as a significant part of empowering our women,” Tacardon said.

He also said that the implementation of interventions to reach vulnerable sectors such as persons with disabilities and those residing in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, as well as the creation of mobile clinics, is one of the main provisions of the law.

During the forum, he said that

the way forward for the RPRH law now that it is entering its second decade is universal access to reproductive health services, including family planning and maternal health care.

He added that governance should be examined and improved to ensure enabling partnerships between national and local governments, as well as the private sector and civil society organizations.

“The PopCom and the Department of Health are strengthening their advocacy with local government units to further devolve reproductive health services as part of their mandate to ensure their constituents’ welfare,” he said.

Tacardon said that LGUs will benefit from the RPRH Law on sustainable human development and progress, noting that the integration of the law is now at the implementation stage, and the policies are now in place.

“All elements are present for LGUs to reap the rewards of the landmark legislation’s wins from this point forward,” he said. n

Maharlika Fund crucial in boosting PH investments - DBP

MANILA – The passage of the country’s pioneering Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) is crucial in boosting Philippine investments and sustaining its growth momentum, said veteran banker and current president and CEO of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) Emmanuel Herbosa.

In a statement on Thursday, December 22, he said the establishment of a sovereign wealth fund (SWF) could help the country broaden its investments, especially in critical areas like food, water, green energy, agro-industrial ventures, telecommunications, public infrastructure and road networks tollways.

“From my personal standpoint, the creation of an SWF is a superb opportunity to address the dearth in sources of long-term capital which is integral to support these capitalintensive investments,” Herbosa said.

He explained that the SWF is closely aligned with DBP’s operating principle of bolstering economic additionality through timely and meaningful support of critical industries and sectors.

Moreover, the SWF, he said, can offer

better rates of return that will result in a more significant socio-economic impact.

After President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. certified the passage of the MIF as urgent, House Bill 6608 received solid support from 90 percent of the members of the House of Representatives with 282 out of the 312 congressmen officially named as its co-authors.

On Dec. 15, the bill was approved on third and final reading with 279 affirmative votes, six against, and no abstentions.

The approval of the bill came after exhaustive floor deliberations as it underwent several refinements.

“The introduction of additional safeguards in the proposed measure such as heavy scrutiny by the Commission on Audit apart from regular examinations by both an internal and external auditor has assuaged concerns of various sectors and ensures that the fund will be adequately shielded from fraud, abuse, and undue political interference,” Herbosa said.

“The provision of sovereign guarantees for specific contributions adds another

Inflation 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. n

Make COVID-19 an uninvited guest.

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.

PRICE CHECK. A shopper checks the prices of canned goods at a supermarket in Manila. The Philippine Statistics Authority said the inflation rate jumped to 8 percent in November. ManilaTimes.net photo

‘MY FATHER, MYSELF’. Fans wave and take photos of the cast of “My Father, Myself” on its float during the Parade of Stars for the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2022 along Quezon Avenue in Quezon City on Wednesday, Dec. 21. The Parade of Stars is back in full swing after a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

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.

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 zeroCOVID 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.

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

From My Point of View

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

With Due Respect

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

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.

forgiving their faults or sins because 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

Tough love

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

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.

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

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denino1951@gmail.com

What if the US asks for Quiboloy’s extradition?

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

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.

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

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Comments to chiefjusticepanganiban@ hotmail.com

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Artemio V. PAngAnibAn

The government will have to further intensify 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)

Founder and self-proclaimed “Appointed Son of God” of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC), Apollo Carreon Quiboloy Inquirer.net file photo he would have to face the criminal charges and argue his defenses.

UN: Obstacles in protecting persons from enforced disappearance remain

by Pia Lee Brago Philstar.com

MANILA — A United Nations declaration on protecting persons from enforced disappearance continues to face obstacles, mostly concerning prevention, domestication of international obligations and search for disappeared persons and accountability.

This is according to a study by the UN Human Rights Office, which marked the 30th anniversary of the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance on Dec. 18. The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances said the declaration remains a fundamental legal instrument.

The Declaration is a body of principles for all states that is designed to prohibit enforced disappearances, prevent their commission and help victims of such acts and their families to unveil the truth, obtain justice and seek fair, prompt and adequate reparation.

“Today the Declaration largely reflects, codifies and consolidates customary international law that is legally binding on all states. The prohibition of enforced disappearance and the corresponding obligation to investigate and punish perpetrators have attained the status of jus cogens, i.e. a principle of international law that cannot be set aside,” the UN Human Rights Office said.

The Declaration has been translated into several languages,

in addition to the six UN official ones and included in several countries as dedicated modules in academic curricula, as well as training directed at relevant actors, including law enforcement and medical personnel, lawyers, judges and prosecutors, human rights defenders, journalists and civil society and associations of relatives of disappeared persons.

The working group stands ready to assist states in identifying these obstacles and overcoming them, including through technical assistance, cooperation and advisory services.

IAS separate from PNP

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has proposed that the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s Internal Affairs Service (IAS), which investigates police wrongdoing, should be placed under direct control of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to ensure more effective probes and insulate investigators from political pressure.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said placing the IAS out of the PNP’s reach gives more efficiency in holding abusive cops accountable, and that he has already mentioned the proposal to President Marcos and Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos.

“The PNP’s internal affairs unit must be removed from the PNP structure and placed in the hands of the secretary of the interior and local government,” Remulla said in a radio interview when asked how to address police abuses in light of the recent sacking of

cops allegedly involved in the disappearance of sabungeros.

“All police forces in the world separate their internal affairs units because that’s the only way you can check on the abusers. However, the IAS has to be a very strong unit that has its own budget and is not anymore covered by the PNP chief,” he added.

Aside from this, Remulla said he had proposed giving the DILG more influence in personnel reassignment and promotions.

He also said the IAS should have personnel secretly embedded in every police unit to closely watch the activities of policemen.

Less bloodshed

In Iloilo City, PNP chief General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. described his administration’s campaign against illegal drugs as lesser bloodshed but more arrests and bigger volume of drugs seized.

When asked if the illegal drugs situation in the country is better now than it was last year, Azurin said he couldn’t make a comparison “but we’re trying our best that it should be better.”

Azurin spoke Wednesday, December 21 during the Lakad Laban sa Droga fun walk at the Iloilo River Esplanade.

In his first 89 days as PNP chief, Azurin said they were able to confiscate around P9 billion worth of illegal drugs.

As of early December, it reached almost P10 billion.

“We made more arrests with lesser killing,” he said, emphasizing the police have leveled up from the previous campaign. n

Comelec: Low voter registration turnout

MANILA — Citing the low voter registration turnout, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is appealing to the public to register through its regular registration and Register Anywhere Project.

Comelec records showed that only 150,817 people have filed their applications since the voter registration resumed on Dec. 12.

At least 19,336 of the registrants are aged 15 to 17; 35,011 are aged 18 to 30, and 11,098 aged 31 and above.

The Comelec is eyeing up to 1.3 million new voters.

The low number of registrants may be because many are busy preparing for the holiday season, Comelec spokesman Rex Laudiangco told reporters in a Viber message.

“Araw-araw kaming mananawagan na sana po, mabigyan nila ng pansin at oras ang pagpaparehistro

at samantalahin ang pagkakataon,” Laudiangco said.

He urged the public to take advantage of the registration even while many are currently on vacation mode.

Laudiangco said the holiday break is the best time to register, noting that an influx of registrants is expected beginning January.

The voter registration, which is in preparation for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in October 2023, will end on Jan. 31, 2023.

There will be no voter registration on Dec. 24, 25 and 31 and Jan. 1.

Muli po, ang panawagan namin ni Chairman (George) Garcia at ng lahat ng tanggapan ng Comelec sa buong bansa, magparehistro nang maaga para makaiwas sa abala,” Laudiangco said. (By Robertzon Ramirez/Philstar.com) n

Maharlika Fund crucial in...

PAGE 5

layer of confidence in the sustainability, reliability, and integrity of the SWF

especially in funding projects with long-gestation periods while attracting private sector and even foreign funders that

would ensure transparency and greater accountability in managing the fund,” he added. (PNA) n

SUPER HEALTH CENTER. Senator Christopher Lawrence Go (2nd from right) leads the embedding of a time capsule during the groundbreaking ceremony of the Super Health Center in Barangay Manat, Nabunturan town, Davao de Oro on Thursday, Dec. 22. The PHP11.5 million worth of health facility will provide all the basic health needs, including specialized health services at the local level such as out-patient department, laboratory, X-ray, ultrasound, birthing services, diagnostic, pharmacy and emergency services, among others. PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.

Senate bill wants 2-year required military, police training for college, techvoc students

by Maila ager Inquirer.net

MANILA — A two-year mandatory basic military and police training program for all college and technical vocational students is being proposed in the Senate.

Students who fail to undergo the training program would not be qualified for graduation, according to Senate Bill No. 1565 filed by Senator Francis Tolentino.

Tolentino explained that his proposed measure aims to increase the awareness of students on the country’s need for human resources in times of war, calamities and disasters, and national or local emergencies. This, he added, is also in support of the government’s law

enforcement strategy against crimes and other civic obligations.

“The proposed bill provides safeguards for the protection of all higher and technical vocational students against abuses such as bribery, corruption, graft, hazing, sexual harassment, and others which had become the concern of the public in the past,” the senator said.

“With this proposed measure, the youth – the hope of our motherland – will rekindle in their hearts their love of country and fellow citizens, nationalism and patriotism, and will once again make their mark in the annals of history,” Tolentino added.

Students may be exempted from undergoing mandatory training if they are physically or psychologically unfit; chosen by

LEGAL SERVICES

CASE NUMBER: 37-2022-00046712-CU-PT-CTL

TO ALL INTERESTED

PERSONS: Petitioner Peter D. Chu, Esq. State Bar# 98935

Attorney For: Sin Lee filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: a. Sin Lee to Shin Lee.

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 01/04/2023 Time: 8:30 AM Dept. 61 Superior Court of California, County of San Diego 330 WEST BROADWAY DEPT. 61 San Diego, CA 92101

A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation printed in this county.

Asian Journal: NOV. 18, 2022

NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT

Michael T. Smyth Judge of the Superior Court AJ 1080 12/02, 12/09, 12/16, and 12/23/2022.

ATTACHMENT TO ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME (JC Form #NC-120)

NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE.

The Court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120).

If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-100) will be granted without a hearing. One certified copy of the Order Granting Petition will be mailed to the petitioner.

If all the requirements have not been met as of the date specified, the Court will mail the petitioner a written order with further directions.

If timely objection is filed, the Court will set a hearing date and contact the parties by mail with further directions.

A RESPONDENT OBJECTING TO THE NAME CHANGE, MUST FILE A WRITTEN OBJECTION AT LEAST TWO COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) BEFORE THE DATE SPECIFIED. Do not come to court on the specified date. The court will notify the parties by mail of a future hearing date.

Any Petition for the name change of a minor, that is signed by only one parent, must have this Attachment served along with the Petition and Order to Show Cause, on the other, non-signing parent, and proof of service must be filed with the Court. AJSD 1080

CASE NUMBER: 37-2022-00047634-CU-PT-CTL

TO ALL INTERESTED

PERSONS: Petitioner Christy Kha Phung on behalf of a minor filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: a. Megan Kha Phung to Mei Kha Phung.

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 01/17/2023 Time: 8:30 AM Dept. 25

Superior Court of California, County of San Diego North County Division 325 S. Melrose Drive, Suite 1000 Vista, CA 92081

A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation printed in this county.

Asian Journal: NOV 29, 2022 James E. Simmons JR. Judge of the Superior Court AJ 1081 12/02, 12/09, 12/16, and 12/23/2022

ATTACHMENT TO ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME (JC Form #NC-120) NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE.

The Court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120).

If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-100) will be granted without a hearing.

One certified copy of the Order Granting Petition will be mailed to the petitioner.

If all the requirements have not been met as of the date specified, the Court will mail the petitioner a written order with further directions.

If timely objection is filed, the Court will set a hearing date and contact the parties by mail with further directions.

A RESPONDENT OBJECTING TO THE NAME CHANGE, MUST FILE A WRITTEN OBJECTION AT LEAST TWO COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) BEFORE THE DATE SPECIFIED. Do not come to court on the specified date. The court will notify the parties by mail of a future hearing date.

Any Petition for the name change of a minor, that is signed by only one parent, must have this Attachment served along with the Petition and Order to Show Cause, on the other, non-signing parent, and proof of service must be filed with the Court.

AJSD 1081

their school to serve as varsity players in sports competitions; and for other valid reasons as approved by concerned government agencies, upon recommendation by any educational institution.

The bill, at the same time, provides several incentives for students undergoing the military and police training program.

They could be eligible, for instance, for enlistment in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and Bureau of Fire Protection “unless a waiver is issued by the Department Secretaries of the aforementioned military and civilian organizations.”

For those undergoing the training and accepted in the

Advance Military Training Course, the measure proposed free hospitalization in any government hospital in case of accident or injury during the training.

Public and private higher education and technical vocational schools are likewise mandated under the bill to provide insurance to students undergoing the military and police training.

Those who could complete the training and a four-year baccalaureate degree would be considered as First Level Civil Service Eligible while graduates of Advance Military Training Program with a fouryear baccalaureate degree would be considered a Second Level Civil Service Eligible in the Civil Service, according to the proposed law. n

LEGAL SERVICES

CASE NUMBER: 37-2022-00048678-CU-PT-CTL

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS:

Petitioner Michell Anh Nguyen filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: a. Michell Anh Nguyen to Michael Khoianh Nguyen.

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 01/19/2023 Time: 8:30 AM Dept. 61 Superior Court of California, County of San Diego 330 WEST BROADWAY DEPT. 61 San Diego, CA 92101

A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation printed in this county. Asian Journal: DEC. 06, 2022 NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT Michael T. Smyth Judge of the Superior Court AJ 1084 12/09, 12/16, 12/23, and 12/30/2022

ATTACHMENT TO ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME (JC Form #NC-120)

NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE.

The Court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120).

If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-100) will be granted without a hearing. One certified copy of the Order Granting Petition will be mailed to the petitioner.

To change a name on a legal document, including a birth certificate, social security card, drivers license, passport, and other identification, a certificate copy of Decree Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree Changing Name and Order Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC-230) may be required. Contact the agency(ies) who issues the legal document that need to be changed to determine if a certificate copy is required.

A certified copy of Decree Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree Changing Name and Order Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC-230) may be obtained form the Civil Business Office for a fee.

Petitioners who are seeking a change of name under the Safe at Home program may contact the assigned department for information on obtaining certified copies.

If all the requirements have not been met as of the date specified, the Court will mail the petitioner a written order with further directions.

If timely objection is filed, the Court will set a hearing date and contact the parties by mail with further directions.

A RESPONDENT OBJECTING TO THE NAME CHANGE, MUST FILE A WRITTEN OBJECTION AT LEAST TWO COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) BEFORE THE DATE SPECIFIED. Do not come to court on the specified date. The court will notify the parties by mail of a future hearing date.

Any Petition for the name change of a minor, that is signed by only one parent, must have this Attachment served along with the Petition and Order to Show Cause, on the other, non-signing parent, and proof of service must be filed with the Court. AJSD 1084

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

NO. 2022-9024824

The Garden State Of Mind Psychotherapy Services located at 142 Diamante Rd., San Marcos, CA 92078.

Registrant: Maria Aurora San Pedro, 142 Diamante Rd., San Marcos, CA 92078.

This business is conducted by Individual.

REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 06/23/2021.

Signature: Maria Aurora San Pedro. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/10/2022.

AJ 1078 12/02, 12/09, 12/16, and 12/23/2022. AJSD 1078

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2022-9026440

Alpha Dental located at 4276 54th Place Ste. D, San Diego, CA 92115.

Registrant: Tyler Kuwamoto DMD Inc, 5048 Merrimac Ct, San Diego, CA 92117.

This business is conducted by Corporation.

REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 09/19/2022.

Signature: Tyler Kuwamoto. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 12/06/2022.

AJ 1083 12/09, 12/16, 12/23, and 12/30/2022. AJSD 1083

LEGAL SERVICES

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT NO. 2022-9025277

Irma R Smith located at 2010 McCloud River Rd., Chula Vista, CA 91913.

Registrant: Irma Rebeca Smith, 2010 McCloud River Rd., Chula Vista, CA 91913. This business is conducted by Individual.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.

Signature: Irma R Smith. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/17/2022.

AJ 1079 12/02, 12/09, 12/16, and 12/23/2022. AJSD 1079

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2022-9026582

Strictly Maids located at 105 Fourth Ave. Apt B, Chula Vista, CA 91910.

Registrant: Teresa Godinez, 105 Fourth Ave. Apt B, Chula Vista, CA 91910.

This business is conducted by Individual.

REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 07/15/2017.

Signature: Teresa Godinez. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 12/07/2022.

AJ 1085 12/09, 12/16, 12/23, and 12/30/2022.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2022-9025997

Cherilyn V. Mallari Singing Services located at 2327 14th St., National City 91950.

Registrant: Cherilyn Diane Viloria Mallrari, 2327 14th St., National City 91950.

This business is conducted by Individual.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.

Signature: Cherilyn Diane Viloria Mallrari. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/29/2022.

FICTITIOUS

BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2022-9026049

Mahamud, Nafisa Ali Family Child Care located at 3806 Fairmount Ave. #130, San Diego, CA 92105.

Registrant: Nafisa Ali Mahamud, 3806 Fairmount Ave. #130, San Diego, CA 92105.

This business is conducted by Individual.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.

Signature: Nafisa Ali Mahamud.

Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/30/2022.

AJ 1082 12/02, 12/09, 12/16, and 12/23/2022. AJSD 1082

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2022-9026927

Kujo Eats located at 3400 E 6th Street, National City, CA 91950.

Registrant: Joel Sarandi Soriano, JR., 8852 Delrose Ave, Spring Valley, CA 91977.

This business is conducted by Individual.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.

Signature: Joel S. Soriano, JR.. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 12/13/2022.

AJ 1086 12/16/2022, 12/23/2022, 12/30/2022, and 01/06/2023. AJSD 1086

AJ 1087 12/16/2022, 12/23/2022, 12/30/2022, and 01/06/2023. AJSD 1087

AJ 1088 12/23/2022, 12/30/2022, 01/06/2023, and 01/13/2023 AJSD 1088

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

SAN DIEGO

How Jose Mari celebrates Christmas

by

EVERY time someone sings Christmas In Our Hearts, it gives wing to the song and brings the spirit of Christmas close to the heart and home, remarked Jose Mari Chan, who’s also dubbed as the “father of Philippine Christmas music.”

The veteran singer-songwriter and businessman serenaded the audience with the holiday anthem during Uniqlo’s event held recently at the Glorietta 4, Dolphin Park.

Pardon, but Xian Lim disagrees that ‘good things come to those who wait’

by Alex BrosAs Inquirer.net

ACTOR Xian Lim does not subscribe to the saying that “good things come to those who wait,” and he has a valid reason for this.

In his Instagram video posted on December 17, Lim said one’s dreams are waiting to happen but only if one acted on it.

“Good things come to those who wait— I disagree,” he said as a preliminary.

“While there is some truth to that, the best things in life do come when you least expect it. But your dreams, your goals are waiting for you — not the other way around. You have to be the one to claim your prize,” he claimed.

“So I say, let’s not be stagnant. Let’s not stay in the same place and let life pass us by. Let’s have an open mindset. Let’s grab life by the horns and steer our ship to the direction (we) want to go,” he said.

Lim further said one must not wait for opportunities to land on

his lap and instead, to “slowly pound on that marble until you see the beautiful sculpture.”

“Always be the hardest working person in the room. Be patient yet persistent enough to strive to be better every single day. No pressure. No rush. Just enjoy the process and have fun with it. A little food for thought,” he captioned his IG post.

“So I say, let’s not be stagnant. Let’s not stay in the same place and let life pass us by. Let’s have an open mindset. Let’s grab life by the horns and steer our ship to the direction (we) want to go,” he said.

Lim further said one must not wait for opportunities to land on his lap and instead, to “slowly pound on that marble until you see the beautiful sculpture.”

“Always be the hardest working person in the room. Be patient yet persistent enough to strive to be better every single day. No pressure. No rush. Just enjoy the process and have fun with it. A little food for thought,” he captioned his IG post. n

Janine gets real on holiday eating, PMS bloat

By Anne PAsAjol Inquirernet

JANINE Gutierrez politely put down a netizen who pointed out that her stomach seemed “bloated,” with the actress calmly explaining that it was due to holiday eating and premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and not because she’s eating for two.

Gutierrez was responding to a remark thrown her way by a follower on Instagram who was commenting on the picture of her in a fitting cut-out dress that she was wearing during the ABS-CBN Christmas Special 2022. In the picture, she was with her rumored boyfriend, fellow Kapamilya actor Paulo Avelino.

“[Preggy] ka ba? Bakit ang laki ng tiyan mo?” one @ ireneeee1969 asked via the comments section. (Are you pregnant? Why is your tummy big?)

“PMS bloat actually and I’ve been holiday eating since wala pang taping (I do not have tapings yet),” Gutierrez answered. “It’s okay to enjoy the off season. Diet na ulit (I will be on diet again) after Christmas.”

Gutierrez concluded her response with a wish for the netizen: “Sana masarap din kain mo this December.” (I hope

you are also eating well this December.)

On her 33th birthday last October, Gutierrez disclosed that she has no plans of settling down anytime soon, also reminding fellow women that everyone has their own timeline in life. n

“That song was composed in 1990,” he recalled the making of the enduring Filipino Christmas carol, a new version of which was recorded this year by Lea Salonga and American a cappella group Pentatonix.

“I’m so blessed that every year, year after year, young and old people alike, they sing that song and it gives meaning to (it). Every time you sing that song, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, you give wing to the song and you bring the spirit of Christmas into your heart and into your home,” he added. Known for his iconic Christmas

songs, Jose Mari would usually usher in the yuletide season by decorating and trimming the Christmas tree with his loved ones. He would spend time with his five children, in-laws and nine grandchildren.

“We will gather together, we will have food that they love and we’re gonna trim the Christmas tree. What makes the Christmas tree interesting? It’s because we have had that tree since my children were kids. And so each of them has their special décor ornaments,” he shared.

Jose Mari shared that his

children would tell him, “‘I remember this, Dad, when I was five years old.’ My grandchildren would also bring their own ornaments and say, ‘May I join the Christmas tree?’ So, it’s really the Chan family tree. That’s really putting the meaning of Christmas in context.”

During the same event, Jose Mari shared the stage with the local pop-rock band The Juans as they performed their hit songs and Uniqlo’s holiday jingle.

The band, which consists of Carl Guevarra, Japs Mendoza,

Chael Adriano and RJ Cruz, will spend Christmas with their loved ones, enjoy the traditional noche buena and exchange gifts.

Japs shared, “Kumain ng sama-sama. Mag-catch up. Kasi siyempre sobrang busy ng mga family members. Laging wala sa bahay so yun yung perfect time na mag-catch up and yes, kwentuhan with parents.”

Meron kaming ginagawa sa family, we play games. We play card games, board games. Sinisimulan namin maglaro. (We) play together,” added Carl.

The quintet from Bulacan will also attend church together on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, as they always do.

The Japanese global apparel retailer’s Christmas campaign “Celebrate Together” seems fitting for this year’s celebration, said Carl.

“I love the idea of encouraging everyone to finally celebrate together. ‘Cause during the two years of the pandemic, we were all apart. This is one thing that we always prayed for na parang I hope I get to see my cousins, yung mga malalayong kamag-anak. So, I love that

Janine Gutierrez

Photo from Instagram/@janinegutierrez

Xian Lim Inquirer.net photo

‘Father of Philippine Christmas music’ Jose Mari Chan (center) and the band The Juans ‘celebrate together’ for Uniqlo’s holiday campaign.

ChArmie joy PAgulong Philstar.com

Road repair projects underway in the City of San Diego

Slurry seal project S2124 is set to resurface streets in Balboa Park, College Area and Otay Mesa neighborhoods

SAN DIEGO – The City of San Diego continues to repair and resurface roads through its slurry seal program. Over the next few weeks, resurfacing is scheduled for streets in and around Balboa Park and North Park, along with Otay Mesa, College Area and eastern parts of the city.

Slurry seal is a cost-effective, pavement preservation method consisting of asphalt emulsion, sand and rock. This mixture is applied to the street surface at an average thickness of a quarter inch and extends the life of streets that are already in good condition. Slurry seal is often completed in phases over a period of several days or weeks. It provides a durable surface, addresses existing surface distress on streets and is a vital program in maintaining the City of San Diego’s more than 2,800 miles of roadway.

Preventing deterioration of streets is key to improving the overall condition of San Diego’s

Bivalent

BIVALENT COVID-19 vaccination boosters are now approved and available in San Diego County for children as young as six months of age. The County Health and Human Services Agency is urging parents to protect their children, and themselves, by getting vaccinated with the new booster.

The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded the emergency use of the updated Pfizer and Moderna bivalent booster vaccines for children as young as six months. The FDA previously expanded availability to include 5- to 11-year-olds in October. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and California Department of Public Health quickly recommended vaccinations for young children after the FDA approval.

“We can now provide additional protection for children as young as six months of age from COVID-19,” said County Public Health Officer Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H. “This is especially important with the high incidence of COVID-19 in our community. Please take advantage and have your children vaccinated to protect them and the rest of your family.”

County residents continue to deal with a triple threat of respiratory diseases this winter season, from COVID-19 to the flu to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Public Health officials still strongly urge people to get vaccinated for both COVID-19 and the flu.

The bivalent COVID-19 booster and flu vaccinations are separate shots, but they can be given at the same visit. They effectively decrease the chances of getting infected, being hospitalized, or dying from the separate viruses that each vaccine targets. Boosters are available through healthcare providers and at participating pharmacies. Parents can visit the state’s My Turn website to schedule an appointment.

County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency began offering boosters for children as early as six months

network of streets and reduces the need for more costly asphalt overlay and reconstruction required for badly deteriorated streets.

Streets are selected for resurfacing through a pavement management system that helps the city determine when to schedule streets for resurfacing. Each street segment is assigned an Overall Condition Index (OCI) based on the pavement’s roughness and cracks.

To prioritize street paving, the OCI is used in conjunction with other factors, such as traffic volume, road type, maintenance history, other construction projects, and available funding.

Repairs are often grouped within a neighborhood to include streets that are similar condition or performed after other projects, such as pipeline replacement.

View a map of street repair in your neighborhood by visiting streets.sandiego.gov.

(City of San Diego Release) n

boosters

older

age on Thursday, December

15. Booster dose availability is listed on the County’s COVID-19 vaccinations schedule webpage (https://www.sandiegocounty. gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/ phs/community_epidemiology/ dc/2019-nCoV/vaccines/COVID19-VaxEvents/VaccinationsSchedule.html).

The updated boosters were designed to protect individuals from the worst outcomes of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death. Everyone six months of age and older who has had their primary vaccination series is eligible to get the updated booster two months following any COVID vaccine or booster dose.

County officials also recommend wearing a mask if you are able, particularly during indoor public gatherings, to protect yourself and those around you.

In addition to vaccination and masking, San Diegans can take a number of other precautions to protect themselves against COVID-19, as well as seasonal illnesses like the flu. These measures include:

• Cleaning hands thoroughly and often;

• Staying away from sick people;

• Staying home and avoiding contact with others when sick;

• Home testing when exposed or when ill; Regularly cleaning commonly touched surfaces.

Federal government makes free at-home tests available again

The White House has moved to make free at-home COVID-19 tests available again through the winter for a limited time.

Households can order one pack of four free tests through the U.S. Postal Service. For more information about testing, go to the County of San Diego COVID-19 testing webpage.

COVID-19 vaccination progress

• Close to 2.69 million or 80.4% of San Diegans received the primary series of one of the approved COVID-19 vaccines.

• Bivalent boosters administered: 474,245 or 19% of 2,494,254 eligible San Diegans.

More vaccination information can be found at coronavirus-sd. com/vaccine.

More information

Data updates to the County’s coronavirus-sd.com website will be published Thursdays around 5 p.m., with the exception of holidays. More information about the flu is available on the County’s influenza website (https://www.sandiegocounty. gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/ phs/immunization_branch/ Vaccine_Preventable_Diseases/ Seasonal_Influenza/).

(Gig Conaughton/County of San Diego Communications Office) n

City of San Diego’s Storefront Improvement Program aims to help revitalize small businesses

Thousands of dollars available to improve curb appeal for businesses seeking a face lift

SAN DIEGO – Small business owners who are looking for a way to refresh their business might have a solution with the City of San Diego’s Storefront Improvement Program which offers free professional design and financial assistance to improve the curb appeal of local storefronts.

To qualify, businesses must be located in the City of San Diego and have a valid business tax certificate. Applicants also must be a commercial occupant of the property and have a street-level and street-facing property. The program is open to businesses that employ 25 or fewer people.

“The Storefront Improvement

Program is one of the most effective and straightforward ways the city can help small businesses, by putting improvement dollars back in the hands of the owner,” said Christina Bibler, Director of the City’s Economic Development Department. “It was created specifically to help offset the cost of making businesses look nicer and has resulted in transformative results for over a hundred small businesses throughout the past decade.”

The program offers 10 hours of design time with a licensed professional and reimbursement of half the project cost up to $8,000. If businesses are

located in the SD Promise Zone, a federally designated area, they could qualify for a 30% increase of $10,400 in project costs.

Applicants must identify what improvements they’d like to make, goals the improvements will achieve and how much they’d like to spend on the project. Each applicant must also include two high-resolution photos of the current look of the building with their completed applications.

To apply, business owners may visit sandiego.gov/economicdevelopment/business/starting/ improvement.

(City of San Diego Release) n

Want to buy now but pay later? Read this first

PLANNING to buy things like new clothes or electronics for the holidays, but want to pay later? Some businesses offer “buy now, pay later” plans, which let you get your purchase right away and pay for it over a few weeks or months, sometimes without paying interest. Here’s what to know before you decide if a buy now, pay later plan is right for you now — and later.

Buy now, pay later plans might charge you low or no interest, and offer you a way to pay without using a credit or debit card. But that doesn’t mean the plans are risk-free. Many plans charge high late fees, per-transaction fees, or change fees, among others. When you use a buy now, pay later plan, you might not have the same protections you would if you paid with a credit or debit card. For example, the credit card protections for disputing a payment may not apply. Also, some plan providers may report your payment history to the three

nationwide credit bureaus, so if you pay late or miss a payment, it could hurt your credit score.

Before you use a buy now, pay later plan to buy your holiday gifts, know what you’re getting:

• Know the costs. Are there interest charges or fees? Will the plan provider report your payments to the credit bureaus?

• Check the reviews. See what others have to say, especially about disputing charges or making returns.

• Understand the risks. What

happens if you miss a payment?

• Prepare for a credit check. Some plan providers require a credit check before you use a plan. To check your credit, order your free credit report at AnnualCreditReport. com or call 877-322-8228.

If you have a bad experience with a business when you’re buying now and paying later, tell the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

(Andrew Rayo/Consumer Education Specialist, FTC) n

RFLF gives $5M grant to Barack Obama Foundation

THE Reginald F. Lewis Foundation (RFLF), one of the oldest African American and Asian private foundations in the world, is pleased to announce a milestone $5 million grant to the Barack Obama Foundation (https://www.obama.org) to support their mission to inspire, empower, and connect the next generation of leaders.

The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation’s grant will go toward supporting the Obama Foundation’s general operations and impact work, including support for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, and other national and global programs like the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, which addresses persistent opportunity gaps boys and young men of color face in society and the workforce, and the Girls Opportunity Alliance, an international initiative that seeks to empower adolescent girls around the world through education, enabling them to achieve their full potential and transform their families, communities, and countries.

“It is an honor to contribute to President Obama’s ongoing work to educate and empower young people to become leaders in their communities and around the world,” said Loida Lewis, Chair of The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation and widow to the late entrepreneur Reginald Lewis. “I know President Obama attended a speech Mr. Lewis gave at Harvard Law School while the President was there studying for his law degree. Both Mr. Lewis and the President show how education helps exceptional people break barriers and accomplish wonderful things, and I know, if he was still here, Mr. Lewis would be proud to help President Obama carry his work and legacy forward.”

“We are incredibly grateful for the generous support from The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation. It’s through vital partnerships like this that we are able to build sustainable programming at the Obama Foundation centered around supporting boys and young men of color and girls all over the

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 1-800-2320233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) 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 in-network 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-the-Counter 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) n

In partnership with the Obama Foundation, a room at the future Obama Presidential Center will be named in memory of Mr. Lewis, with the hope of continuing to preserve his ongoing legacy and inspire others for years to come. Mr. Lewis, a pioneering financier, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, has been selected by President Obama as an honoree alongside other influential figures “on whose shoulders we stand” and whose significant contributions to society advanced justice and equality in America.

The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation and the Obama Foundation are excited to continue working together in the pursuit of education, cultural enrichment, and positive change.

(RFLF Release) n

Uniqlo is echoing that anthem to everybody and now is the perfect time to celebrate together. And we are just glad to be a part of that,” he noted.

“Two years ago, when we were celebrating Christmas in pandemic, this is one thing that we always wanted to do

— to encourage everybody to celebrate Christmas. This time, it’s worth-celebrating and we are glad to be at the forefront of this,” he furthered.

Uniqlo Philippines chief operating officer Geraldine Sia, meanwhile, stated, “One of the most enduring Christmas traditions in the Philippines

is gift-giving. It is the perfect way to show our love and care for each other. When we give to each other, we celebrate togetherness this holiday season. We hope that our special offers, promotions, and events in the coming weeks can add more warmth and comfort to everyone’s lives.” n

world through education,” said Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett.

Loida Lewis, Chair of The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation File photo/www.inquirer.net

Jose

Photo

Pahrump housing market remains somewhat competitive

WITH mortgage costs impacted due to the Federal Reserve increasing interest rates as it tries to curb signs of inflation for the United States economy, the once very hot real estate market has cooled considerably.

Homes and real estate in competitive real estate markets around the U.S. that were being lapped up by buyers in the past couple of years in a matter of days or weeks, with some diving head-on into waitlists in order to be considered, are now staying in the market for a month or two, or even longer.

This has created a wonderful opportunity for serious home buyers who are looking for affordable homes/real estate, including in the developing town of Pahrump.

Originally inhabited by the Southern Pauite tribe, this unincorporated town that lies adjacent to the California-Nevada border has seen its population rise through the decades. It now has an estimated population of 44,738 per the 2020 U.S. Census.

While known for its casino resorts, legal brothels and its wineries, it is a destination for outdoor enthusiasts, with its proximity to Death Valley National Park and different mountain ranges. It is home to the 332-acre Spring Mountain Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club, which houses the longest road course in North America. Spring Mountain is a state-of-the-art racing facility and motorsports club, which is a destination for many racecar enthusiasts who want to attend the many driving schools located in Spring Mountain, and who want to drive in its challenging racetrack, which

can be sized into different variations.

Pahrump is also home to Mountain Falls Golf

which is a course designed by famed architecture firms Nicklaus Design Group and Cal Olson Design. It is a favorite among golf enthusiasts as its course, while challenging, is a visual feast for the eyes.

Describing Pahrump and what you can do in town, Redfin says, “There are many cool ways to spend your time in Pahrump, NV from enjoying local art, dining at some of the best restaurants in town, or spending time at a park. While living in Pahrump, make sure to stop by some of the museums like Pahrump Valley Museum and Yucca Mountain Science Center. The city is also known for its parks and green spaces like Discovery Park, Ian Deutch Memorial Park, Devil’s Hole National Park, just to name a few. There are a variety of diverse eateries and restaurants that appeal to every palette in the city…”

According to Redfin, the median price for homes in the town is about $365,000 as of November 2022, while townhouses have a median sale price of $165,000. For those who cannot afford to buy a home as of yet, apartments for rent in the area are available, with 2-bedroom, 2-bath units costing as low as $1,050 a month, and 3-bedroom 2-bath units priced at $1,525 per month.

The median sales price of $365,000 for homes in Pahrump is about 6% higher when compared to the previous year. Depending on the type of home and the area where it is located, a house in the market can be sold in as little as 25 days (for “hot” homes). The median days for homes in the market is around 74 days.

Consider this: The median home price in the State of Nevada was $20,700 in 1940. That median price became $136,000 in 1980 and increased to $142,000 in 2000. In 2021 the median price for homes in the Silver State exploded to $420,000, with previously owned single-family homes priced in the $350,000 range in 2020.

Pahrump continues to be one of those real estate markets searched by individuals and families nationally. Per net flow search (those searching to move into Pahrump minus the number of people searching to move out) statistics offered by Redfin, Los Angeles (5,502), Salt Lake City (2,216) and San Francisco (2,187) are the top three cities whose people have searched for possibilities to move into town.

Other areas in the top eight whose residents have searched moving into town include Seattle, Washington (DC), San Diego, Chicago and Honolulu.

The town, which is located in the southernmost tip of Nye County, still exudes a small-town feel, as opposed to its big sister Las Vegas, which is about 62 miles away. You can say that those living in Pahrump can have the best of both worlds as they get to experience living in a quiet, peaceful town, but are able to dive into the big city lights and entertainment of Las Vegas when they want to as Sin City is an easy drive from Pahrump.

Many national brands and emerging companies are finding a home in Pahrump.

Big companies and franchises like The Home

Depot, Burger King, Chevron, Coyote Corner, CVS Pharmacy, Domino’s, Davita, Enterprise, Family Dollar, US Bank, Bank of America, Taco Bell and Supercuts have established operations, along with hundreds of businesses that cater to the needs of the diversified, growing population of the town.

With affordability and location as the biggest drivers in any real estate purchase, Pahrump presents a good opportunity for those looking at the market, especially for those who can afford to buy right now.n Traditionally, real estate has always been a solid investment for those looking to grow their portfolios – while there are highs and lows, those who invest early tend to come out winning in the end, as real estate prices continue moving upward.

I have helped many clients look for their piece

of real estate heaven in Pahrump (and in Las Vegas as well). I have decades of experience in assisting my clients find their American Dream, property-wise – one that fits their budgets and needs. Many of my clients have even become repeat buyers and investors, with some now reaping the benefits of their real estate investments via rentals or through Airbnb.

My company, Precious Properties, is a fullservice company that has served its clientele since 1992. You can reach me at 775-513-8447, 805-559-2476 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)

A more than 8-acre parcel of land, which is part of a 29-acre piece of land, near Blagg Road and Basin Avenue has been proposed to be zoned from commercial to village residential recently. The project under the Home Means Nevada Initiative would bring about 140 units of affordable housing to Pahrump, with unit prices ranging from $435 to $1300 per a news report recently on KPVM. Photo above shows part of the plans submitted to the Nye County Commission. Screen capture from web

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman’s (extreme left) clients from Palm Springs, CA, Clark and Angelica Games, bought another lot in Pahrump.

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman is in photo with Alliance Concierge Banker Keith Saunders, who is visiting Pahrump on the possibility of funding the glove factory in the town.

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@ precious-properties.com or fely.precious@gmail.com.

By RealtoR Fely Quitevis-Bateman

Club,