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DECEMBER 24-30, 2021 Volume 15 - No.7 • 16 Pages

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DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

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

Duterte declares state of calamity in areas affected by ‘Odette’

by DANIZA

FERNANDEZ

Inquirer.net

Commander Donald Graham has been promoted to deputy chief of the Los Angeles Police Department.

AJPress file photo by Noel Ty

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, December 21, declared a state of calamity in areas affected by Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai).

The regions under state of calamity

are Regions 4B (Mimaropa – Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), 6 (Western Visayas), 7 (Central Visayas), 8 (Eastern Visayas), 10 (Northern Mindanao), and 13 (Caraga).

“The declaration of the state of calamity will hasten the rescue and relief and rehabilitation efforts of the government and

the private sector,” Duterte said during his Talk to the People.

“This will also be an effective mechanism to control the prices of goods and commodities in the areas,” he added.

According to the president, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

u PAGE 4

PNP: ‘Odette’ death toll hits 375 with 56 still missing

Fil-Am named deputy chief of Los Angeles Police Department

THE Los Angeles Police Department will have its first Filipino American deputy chief in its 152-year history.

Commander Donald Graham becomes the first person of Filipino descent to hold such a position, following an announcement from Chief Michel Moore made public on December 17.

The announcement did not specify when the promotion takes effect.

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MANILA — The death toll of Super Typhoon Odette (international name Rai) has climbed to 375 according to the Philippine National Police’s monitoring across six of its regional offices, it disclosed on Tuesday, December 21.

The regional police office in Central Visayas recorded the highest number of deaths with 170 casualties in the region. Police Col. Rhoderick Alba, PNP spokesperson, was careful to point out that the fatality figures are still up for validation.

As of Tuesday midnight, 56 remain missing while 515 have been listed as injured in the af-

u PAGE 4 PAL: Returning Filipinos might cancel PH Consulate transitions 3 Fil-Ams among commissioners to trips going home due to a new online passport Biden’s advisory commission on AANHPIs scheduling system to PH arrival cap

by AJP DEVASTATED. This aerial handout photo from the Philippine Army on Saturday, December 18 shows destroyed houses caused by Super Typhoon Rai after the storm crossed over General Luna, Siargao Island.

Photos courtesy of the Armed Forces of the Philippines

PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) started to cancel international flights after plans to lift the government’s daily cap of 4,000 overseas arrivals had stalled.

The flag carrier warned in a statement that arrival restrictions would “end up preventing thousands of overseas Filipinos from returning home.”

Thus far, PAL announced the cancellation from Manila-Singapore flight PR507/508 on Dec. 21. On Dec. 19, it rescheduled a

u PAGE 2

THE Philippine Consulate General in New York is currently preparing to transition to a new system that would allow them to improve the delivery of passport services.

By January 3, 2022, the Consulate would be shifting from the current Qless Appointment Scheduling platform that they have been

using to the Global Online Appointment System (GOAS) that will be implemented by all Philippine foreign service posts abroad, according to a statement issued on their Facebook page.

Under the Qless system, members of the consular staff would have to manually enter the personal information of

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RESS

PRESIDENT Joe Biden on Monday, December 20 announced his intent to appoint three Filipino American leaders to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

Amy Agbayani, Teresita Batayola, and Luisa Blue are among the 23 community leaders

who will be appointed to serve on the commission, the White House announced on Monday.

Agbayani is an Emeritus Assistant Vice Chancellor for student diversity and equity, University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Agbayani was born in the Philippines and received her education from the University of the Philippines, East West Center and the University of Hawai’i. She is a former chair of the Hawai’i Civil

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‘This is a new era’: Bongbong Philippine Airlines wins US court approval of recovery plan Marcos will be a ‘unifying’

PhILIPPInE Airlines, Inc. (PAL) announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of new York has approved its Plan of Reorganization (the “Plan”).

PAL filed a voluntary petition on September 3, 2021 for a prearranged restructuring under the U.S. Chapter 11 process, and has received overwhelming creditor support throughout the process.

“Today’s court approval represents a critical moment in our journey to emerge as a stronger airline. We are thankful for our loyal customers, dedicated employees, and the support of our shareholders and partners and government, which has enabled us to move efficiently through the process and reach this milestone,” said Gilbert F. Santa Maria, PAL President & Chief Operating Officer in a statement on Friday, December 17. “We have a few more procedural steps to take before we can

president, says sister Imee

by Neil

Inquirer.net file photo

complete the Chapter 11 process, after which we will focus intensely on serving the public, navigating the continuing challenges of the pandemic and economic recovery, and sustaining the links that connect our archipelago.”

The consensual Plan was accepted by 100% of the votes cast, which were from PAL’s primary aircraft lessors and lenders, original equipment manufacturers and maintenance, repair, and

overhaul service providers, and certain funded debt lenders. The Plan provides for over US$2.0 billion in permanent balance sheet reductions from existing creditors, allows PAL to consensually contract fleet capacity by 25%, improves PAL’s critical operational agreements and includes US$505 million investment in long-term equity and debt financing from PAL’s majority shareholder.

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ArwiN MercAdo Inquirer.net

MAnILA — Senator Imee Marcos on Tuesday said that her brother, presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. would be a “unifying” president if he wins the 2022 elections.

Speaking in an interview with ABS-CBn news Channel, the senator was asked if his brother planned to have a dialogue with critics to address the “open wounds” of critics of their late patriarch, as well as the victims of the martial law era, once he got elected president, but she once again referred to how much time have lapsed since their father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. had declared martial law, a grim period in history deemed by critics as rife with human rights violations and killings, and widespread corruption.

“I can’t speak for my brother but the truth is, so much time has passed. At

Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

the end of the day, history will judge us and this is a new era,” Marcos said.

“And the only way to fight the pandemic, to fight climate change, and to finally see economic and social development in the Philippines is really to unify. So, as trite as that may sound, I think that’s what my brother’s answer would be,” the senator added.

Critics have hit Marcos Jr.’s presidential bid, stemming from his family’s re-

Inquirer file photo

fusal to acknowledge and apologize for human rights violations committed during his father’s regime.

Martial law victims and several groups have asked the Commission on Elections to disqualify Marcos Jr. from the presidential race, citing his criminal conviction in a tax case 26 years ago.

The Comelec Second Division, however, has denied one of the petitions seeking to declare Marcos Jr. a nuisance candidate. n

ALERT LEVEL. Secretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr. (right), National Task Force against Covid-19 Chief Implementer, reminds the public not to put their guard down though COVID-19 cases are going down during the press conference of the Bayanihan Bakunahan 2 at the SM City in Tatay, Rizal on Monday, December 20. Galvez said Metro Manila will remain under Alert Level 2 for the rest of the year despite the detection of a third Omicron variant case in the country.

PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.

Duterte declares state of calamity in...

PAGE 1 Council came out with a resolution recommending the declaration of state of calamity in affected areas, which he signed during his address to the nation.

During the same meeting, Office of the Civil Defense administrator Ricardo Jalad reported that 156 individuals were killed by Odette while 37 others are missing. n

Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) leaves devastation in Palawan province.

Photo from Jenny Macatiag

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From the Front Page

Philippines logs 3rd case of Omicron variant

by Gaea

Katreena CabiCo

Philstar.com

MANILA — The Philippines has recorded its third case of the Omicron variant—a Filipino who returned from Qatar last month.

The 36-year-old male overseas Filipino worker arrived at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport via Qatar Airways 924 on No-

vember 28, Department of Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Monday. The patient had travel history to Egypt.

According to Vergeire, the patient underwent isolation in Cebu until December 16 after testing positive for COVID-19 on December 5.

The patient, who is asymptomatic, is now undergoing home quarantine in Cavite.

The results of the latest

batch of genome sequencing were released on Saturday. The patient was tested again on Sunday and his test yielded a negative result.

“The case is currently finishing his home quarantine in Cavite and has remained to be asymptomatic since arrival,” Vergeire said.

Authorities identified three close contacts of the individual. Vergeire said all

underwent home quarantine and tested negative for COVID-19.

Last week, health authorities detected the country’s first two cases of the heavily-mutated Omicron variant, which has been classified as being “of concern” by the World Health Organization.

Early studies suggest that Omicron is more transmissible than the Delta variant.

PAL: Returning Filipinos might cancel trips going...

PAGE 1 Manila-Damman flight to the following day to meet the daily cap at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

“We seek the public’s understanding over this unfortunate situation. We are a vital air bridge to bring families together, and we try to do all we can to fly our countrymen home, hence the flights we had arranged to serve their urgent travel needs,” Dexter C. Lee, PAL senior vice president and chief strategy and planning officer, said in a statement.

“However, we have to abide by the latest limits and we regret that this will prevent us from serving many travelers,” he added.

Carriers, including PAL, were banking on the doubling of the daily cap to 10,000 passengers to allow them to serve strong demand during the busy Christmas holidays. After the Omicron

Inquirer.net file photo

coronavirus variant was detected overseas, the plan was put on hold.

In its statement, PAL continued to urge the government to raise the limit on international arrivals.

PAL’s share amounted to a fourth of the daily cap—or 1,200 passengers per day— to cover flights from at least 22 cities in the Middle East, North America, Asia and

Australia.

“We maintain our appeal to allow more arrivals to address the crying need to bring our compatriots home at this special time of the year,” Lee said.” We will do all we can to work with the government authorities, including assistance with quarantine hotel bookings, to achieve this.”

“Indeed, we are very

grateful for the support that our government has extended in recent weeks, and we have made full use of alternate gateways in Subic, Davao, Cebu and Bohol to cater to the peak season arrivals,” Lee added.

The flag carrier earlier appealed for a higher cap to accommodate the thousands of returning Filipinos. It also provided assurances that all OFWs would have prearranged hotel bookings above those set by the Overseas Welfare Workers’ Administration.

“The flag carrier is left with no choice but to cancel certain flights to comply with the stricter limits on certain days. An unplanned shortage in quarantine hotel rooms allotted for OFWs has limited the ability of OWWA to absorb arrivals from OFW-heavy countries,” PAL said. (by Miguel R. Camus/ Inquirer.net) n

PNP: ‘Odette’ death toll hits 375 with 56 still...

PAGE 1 termath of the most destructive typhoon to hit the country after Yolanda in 2013.

The PNP’s National Disaster Operations Center said 4,980 people had to be rescued by local police, with over 4,000 of them coming from the Mimaropa region.

Some 99,568 individuals are also still seeking shelter in evacuation centers, the PNP’s tally showed.

It also recorded an estimated P81.2 million in damage to houses and infrastructure in Northern Mindanao.

In the entire country, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported Monday that 5,391.77 hectares of agriculture were damaged

SIGNAL LOSS .The Surigao Airport remains shut to commercial operations due to telecommunication signal loss, but is open to government, cargo and humanitarian flights.

Inquirer.net photo by Germelina Lacorte

by the typhoon, which also damaged 3,803 houses.

The typhoon also caused power outages and interruptions in 227 cities and municipalities in the Mimaropa region, in the Visayas, and in Northern Mindanao, the Davao region, CARAGA

and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The PNP has since mobilized its ground personnel to assist in rescue and relief operations. It noted that many national highways and connecting roads have been

rendered impassable due to the fallen trees and toppled posts.

A total of 5,837 personnel have been deployed, with the Reactionary Standby Support Force focused on Relief, Search and Rescue Operations. (Philstar.com) n

VEGGIES, ANYONE? An elderly woman arranges her freshly-harvested vegetables at her stall in Rizal, Laguna on Sunday, December. 19. The country’s inflation or the rate of increase in consumer prices dropped for three consecutive months in November at 4.2 percent, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

Fil-Am named deputy...

PAGE 1 A member of the LAPD for over two decades, Graham made history in 2019 when he was named a commander of the department, focused on leading the Transit Services Division and as the Homeless Coordinator under the Office of Operations.

In 1984, Graham was a teenager when his mother Amalia moved him and his two siblings from Bayonne, New Jersey to Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. She raised the children as a single mother, while working as a nurse, as previously reported by the Asian Journal.

As a student at Los Angeles Valley College, Graham worked part-time at the campus police department and met retired LAPD officers who encouraged him to explore a law enforcement career.

He applied and was accepted into the LAPD Academy, where he graduated from in the fall of 1995. He completed his probation in the Pacific Division, before being assigned to the Devonshire station, which covers Canoga Park, Chatsworth, Granada Hills, Northridge, North Hills, Porter Ranch, West Hills and Winnetka.

“I thought I was going to do this for about 10 years…take my pension and then walk away,” Graham told the Asian Journal in a 2019 interview. “But like any corny story, you fall in love and I fell in love with doing this job.”

Graham spent nine years as an officer in the Devonshire territory before being promoted to sergeant in the Southeast Division in 2006, sergeant II as a commander’s aide in the office of operations two years later, and then lieutenant in 2012 in the West Valley Patrol Division.

The Fil-Am officer rose the ranks from captain to area commanding officer in North Hollywood before rising to commander in 2019.

“As a Filipino American, as a New Jersey American, I can’t imagine having done anything else with…my life. This is the most incredible job, not just because it’s different every day, not just because there’s this visceral idea that people who prey on other people are the people who are afraid of us. Trust me, it’s a visceral feeling. But really what is the key to this job is how many people who have come back and have said ‘thank you,’” Graham said in a previous interview. (AJPress) n

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OPINION

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FEATURES

An industry in the ICU BUSINESSES are coming back to life as pandemic restrictions are eased. One industry, however, has been in the intensive care unit even before COVID struck: the fireworks manufacturers and dealers, based mostly in Bulacan. The government must decide whether it wants to get the industry out of the ICU or just have it incinerated for good.

As part of efforts to make the New Year revelry safe, the government has discouraged the use of firecrackers, imposing a ban on potentially deadly products and tightening regulation of the manufacture, distribution and sale. From Dec. 21, 2020 to Jan. 1, 2021, the fireworks-related injuries were down 85 percent from the previous year, from 340 cases to just 49, with no cases of fireworks ingestion or death.

The industry, however, blames injuries and deaths on substandard or unsafe products churned out by unlicensed operators. At stake, according to industry players, are the livelihoods of an estimated 200,000 people not only in Bulacan but also in other areas where fireworks are made or distributed.

Industry players have lamented that law enforcers and consumers alike have been confused by the passage of Republic Act

7183 in 1992 and the release of Executive Order 28 in 2017 by President Duterte.

RA 7183 and the EO regulate the manufacture, sale and use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices, but some people erroneously think the law and EO have banned the products altogether.

Industry players also lament the proliferation of mom-and-pop backyard enterprises that produce firecrackers in dangerous environments, with some employing even minors. The result is the proliferation of substandard or unsafe products. RA 7183 seeks to impose quality controls on the industry, but unlicensed operators continue to undermine the law.

Even before the sale and use of fireworks were tightened, poor quality control had made the industry suffer from imported competition. The flood of imports prompted

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

calls for the industry to develop export-quality products. Around the world, firecrackers and other pyrotechnics continue to be widely used during celebrations.

As another New Year in the time of COVID approaches, the beleaguered fireworks industry will be meeting with authorities to

discuss the proper implementation of the law and EO. At the same time, the government must decide whether it should provide assistance to an industry in the development of products that are not only safe to use in the country but also of such quality that they can compete with the world’s best. (Philstar.com)

Christmas – a new journey of optimism and hope As A Matter of Fact SARA SOLIVEN DE GUZMAN JUST as we were about to begin our nine-day Advent novena prayer (or Simbang Gabi) last week, Super Typhoon Odette hit the Visayas

and Mindanao islands with strong winds, heavy rainfall and storm surges that destroyed homes, uprooted trees and toppled power lines.

Super Typhoon Odette, equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane, is the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year. It made landfall nine times, causing massive floods in: (1) Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte; (2) Cagdianao, Dinagat Islands; (3) Liloan,

Southern Leyte; (4) Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte; (5) President Carlos P. Garcia, Bohol; (6) Bien Unido, Bohol; (7) Carcar, Cebu; (8) La Libertad, Negros Occidental; (9) Roxas, Palawan.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) initially reported that millions of households were affected,

over 330,000 people were evacuated. The typhoon left over 63 cities and municipalities without electricity, affected 73 seaports and had over 160 domestic and international flights cancelled.

Typhoon Odette exited the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) at 12:40 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 18. According to initial reports from the local government units, the PAGE 10

AJPress photo by Kendrick Tan

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Dateline PCoronary hiliPPines heart diseases

still top cause of death in PH; COVID-19 climbs up to 4th spot

by Gabriel

U.S. Embassy in the Philippines Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Heather Variava joins National Task Force Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. and other representatives at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to welcome the December 20 arrival of the shipment of 1,776,060 Pfizer vaccine doses.

Released / US Embassy in the Philippines

3.4 million Pfizer shots donated

by US arrive in the Philippines

MANILA — The U.S., in partnership with the COVAX Facility, this week donated an additional 3.4 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to the Philippines.

The vaccines are part of the 500 million Pfizer doses donated by the U.S. to the world through COVAX, a global ini-

tiative to support equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

The first shipment of 1.78 million doses arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Monday, December 20 and was received by vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., U.S. Embassy in the Philippines Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Heather Variava, and other

representatives. Another 1.62 million doses were delivered on December 21.

The 3.4 million doses are the largest single donation of the Pfizer vaccine to the Philippines from the 500 million made available by the U.S., a longtime ally and former colonizer of Manila.

PAGE 10

Pabico lalu

Inquirer.net

MANILA — Despite two surges of the COVID-19 pandemic battering the Philippines, coronary heart disease remains the top leading cause of death among Filipinos from January 2021 to September 2021, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

However, the same PSA data dated Saturday, December 18, also showed that deaths ascertained to be caused by COVID-19 went up from just 16th in 2020 to fourth, while unidentified but COVID-19 related deaths are at the eighth spot.

Deaths confirmed to be due to COVID-19 accounted for 34,361 or 7.0 percent — a 468.7 percent jump compared to 2020’s 6,042 deaths or 1.3 percent.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 related deaths with the virus unconfirmed were the seventhhighest causes of deaths at 16,397 or 3.3

percent — also a slight 1.1 percent jump from 2020 numbers which was at 16,219 or 3.6 percent.

According to PSA, after coronary heart diseases which accounted for 91,152 or 18.5 percent of the deaths recorded, cerebrovascular diseases (49,063 or 9.9 percent) came next, followed by neoplasms or cancers (42,633 or 8.6 percent).

Deaths due to coronary heart diseases also increased by 18.7 percent compared to figures in 2020, during the same time frame.

Also, cerebrovascular diseases are now at second, increasing from the previous third ranking.

“The top three causes of death in the country from January to September of 2021 were ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, and neoplasms. Incidentally, these were also the leading causes of death in the same period in 2020 with some deviations in the ranking,” PSA said in the report.

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3 Fil-Ams among commissioners to...

CALABARZON BECKONS. Quezon Province joins the launch of the Green Corridor Initiative at Lima Park Hotel in Malvar, Batangas on Saturday, December 18. The program links top visitor-ready destinations in the Calabarzon Region (4-A) - +Cavite (Tagaytay City, Silang, Alfonso, Maragondon), Laguna (San Pablo, Nagcarlan, Liliw), Batangas (Nasugbu, Calatagan, Taal, San Juan), Rizal (Antipolo, Angono, Taytay, Cainta), and Quezon (Real, Infanta, General Nakar).

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

Odette hammers Pag-asa Island, destroys PCG station

by Frances

Mangosing

Inquirer.net

MANILA — Pag-asa (Thitu) Island, the only Philippine-controlled outpost in the municipality of Kalayaan in the West Philippine Sea with civilian inhabitants, was not spared from the wrath of Super Typhoon Odette (Rai).

The Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) was placed under Signal No. 3 early Saturday, December 18, hours before Odette left the Philippine area of responsibility.

The Philippines occupies nine military detachments around the KIG, including Pagasa, as well as BRP Sierra Madre, a rusty World War-2 landing ship tank intentionally run aground in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.

“All our stations in the WPS/ KIG are in good condition. Only Pag-asa suffered slight damage,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told Inquirer.net.

Photos taken by a Pag-asa resident showed destruction on Pag-asa Elementary School and surrounding areas. Around 20 students are enrolled in the school.

Some residents were evacuated from their homes, said the resident. There are around 200 people living on the island.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) station

on the island was also “washed out.”

Commodore Armand Balilo, PCG spokesperson, said the Coast Guard station on Pag-Asa Island reported being totally washed out. “That station had just been built in Kalayaan. Nothing was left,” Balilo told ANC in Filipino.

“If the coast guard station in Kalayaan in Pag-asa was destroyed, how much more the other stations there?” Balilo said. “There are houses there, too, and schools,” he said.

Balilo said there was a need to rebuild structures that had been destroyed on Pagasa because it was a symbol of the country’s exercise of sovereignty.

The PCG recently inaugurated its new station on Pag-asa, a four-unit structure made of pre-fabricated shipping containers.

Pag-asa, the biggest and most strategically important Philippine outpost in the Kalayaan Island Group, is 400 kilometers from mainland Palawan province.

Odette also pummeled Palawan province on Friday (Dec. 17) and made its ninth landfall in Roxas town after leaving widespread devastation in Visayas and Mindanao.

The extent of damage from Odette in Palawan is still unclear but photos and videos from residents have emerged on social media. n

PAGE 1 Rights Commission, conducts research on AANHPI in higher education, member of the Patsy T.Mink PAC and The Legal Clinic for immigrant justice Hawai’i.

Batayola is the President and Chief Executive Officer of International Community Health Services, Washington state’s largest Asian and Pacific Islander non-profit health center providing comprehensive health care to all those who need affordable care, especially immigrants and refugees. Batayola is anadvocate for health care access, equity, and addressing social determinants of health. ICHS has received awards for its high quality of care and Batayola has been recognized in the Puget Sound Business Journal’s Award for Outstanding Business & Philanthropic Contributions, Woman of Courage Undaunted from the University of Washington Women’s Center, and the Filipino Women’s Network’s Most Influential Filipino Woman in the World.

Blue retired from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in August 2020 after serving as an Executive Vice President for four years, one of the highest ranking AAPI officials in the labor movement. During her term was responsible for the SEIU Asian Pacific Islanders Civic Engagement and Leadership program, a member of the Racial Justice Task Force, chair of the Environmental and Climate Justice Committee, and chair of the Ethical Culture Committee. She served on the SEIU Executive Board prior to her election as Executive Vice President. Luisa continues to be active in the community and serves on the Asian Health Services Community Board, a Trustee on Alameda County Health Systems Board of Trustees, and Vice President of the

AAPI Victory Alliance Board. Luisa is the proud grandmother of seven grandchildren.

The Commission will advise the president on ways the public, private, and non-profit sectors can work together to advance equity and opportunity for every Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community. The Commission is also charged with advising the president on policies to address anti-Asian xenophobia and violence, ways to build capacity in AANHPI communities through federal grantmaking and policies to address the intersectional barriers that AANHPI women, LGBTQ+ people, and people with disabilities face. The Commission will include civic leaders from across the country and will reflect the rich diversity of AANHPI communities across the United States.

Other commissioners include Ajay Bhutoria, Kimberly Chang, Emily Chen, Daniel Dae Kim, Kerry Doi, Grace Huang, Victoria Huynh, Mia Ives-Rublee, Kamal Kalsi, Michelle Kauhane, Kevin Kim, Sarah Min, Simon Pang, Ai-jen Poo, Naheed Qureshi, Raynald Samoa, Sonal Shah, Smita Shah, Robert Underwood, and KaYing Yang.

Biden on May 28 signed Executive Order 14031, “Advancing Equity, Justice, and Opportunity for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders” to establish the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) and deliver on his commitment to reinstate and reinvigorate this historic Initiative.

The Commission is co-chaired by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and the U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai. n

PH Consulate transitions to...

PAGE 1 applicants when they submit their passport application forms on the day of their scheduled appearance at the Consulate.

This process will be eliminated under the GOAS as personal data of applicants would have to be done electronically from home or elsewhere by passport applicants themselves before

appearing at the Consular Section on their appointed date and time.

“We would like to inform kababayan that it would take several weeks before the system would become fully functional,” the statement read. The consulate also requests “kababayan who would like to renew their passports to please bear with us” as they transition to

this new system.

With the new system, the consulate expects to be able to accommodate more kababayan who would be renewing their passports in New York. Kababayan with expired, expiring, or lost passports who urgently need to travel to the Philippines are requested to send an email to congencato@gmail. com for assistance. n

Philippine Airlines wins US...

PAGE 2 The effective date of the Plan is expected to occur before the end of 2021.

PAL continues to operate flights to 32 international and 29 domestic destinations from its hubs in Manila, Cebu and Davao. The Philippine flag carrier expects to restore more routes and increase flight frequencies as travel restrictions ease and borders reopen.

Following implementation of the Plan, PAL will be better positioned to capture travel demand and serve

the needs of global citizens, actively contributing to the Philippine economy.

Filing entities Philippine Airlines Inc. is the only party included in the Chapter 11 filing; while PAL Holdings Inc., which is listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE: PHI), and Air Philippines Corporation, known as PAL Express, are not included in the Chapter 11 filing.

Court filings and other documents related to the Chapter 11 process in the U.S. are available

on a separate website administered by PAL’s claims agent, KCC, at www. kccllc.net/PAL. Information is also available by calling (866) 967-0671 (U.S./ Canada) or (310) 751-2671 (International).

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP and Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz (ACCRA) are acting as legal advisors and Seabury Securities LLC as financial advisor and investment banker to the Company.

(AJPress) n

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December 24-30, 2021 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 24-30, 2021

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SFIO announces strategic plan to uplist to NASDAQ by 2024 SMOKEFREE Innotec, Inc. (OTC: SFIO), a leading asset management company and innovation group, is pleased to share details around its four-year strategic plan, as well as news of its plan to uplist to a major stock exchange by 2024.

SFIO began 2021 with the goal of restructuring the company to better serve the long-term strategy of being a truly transformative global asset management company. SFIO would like to share with you the details around that strategy, as well as the goal of uplisting to the nASDAQ, or a similar major stock exchange, by 2024.

SFIO focuses as an asset management company that continues to be on top of innovation through disruptive collaborations. SFIO invests in high-growth businesses and supports them through partnerships and opportunities before leveraging the global presence to help them scale exponentially. It’s a methodical approach to hyper-growth, representing a clear strategy of acquisition, collaboration, transformation, and expansion.

To illustrate, SFIO took on the flagship franchise business, Epiphany Cafe. Supported by their ongoing acquisitions and partnerships, transformation enablers, and global network, Epiphany Cafe will be leading the group’s charge to capture markets across Australia, Malaysia, UAE, the Philippines, and the United States in 2022. Soon after, they will be utilizing those same pathways to scale their other businesses.

In growing Epiphany Cafe, back in 2017, SFIO embarked on a series of partnerships and acquisitions both to improve operational efficiencies and unlock new revenue streams. It’s an ongoing journey that’s formed the bedrock of its hypergrowth strategy: • Acquisition: Identifying the gaps in Epiphany Cafe’s

operations, the team brought two new firms into the group, Gorgeous Coffee and Ardent Bakers. More companies would later join the lineup as new gaps emerged across Epiphany’s evolving business model.

• Collaboration: Gorgeous Coffee, led by an award-winning master roaster, developed Epiphany Cafe’s signature coffee blend, quickly becoming a customer favorite. Meanwhile, Ardent Bakers supplied the growing cafe franchise’s donuts and pastries. As demand for these pillow-soft donuts skyrocketed, another acquisition, Big Lou’s Donuts, took on wholesale production, supporting Epiphany’s future entry into the Australian market.

• Transformation: To support inventory management operations across Epiphany’s franchises, Ardent Bakers developed SMART FREEZE technology, a proprietary method of preparing donuts while maintaining quality over six months of being frozen. Gorgeous Coffee later developed their own innovation, a line of instant coffees boasting barley, Manuka honey, and other healthful extracts.

• Expansion: Now present across New Zealand, Australia, and soon Southeast Asia, Epiphany Cafe’s growth is supported by its global network of companies and partners.

AG Architects, another fully-owned subsidiary, handles the design and development of new sites, while SFIO international hubs serve as launchpads for the franchise business to enter new markets worldwide. They intend to establish the Epiphany Cafe franchise system, support centers, and centralized commissaries in new global markets as early as next year.

SFIO began the journey with Epiphany Cafe, its own growth driving the growth of the network. now SFIO’s network

will be driving Epiphany’s growth in turn – as it pioneers entry into new markets. It’s a wonderful, full-circle moment for SFIO. To support all this growth, both from a capacity perspective, as well as a financial perspective, SFIO leans on their cross-divisional synergies.

With SFIO’s newly-minted Technology division, SFIO will be using tech to streamline the existing operations of the businesses, while also building entirely new systems to disrupt the industries they operate across. For SFIO’s franchise businesses, development is already underway for a unified, streamlined logistics platform. This will not only standardize the operations of SFIO different businesses across the supply chain, but will also bring value to franchisees and ultimately, their customers, who will now benefit from a truly seamless, tech-powered system.

Similarly, SFIO laid the foundation for their eventual entry into real estate when they acquired AG Architects and A+ Electrical. now their slate of joint ventures will see SFIO PAGE 10

10

December 24-30, 2021 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

3.4 million Pfizer shots...

ROUND FRUITS IN ABUNDANCE. Customers take their picks from a bunch of watermelon and coconuts along a sidewalk on Marcos Highway in Barangay Mayamot, Antipolo City Saturday, December 18. The Christmas season, the most celebrated holiday in the country, is here and so are the round fruits. One tradition Filipinos have - to attract good luck and fortune - is serving 12 or 13 round fruits in welcoming the New Year.

PNA photo by Gil Calinga

Coronary heart diseases still...

PAGE 6 “During the first nine months of 2021, ischaemic heart diseases were the leading cause of death with 91,152 cases or 18.5 percent of the total deaths in the country. This indicated an increase of about 18.7 percent from the 76,783 deaths or 16.9 percent of the total deaths in the same period of 2020,” it added.

The following ailments round up the top 10 leading causes of death in the country: • diabetes (5th, 32,057 or 6.5 percent) • hypertensive diseases (6th, 26,600 or 5.4 percent) • pneumonia (7th, 22,158 or 4.5 percent) • COVID-19 but virus not

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identified (8th, 16,397 or 3.3 percent) • other heart diseases (9th, 16,186 or 3.3 percent) • chronic lower respiratory diseases (10th, 15,018 or 3.0 percent) PSA clarified though that the data gathered may differ from the final count, and with the Department of Health’s records, especially as Filipinos abroad who died, were not yet included.

“The information presented includes deaths that occurred from January to September 2021 based on data files received by the PSA – Civil Registration Service (CRS) from the PSOs (Philippine Statistics Offices) as of 29 October 2021. Thus, the figures presented herein

are still preliminary and may differ at the final count,” PSA said.

“Figures in this release, specifically for deaths due to COVID-19, may differ from the one released by the [DOH] because the figures in this release were obtained from the certificates of death particularly the descriptions written on the medical certificate portion therein as reviewed by the health officer of the local government unit concerned,” it added.

Currently, the country is seeing a downward trend in COVID-19 infections. As of Sunday, DOH only recorded 203 new cases, while 395 new recoveries pushed the active infection count to 9,729. n

SFIO announces strategic...

PAGE 9 developing approximately 200-hectares of prime real estate in Montemaria, Batangas alone. The recently-signed joint venture with Philippine-based AbaCore Capital Holdings plays a crucial role in the company’s growth trajectory. One project under this joint venture is the development of a two-hectare, bay-side property in Batangas into a $100 million ecofriendly, tech village. Not only do these joint ventures increase the asset values, but profits from these high-yield projects will also be reinvested into future growth – a necessary step towards SFIO’s ambitions to uplist in 2024.

SFIO has spent the past year acquiring companies not only to grow the conglomerate’s revenues and assets, but also to serve as transformation partners as SFIO scales the businesses globally. SFIO accomplished the necessary filings to reflect the vast array of negotiations and business activities they have entered into these last few months. These include the successful removal of shell status and Caveat Emptor designation, as well as the designation of the status on the OTC Pink market (Current).

In the coming months, SFIO will be undergoing further developments, such as filing the audited financials, updating the company name to Starfleet Innotech, Inc. and working towards placing SFIO on the OTCQB

Venture Market as a stepping stone towards its larger goal.

From an organizational structure perspective, it will be streamlining the core divisions to highlight the cross-divisional synergies, and reflect their focus on three emerging industries: Food and Beverage (F&B), Real Estate, and Technology. SFIO’s F&B division is a merging of the previous franchise, coffee, and food manufacturing and distribution groups.

With the establishment of innovation hubs in U.S., UAE, New Zealand, and Australian offices, it will be entering new global markets, forging strategic partnerships in construction & exports, developing innovative new technologies, and driving market value alongside the shareholders – all with the goal of uplisting from the OTC Markets to the NASDAQ, or similar major stock exchange, by 2024.

This has been a long time coming – the realization of an ambitious goal SFIO set for itself almost a decade ago now. SFIO is glad to have strong backers and a deep talent bench to make all the things happen. “Thanks to your continued support, things have been moving very quickly these past two years. I’m excited to say they’re only going to accelerate from here,” says Jeths Lacson, CEO and Chairman of SFIO.

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PAGE 6 In a statement on the donation released by the U.S. consulate, Variava also extended “heartfelt sympathies to those affected by Typhoon Odette,” the strongest storm to ravage the Philippines this year.

“We are supporting ongoing Philippine response efforts and exploring ways to further assist communities in need,” she added. “We also remain

committed to partnering with the Philippines to protect Filipinos from COVID-19.”

The U.S. said it has facilitated the delivery of more than 53 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to the Philippines as the largest donor to the COVAX facility. Of these doses, the embassy said, 22 million were donated by the American people.

The embassy added that the vaccines donated by the U.S.

are enough to fully vaccinate 10% of all Filipinos.

In addition to vaccine donations, the U.S. said it provided the Philippines with more than P1.9 billion in COVID-19 assistance to support testing, critical care, communication campaigns, health worker protection and training, vaccine deployment, and necessary equipment and supplies. (Philstar.com) n

Christmas – a new journey of...

PAGE 5 typhoon left over a dozen people dead and caused huge destruction in parts of Mindanao and the Visayas. “Our landscape in the aftermath is reminiscent of, if not worse than, when Yolanda hit our province,” Dinagat Governor Arlene Bag-ao said.

According to DPWH Undersecretary Emerson Benitez, damage to infrastructure, particularly roads and bridges alone, has been estimated at P178.4 million. This does not include buildings and private structures.

The provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Occidental , Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Biliran, Leyte and Eastern Samar experienced power interruption.

By the way, in the midst of this typhoon, I was changing channels both on the radio and on my television set, hoping to find up to date news about how the typhoon has hit the different areas but to my dismay no station covered this disaster as extensively as how ABS-CBN did in the past. In hindsight, President Duterte and his allies in the House of Representatives shouldn’t have closed ABS-CBN. They should have just sanctioned the station to pay up to their mistakes, if any. They should actually acknowledge how this station has helped our country bring the news from North to South and from East to West and how it has grown significant in helping the country. Our poorly equipped PTV channel doesn’t have the ability to do the job of such public service. This is one endeavor our future leader must actually prioritize.

Well, this double-whammy situation with the threat of COVID-19 virus (and numbers rising again) still lingering around is quite devastating. Those in evacuation centers must continue to protect themselves with face masks and get vitamins to boost their immune systems. But how can they even think of any safety precautions when survival is the priority. This is where government must exert more effort in creating good and effective systems in providing temporary shelter, food, clothing, medicine and other basic needs to the people. * * * Isn’t this very timely? Is God trying to send us a message? While everyone is politicking amidst the pandemic, He sends us a typhoon.

Not just a storm but a super typhoon, the strongest ever.

Truly, we can always see the worst and best in our leaders during a disaster. By their deeds you will know them (Matthew 7:16). You know who are sincere in reaching out. Those who care versus those who are callous and cold. Those who are pretending to care. In Filipino, the term “pakitang tao” describes how our public servants are like today. They only come out to show off. They want people to be-

lieve that they are sincere and truthful in their words, actions and deeds but in reality there is a very dark side to them.

In fact, they can easily sway and influence the masa, making the poor and illiterate adore them, hail them as their savior, their answered prayer. Little do they know how much they abuse power and steal from the country’s coffers. These dirty politicians have made an industry out of governance. They are the very reason we continue to suffer and why we never progress.

The sad fact is that Filipinos allow bad leaders to easily influence them. Even with lessons from history already written and told, many choose to ignore the stories, allowing corruption, greed and abusive power to prevail without making them accountable. Many of the poor and illiterate are easily swayed by money. They are not principled enough to fight for what is right, to help protect our country from the force of evil and to sustain their future. On the day of the elections, they are easily lured by what they will receive from the corrupt politician, forgetting the suffering and sacrifices of the life they live. So, this vicious cycle will continue to repeat itself unless our people start to think right.

By this tragic event, a week before Christmas, isn’t God giving us a chance to cleanse our hearts and our spirits? One more chance to clearly see right from wrong, good from bad? I am pretty sure that this nation is tired of the politicians from the Old Order. Aren’t we weary of the contending political parties of the Old Republic or the apparently “new” parties, party-lists and groups that have sprung up, cloaking old ambitions in the trappings of a new crusade?

My late father would always get annoyed by the word “new” in every political slogan. He would quip – the word “new” is a bit frayed and has gotten discredited over the years, with such flashy titles as “New Society,” “New Filipino” and “New Republic” being tarnished and misused. But what is called for is a New Opposition and a fresh array of leaders who have not been scarred or tarred by the old politics.

Just as Christmas was born in Bethlehem to signal the conclusion and fulfillment of the Old Testament, a New Political Testament must be laid out to give the Filipino people an opportunity to begin anew, to start out on a journey of optimism and hope.

Here’s wishing everyone God’s love and protection in the coming days, in the coming year.

Merry Christmas! *** 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.

Community Journal

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The January 2022 priority dates Immigration Corner

EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employmentbased categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cutoff date listed below. If your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have to wait until it becomes current again. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 40 years and

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The priority dates for the Philippines for January 2022 are: FAMILY CATEGORY: First Preference

Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • DEcEmbER 24-30, 2021

Unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens (21 years old or older)

Application Filing Date

Visa Issuance Date

April 22, 2015

March 01, 2012

(2A) Spouse and October 01, Second Preference minor children (below 21 years old) 2021 of green card holders

Current

(2B) Unmarried sons and daughters October 01, (21 years old or older) 2013 of green card holders

October 22, 2011

Third Preference

Married sons and daughters of U.S. Citizens

October 01, 2003

June 08, 2002

Fourth Preference

Brothers and sisters of U.S. Citizens

February 01, 2004

August 22, 2002

Application Filing Date

Visa Issuance Date

LABOR CERTIFICATION:

Second Preference

Advanced Degree (Masters)

Current

Current

Third Preference

Professional/ Skilled Workers

Current

Current

Other Workers

Non-Skilled Workers

Current

Current

is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services

are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member PAGE 12

CATCH THE FIRST INSTALLMENT OF CITIZEN PINOY’S VERY FIRST VIRTUAL Q&A ON U.S. IMMIGRATION – AXG: ABUNDA AND GURFINKEL. Asia’s King of Talk, Boy Abunda, and leading U.S. immigration attorney, Michael J. Gurfinkel, lead the discussion in the first virtual forum where Atty. Gurfinkel provides answers and relevant information to viewers’ immigration questions.

Elaine, from Fairfield, California, wants to know if her sister’s family can be interviewed on an expedited basis. She is worried that her nephew might not be able to immigrate with the family, as he turns 28 in October 2021. Ifur, from San Jose, California, asks if her brother can come to the U.S. faster if he is petitioned by their mother as an employee in her care home rather than through a family petition. These questions and more will be answered in an encore episode of part one of “Citizen Pinoy Presents AXG: Abunda and Gurfinkel,” this Sunday, December 26 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo.

(Advertising Supplement)

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December 24-30, 2021 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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4th COVID-19 shot?

Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS OMICRON is supercontagious and skyrocketing across the nation, while the virus continues to replicate and mutate mostly in the bodies of those more than 50 million unvaccinated people in the U.S. who are “carriers/ transmitters” causing the current massive surges (almost a million last week) in COVID-19 infections, 70,000 hospitalizations, and about 1,300 deaths daily. Indeed, this is mostly the pandemic of the unvaccinated. Those with the booster must still be careful, since they still have a 5-10 percent chance of getting infected, especially with Omicron and future strains.

In spite of the more than 829,000 deaths in the U.S. from COVID-19, the government still refuses to employ the proven standard epidemiologic protocol at its disposal that would rapidly end this pandemic: most importantly, a federal vaccine mandate. It might sound crazy but, as a physician who is very frustrated like millions of other people, I feel like suing the government for gross negligence and dereliction of duty resulting in unintentional “negligent genocide.” If I neglect to follow the standard of care protocol in treating a patient who died as a result, I will lose my license, be fined, and maybe go to jail. So, why not hold our government accountable and liable?

Post-COVID-19 syndrome For those who are waiting for natural immunity to protect them from COVID-19, the bad news is this: In order to develop natural immunity, one has to be infected by COVID-19 first and many of them would die (like the two anti-vax radio talk show hosts) before they develop natural immunity. Natural immunity is unstable, unreliable, and short-lasting, compared to immunity from the vaccines. The risk from COVID-19 infection is at least 20-30 times greater than the risk from the vaccine, which is a fraction of one percent.

And if one survives the infection, there are a lot of health issues (post-COVID-19 syndrome) that could last for

months, if not years, with exhaustion, headaches, rapid heart rate, weakness, depression, cognitive impairment, loss of appetite, loss of smell and/or taste, blood clots, etc. Getting the vaccine is the clear and wise choice.

Proven vaccine safety More than 8.7 billion vaccines have been administered around the world – about 487 million doses in the U.S., and more than 60 million doses in the Philippines. The vaccines have been massively proven to be safe and effective.

Laboratory studies show the T-cells induced by the vaccines could protect people from Omicron, and those infected might have milder symptoms.

We still don’t know for sure if Omicron is not worse.

In the pipeline are chewing gum from lettuce that neutralizes the SAR-CoV2 virus in the saliva to reduce infection and transmission, and pills for COVID-19.

4th vaccine?

The new definition of “fully vaccinated” now appears to include the booster. The need for a 4th shot will be decided by the ravages from Omicron and the future strains “churned out” by the unvaccinated.

The Omicron is at least ten times more rapidly contagious.

COVID-19 patients are filling up hospital beds around the country, with many of them waiting in hallways, and resulting in the cancelation of elective surgeries.

The current 70,000 hospitalizations are 40 percent higher than last month.

I only pray that the repeated mutations, enabled mostly by unvaccinated carriers, will not produce a deadly variant that would not respond to vaccines or anything else, resulting in Armageddon, the annihilation of our civilization. Science fiction?

A figment of my imagination?

Yes, and I hope it stays that way, with God’s mercy.

Global medical mission Filipino American surgeons in the United States are well known for their love of our beloved native land of birth, the Philippines, and our people back home, especially those marginalized, suffering in the gutter of poverty in the hinterlands.

Annual medical/surgical missions, like our own Las Vegas yearly mission to Kamay ni Hesus (Hands

of Jesus) Pilgrimage town in Lucban, Quezon, (led

by Danny Fabito) serve more than two thousand people each year. And there are dozens of other FilAm groups from the U.S. and Canada who fly home to provide free medical care and medicines to our neglected fellow Filipinos.

These Fil-Am physicians are inspired by their compassion and desire to give back to their homeland.

One such group is headed

by Dr. Pedro J. Obregon, MD, FACS, a graduate of FEU Institute of Medicine in 1960, who was inducted into the Global Medical Mission Hall of fame in 2014 at the University of Toledo, Ohio.

The award also included the Distinguished Global Faculty Membership of the University of Toledo Health Sciences. Pete is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the Society of Philippine Surgeons in America, and recipient of the Most Outstanding Medical Alumnus Award from the FEU-DNR School of Medicine Alumni Foundation.

Pete started his general surgery practice in 1967 in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, and moved to Columbus, Ohio, in 1973. While in practice, he volunteered 2-4 weeks a year to do surgical missions abroad for the faithbased humanitarian Medical Ministry International (MMI). He also directed two homeless clinics, Faith Mission and Open Shelter in Columbus. He decided to devote his time to his humanitarian endeavors, retired from private practice in 1993, and accepted the full-time directorship of MMI, a position he still holds today. His wife of 31 years, Judy, a respiratory therapist, pharmacy technician, and a medical assistant, is the Project Director of MMI. The Ministry was based in Irving, Texas, till 2009 when it moved to Toronto, Canada.

Pete heads regular surgical missions, 2-3 times or more each year, in various countries around the world.

A sample tour is the one in 1994, when he and his team traveled to Kibogora, Rwanda, after the genocide.

They proceeded to Iloilo, Roxas City, Malaybalay, Bukidnon, T’Boli, South Cotabato, Esmeralda, Ecuador, and Karanda, Zimbabwe. With 2 other surgeons, anesthesiologists, his team of 10-12 did 80-

Apolo Ohno, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Alex and Maia Shibutani are ‘leading with a champion mind’ AARP hosted panel of Winter Olympians to share how resilience helped shape their lives and careers

AFTER a challenging year of navigating the “double pandemic” of COVID-19 and the rise of anti-Asian hate, AARP brought together generations of Asian American Olympians who embody resilience and excellence on December 16 for “Leading with a Champion Mind.” The live virtual panel celebrated the strength of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and shared how to be more resilient.

Olympic gold medalist speed skater Apolo Ohno moderated the uplifting conversation

with panelists Olympic gold medalist figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi and two-time Olympic bronze medalist figure skaters, Alex and Maia Shibutani.

According to AARP, mindfulness can help one be more resilient because it keeps people in touch with what’s happening in the moment. Whenever someone practices mindfulness, it bolsters and protects them against feeling powerless and lacking control, especially during challenging events.

PAGE 13

The January 2022 priority dates...

PAGE 11 of the State Bar of California. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case.

The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

100 cases each time and a total of 500-550 a year.

They have provided surgical missions in many other areas (Cebu, Aklan, Palawan, Leyte, Antique, etc.) in the Philippines. The COVID-19 pandemic derailed their schedules for 2020 and 2021.

For 2022, they are planning to go to Bolivia, Dominican Republic, and Panama.

This indefatigable FilAm surgeon and his team have performed surgeries in 45 countries in the last 32 years, a great source of pride and inspiration for the Philippines, the Society of Philippine Surgeons in

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw, YouTube: US Immigration TV and Instagram.com/gurfinkellaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES

America, and for every Filipino.

A blessed Christmas and a joyous and safe New Year to all! *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life.

Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are

(Advertising Supplement)

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

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • DEcEmbER 24-30, 2021

13

How Janno & Bing keep Apolo Ohno, Kristi Yamaguchi... their marriage intact for more than three decades

By Leah

C. SaLterio Philstar.com

TWENTY-five years ago, real-life couple Janno Gibbs and Bing Loyzaga were paired to star in a familycomedy flick, Edgardo Vinarao’s Hindi Ako Ander (1996), with their eldest daughter, Alyssa, then only six years old.

Their first team-up on the big screen didn’t have a follow-up until now, with the fantasy-comedy, Mang Jose, megged by young director Rayn Brizuela, to be streamed on Vivamax starting Dec. 24.

Through the years that they have been married, Bing has played her role as ideal housewife to Janno.

To the hilt. In their early years, she even prepared all of Janno’s clothes needed for TV tapings and film shooting.

“I think on the first year

EMPLOYMENT

The actors with their daughters Alyssa and Gabriella.

Photo from Instagram/@jannolategibbs

lang ‘yun,” she smilingly says about taking care of Janno’s things. “Today, hindi na. Malaki na siya.

Alam na niyang gawin lahat ‘yun.”

One of the traits that Bing admires about Janno is the

latter’s humor. “He’s a good partner,” Bing describes her hubby. “He’s a team player. Magaling din siyang ka-trabaho. Magaling siya sa partnerships. Even sa marriage namin, as a coPAGE 15

PAGE 12 “Something that has worked for me, that I probably wouldn’t have been able to articulate back when I was training, is the ability to pause and reflect,” said Apolo Ohno, the most decorated U.S. male Winter Olympian of all time. “We are living in a time where we’re always reacting to things. We can have more mindfulness over our thoughts and actions.

Sometimes we react in a way that doesn’t truly suit the outcome that we desire. We can [learn to] zoom out to gain a better perspective.”

Resilient people often seek social support to help them overcome a difficult situation.

They lean on family and friends or request assistance from experts.

“Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. A lot of times we try to take things on ourselves. I’ve learned along the way that there are many people willing to be mentors,” said Kristi Yamaguchi, founder of Always Dream, a nonprofit whose mission is to advance early childhood literacy. “We are afraid to bother someone or ask for something, but I am certainly not where I am [today] because I did it on my own. All along the way, there’s always been someone there as a support system. Surround yourself with some quality people and you’ll learn quality.”

Although resilience is a quality that you possess, you can work on becoming more resilient by adopting certain habits or practices.

“Knowing the direction that you want to head in is important, then break it down into small goals so that you have a sense of time

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and direction,” said Maia Shibutani, who, with her brother Alex, was the second sibling duo in the history of the sport to win an Ice Dance medal. “We both find it very helpful to communicate with each other. If you don’t have someone that you feel that you can talk to, journaling can also be incredibly helpful and important so that you make sure that you’re reflecting and checking in with yourself.”

When many things are beyond someone’s control, they can still make decisions that impact their lives that may help boost their resilience and help them learn to cope better with adversity. When they tap into their reserves of mental toughness and inner strength, they can feel more positive and in control.

“For everything that we do, we set a feasible plan. When you have a long term goal that you’re trying to reach, whether it’s happiness or fulfillment, or the next chapter of your life, there are certain checkpoints along the way,” said Alex Shibutani, who along with his sister Maia, became the first ice dancers of Asian descent to medal at the Olympics. “And Maia will hold me accountable. Having someone who you feel you can share your fears with, and also celebrate your successes with along the way, makes it feel less isolating, especially during this time when we are so physically isolated from each other.”

To be a part of their journey and hear about other upcoming events, or to access this recorded event, follow the AARP AAPI community on Facebook (@AARPAAPI) and Twitter (@AARPAAPI). n

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Dissecting the classic Noche Buena spread

by MOMaR

G. VisaYa / AJPress

F the long list of Christmas trends and traditions was any indication, Filipinos love celebrating the yuletide season.

I Be it decorating the house with lanterns and ornaments as early as the Ber months begin, going Christmas caroling, or completing Simbang Gabi, Filipinos are known to never run out of ways to signify the festivities.

However, nothing marks the season more than preparing the Noche Buena spread.

Noche Buena, which is Spanish for “night of goodness,” is an important Filipino custom that brings together two of Filipinos’ most beloved things: food and family.

After attending the last Mass of Simbang Gabi on Christmas Eve, Filipinos go back home to a large feast adorning the dining table. The spread of various dishes is then shared with their extended families and invited friends as they welcome Christmas Day. And while every Noche Buena spread is different, there are still a couple of staple dishes that you’re likely to find in every Filipino household. Here are some of them: • Christmas ham or hamon – this mainstay dish is not only found on dinner tables, but in Christmas care packages gifted to friends and/or employees, as well. The hamon is

usually marinated in pineapple juice, sugar, salt and spices, for that sweet and savory flavor all Filipinos crave.

• Keso de bola – this ball of Edam cheese, which usually has a red paraffin wax covering, is the perfect companion for the beloved hamon.

• Lechon – no Filipino festivity is ever complete without lechong baboy (roasted pig). This popular delicacy is usually stuffed with spices such as lemongrass, garlic, onions, laurel, ground black peppercorn, and salt, and then roasted on a large bamboo spit over an open fire. Filipino lechons are also popular for their perfectly crispy skin, and flavorful tender meat.

• Kakanin – sweet, sticky, and rice-based cakes like bibingka and puto bumbong are the crowd favorites especially after attending Simbang Gabi, but these also never leave the

AJPress Illustration by Jillian Peñalosa

dining table during Noche Buena.

• Lumpiang shanghai – this finger food is the Filipino version of spring rolls. Deep-fried and stuffed with ground pork, green onions, carrots, and water chestnuts, this crunchy bite-sized dish is everyone’s favorite appetizer to eat before the main dish.

• Fruit salad – this one is the Filipinos’ choice dessert for the holiday season. It’s very easy to make: just mix a drained canned fruit

cocktail with cream and sweetened condensed milk in a large container, refrigerate it for a few hours, and you’re good to go.

The Noche Buena is the most-anticipated dinner gathering of the year, and with all these dishes served on the table, it’s easy to see why. But more than that, the highlight of Noche Buena is being able to share the feast with your family, bonding over good food, stories, and love. ■

Fil-Canadian is the latest winner of ‘Survivor’ What a true family

By KriStoFer

PUrNeLL Philstar.com

FILIPINA Canadian Erika Casupanan was crowned the winner of the 41st season of the American reality competition show “Survivor,” becoming the first Filipino and Canadian to become the “sole survivor.”

Collecting seven votes from eight jury members at the Final Tribal Council, Casupanan becomes the show’s third winner of Asian descent, following “Cook Islands’” Yul Kwon and “San Juan del Sur’s” Natalie Anderson.

She is also the first female “Survivor” winner since Season 34 “Game Changers’” Sarah Lacina in 2017.

Erika Casupunan was crowned the winner of the 41st season of the American reality competition show “Survivor”.

Photo from Instagram/@survivorcbs

“If you want any proof that we’re in a new era of ‘Survivor’ is that I am the winner, a Filipino

immigrant woman who lives in Canada, and I won the game,” Casupanan said in an Instagram post

after her victory aired on television. “I don’t care what you look like, sound like, where you’re from, your background, what you believe in... you can win the game. I’m proof.”

Casupanan also said she would love to see more beautiful diverse winners of the show following her win.

Game progress Casupanan was born in Hermosa, Bataan and migrated with her family to Toronto, Canada where she currently resides.

She was cast for “Survivor 41,” which features a diverse cast after a new commitment by the show to feature 50% of contestants who are people of color.

In 2020 however, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed PAGE 15

means to Rica

By aLeX

BroSaS

Inquirer.net

ACTRESS-vlogger Rica Peralejo may have grown up in a closely-knit family that it is quite painful for her not to attend special family occasions.

This is what Peralejo seems to drive at as she talked about the importance of family to her, as per her Instagram post on Monday, Dec. 20, where she shared a snapshot of herself while “ugly crying.”

“Me sending my ugly crying photo to fam in the [United States]. My nephew got married and I couldn’t make it [because] my [vaccination] schedule didn’t

make it,” she said.

“I am one of them. There is nothing I want more but to be with my fam in the U.S. right now. I believe many of us lost people we love in the past years, too, and the holidays make us feel that loss even more,” she pointed out.

While she also acknowledges that her family is not perfect, she credits them for giving her “a safe space” and staying on her side. Hers is a family which still included her “in everything” and treated her like family.

“And I say that last point because many will claim to be family to you but only PAGE 15

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Jennylyn, Dennis give glimpse What a true family means... of ‘mountain hideaway’ house under construction

By Dana

Cruz

Inquirer.net

JENNYLYN Mercado and Dennis Trillo treated their fans to a sneak peek at the construction of their “hideaway” house by the mountainside, as they prepare for the arrival of their first child together.

The actors took a tour of their future home via Mercado’s YouTube vlog on Saturday, Dec. 18. The twostory container house, being built in a 1,000-meter lot, is about 70% completed, according to Trillo. “[Pupunta] tayo sa bundok para silipin ang aming mountain hideaway. Seven months ago, nagsimula ang construction ng aming bahay para sa aming lumalaking pamilya, and now, samahan niyo kami bisitahin ang aming future home,” the couple told fans.

(We’re going to the

Jennylyn Mercado and Dennis Trillo Photo from screengrab from YouTube/Jennylyn Mercado

mountains to take a look at our mountain hideaway.

Seven months ago, we started the construction of our new home for our growing family, and now, join us in visiting our future home.)

The home’s first floor features the living, kitchen and dining areas, and a guest room. Meanwhile, its second floor is allotted for the couple’s room, a nursery for their new baby, a view deck, as well as rooms for their sons Jazz (Mercado’s child with actor Patrick Garcia)

and Calix (Trillo’s child with beauty queen Carlene Aguilar).

“Naisip namin na magiging beneficial para sa aming lahat na dito mag-stay dahil dito sa bundok, presko ang hangin [at] presko ang pagkain. Ito ‘yung perfect na location para magpatayo ng bagong bahay para sa aming lumalaking pamilya,” Trillo said.

(We think it would be beneficial for all of us to stay here because here at the mountains, the air is fresh and the food is fresh. It’s the perfect location to build a new house for our growing family.)

Mercado and Trillo tied the knot in an intimate civil ceremony last month.

They confirmed last October that the actress is pregnant with their first child together, and revealed also last month that they are expecting a baby girl. n

How Janno & Bing keep...

PAGE 13 parent, siyempre, okay kami.”

Janno and Bing have been married for more than three decades now. They are parents to two girls – Alyssa and Gabby.

They have admirably managed to keep their marriage intact, despite the demands and pressures of their respective showbiz careers.

“Generally, I think because Bing and I appear in different genres,” Janno offers.

“Magkaiba ang mundo namin. She is seen mostly in dramas, while I do comedy. Medyo mahirap pagsamahin ang mundo namin.”

The three-decade union is not always smooth-sailing. Janno and Bing had their occasional rifts and misunderstanding. Yet, nothing became tumultuous for the couple.

They managed to iron out their differences.

Janno and Bing are working together again in Mang Jose, taken after Parokya ni Edgar’s song of the same title released in 2005. Mang Jose is an exciting superhero film that will keep viewers on their toes. Not only is Mang Jose easily available to help everyone, any time. He can be also be paid for his services.

“I actually requested for both Bing and also Manilyn (Reynes) to be with me in Mang Jose,” Janno grants. “Baby ko itong project na ‘to, so I wanted this to be the first time that me, Bing and Manilyn will share the screen together. Kaming tatlo, individually, we respect each other regardless of whatever happened.”

Bing is working with Manilyn for the first time in a film. “Of course, I will grab this opportunity to also work with her,” Bing asserts. “Frankly, when Janno was doing Mang Jose and they told me they had

Manilyn in mind, I got excited for them and for their fans, because ang tagal na nilang hindi nag-work sa movie.”

Bing readily asked Janno if she could play a role in Mang Jose. “I asked Janno, ‘Baka naman pwede akong sumali diyan?’ Kasi nga, I never had the opportunity to work with Mane (Manilyn’s popular nickname) until this project.

“Maybe, we were really waiting for just the right project. Then, Mang Jose came along. How can I pass this chance?

Of course, I will grab the opportunity to work with Mane. Excitement and kilig ang nangyari.”

Bing cannot be thankful enough that she was given the chance to become part of Mang Jose, because it revived the JannoManilyn loveteam. “We all grew up with that love team,” Bing says. “Pampagulo ako doon. But we all moved on. We are all doing well and we will support each other. That’s what’s important.”

Janno wrapped up filming Mang Jose even before the pandemic disrupted everything around the world. Last June, however, the film premiered at the 25th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea, where it was screened at the World Fantastic Blue Section.

Director Rayn was overwhelmed to work with veteran actors in Mang Jose. “Very collaborative sila, especially Janno and even Mikoy (Morales). We sent notes and they always listened to all my directions for their characters.

“Super fun ang shoot namin at nagenjoy ako. Si Janno kasi, nakakatawa siya in person, so talagang nag-enjoy kami sa shoot at sa experience working together.” n

Rica Peralejo

Photo from Instagram/@ricaperalejo

PAGE 14 those who will stay thru the differences, who will unconditionally love you, accept you, not change you, even when you don’t agree on everything, will prove to be true and lasting. Only time tells,” she said, as she cited 40 years of being a part of her family.

Read “For people who carried me to the car when I was drunk, people who cried when I was harsh, people who nursed me when I was abandoned by those I had offered my life and service to,” she recalled. “Maybe it had to take that much for me to know there is a gift in the family I am a part of.”

While for some, Christmas is saddled with sadness, Peralejo believes it is still okay.

“The most wonderful time of the year is not because everything is perfect but because there was an answer, a comfort, to our imperfect world,” she explained. n

Fil-Canadian is the latest winner...

PAGE 14 the show to be filmed in April-May in Fiji this year— the traditional 39-day game was also cut to 26 days, incorporating more twists to make up for the lost days.

Casupanan was part of the successful Luvu tribe that won every challenge up to the traditional merge, meaning she and her tribemates never had to go to tribal council and vote someone out.

Though initially having a quiet start, Casupanan’s gameplay blossomed when she was sent into exile and overturned the results of a challenge to allot immunity to other players, including herself.

Post-merge she reunited with her old teammates to take out former members of the rival Yase tribe as well as the players holding immunity idols, namely Naseer Muttalif and Shan Smith.

Casupanan formed a strong relationship with Luvu tribemate Heather Aldret; together they ensured to be on the right side of the votes, and were a formidable threat at challenges, winning immunity twice.

Despite being his closest competitor for the title of

sole survivor, fellow finalist Xander Hastings selected Casupanan to join him in the Final 3—his explanation was to avoid Casupanan boosting her resume should she become victorious in a fire-making challenge.

Casupanan made her case at the Final Tribal Council, explaining her subtle moves to navigate her way through the second half of the game and her social skills as reasons that she deserved to win. She received all but one vote from the jury, which went to co-finalist Deshawn Radden.

‘Looking like a lamb, playing like a lion’ During her two days in exile, which became pivotal to her future performance, Casupunan admitted she broke down in tears because she came from a strong tribe but was not selected for the merge feast.

In her private interview with the production crew, Casupanan shared the challenges of being a young Filipino in Canada and her parents’ struggle to give her family a good life.

“Everything [my parents] did set me up with the skills to achieve what I want to do,” the eventual victor said through broken tears. “Me being on Survivor is like a

love letter to my parents to let them know that everything they did gave me what I need to survive out here.”

“The way that I look really affects the way people treat me,” Casupanan later said after her victory, sharing that she is always mistaken for a minor or an intern when in truth she is “the one pulling the strings.”

She added that she had no ego about how she was going to play, “The path to the end didn’t have to be pretty, I just had to get there.”

Her mantra for the game, which inspired the title for the this season’s sixth episode, became a resurgence where she would be “still looking like a lamb, but ready to play like a lion.”

“Survivor” is an American reality competition series where contestants must live in the wilderness, win challenges, navigate social politics through alliances and voting people out in order to become the “sole survivor.”

The show has taken place in the Philippines four times, from Season 25 to 28, shot in Caramoan, Camarines Sur and Palaui Island, Cagayan. n

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