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DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 Volume 14 - No. 8 • 16 Pages

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DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Stay-at-home order ‘very likely’ to be extended for certain California regions

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

US approves Moderna vaccine

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE United States has authorized a second vaccine against the coronavirus for emergency use, with shipments starting to arrive this week.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on

Friday, December 18, granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) to Moderna Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine a day after the agency’s advisory panel endorsed it as safe and effective.

“With the availability of two vaccines now for the prevention of COVID-19, the FDA has taken another crucial step in the fight against this global pandemic that is causing vast

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DFA sees spike in COVID-19 infections among overseas Filipinos

GOING into the holiday week, California is still hitting record COVID-19 numbers, signaling that restrictions could remain in place into the new year.

Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday, December 21 said that the state is inclined to extend the regional stay-at-home order for more than the three-week period. But he did not offer what that extension would look like.

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

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“All members of the Cabinet serve at the pleasure of the President. For now, the President continues to trust Secretary Duque,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said at a press briefing. “He (Duterte) just asked him (Duque) to answer the accusations of (Foreign Affairs) Secretary Locsin.”

Presidential Photo/Toto Lozano

numbers of hospitalizations and deaths in the United States each day,” FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D. said in a statement.

Moderna’s vaccine has a 94.5% efficacy rate, occurring at least 14 days after the second dose. It is authorized to be distributed in the U.S. for use in individuals 18 years of age

CHRISTMAS TREATS. “Bibingka” (rice cakes) and “puto bumbong” are being sold in a stall along Emilio Aguinaldo Highway in front of a mall in Cavite on Monday, December 21. “Bibingka” and “puto bumbong”, made from “galapong” (milled glutinous rice), coconut milk, margarine, and sugar, are staples during the Christmas season.

PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.

THE Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is observing another spike in COVID-19 infections among overseas Filipinos as 198 more individuals have contracted the virus.

The new infections reported on Monday, December 18 brought the official tally to 12,816 — 3,654 of whom are currently undergoing treatment.

The agency also recorded 107 new recoveries, which raises the official number of recovered and discharged patients to 8,234.

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IATF allows foreigners Supreme Court rejects Trump Duterte trusts Duque; challenge excluding undocumented to re-enter Philippines Pacman urges DOH immigrants from Census

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

chief to quit

by AJPRESS

HEALTH Secretary Francisco Duque III still enjoys President Duterte’s trust despite calls for him to be replaced, Malacañang said Monday.

“All members of the Cabinet serve at the pleasure of the President. For now, the President continues to trust Secretary Duque,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said at a press briefing. “He (Duterte) just asked

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The U.S. Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s plan to exclude undocumented immigrants from the calculations used to allocate seats in the House of Representatives.

“At present, this case is riddled with contingencies and speculation that impede judicial review,” the court said

in an unsigned 7-page opinion.

The Supreme Court added that the challenge from New York state was premature.

“Consistent with our determination that standing has not been shown and that the case is not ripe, we express no view on the merits of the constitutional and related statutory claims presented. We hold only that they are not suitable for adjudication at this time,”

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THE Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has approved the re-entry of foreigners who left the Philippines on December 17 and onwards, Malacañang announced Friday, December 18.

“The IATF, in its 89th meeting, also allowed the re-entry to the Philippines of foreign nationals with

valid and existing visas under Section 9(e) and 9(g) of Commonwealth Act No. 613, as amended, who are already in the country and will be leaving the country starting December 17, 2020,” said presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

Under Section 9 (g) of the Commonwealth Act 613 or the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940, it says that foreign visa holders are those “lawfully admitted into the

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DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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From the Front Page

FTC’s ‘Operation Income Illusion’ Tarlac killings prompt calls for targets get-rich-quick scams accountability, reforms in PNP IN the midst of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, criminals are brazenly floating “get-rich-quick” schemes to fleece unsuspecting people seeking financial security for themselves and their families.

Speaking at a mid-December ethnic media conference call, the Federal Trade Commission issued urgent warnings that people need to be on their guard to avoid being robbed.

Kati Daffan and Rhonda Perkins, two lawyers in the FTC’s Division of Marketing Practices, spotlighted a variety of scams promoted in advertisements online or in TV, radio and newspapers and even within religious communities.

In a year’s time, Daffan said, there was a 70% increase in this kind of crime.

“In the first nine months of 2020 alone,” she said, “people reported losing at

by Franco Luna Philstar.com

Kati Daffan (left), Assistant Director, Legal Services Collaboration and Every Community Initiative, Division of Marketing Practices, FTC; Rhonda Perkins (right), Attorney, Every Community Initiative, Division of Marketing Practices, FTC

least $50 million.”

And those victims are just the ones who came forward. Most people don’t, Daffan said, so “it’s a tiny fraction of what’s going on in the marketplace.”

To combat the scams, the FTC has launched “Operation Income Illusion.”

Both speakers urged everyone to contact the FTC with any suspicions. You can do so at www.ReportFraud.ftc.gov, or www.Re-

porteFraude.ftc.gov or by phone at (877) 382-4357.

The FTC receives thousands of reports every week, Perkins said, making individual responses difficult to guarantee, but the reporting is a key driver of both domestic and international enforcement efforts.

“It’s a real public service for people to let us know what they’re seeing,” she said.

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THE killing in daylight of a mother and son in Paniqui, Tarlac at the hands of an off-duty police officer is, according to the government. another isolated incident as it promised a full investigation into a killing that follows what the Commission on Human Rights on Wednesday as “deaths after deaths.”

This comes in the wake of the grisly killings in Paniqui, Tarlac over the weekend, a video of which has since gone viral on social media. The video shows Police SMSgt. Jonel Nuezca shooting 52-year-old Sonya Gregorio and her son Frank Anthony Gregorio—both unarmed—at point-blank range during an argument.

The killer, who was reportedly assigned to Parañaque City crime laboratory, has since turned himself in to police in Pangasinan and is facing a complaint for double murder.

“What the cop did really wasn’t right, especially since he had in his possession a gun supposedly to use against criminals — but one that he used on innocent people,” Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana, Philippine National Police spokesperson, said in mixed Filipino and English.

“This is an isolated case, we will see to it that justice will be served.”

In a separate statement, Interior secretary Eduardo Año called the incident “unfortunate” but stressed the PNP’s role as frontliners in the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We wish to remind all police officers to remain calm at all times, to control their emotions, and to conduct themselves in a manner befitting their position as agents of the law. This is an unfortunate but isolated incident.

While there are unfortunate incidents like this, the vast majority of our PNP personnel perform their sworn duties everyday with honor and integrity to protect and serve the people,” the former military general said.

“The sin of Nuezca is not the sin of the entire Philippine National Police. As we have seen during this pandemic, they place their very

Nuezca was seen on video shooting two people in the head over an argument.

Screen grab from Facebook account of Ronjie Daquigan, a councilor from Gerona, Tarlac

lives on the line as frontliners in our COVID response,” he added.

‘No mercy’: Lawmakers urge reform, accountability Lawmakers have called for accountability for the killings.

“If what’s on video tells the whole story, I enjoin the Philippine National Police leadership to show no mercy.

They should spare no effort to make sure that he rots in jail. He’s the last policeman that they need in the force,” Sen. Panfilo Lacson, himself a former chief of the Philippine National Police, said in a statement issued Monday morning.

“The PNP should always uphold its motto ‘To Serve and Protect.’ That includes taking appropriate steps to protect our people from scalawags in their ranks, whether they are on duty or not,” he also said.

As of this post, hashtags calling for an end to police abuse have gone trending on social media, including “#StopTheKillingsPH” and “#PulisAngTerorista,” though the PNP itself asserts that the incident is an isolated case.

Lacson also recommended in his statement that policemen turn in their issued firearms to their unit’s armorer or supply officer when on offduty status. He added that cops should not be issued Permits to Carry Firearms Outside Residence while still

in the active service.

“Hope the PNP will make an example of the cop (if he is really one as reported) caught shooting 2 people on video. Cold blooded,” Sen. Sonny Angara said on Twitter.

The shooting comes as the PNP skips the practice of taping the muzzles of their service firearms as a measure against indiscriminate firing.

‘Not an isolated incident’ “The PNP should not just treat this as an isolated case but a symptom of what could be ailing the institution,” Rep. Ruffy Biazon (Muntinlupa) said.

“Don’t stop at prosecution of one but follow with an evaluation of the training, the monitoring of skills, mental health and discipline, as well as protocols and procedures,” he also said.

Also slamming the isolated incident narrative, House Deputy Minority Leader Carlos Zarate listed incidents in 2020 involving police misconduct, including the shooting of former soldier Winston Ragos at a quarantine checkpoint in April, the deaths of soldiers in a shootout with police in Sulu, and the killings of elderly former National Democratic Front peace consultants Eugenia Magpantay and Agaton Topacio in November.

“Police have made it normal to shoot civilians who should not be shot. This should not simply pass without investigation and appropriate punishment,” Rep. Eufemia Cullamat (Bayan Muna) also said in Filipino.

“The president’s defense and cover-up of police misconduct such as the heinous killings of Oplan Tokhang have resulted in intense arrogance and the spread of crime perpetrated by those who should be enforcing the law.”

Rep. Lawrence Fortun (Agusan del Norte) also assailed the “isolated incident” narrative, pointing out the high level of public distrust that the national police has racked up over the years and calling on Congress, the justice department, and the NBI to launch impartial probes into the incident to end po-

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DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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US approves Moderna vaccine...

PAGE 1 and older, following Pfizer’s vaccine, which began its national rollout last week.

Both pharmaceutical firms utilize the new messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology for their vaccines.

“Through the FDA’s open and transparent scientific review process, two COVID-19 vaccines have been authorized in an expedited timeframe while adhering to the rigorous standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality needed to support emergency use authorization that the American people have come to expect from the FDA,” said Hahn.

“These standards and our review process, which are the same we have used in reviewing the first COVID19 vaccine and intend to use for any other COVID-19 vaccines, included input from independent scientific and public health experts as well as a thorough analysis of the data by the agency’s career staff,” he added.

U.S. President Donald Trump, for his part, lauded the authorization.

“Congratulations, the Moderna vaccine is now available!” he said in a tweet.

Likewise, President-elect Joe Biden hailed the FDA’s decision.

According to him, the authorization of the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines “assures us that brighter days lie ahead,” but stressed that the fight against COVID-19 is not over yet.

“We know the immense challenges ahead, including scaling up manufacturing, distribution, and the monumental task of vaccinating hundreds of millions of Americans. We need to make sure we have the resources to do all of this and to do it quickly,” said Biden.

The U.S. has agreed to purchase 200 million doses of Moderna’s vaccine, of which 5.9 million doses are already ready to ship nationwide.

The country expects to have 40 million doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines by the end of the year, enough to vaccinate 20 million people.

Over 17.8 million people in the U.S. have been infected

by COVID-19 since the beginning of the outbreak, resulting in a total of 317,684 deaths.

30M doses of Novavax vaccine The Philippines, mean-

while, has been assured of 30 million doses of Indian-made Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, which may be expected to be available in July 2021.

“Thirty million dosages of the Indian-made Novavax vaccines are assured, possibly with no cash advance. It will be available by July 2021,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. announced Monday, December 21.

“The term sheet might be signed before the year ends.

The good thing though, remember this is not a rumor, is that this is based on a press release made by Serum Institute of India (SII), the giant manufacturer,” he added.

So far, the Philippines has secured over two million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine with the help of the private sector. The country is also looking into purchasing 25 million doses of a vaccine from China’s Sinovac Biotech, as well as securing four to 25 million doses of vaccines from Moderna and Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. The Philippines currently has the second-highest number of COVID-19 infections and fatalities in Southeast Asia, with 461,505 cases and 8,957 deaths. n

Supreme Court rejects Trump challenge...

PAGE 1 the court continued.

In a 6 to 3 vote, the three liberal justices who dissented said that the effort to exclude people in the country from the population for the apportionment of House seats is unlawful.

“The government has announced a policy to exclude aliens without lawful status from the apportionment base

for the decennial census,” wrote Justice Stephen Breyer.

“The government does not deny that, if carried out, the policy will harm the plaintiffs.”

According to USA Today, the quick decision in a case argued Nov. 30 signaled the court’s hope that it can avoid a more consequential ruling on an issue that could affect the balance of political power

in Congress for the next decade.

Last July, President Donald Trump announced his intention to exclude up to 10.5 million undocumented immigrants from the tabulation on the theory that they are not permanent residents and do not merit political representation.

“My administration will not

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DFA sees spike in COVID-19 infections...

PAGE 1 Likewise, the death toll rose by 63 to a total of 928 fatalities.

“Today, the DFA reports spikes in the total numbers of confirmed COVID-19-related statistics among Filipinos abroad, with 189 new cases, 107 new recoveries, and 63 new fatalities recorded among those in Asia and the Pacific, and Europe,” the DFA said.

“The increase is due to late reports from several countries in Europe,” it added.

Overall by region, Europe – which comprises 20 countries – has recorded 1,772

Filipino cases, including 386 undergoing treatment, 1,226 recoveries and 160 deaths.

The Middle East and Africa, covering 32 countries, has reported 7,626 cases; of which, 2,405 are undergoing treatment, 553 deaths and 4,668 recoveries.

The Asia Pacific region, which spans across 21 countries, has 2,637 cases, with 801 undergoing treatment, 1,815 recoveries, and 21 deaths.

The Americas – covering 10 countries like the United States – have 781 reported cases, with 62 undergoing treatment, 525 recoveries,

and 194 deaths.

“To date, the total number of countries and territories with confirmed cases among Filipinos is now at 84,” the DFA noted.

It added, “The DFA, together with its Foreign Service Posts, continues to partner with host governments to ensure the safety and well-being of Filipino nationals abroad amidst the pandemic.”

Meanwhile in the Philippines, there are a total of 461,505 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 8,957 fatalities and 429,207 recoveries. n

LEARNING MODULES. Elementary school teachers, led by Editha Buen and Claire Labay (left), remind parents to observe physical distancing while submitting their children’s learning modules for Grade 3 students during the last day of submission for the first quarter of the school year 2020-2021 at Dr. Jose P. Rizal Elementary School in Brgy. Sto. Cristo, Dasmarinas City, Cavite on Wednesday, December 16. Learning modules are among the options implemented by the Department of Education in its blended learning initiatives amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

PNA photo by Gil Calinga

IATF allows foreigners to re-enter...

PAGE 1 Philippines for permanent residence, who is returning from a temporary visit abroad to an unrelinquished residence in the Philippines.”

Foreigners are allowed reentry provided that they have valid and existing visas on the date of arrival, a prebooked quarantine facility, and pre-booked COVID-19 testing at a laboratory operating at the airport.

They must also be subjected to the maximum capacity of inbound passengers at the port and date of

entry.

“The foregoing is without prejudice to immigration laws, rules and regulations,” the IATF said.

“The Commissioner of Immigration shall have the exclusive prerogative to decide on waiver or recall of exclusion orders for the above foreign nationals, including other foreign nationals who have entered the Philippines by virtue of Inter-Agency Task Force resolutions,” it added.

The IATF has directed the Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) to issue the

guidelines to implement the IATF resolution on foreign nationals.

On November 1, the BI allowed the entry of foreign nationals with visas issued under Executive Order No. 226 or the Omnibus Investments Code, and those with a Special Investor’s Resident Visa (SIRV) issued pursuant to EO 226.

The bureau on Nov. 27 also allowed foreign spouses and children of Filipino citizens to enter the country as long as the Filipino citizen or balikbayan is traveling with them. n

Duterte trusts Duque; Pacman urges...

PAGE 1 him (Duque) to answer the accusations of (Foreign Affairs) Secretary Locsin.”

For Sen. Manny Pacquiao, it is either Duque resigns or President Duterte fires him to spare the country from more blunders in fighting the pandemic. Pacquiao noted that Filipinos would have started getting their COVID vaccinations next month if Duque’s “blunder” did not happen.

“I could really say it’s because of DOH chief Secretary Duque, of his blunder.

I’m sorry to say that. I’m just being frank,” Pacquiao told ANC in Filipino. “My suggestion – not only me – is for him to voluntarily resign so that our countrymen will feel better about what’s happening… for delicadeza.”

Locsin confirmed yesterday that Duque was the one who “dropped the ball” in the negotiations with US pharmaceutical firm Pfizer

for a COVID-19 vaccine supply to the country.

But the country’s top diplomat also said in an interview over CNN Philippines that the blame game should stop.

“Yes. By now it’s already out,” he answered when asked if the person who dropped the ball was Duque.

“I’m not interested in recriminations, I’m interested in results. We can’t keep blaming.”

Locsin said vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. is now the sole procuring authority to work with the Department of Health (DOH). Last week, he said the Philippines was assured of getting 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer by January until “somebody dropped the ball.”

On Wednesday, Philippine ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said the Philippines’ deal with Pfizer

for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines is still “in progress.”

The ambassador noted that the January 2021 delivery date of the vaccines was pushed back to June next year because other nations finalized the deals earlier and the Philippines “did not act quick enough on the confidential disclosure agreement (CDA) for the procurement.”

Pacquiao stressed he does not personally dislike Duque as the latter is “a good man,” but noted that he was responsible for some major blunders in the DOH’s fight against the pandemic.

When asked about Duterte’s repeated defense of Duque, Pacquiao said: “I think he must be replaced.

I appeal to the President to replace Secretary Duque to ease the plight of our countrymen.” (Pia Lee-Brago, Paolo Romero/Philstar.com) n

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OPINION

Sans vaccine, boost testing

5

FEATURES Philstar.com photo

FROM what could have been delivery of 10 million doses this January, Filipinos hoping to get the COVID vaccine developed by Pfizer / BioNTech will now have to wait until July at the earliest for the shots.

Even the vaccines apparently preferred by the government, from Chinese companies, can arrive in the Philippines no earlier than March, according to the officials involved in vaccine procurement.

Every day that passes sees more people getting sick and dying of COVID, more businesses closing, more jobs lost. The Department of Health has said the confidentiality disclosure agreement with Pfizer went through the usual government process. But these are unusual times, and that statement says a lot about why the deal fell through.

With the government dropping the ball – as described by two officials involved in the negotiations – on the Pfizer vaccine, it should at least improve COVID testing capability. Even with price caps set on the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction swab test, the gold standard for COVID testing remains expensive for millions of Filipinos.

There are now cheaper and still accurate

tests available in other countries. But the Philippine Red Cross and certain business groups have been waiting forever for regulatory approval for the cheaper, faster, less invasive but still accurate saliva test for the coronavirus.

While waiting for this green light, another product has received the seal of approval from the US Food and Drug Administration: the first-ever rapid COVID test that can be administered at home and bought over-the-counter, without prescription, for the equivalent of about P1,000. Produced by Australian digital diagnostics firm Ellume, the test kit produces results in about 15 minutes, with no need for laboratory processing and the consequent wait of at least a day for results. Accuracy of the test is reported to be from 94 to 96 percent.

The saliva test developed in Israel produces results in seconds, but there seems to be little official interest in the Philippines for new products that can revive the travel industry

Editorial

and other pandemic-battered sectors. Perhaps Philippine officials will be interested in procuring the Ellume test kits, or at least facilitating procurements by the private sector and speeding up the products’ approval by the Food and Drug Administration.

Around the planet, the urgency of saving

lives and reviving foundering economies has led to a scramble for access to COVID vaccines and improved testing kits vetted by reliable regulators. The Philippines can’t afford to sit on the sidelines, twiddling its thumbs and carrying on at a pre-pandemic business-as-usual pace. (Philstar.com)

Ronald McDonald House: Home away from home during the holidays for families with chronically sick kids and premature babies The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS THE WORST crisis that parents (and grandparents) perhaps have to face is to see our helpless ba-

bies and children fight for their lives. If only we can take their place so that they will not have to suffer, we will do it in a heartbeat.

This Christmas, and during the coronavirus pandemic, the main focus of these parents is to be with their child in the hospital where they have to stay for weeks, and months for

treatment, or to stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for premature babies.

Many of these families live more than 50 miles away from the hospital, and so the toll of commuting every day to be with their child, or the expense of staying in a hotel near the hospital adds to the load of the cross they have

to carry for the love of their children.

This is where the Ronald McDonald House becomes a blessing to these families.

I first heard about this charity from my daughter Christine, when she gave birth to our first grandchild Azshara prematurely at 24 weeks and five days, instead of around 40 weeks

in the womb. She and her husband Dave live in Missouri with no other family with them as a support system. Azshara stayed in the NICU of the hospital for 120 days.

Thankfully, there is a Ronald McDonald House within walking distance to the hospital where parents like them can stay so that they can always be there

for their children during these most critical moments of their lives.

I got to talk to a family who is staying at Ronald McDonald’s House (RMDH) - Stanford in Palo Alto, California. Dad Trevor and Mom Auburn Vanrooyen recalled how RMDH has been blessing their life through all these PAGE 10

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

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Dateline PhiliPPines

‘Victory for children’: Philippines set to raise age of consent

by Allison JAckson Philstar.com

BUCKET OF GOODS. Some 250 buckets filled with food packs are placed at the covered court in Sitio Karugo, Wawa Dam, Brgy.

San Rafael, Rodriguez, Rizal on Saturday, December 19. The goodies were given to the residents affected by the recent typhoons during the gift-giving event dubbed “Pamanang Kawayan: Tugon sa Hamon ng Panahon, Pamaskong Handog” as part of the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council’s initiative to promote bamboo as a source of livelihood.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

MANILA — Manila teenager Rose Alvarez was 13 when she started having sex with a man who was more than twice her age. That would be statutory rape in most countries, but not in the Philippines.

The Catholic-majority country has one of the lowest ages of consent in the world, allowing adults to legally have sex with children as young as 12.

Child rights activists have lobbied for decades to increase the age — enshrined in the penal code since 1930 — but faced resistance from what they describe as a “culture of patriarchy” in a country where abortion and divorce are illegal.

Congress now looks set

to approve a bill to raise the age to 16.

Campaigners say the legislation would help protect youngsters in a nation that has become a global hotspot for online child sex abuse and where more than 500 teenagers get pregnant and give birth every day.

“This is a victory for Filipino children,” Patrizia Benvenuti, UNICEF’s chief of child protection in the Philippines, said recently as the proposed legislation moved closer to a final vote.

“Pegging 12 as the age of consent is really not consistent with scientific studies on brain development.”

Alvarez, who got pregnant when she was 14, says she now realises she had been too young for a sexual relationship and the demands of motherhood.

“I was still a child then, I didn’t know anything about sex,” Alvarez, now 16, told AFP at a clinic run by the Likhaan Center for Women’s Health in Navotas, one of the poorest areas of Manila.

“I was telling him to use a condom... but he removed it. He didn’t want to use it,” said Alvarez, whose name has been changed to protect her identity.

Alvarez — who until the age of 12 thought it was possible to get pregnant from kissing — said she was drunk the first time she slept with the man, who was about 29 when they met on Facebook.

“When I woke up I was shocked to see blood in my underwear and it hurt a lot,” she recalled. “I was too inPAGE 9

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US embassy to help SC strengthen judicial board

by EvElyn

Macairan Philstar.com

PLASTICWARE. A vendor, (right) uses his cart loaded with all sorts of plastic housewares to sell items such as nursery pots, chairs, pails, laundry tubs, among others to customers at Molino Homes II Subdivision, Salitran 3, Dasmarinas City, Cavite.

Ambulant vending is a popular source of livelihood in the country during the pandemic.

PNA photo by Gil Calinga

Stay-at-home order ‘very likely’ to be...

PAGE 1 “Based upon all the data, and based upon all these trend lines, it’s very likely that we will extend the stay-athome order,” Newsom, who is quarantining after another staff member tested positive for COVID-19, said.

This comes as four out the five regions, or 98% of the state, are under the order, which was triggered by the Intensive Care Unit capacities dropping below 15% and has implemented shutdown requirements for most businesses except for retail stores and essential services.

Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley remain at 0% ICU capacity, though they were slated to exit the regional order by December 28 if the ICU levels reached above or equal to 15%. The Bay Area is at 13.7%, with eligibility to exit on January 8 and Greater Sacramento is at 16.2% and can return to the Blueprint for a Safer Economy order by January 1.

“Just because it’s at 0 doesn’t mean there’s no ICU available — it means we’re now in the surge plan,” Newsom said.

Meanwhile, Northern California is the only region not under the order as its availability remains at 28.7%.

Statewide, the current ICU capacity is 2.5%.

Under the regional order, gatherings are prohibited, while outdoor dining and indoor activities like hair salons, personal care services, and movie theaters are temporarily shuttered.

The state reported 37,892 new daily cases on Monday and 83 new deaths, bringing the totals to 1,892,348 cases and 22,676 fatalities since the beginning of the pandemic.

The 7-day positivity rate is 13.3% and the 14-day positivity rate is 12.0%.

The number of hospitalizations due to confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases

in California reached a total of 18,359, an increase of 609 from the prior day total. The number of ICU patients due to confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases in California reached a total of 3,756, an increase of 46 from the prior day total.

Vaccination campaign On Friday, December 18, the Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the Moderna vaccine, becoming the second vaccine against COVID-19 to be distributed in the United States.

This comes a week after the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorized and began to be administered to frontline health care workers across the country, including throughout California.

Newsom said 672,600 Moderna vaccines would allocated for California in the first round this week. Already, 100,000 have arrived in the state as of Monday,.

Given that it does not need extreme-cold storage compared to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the Moderna vaccines are more suitable for distribution in rural and hardto-reach areas. It is similarly a two-dose vaccine, but the second dose will be administered 28 days after the first, unlike a 21-day gap for the Pfizer-BioNTech one.

Newsom said the federal government deserves credit for the swift arrival of the vaccines.

“This is an extraordinary accomplishment, for this country, for our nation, for our world that these vaccines are even going into people’s arms, that they have arrived,” Newsom said. “I want to compliment everyone who was part of Operation Warp Speed — they deserve credit, the administration deserves credit, the president and vice president deserve credit for working hard over the course of the several months to get

these vaccines out and to get them into these states.”

The state is expected to receive a total of 560,625 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, 40% less than what was previously promised by the federal government. The first allocation was 327,600, with 233,025 anticipated in the second round.

In the first week, 70,258 doses were administered across the state.

For now, health care workers who have direct interaction with patients as well as residents in long-term skilled nursing facilities are prioritized in the initial shipments of the vaccines.

Last week, the governor announced the “Vaccinate All 58” campaign to ensurer safe and equitable vaccine access for all 58 counties in the state once more doses are available for mass distribution. Other subgroups of the population, such as teachers, workers in the food industry and vulnerable senior citizens, are being eyed for the next tier of vaccinations in the state.

CA Notify Newsom also reminded California residents to opt into the state’s CA Notify system, which is supposed to help with contract tracing and alert them of their possible exposure to COVID-19.

Californians can receive notifications informing them if they have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for the virus so they can take immediate actions around quarantine and testing. Californians with iPhones can enable CA Notify in their settings and Android phone users can download the app from the Google Play Store to immediately start receiving exposure alerts on their phones. Use of the technology is completely voluntary, private, and secure.

To date, 7.35 million residents have enabled the notifications. (AJPress) n

MANILA — Officials of the United States embassy have pledged to help the Supreme Court (SC) strengthen its Judicial Integrity Board (JIB).

The US embassy’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs country director Kelia Cummins and INL legal specialist Chudney Ngo yesterday

made a virtual courtesy call on Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta.

During their meeting, Peralta updated the embassy officials on his 10-point program that includes the reinvigoration of the JIB that aims to strengthen the integrity and prevent corruption in the judiciary.

Also discussed were measures to be taken to improve the conduct of videoconferencing during this time of

COVID-19 and other projects of the Court.

The SC said the US officials are committed to help the judiciary in providing resource persons in its training seminars and workshops for judges, as well as technology support in judicial reform projects.

Present at the virtual meeting were SC Associate Justice Alexander Gesmundo and Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez. n

Duterte to sign P4.5-T budget bill on Christmas Day – Sotto

by JaviEr JoE isMaEl ManilaTimes.net

SENATE President Vicente Sotto III expects President Rodrigo Duterte to sign the 2021 national budget on Christmas Day, December 25, after the printed “book form” of the General Appropriations Act, which he and Speaker Lord Allan Velasco signed, was transmitted to Malacañang on Friday, December 18.

The Senate and the House of Representatives ratified the 2021 general appropriations bill on December

9 after agreeing to allocate a hefty P72 billion for vaccine purchase, to be funded mostly by loans and excess revenue collections.

Under the ratified bill, the Department of Education will get the lion’s share at P708.18 billion, which would be allotted to the Commission on Higher Education, state universities and colleges, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will get P694.82 billion, with areas badly dev-

astated by recent typhoons to get additional projects to rehabilitate roads and public infrastructure.

The health sector was allocated P287.47 billion to be shared by the Department of Health (DoH) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. This includes P2.5 billion under the DoH budget for the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines and another P70 billion under unprogrammed allocations for purchase, storage and distribution.

In October, President RoPAGE 8

Supreme Court rejects Trump challenge...

PAGE 4 support giving congressional representation to aliens who enter or remain in the country unlawfully, because doing so would create perverse incentives and undermine our system of government,” Trump said in a written statement at the time.

“The president, to be sure, has made clear his desire to exclude aliens without lawful status from the apportionment base. But the president qualified his directive by providing that the secretary should gather information ‘to the extent practicable’ and that aliens should be excluded ‘to the extent feasible.’ Any prediction how the Executive Branch might eventually implement this general statement of policy is ‘no more than conjecture’ at this time,’ the court stated in its decision.

“Everyone agrees by now that the government cannot feasibly implement the mem-

orandum by excluding the estimated 10.5 million aliens without lawful status,” the majority said.

New York Attorney General Letitia James led a coalition of 19 states, 10 cities, and five counties in filing the lawsuit against President Trump and others after they announced that they would leave millions of undocumented immigrants out of the apportionment base that follows the decennial census count.

In a statement, AG James vowed to continue protecting the census because Trump’s plan was illegal and unconstitutional.

“President Trump’s efforts to pick and choose who to include in the apportionment base of the census is as illegal today as it was when he made this announcement. All today’s decision does is kick the can down the road until this lame-duck president knows whether he will receive the data he needs to violate the

Constitution and the Census Act with the few weeks he has left in office,” James said.

“The law is clear — every person residing in the U.S. during the census, regardless of legal status, must be counted — and any further efforts by the president or his administration to violate the law will be met with fierce opposition, and we are confident we will win. We will continue to do whatever is necessary to stop the president from putting politics above the law.”

Dale Ho, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, said in a statement that the court did not rule for Trump.

“This Supreme Court decision is only about timing, not the merits,” he said. “The legal mandate is clear — every single person counts in the census, and every single person is represented in Congress. If this policy is ever actually implemented, we’ll be right back in court challenging it.” n

DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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SIOMAI VENDOR. A vendor sells siomai on her tricycle along Gov. D. Mangubat Avenue service road, Barangay Burol Main, Dasmariñas City, Cavite on Saturday, December 19. Several vendors go around communities to sell various food and items to residents.

PNA photo by Gil Calinga

Duterte to sign P4.5-T budget...

PAGE 7 drigo Duterte called on Congress to a special session to avoid further delays in approving the proposed 2021 national budget.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who had opposed the ratification of the proposed P4.5-trillion budget, said President Duterte should review and veto provisions in the 2021 measure approved by the two-chamber Congress early this week as he referred to some dubious allocations that were inserted in the provisions.

Lacson pointed to the bigger allocation given to the DPWH despite the agency’s poor track record in disbursing funds and widespread corruption in the implementation of infrastructure projects.

“These realignments being capricious and arbitrary on the part of the bicameral conference committee members, they did not involve proper planning by the DPWH,” Lacson said.

The senator said he was willing to help the executive identify specific items

in the spending bill “to help those involved in the review at least take a closer look at projects that should be scrutinized and even vetoed.”

“In turn, this will make sure not a single centavo in the 2021 budget will go to wasteful projects,” Lacson said.

Lacson took to social media his frustration over the changes made in the latest version of the General Appropriations Bill, describing the realignment made by his colleagues as driven by “greed.” n

Tarlac killings prompt calls for...

PAGE 2 lice brutality.

“This latest instance of a police officer mercilessly and brazenly killing unarmed persons is not an isolated incident. It is yet another among multitudes of police brutality,” he said.

“Congress must help eradicate the plague of police criminality and brutality. The PNP Internal Affairs Service should be transferred to the Department of Justice. All police criminality and brutality cases should be investigated not by the PNP but by the NBI,” he added.

String of ‘isolated’ incidents The Paniqui murders are the latest in isolated killings documented throughout the year, including the murder of former soldier Winston Ragos in Quezon City.

In comments earlier this month, an official of the Presidential Committee on Human Rights assured police officers that allegations of police abuse and of extraju-

dicial killings are just a “narrative” peddled by the political opposition to discredit the Duterte administration.

When the Baguio City Police Office prepared raps against two police officers of the defunct Regional Drug Enforcement Unit over the kidnap-slay and subsequent beheading of a Baguio City resident, Police Brig.

Gen. R’win Pagkalinawan, who serves as Police Regional Office–Cordillera regional director, called it an isolated incident.

The RDEU was dissolved last week because of the case.

The shootout in Jolo in June that resulted in the deaths of four Army intelligence personnel was labelled a “misencounter” and an isolated incident. The NBI’s investigation later found basis for planting of evidence and murder raps. One soldier was shot eight times, they found.

In the aftermath of Ragos’ death in April, police leadership claimed

that cops “followed instructions” when they shot him in the back. It was also called an isolated incident.

A subsequent probe by the National Bureau of Investigation found that Quezon City cops planted evidence on Ragos’ body to back up their claim that he was armed. His family insists to this day that he wasn’t.

PNP operational procedures, which are public documents available on their website for anyone to access, prohibit the use of excessive force, but holds that “in the lawful performance of duty, a police officer may use necessary force to accomplish his mandated tasks of enforcing the law and maintaining peace and order.”

The Commission on Human Rights on Monday said the Paniqui shooting should prompt a probe into other allegations of arbitrary killings involving cops. — with reports from James Relativo and Xave Gregorio n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 25-31, 2020

‘Victory for children’: Philippines...

PAGE 6 toxicated to know what was happening.”

‘Victim blaming’ Child rape and sexual abuse are rampant in the Philippines, according to official data.

A woman or child is raped nearly every hour, Senator Risa Hontiveros said in a document to the Senate, citing figures from the Center for Women’s Resources.

Seven out of 10 victims are children and the vast majority are girls, she said.

A government-backed nationwide study in 2015 showed one in five children aged 13-17 experienced sexual violence, while one in 25 were raped during childhood, UNICEF said.

But prosecuting adult perpetrators in rape cases involving children as young as 12 has been difficult because they can argue the sex was consensual, said Rowena Legaspi, executive director of the Children’s Legal Rights and Development Center.

“Imagine a 12-year-old... that girl is still a minor,” Le-

gaspi told AFP. “How could she have consented?”

The proposed bill would make it automatically illegal and carry a penalty of life imprisonment, though it would not punish young couples close in age.

It is expected to be approved by the Senate in the coming months before going to President Rodrigo Duterte to be signed into law.

Activists say increasing the age of consent will deter sexual predators.

But they caution more needs to be done to combat sexual violence against children and one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in Southeast Asia.

All children should have access to age-appropriate sex education “from an early age” as well as information and services to make sex safer and avoid unplanned pregnancies, said Carlos Conde of Human Rights Watch.

Sexist and “victim blaming” attitudes among prosecutors and judges also needed to be changed, and

cases needed to move faster, said Legaspi.

It currently take years for a rape case to reach court, by which time the victim may be an adult -- and in some cases, the accused has died.

“We have so many laws that protect children but the problem is the implementation,” said Legaspi.

“You only change the law but the system is still there.”

‘I want to have fun’ Not everyone favours increasing the age of consent.

A social worker dealing with adolescents in impoverished areas of Manila told AFP it could push relationships between children and adults underground, making it more difficult to assist youngsters in need.

Donna Valdez, 15, says it should be left to the couple to decide if they are ready to have sex.

She was 13 when she met her current boyfriend, who is 10 years older than her, on Facebook.

After chatting online for

VIRTUAL SIMBANG GABI. A cellphone streams a mass from a chapel in Quezon City. Catholic faithful restrained by poor health from physically attending Simbang Gabi may join the dawn mass on-line in the comfort of their homes, Manila apostolic administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo said. Pabillo said virtual Simbang Gabi would enable the elderly, the sick, as well as minors to join the traditional dawn mass, as restrictions on public gatherings remain due to the continuously rising cases of COVID-19.

Philstar.com photo by Michael Varcas

two months, they slept together. Soon she was pregnant.

The couple live together and under the proposed bill he could be charged with rape.

Valdez had no regrets becoming a mother so young, she told AFP as her 10month-old son wriggled in her lap at the health centre.

“We’re happy that we’re blessed with a child,” said Valdez, not her real name.

But Alvarez says she misses her old life.

“I want to go out with friends again, I want to have fun,” she told AFP. “I’m jobless, my parents are also out of work. Where will we get money for my baby’s needs?”

Alvarez hopes to finish high school so she can work overseas — like millions of other Filipinos whose monthly remittances help support their families at home.

“I’m too young to be worn out,” she said.

“I still have plans, I want to marry an American to have a better life.” n

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DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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Ronald McDonald House: Home...

PAGE 5 challenges.

They found out about the Ronald McDonald House 15 years ago when their son Thayde was also born prematurely in Alaska. Their son Thayde had a heart problem when he was born prematurely and so they were sent to Portland, Oregon at Emmanuel Hospital. There they had a Ronald McDonald House and that was the first time that they had the experience of staying in what has become their home away from home.

Mom Auburn remembers their experience when they arrived in Portland. “It was an emergency situation. It was completely unexpected and I was actually out of state when he was brought here. I got here the very next day, and we were in the hospital for just a couple of days and we were just trying to make the best of it, but they were able to get us a room within three days of us getting here.”

“And it just makes you feel like I have, we have a place to go, we can both be here we can take to being with him so he’s never alone but then we have a place to go where we can just take a breath unwind let out our emotions, whatever we needed to do. And it was close and it was safe.

It’s huge, really.”

“We knew if there was going to be an issue, either one of us or both of us would only be a moment or two away,” Dad Trevor said, reliving those difficult times. “We don’t have to worry about a one four hours away five hours away at home. If something happens, that’s way too long that’s way too far, the peace of mind that being here is really, really indescribable.”

The Vanrooyen family now lives in Gridley, Northern California — a five-hour drive to Stanford where Thayde will be having open-heart surgery.

Mom said Thayde is homeschooled, and their 14-year old daughter attends online classes. “And now that Thayde is on the mend, he can start doing a little bit more school as needed, but his teachers have assured me not to stress about it so having a room and quiet with no interruptions for, like, at the

hospital. It’s been really good for them.”

I asked Trevor how a day is like for the family to stay at the RMDH. “With COVID it’s been different, working very hard to keep everyone safe. So they open specific times for us to come down and have meals majority of the time we’re in the room where it’s safe and then we’re comfortable.”

“But the pre-COVID, we had, we had open kitchens we had playrooms the kids were able to interact with each other family members could have gatherings, they’re really fabulous. I can’t stress that enough we, as as the head in the family, taking care of everybody worrying about logistics, not having to stress about that.”

The RMDH also helps the Vanrooyen family get the moral support they need from families who come and visit. “We don’t have to worry about where to do that, how to do that, when to do that we just tell them to come and, or they just come and we’re able to host them have them have, feel the support and the love and it’s really, really a blessing. “ Thyde himself agrees.

He says staying at the Ronald McDonald House is more comfortable than staying in the hospital because it feels like home. He just walks to the hospital for treatment.

The Ronald McDonald House Charity facts and figures: • Currently, the Stanford House serves 48 families (133 individuals) • From Jan 1-Dec 8, we have housed 827 families at Stanford (1,400 individuals), providing 18,200 nights of accommodations, which totals nearly $8.5M worth of housing, meal, and family services • Thousands of families are being fed meals each day at Stanford, San Francisco and Oakland, prepared without the help of volunteers due to COVID visitor restrictions • All non-critical procedures have been delayed due to the pandemic, so the families that we are serving now are the sickest of the sick in the Bay Area Roger Cordoba oversees the operation at the Stanford House. “We’ve done everything within our

power to maintain that extra support because even during this Covid time, you know, crazy times, we’re still having sick kids right, they still need to receive treatments. So being able to support that ongoing with the challenges we have is our biggest mission right now,” he said.

Ronald McDonald House is a charity that depends on the help of people in the community.

McDonald’s is one of the core sponsors of the RMDH, and it also serves free meals to the families every Friday.

They also have jars in the restaurants where people can give donations to the Ronald McDonald House Charity.

How can we help? Cordoba said: “Donations go a long way with everything we’re trying to do in the operations. We have three different major services accommodations, the meal service which seems to be one of the biggest ones right now.”

“Obviously, we normally don’t have the funds to be feeding families three meals a day. So anything that comes our way helps us in every aspect of it, including the holiday, giving comfort and joy that we are currently running to make sure the families can have as much as normal Christmas as possible.”

If we have healthy children, we are far more blessed than these families. I hope we can join McDonalds and other donors in helping these families to be there for their sick children and premature babies as our act of gratitude for the cross we did not have to carry.

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. *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABSCBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community.

You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos.

HANDWASH FACILITY. San Juan City washes his hands in the new handwashing facility donated under the WASH In Pandemic, Safe Philippines campaign at the Agora Market. The campaign seeks to deliver immediate water access, sanitation, and hygiene under the new normal.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

FTC’s ‘Operation Income Illusion’...

PAGE 2 Besides alerting ethnic media directly, the FTC has posted examples of criminal schemes and tips about how to protect yourself from being victimized on its website in more than a dozen languages (www.ftc. gov/languages), including English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Amharic, Arabic, Dari, French, Russian, Haitian Creole, and Somali.

New in 2020 are COVID-related schemes. The FTC has seen phony cures, phony vaccinations, phony home test kits, and phony research schemes seeking people’s personal information. Now, with real vaccinations starting to become available, the FTC expects new scams (https://tinyurl. com/FTCvaccinescams) and is warning people not to pay out of pocket, put their names on lists, pay for early access, or provide a caller with Social Security or bank account numbers to get a vaccine.

Some scammers mimic traditions from specific communities. One type of rip-off Operation Income Illusion is fighting are savings clubs (https://tinyurl. com/FTCfakeclubs), modeled after West African and Caribbean “sou sous,” in which people who know each other will pool their money and take turns getting a payout. In the Filipino community, the name is “paluwagan.”

Another is phony coach-

ing deals (https://tinyurl. com/FTCcoachingscams), where victims pay for things like real estate seminars, or help in making money on the stock market or online selling.

Investment scams (https://tinyurl.com/FTCinvestmentscams) have been the most costly, but the most common are the work-from-home propositions (https://tinyurl.com/ FTCsellingandpyramids), which sometimes include the victim getting a check in the mail. In these, the fraud is only revealed some time later, after the victim has sent a portion of that money back, or bought and distributed products or gift cards, only to find that the check to pay for them ultimately bounced.

“It’s incredibly important to watch out for any kind of money-making opportunity that involves putting money in and recruiting other people to join. Those people are likely to get hurt,” Daffan said.

Many scams are targeted to specific ethnic communities, such as Moda Latina, which advertised that you could make big money working from home selling jewelry and other luxury products. Victims were sometimes threatened that if they didn’t have a money order ready when a delivery driver showed up with the merchandise, they could be reported and face severe consequences.

But when the boxes were

opened, the contents were far from luxurious: shoddy, not fit to be re-sold, not even worth the cost of the initial purchase.

Some con artists set their sights on specific groups, such as the “Raging Bull” investment scam that targeted seniors, or MOBE, a scam in 2018 that robbed students and veterans of $300 million before it was shut down.

Then there are “pyramid schemes” (https://tinyurl. com/FTCsellingandpyramids). The FTC has identified a few by name, such as: “The Circle Game,” “Blessing Loom” and “Money Board.”

The FTC works with numerous law enforcement agencies in pursuing scam thieves, both domestically and internationally. In some cases, it can recover some of the money victims have lost, but Rhonda Perkins advised that the better strategy is to avoid being scammed (https://tinyurl. com/FTCavoidandreport) in the first place.

If you’re concerned about the wisdom of making a deal someone is offering you, she said, do some research on the company, its reputation, a record of complaints against it.

“Do your research, check out that company’s reputation and talk to other people, people you trust in your community,” Perkins said.

(Mark Hedin/Ethnic Media Services) n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 25-31, 2020

COMMUNITY Journal

11

NVC erroneously sending notices to Filipinos on visa availability Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ DEAR Attorney Gurfinkel: I was born in the Philippines, and in 2015 my mother petitioned me in the F-2B category (unmarried adult child of immigrant). Recently, I received a “Notice of Immigrant Visa Case Creation” from the National Visa Center (NVC), advising I need to log on to the consular electronic application center (CEAC) and start paying fees and submitting documents. It further states that unless I do so within one year, they could terminate my

case.

When I checked the Visa Bulletin, I see they are only processing F-2B priority dates from 2011. Does this mean the NVC is willing to accept and process my case years ahead of time? What should I do?

Very truly yours AG Dear AG: I have had several Filipinos come to my office recently with the same issue: their priority date is not yet current, yet the NVC is already sending notices to them to begin processing their immigrant visa and advising that their failure to do so within one year could result in their case being terminated or shredded.

While I don’t know the actual reason for this, in my opinion, it may be that someone working at the National Visa Center is making a mistake, by not focusing on the fact that you were born in the Philippines and are therefore subject to the priority dates for the Philippines. Instead, they perhaps mistakenly assumed you were born outside the Philippines, where priority dates are “current”. (So you know, a person’s priority date is based on their country of birth).

For example, right now, NVC would be sending these notices to begin visa processing to Filipinos who have priority dates earlier than April 2012. However, for the rest of the world, they would send PAGE 12

‘CITIZEN PINOY’ ANSWERS QUESTIONS FROM KAPAMILYA IN THE PHILIPPINES AND IN CALIFORNIA ON AN ENCORE EPISODE THIS SUNDAY. Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (left) renews his commitment and public service of bringing families together by providing relevant immigration information to Kapamilya. Hildi from Taguig, Metro Manila in the Philippines (top right) asks about the 1997 petition of her father, who died in 2017. The petition finally became current in 2019 and she wonders if there is still hope for her and her adult children to come to America? Jon from Riverside, California (bottom right) is a dual citizen who just returned to the U.S. after spending nine years in the Philippines. He was able to bring his four-year old daughter to the U.S., as she was considered a U.S. citizen at birth. Jon wants to know the fastest way to bring his daughter’s mother to the U.S.: via a fiancée visa or should he marry her first and then petition her as his wife? These questions and more will be answered by Atty. Gurfinkel on the “Parol” (Christmas Lantern) encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy: Your Tanong, My Sagot” this Sunday, December 27 at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

(Advertising Supplement)

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COVID-19: New strain?

Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS A NEW, 70 percent more rapidly transmissible, strain of SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) have been detected in up to three-fourths of cases in the United Kingdom today. PM Boris Johnson has ordered a new and strictest lockdown and travel ban yet in London and Southeast England.

Whether this new strain, a variant, which was first detected in September, is more deadly is still unknown. Is it already in the United States, under the radar currently?

Will the vaccines available today also be effective against this new strain? We do not know yet. Scientists are on it.

Regardless of this new [or another] strain and whether it is amidst us or not, it is prudent for all of us to continue the discipline and behavior of wearing a facemask (or two, like me, plus a neck gaiter because of my vulnerability) whenever we are outside our home, doing social distancing, and minimizing travels and exposure to crowd. Thou shalt not COVID thy neighbors! Looking like Darth Vader is not all bad during the pandemic, especially going to a bank teller asking for money.

Moderna’s vaccine was made available three days ago, following Pfizer-BioNTech’s which has started to get distributed. With the first quarter of a million shots, there were six cases of severe allergic reaction. Hence, people who are given the vaccines are observed for about 30 minutes before being sent home. Some people are also allergic to other types of vaccines, including the Flu vaccine, but the risk and danger of COVID-19 is much worse, and could be deadly, compared to the risk of getting the vaccine.

Are these COVID-19 vaccines safe?

Yes, most definitely. Some fear the vaccine because they feel it has been developed real fast (11 months) when compared to development of past vaccines, like Polio (23 years), the Flu shots (15 years), Chicken Pox and HPV (20 years), Hepatitis B (4 years), and Typhoid (29 years). There was no short-

cut or rushed development.

Proper stages of clinical trials and observation were made. What made it possible was the improved and more rapid technology in vaccine development.

An analogy: Simply because cars today are manufactured more rapidly compared with those of 100 years ago does not mean cars today are less safe. As a matter of fact, cars today are a lot safer and more comfortable with high-tech features, even compared to 55 years ago, when I bought my first car, a Plymouth GTO ($2,400 brand new!). Vaccines today (24 in a million) are safe. Realistically, there is no vaccine or drug or surgical procedure that is guaranteed 100 percent without potential risk because each person is different. What makes sense is to compare the risk of the vaccine with the nature and risk of getting infected with the SARS-CoV2 virus and developing COVID-19.

Does the vaccine confer instant immunity?

No, before and immediately after getting the first shot (52 percent effective), the individual is still not immune to COVID-19 and could get infected when exposed to the virus from another person. The immunity gradually develops, depending on how healthy and efficient the person’s immune system is.

A second shot (95 percent effective) of the vaccine given 21 days later for the PfizerBioNTech version, and 28 days after the first for the Moderna vaccine is needed to achieve the 95 percent plus immunity and effectivity. Missing the second shot will not protect the person from getting COVID-19 infection. It is best to get the second shot. There are five more vaccines in the pipeline (230 around the world), and one of them requires only one shot. The other 4 also require 2 shots.

The second shot three to four weeks later will increase the immunity to its fullest potential. Since these are new vaccines, and science does not yet know everything about it, the individual, after getting the shot, must continue to wear facemask and do social distancing, so long as COVID-19 cases are still around (hopefully not any longer than December 2021 or early 2022). The wise and prudent demeanor of the person after getting the vaccine is to behave as if he/she has

not had the shot yet. Strict medical vigilance (with a bit of paranoia as I have said in the past) should continue till we wipe out the SARS-CoV2 virus and its variants.

How long will the immunity last?

The vaccines are too new to know exactly how long the protection it would confer to recipients. But the clinical observation among those who have recovered from COVID-19 infection, [seems to be that] it appears to continue to protect the person from re-infection, so far. The medical community continues with its clinical observation about the virus, the new strain in the UK, and the effects of the vaccines. Hopefully, the immunity would be long term. The vaccine is our hope around the globe, the beginning of the end of COVID-19.

Which is the worst pandemic?

The Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918 (Avian in origin, lasted 15 months, affecting 500 million) killed 50 million people worldwide and 675,000 in the U.S. The Great Plague of London (1665-1666) killed at least 70,000, a third of the Continent. It is a part of the Black Death in 1347 that resulted in 200 million deaths in Europe, and it lingered for centuries. Smallpox, which was reported about 3,000 years ago, had killed more than 300 million until British doctor Edward Jenner developed the vaccine in 1796.

COVID-19 deaths as of last Monday, December 21, 2020, was around 1.7 million. Seasonal flu kills about 250,000 to 500,000 each year worldwide in various countries, about 60,000 in the U.S. Why is this pandemic getting worse?

Since we, the people, are the vectors (carriers responsible for spreading the SARSCoV2 virus, human-tohuman), we are to blame. The reason why the pandemic is getting worse is obvious and clear: majority of us, generally speaking, have been careless, non-compliant, ignorant or refusing to believe that wearing facemask and social distancing (including avoiding crowds, minimizing travels) are effective in limiting the spread of COVID-19.

Many believe their civil rights – to do whatever they wish – are more important than protecting themselves and the public from this deadly viral disease. The virus can PAGE 15

Angel Locsin, Maja Salvador, Billy Crawford, Liza Soberano, and Enrique Gil. Photos from Instagram/@therealangellocsin,@iammajasalvador, @billycrawford,@lizasoberano)

PH showbiz in 2020: With ABS-CBN’s shutdown, where are its Kapamilyas now?

By Katrina

Hallare Inquirer.net

“THIS is ABS-CBN, now signing off.”

These were the words Peter Musñgi, the man behind the Kapamilya network’s golden voice, said for the last time as the country’s biggest network signed off at exactly 7:52 p.m. on May 5.

This was hours after the National Telecommunications Commission’s (NTC) order to shut down ABSCBN’s operations after its franchise expired a day before.

Two months, 70 lawmakers killed ABS-CBN’s bid for a fresh franchise.

For many of ABS-CBN’s biggest stars, it was a heartbreak hard to bear — with some either making the painful decision to leave the network that they called home, or parting with ABSCBN’s talent arm, Star Magic.

With ABS-CBN’s shut down, where are some of its stars and personalities now?

The Kapamilya stars who left Pokwang One of those who left the

Kapamilya network was comedienne Pokwang.

In an interview with Inquirer Entertainment, Pokwang, or Marietta Subong in real life, revealed that she was not with ABS-CBN anymore.

“I don’t have a contract with ABS-CBN anymore.

The management understands that I also need to make a living. I’m not as rich as the Zobels and the Ayalas,” Pokwang said.

Moving forward, she is now one of the hosts of TV’s talk show “Chika BESH (Basta Everyday Super HapPAGE 13

NVC erroneously sending notices...

PAGE 11 these notices to those who have priority dates earlier than May 2016. Therefore, if you were born outside the Philippines (or Mexico, which is also backlogged), you would already be eligible to begin processing your immigrant visa if you have a 2015 priority date.

However, if you are from the Philippines, you still have several years to go before your 2015 priority date becomes current.

This creates problems for Filipinos. First, many get excited, thinking they are now eligible to be processed for their immigrant visa, even though, in reality, they still have several more years to wait. Second, even though the NVC has clearly made a mistake in sending out these notices prematurely, they could then add insult to injury by terminating the case unless you respond within one year.

I would suggest you notify

the NVC IN WRITING, such as by email, that you were born in the Philippines and your priority date is not yet current, and that they should classify you in the proper visa category for the Philippines and not terminate your case.

Make sure you save copies of your correspondence to them and their acknowledgment, just in case they go ahead and terminate the case by mistake.

I also hope someone at the NVC becomes aware of this problem and notifies either their employees or contractors that the Philippines is years behind the rest of the world in terms of the waiting time for various family petitions.

If this situation applies to you, you may want to consult with an attorney who can make sure your case is properly classified and protected against erroneous termination and shredding by the NVC. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an

attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different, and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and reenactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

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

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 25-31, 2020

The unsinkable Martin-Pops tandem

By Ricky Lo Philstar.com

THROUGH the years, we have been the insatiable witnesses to what has become the most exciting spectator show this side of showbiz — yes, The Martin & Pops Show whose ups and downs, and ins and outs are being laid bare for, ehem, gossipmongers to gobble up with gusto (burp, burp!!!), dished out in rollercoaster, Ferris Wheel fashion. Everything is for real, no scripts, no cuts, no nothing.

So what else is there about un-couple Martin Nievera and Pops Fernandez that you and I don’t know?

“That we can exist together even if we are not together,” said Martin who has found a new love (not the mom of his son Santino). “The point is exes should get along. For several years now, Pops and I have been co-parenting our sons Robin and Ram. Viewers can learn nice lessons, magic lessons, after every episode.”

Pops could only say “Amen!” to that. It’s Pops and good friend Joji Dingcong who are the producers, together with another show, Louie O Live with Robin Nievera, which premieres on the same channel tomorrow night at 9 o’clock, with Robin directing both shows.

“Actually,” revealed Joji, “we pitched four shows and all of them were approved, thanks to the station’s supportive big bosses Robert Galang and MVP. The two other shows are scheduled next year yet.”

According to Louie O(campo), his show with

Nadine Lustre

Robin will be “raw, different and organic,” with guest musicians (Jose Mari Chan in the maiden episode) not only singing their songs but also talking about the back stories. The show comes full circle with three generations of Nieveras (patriarch Bert who could have appeared as guest if he were alive, Martin and Robin).

Besides the “nice and magic lessons,” what’s interesting about eXes & whYs is the lineup of guests.

“I would love to have Brad Pitt on the show,” wished Martin. “Our guests could be anybody sikat or not sikat who has interesting stories to tell.

The show will be something like Penthouse Live (of yesteryear where Martin and Pops first met. —RFL).”

“Ako, I would love to have Sharon (Cuneta) as guest,” said Pops.

To make it more exciting, why don’t they invite their own exes?

“Hey,” Martin exclaimed, “that’s a great concept!”

Pops, addressing Martin,

Photo from Instagram/@nadine

“Mas marami kang exes!”

Martin replied, “We need more furniture for that. Great idea!”

Pops said, “Maybe we can invite Derek (Ramsay) so he can explain everything.”

(Pops was wrongly mentioned as the cause of Derek’s breakup with Andrea Torres.)

“The truth,” Martin joked, “is that I was the cause of the break-up. I have better abs than Derek.”

Seriously now, what tips could they give “un-couples” who should be “coupling” again?

Martin: “Pops and I are okay because we have remained friends. Our foundation is friendship and that’s the most important thing.”

Pops: “Everything takes time to heal. You cannot escape that process. Go through the sadness, the hurt and the pain but don’t linger on them, don’t enjoy them. After that, move on ka na. Forget everything that happened because if you keep recalling them, they will pull you down.”

Martin: “Let it go!”

Why Aubrey is supporting online plant sellers

By Ricky Lo Philstar.com

Aubrey Miles Photo from Instagram_@milesaubrey

ACTRESS and certified plantita Aubrey Miles is showing tremendous support for online plant sellers.

Miles is giving these fellow plant lovers the love because she is inspired by online plant sellers’ stories, she explained in her Instagram post yesterday, Dec. 19.

“I know you’ve been seeing me supporting a lot of new online sellers, especially now that shipments are starting to open again,” she said. “Signs that somehow

prices of plants will slowly normalize. Maybe it’ll take years but for sure it will happen one day.”

“Anyway, I do support nurseries like [Arid & Aroids] because they’re one of the pioneers,” she said, adding that she’s known them since she started her plant collection. “I think most of you understand it. Most reputable and trusted of collectors and sellers too.”

Miles also appreciates online sellers because they had different jobs and stories before the pandemic.

“This wasn’t their main PAGE 15

PH showbiz in 2020...

PAGE 11 py)” alongside Ria Atayde and Pauleen Luna. Aside from this, she also hosts another TV5 show, “Fill in the Bank” with Jose Manalo.

“Right now, my contract is on a per-show basis,” Pokwang stressed.

Maja Salvador Maja Salvador, who starred in ABS-CBN’s most successful teleseryes such as “Wildflower” and “The Killer Bride”, also crossed over to the Kapatid network.

These days, Salvador is one of the presenters of TV5’s Sunday variety show “Sunday Noontime Live” (SNL) with beauty queen Catriona Gray, Jake Ejercito, Donny Pangilinan, and Piolo Pascual.

But Salvador, in an Instagram post back in September, somehow hoped her fans would still support her despite the move to TV5.

“Mga kapamilya, sasamahan ko po muna ang aking tatay na si. MR.M kaya sana wag po kayo magulat kung makikita niyo akong lumabas sa ibang network at patuloy makapagbigay ligaya sa inyo kahit sa anong paraan at plataporma.”

(Kapamilyas, I will join Mr. M so I hope you won’t be surprised if you see me in another network and continue to give joy to you through a different platform.)

Mr. M is Johnny Manahan, co-founder of Star Magic and veteran TV and live show director. Manahan is now also the director of “SNL”.

It was also through Manahan that Brightlight Productions, TV5’s most recent blocktimer, that many of ABS-CBN’s stars were featured in different shows under the Kapatid network.

Though making the tough decision, Salvador said that switching networks would somehow help people who were displaced by the pandemic “A big part of why I said ‘yes’ was because I wanted to help people displaced by the pandemic and the network shutdown get back up again,” she said in a media gathering.

“I’m thankful to Mr. M for trusting me,” she added.

Ted Failon Not only did ABS-CBN lose some of its brightest stars and employees, but also some of its longtime faces of broadcasting journalism.

Ted Failon, who has been with ABS-CBN for 30 years, bade adieu to the network as he also crossed over to TV5’s Radyo Singko 92.3 FM. On his last day, Failon could not help but be emotional as he looked back on his journey with the Kapamilya network.

“Mahal na mahal ko ang radyo, alisin niyo na lahat sa akin, ‘wag lang ang radyo. Bata pa lang ako talagang gusto ko na maging radio announcer. I fell in love with radio since I was a child,” Failon recalled as he once turned down a job as a TV anchor.

(I really love radio. Take everything from me, but not radio. Since I was a child, I’ve always wanted to be a radio announcer.)

These days, the veteran journalist, along with cohost DJ Chacha, now hosts “Ted Failon at DJ Chacha sa Radyo5.” Failon added that he could not be certain whether he would be back on television, saying he wants to focus on radio for now.

“I want to be able to watch my grandkids grow and kiss them when they wake up in the morning,” he told Inquirer in an interview.

“I’ve come to a point in my life and career when I want more time for myself.”

Billy Crawford TV host Billy Crawford also found it hard to leave ABS-CBN. At one point, he let his tears flow as he told his friend, comedian Vice Ganda, how much he valued their friendship.

During their conversation, Vice hinted that Crawford was set to transfer to another network — which was later revealed to be TV5.

“I love you at gagalingan mo sa mga gagawin mong trabaho at alam mo, sa pamilya, ‘di ba, sa pamilya meron kang kapatid na lilipat ng bahay (I love you, and do well in the work you will do and you know that with family, you will have a sibling who will move away),” Vice told Crawford, his former “It’s Showtime” co-host.

“Pero hindi porke’t lilipat siya ng bahay, hindi mo na siya kapatid, hindi mo na siya kapamilya. Hindi mo na siya mahal (But just because they move to another place, that does not mean you are no longer siblings, you are no longer family. That you

13

no longer love them),” the comedian added.

Crawford now hosts TV5’s noontime variety show “Lunch Out Loud”, as well “Masked Singer Philippines.”

For Crawford, he says that ratings and competition between TV networks is not a big deal these days, as the opportunity to work is what matters the most.

“I think, we all speak on behalf of every artist na lumipat o pumunta dito. We’re really just trying to spread humility as well and just be humbled na we are here and we are still given the opportunity to work,” Crawford said in a press conference.

“So the playing field para sa mga ratings, parang ‘yun ‘yung last na iniisip namin,” he added.

The Kapamilya stars who remained Angel Locsin And while there were stars who chose to leave ABS-CBN, there were also those who remained a Kapamilya — one of which was Angel Locsin.

The actress, who has been vocal in support of her network’s fight for a franchise permit, was also undaunted in calling out her fellow celebrities who remained silent in the wake of ABS-CBN’s shutdown.

“Sa mga kapwa kong artistang hindi nagsasalita, may career pa ba kayo?

Wala na kayong network!” she said in a noise barrage outside ABS-CBN headquarters in Quezon City last July.

(To my fellow actors who are not speaking, do you still have a career? You don’t have a network anymore!)

“Kahit magpa-cute kayo diyan sa Instagram, nagsend kayo ng mga sad face, hindi n’yo nadadamayan ang mga katrabaho n’yo na dahilan kung bakit kayo sumikat!”

(Even if you try to look cute on Instagram, sending a sad face, you are not sympathizing with your fellow workers who are the reason why you became famous.)

Locsin, who was hailed as one of this year’s “Leaders of Tomorrow” by Tatler Asia’s Gen T list, currently hosts the inspirational program “Iba ‘Yan” aired on the Kapamilya channel and A2Z, ABS-CBN’s joint venture with Zoe Broadcasting Network through a block time agreement.

PAGE 15

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14

DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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people events arts culture entertainment

Dissecting the classic Noche Buena spread I

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA / AJPress

F the long list of Christmas trends and traditions were any indication, Filipinos love celebrating the yuletide season. Be it decorating the house with lanterns and ornaments as early as the Ber months begin, going Christmas caroling, or completing the 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 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 b e ing able to share the feast with your family, bonding over good food, stories, and love.

AJPress illustration by Jillian Peñalosa

Andi and Philmar are engaged!

By NEiL

NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY

EVERYDAY

9:00am - 11:00am

ARWiN MERcADo Inquirer.net

ACTRESS Andi Eigenmann and surfer Philmar Alipayo are now engaged!

In an Instagram post Sunday, December 19 Eigenmann shared a photo of her and Alipayo with her engagement ring.

“I never thought about how my engagement would go because quite honestly, PAGE 15

Andi Eigenmann and Philmar Alipayo

Photo from Instagram_@andieigengirl

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 25-31, 2020

Bea on what’s the score with John Lloyd: ‘I’m always in love with him’

By Niña

V. GuNo

Inquirer.net

BEA Alonzo opened up on her love life in a vlog, answering questions about past relationships — and if she has one at present.

The actress got candid with celebrity dermatologist Aivee Aguilar-Teo in a video shot in October, Alonzo’s birth month, but was only released last Wednesday, Dec. 16.

One of the questions that probed into Alonzo’s love life was if she was ever in love with screen partner John Lloyd Cruz.

“I’m always in love with him. I feel like our partnership will never work if I was not in love with him. So nandoon lagi iyon (it’s always there),” she said.

She explained that their relationship had gone through all the levels it could have.

“We were friends, we were enemies, we were almost lovers,” she related.

“Iyong relationship namin, nata-transcend niya na iyong level of just romance (Our relationship transcends the level of just romance).”

“Now, he’s more than just that to me. That’s the beauty of it,” she added. “Maybe

Bea Alonzo

I’m also in love with the idea of what we are.”

When Aguilar-Teo asked if she meant the idea of them as a couple, Alonzo clarified, “Parang hindi mo alam kung ano siya (It’s like you don’t know what it is), and I’m in love with that idea.”

The doctor to the stars asked if there was a possibility of falling in love with Cruz again. Alonzo reiterated that she is always in love with him, but noted, “Sometimes, love is not enough.

There’s more to a relationship than just love.”

Alonzo also revealed which ex she would get back with and said that it would be Zanjoe Marudo.

“My relationship with Zanjoe lasted for six years. Until now we’re good friends.

I’m friends with the family,”

Photo from Instagram_@beaalonzo

Alonzo said. “Kung pag-uusapan ay (If we are talking about) good memories, it has to be with him.”

She admitted that she has only ever gotten back with one ex. Alonzo briefly dated co-star Gerald Anderson in 2010. There were speculations that they were an item in 2017, and by July 2019, Alonzo confirmed their breakup.

When asked if she is currently dating, Alonzo quipped, “I’m dating. And guys, if you’re interested, you can just comment below. Leave your number, char.”

The “One More Chance” star has been linked to actor Dominic Roque, though both have been tight-lipped about their relationship status.

Why Aubrey is supporting...

PAGE 12 source of income. I admire what they’re doing now.

Can you imagine most of them started their plant business during lockdown?” she said.

Miles is happy that most online sellers are doing brisk sales now, all because

of their hard work and perseverance.

“No wonder they’re so many online plant sellers now. Because they inspire each other. You know that saying ‘If you can do it, I can do it, too,’” she added.

“Building a good business in a matter of months is

pretty impressive. Tama ba?

Galing ‘di ba? Mahal man or mura ang halaman lahat tayo working hard.”

(Isn’t that right? Isn’t that great? Whether a plant is expensive or not, we are all working hard.)

“I have to admit it’s motivating,” Miles said.

Andi and Philmar are engaged...

PAGE 14 I didn’t think I’d have one.

It would’ve been ok regardless, but it did happen,” Eigenmann said.

“And it happened the way I wanted it and so much more,” she added.

According to Eigenmann, the engagement was “nothing grand,” “unprompted,” “simple,” and “sincere.”

“That’s us. That’s him.

That is how I want the rest of my life to be. I am over the moon, so stoked to be spending it with you my ma-

hal,” Eigenmann said.

In a vlog posted Sunday, the couple also shared about their engagement.

“After a few moments of silence, Papa (Alipayo) started whispering nice things to me about our life together and our growing family… He doesn’t normally talk about his feelings a lot so I was surprised,” the text in their vlog reads.

Later in the video, Alipayo asked Eigenmann to marry him.

“From my whole heart,

I am asking you if you will marry me,” Alipayo said, as he pulled out the ring from his pocket and kneeled before a crying Eigenmann.

The couple earlier announced that they are finally going to have their “little happy islandBOY” next month.

The boy will be Eigenmann’s second child with the pro surfer, just a little over a year after Lilo was born. The two first revealed that they were expecting another baby back in August.

PH showbiz in 2020...

PAGE 13 Kathryn Bernardo While she was fighting for her mother network, Kathryn Bernardo once again talked about politics — a topic which, she said, had a “traumatic” experience with as she and her family I were attacked for it.

“Pero ngayon, andito ako kasi pakiramdam, ko kailangan. Pakiramdam ko kahit walang kasiguraduhan na marinig ‘to, at least may ginawa ako. Pakiramdam ko, kailangan kong maging boses ng iba,” Bernardo previously said.

(But now, I am here because I feel it is needed. I feel that even if there is no certainty that this will be heard, at least I did something. I feel that I need to be the voice of others.)

But as her network was not granted a franchise, Bernardo said she chose to stay with ABS-CBN out of gratitude.

“Ito ‘yung way ko para pasalamatan ‘yung network sa kung ano ang meron ako ngayon. Lahat ng blessing namin ay dahil sa kompanya,” the young actress then said in a press conference for hers and Daniel Padilla’s digital series, “The House Arrest of Us.” It was all thanks to ABSCBN that made Bernardo the star that she is today — from her child actress days until she reached “Phenomenal Box Office Queen” status.

Bernardo felt that she made a wise decision on choosing to stay as a Ka-

pamilya, as she feels ABSCBN’s toughest times are actually the times where the network needed her the most.

Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil One of ABS-CBN’s most popular love teams “LizQuen”, consisting of Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil, is not going anywhere despite being offered projects from GMA, TV5 and entertainment company Viva, manager Ogie Diaz assured.

Diaz, in his YouTube channel last August, even said that ABS-CBN was not willing to let go of the reelto-real couple, and that the network will do what they can to keep the love teams.

“May ginagawa sila para maitawid ang mga love teams na pinoprotektahan nila, sinesecure nila,” Diaz said.

(They are doing things for the love teams that they are protecting, that they are securing, so they could get by.)

At one point, ABS-CBN issued a statement standing

by Soberano after she was warned by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. to withdraw her support of women’s group Gabriela, which, he claims, is part of a terrorist organization.

Soberano, in her own words, said that she was remaining a Kapamilya.

“That is true I have received offers and I’m grateful for them but I told my

15

manager Tito Ogie that for now, I want to be here and support ABS-CBN, especially at a time like this,” she previously said in an interview over ANC’s “Headstart.”

“I think what they need is unity and they need to see that they are supported by the people that have been there with them since the beginning.”

Enchong Dee Enchong Dee is also one of the stars that ABS-CBN was able to keep.

Last Dec. 4, the 32-yearold actor was one of the artists who renewed their contracts with Star Magic, ABS-CBN News reported.

But despite staying, Dee believes that the loyalty of Kapamilya artists shouldn’t be questioned when he/she decides to stay with the beleaguered network or find work to rival networks.

Dee also said that the fact he decided not to accept any work from rival networks does not make him any better than other ABS-CBN artists who chose to do so.

“One of the things that I realized was that it’s not right to judge people in relation to loyalty at a time like the present. A lot of my colleagues are breadwinners,” Dee said in a press conference for a financial services company.

“You can’t take away from them the opportunity to work elsewhere, especially now that we’re battling a pandemic and our home network has shut down,” he added.

COVID-19: New strain...

PAGE 12 access our body only through the eyes, nose, mouth, and wounded skin. If we cover all those access points PROPERLY, we significantly (or even totally) prevent the entry of the virus. If there is poison gas in the room we are in, what do we do to prevent death? Wear a gas mask or get out of the room. It is plain common sense. If we do not behave with intelligence and wisdom, this pandemic will linger and the virus will have more chances to mutate and develop a deadlier version for its own survival. Sometimes, I suspect, the virus is less arrogant and smarter than many of us.

Should we get the vaccine?

My wife, who is a retired

pediatrician, and I will definitely get the vaccine as early as possible. My daughters, sons-in-law, my son, who are physicians themselves and front-liners, have gotten their shots. While there are potential risks, the value of the vaccine outweighs them when it comes to preserving life.

This is an educated decision we must make, based on science, and not on a political, social, or religious one. After all, our life is our own. Just a reminder, though: it is the only one we have, and there is no spare in the trunk.

To one and all, and to the world, a very Merry Christmas, and hopefully, a COVIDless(er) Happy New Year! *** The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people

live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life.

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

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DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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