061220 - New York & New Jersey Edition

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JUNE 12 - 18, 2020 Volume 13 - No. 32 • 16 Pages 133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, NY 11354 • 2500 Plaza S. Harborside Financial Center, Jersey City, NJ 07311 • Tel. (212) 655-5426 • Fax: (818) 502-0858

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

Palace: Public interest on anti-terror bill DATELINE USA Community members will push Duterte to study it ‘even closer’ from the AJPress NEWS TEAM across America

celebrate Filipino resilience during COVID-19 pandemic

scrutinize the measure “even closer.”

“Let’s just say that the public interest on the bill will make the President review the proviMALACAÑANG on Wednesday, June 10, sions of the bill even closer,” said presidential said the protests against the anti-terrorism spokesperson Harry Roque in an interview bill would push President Rodrigo Duterte to with ABS-CBN News Channel’s Headstart.

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

After nearly three months of lockdown coupled with the highest coronavirus death toll in the United States, New York City began Phase 1 of a four-part reopening plan on Monday, June 8, which also marked Day 100 since the first COVID-19 case in the cit “Why are we reopening? Because these numbers say we can. It’s no guess. There’s no ideology. Based on the numbers, we can reopen. We are doing more tests than any state in the United States,” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “We’re doing more tests than any country on the globe per capita. That’s why I have confidence saying to 19 million people

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by Momar

G. Visaya

by Momar

G. Visaya

AJPress

SET FOR PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY. The Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite is all set for the 122nd anniversary of the declaration of Philippine Independence. The Aguinaldo Shrine is where General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed independence from Spanish rule on June 12, 1898.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Philippine Independence Day Weathering two storms festivities go virtual this year at once: Managing a

AJPress

by AJPress

TRAVEL and tourism are among the economic sectors badly hit by Covid 19 and as the rest of the world prepares to reopen and countries are working hard to get their respective economies back on track, all eyes are focused on how recovery can be done.

In the Philippines, industry officials are confident that the country can get back on its feet.

“We share the optimism of the United

FRIDAY, June 12 marks the 122nd Anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence.

Instead of the annual in-person commemorations, from parades to galas in Filipino American communities across the United States, celebrations of “Araw ng Kalayaan” are going virtual this year due to the pandemic.

This year’s Independence Day cel-

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New York City enters Phase 1 of reopening

2020 has proven to be a year when the primordial demand for human connection and empathy is at an all time high. Even though recent divisive events and brutalities upset efforts to reach unity in the era of physical distancing, communities like the Filipino American community aim to bridge cultural gaps, particularly in the world of mental health.

Every Friday of the month of May, the Los Angeles-based Filipino American non-profit organization Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) hosted a weekly webinar series called “Filipino Fridays,” which discussed a variety of issues related to mental health, leadership and the importance of community strength in midst of economic, political and emotional precarity.

In the U.S., May is observed as both Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, a coupling that is befitting to discuss and unravel the deep stigmas held strongly by the Asian American community.

The final “Filipino Friday” meeting on May 29 — called Bridging Our Journey — brought

PH tourism industry gears up for recovery

On Tuesday, June 9 Malacañang confirmed that it has received a copy of the controversial bill.

When asked about the possibility of Duterte allowing the bill to lapse into law, Roque

ebration, bearing the theme “Kalayaan 2020: Tungo sa Bansang Malaya, Nagtutulungan, at Ligtas (Freedom 2020: Towards a Free, United, and Safe Nation), will be marked with a virtual flag-raising ceremony by all of the Philippine Diplomatic Missions in the U.S. on Friday at 3 p.m.

(PST) on the Philippine Embassy in Washington’s Facebook page (facebook.com/PHinUSA).

“As we reflect on the significance

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revolution in a pandemic

by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

THERE’S no getting around it: times are tough on all fronts.

The current appraisal of law enforcement as we know it that is forcing the United States to redefine law, order and justice continues to per-

meate local, state and even federal bureaucracies in a way that prior Black Lives Matter-centered protests haven’t before.

Like all consequential political movements, this revolution is comprehensive.

But the other battle that 2020 found itself in, the CO-

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JUNE 12-18, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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From the Front Page

New York City enters Phase 1 of...

PAGE 1 that we can do this.”

The numbers that Cuomo mentioned refer to the number of tests (at least 58,000 per day) done across the state, averaging 1.2% positive, the lowest level recorded since March 16.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the city has successfully flattened the curve and chalked up hard-won progress against the virus as he urged New Yorkers.

“Let’s hold onto it. Let’s build on it,” he said.

New York City was placed under a stay–at–home order on March 22 to arrest the further spread of the virus.

As long as there is no spike in cases, the reopening will move to the next phase, which includes outdoor dining, salons and barbershops, among others.

The city has been the epicenter of the crisis with 205,000 people infected and 22,000 lives lost since the pandemic began.

About 400,000 people were expected to be back in

the city to return to their offices and places of work. City officials have set restrictions designed to protect employees and workers from being infected with the virus.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy lifted the stay–at–home order put in place last March.

The state’s reopening plan is moving forward to its second stage, which means that nonessential retail will be able to allow customers inside as early as next week.

Murphy said that New Jersey’s record of newly infected people and deaths in recent weeks have vastly improved since the order was issued on March 21.

More than 12,300 people have died and more than 164,700 have been infected in New Jersey, the second most affected state after New York. The empire state continues to be the epicenter of the outbreak in the country with more than 379,500 confirmed cases and 30,458 deaths so far.

At his regular media briefing on Tuesday, June 9,

Murphy asked residents to continue to be responsible and safe as more businesses set reopening dates.

“When you do go out, please continue to wear face coverings and keep a social distance from others, whenever possible,” he said.

Stores previously deemed nonessential have been cleared to reopen for delivery and curbside pickup, similar to the set up of restaurants operating across the city.

Construction, manufacturing and wholesale trade have also received the goahead to resume work.

Plenty of stores, particularly in midtown Manhattan, are still boarded up after looters ransacked several retailers in Soho and Upper East Side.

“This is the place where it was going to be the hardest to make a comeback, and yet New York City is so strong and resilient, we are making that comeback,” de Blasio said.

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Philippine Independence Day...

PAGE 1 of this year’s celebration, it is equally important to recognize the various ways and opportunities by which we can rally our communities to support and uplift one another during this unprecedented time of crisis,” Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel G. Romualdez said in a statement.

The occasion will also be a way to pay tribute to the Filipino and Filipino

American front-liners, from doctors, nurses, medical professionals and essential workers, providing care and services amid COVID-19.

These individuals are “making tremendous sacrifices for our health and safety in the Philippines, the United States and in the Caribbean. May we draw inspiration from them as we move forward through this difficult time with the resiliency, dedication, and heart that Filipinos are known for,”

the ambassador added.

Friday’s event will also feature performances by Broadway Barkada’s Ester Barroso-Guerzon and Roy Flores.

The Fil-Am community in New York, which annually mounts a parade and festival along Madison Avenue, is shifting its event online as well with virtual performances by guest artists on Friday through the Philippine Independence Day

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Palace: Public interest on anti-terror...

PAGE 1 answered: “The President did certify (it) as urgent so he agrees with the principal author of the bill, Senator Ping Lacson, that there is a need for the law.”

The anti-terrorism bill, which seeks to strengthen the Human Security Act of 2007, grants any law enforcer the capacity to arrest and detain without warrant “a person suspected of committing any of the acts” punishable under the measure for 14 calendar days, extendable by 10 days.

The suspected “terrorist” can also be placed under surveillance for 60 days, extendable by up to 30 more days, by the police or the military.

Acts punishable under the bill include: • Engaging in acts intended to cause death or serious bodily injury to any person, or endangers a person’s life; • Engaging in acts intended to cause extensive damage or destruction to a government or public facility, public place, or private property; • Engaging in acts in-

tended to cause extensive interference with, damage, or destr uction to critical infrastructure; • Developing, manufacturing, possessing, acquiring, transporting, supplying or using weapons; and • Releasing of dangerous substances, or causing fire, floods or explosions.

A n y p er s o n w h o w i l l propose, incite, conspire, participate in the planning, training, preparation, and facilitation of a terrorist act; as well as those who will provide material support to terrorists, and recruit members in a terrorist organization will also be penalized by life imprisonment without the benefit of parole.

Meanwhile, anyone who will threaten to commit terrorism, and those who will propose any terroristic acts or incite others to commit terrorism will suffer imprisonment of 12 years.

This also goes for anyone who w i l l voluntar i ly and knowingly join any organization, association or group of persons knowing that such is

a terrorist organization.

Senator Francis “K iko” Pa ng i l i na n, who voted against the passage of the bill, pointed out that the bill’s vague provisions leave it prone to abuse.

“Given the authoritarian bent of the current administration... when these excesses are happening, who is to be confident that this law will not be abused or used to go after critics?” he said Wednesday in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel.

He also cited the cases of Sen. Leila De Lima as well as ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno who are both critics of Duterte and his drug war.

“T he 6,000 [deat hs in] police encounters in drug war, they were said to have fought arrest. Then one who may be detained for 24 days under the anti-terrorism bill, they may also be accused of fighting back that’s why they would be killed,” Pangilinan continued in Filipino.

“That is what we are afraid of,” he added. n

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Weathering two storms at once...

PAGE 1 VID-19 pandemic, persists in the background, rendering an arduous global theater that requires careful attention and cautious methodology: a virus doesn’t take days off for revolution.

That being said, the two storms the world has found itself in has opened up the door for a bevy of health problems.

As Dr. Tung Nguyen of the University of California, San Francisco put it in a press briefing on Friday, June 5, these tumultuous times remind “us that the morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19 include a worsening of other health problems due to competing priorities.”

At the press briefing — which was hosted by Ethnic Media Services and focused on the two-pronged crisis centered mainly in the U.S. — experts discussed the myriad of ways in which the protests, police brutality and civil unrest are contributing to the mounting health crisis.

“The underlying causes of health disparities are the social determinants of health, and they include poverty, education, environment and health care access,” Nguyen continued, equating racism to physical viral infections that cause detriment to the body and mind. “We know that racism is often thought to be one of these determinants as well because we know that chronic exposure to racism causes the body to change adversely through the release of stress hormones and neurotransmitters.”

The racism, in this case, involves the disturbing pattern of police using brute, fatal force against unarmed Black individuals. The recent killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd have catalyzed protests across the world, forcing governments to reckon with the deeply-rooted racism that continues to pulse through agencies designed to protect the public.

Besides the known damaging effects of systemic racism and bias, the protests themselves have also brought forth new health concerns. Recently, health experts like Nguyen have advised against the use of tear gas, which police squads across the country have been throwing at protesters to quell the demonstrations.

A 22-year-old woman in Ohio died on May 28 from exposure to tear gas and pepper spray “discharged by police” at a protest two days before, the woman’s father told the local coroner’s office, according to a New York Post report.

There have been 1.8 million infections and more than 107,000 deaths related to the COVID-19 virus in the U.S. as of Tuesday, June 9.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), those numbers are expected to skyrocket as more and more parts of the country begin re-opening and protests continue without following social distance guidelines.

Following those variables, the CDC predicts between 118,000 to 243,000 deaths

by June 27, before most vaccines will be ready to advance to testing phases.

Currently, there are 17 vaccines for the COVID-19 virus undergoing human trials, including an early vaccine called Moderna, which is expected to the third phase of testing before health experts determine its efficacy.

But Nguyen noted that testing for the Moderna vaccine isn’t expected until well into July.

Nguyen noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has put into sharp relief the existing impairments in the American health care system, brought on by politics that inhibit the possibility of an equitable system of care.

“In my view, [the pandemic] has severely stressed all our dysfunctional systems — the health, economic, legal and political — to their limits and broke them,” Nguyen remarked. “We can no longer pretend that they are good enough, and they were never good enough except for those of us who enjoy [the] privilege.”

The construct of racism that has infiltrated institutions, bureaucracies and everyday encounters is all-encompassing. You can’t talk about unemployment, poor education, food insecurity and climate change without bringing up racial disparities and the disproportionality of black and brown Americans to suffer from these flawed systems, Nguyen said.

“Racism is a disease and police brutality is a disease vector, much like the job of a physician and in public health interventionists are the same: control the vectors and eradicate the dis-

ease,” Nguyen said.

Eradicating a disease like racism, to most people, feels like a fool’s errand. Racism as a social construct has been around since the beginning of civilization, and although contemporary society can largely agree that racism is bad, pinpointing the finer ways that racism seeps into nearly every space of modern life has become more muddled.

In national public health and safety crises, empathy plays an enormous role, but when these crises largely target the Black community, empathy isn’t guaranteed, according to Jody D. Armour, the Roy P. Crocker Professor of Law at the University of Southern California.

As a professor specializing in racial injustice, Armour discussed the phenomenon of in-group empathy bias wherein the care and empathy directed towards one group isn’t directed to other groups of society.

Armour referenced the lack of urgency among health and disaster agencies regarding Hurricane Katrina.

It took days for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to respond to the majority-Black communities that found their homes destroyed and lives in danger, but instances like 9/11 triggered “a panic of empathy” and immediate relief.

“It happens on a neuronal level and it’s not even conscious a lot of the time, but the bottom line is we have relative indifference to the suffering of those who don’t belong to our in-group,” Armour explained.

In addition to supplementing the immediate courses of action that activists are advocating for — reallocating police budgets to homelessness, education and other public services that directly benefit lower-income communities of color — comprehensive cultural reckoning and undoing have to occur at the community level first.

The Asian American community isn’t detached from the conversation of systemic anti-Black racism.

John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, stressed the importance of standing up for the Black American community as Asians, a group that has “not always stood up for the African American community in this cause.”

As the Asian Journal has extensively written, news

FLYOVER CONSTRUCTION. A worker performs welding jobs in the ongoing construction of a flyover in Bacoor, Cavite on Tuesday, June 9. Once finished, the flyover will ease traffic and provide convenience for both motorists and commuters in the area.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

New York City enters Phase 1 of...

PAGE 2 Louis Bayla is thankful that the city has set parameters for reopening. A chef at Little Park, a restaurant in Tribeca, Bayla is grateful for the tremendous amount of support from the community but he is also a bit wary.

“It is nerve-wracking since New York has been a bit of a war zone. It is great that we are protesting for positive changes but I worry about a second wave,” Bayla told the Asian Journal. “We are also on edge with looters and vandals.”

He believes that the restaurant and hospitality industries in the city can learn a thing or two from the rest of the country as far as reopening is concerned, like Florida and Georgia.

“We can learn from their mistakes and be better,” he said.

Among the retail businesses authorized to reopen for curbside and in-store pick up are the following: clothing stores, direct selling establishments, electronics and appliance stores, furniture and home furnishing stores, florists, general merchandise stores, health and personal care stores, jewelry, luggage, and leathcoverage of the COVID-19 pandemic has fomented racism and discrimination targeted at the Asian American community. Microaggressions, bullying, Zoom bombs and in some cases violence has plagued the community, kickstarting many social media campaigns by Asian Americans to bring awareness to the issue and to come up with solutions to mitigate anti-Asian sentiments.

That being said, it would

Governor Andrew Cuomo rides a 7 train from Court Square, 23rd Street station to Grand Central.

Photo from the Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo

er goods stores, sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument and bookstores and other miscellaneous store retailers The MTA has put in place a 13-point action plan to ensure safe reopening. Hand sanitizers are now available in subway stations, which will continue to be sanitized overnight along with the trains and buses.

There will also be floor markings, directional arrows and new signage to help with social distancing. The updated rules will be posted in stations and face cover-

ings will be mandatory, although anyone not wearing a mask in mass transit will be provided one.

“Not only are we back, but we went from the worst situation in the nation - frankly, one of the worst situations on the globe - to not only flattening the curve, but to bending the curve,” said Cuomo, who took a ride on the 7 train from Court Square in Queens to Grand Central.

“The city now has to prove that it really knows what it’s doing, that it can still be a dense city like New York and yet figure this out.” n

be at odds to ignore the current and ongoing fight to end police brutality, and Asian Americans who’ve previously neglected to stand with the Black community should now show solidarity, Yang said.

“That has to change,” Yang said. He referenced Tou Thao, the HmongAmerican officer who stood by and didn’t intervene with the officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck as he died, and how Thao’s be-

havior highlights the flawed racial dynamics within the Asian American community.

(Thao was later charged with aiding and abetting seconddegree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.)

“We recognize that there is racism within our own community and that we recognize that is part of systemic racism, so part of the solution is having those hard conversations with our own community,” Yang shared.

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 12-18, 2020

Features

Opinion

A continuing trade AMID the pandemic, President Rodrigo Duterte is again fulminating against the priority targets of his administration: drug dealers. In his address to the nation last week, the President reiterated his promise to kill drug traffickers.

The statement was prompted by a series of shabu busts conducted by law enforcers even amid various levels of lockdowns imposed nationwide to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. A day before the President’s warning, a police raid on a house in Marilao, Bulacan led to the confiscation of 756 kilos of shabu valued at P5.1 billion.

Perhaps the COVID-19 quarantine and the consequent widespread loss of livelihoods made the illegal but highly lucrative drug trade more attractive. Despite the President’s reiteration of his warning, police on Saturday afternoon seized another 36 kilos of shabu with an estimated street value of P244.8 million in Tambo, Parañaque. Chinese suspect Jin Long Cai and his Filipino companion Danny Apiga were shot dead in the sting.

Where do such massive amounts of prohib-

ited drugs come from? Methamphetamine hydrochloride can be manufactured in home laboratories, but the precursor drugs need to be imported. The biggest source of both precursors and finished shabu has been China.

The former head of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Aaron Aquino, had openly lamented that one of the weakest links in the war on illegal drugs is the Bureau of Customs.

Aquino had pointed to the biggest drug hauls of the PDEA, with the contraband brought in right through the country’s ports. Either BOC personnel are sleeping on the job or are in cahoots with the drug traffickers. Authorities must find out, and determine if any crooked officials may be involved in the continuing shabu trafficking operations.

Authorities must also tighten screening of the entry of Chinese nationals, who for some time have enjoyed the privilege of obtaining tourist visas on arrival in the Philippines and then disappearing from the state’s radar. Even their own government is looking for Chinese lawbreakers, wherever they may be in the world.

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

The illegal drug trade is hugely profitable, and traffickers rarely take a rest. With law enforcers busy enforcing quarantine rules, the

traffickers should not be allowed to take advantage of the pandemic to grow their business.

(Philstar.com)

Dear Filipinos in America: It is time to let go of fanaticism and call out Trump for betraying his oath to the Constitution

The Fil-Am Perspective Gel Santos-Relos PRO-LIFE. Anti-abortion.

Anti-illegal immigration.

Rule of law. Conservatism.

Christian faith and values.

Lower taxes. Fiscal responsibility.

These are the core issues close to our hearts as Filipinos in America, making many kababayans lean Republican instead of the pro-choice, more inclusive, more tolerant and progressive Democratic Party.

In the many presidential debates I moderated for The Filipino Channel’s daily newscast “Balitang America,” I heard how these fundamental reasons have compelled Filipinos in America, especially those who have been here for decades, to vote for whoever is the Republican nominee.

For more than a decade, I have witnessed how Fil-Ams of different political affiliations and principles have agreed to disagree and re-

mained respectful of each other’s differing opinions and made a deliberate decision to remain friends despite the political divide.

Those who were in the middle, unaffiliated, and independent had a hard time deciding because almost always, the nominees were all of good character and personal integrity, that the factors they had to consider would just be the platform offered by each nominee and their party.

Sure there were a few “personalan”, digging some dirt against the opposing party and nominee, but the engagement of kababayans with each other was generally civil and courteous…until Donald Trump ran for President in 2016.

From then on, the engagement, even among Filipinos in America, became vile, toxic, divisive and destructive.

I do not know which of Trump’s attributes caused

these qualities and attracted some kababayans to be blindly loyal to him — the self-professed billionaire reality show star who loved “firing people”; the self-absorbed man who would pretend to be a different person who would personally call reporters from media outlets to reveal juicy stories as “Trump’s publicist”; the white, rich, powerful businessman who is so obsessed with Barack Obama, so much that he would fabricate con-

spiracy theories that the first African American president of the United States was not really born in America but in Kenya or Indonesia, raising doubts in the hearts and minds of people who, like him, were not ready to accept that Black people can also be president.

Probably the rise of social media also factored in, because for the first time, we have witnessed the immense power of technology 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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PH tourism industry gears up for...

PAGE 1 Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) who expressed confidence in the recovery of the Philippine tourism industry,” shared Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat in a kapihan that focused on the tourism industry’s efforts and programs to guide its stakeholders.

Puyat also thanked the tourism industry’s partners both in the government and private sectors for the help and support they have been giving to jumpstart the recovery process.

“If there is one silver lining in this pandemic, it is seeing an even stronger sense of bayanihan between the government, the private sector and our stakeholders,” she said.

Depending on when travel restrictions are lifted, the United Nations specialized agency warns that international tourist arrivals could fall by between 60% and 80%.

Puyat said that in a webinar with the UNWTO last week, its Secretary-Gen-

eral Zurab Pololikashvili expressed his confidence that the Philippines can restart and recover.

The secretary also cited a Forbes Magazine report which included the Philippines in a list of rising stars in travel, among with six other countries that have the potential to become a major tourist destination in the post-Covid world.

The article said that with more than 7,500 islands, “this massive archipelago has something to offer for even the most finicky of tourists.”

The Philippines is joined by Ethiopia, Iran, Myanmar, Georgia, Slovenia and Tunisia in the list of “highly underrated nations” that have yet to become world–class destinations.

“Tourism isn’t just a head count of visitors. More importantly, it is an industry that creates jobs and supports communities,” Puyat said.

Tourism in the New Normal To mitigate this unprecedented global downturn in the industry, DOT has re-

sorted to what Puyat referred to as aggressive marketing campaigns.

Its ‘Wake up in the Philippines’ campaign included video advertisements of the country’s picturesque attractions, 360–degree underwater virtual tours and instructional cooking videos featuring Filipino chefs.

DOT hopes to sustain its “slow but sure” approach in reopening the tourism industry and regaining the confidence of visitors both international and domestic.

The department also issued travel advisories through its dedicated website www.philippines.travel/safeph, to help travelers with up–to-date and reliable information about travel protocols and health measures in place; the establishments open to accommodate OFWs and essential workers along; requirements for stranded tourists and OFWs and new policies and updates in the tourism industry.

Among the new policies that Puyat mentioned is about these accommodaPAGE 7

Community members celebrate Filipino...

PAGE 1 together leaders in the Fil-Am community in LA as well as local officials in a robust conversation about the dire need for mental health awareness in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has sparked

anti-Asian sentiments across the country and the world.

“Bridging our unique personalities and also our unique traditional values in Asian American culture, and to share it among our residents who really need it [is really

important] because those are some of the gaps that they see needs to be filled and that we at SIPA want to see,” said John Swing, community economic development program manager for SIPA. PAGE 8

Philippine Independence Day...

Lombard By The Bay is a joint venture development project between Premier Asia Pacific Real Estate and Development Corp. and Omnicor Industrial Estate & Realty Center, Inc.

PAGE 2 Council, Inc.’s Facebook page (facebook.com/PIDCIOfficial/Live) In the Philippines, Independence Day is observed with a day off from work and classes. Meanwhile, the celebration across the United States traditionally takes form in parades and festivals filled with Filipino food vendors, performances, and parades.

A quick history lesson on Philippine Independence Day traces back over a century ago when the Philippines — after four centuries under Spain’s rule — declared independence on June 12, 1898.

But as many historians and Filipinos point out, June 12 didn’t mark the true liberation for the Philippines as the country in less than a year found itself under United States rule.

Upon losing the war with the U.S., Spain gave the Philippines to the U.S. as part of the 1989 Treaty of Paris Agreement. The Philippines thus became a U.S. territory with the Philippine-American War beginning a year after.

It took years for the Philippines to gain independence from the U.S. Sometime during the Philippine-American War, U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt declared victory over the Philippines ironically on the fourth of July in 1902.

After giving into the pressure of granting the Philippines independence and proclaiming amnesty between the two countries, William Howard Taft was elected as president and decided to put a halt on granting the Philippines independence.

Despite being defeated in

1912 by President Woodrow Wilson, who favored Philippine independence, plans for a sovereign Philippines weren’t made until the mid1930s.

After one last set back due to World War II and the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, the Philippines was finally declared independent on July 4, 1946 through the Treaty of Manila.

For 15 years, the Philippines celebrated its independence annually on July 4 until in 1962 when Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal officially changed the date back to June 12.

Now nearly 60 years later, Filipinos in the U.S. continue to honor Philippine Independence Day, with the younger members of today’s Fil-Am generation making their own meanings out of the holiday. n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 12-18, 2020

Dateline Philippines

Poverty rate seen to rise this year

by Czeriza

Valencia Philstar.com

MANILA — More Filipinos will be plunged into poverty this year even as government cash transfers and wage subsidies attempt to blunt the effects of the economic fallout from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the most vulnerable, according to the World Bank.

“We expect an increase in the poverty rate,” World Bank senior economist Rong Qian said at a virtual press conference yesterday.

“We did a simulation. Assuming only two months of loss of income in the poor and vulnerable population, the poverty rate can increase by 3.3 percentage points in 2020,” Qian added.

He noted that this assumption is based on two months of loss of income with no provision of social protection by the government.

Even as the government provides cash subsidies for the poorest households and wage subsidies for businesses struggling to retain their employees, this can only alleviate the ill-effects of

the economic contraction.

“But the government has provided the (social amelioration program) as well as wage subsidies. Those can compensate partially, but because the economy is expected to contract, we see an increase (in the poverty rate) in 2020,” Qian said.

The World Bank expects the Philippine economy to contract by 1.9 percent this year, reflecting the disruptions caused by the pandemic as well as multiple economic shocks at the beginning of the year. (Pia Lee-Brago/ Philstar.com) n

“Victims must be vigilant against the dark figures lurking in the cyberspace who steal their identities and try to sow fear,” Salo continued.

The lawmaker called on Facebook to conduct its own investigation and “to immediately inform the public about its findings in order to de-escalate the tension among netizens.”

“As one of the biggest technology company in the world, Facebook must come up with a stricter mechanism that will facilitate the checking of fake accounts and their immediate removal, even absent any report,” he said.

Salo added that those who crated fake accounts

must be held liable for computer-related identity theft.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday encouraged social media users to report fake accounts using their names.

“Active naman tayo sa social media monitoring (We have been active in social media monitoring),” PNP chief Archie Francisco Gamboa said.

He added that the PNP’s Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) is ready to act on the complaints.

If users found something suspicious on social media platforms such as Facebook, they should immediately report it to the PNP-ACG, Gamboa said. n

GROOMING DAY. A dog is blow-dried at a pet grooming shop along Scout Tobias Street in Quezon City on Monday, June 8. Pet grooming shops are back in operation since the government placed Metro Manila under general community quarantine beginning June 1.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

Virgin coconut oil trials for Charge cybercriminals, NBI urged COVID-19 patients OK’d

by Divina Nova Joy Dela Cruz ManilaTimes.net

HOUSE Committee on Public Information Vice Chairman and Kabayan party-list Rep. Ron Salo asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate and file criminal charges against individuals who were behind the “widescale and rampant creation” of fake Facebook accounts.

He said cybercriminals must be unmasked.

“The identities of their financiers and clients should be exposed. Cyberattack victims suspect trolls and hackers are at work, doing these seemingly coordin a ted cyberc r i m e s , ” h e added.

Pacquiao denies talking about running for president with Arum

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

PHILIPPINE Senator Manny Pacquiao on Tuesday, June 9, denied that he discussed his supposed plans to run for president with his former longtime promoter Bob Arum.

“We talked about Crawford, but we didn’t talk about politics,” he told ABS-CBN News’ Dyan Castillejo.

His statement came after Arum revealed that Pacquiao had confided to him about his intention to run PAGE 10

Philippine Senator Manny Pacquiao

Photo from Instagram_@pacquiaomanny

by Rainier

Allan Philstar.com

Ronda

MANILA — Virgin coconut oil trials on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) are finally underway, according to Science and Tecnology Secretary Fortunato dela Peña.

Dela Peña said the ethics review board of the University of the Philippines

(UP) Manila approved on Wednesday the use of virgin coconut oil for moderate and severe cases of COVID-19.

“UP-PGH has started to enroll COVID-19 patients who will participate in the clinical trials,” he said.

The Department of Science and Technology provided a P5-million funding for two clinical studies on virgin coconut oil as a cure for the viral respiratory disease.

The other study is being conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, in collaboration with the local government of Sta. Rosa, Laguna headed by Mayor Arlene Arcillas, Philippine Coconut Authority and Medical City South Luzon.

Dela Peña said the clinical study would involve 90 persons under investigation for COVID-19 infection, who manifested symptoms of the virus. n

PH tourism industry gears up for...

PAGE 6 tion establishments needing DOT certification in order to operate, based on guidelines set forth by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

According to IATF-EID’s Resolution No. 43 of the Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine, “Accommodation Establishments (AEs) may operate only upon the issuance of a Certificate of Authority to operate by the DOT.” Domestic Tourism Domestic demand is expected to recover faster than international demand according to a UNWTO Panel of Experts survey. The majority expects to see signs of recovery by the final quarter of 2020 but mostly in 2021.

Based on previous crises, leisure travel is expected to recover quicker, particularly travel for visiting friends

and relatives, than business travel.

“Like everyone here on the panel, we are very optimistic that we will be able to rise above this situation,” said Jojo Clemente, president of Tourism Congress of the Philippines.

Clemente added that they have also been meeting with their counterparts for market updates, citing Korea and Australia and saying that they still want to visit the Philippines when it becomes possible.

At the kapihan, Puyat mentioned that she is traveling to Boracay this week along with fellow secretaries Eduardo And (DILG) and Roy Cimatu (DENR) to see the possibility of reopening the island to tourists.

“Titingnan namin ang (We will look at the) health protocols doon,” she said, citing the importance of health and safety protocols in the country’s tourism destinations.

She also mentioned that Boracay has zero cases of Covid and that they are looking at “travel bubbles” or “travel corridors” specially since the country has 7,641 islands.

“We can actually look at particular islands that are zero Covid or practically very minimal Covid because it is safe for domestic tourists to go to that place, and eventually we can open it to foreign tourists,” Puyat explained.

Cesar Cruz, president of the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) echoed Puyat’s sentiments.

His organization, composed of about 400 tour operators and travel agency members, has been planning to jumpstart domestic tourism through various activities, including virtual events.

“We are looking forward to having these travel bubbles as we reopen our domestic tourism so we can all bounce back,” he said. n

JUNE 12-18, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

Community members celebrate Filipino...

PAGE 6 Among the most pressing issues affecting the collective mental health of the Asian American community includes the complex crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic which, for the Asian American community, is multilayered.

Not only are Asian Americans fighting to stay healthy and avoid contracting the virus like the rest of the world, but they are also fighting a new wave of racism and discrimination related to the virus while ensuring their financial livelihoods are secured.

Since the middle of March when COVID-19 catalyzed widespread safer-at-home orders, the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Committee (A3PCON) has reported more than 1,500 incidents of hate directed toward the Asian American community through its hate crime tracker, as previously reported by the Asian Journal.

The LA County Commission on Human Relations also reported a surge in hate crimes and incidents targeting the Asian American community, announcing more than 100 reports of hate incidents related to the pandemic from Febru-

ary to April.

Hoang Nguyen, the field deputy for LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis, said during the SIPA webinar that through the county hotline 2-1-1, which is dedicated to reporting hate crimes, the county was able to direct victims to the “appropriate resources and referrals.”

A small minority of the incidents reported to the county and A3PCON include violence, but a majority of them include verbal attacks and microaggressions like derogatory remarks and slurs as well as accusations of being infected with the virus. (The connection of the latter references the virus’ origin in Wuhan, China.)

Nguyen also noted that tracking incidents like this help to inform community education, policing and mental health programs that can help combat the specific discrimination that the Asian American community is facing right now.

“Fighting hate isn’t just about education, though that’s a big part of it. It’s about knowing that these incidents happen [and] just because we’ve only had a couple hundred [reported] incidents happen

doesn’t mean that only a couple hundred incidents actually happened,” Nguyen said, acknowledging the Asian American community’s hesitance to reach out to law enforcement.

A key part of mental health management in a modern, capitalist world involves the economy, and while the overall American economy is experiencing an upturn, the financial state for many Filipino Americans remains at risk.

Nguyen praised the Board of Supervisors’ implementation of the eviction moratorium which, for the 88 cities in LA County, allowed for renters to skip rent if their finances were affected by the pandemic and prevented “more people from falling into homelessness.”

In the LA proper, Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell of the 13th District shared that his office was currently working on a reprioritization of funding, allocating $2 million from public infrastructure projects to be split evenly between renters protection programs and small business relief.

He also shared that an unspecified portion of the $100 million the city received from the federal CARES Act would be allocated to rent subsidies

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426 for low-income residents, adding that he plans to allocate $2 million toward cultural enrichment events and programs like the Lotus Festival and Filipino events for the 13th District.

“It’s okay that even during a pandemic --- when we know there’s lots of suffering and lots of precautions that we all must take --- we take a breath and celebrate what we have,” O’Farrell shared.

Among the industries hurt most by the pandemic, the non-profit sector continues to experience its own financial quandaries. Organizations like SIPA, which are fuelled by inperson community events and programs, have had to adjust to the virtual workworm to adhere to physical distancing measures.

But the Asian Pacific Community Fund (APCF), which has served as an alternate source of funding for API nonprofits since 1990, exceeded its May fundraising goal and raised $190,000 from 1,500 unique donors to fund nonprofits like SIPA. According to APCF program manager Christine Lee, almost 70% of the organizations it oversees said that their operating budgets had been negatively impacted by the pandemic, and roughly 40%

said that they had not received funding during the crisis.

“This is something that is very concerning to us because we know that after this [pandemic] is all over, we’re talking about recovery, and we have to wonder if our nonprofits like SIPA are equipped to serve our communities,” Lee shared, adding that the APCF has been collaborating with philanthropists to ensure funding to these community nonprofits.

The Filipino American community relies on leadership that represents it and vows to look at issues with an intercultural lens. And the quickest way to achieve that is to have a city government that reflects the constituency’s demographic makeup.

Filipina American Jessica Caloza, Board of Public Works Commissioner for the City of LA, shared that despite budget cuts that are plaguing many of the city’s departments, her mission to ensure that the Filipino American voice is included in city issues hasn’t steadied.

“One of the greatest privileges I have in serving the city is being your first Filipino American Commissioner on the Board of Public Works, and that holds especially

true in May for APA Heritage Month,” Caloza said. “These stories and struggles that you uplift, not just in May but really everyday, help inform the work that we do at City Hall so that we are better policymakers, that we create better programs that really help address the needs that you all bring to light, and that is so critically important for us. We need your work and advocacy so that we can do our jobs.”

Caloza acknowledged the charitable work of Filipino small businesses in supporting frontliners of the COVID-19 pandemic, like the food donation projects from The Park’s Finest and HiFi Kitchen.

Despite the difficulties of the current situation, these businesses continue to provide for the community while adjusting and adapting to the ever changing economy, she said.

“I think that what you’re all proving to be true right now, is that we will get out of this stronger, and we will get out of this smarter and more resilient,” Caloza said. “One thing I hope you take away from this is that we continue to really serve each other as a community and your struggles are our struggles.” (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress) n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 12-18, 2020

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JUNE 12-18, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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

Pacquiao denies talking about...

PRECAUTION. Several large posters are placed inside the Farmers Market in Cubao, Quezon City on Tuesday, June 9. The posters remind the public about safety health measures being implemented during COVID-19 pandemic such as the wearing of face mask and observing safe physical distancing.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

Dear Filipinos in America: It is...

PAGE 5 in sharing their comments online, hiding behind a different name or alias, posting comments without thinking of the content and the tone of their rhetoric.

We have been taken aback by how different social media platforms could also be used to spread fake news stories by questionable news organizations and paid trolls whose objective was to destroy political opponents no matter what the cost.

Perhaps, this toxicity is spreading like a virus because of the man who takes pride in modeling this kind of behavior and rhetoric.

Sadly, not only the people who adore him as his loyal fans emulate him. The party of Lincoln, Reagan and Bush is now likewise hijacked by Trump, and those in the executive and legislative branches who wanted to hold on to power by riding in Trump’s popularity abandoned the very conservative values that used to define the GOP (Grand Old Party).

“The presidency does not change a person but reveals his true character”, paraphrasing Former First Lady Michelle Obama. For three years — issue after issue — we have seen Trump dig deeper into a bottomless pit, and sadly, he is pulling the nation and the American people in his quagmire.

His unbridled, unhinged and irresponsible use of the power Office of the Presi-

dent and the bully pulpit that goes with the office without regard to the truth and facts to destroy people, American institutions, news organizations, businesses and industries critical of him and against his personal agenda; his inhumane treatment of immigrants, especially people of color — both undocumented and documented, including refugees; his betrayal of public trust as revealed by the Mueller report, his pro-rich anti-poor economic policies that have made the leagues of billionaires and millionaires become richer as ordinary hard-working Americans become poorer without decent living wages and social services meant to be the equalizer for them to rise higher; to the way he handled the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritizing his political agenda over the safety of the American people, denying facts and science, using religion in his reality show presidency — these are but a few examples.

And now this, the heartless killing of another Black man in the hands of the police just ignited the anger of Black people, people of color and their supporters. Individuals around the country are risking their lives amid a pandemic to protest against racism, racial injustice, police brutality and Trump’s fanning the flame of division in response to this crisis.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Don-

ald Trump has betrayed the American people and the oath he took when he was sworn in as president — to defend and protect the Constitution and be the president of ALL Americans.

Do not take my word or opinion for it. Listen to leaders of his own party who are out there in a limb protecting the conservative values of principles of their party.

Listen to Constitutional scholars, listen to historians, open your eyes to how his actions betray his promises, and how his rhetoric betrays his own claim.

Read this piece written and signed by 89 former defense officials, published by the Washington Post on June 5, 2020: President Trump continues to use inflammatory language as many Americans protest the unlawful death of George Floyd and the unjust treatment of black Americans by our justice system.

As the protests have grown, so has the intensity of the president’s rhetoric. He has gone so far as to make a shocking promise: to send active-duty members of the U.S. military to “dominate” protesters in cities throughout the country — with or without the consent of local mayors or state governors.

On Monday, the president previewed his approach on the streets of Washington.

He had 1,600 troops from around the country transported to the D.C. area, and

PAGE 7 for the presidency.

“I did a Zoom telephone call with him (Pacquaio), ‘Bob, I’m gonna run in 2022 and when I win, I want you there at my inauguration,” Arum said.

However, the 41-year-old senator stressed they only talked about a potential showdown with Terence Crawford, the undefeated WBO welterweight titleholder.

“Yes, we discussed the fight against Terence Crawford. Wala namang problema, maganda ‘yun (There’s no problem with that, it’s going to be a good fight),” Pacquiao said.

He added that he will only return to the boxing ring once a vaccine for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been developed. “[Lalaban tayo] pagka-

may vaccine na ‘yung coronavirus. Depende naman pagka safe na ang mga tao at para for my own good (I’ll only fight if there’s already a vaccine for the coronavirus. It will depend on if it’s safe for the people and it’s also for my own good),” he said.

‘Vote wisely’ Arum’s statement about Pacquiao’s political plan sparked concern among Filipino netizens, who questioned his capability to run the country and who urged Filipinos to vote wisely.

“Pacquiao is thinking of running as president in the 2022 elections. Hindi pagkatao ang pinaguusapan dito (His personality isn’t the one up for discussion) but his capability. He can’t even defend his stand during debates,” one Twitter user posted.

“May this be a reminder not to make the same mistake you did in 2016. Please vote wisely sa (on) #Halalan2022,” she added.

“So, Pacquiao is planning to run for president this 2022 elections? I hope Filipinos won’t make the same mistake again, 2016 elections was a nightmare and it still haunts me up to this day. We don’t want another homophobe, who’s clearly ill-equipped, lead this country,” another user tweeted.

“I salute Pacquiao’s compassion for the people, and as our pride as an athlete, but not his capability of running for the presidency.

Pls. vote WISELY this 2022.

We should take (into) consideration the future of our country when voting for the next leader,” said another. n

placed them on alert, as an unnamed Pentagon official put it, “to ensure faster employment if necessary.” As part of the show of force that Trump demanded, military helicopters made low-level passes over peaceful protesters — a military tactic sometimes used to disperse enemy combatants — scattering debris and broken glass among the crowd. He also had a force, including members of the National Guard and federal officers, that used flash-bang grenades, pepper spray and, according to eyewitness accounts, rubber bullets to drive lawful protesters, as well as members of the media and clergy, away from the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church. All so he could hold a politically motivated photo op there with members of his team, including, inappropriately, Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper and Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Looting and violence are unacceptable acts, and perpetrators should be arrested and duly tried under the law.

But as Monday’s actions near the White House demonstrated, those committing such acts are largely on the margins of the vast majority of predominantly peaceful protests. While several past presidents have called on our armed services to provide additional aid to law enforcement in times of national crisis — among them Ulysses S. Grant, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kenne-

dy and Lyndon B. Johnson — these presidents used the military to protect the rights of Americans, not to violate them.

As former leaders in the Defense Department — civilian and military, Republican, Democrat and independent — we all took an oath upon assuming office “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” as did the president and all members of the military, a fact that Gen. Milley pointed out in a recent memorandum to members of the armed forces. We are alarmed at how the president is betraying this oath by threatening to order members of the U.S. military to violate the rights of their fellow Americans.

President Trump has given governors a stark choice: either end the protests that continue to demand equal justice under our laws, or expect that he will send active-duty military units into their states. While the Insurrection Act gives the president the legal authority to do so, this authority has been invoked only in the most extreme conditions when state or local authorities were overwhelmed and were unable to safeguard the rule of law. Historically, as Secretary Esper has pointed out, it has rightly been seen as a tool of last resort.

Beyond being unnecessary, using our military to quell protests across the country would also be unwise. This is not the mission our armed forces signed up for: They signed up to fight

our nation’s enemies and to secure — not infringe upon — the rights and freedoms of their fellow Americans.

In addition, putting our servicemen and women in the middle of politically charged domestic unrest risks undermining the apolitical nature of the military that is so essential to our democracy. It also risks diminishing Americans’ trust in our military — and thus America’s security — for years to come.

As defense leaders who share a deep commitment to the Constitution, to freedom and justice for all Americans, and to the extraordinary men and women who volunteer to serve and protect our nation, we call on the president to immediately end his plans to send active-duty military personnel into cities as agents of law enforcement, or to employ them or any another military or police forces in ways that undermine the constitutional rights of Americans. The members of our military are always ready to serve in our nation’s defense. But they must never be used to violate the rights of those they are sworn to protect. *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@ icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.

Relos.

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

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 12-18, 2020

COMMUNITY Journal

Immigration Corner Atty. Michael Gurfinkel, ESQ THE Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor has always been a symbol of immigration and of welcoming immigrants to the U.S. The USCIS has used the Statue of Liberty as its own symbol. Approval notices have an orange colored picture of the Statue of Liberty torch in the background, and the “help” search tool on the USCIS website is named “Emma” after poet Emma Lazarus, whose poem, “The New Colossus,” is commemorated on a bronze plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty.

The main theme of that poem is to welcome immigrants to the U.S., offering them freedom from oppression and poverty in their home countries, and provide opportunities and a better life in America. Among those the Statue of Liberty welcomes to the U.S. are the poor, huddled masses, wretched refuse, and homeless: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

The new public charge policies of the USCIS and Embassy directly conflict with the Statue of Liberty’s

The Statue of Liberty versus public charge welcoming message and purpose, and it would now seem hypocritical for USCIS to use the Statue of Liberty as a symbol of its functions.

Under these regulations, being poor, wretched, or homeless is a negative factor, which could result in a person’s green card being denied and/or them being prohibited from entering the U.S. We don’t want the poor and wretched anymore. They are not welcome.

The main focus of public charge is to evaluate if a person is young, able-bodied, educated, able to work, able to speak English, has a great credit score, etc. If there is reason to believe that it is more likely than not the person will not be self-sufficient, and instead depend on taxpayers for care and support, their immigrant visa or adjustment of status could be denied.

With these new public charge policies in effect, I would advise that you seek the assistance of an immigration attorney to help you navigate this new minefield, versus trying to do it on your own. The new public charge policies and forms are lengthy and complex. As you can see, they were designed to nullify the message on the Statue of Liberty of welcoming the poor.

If your family member’s green card is denied on public charge grounds, it could

be extremely difficult to later reverse or overturn that denial. Having an attorney assist you at the outset could greatly increase your chances of success, as an attorney can help you evaluate the public charge issues, income requirements of the sponsors, and fill out the various new and lengthy forms, etc. *** 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 re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw, Twitter @GurfinkelLaw and YouTube: US Immigration TV Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US:

1-866-487-3465

(866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES

(Advertising Supplement)

Nicole on engagement to Mark: ‘Just when I thought the world was ending, a miracle happened’

By Niña

V. Guno

Inquirer.net

ACTORS Mark Herras and Nicole Donares are engaged.

The couple made the announcement on Instagram Friday, June 5. The actress recalled how the simple but memorable moment took

11

place as she shared a picture of the ring set on ice cream, as well as close-up pictures of her rock.

“We were eating dinner, and when it was time for desserts, this was what came to my surprise,” she said. “Just when I thought the world was ending, a miracle happened.”

“Life is a beautiful and short blessing, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of this life with you @herrasmarkangeloofficial, in any way we possibly can,” she told her fiance.

Herras meanwhile posted a picture of him and Donesa holding hands, PAGE 12

ADMITTING TO DRUG USE RESULTED IN LIFETIME BAN FROM ENTERING THE US! Junior (left) was looking forward to joining his wife, Marissa (center), in the U.S. Marissa filed the petition and all the necessary paperwork was in order, including an interview at the U.S. Embassy.

However, they received the news that Junior was banned from entering the U.S. for life due to drug use. The couple was heartbroken. They were wondering if Marissa had to give up a good job in the U.S. just to be with Junior back in the Philippines. Marissa consulted one other lawyer, who gave up based on the medical documents from St. Luke’s, saying they could not defend Junior’s case. Fortunately, friends and family had seen an episode of Citizen Pinoy where the case was like Junior’s. A consultation with leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel provided hope and the much-anticipated reconsideration and visa issuance. See how a couple is finally reunited for good on an encore episode of CITIZEN PINOY on Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)

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JUNE 12-18, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

Health@Heart Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS SINCE the first COVID-19 case was detected and confirmed on January 20, 2020 (144 days ago) in the United States (in the State of Washington) in a man who returned from Wuhan, Hubei, China, on January 15, 2020, and the official declaration by WHO of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States has had around 2.1 million cases and almost 115,000 deaths; the Philippines, about 23,000 cases and more than 1,000 deaths. Worldwide, there are almost 7.3 million cases and about 420,000 deaths.

Remdesivir running out Since drug manufacturer Gilead released the first dose (50,000 vials) of the FDA-approved experimental intravenous antiviral drug Remdesivir the week of May 4, 2020 of its promised donation of 1.5 million doses, there has been a snag in the production and confusion in the distribution of this cure of COVID-19 to various hospitals in the USA. The current supply is projected to run out by the end of June, unless Gilead successfully ramps up its production, or another drug maker comes up with another curative drug. There are various antiviral drugs and medications being studied in other countries. Vaccines appear not to be forthcoming soon, but anticipated to be available within a couple of years.

Hydroxychloroquine not effective, hazardous!

The hype about hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as a preventive or curative drug for COVID-19 appears to be dying down as dozens of reports from reputable medical centers show that this famous anti-malaria, anti-lupus, anti-arthritis decadesold drug (solo or in combination with Azithromycin) was not effective in preventing or curing COVID-19, and may have even contributed to some COVID-19 cardiac deaths from fatal arrythmia (Torsades de Pointes, QT prolongation) in about 10 percent or more. Dr. Anthony Fauci, an epidemiologist and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was against the use of HCQ from the very beginning, suggesting randomized, double-blind clinical studies on the drug first to find out its efficacy and

Latest on COVID-19

safety for COVID-19.

In a large registry research involving 15,000 COVID-19 patients, published in Lancet, showed “all of the hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine groups had higher rates of in-hospital mortality (16-24%) than the control group (9%). They also had higher rates of ventricular arrhythmia during hospitalization (4-8%) versus controls (0.3%). A study involving 1,438 COVID patients in New York revealed the same “no benefit” results. In view of the multiple dozens of trial studies on hydroxychloroquine around the world, the World Health Organization had temporarily halted hydroxychloroquine trials due to safety concerns. By this mid-June, the data results from the HCQ reviews of the WHO Solidarity Trial and other ongoing trials will be released. The final verdict on HCQ for COVID-19 will be out soon.

How does SARS-CoV2 get to a person The SARS-CoV2 virus that causes COVID-19 is transmitted by droplet from the breath, speech, cough, or sneeze of an infected person to anyone within at least 6 feet, especially to seniors, even more rapidly to seniors with health issues or to those with compromised immune system. Young children could also get infected. With one sneeze by an infected individual, it is estimated that there are 40,000 viral molecules that is sprayed with a trajectory that could reach up to 9 feet, and remain airborne an hour or so, depending on the airflow or wind. The virus is plastered against the mucous membrane of the eyes, nose, and mouth, the reason goggles and face covering are important. To survive, the virus needs a host, a human in this case, to survive and replicate. The virus has a predilection for the respiratory system, so it goes down the breathing pipe and eventually to its main target, the lungs.

What kills the COVID-19 patient Once the virus enters the host, it replicates rapidly.

In the trachea, bronchi, and the lungs, severe inflammation takes place, to which the body’s immune system reacts, causing the release of body mediators called cytokines, in response to the injury. A cytokine storm results, which in itself leads

to multiorgan damage. The inflamed lungs thicken and solidify (pneumonia) and their swollen air sacs loaded with fluid losing their ability to do release of harmful carbon dioxide and absorb/ provide oxygen for the body.

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome sets in and kills about 13-15 percent of patient above 80 years old. The others, more stoic and/or younger, survive with ventilatory support. Majority without. The other mode of death is cardiac in origin.

It has been noted that COVID-19 patients, especially the elderly or those with previous heart condition, also develop inflammation of the heart, myocarditis, poor ventricular function (cardiomyopathy), and finally heart failure and cardiogenic shock among about 20 percent of them. This widespread clinical findings around the world among COVID-19 patients (inspired by data from Wuhan, China) led to the standard practice of testing the Troponin level on admission of COVID-19 patients, and if needed, doing other cardiac tests. The elevated Troponin level was associated with poorer recovery and higher mortality (at least 69.4 percent) compared to 13.3 percent among those who are Troponin negative. Doing this test could save countless lives among COVID-19 patients.

Reclosing after re-opening The experts believe a second or more waves of COVID-19 is possible, as what happened in the 1918 pandemic that wiped out more than 50 million people around the world, and the other pandemics (SARS, MERS, etc.) thereafter. In Singapore and South Korea, which had aggressively dealt with COVID-19 very early and had strict measures and contact tracing, there was a strong resurgence in crowded dormitories. The same recurrence in China, Japan, and Italy. COVID-19 reinfection was found in Wuhan recently among those with flare-ups up to 50 days after recovery. Reclosing after reopening (due to resurgence) is imposed in South Korea and Lebanon, among others.

Days after North Carolina relaxed some of its stayhome rules, a new high of 443 cases in one day was confirmed. The various proPAGE 13

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Jo Koy to film movie with Steven Spielberg

By Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

FILIPINO-AMERICAN stand-up comedian Jo Koy is set to work on a movie with the revered filmmaker Steven Spielberg.

“I signed a deal with Steven Spielberg’s company. [He] watched my last special ‘Comin’ In Hot’ and then he gave me a deal for a movie, so get ready for that. We’re writing the script now,” the comedian said in a Zoom interview with The Manila Times Entertainment and other members of the Philippine press on Tuesday, June 9.

Spielberg’s production company, Amblin Partners, will team up with Dan Lin’s Rideback to produce the movie which will be based on Jo Koy’s real life experiences.

“Steven’s 100 percent on board. We just signed the deal maybe a couple of months ago. So yeah, be on the lookout. I’m doing a movie called ‘Easter Sunday’ which is an idea I pitched and it’s going to showcase more Filipino actors and more Filipino stories, and we’re going to get this in as many movie theaters as we

Fil-Am comedian Jo Koy

Photo from Instagram/@jokoy

can,” Jo Koy added.

He also expressed his excitement with having Spielberg and Lin on board with the movie.

“These two powerhouses are going to back this for us.

I’m very proud to put it out there,” Jo Koy said.

The comedian is also doing a collaboration with clothing brand Illest, which is set to be released on the same day as his Netflix comedy special.

“Jo Koy: In His Elements” will be available on the streaming platform on June 12.

According to Jo Koy, the special will show how beautiful the Philippines is, and how beautiful the people are.

“Everything about this special is Filipino, the cameraman, the people in the audience, the people that own the venue,” he said.

Jo Koy, whose birth name is Joseph Glenn Hubert, first took the stage in Las Vegas in 1989 and has been working as a stand-up comedian ever since.

His two previous Netflix specials are “Comin’ in Hot” and “Live from Seattle”.

Forbes features Hyun Bin’s endorsement of Pinoy brand

THE latest campaign of Smart Communications Inc. featuring South Korean superstar Hyun Bin landed on the international edition of Forbes magazine online.

According to Forbes. com, “Hyun Bin has been popular in the Philippines since 2005, when a local TV network aired a Tagalog-dubbed version of the romantic comedy My Lovely Sam Soon.”

His appeal in the country, as stated by Forbes, is often referred to as the “Hyun Bin Phenomenon.”

The actor’s popularity shot to even greater heights after the release of “Crash Landing On You.” This led Smart Communications to recruit Hyun Bin for an ad campaign shot in Seoul, South Korea in the middle of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

‘Crash Landing on You’ star Hyun Bin Photo courtesy of Smart Communications

PAGE 13

Nicole on engagement to Mark...

Engaged couple Mark Herras and Nicole Donesa Photo from Instagram_@herrasmarkangeloofficial

PAGE 11 with a diamond ring on her finger.

“Ang mahalin ka at makasama ka habang buhay (To love you and be with you for all of my life) … I love you itchybear. #toinfinityandbeyond,” he wrote.

The “StarStruck” season one winner also posted a video of him and his fian-

cee wrapped in an embrace while swaying together to Bruno Mars’s “Versace on the Floor”, as seen on Instagram yesterday, June 6.

The two confirmed their relationship last August, after starring in the teleserye “Bihag” together. Herras previously dated beauty queen Winwyn Marquez, who confirmed their breakup in February 2019.

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 12-18, 2020

Pinky apologizes for yelling, cursing at condotel staff in viral video

By Iza Iglesias ManilaTimes.net

MULTI-awarded theater, TV and movie actress Pinky Amador made a public apology after a video went viral over the weekend where she was caught yelling and cursing at staffers of the condominium-hotel where she resides.

The video, which was taken June 5, shows Amador—fully protected with a facemask, sunglasses and gloves—in a fit of rage as she demands the staff to print a particular circular she had been asking them for weeks, while bewailing to the top of her voice how her health had been put at risk. She also accused a female staffer of lying to her, calling the clerk “bobo” (stupid) repeatedly, as a male security guard tried to pacify her.

On Sunday night, Amador – through her talent manager Arnold Vegafria of ALV Talent Circuit – released a statement on her side of the story, explaining that her outburst resulted from the property owners and administration’s failure to inform residents they had agreed for the condotel to be used as a quarantine facility for 59 returning Filipinos since May 4.

“I uttered harsh words and become very emotional in a video that has been circulating. There is no excuse for that behavior [but] please understand however, that my emotion was the product of countless minutes of worrying for my safety and that of my neighbors, following up with building administration, and talking to my very emotional neighbors and friends,” the statement began.

Amador pointed out the returning Filipinos neither had proper documentation nor any indication they had been tested for Covid-19 before arriving for quarantine. Moreover, none of the residents were informed about their arrival until a witness confirmed he had seen OFWs entering the property.

“The residents were not notified about the designation, nor the influx of these returning Filipinos, and that was a cause for alarm not just for me but for all

Pinky Amador Photo from Instagram/@pinkyamador

the residents. As of May 4, the administration did not send any notice about the incident, issue any safety Covid-19 related protocols, and delayed disseminating any such information to residents, thus risking everyone’s safety in the building,” the 54-year-old singer-actress continued.

“I myself encountered two new guests in our elevator. I knew they were guests since they had suitcases with them and were on the way to the 20th floor. However, I did not know who they were, whether they were current long staying guests… or [if] they were new guests which [is] not allowed under the IATF issued rules,” Amador added.

Following the elevator encounter, the actress started fearing for her safety and became all the more worried as she continued to see an influx of new guests.

“Some of my neighbors were very upset, even in tears, when recounting their encounter with new guests in the hotel premises, as some of them take care of elderly parents or grandparents or have children with them. That is what fueled my ire when that video was taken… [how we have been] exposed to new guests without any advice from the administration and without any protocols in place to protect the building’s residents.”

Amador went on to relate how she and her neighbors made every effort to communicate with the building owners and administration about their anxieties but these were never ad-

dressed.

“We have gone to great lengths to acquire a circular from the administration about the incident—[regarding] accepting returning Filipinos and their current protocols—on May 4.

[We requested] they post [the circular] in a public place so that all persons residing in the building would be notified [regarding] the designation of the building as a quarantine facility… so they can step up their own safety protocols for their families. Our simple request was faced with little concern and no sense of urgency by the administration,” she lamented.

“This is not just about me or the other tenants but also for the staff and employees as well. It is troubling to watch the [building] administration behave as if COVID-19 is not a serious matter or that our lives do not matter.”

Amador’s statement also expressed regret over the one-sided video going viral.

“Taking a video without my knowledge in a private property, and deliberately ignoring me (so as to inflame me further) with the intention to leak [it] online, is to me, malicious, vengeful and a violation of the anti-wiretapping act,” she maintained.

Nevertheless, Amador issued an apology on how she handled the situation given these “stressful times.”

“Since I have started living in this building, I have made friends with my neighbors who have included me in this building’s community. It is a community which includes the administration and something the administration has neglected, repeatedly. What the administration fails to understand is that their actions have an impact not just on their health, but that of the residents’ too. Being responsible means being responsible for everyone, not just yourself, but also others. I am not perfect, far from it.

[But] under these stressful times, when pushed to the limit, how far will you go to protect your loved ones? Sa mga nasaktan ko, I am truly sorry, pero ipinaglaban ko lang ang karapatan natin mabuhay ng ligtas sa sakit,” the statement ended.

Latest on COVID-19....

PAGE 12 tests going on where people do not wear masks and do social distancing could cause more COVID-19 infections, evidence to be obvious within the next 2 weeks. The potential wave or waves of COVID-19 resurgence will depend on people’s behavior and discipline. We are the transmitters/spreaders of this killer virus, and ONLY WE, the people, can stop

it. The government cannot.

And we cannot blame anyone else. This current pandemic might go beyond this year and early 2021 before it ends. In the meantime, it behooves each one of us to be wise, responsible, and prudent in following the guidelines, to stay safe. Going against the government will not help. Each of us has a vital role to play to defeat this invisible killer and put

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

Forbes features Hyun Bin’s...

PAGE 12 crisis.

In the ad, Hyun Bin can be seen driving a sports car and zooming through the city streets, “alluding to the blazing speeds by which Filipinos can enjoy their daily dose of entertainment via Smart.”

Jane Jimenez Basas, Senior Vice President and Head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart, said: “The ‘Hyun Bin Phenomenon’ is pretty much due to digital technology. Filipinos have developed the craze because

they are able to stream Hyun Bin’s k-dramas and films, read the buzz online, share their excitement with their friends and get to interact with their favorite k-stars online.”

The article added that Hyun Bin was pleased that Smart offered him a way to connect with his Filipino fans, who he thinks are “the warmest fans in the world.”

Forbes is a global media company, which focuses on business, technology, investing, leadership and lifestyle.

It is known the world over for

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its annual list of billionaires across the world.

This is the first time for Smart Communications to be featured on Forbes through PublicityAsia, the agency tapped by the Manny Pangilinan-led company to handle international media relations for the ad campaign.

PublicityAsia was previously the agency of Penshoppe, and is known for their work in foreign celebrity acquisition and high-profile commercial campaigns.

(Philstar.com)

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JUNE 12-18, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

• (212) N E W http://www.asianjournal.com YO R K / N E W J E R S EY 655-5426 JUNE 12, 2020

people events arts culture entertainment

Reflecting on husband’s death, Pinay weather anchor Maria Quiban Whitesell releases guide to grief and healing

A

by

Christina M. Oriel / AJPress

YEAR after Maria Quiban Whitesell’s husband Sean died of glioblastoma, a friend mailed her a book containing all the email updates she sent during the 18 months he battled the aggressive form of brain cancer.

“It spurred the memory and promise that Sean and I made to each other, which was to write the story,” Quiban Whitesell told the Asian Journal. “That’s really how it began and I thought I needed to go back and write so it’s been a couple of years in the making.”

Nearly five years since her husband’s death, Quiban Whitesell, an Emmy Awardwinning weather anchor and meteorologist for FOX11 in Los Angeles, released “You Can’t Do It Alone: A Widow’s Journey Through Loss, Grief and Life After” this week.

A mix of a memoir and guidebook, the latest release offers insight for families and caregivers as they care for loved ones with terminal diseases and make preparations for life after.

“I wanted to share my story and if that could help someone, then that could help heal my heart,” Quiban Whitesell said. “When I went through this in the beginning, there were very few resources. When you search brain cancer and glioblastoma, a lot of information comes up, but there weren’t any real, or as many, personal stories.”

Based on personal notes, journal entries and emails to her support system, the Filipina American news personality provides an intimate and raw look into her family’s handling of the diagnosis and death of a loved one,

Maria Quiban Whitesell holds a copy of her new book, “You Can’t Do It Alone: A Widow’s Journey Through Loss, Grief, and Life After,” released on June 9 by Hachette Books.

Maria and Sean Whitesell with their son Gus

Photos courtesy of Maria Quiban Whitesell

while putting on a brave face to deliver weather updates to millions of views each day and creating a life with a young son afterward.

At the end of each chapter, co-writer Lauren Schneider, a licensed clinical social worker, offers universal lessons on acceptance, grief and healing.

“When you are going through the kind of crisis that I went through, and for many people facing a terminal or any devastating disease, the last thing you want to do is sit down and read a very long clinical book,” Quiban Whitesell said.

Quiban Whitesell begins by detailing how she met her late husband Sean — a television show writer and producer — and the family they started together with a son named Gus. After noticing behavioral changes, Sean went in for check-ups

that revealed a diagnosis for glioblastoma in June 2014.

Following the news, the couple was faced with having to communicate the diagnosis and treatment plan to their friends and family, especially to their son who was 3 years old at the time. Schneider suggests avoiding euphemisms, such as lost, passed or went to sleep, and to communicate in age-appropriate language for the child to grasp. The family was upfront with telling Gus about Sean’s cancer diagnosis, while making sure to not confuse it with terminology like “sick” or “not feeling well” that could be used for less serious conditions also.

In the subsequent chapters, Quiban Whitesell writes about the resources that helped her and the family, such as finding a support PAGE 15

Front cover of “You Can’t Do It Alone”

Maria and her son Gus met former Vice President Joe Biden in February 2016 when he was a special guest at their church in Los Angeles.

Maria and Gus visit Sean’s grave in Los Angeles

Maria (center) with her Filipino side of the family

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 12-18, 2020

Lauren hits back at bashers calling her fat

and told the bashers to “[r]ead a f*cking book and grow up.”

Young also slammed other remarks on her career as an actress.

“HINDI KO PO GUSTO SUMIKAT (I do not want to be famous). I act because it pays my bills not because I crave for your f*cking approval,” she said in response to comments that she is not trendy anymore. “‘Artista ka pa naman.’

So magbabait baitan ako?”

She asked. “Wala akong opinyon dapat?” (“You are an actress.” So must I play nice? I should not have an opinion?)

She then clapped back at a comment stating that Loonyo would not make her his girlfriend.

“THANK GOD!!!” Young said. “Porket babae ako crush ko siya? ASA KAYO. (Just because I am a girl, he is already my crush? You wish.)”

Young previously opened up about her weight in a vlog post on her YouTube channel last June.

“Tumaba ako kasi (I got fatter because) I wasn’t living a healthy lifestyle. I was binge-drinking, I was binge-eating, and I think it all stems from the fact that I wasn’t happy,” she explained while admitting that she amassed debt and was a “diva” on sets.

While she regrets her past decisions and acknowledged that she was “someone people would not want to work with” at the time, Young assured her viewers that she has since improved herself.

“I’m taking care of myself so much more. I’ve been eating properly, I haven’t been drinking, I don’t go out, I try to walk as much as I can, I don’t make excuses,” Young stated. “This is me owning up to everything in my past.”

Aside from Young, other celebrities such as Agot Isidro and Kip Oebanda also slammed Loonyo for his remarks on COVID-19 mass testing, a term he admitted to having used incorrectly. Following the flak he received, Loonyo apologized “for the wrong use of terminology in that particular instance.”

We’re still talking to priests who have brought us comfort even if they don’t have all the answers. There are many occasions where I can tell you that Sean is still here with us.”

On keeping memories alive: “We were fortunate that Sean was able to write some stories for Gus that he can look back on when he’s older. They’re little nuggets of advice from his dad, which I hope he will find value in a little bit later. Gus is amazingly funny and curious and even though he probably looks more like me, he acts a lot like his father. We talk to daddy all the time. Sean is always with us. We continue to live our lives the way Sean would have wanted us to and so we always honor and remember him, but we also live for ourselves and finding

our future and happiness.”

On grieving during a pandemic: “I really feel for those families who are unable to be with their loved ones. Some of the things that I think will resonate with them is this powerlessness that we had through our whole process. Many people now who are suffering through the pandemic have this feeling of this lack of control or just helplessness. What I say to [them] is, ‘You are stronger than you think you are. I can tell you that when faced with the most challenging crises in your life, just know that you can get through it too…You have a village there for you so seek out and find them.’

Even through this time when we are physically apart, technology can help us find a support system.”

By Ryan

Arcadio Inquirer.net

Amid Sean’s diagnosis, the couple prioritized “choosing joy” and spending time as much time together as a family.

Photos courtesy of Maria Quiban Whitesell

Reflecting on husband’s death...

PAGE 14 group of other spouses experiencing the same disease (called the “Seven Samurai”), as well as what she wished she knew about balancing work, caregiving and parenting. In the 18 months, the Whitesell family got to a point where they “chose joy” and built memories in the remaining time together.

“I decided to take six weeks off and we were going to create new memories for us and try to prioritize that time with our son,” she said.

“We went on a couple of vacations, experienced Disneyland, and concerts. We did a lot of things and found as much joy as we could have each day. It wasn’t always positive all the time. It was hard to get to that point but it was a choice we both made together. We were going to choose to be happy and live for the moment.”

The book ends with Quiban Whitesell talking about life moving on as a widow — from the condolences to questions about dating and the possibility of remarriage — and how she’s honoring her late husband by using her platform to bring awareness to the form brain cancer and the lack of a cure.

“But perhaps the fact that I am still here — ready for whatever the future holds, reaching out for help when I need it, and finding strength in the memories of love that make me who I am — gives you a ray of light on your journey. I hope you know that you too, will never be alone,” she writes.

Here are excerpts from Quiban Whitesell’s interview with the Asian Journal, edited for length and clarity.

On Filipino culture: “I am so thankful for the love and care the nurses, who were all Filipino, gave Sean and our whole family. It really

Maria and Sean with their families during their wedding

makes me tear up because it speaks to our culture.

Without them, I don’t even think Sean would have lived as long as he did because they really cared for him and for all of us and would even bring us Filipino food. Sean and I had talked about going to the Philippines to show him where I was born and where my family was from. I was remiss to show him that part of my life and history.”

On communication: “It was important to set the tone for everyone. I always deferred to Sean on how he felt about the decisions that we were facing and together as a couple and as a family, we decided what we needed to do and everyone else supported us around that. Communication and honesty are key. We were very careful to be very sensitive to one another and our needs and desires. I think that was one of the reasons why I wrote those email updates every month, sometimes twice a month, to keep everyone in the loop. They wanted to know what’s going on.”

On dealing with the diagnosis as a public figure: “That was a challenge having to put on a smile every day because part of my job is to bring you the good news.

On days, where I didn’t feel like smiling, it was a bigger challenge but inevitably,

I was able to do it through compartmentalizing what’s in front of me. I was able to leave caregiver Maria at the door. The real smiles came through because I have a job that I love and enjoy and I have people that I work with who are funny and are incredibly loving and supportive.”

On self-care: “Our family therapist always tries to remind me about that. She’ll ask, ‘What did you do for yourself today? So I will try to schedule playdates, as I like to call them with Gus, with some of my friends and try to get my nails done.

That’s sort of an inexpensive but satisfying way to get away for a couple of hours and try to take some care of myself that way. Luckily, I have friends and family who will drag me out of the house and get me to have fun.”

On meeting former Vice President Joe Biden: “I remember that Sunday vividly in February 2016. It was a particularly difficult morning and I was praying and asking God to help heal my heart. I just kept repeating Sean’s name in my head and asking him for a sign. There was a commotion at the back of the church and the priest announced that we had a very special visitor that day and there was our Vice President Joe Biden. I knew that his

LAUREN Young stood up against bashers who called her fat after she described the comment of DJ Loonyo (real name: Rhemuel Lunio) on face masks as “bobo” (stupid).

Young made the remark on her Twitter page on June 4, in response to a clip of the viral dancer speaking about the masks. Loonyo stressed that he is not against wearing face masks but discouraged using them for a long time. He also likened prolonged wearing of the masks to inhaling one’s own fart.

A certain @farden_vio responded to the actress’s comment last Saturday, June 6. “[W]ow look who’s talking??” the Twitter user said. “Ikaw nga MATABA e (You are fat).”

“Masama na pala maging mataba ngayon (So, it is now bad to be fat),” Young replied.

“Oo mataba ako! Ano ngayon? (Yes I am fat! So what?)” she added in a separate post.

“Did I make statements that could possibly influence my followers to think the wrong way because I had incorrect information while oozing with confidence? NO,” Young pointed out. “Tse. Kainin ko kayo eh (I will eat you).”

She then stressed that body shaming is “so 2019” son had just passed away a few months before from the same disease that Sean did.

I needed to go and say hello to him. I started crying and told him we had something in common. He changed his demeanor right away. He was so connected and present and wanted to make sure he told Gus and myself that he understood what we were going through. He just gave me so much comfort by telling me that things were going to be okay and eventually, better for us.”

On faith and spirituality: “One of the reasons why I fell in love with Sean was that he had a very strong faith. He was a better Catholic than me, that’s for sure.

He brought me back to the church in a way and we still have a very special relationship with our church.

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Lauren Young Photo from Facebook_Lauren Young

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JUNE 12-18, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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