Weekend Balita- April 11, 2020

LOS ANGELES EDITION

VOL. XXIX NO. 15

April 11 - 17, 2020

TOP STORIES

Global News Russian Embassy thanks Philippines for saving captain’s life amid COVID-19 threat 8  Twitter suspends accounts pushing pro-Duterte hashtags 8  Duterte: Death of Jesus Christ a reminder of ‘immense power’ of love, compassion 8  PH seeks ASEAN food security, medicines and peace in disputed South China Sea amid COVID-19 crisis 9  NBI warns public vs. scams amid pandemic 9  Palace hits circulation of fake quotes on social media 9  Extended quarantine shows lack of foresight in gov’t response — Bayan 9 

Sections BUSINESS. World Bank OKs $500M loan to boost Philippines disaster, COVID-19 response capacity 19  COMMUNITY. 30 winners of $1.2M in Edison Scholars Program 5  DELISH. Pizza Time 10  ENTERTAINMENT. Bea Alonzo leads charity drive for COVID 19 frontliners 13  HEALTH & FAMILY. COVID-19 survivors donate blood plasma, raise hopes for treatment 15  FEATURES. Frontliners honored by condo residents 18 

COVID-19 stimulus package a mixed bag for those in greatest need

By SUNITA SOHRABJI EMS Contributor SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.

— The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, signed into law last month, offers little relief to millions of vulnerable immigrants and low-wage workers, said panelists during a media briefing here April 9.

THE LEADING SOURCE OF NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR FELLOW FILIPINO-AMERICANS

IT’S A MUST TO WEAR A MASK IN CITY OF LA AND COUNTY

By ABNER GALINO

AS of presstime on Thursday night at about 8 p.m. (April 9), Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti urged the city’s constituents to applaud every worker on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 by clapping their hands wherever the people were on that moment.

And a couple of hours later, the iconic LA City Hall was bathed with blue light to show the public’s support for health workers and other workers on the front line.

A t m i d n i g h t , F r i d a y (A p r i l 10) — t r ad it ion a l l y r e ga r de d by mo s t Christians as Good Friday — IT’S

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THE iconic Los Angeles City Hall bathes in blue light as the city honors health and other essential public and private workers on the front lines of the battle against the COVID-19 virus.

DFA: Hundreds of Pinoy sailors repatriated on Good Friday amid COVID-19 emergency M A NIL A (Mabuhay) — Hu nd r e d s of F i l ipi no seafarers from various cruise ships abroad were safely repatriated on Friday, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Four-hundred and forty sailors left the Norwegian Cruise Line's Pearl, Sky, a nd Su n sh ips i n t he United States amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) threat. They are the eighth batch of Filipinos to be

repatriated from the said liner.

"The seafarers safely arrived in DFA:

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30 winners of $1.2M in Edison Scholars Program ROSEMEAD, California- Thirty high school seniors in Southern California Edison’s service area have been named 2020 Edison Scholars and will be awarded $1.2 million in scholarships

by Edison International to pursue science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) studies.

“We are very proud of these students and their outstanding academic achievements,” said Pedro Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International.

“The scholarships provide

financial support to these deserving scholars and their families so they can focus on their studies. We are counting on them to help us innovate and turn big ideas into realworld solutions and we know they have a bright future ahead.”

Each Edison Scholar will receive a $40,000 scholarship — paid over four years — to further their academic pursuit of STEM fields at a four-year accredited U.S. college or university.

30 WINNERS

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De Lima to DSWD: Don’t pass the buck on slow COVID-19 aid to LGUs President Donald Trump

The CARES Act was signed into law by President Donald Trump March 27. It was intended to help millions of workers who have lost their jobs as shelter-in-place orders are implemented around the nation to mitigate the community spread of the novel coronavirus. The relief package also provides small businesses w ith the Paycheck Protection Program, allowing them to keep employees on payroll for up to eight weeks.

COVID-19

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MANILA (Mabuhay) — Senator Leila De Lima on Thursday slammed t he D epa r t ment of S ocia l Wel fa re a nd Development (DSWD) for passing the responsibility to the local government units on the slow distribution of cash assistance to poor families amid the enhanced community quarantine.

"Parang magkasalungat ang impormasyon galing kay DSWD Secretary Bautista at ‘yung from the LGUs. Ang sabi sa

ground, DSW D ang mag u lo —may quota system, uses outdated 2015 census, very limited SAC forms," De Lima said.

"Parang set up daw sabi ng ilang mayors.

Defe c t ive f rom t he star t sa DSWD kasi wala ngang matinong database. Balak bang iba l i ng a ng si si sa mga LGUs, including b a r a ng ay of f ic i a l s , a n g a p p a r e nt l y a y kapalpakan na nagumpisa sa itaas?" she added. "Mukhang hindi lang virus ang naiipasa DE LIMA

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FAITHFUL. There was no mass but a few parishioners managed to pray on Good Friday (April 10, 2020) inside the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Cubao in Quezon City.

Large gatherings such as mass or any other religious activity during the Holy Week are banned under enhanced community quarantine protocol in Luzon which has been extended until April 30. (MNS photo)

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ABNER GALINO, Fil-Am News Editor

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Pahayag ng Kawanihan ng Senso ng U.S. sa mga Call Center ng 2020 Senso A BR IL 10, 2 0 2 0 — Maaaring sagutan ng publiko ang 2020 Senso online, sa pamamagitan ng telepono o sa pamamagitan ng sulat.

D a h i l s a p a g- a ay o s sa staf f ing na hat id ng patnubay mula sa pederal, pang-estado at lokal na awtoridad sa kalusugan tungkol sa COVID-19, gumagawa ang Kawanihan ng Senso upang mapahupa ang epekto sa mga call center ng 2020 Senso. Sa mga limitadong pagkakataon, ang mga pag-aayos na ito sa staffing ay nauwi sa pagdami ng mga oras ng paghihintay sa pagtawag, na nakakaapekto sa iba't ibang linya ng telepono sa iba't ibang oras. Aktibo kaming gumagawa upang mabawasan ang mga oras ng paghihintay na ito habang patuloy kaming nagkakaloob ng suporta sa telepono sa

Ingles at 12 karagdagang w ik a. Ma ha laga a ng bawat pagsagot sa senso at nagpapasalamat ang Kawanihan ng Senso sa iyong pagtitiyaga habang sinasagot namin ang mga paparating na kahilingan.

Pinaaalalahanan ang lahat ng sambahayan na maaari nilang sagutan ang senso online sa anumang oras sa 2020census.gov sa mga sumusunod na wika: Ingles, Espanyol, Tsino, Vietnamese, Koreano, Ruso, Arabe, Tagalog, Polish, Pranses, Haitian Creole, Portuguese at Hapon. Naghahandog din ang Kawanihan ng Senso ng mga webpage at mga patnubay sa 2020 Senso sa 59 na wika, kabilang ang American Sign Language, bukod sa mga patnubay sa Braille at malalaking print. Bisitahin ang aming webpage sa Suporta sa Wika para sa higit pang impormasyon.

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IT’S... FROM PAGE 1 Garcetti’s emergency order that requires, not only workers providing non-medical essential services, but as well as customers who interact with these workers to wear masks or face coverings took effect.

“We need to protect every worker on the f ront lines of t his c r i s i s ,” s a i d L o s Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

“Each one of us is a first responder in this emergency. Every employer should keep employees safe, and so should Angelenos p at r on i z i n g t he s e businesses. Cover up.

Keep your distance. Save lives. It’s that simple.”

“Under the Mayor’s emergency order, employers of many non-medical essential businesses must either provide workers with cloth face coverings that shield their noses and mouths or reimburse employees for their cost. Essential businesses must also implement physical distancing measures for employees, customers, and visitors; make sure employees have access to a clean and sanitary restroom, stocked with all necessary cleansing products like soap and sanitizer; and allow employees to wash their hands at least every 30 minutes.”

“Non-medical essential businesses described in the order will be allowed to refuse service to customers who do not wear face coverings.”

The order also recommends that, whenever possible, businesses install plexiglass barriers between cashiers and customers.

Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of Los Angeles County Public Health, encouraged religious and/or faith-based organizations to “honor LA County’s Safer at Home order and find ways to be together emotionally, but apart physically.”

Ferrer said gatherings in person, as well as in cars, should be canceled and reminded everyone that the

Saturday-Friday | April 11 - 17, 2020

MAYOR Eric Garcetti at the USC Irvine Makerspace.

FASHION Designer Alexis Bong Monsanto working on a prototype of his face mask. order prohibits such physical gatherings.

The Safer at Home order directs all members of the public to help slow the spread of COVID-19 by practicing social distancing and taking common sense infection control precautions.

County residents are required to stay at home or in their place of residence, except when they need to work at an essential business or healthcare operation, provide essential infrastructure, shop at an essential business, or engage in an essential activity.

Family members and contacts living together within a household can go for a walk in the neighborhood while contact with individuals from outside of the household should occur only virtually.

Ferrer urged people to use social media and digital tools to connect, because faceto-face interactions with individuals from other households are prohibited under the Safer at Home order.

Everyone must: • Stay home (stay unexposed and do not expose others) • Only go out for essential services or if they are an essential worker • Stay six feet or more away from others • Not gather in groups of any size On Sunday (April 5) Garcetti met with designers working inside the Makerspace at the USC Irvine and Young Academy, which is a partner in the “L.A. Protects” initiative he created to spur new production of urgently-needed supplies in the fight against COVID-19.

Academy designers at the makerspace are collaborating with the Viterbi School of Engineering’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM), the Keck School of Medicine, and the USC School of A rchitecture — using 3D -pr inting technology to produce face shields, N95equivalent masks, and other protective gear for healthcare workers and supplement traditionally manufactured supplies.

Mayor Garcetti formed LA Protects to help spur new production of critical supplies, by organizing approved local manufacturers to make protective gear and other needs for essential workers — and connecting them with industries in need of those products.

The initial target for the initiative is the

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It’s About Power, Money & Data — California Lags Behind National Average on Census, State Director Says

By MARK HEDIN Ethnic Media Services As of April 1, 37.9% of California’s households have filled out their census questionnaires, Ditas Katague, the state’s Complete Count Committee director, reported at a “Census Day” teleconference.

The nationwide response rate was slightly higher, 38.4%, but California’s 40 million population includes 11 million people the Census Bureau considers “hard to count” — more than in all of Georgia, Katague said.

California’s marathon effort to get everybody counted by the Aug. 14 deadline includes immigrants, infants, the elderly, the incarcerated, the homeless, those who speak no English.

Before the deadline, Census Bureau “enumerators” w ill have v isited households that didn’t fill out their census forms online, over the phone or by mail. The enumerators are scheduled to begin their work May 28 and will return several times, if necessary, to try to get the questionnaires completed.

The completion deadline originally was July 31 but was extended by two weeks, to Aug. 15, in response to the CORVID-19 virus outbreak. Other aspects of the Census 2020 timeline also have been adjusted, such as the schedule for training and dispatching enumerators.

“It’s about power, it’s about money, it’s about data,” Katague said.

Nationwide, about $1.5 trillion every year (https://tinyurl.com/Censusd irec tedUSspend ing) of federa l government spending is allocated based on census data. That data drives federal funding for emergencies like the coronavirus.

“Just know that being counted is very important for emergency response,” Katague said.

Besides all that federal spending, census data determines how many seats a state gets in Congress.

“Representation, having a voice, being able to be heard, and being sure that the dollars we send to Washington come back to our community,” that’s part of the power aspect, Katague explained.

“If California loses a congressional seat to North Carolina or Texas, I can’t even imagine the impact it would have.”

And health care funding is a particular concern, she added.

California has allocated about $187

million to this year’s census outreach and communications, far more than any other state in the country and multiples of what it spent in 2010. That year, the “great recession” had Sacramento pinching pennies. Ten years earlier, in 2000, California became the first state ever to fund census outreach efforts.

The state doesn’t do the counting itself, just the outreach, Katague explained.

“So I just appeal to everyone: Can you answer those nine questions?” (https:// tinyurl.com/2020census-ninequestions) The chance to count ever yone won’t come around again until 2030.

Meanwhile, for every Californian who doesn’t get counted this year, their community will miss out on about $10,000 annually in federal spending.

Those federal tax dollars go to build roads, staff schools, pay for health care and nutritional needs and much more —300-plus federal programs.

Jun Lim, from Asian Americans Adva nci ng Just ic e -L os A ngele s (AAAJ-LA), also participated in the teleconference. As one of the state’s trusted messengers in its outreach efforts, A A AJ has set up a hotline for anyone with census questions or concerns: (844) 202-0274 (2020API).

Lim cited an ongoing need for culturally competent help in getting the Asian American and Pacific Islander/ Native Hawaiian communities counted.

That population is deemed “least likely” to respond to the census, she said, despite being the fastest-growing immigrant group in the country. The reasons include wariness of government intentions and a lack of awareness about the role of the census in U.S. government.

To encourage participation, AAAJ has helped assemble countusin2020.org, where census information is available in dozens of languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Urdu, Thai, Punjabi, Hmong and many more.

Basim Elkarra, who directs census outreach for the Council on AmericanIslamic Relations, described the shift away from in-person events, because of the pandemic, to communicating by phone banks, webinars and WhatsApp, distributing in-language flyers at grocery stores, and cultivating in-language speakers to help dispel confusion about the 2020 census.

Elkarra noted that in the Somali and the MENA (Middle Eastern/North African) population, “When someone speaks their language, it builds trust.

IT’S... FROM PAGE 2 manufacturing of 5 million non-medical masks for people who need protection — including grocery store workers, nonmedical staff in hospitals, and others providing essential services during the COVID-19 crisis.

Weekend Balita/US Asian Post reached out to the said fashion designers through FB Messenger and among those who answered our queries was Alexis Bong Monsanto.

Alexis Bong Monsanto: The prominent fashion designer said that he is part of the “LA Protect.” He disclosed that some of his face masks are to be sold to the public “so we can generate production for the donated masks.”

“At the same time, I’m keeping my seamstresses busy in the factory and some (of them) in their homes.”

The designer said he is donating face masks to the Asian Pacific Aids Intervention Team, the Aids Health Care Foundation and the Downey Nursing Facility.

“My mask is a real deal, not fashion mask that others are making. Those are not safe. I followed the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) and even

added the polypropelene 2.0 oz. inside for filtration,” Monsanto explained.

“I had to use gadgets to test what the naked eyes can not see.”

Monsanto he started developing his product on March 9.

On Easter Sunday, all City of Los Angeles parks will be closed to the public for more than 24 hours beginning Saturday evening.

“I know this is a time of the year when many of our families and friends celebrate Easter by getting together outdoors –– and we just can’t take any chances right now,” said Mayor Garcetti.

“The holidays are special moments in our lives, but we’re all safer at home. Let’s create new memories and traditions this year, so that we can flatten the curve, save lives, and look forward to seeing each other again when it's safe.”

Trailheads, recreation centers and all City park amenities are closed –– with parks open only for walking or jogging.

The Department of Recreation and Parks will fully close all parks beginning the evening of Saturday (April 11) through the morning of Monday (April 13).

Restrooms in parks will remain open during normal hours.

People will take our community more seriously when they see the actual numbers.” He cited the dramatic undercount of Armenians in California and in the U.S. overall as a key reason for why they are underrepresented.

The Census Bureau in mid-March began sending out “invitations” to participate to all known household addresses. The invitations direct recipients on how to fill out their ninequestion census forms online. But even households that haven’t received an invitation can go online to respond: my2020Census.gov.

If an online response isn’t an option, people can call (844) 330-2020 to answer the nine questions by phone, fill out the questionnaires that arrive by mail and mail them back, or wait for

an enumerator to come knocking.

The panel addressed concerns about how to tell if a person claiming to be an enumerator actually is — identification, a local phone number to check the ID, an official bag and hand-held electronic device with the nine questions — and about privacy of information. Strict confidentiality rules protect the personal information people provide from being disclosed even to other government agencies or landlords.

All the speakers emphasized that for anyone concerned about stay-at-home orders or virus contamination, the best thing to do is to fill out the census form online, at my2020Census.gov.

“My core message is that participating is safe and secure for all Californians,” Katague said.

States with the Biggest Increases in Unemployment Due to Coronavirus – WalletHub Study WITH the U.S. experiencing an extremely high number of initial unemployment claims, WalletHub today released updated rankings for the States with the Biggest Increases in Unemployment Due to Coronav ir us, along w ith accompanying videos.

To ident if y which states have experienced the largest unemployment increases, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across two key metrics. These metrics compare initial unemployment claim increases for the week of March 30, 2020 to both the same week in 2019 and the first week of 2020. Below, you can see highlights from the report, along with a WalletHub Q&A. Increase in California Unemployment Due to Coronavirus (1=Worst, 25=Avg.): • 2454.59% increase in the Number of Unemployment Insurance Initial Claims – from 36,227 the week of April 1, 2019 to 925,450 the week of March 30, 2020.

12th lowest increase in the U.S. • 2420.29% increase in the Number of Unemployment Insurance Initial Claims – from 36,720 in the first week of the year to 925,450 the week of March 30, 2020. 17th highest increase in the U.S. How do red states and blue states compare when it comes to increases in unemployment?

“With an average unemployment rank of 25, Red States suffered a higher increase of their unemployment during the coronavirus outbreak than Blue

States, which rank 27 on average,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “The lower the rank, the higher the increase in initial unemployment claims that state received during the coronavirus pandemic.”

The state with the current largest number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is New York. How has New York’s unemployment rate been affected?

“New York has seen a 670% increase in initial unemployment claims from the beginning of 2020 to the 14th week,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst.

“This is better than the average increase of 2,193%.”

What can states do in order to minimize the rise in their unemployment rates?

“States should aggressively focus on helping the companies in the most need. The federal response will include sending checks to most citizens, even those whose income has not been affected by the coronavirus. States can use a more targeted approach to divert resources to the companies affected the most, thus having maximum impact for the money spent,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst.

To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit: h t t p s :// w a l l e t h u b . c o m /e d u / states-w ith-the-biggest-increasein-unemploy ment-due-tocoronavirus/72730/

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A “COVIDEOKE Moment” with Joseph Gelito

By FE P. KOONS

O

ver t he ye a r s, Joseph Gelito has the reputation of spreading the joy of singing and as well as making people laugh. And the gloom brought by pandemic COVID-19 does not dampen Joseph’s spirit even by a bit.

Joseph recently held a “concert” from his home that he wittingly titled: “COVIDEOKE.” For about an hour or so, Joseph lightened the load of our kababayans last Saturday night. But our guy is not only talented entertainer. Unknown to many here in Los Angeles, Joseph is an activity director in a nursing center in Buena Park.

“I am in charge of making sure that the elderly are stimulated mentally, physically and emotionally, especially nowadays when the deadly Corona Virus makes the seniors depressed. I’m worried because of the social distancing. We used to sing and laugh together. We create craft and exercise with everyone. Now it is very limited. Group interaction is very important. I’m really worried that they become disheartened if they are deprived of being around their friends in the center. We’re doing 1:1 room visit and doing stimulations. I don’t know I love the old people . I make them happy but it’s really the other way around. They

don’t realize that making them laugh is happiness that is irreplaceable.”

The COVID-19 pandemic hit Joseph hard in the same way that other Filipino American singers and entertainers in LA. “We lost our jobs. My gigs were cancelled. Financially, those who rely on entertainment…the bands, the musicians whose primary source of income is performing in restaurants or bars, are in a worse position. But you know the real artists are those who feel they die if they do not perform,” Joseph intimated.

Joseph is from a family of medical professionals. His sister is a nurse and even his partner is a nurse assistant. He narrated that he got involved in theater when he was at Torres high school in the Dulaang Barangay. It was where he learned the so-called “trainors training.”

Among his mentors were Alexander Cortez and Tony Mabesa of the University of the Philippines (UP).

In 1994, he decided to be a cruise director.

“Unfortunately, a disastrous fire destroyed our ship in Malaysia. So, that’s when I decided to come to Long Beach with my parents.”

“In 2001, I was in the Manila Peninsula and I sang in the restaurant. The host did not come so I stood up and took a chance.

And I was able to make the audience laugh. So I began hosting on Thursdays.”

Later on, a couple who regularly go to

FILE photo of host/singer Joseph Gelito with producer Pen Manahan and entertainer Marylaine Louise Viernes. Photo by BOBBY CRISOSTOMO the restaurant asked Joseph to host a birthday event.

“And that began my hosting birthday events in addition to the restaurant job. Then, another place in Alondra — Musikahan asked me to host. It boomed.

Later, I hosted at Pinoy Bistro which became Josephine’s. Then every weekend I worked at Cali Wok in Cypress.”

“But truthfully,” revealed Joseph, “there is nothing more satisfying that taking care of the elders.”

“We are very strict in our facility. We strongly practice social distancing. We protect our staff as well. The walls and floors of every room are disinfected.

Healthcare staff is so prone to the virus.

We are the ones who go out of the center.

We all wear medical masks, wash our hands as often as we should. We want our place to be safe for them. We know that

we will surpass this pandemic.”

“I find myself being more spiritual these days. Even the songs I sing in my COVIDEOKE are inspirational. This crisis shows us how we are so human.

We always have to live in simplicity and learn to love those who are close to us.

But we all have to realize that this virus cannot stop us from loving each other but strengthens out love for one another,’ Joseph said.

We both laughed about the many funny moments that happened in his life. And then I asked Joseph: What if the crisis brought by this pandemic would last year for the entire year?

Joseph paused and smiled: “Well, who knows what would really happen? God has plans for all of us. And we will have to abide by his plan. But I know, we will be safe with God.”

dependent on anyone else’s tax return, is eligible for a stimulus check, she said.

Those who have not provided direct deposit information to the IRS will get a paper check instead, which will take much longer, said Lough. She advised taxpayers to go online to https:// whereismyeconomicimpactpayment to fill in direct deposit information.

The website, which goes live on April 17, will also allow users to track their stimulus checks and when they will receive them.

Lough cautioned against the many imposter scams that have emerged in the wake of the pandemic.

“Do not give your private information to anyone who says I can get your check for you,” she stated.

If an individual owes back taxes, the IRS will not take out money from the stimulus check, clarified Lough.

Sebastian Sanchez, staff attorney of the employment rights project at the law firm Bet Tzedek, told reporters at the briefing that “gig workers” — contract workers, who now make up one-third of employees in several states — are eligible for unemployment benefits under the CARES Act. Normally, gig workers would not be eligible, because they had not left or been laid off by an employer, a mandate for unemployment benefits. Sanchez said that though they are eligible, there will be some delays, as states attempt to restructure their programs to meet new federal guidelines.

The stimulus package also provides an additional benefit of $600 per week to unemployed workers, but this too has not yet been implemented, said Sanchez, adding that laid-off workers and employees furloughed without pay can expect to see those additional benefits by the week beginning April 13.

California workers can claim up to 38 weeks of unemployment through the state’s Employment Development Department.

State disability insurance may be available to undocumented workers, if they have been paying into the system

by deductions on their paychecks, said Sanchez.

Undocumented workers with fake social security numbers should not perjure themselves to get benefits, he said, advising instead that they file paper forms and leave that information blank to later clarify with the EDD. Medical experts at the briefing discussed the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on African American and Latino communities.

Pediatrician Stacie Walton said: “W hen COV ID -19 c a me on t he scene, I knew we were going to have disproportionate numbers of African Americans affected; they are already experiencing an epidemic of deaths from other diseases.”

Walton said that many social determinants of health, including an unconscious bias by health workers, ma ke A f r ic a n A mer ic a ns more vulnerable.

Walton’s statements were borne out by University of California physician Tung Nguyen. “Stark and alarming disparities are emerging in places are reporting covid-19 data by race,” he said.

In Chicago 52% of the covid-19 cases are among black residents who make up only 30 percent of the City's population.

Only 14% of Michigan's population is black but 33% of the COVID-19 cases are African Americans, said Nguyen.

In Louisiana, 70% of deaths statewide are among black residents, though they only make up 32 % of the state's population, said Nguyen, noting that similar disparities are coming out of North Carolina, Washington DC and Milwaukee.

He advocated for all public health depar tments to track COV ID -19 information by race and ethnicity and urged all readers of ethnic media to write their members of Congress to also such data.

Nguyen also sternly advocated for a nationwide shelter-in-place order.

“It is criminal that some governors are not doing this. They are killing people.

It is bad leadership.”

COVID-19... FROM PAGE 1 But millions of people — including the undocumented, and those who have no social security number — will receive no relief, said panelists at the briefing, organized by Ethnic Media Services and supported by the Blue Shield of California Foundation.

“The bills that have passed Congress so far have not provided enough economic support or health coverage for immigrants including those who have protection under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Temporary Protected Status and others,” said Kerri Talbot, director of federal advocacy at the Immigration Hub. “We're really concerned that during this crisis people are not going to be able to access the health care that they need because they are not covered by emergency Medicaid,” she said, noting that denying aid to vulnerable immigrants puts all communities at risk.

Individuals in “mixed households” — in which one or more persons are undocumented, but living with U.S. citizens, such as children or spouses —

will not receive a one-time $1,200 relief check, said Talbot.

“At the very least Congress needs to make sure that people who were born here should have access to cash payments and we believe undocumented individuals should as well. So many are are doing essential services,” she said.

Immigration Hub is advocating for relief for undocumented people, including DACA and TPS recipients, to be included in the proposed fourth stimulus package.

Some safety nets have been beefed up, said Talbot, noting that more than $3 billion has been allocated for community health clinics, and $450 million has been allotted to food banks.

Sunita Lough, the Internal Revenue Services deputy commissioner for services and enforcement, said the onetime $1,200 stimulus package checks will be deposited into bank accounts on April 17, if the IRS has direct deposit information for the eligible recipient.

Each individual with a social security number, who cannot be claimed as a

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Supervisors propose $1K for 3 months CALIFORNIA SMOKERS’ HELPLINE rent assistance program OFFERS FREE NICOTINE PATCHES

LOS ANGELES County Supervisors Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis have proposed creating an Emergency Rent Assistance Program during the COVID-19 crisis.

The program would provide up to $1000 per month for three months to renters who have lost income due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“As we fight the spread of this virus and do everything we can to save lives, this crisis has devastated families who were already living on the brink of poverty,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn.

“The eviction moratorium we have in place has provided some relief, but many families are going to struggle to pay back the rent they owe after this crisis is over.

A Countywide rent assistance program would help keep people in their homes and lessen some of the long-term economic damage this pandemic will have on families.”

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has implemented a rent freeze and eviction moratorium to prevent families from losing their homes during this epidemic. However, renters will still need to pay back rent owed in the months after the crisis. Rent assistance through the proposed program would not need to

be paid back and could prevent families from falling into even worse economic hardship.

The number of families that would be helped by the program would depend on the level of funding. Funding for the program would come from the second round of funding Los Angeles County expects to receive from the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Additional funding could come from philanthropy and private sources.

“Housing stability is crucial for residents both during and after the COVID-19 crisis. We know the County’s eviction moratorium helps protect renters against homelessness now, but it won’t help them once past-due rent needs to be paid back,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, co-author of this motion.

“This Emergency Rental Assistance Program can provide sorely needed support to cost burdened households while they are earning little or no income as a result of the pandemic.”

The Emergency Rent A ssistance Program proposal will be voted on during this Tuesday’s virtual meeting of the Board of Supervisors.

Help for small businesses to go through federal loan processing MAYOR Eric Garcetti announced the formation of L .A. CA R ES Cor ps, a partnership between the City and County of Los Angeles to provide small businesses with assistance in applying for federal loans that can help them survive the COVID-19 crisis.

“When we talk about saving lives, we’re also talking about livelihoods,” said Mayor Garcetti. “Small businesses are the heartbeat of our economy, and we must do everything we can to help them through this very difficult moment.”

Federal relief established close to $350 billion for two different Small Business Administration (S.B.A.) loan programs: Economic Injury Disaster loans and the Paycheck Protection Program.

At coronavirus.lacity.org/CARESCorps, small business owners can find a clear explanation of the two emergency loan programs and directly access applications.

There is also a dedicated call-in center at (833) 238-4450, where counselors trained in completing S.B.A. loan applications can offer live assistance.

“This crisis has turned our local business community upside down, leaving thousands of entrepreneurial Angelenos unsure if they will stay open or make payroll,” said Councilmember Bob Blumenfield.

“If we can help our local companies access as little as an additional .3% of the SBA federal financial help, it will literally mean more than $1 billion for Angelenos. Helping position companies for these funds will help both employers and employees get through this incredibly tough time.”

For businesses that are not eligible for an S.B.A. loan, L.A. CARES Corps can share information on how to apply for the City’s Small Business Emergency Loan or obtain assistance through a Business Source Center.

30 WINNERS... FROM PAGE 1 The 2020 Edison Scholars are: Student Name Zackery Adler

Santiago Alvillar Aaron Don Anderson Lizbeth Arias Sean Chang Tony Chang Devin Cooke Valentina Costarelli Michael Dugbartey Jonathan Garcia Renteria Yesenia Gomez Tristan Griffith Erica Hsueh Paul Irvine Yubin Jee Justin Kim Matthew Kwon Jimin Lee Shin Hyung Lee Abigail Leyva Elizabeth Martinez Jonathan Martinez Sophia Olmeda Hye Min Park Luke Phillipps Alazne Ramos Flores Jacob Rodriguez Daniel Silva Rios Samantha Valdovinos Itzel Villanueva

High School

California Academy of Mathematics and Science, Carson South El Monte High School Orange County School of the Arts, Santa Ana Rancho Mirage High School Diamond Bar High School Upland High School University High School Charter, Los Angeles Quartz Hill High School, Lancaster Summit High School, Fontana Tulare Union High School Buena Park High School Valley Christian High School, Cerritos Northwood High School, Irvine Elsinore High School, Wildomar Irvine High School Los Alamitos High School Portola High School, Irvine Arnold O. Beckman High School, Irvine Cerritos High School Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet, Los Angeles Santa Monica High School Libra Academy at Marquez Complex, Huntington Park Alhambra High School Woodbridge High School, Irvine Oak Hills High School Cathedral City High School El Modena High School, Orange Avalon K-12 North High School, Torrance Orange Vista High School, Perris

County Los Angeles Los Angeles Orange Riverside Los Angeles San Bernardino Los Angeles Los Angeles San Bernardino Tulare Orange Los Angeles Orange Riverside Orange Orange Orange Orange Los Angeles Los Angeles Los Angeles Los Angeles Los Angeles Orange San Bernardino Riverside Orange Los Angeles Los Angeles Riverside

Half of the scholarship recipients this year will be first-generation college students.

Since 2006, more than $11 million in scholarships have been awarded to 670 high school seniors through the Edison Scholars Program.

Edison International, the parent company of Southern California Edison, is one of the largest corporate philanthropic contributors in Southern California and its support of charitable causes, such as the Edison Scholars Program, is funded entirely by Edison International shareholders. SCE customers’ utility bill payments do not fund company donations.

To learn more about the 2020 Edison Scholars, visit edison.com/2020EdisonScholars.

Tobacco-cessation researchers to determine if the additional offer increases call volume (SACR AMENTO) — Callers to the California Smokers’ Helpline can now get an additional tool to help them quit using tobacco: nicotine patches.

Two-weeks of daily patches will be mailed at no cost to eligible adult callers while supplies last through a grant from University of California’s TobaccoRelated Disease Research Program. A study will determine if promoting the patches increases calls to the Helpline.

In addition to the patches, Helpline callers will receive free one-to-one telephone counseling (available in several languages) and educational resources.

The grant and study are led by UC Davis Health physician Elisa Tong. Her research is dedicated to finding effective ways to help people quit using tobacco and reduce their risks of cancer and other tobacco-related diseases.

To n g ’ s p r e v i o u s r e s e a r c h demonstrated that promoting and providing nicotine patches to Medi-Cal patients increased calls to the Helpline.

The new study will determine if they achieve similar results with a broader population during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is growing concern that people who smoke have unique risks for COVID-19.

“We know smoking increases the risks of respiratory infections and reduces the body’s immune system and ability to fight infections,” Tong said. “We are seeing clinical reports that those who smoke and have COVID-19 can get sicker than those who don’t smoke.”

Patches reduce cravings for nicotine — the addictive chemical in tobacco —

by delivering a low, steady dose of it through the skin, according to Tong.

They are especially helpful in reducing symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, including feeling anxious or irritable.

Those symptoms can make the first two weeks after quitting the most difficult.

Tong's study also includes evaluations of public health messages encouraging smokers to quit, and how nicotine patches covered by insurance could become a permanent part of the Helpline's intervention.

“We want to know if promoting the patches and quit messages drive more people to request the free evidencebased support and resources available to them now — without needing to see a doctor,” Tong said.

Staff of CA Quits, a program that promotes best practices in tobaccocessation treatment, and the California Smokers’ Helpline w ill prov ide promotion and evaluation support for the project.

Information from the California Smokers’ Helpline is available online at www.nobutts.org or by calling 1-800-NO-BUTTS. From outside of California, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW. Elisa Tong is an associate professor of general internal medicine and medical director of the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Stop Tobacco Program.

She also is project director for CA Quits.

Details about her research and outreach are available here.

More information about UC Davis Health, including its Division of General Internal Medicine and National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, is at health.ucdavis.edu.

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Can’t Pay Your Mortgage During the Covid-19 Crisis?

THE dangerous coronavirus has brought the economy to a screeching halt. With no work and no paychecks, millions of homeowners are now wondering how they’re going to be able to keep their homes. It’s beginning to feel like 2008 all over again.

If there’s any comfort in all this madness, everyone is in the same boat. For this reason, the government has quickly stepped in to impose a 60day suspension of all foreclosures and evictions if you have an FHA loan.

Loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will also get the same treatment and may be further extended as the government finds necessary while monitoring the current crisis.

To find out if your loan is backed by Fannie or Freddie, you can go to their website to look it up.

The protection has been extended to California homeowners with an existing foreclosure or eviction for at least 60 days. The governor may also extend that at any time. The important thing to know is that if your mortgage payments are suspended, this doesn’t mean that you get to live in your house for free for all the months that you are skipping the payments. At some point, you will have

to make up these missed payments through a repayment plan or maybe apply for modification to restructure your loan. This is all new and anything can change at any time.

If you remember back in 2008 when we had the last recession, the government came up with the HAMP Program (Making Home Affordable) under the Obama administration and laws were passed to help struggling homeowners keep their homes. I can only hope that the government will do the same thing this time and come up with an even better program.

In California, while no court order is needed to foreclose on your home, it will still take approximately 4 months for the lender to sell your property once they initiate foreclosure proceedings. And since everyone is on lockdown at the moment, this may even take longer. But this doesn’t mean that you can just stop paying your mortgage payments without communicating with your lender. The best thing for you to do right now is to call them and then follow up with a letter reiterating the details of your phone conversation.

Send your letter via USPS Priority Mail with keep a copy of the letter

and proof of mailing as you may need these later on.

If you are calling your lender for assistance, be prepared to provide evidence that your inability to make the mortgage payments is due to the coronavirus. In other words, the bank is not just going to help you just because you asked for it unless you can prove financial hardship.

If there was ever a time to be proactive in dealing with your debts, this is the time. This is a scary time for everyone, and it is easy to be overwhelmed with anxiety and worries about your finances and how you would be able to meet even your family’s basic needs. While creditors have legal remedies to sue, obtain judgments, garnish wages, repossess and foreclose, all these may take time but it doesn’t mean that you don’t need to act quickly to avoid the ugly legal consequences that may be waiting for you down the road if things get worse.

Prioritize food and medicine expenses while also planning how to

deal with debts that must be paid in order to avoid losing property that you own (example: car, home or other real property. While you may not be working at the moment (which could mean that creditors will not be in a hurry to sue if they can’t garnish wages), they will be able to do so once you start getting a paycheck again. So, the time to plan is now, not later, if you believe that your income or assets may be later at risk.

NOTE: Due to the current lockdown order caused by COVID-19, I am offering free phone consultations to anyone who needs help in dealing with their debt problems.

(None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped over 5,000 clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call RJB Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866-477-7772).

Paycheck Protection Program ( PPP ) Fact sheet

THE Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) authorizes up to $349 billion in forgiva-

ble loans to small businesses to pay their employees during the COVID-19 crisis. All

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loan terms will be the same for everyone.

The loan amounts will be forgiven as long as: • The loan proceeds are used to cover payroll costs, and most mortgage interest, rent, and utility costs over the 8 week period after the loan is made; and • Employee and compensation levels are maintained.

Payroll costs are capped at $100,000 on an annualized basis for each employee. Due to likely high subscription, it is anticipated that not more than 25% of the forgiven amount may be for non-payroll costs.

Loan payments will be deferred for 6 months.

When can I apply? • Starting April 3, 2020, small businesses and sole proprietorships can apply for and receive loans to cover their payroll and other certain expenses through existing SBA lenders. • Starting April 10, 2020, independent contractors and self-employed individuals can apply for and receive loans to cover their payroll and other certain expenses through existing SBA lenders. • Other regulated lenders will be available to make these loans as soon as they are approved and enrolled in the program. Where can I apply? You can apply through any existing SBA lender or through any federally insured depository institution, federally insured credit union, and Farm Credit System institution that is participating. Other regulated lenders will be available to make these loans once they

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are approved and enrolled in the program.

You should consult with your local lender as to whether it is participating. Visit www. sba.gov for a list of SBA lenders.

Who can apply? All businesses – including nonprofits, veterans organizations, Tribal business concerns, sole proprietorships, self-employed individuals, and independent contractors – with 500 or fewer employees can apply. Businesses in certain industries can have more than 500 employees if they meet applicable SBA employee-based size standards for those industries (click HERE for additional detail).

For this program, the SBA’s affiliation standards are waived for small businesses (1) in the hotel and food services industries (click HERE for NAICS code 72 to confirm); or (2) that are franchises in the SBA’s Franchise Directory (click HERE to check); or (3) that receive financial assistance from small business investment companies licensed by the SBA. Additional guidance may be released as appropriate.

What do I need to apply? You will need to complete the Paycheck Protection Program loan application and submit the application with the required documentation to an approved lender that is available to process your application by June 30, 2020.

Click HERE for the application.

What other documents will I need to

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SHOULD YOU MODIFY YOUR CHILD AND SPOUSAL SUPPORT OBLIGATION IF YOU LOSE YOUR JOB?

THE fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic has wreaked havoc on our economy.

As a consequence of shutting down the global economy, businesses are forced to lay off a lot of workers. If you have an existing child support or spousal support obligation (court order) and you are laid off from your job causing a major loss of income, you may want to consider modifying your existing child and spousal support order. You are not automatically relieved from your obligation to pay a court ordered child and spousal support

just because you were laid off from your job. Some people have a mistaken belief that just because they lost their job, they are automatically off the hook from paying support. This is not the case. The support order remains in place until it is modified by a new support order. You will need to immediately file a Request for Order (motion) with the Court to modify the existing support order when there is a substantial change in your circumstance such as a loss of income.

The support orders are generally based

MORTGAGE UPDATE… FROM PAGE 6 include in my application? You will need to provide your lender with payroll documentation.

Do I need to first look for other funds before applying to this program? No. We are waiving the usual SBA requirement that you try to obtain some or all of the loan funds from other sources (i.e., we are waiving the Credit Elsewhere requirement).

How long will this program last? Although the program is open until June 30, 2020, we encourage you to apply as quickly as you can because there is a funding cap and lenders need time to process your loan.

How many loans can I take out under this program? Only one.

What can I use these loans for? You should use the proceeds from these loans on your: • Payroll costs, including benefits; • Interest on mortgage obligations, incurred before February 15, 2020; • Rent, under lease agreements in force before February 15, 2020; and • Utilities, for which service began before February 15, 2020. What counts as payroll costs? Payroll costs include: • Salary, wages, commissions, or tips (capped at $100,000 on an annualized basis for each employee); • Employee benefits including costs for vacation, parental, family, medical, or sick leave; allowance for separation or dismissal; payments required for the provisions of group health care benefits including insurance premiums; and payment of any retirement benefit; • State and local taxes assessed on compensation; and • For a sole proprietor or independent contractor: wages, commissions, income, or net earnings from self-employment, capped at $100,000 on an annualized basis for each employee. How large can my loan be? Loans can be for up to two months of your average monthly payroll costs from the last year plus an additional 25% of that amount. That amount is subject to a $10 million cap. If you are a seasonal or new business, you will use different applicable time periods for your calculation. Payroll costs will be capped at $100,000 annualized for each employee.

How much of my loan will be forgiven? You will owe money when your loan is due if you use the loan amount for anything other than payroll costs, mortgage interest, rent, and utilities payments over the 8 weeks after getting the loan. Due to likely high subscription, it is anticipated that not more than 25% of the forgiven amount may be for non-payroll costs.

You will also owe money if you do not maintain your staff and payroll.

• Number of Staff: Your loan forgiveness will be reduced if you decrease your full-time employee headcount. • Level of Payroll: Your loan forgiveness will also be reduced if you decrease salaries and wages by more than 25% for any employee that made less than $100,000 annualized in 2019. • Re-Hiring: You have until June 30, 2020 to restore your full-time employment and salary levels for any changes made between February 15, 2020 and April 26, 2020. How can I request loan forgiveness?

You can submit a request to the lender that is servicing the loan. The request will include documents that verify the number of full-time equivalent employees and pay rates, as well as the payments on eligible mortgage, lease, and utility obligations. You must certify that the documents are true and that you used the forgiveness amount to keep employees and make eligible mortgage interest, rent, and utility payments.

The lender must make a decision on the forgiveness within 60 days.

What is my interest rate? 0.50% fixed rate.

When do I need to start paying interest on my loan? All payments are deferred for 6 months; however, interest will continue to accrue over this period.

When is my loan due? In 2 years.

Can I pay my loan earlier than 2 years? Yes. There are no prepayment penalties or fees.

Do I need to pledge any collateral for these loans? No. No collateral is required.

Do I need to personally guarantee this loan? No. There is no personal guarantee requirement. ***However, if the proceeds are used for fraudulent purposes, the U.S. government will pursue criminal charges against you.*** What do I need to certify? As part of your application, you need to certify in good faith that: • Current economic uncertainty makes the loan necessary to support your ongoing operations. • The funds will be used to retain workers and maintain payroll or to make mortgage, lease, and utility payments. • You have not and will not receive another loan under this program. • You will provide to the lender documentation that verifies the number of full-time equivalent employees on payroll and the dollar amounts of payroll costs, covered mortgage interest payments, covered rent payments, and covered utilities for the eight weeks after getting this loan. • Loan forgiveness will be provided for the sum of documented payroll costs, covered mortgage interest payments, covered rent payments, and covered utilities. Due to likely high subscription, it is anticipated that not more than 25% of the forgiven amount may be for non-payroll costs. • All the information you provided in your application and in all supporting documents and forms is true and accurate. Knowingly making a false statement to get a loan under this program is punishable by law.

• You acknowledge that the lender will calculate the eligible loan amount using the tax documents you submitted. You affirm that the tax documents are identical to those you submitted to the IRS. And you also understand, acknowledge, and agree that the lender can share the tax information with the SBA’s authorized representatives, including authorized representatives of the SBA Office of Inspector General, for the purpose of compliance with SBA Loan Program Requirements and all SBA reviews.

Please stay safe, Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance Group for your mortgage needs, call Ken at 562-508-7048 or write to Kennethgo@verizon.net CABREA 01021223 NMLS 238636

on the parties’ financial situation and custody arrangements at the time of the settlement or trial. If your income has gone down substantially from the time that the child or spousal support determination, you may be able to file a modification of your support obligation. Losing a job or having less income constitutes a material change of circumstances that would allow the court to modify down your support obligations.

Child support in California is based on a guideline formula. One of the factors that is considered in the guideline formula is your gross income. Usually the court would look at several months or even an average of the last 12 months income. If your average income has decreased, you may be able to modify your child support to a lower amount. Bear in mind that there are other factors that come in the equation such as the amount of actual timeshare you spend with your child and the income of the other parent. If the other parent’s income has gone down, this may adversely affect your child support obligation. Also bear in mind that any unemployment benefits that you may be receiving will be considered as income available for support in the child support guideline calculation.

Spousal support may also be modified unless you stipulated in a divorce judgment that it is non-modifiable. However, spousal support are usually calculated differently than guideline. The court will look at other factors in deciding whether to modify this. Those factors are listed in family code section 4320.

If you are unemployed, the other party may be expected to try to impute income on you. However in light of the recent cases in California, they would have to prove that you had the ability and the opportunity to obtain employment. The Court will also look at the efforts you are making in trying to secure new employment under the current job market environment. If your income has gone down due to job lay off or unemployment, or if your hours were cut, it may be possible to modify both your child support and

spousal support obligation. Without modifying the order, the current order will continue to be in effect and the same amount will accrue regardless of whether your income declined or your spouse income increased. It is important to file a post judgment request for order to modify support as soon as your financial situation changes. Failing to immediately modify your child and spousal support obligation and not paying them would result to your support obligation accumulating as child and spousal support arrears. The supported spouse is entitled to the statutory interest on any unpaid support arrears. If the County Child Support Service Department is involved in enforcing the support, CSSD may suspend your passport, divers license, garnish your bank accounts, and intercept any tax refunds due you by the federal or state government.

Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice.

The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information.

This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed.

The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC This article is not a solicitation.

Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010.

Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@ kenryeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com

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CAREGIVERS: OVER the past few years, the attorneys at CHALEFF REHWALD PETERSON (www.caregiverovertime.com) have had the honor of informing hundreds of caregivers about the specific overtime laws that protect caregivers from being overworked and underpaid. Many of these caregivers decided to call us after reading our articles on Weekend Balita or finding our Facebook page. These are some of our favorite calls to receive. And, as a result of these calls, we have been able to help hundreds of caregivers recover millions in unpaid overtime.

We would have been able to help many more caregivers. But the truth is that some caregivers who have suffered wage theft, and been exploited by their employers, do not want to pursue their claims. We have recognized several common fears that prevent caregivers from taking action. If you have been thinking about making an overtime claim, or calling to get more information, please do not hesitate to call us. We want to hear from you.

Here are some of the most common concerns we hear from caregivers and the reasons why these concerns should not prevent you from seeking the overtime compensation you deserve.

1. “I Feel Obligated To My Patient.”

By nature, caregivers are typically caring people. Many private employers take advantage of a caregiver’s compassionate nature and do not pay a fair wage. Many caregivers feel a sense of loyalty or obligation towards their employers that make them reluctant to pursue valid claims.

While these are noble sentiments, it does not change the fact that caregivers who are paid less than the

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Are you ready to claim your overtime in 2020? in your unpaid overtime claim, Chaleff Rehwald Peterson can help you get an ITIN that can be used to pay the taxes owed.

legally required wages are victims of wage theft. In fact, many people who hire in-home caregivers are financially able to pay for caregiving services as required by law, but simply choose not to because they want to save money. We often see the children of elderly patients making efforts to preserve their own inheritance by taking advantage of caregivers. The truth is that the family members are obligated to ensure their loved ones are adequately cared for. It is not a caregiver’s obligation to provide care in exchange for a wage that is less than what the law requires.

2. “I Am Afraid Of The Court System And Having A Lawsuit.”

Many private employers refuse to pay caregivers overtime because they believe caregivers are unsophisticated and will not be able to file a legal claim. The legal process can be intimidating and confusing. But that is why the lawyers at CHALEFF REWALD PETERSON are here to help.

We know the law and stand ready to help.

3. “I Signed A Document Stating I Am An Independent Contractor.”

It is unlikely that an in-home car-

egiver is an independent contractor even if there is a signed a document that purports to identity them as a contractor. Still, it is common for private employers to try to convince caregivers they are independent contractors because it is much less costly and much more advantageous for them. The reality is that many private employers misclassify caregivers as independent contractors to avoid paying overtime and other employee benefits.

4. “I Did Not Pay Taxes on The Wages I Did Receive.”

While we recommend that our clients pay all taxes owed for the wages received, if a caregiver has not paid taxes on wages, the caregiver still has the legal right to seek the overtime wages due. It is the employer’s obligation to properly classify the employee and withhold state and federal income taxes. If this has not happened, the employer has also violated the law.

5. “I Do Not Have A Social Security Number.”

You do not need a social security number to recover overtime wages from your employer. If you succeed

6. “I Am Concerned About Immigration Status.”

California law permits undocumented workers to recover unpaid overtime wages. In our experience, our undocumented clients have not suffered any serious adverse effect from presenting an overtime claim. While we cannot guarantee no problem will arise, we believe the benefit in recovering unpaid overtime far outweighs the risk. Also, we have a relationship with an immigration attorney that can review and possibly assist with your specific immigration situation.

7. “I Do Not Want A Long Court Battle, and May Leave the Country.”

Most cases settle without going to court, and many cases settle within a matter of a few months to a year. We regularly help caregivers who return to their home countries while the case is ongoing and keep in contact with us via the phone and internet.

Because the laws are so strong in favor of the caregiver, most employers seek an early settlement of claims.

If you are working as a caregiver and you are not paid overtime when working more than 9 hours a day, or 45 hours a week, you should consult with CHALEFF REHWALD PETERSON to discuss your rights. We are here to help.

With the penalties, interest, and attorney’s fees allowed, claims can exceed $200,000 for 24-hour caregivers who have worked just one year.

Even if you have only worked three to six months, you likely have a valuable claim.

This article is an attorney advertisement written by Daniel Chaleff, employment law attorney at Chaleff Rehwald Peterson in Woodland Hills. Our examples are of a general nature and are not a guarantee regarding the outcome of your individual matter. The law firm focuses on caregiver rights. Please call us at (818) 807-4168 for a free and confidential consultation. Or visit us at www.caregiverovertime. com/ to learn more about caregiver overtime law. We offer a 24-hour chat line on our website.

Russian Embassy thanks Philippines for saving captain's life amid COVID-19 threat MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Russian Embassy in the Philippines has expressed its gratitude to the Philippine government for saving a sick Russian captain onboard a vessel amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) scare.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, the embassy said that Captain Alexander Solodyannikov of the tanker Asphalt Transporter suffered from an unknown respiratory syndrome while onboard the ship.

"The ship's doctor could not help him and amid the COVID-19 scare, no country would allow him to enter to be admitted to a hospital," it said.

"The Government of the Philippines

responded to the Embassy's request very quickly despite the lockdown and the quarantine measures and allowed the captain to be taken off the ship to a medical center in Metro Manila," it added.

The captain is now safe, according to the embassy.

"On behalf of his family and ourselves we thank our dear friends from the Philippines for helping us save a life!" it said.

A Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine is being implemented and will last until April 30. Land, air, and water transportation had been limited to prevent further spread of COVID-19. (MNS)

Twitter suspends accounts pushing pro-Duterte hashtags MANILA (Mabuhay) — Twitter has suspended hu nd reds of accounts which defended President Rodrigo Duterte's response to the spread of COVID-19 and its effects on the countr y's economy, the Washington Post reported on Thursday.

The accounts were said to have violated Tw itter’s plat form ma nipulation a nd spam policies.

Examples of these v iolat ions include

post i ng dupl icate content across multiple accounts, creating duplicate or multiple accounts, and sending large numbers of unsolicited replies or mentions, the Post said, quoting Twitter.

Soug ht for confirmation and comment, Tw itter said it was the Washington Post which first reached out and there was nothing further it could share on record.

It did say that it had

"zero-tolerance for platform manipulation."

According to Twitter, the power of a uniquely open service during a public health emergency was clear.

It added that to support this mission, its global trust & safety team was continuing its zero-tolerance approach to platform ma nipulation a nd any other attempts to abuse our service at this critical juncture.

(MNS)

CAPT. ALEXANDER SOLODYANNIKOV (PHOTO COURTESY OF RUSSIAN EMBASSY IN MANILA)

Duterte: Death of Jesus Christ a reminder of ‘immense power’ of love, compassion MANILA (Mabuhay) — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday joined Catholics in remembering the life and death of Jesus Christ this Holy Week.

“By remembering the death of Jesus Christ at the cross, we remind ourselves of the immense power of love and compassion which is able to tear down walls of prejudice, selfishness and hate,” Duterte, who has repeatedly made statements critical of the Catholic Church, said in his Lenten message.

The opportunity to pray and reflect during the Lenten season gave everyone a “magnified view of the victory that is found in enduring sacrifice,” he said.

“Let the spirit of Lent inspire us to move ahead with faith and peace in our hearts as we persevere in bringing lasting and transformative change in our society,” he said.

Duterte also wished that Filipinos “walk with renewed fervor and faith towards our shared path of a brighter and better future for all.”

The President is spending the Holy Week in Manila as he continues to monitor the developments in the country’s fight against the deadly coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). (MNS)

11 -17, 17,2020 2020 Saturday-Friday | April 11-

NBI warns public vs. scams amid pandemic MANILA (Mabuhay) — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Friday told the public to exercise caution in opening links and emails, warning that scammers may take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to steal money or personal information.

NBI Director Eric Distor said the public should watch out for fake emails purportedly coming from the Department of Health, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, the inter-agency task force, and other agencies that claim to offer or require information on the infectious disease.

Advising "think before you click," he said some links "can deliver malware to your computer and steal personal information or lock your devices or cellphones and demand payment as ransom."

"Do your research first before clicking on any links purporting to provide any information and updates on the virus, donations, contributions to free food campaign, online food purchase or providing personal information to receive money or other benefits," Distor said in a public advisory.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

Extended quarantine shows lack of foresight in gov't response — Bayan

RENATO REYES MANILA (Mabuhay) — The extended enhanced community quarantine over Luzon amid the COVID-19 pandemic is proof that the government’s response to the coronavirus disease was far from fine, Bayan Secretary-General Renato Reyes said Friday.

“Don't tell us we are better off. We are in this difficult situation because the government downplayed many of the red flags early on. Remember that time when a patient from Greenhills with no travel history was infected with the virus, and [Health Secretary Francisco} Duque said that's not local transmission because it's just one person?” Reyes asked in a statement.

“The Philippines has had to resort to extreme quarantine measures precisely because of the failure of the Duterte administration to impose travel restrictions, do proper contact tracing, and recognize in a timely manner the local transmission that had been ongoing in the country,” he argued further.

Duque had earlier claimed that the Philippines had a low COVID-19 infection rate, thanks to the measures implemented by President Rodrigo Duterte.

The enhanced community quarantine, on the other hand, was supposed to be lifted on April 13 but the government extended it to April 30 to give the country’s healthcare system more time to conduct more COVID-19 tests and establish isolation facilities for suspected COVID-19 patients.

As of April 9, the Philippines had recorded 4,076 COVID-19 cases. Of this number, 203 had died while 124 had recovered.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

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Palace hits circulation of fake quotes on social media

MANIL A (Mabuhay) — Malacañang on Friday slammed the proliferation of fake quotes attributed to Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo amid the national government’s relentless fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

“Fake news,” he said in a Facebook post, reacting to a viral social media post claiming that he was lambasting the poor for complaining about the government’s Covid-19 response.

On the official Facebook account of the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson, Panelo denied that he slammed the poor people for criticizing the government’s efforts to stop the further transmission of Covid-19.

The viral post contained Panelo’s photo and used the template of online news site Inquirer.net.

Based on the fake quote, Panelo said, “Kayong mga mahihirap, wala kayong karapatang mag-reklamo, wala naman kayong ambag sa gobyerno, puro lang naman kayo umaasa sa tulong ng gobyerno.

Pasalamat nga kayo at nabigyan pa kayo ng amelioration benefits galing sa gobyerno (To the poor people, you don’t have the right to complain because you have no contribution to the government and are just relying on the government’s help. Just be thankful because you are receiving amelioration benefits from the government).”

“If not for the wisdom and kindness of the Duterte administration, most of you should have been buried in the face of the earth,” the fake post quoting Panelo added.

In the original version of Inquirer.net’s post, he appealed to the

public to make suggestions on how to improve the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic instead of focusing on its lapses.

Panelo’s original statement was: “Sana at this time of our crisis, ‘yun pong mga pagpuna natin sa pamahalaan eh huwag na muna tayong maging masyadong mainit doon. Kumbaga nakaraan na ‘yun at ginagawan na ng paraan. Siguro mas maganda, magbigay po tayo ng mungkahi na lang. ‘Yung nakita natin na hindi maganda na nagawa, ipasa po agad natin (let’s not focus on criticizing the government. It’s all in the past and mistakes are being corrected. It would be better to give advice to improve the government’s response to Covid-19).”

People who are propagating false news about the Covid-19 outbreak will be slapped with a two-month imprisonment or a fine of up to PHP1 million, according to Republic Act 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on March 24.

The government continues to address the Covid-19 pandemic in the country by imposing measures aimed at arresting the spread of the disease.

One of the solutions seen as an effective way to stop the outbreak is to implement an enhanced community quarantine in the entire Luzon and some parts of the Visayas and Mindanao.

The government also allotted PHP200 billion to help poor households cope with the crisis brought about by Covid-19.

As of Friday, the Philippines recorded 4,195 confirmed Covid-19 cases, with 221 deaths and 140 recoveries. (MNS)

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PH reports 119 new COVID-19 cases, brings total to 4,195; death toll now 221 MANILA (Mabuhay) — The number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the country climbed to 4,195 on Friday after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 119 new cases.

In its daily briefing, the DOH also announced that 18 more patients succumbed to the virus, bringing the death toll to 221.

Total recoveries, meanwhile, were recorded at 140 with an additional 16 cases on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday reported 27 new COVID-19 cases of Filipinos abroad.

There are now 634 total confirmed COVID-19 cases among Filipinos overseas, of which 27.1% (172 individuals) have recovered and 12.5% (79) have died.

Still undergoing treatment are 383 Filipinos.

“The men and women of the DFA share the grief of the families left behind and extend our deepest condolences,” the agency said in a statement.

“With the continuous global efforts against #COVID19, we hope for the eventual recovery of our OFs (overseas Filipinos) who are undergoing treatment,” it added.

The cases have come from 39 countries, based on the data shared by the DFA. Of the 634, 226 are in the Asia Pacific region, 210 are in Europe, 120 are in the Americas, and 78 are in Middle East and Africa.

In the past weeks, the Philippines welcomed repatriates from different countries. Many are crew members of cruise ships that have halted operations because of the pandemic.

More than 6,000 repatriates are expected to arrive in the Philippines by mid-April. (MNS)

Pinoys urged to reflect on helping in fight vs. Covid-19 MANIL A (Mabuhay) — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Friday urged Filipinos to reflect on how to contribute to efforts aimed at helping those greatly affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

"Let this Lenten Season be a time for us to reflect on how we can all be part of the solution and what we can do, in our own little ways, to help the front-liners and the government alleviate the plight of those who are most affected," Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said in his Lenten message.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

PH seeks ASEAN food security, medicines and peace in disputed South China Sea amid COVID crisis MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Philippines has called on Southeast Asian nations to work together to ensure stable supply of food, medicines, hospital equipment and peace and security in the disputed South China Sea as the region grapples with the coronavirus emergency.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. made the call during an Association of Southeast Asian Nations ministerial meeting via teleconference on April 9 where they discussed the region’s collective response to COVID-19, which was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late December.

In his intervention, Locsin emphasized the need for continued cooperation among ASEAN states in ensuring food security, particularly a stable rice supply, as well as access to medicines, personal protective equipment, and other essential medical supplies.

He also highlighted the importance of "maintaining

peace and stability in the region during this crucial time, particularly in the South China Sea" after a Vietnamese fishing vessel, with eight fishermen onboard, was rammed and sunk by a Chinese coast guard ship on April 2.

China's latest action complicates the already tense situation in the resource-rich South China Sea, where six Asian governments - the Philippines, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan - have overlapping claims.

Vietnam protested the incident while the Philippines expressed solidarity with Hanoi, calling China's action "provocative." The United States also condemned China's action.

At the ASEAN meeting, the foreign ministers have agreed to intensify the sharing of information and best practices, measures to mitigate the negative socio-economic impact of the pandemic, and the establishment of a COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund. (MNS)

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Delish

April 11 - 17, 2020

PIZZA TIME RECIPES / MEAL IDEAS / COOKING GUIDES

RUNNING out of food recipes to prepare now that the family is home because of the quarantine or lockdown imposed by the government? Well, this is the time to be creative in the kitchen. You don’t have to go grocery shopping for food when there are leftovers which you can turn into easy-to-prepare meals that are surefire hits to everyone. Like pizza!

Yes, pizza is an all-time favorite food that is hard to resist. And it doesn’t consume much time to cook. Just dump every leftover bits and pieces of food you have from the fridge on the pizza crust and pop in the oven. In a matter of minutes, it’s done.

Let’s try these recipes below:

PIZZA HOTCAKES

PIZZA VEGETARIAN

DIRECTIONS

INGREDIENTS 2 pcs 9-inch pizza crust 1 pc round eggplant, cut into rounds 1 pc zucchini, cut into rounds olive oil as needed 1 cup sliced portobello mushrooms 2/3 cup prepared pizza sauce green and red bell pepper, sliced white onion, sliced sliced tomatoes basil leaves, as needed quick melting cheese, grated mozzarella cheese, grated

HUNGER HUB

DIRECTIONS

1. Grill eggplant and zucchini. Set aside.

2. Heat-up oil in a pan and cook mushrooms for 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

3. Divide and spread pizza sauce on top of the two-pizza crusts.

4. Divide and arrange on top of the two-pizza crust all the vegetables then top with grated cheeses.

5. Bake in a preheated oven until cheeses have melted. Remove pizza from the oven and serve hot.

INGREDIENTS

1. Mix egg, oil, water, HOTCAKE: and hotca ke mi x in a 1 pc egg bowl. Mix well.

2 tbsps oil 2. Pour 1/2 cup of the 3/4 cup water hotcake batter onto a 1 200g pack Maya Fluffy n’ Tasty Original preheated, lightly greased Hotcake Mix pan.

3. Cook until bubbly, PIZZA TOPPINGS: then flip to cook the oth1 cup pizza sauce er side.

1 cup cheese 4. Spread pizza sauce on 12 slices pepperoni top of the cooked hotcake, 1/2 sliced cup onion then sprinkle cheese over 1/2 sliced cup green bell pepper the pizza sauce.

5. Arrange pepperoni, onion, and green bell pepper. Sprinkle cheese on top of the pizza toppings.

6. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes in an oven toaster or until cheese is melted.

Serve.

HEARTY PIZZA

THE MAYA KITCHEN

INGREDIENTS prepared or store-bought pizza crust olive oil, for drizzling leftover pasta sauce (spaghetti or white sauce base) leftover cheeses (cheddar, quickmelt, or mozzarella), grated leftover meats leftover vegetables (tomatoes, onions, green or red peppers) alfalfa and baby arugula leaves

THE MAYA KITCHEN

DIRECTIONS

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1. Spray or drizzle some olive oil onto prepared pizza crust.

2. Spread some sauce on top of crust leaving at least 1-inch on the edge.

3. Put half of grated cheese on top of the crust then arrange leftover meats and vegetables on top.

4. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

5. Drizzle some olive oil again before baking.

7. Bake in preheated oven until cheese on top turns light brown.

8. Arrange alfalfa and baby arugula leaves on top before serving.

ORIGIN OF PIZZA PIZZA, as we all believe, is a spicy and palatable dish from the Italians. It is usually round, flattened base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomatoes, cheese, and often various other ingredients like anchovies, olives, meat, etc. baked at a high temperature, traditionally in a wood-fire oven.

But Wikipedia reports that the history of pizza begins in antiquity, when various ancient cultures produced basic flatbreads with several toppings.

A predecessor of pizza was probably the focaccia, a flat bread known to the Romans as panis focacius, to which toppings were then added.

Modern pizza evolved from similar flatbread dishes in Naples, Italy, in the 18th or early 19th century.

The word pizza was first documented in A.D. 997 in Gaeta and successively in different parts of Central and Southern Italy. Pizza was mainly eaten in Italy and by emigrants from there. This changed after World War II when Allied troops stationed in Italy came to enjoy pizza along with other Italian foods.

(Source: en.m.wikipedia.org)

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Mahilig ako sa mga numero!

Tungkol ito sa 2020 Census at pondong pampubliko. ‘Di ako accountant, pero gustung-gusto ko ‘pag nag-a-add up ang mga numero.

Kada sampung taon, ine-aim ng census na makakuha ng tama at tumpak na bilang ng lahat ng naninirahan sa United States. Mas tumpak ang data, mas maraming oportunidad na makakatanggap ng pondong pampubliko ang ating komunidad. Iyon ay higit 675 bilyong dolyar kada taon para sa pondong pampubliko para sa mga schools, health clinics at roads.

Magre-respond ako! Kayo?

Kapag sama-sama, mas may lakas, mas may pwersa!

Kumpletuhin ang census sa

2020CENSUS.GOV/tl Paid for by U.S. Census Bureau

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Dingdong Dantes helps connect quarantined Emotional Lea Salonga up about mental job seekers to work-from-home opportunities opens toll of quarantine due

a

mid the coronavirus lockdown that has cost many Filipinos their livelihood, actor dingdong dantes is helping connect job seekers to work-from-home opportunities through his foundation.

The former National Youth Commission head announced a collaboration among his advocacy group Yes Pinoy, online job portals, and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

On Twitter, Dantes wrote: "Gusto mo ba ng trabaho habang naka-home quarantine? May online jobs para sa freelancers, sa mga naghahanap ng alternative work, at sa K-12/HS grads.

May home-based jobs din na 'no experience needed' at interview na pwedeng sa phone lang! Ayos!"

to pandemic

Yes Pinoy's statement said it supports the campaign, dubbed #SanaOL, to "help our kababayans who lost their livehood because of the COVID-19 crisis."

The Luzon-wide lockdown has forced most business establishments to close, with the exception of those providing basic necessities including food and medicine.

The labor department has since distributed one-time P5,000 financial assistance to workers with reduced or no income due to the pandemic. (MNS)

DINGDONG DANTES

John Prats says wife Isabel Oli worried about giving birth during pandemic

JOHN AND ISABEL MANILA (Mabuhay) — John Prats is about to be a father of three and the actor can’t find the right words to describe how this makes him feel.

Prats, however, said that he is beyond excited to welcome his

third baby with Isabel Oli. “Having two, riot na.

Hindi ko nga ma-imagine 'yung tatlo, but I am really excited,” he said.

“But hopefully, si Liv din nagwo-worry ngayon na sana matapos na ['yung pandemic] bago siya manganak.

'Yun ang laging prayers namin, na sana maging maayos na 'yung buong mundo. Sana bumalik na sa normal,” he added.

Prats and Oli revealed they are expecting their third child

last week. Oli is set to give birth in July.

Meanwhile, Prats said he and Oli are spending as much time with their kids since the enhanced community quarantine has been put in place.

“Nandito lang kami sa bahay.

At least we get to bond with our family. Sabi ko nga, na-miss ko 'yung first walk ni Feather pero nasaksihan ko naman kanina 'yung first swim niya,” he said of his daughter who is turning four.

While we are all living in scary times, Prats said he learned to see the silver lining in it.

“Siyempre sobrang lungkot

ng nangyayari sa atin ngayon.

Sobrang hindi namin ma-imagine ni Liv na nangyayari ito sa panahon natin. Para siyang pelikula. Napapanood ko lang ito eh. So sabi ko, try nga natin hanapin kung ano ba ang positive na nangyayari,” he said.

“Every night, after we eat dinner with the whole family, hindi namin nagagawa dati pero now, after dinner, talagang the whole family will just pray together,” he added.

The actor said he also gets to bond with his siblings which doesn’t normally happen on regular days because of work.

MANILA (Mabuhay) — In a rare moment, Lea Salonga turned emotional during an hour-long stream that marked her first live performance during the coronavirus quarantine, as she opened up about how the crisis has taken a toll on her mental health.

Salonga was among the artists lined up on Thursday as part of the "Bayanihan, Musikahan" online concert series, which aims to raise funds for healthcare workers and vulnerable sectors.

In between numbers — which ranged from OPM classics to her Broadway repertoire — Salonga spoke with her audience about her participation in the program spearheaded by National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab.

Aside from bringing aid to frontliners and those worst hit by the pandemic, "Bayanihan, Musikahan" is also helping artists on a personal level, Salonga said.

"The one thing that kind of happened once the quarantine was called — and that's a lot of us performers, most especially those freelancers who live from talent fee to talent fee — all of a sudden, means of livelihood are gone. For me, personally, I find that being able to sing for an audience of one, or a hundred, or a thousand, it's somehow integral to my mental health," she explained.

The first quarter of the year has seen successive cancellations of shows for Salonga.

Before the pandemic, they were due to the Taal eruption in January.

"It just felt out of tune or off-key to have a celebration while a lot of people were suffering, and I tended to agree," she said.

"However, if I go through an extended period of time without me doing what this is that I love the most — doing theater or a live gig — it messes with my head. When I

(MNS)

LEA SALONGA

JK LABAJO GIVES UP SEARCH FOR BIOLOGICAL FATHER MANILA (Mabuhay) — JK Labajo has finally decided to stop looking for his biological father.

In a series of Instagram Stories , Labajo said he learned that his father’s name is Oliver Stolz and he is apparently from MuJK LABAJO nich, Germany.

“Years ago, natulungan ako ni kuya bonnie ko na mahanap ang number ng tatay ko. We have been trying to reach out to him but got no response,” he said.

While this was the case, Labajo said he learned last week that his father made a WhatsApp account around November last year.

“I messaged him two days ago asking if he was Oliver Stolz. The messages got delivered. Today, I tried to message him again just to see that

he blocked me,” he said.

This prompted him to conclude his search of his biological father.

“His bio says ‘Life is beautiful.’ I guess he has a family now and he definitely

doesn’t want me to be part of it,” he said.

On Friday, Labajo clarified that he is not hurt or sad that he didn’t get to be with his father growing up because he received so much love from those who raised him.

The “Bwan” singer, however, explained why it was painful not to have his father around.

“Ang pinakamasakit lang para sa akin ay yung wala siya sa mga panahong sobrang kinailangan siya ng nanay ko. Hanggang sa huli niyang hingalo, hindi man lang siya nagpakita,” he said.

L abajo lost h is mother to cancer at an early age.

He was 13 when he ventured into show business after joining the first edition of “The Voice Kids.”

(MNS)

don't have an outlet — a creative, artistic outlet — it kind of drives me nuts," Salonga said.

The stage veteran, whose career spans over four decades, then tried to hold back tears as she shared the relief that "Bayanihan, Musikahan" has afforded her.

"Yes, we are helping and we're sounding the alarm for people to donate and give, but Mr. C, you have no idea how many of us are getting helped also," she said, referring to Cayabyab.

Addressing her audience, Salonga added: "Probably, to a bunch of you, it's kind of OA — 'Why is she of all people crying about this?' It's not about money, it's not about what we get to earn. It's not that. It's when we're able to exercise and express and share what God-given talent we have, it gives us an internal equilibrium."

"Being able to sing, being able to do this, it's been important. It's great that all of us have been given an avenue and a place to play and share what we do, because not having been able to do it, in the way that we've gotten used to, it is hard," she said.

Salonga, who raised over P1 million just within the hour of her stream, said she plans to hold another online concert under "Bayanihan, Musikahan."

"I'm thankful. This has just been an incredible release of emotion, of pent-up energy. Times like this don't make me happy, but I'm just grateful that we kind of have this, that we're able to sing, we're able to perform and express ourselves, and be able to help other people," she said. (MNS)

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Regine Tolentino gives birth to her third daughter

a

ctress-dancer Regine Tolentino took to social media to reveal that she gave birth last month to her third daughter.

REGINE and her baby girl

Tolentino shared a photo of her and her newborn in an Instagram post on Sunday.

“At a time of uncertainty and anxiety, everyone is looking for a spark of hope, a miracle that will raise our spirits and make everything better.

This blessing can come in any shape or form. Ours came on March 17, 2020 at 9:25pm,” Tolentino wrote in the caption.

Tolentino who is currently in a relationship with Dondi Narciso, a director-photographer, didn’t mention the name of her baby’s father but on Instagram, Narciso shared Tolentino’s post on social media announcing the birth of her baby girl.

Tolent ino ha s t wo daughters from former husband Lander Vera-Perez. (MNS)

Bea Alonzo leads charity drive for COVID 19 frontliners MANILA (Mabuhay) — Bea Alonzo is leading a charity drive to provide medical equipment for frontliners during the coronavirus pandemic.

On Instagram, Alonzo shared photos of her and her friends while creating do-it-yourself face shields made out of foam, acetate and garter.

The improvised equipment was made possible by donations to I AM HOPE ORG, a group Alonzo co-founded with her friends.

“It’s hump day for I AM HOPE ORG. today because it’s our first repacking day at our headquarters! Maliit na tulong ito kumpara sa ginagawa para sa atin ng ating magigiting na frontliners,” she wrote before calling them the real-life heroes.

A side f rom mak ing face shields, Alonzo is also set to distribute 100 gallons of ethyl alcohol.

The group will also be providing other needs of frontliners such as food, personal protective equipment (PPE), vitamins and medical equipment, among others.

In an earlier post, Alonzo took the opportunity to urge everyone with extra funds to donate and help those badly affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

“Karamihan po sa ating mga kapamilya ay nawalan po ng hanapbuhay at hindi nila maiwasan hindi mag-alala kung saan nila kukunin ang kanilang pangangailangan kagaya po ng pagkain, tubig at pangrenta at

marami pa pong iba,” she said.

“Kaya dumudulog po ang Pantawid ng Pag-ibig sa inyong mga puso sa kahit na magkano pong donasyon ninyo, malaking tulong na po ito para makalikom po ng pera para makabili ng pangaraw araw nilang pangangailangan,” she added.

According to Alonzo, the Filipino people have been through a lot and she believes the nation could survive this pandemic if everyone would help each other.

“Ang dami na nating hinarap na krisis dati, suliranin at nalagpasan natin ito ng magkakasama. Kagaya rin po ito noon. Sa tingin ko, ganyan po talaga ang magkakapamilya, talagang magtutulungan hangga’t makakaya,” she said. (MNS)

BEA ALONZO

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Saturday-Friday | April 11 - 17, 2020

‘Wash hands to ward off virus, use moisturizers to protect skin' ANKARA — Even while doing the right thing by regularly washing your hands to guard against coronavirus, people must take care not to use disinfectant and cologne carelessly, according to a Turkish skin doctor.

Filiz Topaloglu Demir, a dermatologist at Medipol Mega University Hospital in Istanbul, suggested using oily moisturizers every time after washing your hands to avoid overly dry skin.

“People should wash their hands with un-dyed, unscented liquid soaps for at least 20 seconds with water at tap temperature to help stem the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.

“If you can’t wash your hands, we recommend disinfecting them with alcohol-based hand disinfectant or cologne with an alcohol content of at least 70%,” she added.

But she stressed that using hand sanitizer cannot replace hand washing, explaining: "Using these materials too often can damage the hand skin's protective layer, possibly causing dehydration and the skin drying out."

“If skin dryness continues and steps aren’t taken in time, this can result in redness, thickening, and roughening of the skin, and irritation,” she said.

She added that dryness can lead to cracks and itching and finally bleeding, tingling and pain.

Eczema Topaloglu also warned that patients who have eczema in particular need to protect their skin against dryness.

To avoid eczema, she urged “not washing with very hot or cold water, rinsing hands thoroughly, and moistening the hands after each washing with oil-based moisturizers while our skin is slightly moist.”

She said hands must be rinsed and moisturizers applied after using disinfectant and advised people not to wear accessories such as rings, wristbands, and watches due to a greater risk of developing eczema if soap and detergent accumulate under them.

She also underlined was that besides washing hands, people should wear gloves during daily household chores involving detergents such as washing dishes and doing the laundry.

On whether excessive and careless use of alcohol-based disinfectants and cologne causes skin cancer, Topaloglu said no data is indicating that.

On the contrary, she said especially in this period, washing and disinfecting hands is quite important.

Since appearing in Wuhan, China, last December, the coronavirus disease, officially known as Covid-19, has spread to at least 184 countries and regions, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.

Over 1.35 million cases have been reported worldwide, with the global death toll topped 75,000 and more than 285,000 recoveries. (Anadolu/PNA)

Smokers more susceptible to Covid-19: DOH

MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) warned that smokers are more prone to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infection.

DOH Promotion Bureau Director and Special Assistant to Health Secretary Beverly Ho, during the Beat Covid-19 virtual presser on Wednesday, said majority of Covid-19 cases in the Philippines are male elderly persons.

“Base sa ating datos (Based on our data), 42 percent of adult Filipino men are smokers and about a million are vapers, gusto po natin silang paalalahanan na mas vulnerable po sila sa Covid-19 kaysa sa ibang tao (we want to remind them that they're more vulnerable to Covid-19 compared to others),” she said.

Citing the World Health Organization (WHO), Ho said the act of smoking increases the possibility of transmission of virus.

“WHO also said that the act of smoking means that the fingers and possibly contaminated cigarettes are in contact with lips -- which

increases the possibility of transmission of the virus from hand to mouth, making the smokers more vulnerable to Covid-19,” she said.

Ho said smokers contract more respiratory illnesses, making their immune system weak to respond to infections, including the deadly Covid-19.

Ho also cited a New England Journal of Medicine study on clinical characteristics of Covid-19 in China which revealed that smokers comprised more than 25 percent of those who needed mechanical ventilation and admission to an intensive care unit, or those who died.

“Dahil po rito, pinapaki-usapan po namin ang ating mga smokers na huminto sa paninigarilyo para na po sa inyong kapakanan at kalusugan. (Because of this, we appeal to smokers to quit smoking for your health and wellness),” she said.

She also reminded the general public to avoid second-hand smoke from vape or regular cigarettes.

(PNA)

US to provide P204-M health aid to Philippines in fight vs. COVID-19 Also donates 1,300 cots to support PH’s response to COVID-19 pandemic MANILA (Mabuhay) — The United States is providing the Philippines nearly P204 million or $4 million in health assistance to help address the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Manila and around the country.

According to Ambassador Sung Kim on Friday, the US assistance will support laboratory system preparedness, case-finding and eventbased surveillance, technical expert response and preparedness, risk communication, and infection prevention.

These efforts, he added, complement ongoing assistance from the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s Biological Threat Reduction Program.

Aside from this, the US also donated 1,300 cots to support the Philippine government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originally intended for the Balikatan 2020 joint military exercise, which was postponed due to the spread of the deadly virus, Kim said the new cots will aid COVIDd-19 patients and frontline medical professionals at Philippine General Hospital who are providing critical diagnosis, treatment, and care.

"We stand together with the Philippines, as both of our nations work to save lives and protect our people in the fight against COVID-19," Kim said at the turnover rites attended by Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. and Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad of the Office of Civil Defense.

The Philippines has recorded 4,076 COVID-19 cases as of April 9 and 203 deaths. (MNS) THE U.S. government donates nearly 1,300 new cots to support the Philippine government’s response to COVID 19. US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim turned over the cots to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr and Office of Civil Defense Administrator Ricardo Jalad. (MNS photo)

Saturday-Friday | April 11 - 17, 2020

6 stadiums, convention centers now ready to accept COVID-19 patients MANILA (Mabuhay — Six stadiums and convention centers in Metro Manila and provinces north of the capital can now accept patients with COVID-19, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority said Thursday.

The BCDA said it took one week or less to convert the following sites into quarantine facilities with a combined 1,500-bed capacity for patients with mild or no symptoms of the respiratory disease: - Ninoy Aquino Stadium and Rizal Memorial Stadium at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila; - Philippine International Convention Center Forum Halls and the World Trade Center in Pasay; - ASEAN Convention Center in Clark, Pampanga; - and the National Government Administrative Center in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac.

All the facilities have "air-conditioned cubicles with plug-in outlets, free food for patients and the medical staff, free internet connection, and round-theclock medical assistance", said the BCDA. The BCDA said it would also convert the Philippine Arena in Bulacan, the PhilSports Arena or ULTRA in Pasig, and the Filinvest Tent in Alabang into quarantine facilities. The Philippine Arena alone can accommodate more than 2,000 patients, it said.

The government, it said, partnered with the following for this initiative: Razon Group, EEI Corporation, Vista Land, the Ayala Group, Filinvest, Investment & Capital Corporation of the Philippines, Aboitiz, World Trade Center Metro Manila, Lina Group of Companies, Megawide, Meralco, PLDT, Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, D.M. Consunji, Inc., the Concepcion Industrial Corporation, and Pacific Paint (Boysen) Philippines, Inc. The Philippines so far confirmed 3,870 cases of the respiratory disease, with 182 deaths and 96 patients who recovered.

Metro Manila and Luzon, home to half of the country's 100 million people, are on lockdow n u nt i l April 30 to halt the pandemic's spread.

(MNS)

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COVID-19 survivors donate blood plasma, raise hopes for treatment

MANILA (Mabuhay) — A seaman and 2 nurses who survived the coronavirus disease on Thursday set in motion a blood plasma donation drive at the Philippines' main government hospital that it hopes to use on severely ill patients, a doctor there said.

The trio underwent plasmapheresis after they met criteria for potential donors, said Dr. Thaddeus Hinunangan, a pathology resident at the Philippine General Hospital.

Plasmapharesis separates the plasma from blood cells.

In the absence of a vaccine for COVID-19, the PGH is eyeing convalescent plasma therapy to help treat patients.

The 31-year-old seafarer, Ceasar Ian Frias, is a crew member of the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Japan due to the virus. He tested positive for March while on quarantine in Tarlac province, north of Manila and was cleared that same month.

Hinunangan described the plasma donations from the 3 as an "optimistic start," adding, "Imagine, despite the lockdown, despite being Holy Week, despite the discrimination of health workers, the blood bank team and the Pathology residents were still able to start the convalescent plasma program."

The convalescent plasma, which contains antibodies, will be transfused to a suitable recipient in the hope of neutralizing the new coronavirus.

In a Facebook post, Hinunangan identified the first 3 donors as “our heroes.”

One of the nurse donors said she donated her blood

because she really wanted to help even when she was still confined due to the disease.

Anxious because she has never tried donating blood, but also hopeful because of the positive things she has read about plasma therapy, the nurse submitted herself to the procedure with her COVID-19 experience in mind.

“To lessen my anxiety, I tried to think again of what happened to me in the hospital. And then, I remember the other COVID patients. I know for a fact that they will need this to extend their life,” said the nurse, who requested anonymity as she had no permission from her hospital employer to speak to the press.

Hinunangan said 3 more donors would undergo plasmapheresis Friday, while 4 others were awaiting “informed consent.”

“All donors are welcome, whether they are politicians or everyday heroes.”

Following the blood extraction of the donors, Hinunangan said “the blood is processed and stored at the blood bank,” and “a multi-disciplinary committee composed of clinicians (Pulmonologists, Internists, Hematologists) use an algorithm to select the suitable recipient.”

While he leaves it to his counterpart in the clinical wards to say how soon the collected plasma can be transfused to “suitable recipients,” he said this procedure can “probably” happen already this month.

Hinunangan said that even as studies on the plasma therapy were ongoing, “there have been some historical evidence” already on its efficacy. China and South Korea have used the procedure to treat patients.

“With the right machine and assay, we can quantify the IgM and IgG in the plasma,” Hinunangan said, referring to the Immunoglobulin plasma levels. “We have to trust our experts, our doctors who take all the information and process all clinical and laboratory data to make a sound decision.”

In seeking for more donors from among the country’s recovered patients, Hinunangan said they also “want to dispel the stigma, and let people know that we should strive to find solutions and be informed of facts to avoid irrational fear and discrimination of our fellow Filipinos battling COVID-19.” (MNS)

Indonesia: Possible virus treatment found in flora JAKARTA — Indonesian research teams on Thursday said they found potential compounds in local agri-

cultural products that can fight the coronavirus virus (Covid-19).

Dr. Ari Fahrial Syam, an internist at the University of Indonesia, said hesperidin, myricetin, luteolin and casuarinin -- all of which can be found in the local tropical fruit red guava -- had the potential to be used in t reat ing COVID-19.

"The r e -

sults of our bioinformatics research showed that compounds contained in guava could prevent, or at least reduce, the impact of the infection," Syam told Anadolu Agency.

Explaining that guava is a fruit that grows easily in the country and can be consumed as it is or in the form of processed juice.

Research teams from the University of Indonesia and Bogor Institute of Agriculture are currently seeking support from pharmaceutical firms to mass-produce a guava-based drug.

"The teams need to conduct clinical trials on animals and humans so the drug can be consumed by the wider community," added Syam.

Irmanida Batubara from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture said hesperidin could protect the body from microbes and viruses.

Apart from guava, Batubara said hesperidin compounds could also be found in orange peels.

"Not only orange [peels], lime, lemon and other citrus varieties also contain hesperidin," she said.

"People can make their own juice while staying at home by adding the clean-washed peels, though the hesperidin will make it taste a bit bitter, or drink the infused water," she added. (Anadolu/PNA)

16

A

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Saturday-Friday | April 11 - 17, 2020

Amidst all the sadness, kababayans help bring joy and create COVID-19 protection gears

midst all this sadness and uncertainty, Rockstar singer Malou Toler, who used to entertain monthly at the famous "House of Blues" in Anaheim, now finds herself sharing her music with all of us, at least for an hour on FB live, since March 18, 2020. She has since entertained us seven nights, with quite a selection of delightful songs such as: "Buwan," "Shallow," "Luha," (by Aegis), "Heal the World" (by Michael Jackson), "Let it Be," (by the Beatles), "Never Rain on my Parade," (Malou's original song), and many Face Mask design creator, Pilar San Juan more selection of request songs (on left) with Assistant, Liana Palmiery. from her wordwide followers; each night she sang on live FB, where all of us thank her for giving us at least an hour of joy each night whenever she was on. All of us can't thank her enough for sharing us her musical talent while "uplifting" our spirits and feeding our souls with the hope of looking forward to better times.

May our Lord bless her kind heart, during this uncertain time.

Another creative kababayan is Pilar San Juan, who used her sewing talent into making fabric face masks in six different colors, with the help of youngsters like Liana Palmiery and Crystal Dela Cruz.

The face masks are sold for $8.00 FABRIC face masks designed by Pilar San Juan. plus shipping and can be ordered by email frevrblu877@yahoo.com.

Granada - Sabah, is appealing to those of So those of you who need washable, face you who wish to be a part of the Philippine masks, in different colors: lavender, black, hospitals' need for COVID 19 INTUBAteal, grey, white and purple. Hope you get TION Hoods. To date, Erlinda's company it now before they run out. has donated 24 units of these intubating Another innovative kababayan, Erlinda hoods to: Ospital Ng Maynila, QC Lung

Malou Toler shown in her living room while livestreaming on Facebook Center and provincial hospitals in Laguna, Batangas, Pasig and Cainta, but MORE are needed. There are two types of these equipment: one is the Tempered glass which cost 5,000 pesos each and the other one is the Acrylic enclosure which cost 2,000 pesos each.

So, if any of you wish to help donate ANY of this equipments, you may do so by calling Erlinda at: 562/682-9576 or emailing erlinda-granada@ yahoo.com. May some of you help by sharing your blessings by donating whatever amount

you can donate to help the hospitals back home purchase this much needed equipment.

With the rising number of positive COVID 19 cases and deaths worldwide, it makes us wonder how long this uncertainty will be, and it is just fitting that on this upcoming Easter holiday season, we need to somehow look at the brighter side of life and still be thankful for every bit of good deed we can share with our fellowmen, So, please stay safe and take care. Wishing you all a blessed EASTER!

Acrylic Intubation Enclosure, P2,000 each

T emp e r ed G lass Intubation Enclosure - P5,000 each (easy to clean)

DE LIMA... from Page 1 ah–pati responsibilidad.”

Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista on Thursday said the lack of adequate information from the local government units regarding their constituents slowed down the distribution of financial aid under the national government’s social amelioration program.

“Siguro ang ine-expect po namin noon na ang LGU ay they have the profile, the names, the work, and other livelihood activities ng kanilang mga nasasakupan,” Bautista said in a briefing aired past midnight.

“Dahil po hindi rin nila masyadong kabisado o sabihin din nating may kakulangan sa mga listahan nayon, dito na rin po nagkaroon ng problema,” he added.

Bautista later on said it is not the time for the “blame game.”

The League of the Provinces of the Philippines (LPP), on the other hand, defended the local government units.

“Hindi naman talaga mabe-blame

‘yung barangay and municipal officials kasi ginagawa naman po nila ‘yung magagawa nila. At ang nakalagay daw po sa circular, seven days kailangan maibigay na,” LPP president and Marinduque Governor Presbitero Velasco Jr. said.

“Pero sa hirap ng pinapagawa at maraming nagke-claim at marami pong iba-ibang klaseng tao na nakapaloob sa informal economy workers at vulnerable sectors ay may katagalan po talaga,” he added.

The social amelioration program amid the health emergency targets to benefit 18 million low-income households in the country but the local government leaders found it challenging to distribute the aid as their respective databases do not match that of the national government’s estimate.

The Department of Finance said the number was based on the DSWD’s 2015 data and was adjusted upwards for population growth. (MNS)

DFA... from Page 1 Manila where they are expected to undergo mandatory quarantine, as part of COVID-19 health measures, before returning to their respective hometowns," the DFA said in a statement.

Meanwhile, 450 Filipino seafarers from five Carnival cruise ships also arrived in the afternoon of Good Friday.

Over a thousand overseas working Filipinos are expected to be brought home from the US and Europe

today, as other batches of repatriates are scheduled to arrive within the day.

More than 10,000 OFWs around the globe have been repatriated to the Philippines since February, according to the DFA. Based on its records, there were 517 overseas Filipinos who had been infected with COVID-19 in 33 countries as of April 4. Of these cases, 43 have resulted in death.

(MNS)

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through you.of Amen THANK YOU -I ABA God, Queen Heaven and Earth, humbly beseech you from the PRAYERS TOme SAINT JUDE (make request). There bottom of my PRAYER heart to succor in my necessity PR Most Holy Apostle St. Jude Thaddeus, faithful servant and friend of O Glorious St. T Jesus, the name of the traitor who delivered your beloved Master are none that can withstand your power.

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3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory privilege accorded to you to bring visible and speedy help where beseech you to help is almost despaired. Come to my assistance in this great need out your promis that I may this receive the for consolations and succor all my it, and it BeSay prayer 3 consecutive days. of Youheaven must inpublish letting fall from necessities, tribulations, and sufferings particularly (here mention me your childlike your petition) and to that I may bless God with you and all the elect KORY will be granted you. experiences of m throughout eternity. I promise you, O blessed Jude to be ever

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and forget the wrong that is done to me and who are in all instances of my life with me. I, in this short dialogue, want to thank You for everything and confirm once more that I never want to be separated

from You no matter how great the material desires may be. I want to be with You and my loved ones in Your perpetual glory. Amen.

(A person must pray this for three consecutive days without stating his wish. After the 3rd day the wish will be granted, no matter how difficult it may be. Promise to publish this as soon as your favor has

mindful of this great favor, and I will never cease to honor you as my special and powerful patron and to do all in my power to encourage devotion to you. Amen. THANK YOU - ARDY

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PRAYERS PRAYERS PRAYERS CARS? JOB OPPORTUNITIES? SERVICES? RENTAL SPACES? NEW OR PRE-OWNED been granted. Grateful Thanks) - God bless - OMEL

PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

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Holy Spirit Thou who make me see everything and show me the way to reach my ideal, You who give me the divine gift to forgive

and forget the wrong that is done to me and who are in all instances of my life with me. I, in this short dialogue, want to thank You for everything and confirm once more that I never want to be separated from You no matter how great the material desires may be. I want to be with You and my loved ones in Your perpetual glory. Amen.

(A person must pray this for three consecutive days without stating his wish. After the 3rd day the wish will be granted, no matter how difficult it may be. Promise to publish this as soon as your favor has been granted. Grateful Thanks) - God bless - OMEL

Most Holy Apostle St. Jude Thaddeus, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the name of the traitor who delivered your beloved Master into the hands of the enemies has caused you to be forgotten by many, but the Church honors and invokes you universally as the patron of hopeless cases and of things despaired of. Pray for me who am so needy; make use, I implore you of that particular privilege accorded to you to bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolations and succor of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings particularly (here mention your petition) and that I may bless God with you and all the elect throughout eternity. I promise you, O blessed Jude to be ever mindful of this great favor, and I will never cease to honor you as my special and powerful patron and to do all in my power to encourage devotion to you. Amen. THANK YOU - ARDY

O Glorious St. Therese, whom Almighty God has raised up to aid and inspire the human family, I implore your Miraculous Intercession.

You are so powerful in obtaining every need of body and spirit from the Heart of God. Holy Mother Church proclaims you ‘Prodigy of Miracles... the Greatest Saint of Modern Times.’ Now I fervently beseech you to answer my petition (mention here) and to carry out your promises of spending Heaven doing good on earth...of letting fall from Heaven a Shower of Roses. Little Flower, give me your childlike faith, to see the Face of God in the people and experiences of my life, and to love God with full confidence. St. Therese, my Carmelite Sister, I will fulfill your plea ‘to be made known everywhere’ and I will continue to lead others to Jesus through you. Amen THANK YOU - SHAHELA

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Frontliners honored by condo residents

By MELDA GUERRA

WEDNESDAY, 6:00 p.m. It was a defining moment for doctors, nurses, medical staff, utility workers, laboratory technicians, security guards, and other medical personnel, as they all trooped to the front facade of the Adventist Medical Center in Pasay City, Philippines, where they work, currently treating patients with coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

Surprised, they were greeted with applause, cheers, whistles, banging of pots and pans, shouts of honor by condominium residents who took to their balconies fronting the hospital, to show support and love to these ‘heroes.’

It was a ‘chilling’ scenario for a few bystanders and witnesses who took videos of the residents of La Verti Residences honoring our frontliners with banners and tarpaulins inscribed with Salamat❤️, Beat Covid-19, We heal as one. Some hospital staff and even the condo residents couldn’t hold back their tears, touched by this gesture of honor and appreciation. One of them hospital supervisor Lailani Macaya who is in service as a nurse for 35 years now. In an interview with GMA-7’s 24 Oras, she revealed how happy she was with the gesture.

Holding back tears, she said: “Tuwang-tuwa ka sa iyak na di pala sila nagpabaya. Alam pala nila ang ginagawa namin dito sa kabila. Napaiyak ako kasi pag may ganyang mga positive gesture sa kababayan, sa kapwa, parang nagbibigay ng lakas for us to go on. Di ka pala nag-iisa. Marami palang nasa likod nyo at nagpi-pray sa inyo. Importante ‘yon.”

(Really happy, in tears, that they are there. That they are aware of what we do here [in the hospital].

I shed tears because this kind of positive gesture from our fellowmen gives us strength to go on. You are not alone. They are behind you, praying for you.

That’s important.)

PINOY THAIYO

One of the doctors on duty added: “Talagang natutuwa po kami dahil di namin sukat akalain na may ganito silang plano. Kaya kahit abala kami sa mga pasyente ay naglabasan po ang mga staff frontliners natin sa emergency room, mga nurses natin, mga doctors, at yung iba po sa kanila ay napaluha.” (We are really happy because we didn’t expect that they have this plan. So, even if we were busy attending to patients in the emergency room,

Maguindanao grocery store lauded for free ‘honesty’ food packs

By ALBASHIR SAIDEN

COTABATO CITY — A family-owned grocery store in the Maguindanao town of Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, is earning praises from both netizens and the local government unit for its act of kindness amid the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

The generosit y of the Mohammad-Pak clan in Barangay Macaguiling has made rounds in the social media for leav ing food packs outside their grocery store intended for the needy in their neighborhood during this quarantine period for free and sans any watchers.

The food packs containing rice and dried fish are placed on a bench outside their store--the AQ Mart-with notes that read in the vernacular: “Peace! Those who have nothing to cook kindly get one pack."

It is accompanied by another note that read “One pack only per family so that we can help others in need.”

With nobody to thank in

sight, netizens took to the internet to thank the grocery store owners.

“Masha Allah, (God willing), you will be blessed more for your kindness,” one of the netizens wrote on a social media post.

Nageah Mohammad-Pak, a clan member said: “We are doing it because it is what Islam teaches us, to give and share blessings to the needy.”

She said they would continue helping others as long as they have the capability to buy and share with those who are in need.

Sultan Kudarat Mayor Shameem Mastura also lauded the good deed of the family.

“That is admirable; we need such kindness during this trying times,” Mastura said, as he encouraged other well-off families to show compassion to the less fortunate.

“We can surpass all these trials if we work together and help each other,’’ he said. (PNA)

our staff frontliners, our nurses, doctors came out [of their designated areas]; others shed tears.)

After the ‘noise barrage of honor and appreciation,’ which lasted for about 20 minutes, the Adventist hospital staff applauded in unison three times and shouted back, maraming salamat po! (Thank you!), others blowing kisses to the residents before heading back to their duty.

Thank YOU, our frontliners!

EXTENDED… FROM PAGE 9 “W hat will prolong the lockdown is the failure of the government to implement the necessary health measures to confront the pandemic. What will prolong the lockdown is the failure of the government to implement the needed economic support for the people,” said Reyes.

“A hungry populace will not stay put and will break quarantine protocols, and will be more vulnerable to

sickness.”

Reyes also warned that the quarantine brought about by the COVID-19 should prompt the government to change its ways, specifically: neglecting major issues in the workplace, housing, sanitation, mass transportation, education, among others.

Back in February 3, President Duterte said COVID-19 was a virus that would die a natural death.

“There is nothing really to be extra scared of that coronavirus thing, although it has affected a lot of countries. You know, one or two in any country is not really that fearsome,” Duterte said then.

Since then, Congress had passed the Bayanihan law which allowed the President to realign P275 billion in the national budget to address the problems brought by COVID-19. (MNS)

NBI… FROM PAGE 9 The NBI chief also told the public not to give out their personal information, especially those relating to banking. Instead, he advised contacting one’s bank so it could validate the emails or messages or file complaints on the customer’s behalf.

He also said criminals may use apps that can purportedly track COVID-19 cases worldwide to lock a person’s device until they pay to unlock it.

He cited the following as examples of scams: treatment scams, supply scams, provider scams, charity scams, phishing scams, apps scams, bank/financial scams, investment scams, and online selling.

The NBI said suspicious emails or messages may be reported to them by contacting the NBI operation center at 09617349450, their anti-fraud or cybercrime divisions at 85238231-38, sending a message to their website or Facebook account. (MNS)

NBI DIRECTOR ERIC DISTOR

PINOYS… FROM PAGE 9 Año also called on Filipinos to pray for God's protection and guidance for government officials and front-liners "who are risking their safety, health and their very lives to tend to the sick, maintain law, and ensure that food reaches our communities."

"Let us also pray for our national and local government officials, especially our punong barangays (village chiefs), that they may ad-

dress this crisis with urgency, wisdom, and compassion in the service of the people," he said.

He also urged them to pray for Covid-19 patients.

"Ipanalangin po natin na kanilang malagpasan ang hamon na ito at ang kanilang lubusang paggaling (Let us pray for them to overcome this ordeal and for their quick recovery)," said Año, who earlier tested positive for the disease.

Año also expressed hope that the indomitable devotion and distinct faith of the Filipino people will help the country rise again from the impact of the public health emergency.

"We are an Easter people.

Let us continue to have faith that this too shall pass as we look forward to a new beginning with renewed dedication, love, and commitment for our country and our people," he added. (MNS)

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World Bank OKs $500M loan to boost Philippines disaster, COVID-19 response capacity MANILA (Mabuhay) — The World Bank on Friday approved a $500-million policy loan to boost the Philippines’ capacity to respond and recover from disasters such as the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.

In a statement, the World Bank said its board of executive directors approved $500 million “in financing to help strengthen the Philippine government’s capacity to address disaster risks, respond to and recover from natural disasters.”

“The financing will also support urgent needs created by the COVID-19 crisis,” the multilateral lender said.

The $500-million financing is the “Third Risk Management Development Policy Loan” and forms part of the World Bank’s long-standing support to the Philippines’ broader policy reform efforts to boost its resilience and capability to prepare for and recover from disasters.

“This loan follows two previous Risk Management Development Policy Loans in 2012 and 2015,” it said.

The government is currently in the process of strengthening the Philippines’ institutional framework for disaster risk management through the creation of a new department for Disaster Risk and Resilience, according to the World Bank.

“The World Bank is committed to supporting efforts to strengthen the Philippines’ capacity to prepare for and respond to natural disasters as well as health and

economic shocks like COVID-19,” Achim Fock, World Bank acting country director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand, said.

“Natural disasters and pandemics disproportionately hurt poor families and communities,” Fock said.

“Enhancing risk management and the capacity to address these challenges can help ensure that the Philippines can sustain progress in poverty reduction,” he said.

The World Bank noted that the “Third Risk Management Development Policy Loan” will support key policy reforms being undertaken by the government in the area of disaster risk management, including: Adoption and implementation of a unified disaster rehabilitation and recovery planning framework by the national government and local government units; Promotion of integrated hazard and risk analysis in physical planning, and in support of policy development; Development of multi-year investment plans for seismic risk reduction and retrofitting of important government buildings; and Implementation of an emergency cash transfer program during shocks.

The Philippines is one of the most hazard-prone countries in the world, the lender said.

Across its 7,641 islands, the Philippines is exposed to multiple natural hazards in-

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PNB waives fees for remittances from Filipinos overseas

cluding typhoons, earthquakes, flooding, storm surges, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and landslides.

Close to 74% of the population is vulnerable to natural disasters and 60% of total land area is exposed to multiple hazards.

“In addition to these natural hazards, the country is now facing the impacts of the global outbreak of COVID-19,” the World Bank stressed.

President Rodrigo Duterte has declared a public health emergency and a state of calamity, mandating full cooperation among all government agencies and local governments to address the COVID-19 threat.

As of Thursday, April 9, 2020, COVID-19 death toll in the Philippines was at 203, with the confirmed number of cases at 4,076.

The World Bank expressed its solidarity with the people of the Philippines and is working closely with the authorities to support action to address the unfolding COVID-19 emergency through financial support and just-in time technical assistance.

The World Bank Group said it is rolling out a $14 billion fast-track package to strengthen the COVID-19 response in developing countries and shorten the time to recovery.

The immediate response includes financing, policy advice, and technical assistance to help countries cope with the health and economic impacts of the pandemic.

Generous farmers donate, sell veggie produce at lower prices to help others THE provincial government in partnership with the Movement for Farmers Civic Action Group, local government units and private sectors launched a project called “10 Piso Para Sa Farmers ” in late March with the intention of buying farmers’ produce that are not bought amid the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine and these veggies will be distributed or made available to local government units as part of relief packs.

Vice Governor Johnny Waguis said the initiative was meant to provide assistance to farmers with vegetables of low price or without buyers at the La Trinidad Trading Post or Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center by purchasing their goods at P10 a kilo, instead of them going home empty handed or letting their goods to just get damage in their farms with no return of their investments.

But as it turned out, it brought out the innate generosity of Cordillera farmers with some opting to sell their vegetables at a low price or giving them for free to help the government and the people in need in this time of crisis Since the program’s launching, a daily average of 8 to 10 tons of vegetables such as carrots, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, tomatoes, lettuce are brought and staged at the Cold Chain area in Wangal, said Waguis.

More than a hundred farmers already responded to the program that has turned into a cause with some farmers with generous hearts selling their fresh produce at lower price and some even donating their vegetables. It is also drawing sponsorship from generous donors.

In Waguis’ facebook account, he shared the generosity of farmer Joven Pasadillo who delivered 3.6 tons of his womboc (Chinese cabbage) produce in April 2, 2020. He was told that the price ranged from P20.00 to P25.00 per kilo if he sells in the market but he chose the “10 Piso Para sa Farmers.”

A group of farmers, Paul Malucay, Leonardo Baguingey and company from Bulalacao, Mankayan also delivered 1.5 tons of assorted vegetables at no cost at all.

Weekend

Benguet Vice Governor Johnny Waguis leads the "10 Piso Para Sa Farmers," program of the provincial government aimed to help farmers by purchasing their produce due to low prices affected by the Enhanced Community Quarantine with the threat of the Corona Virus. The vegetables bought at P10.00 per kilo are used as relief goods to communities even outside the province. (photo from fb account of Johnny Waguis) In April 9, another farmer, this time from Bauko, Mountain Province, delivered one Elf of carrots. Dominador Canuto donated his produce for relief assistance to those in need.

The project only transacts with farmers - no traders or middle men. The people working behind are all volunteers who would like to share their time in these crucial times.

Other officials who are also behind the sponsorship and going around distributing the vegetable commodities are Board Members Robert Namoro, Nestor Fongwan Jr and Jim Botiwey.

In this time of crisis, values of cooperation, oneness, or bayanihan are much needed as together we will rise and heal as one over the Coronavirus 2019 pandemic. (Susan C. Aro/ PIA)

MANILA — The Tan-led Philippine National Bank (PNB) is allowing Filipinos overseas to send money to their families who have PNB deposit accounts in the Philippines free of charge from April 9 to May 8.

In a statement, PNB president and chief executive officer Wick Veloso said this is the bank’s way of helping “our selfless heroes.”

“Waiving the remittance fees is a big help to our kababayans who send cash to their loved ones in our country,” Veloso said.

He said this assistance “is especially needed now that the entire world is coping with the economic impact of the Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.”

Fees that will be waived are for remittance transactions that will be done over the counter through the bank’s branches in Los Angeles, Guam, Singapore, Japan, Global Hong Kong, Canada through PNB-Remittance Company Canada, and Europe.

The bank said for PNB Europe, transactions done through the Web Remit and Phone Remit channels are also waived and mailed-in remittance is covered by the waiver in the areas of New York and Japan.

Fees for remittances from Japan that will be coursed through the automated teller machines (ATMs) of Mizuho Bank and Japan Postal Bank will also be waived.

Sending money through the bank’s remittance centers, PNB Global Remit, is also free of charge when done over the counter and through Web Remit and Phone Remit.

Users of the Xchanged remittance app in the US and Guam are also provided a free remittance fee for their first two transactions by using the codes: XCHFREE for US and BEATCOVID for Guam.

The bank earlier waived transaction fees for local money transfer made through Instapay and PESONet, the electronic fund transfer platforms being used to help push the government’s bid to increase electronic payment transactions in the country.

(PNA)

Lopez Group donates P100M to DOTr’s COVID-19 response efforts MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Friday it received a P100 million donation from the Lopez Group of Companies to boost its coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response efforts.

Citing a letter of intent from the First Philippine Holdings Corp.

(FPHC) of the Lopez Group of Companies, the DOTr said the conglomerate expressed its support for the commitment of the agency in addressing the pressing need to increase the limited capacity of the country’s health system.

The company said that its donation will help a great number of Filipinos who are now in need of treatment for possible COVID-19 infection, according to the DOTr. “FPHC also mentioned that it was inspired by the approach taken by the Department in providing returning seafarers and other Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) with assistance in

their mandatory quarantine, and in some cases, with their medical treatment,” it said.

FPHC’s letter was addressed to Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago, and to Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commandant Admiral Joel Garcia.

To recall, the DOTr has partnered with private shipping companies to convert passenger ships into temporary quarantine ships as authorities expect an influx of repatriates amid the coronavirus crisis.

The quarantine ships will serve as temporary accommodations for returning seafarers and other OFWs as they complete their 14-day quarantine, as ordered by the Department of Health (DOH).

The ships will accommodate both asymptomatic persons and persons who have not undergone COVID-19 testing.

In addition, the DOTr will soon set up quarantine terminals to attend to the medical needs of returning seafarers and other OFWs who manifest mild coronavirus disease symptoms.

“It is heartwarming to know that the medical needs of our OFWs, our returning modern-day heroes, remain to be top-of-mind. This is the least we can do for a sector who has played a significant role in enabling our economy over the years, especially at this time that uncertainty hangs over their hearts and minds,” the FPHC letter stated.

Tugade said the donation made by FPHC will be of great help to fund the needs of the DOTr, especially the maritime sector, in the operation of the quarantine ships and the quarantine terminals.

“It is truly overwhelming that during these trying times, the support and selflessness of our private sector partners keep on coming to back us up. We are extremely grateful to

the Lopez Group for this enormous help. Gagastahin natin ito ng naayon sa tama at nararapat. Maraming kababayan ho natin ang siguradong makikinabang dito," Tugade said.

For his part, Santiago committed to make sure that the donation will be spent appropriately, and that the establishment of another quarantine facility will be swiftly implemented.

“We will ensure that every centavo donated will be accounted for and spent according to its intended purpose. Now, we are already in the process of planning the conversion of the Eva Macapagal Terminal into a quarantine facility. As Sec. Tugade instructed, we will exert all our efforts for this to be established and be of use very soon,” Santiago said.(MNS) As countries need broader support, the World Bank Group said it will deploy up to $160 billion over 15 months to protect the poor and vulnerable, support businesses, and bolster economic recovery. (MNS)

20

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