Weekend Balita (Los Angeles edition) April 17, 2021

LOS ANGELES EDITION

194K doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to arrive in May — Galvez PaGe 19 VOL. XXX NO. 16

Saturday-Friday | April 17 - 23, 2021

TOP STORIES

Global News Sara Duterte warns public vs. people using her name in property selling activities 7  PH to lose maritime territory larger than its total land area if it loses EEZ — Carpio 8  17 solons seek termination of EO lowering pork import tariffs 8  US earmarks new P170-M aid for PH vax rollout 9  Poor leadership affecting Philippines’ pandemic response, says community doctor 9  Poe laments cruelty, violence on ordinary Filipinos amid COVID-19 pandemic 10  Senators urge gov’t to protect health workers vs. COVID-19 infection, discrimination 10  Gov’t effort to protect West Philippine Sea is weak —expert 12  NEDA: Increase in pork imports won’t kill local hog industry 13  Local vaccine production doable by end-2022, says DOST exec 18 

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

aSIaN amErICaN LEaDErS JOIN aNTI-raCISm DEmO IN TOrraNCE

AsIAN American political leaders join a demonstration in front of the redondo Beach Performing Arts Center on sunday (April 11) to continue reinforcing the strength of their communities to fight racism and xenophobia.

Sections BUsINEss. Estimated economic loss due to two-week ECQ in NCR Plus at P180B —DTI’s Lopez 13  ENTErTAINmENT. Toni Gonzaga likes to reminisce about ‘simpler times’ when she feels stressed 15  hEALTh & fAmILy. Significance of April 15 in PH history cited 16  hEALTh & fAmILy. Robredo announces pilot run of mobile lab for COVID-19 test, x-ray, and blood test in QC 19 

Photo by ren arrieta

The event was organized by 321 Vote, the Roxas Law and the Torrance For Justice under the theme: “Stand Up, Stand Together.”

The organizers noted that “hate crimes and assaults targeting Asian Americans are on the rise over the past year” and have been “correlated with the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Briana and a male co-emcee enjoin rally participant to come together.

ASIAN

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FDA, CDC jointly recommend to stop use of Johnson &Johnson vaccine ThE Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a joint recommendation to pause the use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine after reports that six women between the ages of 18 and 48 developed unusual types of blood clots 6 to 13 days after receiving the vaccine.

Out of an abundance of caution, Los Angeles County is following the recommendation of the FDA and CDC to pause the use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine until the FDA and CDC complete their review, which is expected to take several days.

Right now, these ad-

How do the approved

vaccine options compare?

The three current COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the U.S. are Pfizer-BioNtech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

How effective are they?

Potential side effects

How many shots?

All three vaccines more than meet the 50 percent effectiveness threshold required by the FDA.

Pfizer-BioNTech

Moderna

Johnson & Johnson

Two shots are required, 21 days apart.

Two shots are required, 28 days apart.

One shot required.

Pain at injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, chills and fever

Pain at injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, joint pain and chills

Pain at injection site, headache, fatigue and muscle pain

AARP is fighting to protect the health of Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders 50+ and their families by providing trusted information and resources surrounding COVID-19.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccination at aarp.org/vaccineinfo

FDA

»5

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BALITA

ABNER GALINO, Fil-Am News Editor

Fil-Am

Community Visit www.Balita.com

Saturday-Friday | April 17 - 23, 2021

Newsom signs $536M Wildfire Package to protect high-risk communities

A

head of peak fire season, Governor Gavin Newsom today signed a $536 million wildfire package enabling the state to take urgent action on projects that support wildfire suppression, improve forest health and build resilience in communities to help protect residents and property from catastrophic wildfires in diverse landscapes across the state.

The Governor signed SB 85 alongside legislative leaders at a fuels management project in the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area that helped protect a Butte County community from last year’s North Complex Fire.

The legislative package builds on Governor Newsom’s early action funding for wildfire resilience proposed in his 2021-2022 state budget. It funds projects to restore the ecological health of forests and watersheds, fuel breaks around vulnerable communities, statewide fire prevention grants targeting projects to advance community hardening, and improvements to defensible space to mitigate wildfire damage.

This early action plan is part of the Governor's overall proposed $1 billion investment in forest health and community fire resilience.

“California is taking bold, early action to protect our high-risk communities from the upcoming wildfire season before it starts,” said Governor Newsom.

“This crucial funding will go towards efforts including fuel breaks, forest health projects and home hardening. I thank the members of the Legislature for their partnership as we do more than ever before to build wildfire and forest resilience across the state.”

The Administration is spearheading sustainable approaches to thinning California’s vulnerable landscapes, half of which will be funded under the early action legislation. One of these approaches is to develop a comprehensive framework to expand the wood products market in California to create economic opportunities for the use of forest materials that store carbon, reduce emissions and contribute to sustainable local economies.

Furthermore, the state’s iBank will partner with the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, Governor's Office of Planning and Research and other agencies to advance forest- and agricultural-related applications to the Climate Catalyst Fund.

The fund will provide loans, loan guarantees and other credit support to encourage the development of businesses that utilize wood and forest biomass; encourage private-sector innovations in technology, business models, infrastructure and supply chains in woody biomass markets; and promote optimization of state grant funds in the sector.

The Oroville East site is a joint project

Governor Gavin newsom with the California firefighters

by CAL FIRE, the Department of Water Resources and the Department of Parks and Recreation to thin vegetation around the park, which helped slow the North Complex Fire and prevent it from spreading into the community of Kelly Ridge.

“As the Senate passed the wildfire prevention and resiliency package yesterday, members spoke about the many fires that have torn through their districts.

From the coast to inland, north to south, Paradise to San Diego, each of us have watched our communities burn, evacuate, and work to rebuild far too many times,” said Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego).

“Together, we are just 40 people, but each of us represent the millions of Californians who said goodbye to homes, loved ones, and livelihoods. This bill will help protect those who have lost so much to wildfires and prevent fresh pain from being inflicted across the state. This is an investment in Californians, and it will not be the last. I appreciate the dedication my colleagues, particularly Senators Bob Wieckowski, Susan Rubio, and Mike McGuire, have shown to this critical issue.”

"This wildfire prevention package is a

big deal, but it’s not enough. We are not out of the woods on this issue, and we need to act like the woods are in flames.

I'm grateful that the Administration and the senate see it the same way,” said Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood).

“Thank you to my colleagues, in particular Assemblymembers Richard Bloom, Phil Ting, Luz Rivas, Laura Friedman, Jim Wood, and Cecilia Aguiar-Curry for their hard work on this important issue."

Governor Newsom last week announced that he is expanding and refocusing the Forest Management Task Force to deliver on key commitments in the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan issued in January, including the $1 billion in investments.

The Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force of federal, local and tribal leaders builds on the state’s collaborative effort to improve the health of forests and reduce wildfire risk to communities.

In March, Governor Newsom authorized $80.74 million in emergency funds for 1,399 additional firefighters with CAL FIRE to bolster fuels management and wildfire response efforts.

Not enough rooms in many U.S. homes for effective COVID-19 quarantine By aLeX rHOdeS and kaTie GUSTaFSOn

T

he COVID-19 pandemic has made many individuals reevaluate how to keep themselves and others safe. It has also changed the way they manage space in their homes during a nationwide shift toward working and learning from home.

But how many U.S. households are limited in ways they can effectively respond to the pandemic because they don’t have enough rooms or amenities in their home?

About 38% of all U.S. households in multi-person homes (34 million households) did not have at least two full bathrooms and enough bedrooms to keep one person completely isolated, according to the 2019 American Housing Survey (AHS). The Census Bureau conducts the AHS, which is sponsored by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

When more than one person lives in a home, a limited number of bedrooms or bathrooms can make self-isolation challenging.

When exposed to the COVID-19 virus, quarantining is critical to prevent further spread, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As a recent Annals of Internal Medicine article explores, however, many Americans do not live in housing that can accommodate quarantine as the CDC recommends.

CONTNUED ON PAGE 4

Community

Saturday-Friday | April 17 - 23, 2021

aSIaN.. frOm PaGE 1 “Anti-Asian hate crimes surged by 149% in 2020 in an analysis of hate crime data in 16 of the largest cities in the U.S. (CSU San Bernardino).

Self-reporting tools from various AAPI organizations have recorded over 4,000 incidents since February 2020,” the organizers said.

Speakers included Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance); Sandy K. Roxas, Esq., pro bono attorney for victims of hate crimes; Cliff Numark, El Camino College Board of Trustees; and Betty C. Lieu, Esq., president, Torrance Unified School District Board of Education.

Notable Filipino American leaders who were seen in the event included Artesia Mayor Pro Tem Melissa Ramoso and Megan Crawford, Palos Verdes Peninsula School Board member.

Also seen at the rally was Councilmember Zein Obagi Jr., of the 4th District of the City of Redondo Beach.

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BALITA

Photos by ren arrieta

Shortly after the demonstration, Assemblymember Muratsuchi posted on his Facebook page that the “national trend of hate-fueled incidents targeting Asian Pacific Islanders amid the COVID-19 pandemic is not acceptable. That is why I introduced AB 557 (Hate Crimes Hotline) which requires the California Department of Justice to establish and maintain a toll-free statewide hotline and online form to report hate crimes and hate incidents.”

The program also included musical and cultural performances and as well as bystander intervention training.

As this developed, the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles expressed concern over the hostilities committed against Asian Americans.

In a press release, Consul General Edgar Barrairo Badajos reminded Filipinos and Filipino Americans “to exercise vigilance, take safety precautions, heed

local government bulletins, and to carry emergency and medical contact details.”

Badajos said the Consulate General “continues to monitor the situation through coordination with concerned local government agencies and Filipino American community organizaSandy roxas, pro-bono attorney for victims tions.” of hate crime

he Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles (PCG-LA) recently appealed to Filipino Americans to help in urging the government of the United States to expedite the release of vaccine to the Philippines.

Such could happen, according to PCG-LA, if the US government would allow pharmaceutical firms (particularly Moderna) to ship the vaccines that has been purchased by the Philippine government.

“In view of the upward trend of CoViD-19 related deaths and confirmed cases in the Philippines, which resulted in the country’s healthcare system getting overwhelmed, the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles appeals to your kind assistance in urging U.S. leaders, particularly senators, representatives in Congress, and state legislators …,” said the PCG-LA in an open letter to Filipino American leaders.

“With over a hundred million in population and only slightly more than a million individuals having received the first dose of the vaccine, the Consulate General cannot overstate the urgency of the need to appeal for help in the name of our kababayan back home, particularly the most vulnerable sectors, including the elderly and the impoverished.”

The PCG-LA particularly urged Filipino Americans to send letters to their congressional representatives that states the following: “We are writing to request for assistance in the CoViD-19 emergency that

assemblymember al Muratsuchi

Members of the Ohana dance Company executes an entertainment number.

PCG-LA urges Fil-Ams to appeal to US gov’t for speedy delivery of vaccines to RP

T

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is now taking place in the Philippines.

Philippine hospitals are full and there is a dire need for therapeutics, ventilators, preventive education, PPEs, disinfection protocols, and vaccines.”

“Our nonprofit organization, [NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION], is making a humanitarian appeal to the United States Government, as well as to international non-governmental and religious organizations. We believe that your leadership in the [branch of government] plays a key role in helping build an international, U.S.-led, comprehensive anti-pandemic and humanitarian aid effort for the Philippines.”

“We are also writing both the majority and minority leaders for a non-partisan appeal to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Our goal is to expedite the release, at the earliest possible date, of the 20 million Moderna vaccine doses that the Philippine Government has paid for, instead of waiting for a June or July 2021 delivery date.”

“More specifically, the urgency of the situation, as expressed by Philippine Ambassador to the U.S., Jose Manuel G. Romualdez, necessitates an initial export release by the U.S. Government of 5 to 10 million vaccine doses by this April.”

“There are about 5 million Filipino-Americans with close ties to their relatives back in the Philippines, as well as 300,000 American citizens residing in the country.”

“Your support will save lives in the Philippines.”

3

Community LA County offers $20K to homeowners hit by COVID costs 4

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BALITA

Saturday-Friday | April 17 - 23, 2021

Visit www.Balita.com

By Mark Hedin Ethnic Media Services

E

arly on in the pandemic Los Angeles County put safeguards in place for tenants struggling to pay rent. A year later, those safeguards are still in place, and new measures are being added.

At a press telebriefing on April 12, Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl (3rd District) cited a UCLA study conducted in the spring of 2020 that estimated 120,000 Los Angeles County households were at risk of eviction because of income losses due the pandemic.

“We simply could not let that happen,” she said, and the five-member county board of supervisors enacted a moratorium on evictions, which it has extended several times.

Now the county is also launching a ground-breaking program providing mortgage assistance grants of up to $20,000 to help small-scale property owners staff off foreclosures.

“The Foreclosure Prevention and Mortgage Relief Program (https://tinyurl. com/COVIDforeclosurerelief) is the first program of its kind in the state to provide relief to owners of single-family and twoto-four-unit homes,” said Rafael Carbajal, director of the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, who followed Kuehl at the news conference The new program, which has begun accepting applications for its $4 million mortgage assistance budget, can be accessed by phone, at (888) 895-2647, or

online at nhslacounty.org\mortgagereliefprogram.

Carbajal added that counseling is available to anyone needing it, whether they qualify for the payment program or not.

“I’m proud to work with this board of supervisors that took the initiative to make this investment in homeowners,” Carbajal said, citing the lack of similar investments so far at the federal level.

“Particularly for our immigrant community and our communities of color,” he said, “this has been a traditional way for our communities to build wealth.

“We work, we toil, we invest, we cobble our money together and we buy a little property…Typically, we live in one, or maybe I move and my mother stays in that one, and it’s how we keep this wealth within our family.”

“We’re worried about…the inability of our families to maintain this wealth because of this pandemic.

“We’re hoping that by leading by example, a lot of counties in the state and even at the federal level decide to pick up the mantel and provide some additional support to our homeowners.”

Dana Pratt, deputy director of the DCBA’s housing and tenant protections division, described the county’s COVID-19 Rent Relief program which, she said, “can mean the difference between housing and homelessness.”

Funded by $2.6 billion from the federal government, the program is open to both landlords and tenants. Landlords have to agree to forgo 20% of the outstanding rent due, and can receive the remaining

80% from the state.

If a landlord declines to participate, tenants are still eligible for help with up to 25% of what they owe, whether or not their landlords participate. Applications are available here (https://tinyurl.com/ COVIDrentrelief) and via phone at (833) 430-2122.

Her department oversees implementation of the eviction moratorium, which protects residential, commercial and mobile home tenants from eviction if they fall behind on their rent for COVID-related reasons.

Currently, the moratorium is set to expire at the end of June. But Kuehl emphasized that the Board of Supervisors may extend it further, as the Board has done in the past.

Once the moratorium is lifted, Pratt noted, tenants will have a year to make up arrears.

“If tenants are posing a health or safety risk, they may still be evicted at any time,” Pratt warned.

“We’ve seen an uptick in retaliation because of the COVID-19 protections and illegal lockouts,” she said. “The county’s moratorium also has provisions, fines and penalties to protect tenants against that,” but it’s important that the word gets out.

Inquiries or calls to the department requesting assistance once numbered up to 70 or 80 per day but hit 40,000 over the past year due to the pandemic. Help is still available, she noted, in multiple languages, at no cost, and regardless of immigration status, at (833) 223-7368.

Jenny Punsalan Delwood, of the Liberty Hill Foundation, described the “Stay Housed LA” collaboration which involves 14 community based organizations, nine legal service providers, the county DCBA and city governments.

She cited studies finding that 90% of tenants who wind up in court over housing disputes do so without a lawyer, whereas landlords are represented 90% of the time.

“It’s not an even playing field,” she said.

But, “when a tenant has an attorney and a community based organization on their side, they’re 70% more likely to prevail.”

So far, the collaborative has been able to provide legal assistance to more than 9,000 tenants.

Stay Housed LA (www.stayhousedla. org) has an English and Spanish-language hotline: (888) 694-0040. For Asian languages, call (833) 225-9415.

Rounding out the telebriefing, Dr. Eloisa Gonzalez of the County Department of Public Health gave the latest data on vaccination efforts.

In the past nine days, she said, an average of 78,000 people have been vaccinated daily in the county, for a total of 4,715,894. Of county residents 16 or older, 37.1% have had at least one dose of vaccine, as have 70.2% of seniors.

As of April 15, eligibility for the free vaccines, offered regardless of immigration status, will be extended to everybody in Los Angeles County age 16 or older, although minors will need parental consent.

households with an individual 65 years old or older.

Enough bedrooms is defined as a two- or three-person household having at least 2 bedrooms, and a household of four or more having enough bedrooms to allow one person to isolate in a bedroom without forcing three or more people in the household to share a remaining bedroom.

A lack of bedrooms and bathrooms to isolate was more prevalent in lower-income homes. Among multi-person households with a total annual income below the federal poverty level, 61% (5.5 million) did not have at least two full bathrooms and enough bedrooms.

In contrast, only 28% (15 million) of households with an income at least 300% of the federal poverty level did not have enough bedrooms and bathrooms to accommodate someone who had to quarantine.

Differences existed by race, as well.

Around 35% (1.8 million) of homes with an Asian householder did not have at least two bathrooms and enough bedrooms to isolate one member without forcing more than two other household members to share a remaining bedroom.

The percentage climbed to 51% (548,000) for homes with an American Indian or Alaska Native head of household.

In high-density cities, where housing is at a premium and units are often smaller, multi-bedroom and multi-bath housing may not be attainable.

For example, 59% (2.9 million) of multi-person homes in the New York City metropolitan area did not have at least two full bathrooms and enough bedrooms for one household member to isolate without forcing more than two other people in the household to share a remaining bedroom.

In contrast, in the Atlanta metro area, only 16% (260,000) of multi-person homes do not have enough bathrooms and bedrooms.

NOT ENOUGH... from Page 2 When more than one person lives in a home, a limited number of bedrooms or bathrooms can make self-isolation challenging. A lack of amenities, like a washer and dryer or a full kitchen, may also inhibit self-isolation.

Housing characteristics don’t just impact a household’s ability to quarantine during a pandemic. They also affect how Americans work and learn at home.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to school, business and office closures across the country, forcing many students to learn virtually and workers to do their jobs remotely — mostly from home.

Bedrooms and Bathrooms As the CDC recommends, those infected with COVID-19 should stay in a separate bedroom and use a separate bathroom when possible to limit close contact with other household members and avoid spreading the virus through air and surfaces.

But that’s easier said than done in many multi-person households that don’t have the room to create a separate space

for self-isolation.

Around 36% of the 32 million multi-person homes in the United States did not have at least two full bathrooms in 2019.

For multi-person homes with an individual who is at higher risk of hospitalization from COVID-19 because they are 65 years old or older, the percentage without two full bathrooms drops to 31% (7.2 million). The AHS excludes group quarters, so these metrics do not include nursing facilities.

When someone quarantines alone in a bedroom in a multi-person home, others may be forced to double up and share bedrooms.

About 1 in 10 multi-person households (11%, or 9.8 million) did not have enough bedrooms for an exposed individual to quarantine alone without forcing more than two people to stay in one of the remaining bedrooms. That number drops to 6% (1.3 million) in

Kitchen and Laundry Households that do not have a washer and dryer or a full kitchen in their unit may have to make more trips outside of the home, potentially increasing their and other household members’ exposure to the infection.

Around 19.6 million households (16%) did not have a washer and dryer and about 1.4 million households (1%) did not have a complete kitchen in 2019, according to AHS. About 5 million households (14%) with an individual 65 years old or older did not have a washer and dryer and about 460,000 (1%) did not have a complete CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

5 BALITA Community Memories of Juanita Bajet's Life Well-Lived — a loving housewife and caring mother

Saturday-Friday | April 17 - 23, 2021

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n Saturday, April 10, 2021, at 11:27 pm, Juanita Paredes Lacsamana-Bajet passed away peacefully at the age of 99 years old, at a quality healthcare facility in the City of Industry, where she has been well taken care of for over the past ten years. She was born in Manila on July 12,1921, where she was raised

by Ilocano parents. Her mother was from Bangued, Abra and her father was from Bangar, La Union.

During World War II, she married Demetrio Galinato Bajet, also from Ilocos Sur, who graduated with an Accounting degree from Far Eastern University and was lucky to have risen through the ranks at the Philippine National Bank in the Escolta district of Manila, though they lived in the nearby Santa Cruz district, where they happily raised seven children: Vicky, Danny, Jun, Dick, Malou, Cherie and Gary, All of their seven chil-

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dren through the couple's hardwork and perseverance, all became professionals. And soon after Demetrio retired, he decided to bring his family to the United States in the 70's.

Throughout her family life, Juanita was the caring housewife and mother, always busy in the kitchen cooking and making sure all their family's needs were met. And upon arrival in the US, Juanita once again did her daily chores, along with the added bonus of a growing family, which included their grandchildren. Though both Demetrio and Juanita lived a happy life with their family, the also learned to travel, which gave them joy, living life to the fullest, travelling all over Europe, joining pilgrimages to the Holy Land, experiencing the awesome sights of the Niagara Falls, as well as fun weekends in Las Vegas.

Similarly, both of them also loved partying and shopping. Sadly, Demetrio passed away on November 26, 1997, but Juanita continued on caring for

her family.

But gradually, as time went on, her household chores have slowed down and for the past ten years, she was in turn taken care of, in a quality healthcare facility with daily visits from her loving children, occasional visits from 10 grandchildren as well as 9 great grandchildren. Juanita's loving family would then have parties and dancing in the facility, but on Mother's Day last year, her family gave her a surprise visit, though they entertained her though a glass door due to the pandemic, they were all allowed to see and greet her on her special day. Juanita's loving family are thankful that they had the chance of experiencing great, happy memories with her before her peaceful departure with her angels into the night.

Her loving son, Danny posted this message on FB: "Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen."

NOT ENOUGH... from Page 4 kitchen.

As was the case for homes with no extra baths and bedrooms, the lack of a full kitchen and a washer and dryer was more common in lower-income households.

For households with a total income below the federal poverty level, 35% (6 million) lived in a home without both a full kitchen and a washer and dryer. Among households with an income at least three times the federal poverty level, only 9% (6.2 million) didn’t have those amenities.

Among homes where the race of the householder was White Alone, 13% (13 million) did not have both a full kitchen and a washer and dryer. Among homes where the householder was Black Alone, 29% of homes (4.9 million) did not have a full kitchen and a washer and dryer.

In the same way that housing costs in some areas affect the size of homes and apartments, they also affect home amenities.

For example, over 29% of homes in the New York City (3.3 million) and Los Angeles (1.4 million) metropolitan areas did not have a full kitchen and laundry in 2019.

Less than 10% (150,000) of homes in Atlanta did not have a full kitchen and laundry amenities — the lowest percentage among the 15 largest metro areas.

Working from Home According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, tens of millions of Americans have had to work or study from home more during the pandemic.

Based on the survey’s estimates for the Jan. 20-Feb. 1, 2021 period, about 37% (91 million) of adults have substituted some or all in-person work for telework because of the pandemic. Approximately 84% (43 million) of adults with children in their household have seen children’s classes moving to distance learning.

When both working-age adults (ages 18-64) and school-age children (ages 6-17) must work and study from home, it may be best but not always possible for everyone to work in their own room.

Among households with at least two working or school-age individuals, 6% (4 million) did not have at least one room (excluding kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms) per working age adult and schoolage child, according to AHS.

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Juanita Paredes Lacsamana-Bajet July 12, 1921 — April 10, 2021

FDA... from Page 1 For households with a total income below the federal poverty level, 14% (930,000) did not have enough rooms for each working-age and school-age individual to work in their own room compared to roughly 3% (1 million) for households with income of 300% of the federal poverty level or higher.

When broken down by race, 5% of homes (2.8 million) with a householder who is White Alone did not have at least one room (excluding kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms) per working age adult and school-age child compared to 20% (55,700) of homes with a householder who is Pacific Islander.

Location may also play a role in how many rooms are available for working and learning from home.

Among the top 15 metro areas, 17% (1.6 million) of homes in the Los Angeles-Long Beach metro area did not have one or more rooms per working-age adult and schoolage child. In contrast, 3% (520,000) of homes in Detroit metro area did not have at least one room per working-age adult and school-age kid.

Staying Safe Many Americans have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by reevaluating how they use the space in their homes and by being careful about how they limit their exposure to infection.

Having a certain number of bedrooms and bathrooms or amenities like a full kitchen and an in-unit washer and dryer may make it easier for some individuals to reduce their exposure.

The nationwide shift to working and learning at home caused by the pandemic may also have altered households’ needs for rooms available for working and learning.

This article shows how households with different income levels and in different metro locations throughout the country may face different challenges in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Census Bureau provides up-todate information on the quality and cost of housing in the United States and major metropolitan areas, as well as information on how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting households across the country from a social and economic perspective.

Alex Rhodes and Katie Gustafson are statisticians in the Social, Economic, and Housing Statistics Division of the U.S. Census Bureau.

verse events appear to be extremely rare with nearly 7,000,000 people receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the United States to date. COVID-19 vaccine safety is a top priority and we are working with healthcare providers across the county to ensure they are using screening tools and reporting adverse events.

People who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine within the last three weeks should report severe headaches, abdominal or leg pain, and shortness of breath to their medical provider or seek medical care. People who don't have a medical provider can call 2-1-1 to connect with a healthcare provider.

Public Health notes the pause in use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should not have a major impact on this week's vaccine appointments for the County. Out of the 323,470 total doses allocated to the County this week, only 19,600 were Johnson & Johnson doses.

Vaccine providers in Los Angeles County will contact patients that were scheduled to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine about rescheduling or providing a new appointment for Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

Changes will be made to the MyTurn website starting tomorrow to allow residents 16 and older to begin to schedule vaccination appointments for Thursday and later.

Youth 16 and 17 can only receive the Pfizer vaccine and need to sign up at a site that offers this vaccine.

For information about how to make an appointment, what verifications you will need to show at your vaccination appointment, to sign up for a vaccination newsletter, and much more, visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles. com (Spanish).

Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

County Reopening Protocols, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Roadmap to Recovery, Recovery Dashboard, and additional actions you can take to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

As this developed, the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued the following statement: “Following guidance from public health officials, City-

run vaccination sites have paused use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. This impacts about 3,000 scheduled vaccinations today.

All appointments at our permanent sites will happen as planned, and the City’s MOVE clinics will honor the appointments for anyone scheduled to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine with a first dose of Pfizer, as we await further information from health officials.

This week, the City received nearly 60,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine and 56,000 of Pfizer, neither of which is affected by this pause.

All COVID-19 vaccines are helping to stop the spread of the virus. We continue to encourage eligible Angelenos to get vaccinated so we can end the pandemic as soon as possible.”

For their part, the Johnson & Johnson issued the following statement: “The safety and well-being of the people who use our products is our number one priority. We are aware of an extremely rare disorder involving people with blood clots in combination with low platelets in a small number of individuals who have received our COVID-19 vaccine.

The United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are reviewing data involving six reported U.S. cases out of more than 6.8 million doses administered. Out of an abundance of caution, the CDC and FDA have recommended a pause in the use of our vaccine.”

“In addition, we have been reviewing these cases with European health authorities. We have made the decision to proactively delay the rollout of our vaccine in Europe.”

“We have been working closely with medical experts and health authorities, and we strongly support the open communication of this information to healthcare professionals and the public.”

“The CDC and FDA have made information available about proper recognition and management due to the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot. The health authorities advise that people who have received our COVID-19 vaccine and develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.”

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BALITA

CURRENT CALIFORNIA HOUSING REPORT

The California housing market ended the previous year on a high note as sales remained strong in December and median house price reached another record high. The same momentum has been carried forward in 2021.

In the first month of 2021, the California housing market had its largest increase in sales and pricing in 17 years. Continuing the California housing market's hot streak, home sales record eighth straight year-over-year gain, C.A.R. reports. Year-to-date statewide home sales were up 15.9 percent in February 2021. Home sales and prices ease as compared to the previous months but strong buying interest continues to provide support to the market. The median price paid for all homes sold in February was $699,000, down 0.1 percent from January but up 20.6 percent from February 2020, according to new data from the California Association of Realtors. Homes are moving 56% faster than a year ago; the median time on the market was 10 days in February. The existing single-family home sales totaled 462,720 in February on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, down 4.5 percent from January and up 9.7 percent from February 2020.

The year-over-year sales gain was the eighth consecutive. Tight supply and steady demand from home buyers boosted home sales across California real estate market. All major regions, except for the Central Valley,

experienced a surge in sales from a year ago. New construction can’t keep up with demand. Southern California home prices reached an all-time high in February as buyers competed amid a shortage of homes for sale. There is an increase in demand leading to bidding wars and subsequent higher selling prices. These trends show us that the California housing market remains very competitive. Growth of sales are prices are driven by low mortgage rates, buyers seeking more living space, and a perennial shortage of housing supply. Homes are selling quickly with a minimal price reduction. The statewide sales-price-to-list-price ratio was 101 percent in February 2021 and 99.1 percent in February 2020. If it's above 100%, the home sold for more than the list price. If it's less than 100%, the home sold for less than the list price.

High demand across all California's sub-markets means that low inventory and lightning-fast market conditions are not going away soon. There just aren’t enough homes listed for sale to satisfy the demand from buyers. C.A.R.’s Unsold Inventory Index (UII) remains low at 2 months in February and was down sharply from 3.6 months in February 2020. The index indicates the number of months it would take to sell the supply of homes on the market at the current rate of sales.

The housing affordability index has decreased by 13% for the last quarter

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(Q4 2020). According to the California Association of Realtors (C.A.R.), over a third (35.5 percent) of homebuyers paid more than what home sellers asked for in 2020, compared to a quarter (26.7 percent) in 2019. In fact, last year’s level is the highest in seven years and is 16 percent higher than the long-run average. Will The Housing Market Go Up or Down in California? Each month C.A.R. surveys 1,000 California consumers regarding their sentiments about various aspects of the housing market or the economy that directly impact housing to create a California Housing Sentiment Index. There has been no change in the overall housing sentiment index (74) from the last month. Mortgage rates have been on the rise in recent weeks and now average slightly above 3%. If the economy improves, rates could keep rising, but many experts expect borrowing costs

Saturday-Friday | April 17 - 23, 2021

to remain low by historical standards throughout 2021. Here's what consumers feel at this time. Is it a good time to buy a home in California? C.A.R.’s monthly Consumer Housing Sentiment Index for February 2021 found that 28% of consumers believe that now is the time to buy, and 72% think this is not a good time to buy. That’s up 3% from January 2021. As a result of rising prices and mortgage rates, the housing market sentiment also shows that only 32% of the consumers feel that it will be easier to find a home over the next twelve months. That’s down 8% from January 2021.

Thanks for your inquiries, please call Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance at 562-508-7048 or write to kennethgo@verizon.net CABRE 01021223 NMLS 238636

Tough Financial Times Never Last, But Tough People Do

YOU’RE doing fine. You’re paying your bills on time and you have your debts under control. You’ve even managed to set aside a bit of savings in your bank account. You’re happy and life is good- at least for a moment.

Then one day you find yourself in a big financial mess. You’ve used up all your savings. You dread getting the mail every day because the bills are piling up and they are overwhelming. No matter how hard you work, there never seems to be enough money to go around.

You’re frustrated and are barely able to keep your head above water.

Bill collectors may be calling, and you are being threatened with lawsuits, a car repo or maybe a foreclosure.

Now you’re super-stressed and confused, not knowing what to do.

You can’t sleep at night thinking about your debt problems. What just happened? You’re left scratching your head and saying, “Why me?”. You may feel that God is punishing you. Life all of a sudden seems so unfair.

It’s not a matter of “if”; it’s a matter of “when”. Financial difficulties in life can happen to the best of us, whether we’re prepared for them or not. Sometimes they come with a warning, but sometimes they don’t.

Your present financial crisis could have been caused by a lot of things- perhaps most likely related to the pandemic- poor business (if you’re self-employed), being laid off from your job, sickness, disability or divorce. Life is unpredictable sometimes, and there are always unseen challenges and difficulties waiting for us just right around the corner.

When this happens, what do you do? Do you cower in fear, blame circumstances or the people around you, have a pity party or just simply give up? See, as long as you’re alive and breathing, you will always face challenges in life. But it’s not so much what happens to you. It’s how you react to what happens to you that matters more because this is what you can control. Don’t worry about things that you cannot control. You’re not God. Nothing in life lasts forever. That means the good times don’t last, but the bad times don’t last either. In the grand scheme of things, circumstances are neither good nor bad- they simply are what they are. Sometimes if you look hard enough, you can even find hidden opportunities in seemingly bad situations. It’s a matter of perspective.

Someone said that “You can have fewer bad times when you appreciate and manage the good times wisely.” Thus, whatever you are going through at the moment is most likely temporary. It will soon pass. But you can’t wait around for things to happen. You need to take action and take the first step to change things around. It all begins with the right attitude.

If you are currently facing financial and debt problems, I understand what you’re going through, and I’d like to help. ***NOTE: Due to COVID restrictions, I am currently offering consultations via phone or video. Please call the office to schedule your appointment with me.

Questions? Email me at gethelp@rjb-lawoffices.com.

(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).

Saturday-Friday | April 17 - 23, 2021

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K-1 VISA: FIANCE VISA TO MARRY U.S. CITIZEN IN previous editions of this article, the process of obtaining permanent residence through marriage was explored. Discussion of that procedure began with the supposition that the couple was married, and continued with the various steps to ultimately gain permanent residence. In many cases, however, a problem exists in even getting to the point at which a couple is married. Often, a foreign national is in his/her home country and, for one reason or another, the U.S. citizen cannot travel to that country to marry him/her. A solution in such a scenario can be found with the K-1 Fiance(e) Visa.

A K-1 visa allows a foreign national to come to the United States to marry a United States citizen. The K-1 visa is valid for ninety (90) days after entry to the United States, during which time the marriage must take place. Once the foreign national is issued a K-1 visa, any of his/her unmarried children under the age of 21 may be issued K-1 visas. Upon arrival in the United States, the foreign national may immediately apply for permission to work. A two-step process is involved to obtain a K-1 visa.

First, the United States citizen (the

petitioner) must file Petition for Alien Fiance(e) along with supporting documents with the USCIS. Through the filed petition and documents, the petitioner must demonstrate three things. To begin, it must be shown that the foreign national has a bona fide intent to marry within ninety (90) days after arrival. This is often accomplished by producing evidence that a marriage is going to take place—i.e. wedding announcements, catering contracts, etc. In addition, it must be shown that both parties are unmarried and of legal age. Birth certificates, and if one has been previously married, evidence that the prior marriage has been legally terminated are usually satisfactory to accomplish this. Finally,

evidence must be provided to show that the parties have physically met each other within the past two (2) years. The petitioner may submit photos of the couple, plane tickets, hotel receipts, etc. as proof that the couple has met. Exceptions to this third requirement apply in certain circumstances that cannot be explored here due to space limitations of this article. The USCIS may also schedule an interview of the petitioner wherein inquiry will be made on the foregoing issues. Once approved, notice is sent to the petitioner and the file is forwarded to the appropriate consulate abroad.

Second, after the petition is approved, the foreign national can apply for a K-1 visa in his/ her home

country. An interview is scheduled where the foreign national must provide certain documents for issuance of the visa. An affidavit of support from the petitioner, proving that the foreign national will not be relying on public assistance upon arrival, in addition to originals of documents mentioned hereinabove, must be presented. Other documents may also be requested by a particular consulate. If all requirements are met, visa issuance will follow. After arrival in the United States and marriage, the foreign national may thereafter begin the process to obtain permanent residence.

The fiance may also bring any children below the age of 21 years old as derivative beneficiary as a K-2 visa. This is another advantage of the fiance visa route. It is not necessary to prove that the marriage to the US Citizen Petitioner occurred prior to the immigrant’s children turning 18 years of age. The K-2 derivative can still adjust to greencard after the K-1 fiance marries the US Citizen even if the marriage occurs after the K-2 derivative reaches the age of 18 as long as they are under 21 years of age.

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 was President of the Philippine American Bar Association for 2005. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. Mr. Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. 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@kenreyeslaw.com; visit at www.kenreyeslaw.com

Sara Duterte warns public vs. people using her name in property selling activities MANILA (Mabuhay) — Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Thursday warned the public against individuals using her signature in documents for selling properties, saying these persons should be reported to authorities.

Mayor Duterte, daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, was referring to a document showing her supposed signature as a notary public for a property that has been sold in Taguig City.

“It has come to my attention that some unscrupulous individuals are using a notarial stamp with my name to run a scam selling properties in Taguig City. The signa-

DAVAO CITY MAYOR SARA DUTERTE

ture therein is not mine,” Mayor Duterte, who is a lawyer, said in a statement.

“I do not practice law anymore.

I am also not a notary public nor have I ever applied to be one,” she added.

She then urged the public to be vigilant in engaging with people who use her name in financial transactions.

“The public is hereby warned of these fraudulent activities and must immediately report them and complain to the PNP (Philippine National Police) or NBI (National Bureau of Investigation),” she said.

(MNS)

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Saturday-Friday | April 17 - 23, 2021

CAREGIVER LAW OVERVIEW FOR 2021 WORKING as a caregiver in a private home, an assisted living facility or nursing home is hard work. If this is your job, you probably work long hours and return home physically and emotionally drained.

You may provide 24-hour, live-in help to the elderly or incapacitated.

Many residential pr ivate households, residential c are facilities and nursing homes ignore overtime laws. These violations can deprive caregivers of significant wages totaling thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

If you are a caregiver employed by someone who refuses to follow wage and hour laws, you may be entitled to significant compensation.

Reading up on your rights is the first step toward claiming what you are due. Discussing the matter with an experienced attorney at Chaleff Rehwald Peterson is the next and most important step.

When employers refuse to pay caregivers the legally required minimum or overtime wages, it is a form of wage theft. The employers are essentially stealing wages from workers who care for the elderly.

Thankfully, California law sets minimum requirements for a caregiver’s wages and working conditions. These laws include a minimum wage and overtime in most circumstances. An employer has no right to pay an employee less than the legally required minimum or overtime wages and anyone who does engages in wage theft.

Wage theft takes many forms and may include failing to pay for sleep or “on call” time, paying a weekly or daily salary that is too low or classifying an in-home caregiver as an “independent contractor” to circumvent California’s wage and hour laws.

California provides greater protection to caregivers than exists in most other states. For

instance, on January 1, 2021 the minimum wage in California increases to $13.00/hour for employers with 25 employees or less and will incrementally increase to $15 by January 1, 2022. Cities can enact higher minimum wages. Caregivers who are victims of wage theft can claim the compensation that is legally due.

Until 2013, most caregivers working in private households were exempt from overtime payments under the so-called “personal attendant” overtime exemption of Wage Order 15. What this means is that prior to 2014, private households could force a caregiver to work 24 hours per day and only pay that caregiver the minimum wage for every hour worked. In reality, very few private households paid even this modest sum.

On January 1, 2014, California enacted the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights (DWBR). The DWBR mandates overtime payments for personal attendants. This law provides that an employer cannot hire personal attendants to work more than nine hours in a day or 45 hours in a workweek without paying overtime.

Overtime under the DWBR is set at one and onehalf times the employee’s regular rate of pay. That means that if you are an in-home caregiver, you are entitled to 150% of your hourly wage for every

hour you work over nine hours in any given day, and all hours you work beyond 45 hours in a week.

Now that the California legislature has created the right to overtime for personal attendants, an inhome caregiver who is not paid the required overtime wages can claim their unpaid wages. You can recover not just the overtime you are due, but also attorney’s fees and costs incurred in the lawsuit. It is also possible to recover interest and penalties if you are not properly paid overtime compensation.

Caregiver overtime law is highly complex. In fact, an entirely different set of laws apply to a caregivers who work in residential care facilities and nursing homes for the elderly. These caregivers have always been entitled to overtime under California law.

These caregivers must be paid overtime for all hours they work in excess of 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week. In addition, they are generally entitled to double time payments for all hours worked in excess of 12 in any single day and may be entitled to meal and rest breaks. The rules for sleep time, on-call time and live-ins are also different.

Many care facilities fail to pay overtime to caregivers and engage in other forms of wage theft.

If you think that you have been the victim of wage theft, it is very important to contact the attorneys at Chaleff Rehwald Peterson who are familiar the laws in this area.

If you are a caregiver and you believe that your employer has not paid you fairly under the law, you may have a strong case for compensation. Since the laws in this area are complex, you should contact an experienced attorney who has a documented and demonstrated expertise in representing caregivers.

The attorneys at Chaleff Rehwald Peterson have the experience you need. We are here to help!

This article is an attorney advertisement written by Daniel Chaleff, employment law attorney at Chaleff Rehwald Peterson. Our office is located at 5855 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Suite 400, Woodland Hills, California. We accept cases throughout all of Northern and Southern California. 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. Please visit us at www.caregiverovertime.com/ to learn more about caregiver overtime law.

We offer a 24-hour chat line on our website.

PH to lose maritime territory larger than its total land area if it loses EEZ — Carpio MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Philippines will lose a maritime area larger than its total land area to China if it does not defend its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), former Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio warned Thursday.

Carpio made the remark as he called on President Rodrigo Duterte to "love the Filipino people, not President Xi Jinping."

"If we do not act as one, if we do not exert all effort, exhaust all remedies, we will lose 80 percent of our EEZ in the West Philippine Sea. We will lose a maritime area larger than our total land area," he said.

"We are depriving future generations of Filipinos the marine wealth that is found in this huge maritime area that we will lose to China...The President should love the Filipino people, not President Xi Jinping."

The Philippines should build structures in its EEZ and send its Navy to patrol the area, Carpio said.

"It's really up to us. If we want to defend, we can defend, we have allies, we have the MDT (Mutual Defense Treaty). We can send ships and if they are attacked we can invoke the treaty," he said.

"That’s why China has not attacked BRP Sierra Madre...

China knows the consequence,

China doesn’t want the US to intervene and we must take advantage of that. There's no occasion for us to invoke the treaty because we don’t patrol the area."

Beijing is ramping up its militarization in the West Philippine Sea as Duterte nears his end of term, according to Carpio.

"In the Asia-Pacific region, they were able to accelerate their timetable because of people like President Duterte who has cooperated with them," he said.

"Vietnam, Malaysia they are strong in defending their EEZ. They face off the Chinese in the high seas but their economic relations continue. We're afraid to even talk, the President is completely silent, radio silence, because he says 'I don’t want to go to war, I want loans and investments from China.'"

China used threat of war when it chased off a Filipino civilian boat carrying fishermen and the ABS-CBN News team in the West Philippine Sea, Carpio said.

The Philippines should file a case against China before the arbitral tribunal but it cannot do so without Duterte's approval, he added.

"They're using a gray zone so we can’t invoke the treaty.

You cannot use threat of war

EX-JUSTICE ANTONIO CARPIO or threat of force or act of force to settle a dispute, you must go through negotiation or arbitration," he said.

"Because he’s the chief architect of the foreign policy, we cannot file a case without his consent, his approval. He’s the one blocking what could defend the West Philippine Sea because he wants to appease China."

China will only agree to a Code of Conduct when it finishes its reclamation in the disputed sea, Carpio said.

"From the very start, China said we will sign a COC at the appropriate time. When is the time right for China? When China has completed all of its artificial islands," he said.

"That will legitimize what they have built. China will use the Code of Conduct to legitimize its structures in the South China Sea." (MNS)

17 solons seek termination of EO lowering pork import tariffs MANILA (Mabuhay) — Seventeen lawmakers from the House of Representatives filed a joint resolution on Wednesday calling for the termination of President Rodrigo Duterte's Executive Order No. 128, which reduces the tariff rate for pork imports.

The resolution was filed by Representatives Carlos Isagani Zarate, Rose Marie Arenas, Jose Christopher Belmonte, Arlene Brosas, Argel Joseph Cabatbat, France Castro, Eufemia Cullamat, Lorenz Defensor, Sarah Elago, Edgar Erice, Ferdinand Gaite, Janette Garin, Rico Geron, Jonathan Keith Flores, Edcel Lagman, Geraldine Roman, and Noel Villanueva.

The lawmakers said tariff reduction, as well as the increased minimum access volume of pork imports, would further decimate the local pork industry and it would also undermine the local production and the country's food security.

"It is not an assurance that reduced tariffs and increased importation will stabilize or reduce the current high prices of pork meat products which has become unfairly exorbitant for consumers," the resolution stated.

"The government must heed the urgent demands and sincere appeal of hog raisers, producers and farmers against tariff reduction and MAV expansion of pork imports," it added.

The lawmakers said Duterte's order would only create an irreparable damage to the country's pork industry and to the entire agriculture sector.

Duterte's EO reduced the tariff rate for imported pork within quota or minimum access volume (MAV)—whether fresh, chilled or frozen— to 5% for the first three months upon the EO’s effectivity and 10% for the fourth to 12th month.

On the other hand, tariff rates for imported meat outside of the MAV have been set to 15% for the first three months upon the EO’s effectivity and 20% for the fourth to the 12th month.

The existing 30% to 40% tariff rate for imported pork will be restored after the 12th month, the EO stated.

Some senators have already called for the revocation of this order. (MNS)

Saturday-Friday | April 17 - 23, 2021

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US earmarks new P170-M aid for PH vax rollout Poor leadership affecting Philippines' pandemic response, says community doctor

US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires John Law (Photo courtesy of US Embassy in Manila) MANILA (Mabuhay) — The cal government units as they United States government, plan for, track, and admint hroug h t he US Agency ister vaccines. for International Develop“W h i le t he pa ndem ic ment (USAID), is providing has tested our peoples and PHP170 million to support our economies, the strong the Department of Health bonds between Americans (DOH) in its vaccination and Filipinos will help us rollout, the US Embassy in rise above this challenge.

Manila said Thursday.

We will continue to fight The Embassy said this new this unprecedented global ISO 12647-7 Digital Control Strip 2009 assistance help Manila health crisis30together," US 100 60 100 70 100 60 100will 70 30 100 60 100 strengthen its vaccine sup- Embassy Chargé d’Affaires ply chain, monitor vaccine John Law said. safety, and deliver effective The announcement was communication campaigns made during his visit to a 100 60 100 100 70 70 30 30 100 100 60 100 100 70 70 30 30 100 100 60 100 100 to100 address vaccine hesitancy. vaccination site in Caloocan The aid, which brings the City with Health Secretary total US government sup- Francisco Duque III, Calooport to Manila's pandemic can City Mayor Oscar Malresponse to nearly PHP1.3 apitan, USAID Philippines billion, will also support lo- Mission Director Lawrence A

B

Hardy II, and other US and Philippine officials.

The White House has recently announced a PHP194 billion commitment to the COVAX Facility, a global initiative to support early vaccine access for 92 countries, including the Philippines.

The Embassy said an initial PHP97.2-billion contriprovided 40 100 through 40 100 70bution, 30 100 40 40 70 40 USAID, is supporting the purchase and delivery of safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines.

70 70 30 30 100 40 100 40 40 100 10 40 40 Through this COVAX facility, the Philippines is expected to receive vaccines to immunize at least 20 percent T:9.75" of its population by the end of 2021. (MNS) 3%

MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Chinese city of Wuhan in late Philippines is still struggling 2019. to stay on top of the COVID-19 Nisperos, who also teaches crisis because of poor leader- at the UP College of Medicine, ship and mixed messaging, a said there were still gaps in community doctor observed the pandemic response such Thursday. as strengthening the BaDr. Gene Nisperos, board rangay Health Emergency member of Community Med- Response Teams or BHERTs. icine Development Founda"If we wanted to win this tion, lamented the lack of fight, we have to start at the effective public health mes- ground. The communities, saging, which is crucial in it's where the infection occurbing the pandemic. curs, that’s where it spreads "The government looks like but unfor tunately t hat’s a headless chicken. It doesn't where the health-care system know what it's doing. One is weakest," he said. agency will say something, He also criticized the govwhich will be contradicted ernment's pandemic task by another agency later on," force, which is composed he said. mainly of retired army gen"Messaging is very, very erals. crucial. It tells people you are "You listen to the President on top of the situation. You when he speaks on COVknow exactly what's happen- ID. Does he look like he is ing. It gives people that sense well-vetted, he's well-briefed of confidence. It gives peo- on the situation? On what ple that sense of assurance COVID is all about? I mean, that the government is doing you don't get that sense from everything they can against him, much less from your this pandemic. Unfortunate- DOH secretary," he said. ly, what we're having is really Despite being heavily critbad messaging. Messaging icized for its response to the 70that 40 40 contradicts 40 70 40 40 70 40 70each 40 40 3 10 pandemic, 25 50 Malacañang 75 90 100 other," said he added. in March the government T he new coronav i r us, showed "excellent" managewhich causes the respirato- ment of the crisis. ry illness COVID-19, has so A consultant to the gov20 70 70 70 70 40 70 40 40 0000 3.1 2.2 2.2 10.2 7.4 7.4 25 19 19 50 40 40 75 66 66 100 100 100 80 70 70 100 far infected over 892,000 in ernment's task force had also the country and more than said the Philippines was far15,000 people have died, ac- ing better than other councording to a government tally. tries in responding to the The virus first emerged in the pandemic. (MNS)

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T:7.5"

When we use energy matters. We have the power to harness California’s abundance of wind and solar resources. But during peak hours, electricity is generated mostly by fossil fuels to meet demand. Use less energy from 4-9PM, for a cleaner California.

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A24452_77b_EUC_Engagement_News_ENG_G2_TimingIsEverything_9_75x7_5.indd 11.03.2020 EPSON

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Poe laments cruelty, violence on ordinary Filipinos amid COVID-19 pandemic MANILA (Mabuhay) — Senator Grace Poe has expressed alarm over acts of cruelty and violence that ordinary Filipinos experience amid the continuous threat of COVID-19 in the country.

In a statement, Poe lamented the death of a curfew violator in Laguna after he was allegedly beaten up by village watchmen.

The senator said the plight of ordinary Filipinos amid the pandemic should not be aggravated by cruelty and violence of authorities on ground.

“How can they afford to torture to death their already helpless constituent amid the hunger, poverty, and hopelessness gripping our communities?” she said.

“The perpetrators of these acts of violence must face the full force and severity of the law,” Poe emphasized, add i ng t h at t hei r i mmediate s u p e r iors must a lso be held acc ou nta b l e under the princ i p le of command responsibility.

A p a r t f rom t h i s incident, another c u r-

SENATOR GRACE POE

few violator in Cavite, Darren Peñaredondo, also died after being made to do 300 pumping squats as punishment.

Poe maintained that the sufferings of the ordinary citizens "should not be further scorned by the harsh and ignominious blows from supposed ‘community protectors."

“Those who wield such undue use of force and authority must receive the corresponding full weight of the penalties of our laws,” she said.

“The people have taken more than enough beating from the ravaging pandemic. They don’t deserve any more bludgeoning from any arm of the government,” she added.

The Philippine National Police said the village watchmen who allegedly beat the curfew violator in Laguna to death will face homicide complaints.

Meanwhile, Peñaredondo's family is considering filing complaints against the police over his death.

Peñaredondo succumbed to stroke and a heart condition, according to his death certificate.

General Trias City, Cavite Police chief Police Lieutenant Colonel Marlo Solero has already been relieved from his post in connection w ith Peña redondo's deat h.

(MNS)

Senators urge gov’t to protect health workers vs. COVID-19 infection, discrimination M A NIL A (Mabuhay) — Senators on Wednesday appealed to the government uphold the welfare of health workers by ensuring that they are protected against COVID-19 infection as well as from discrimination and abuses.

In a statement, Senator Risa Hontiveros lamented the cases of abuse being experienced by health workers.

She cited the case of a doctor detained in Rizal for not wearing a face shield while biking and the reports of health workers being barred at checkpoints and being forced to pay for personal protect ive equipment (PPE), which she said only show the government's "misaligned priorities."

With 16,158 health worker s a l read y infected w it h COVID-19 while ma ny hospitals are understaffed, Hont iveros

SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS

said that "it is like we are punishing them for keepi ng us a l l alive."

"I ask the Philippine National Police a nd loca l gover nment units to remain vigilant about cases of d i sc r i m i nat ion against our hea lth workers and our other kababayans, and to immediately remove abusive officials from position and punish them. They should be protecting people, not harassing them," she said.

Hontiveros likewise ca l led on t he Department of Health to expedite the compensation for health workers and roll out the budget for their hazard pay and other benefits. The department should also ensure the protection of health workers by prov iding t he free and periodic testing, immune boosters and PPEs. "Let’s walk our talk.

It is our basic duty to give them these resources. We continue to insist that officials admit their shortcom-

ings, instead of covering them up," she said.

"It i s i n hu ma ne to stay deaf to their pleas," she added.

Senator Imee Marcos also raised the concern of personnel in Metro Manila hospitals begging for more hazmats, gloves, and other protective equipment.

"It’s a shame that our infected healthca re workers have reached 13%, while only 2% are infected in ot her count ries because they are well prov ided w ith PPE and other safeguards," she said.

Ma rcos sa id t he government should start patronizing locally-produced protective gear so that they can be delivered immediately to health workers.

"If we don’t ta ke care of those who take care of us, what will become of us when we get sick?" she said.

"Their pleas must reach President Duterte because I am sure that he will listen to them," she added.

(MNS)

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LOS ANGELES EDITION

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BAGONG FORMS NG VIRUS, PAREHO ANG LABAN! Isang napakahabang taon ng pagbabago ang lumipas lamang. At ngayon, pati na ang COVID ay nagbabago—sa mga bagong uri ng virus na tinatawag na variants na mas madaling kumalat. Ngunit isang bagay ang hindi nagbago: ang ating determinasyon na tumulong para pabagalin ang pagkalat ng COVID. Kung mananatili tayong maingat at ipagpapatuloy ang dati nating ginagawa—pagsuot ng masks, pagpapanatili ng 6 feet na distansya sa isa’t isa, pagpabakuna kapag panahon na natin—sama-sama nating kakayaning talunin ang virus na ito.

Alamin ang higit pa sa cdc.gov/coronavirus

Inihahandog sa inyo ng U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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global NEWS GLOBAL NEWS Gov't effort to protect West Philippine Sea is weak —expert

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MANILA (Mabuhay) — An expert cited Wednesday the sluggish push by the Philippine government to protect its claims over the West Philippines Sea (WPS), while China increases the presence of its navy and militia vessels in the territory.

In a forum by the Stratbase ADR Institute for Strategic and International Studies, Simulatiry co-founder and CEO of Liz Derr said more WPS features will be taken by other countries if this weak approach continues.

“Unfortunately, the Philippines is weak. We've seen and documented what other claimants have been doing to shore up their claims,” she said.

“We've seen how much weaker the Philippines is in protecting [its] territory, compared to the other claimants.

If this weakness continues, we will surely see more features being occupied by other countries,” she pointed out.

Simularity is an AI software company that analyzes multispectral and SAR satellite imagery and serves federal governments, GIS consulting companies, and international defense and intelligence agencies.

According to Derr, Vietnam has protected its sovereign rights over its own EEZ by building 29 outposts in Spratly Islands (not all within Philippine EEZ).

But the Philippines has built only 11 outposts in Spratly Islands to protect its

sovereign rights over its own EEZ. Compared to China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, United States, and Vietnam, Derr said the Philippines is weaker in terms of authority when facing imminent danger to coast guard assets and people’s lives, managing vessels attempting to flee or resist arrest, and defending sovereignty or sovereign rights.

Derr said making other surrender the artificial islands they built in the Philippine EEZ is unlikely to happen. She recommended for the Philippines to focus its efforts on making sure no more are taken.

According to Derr, the following are some of the unoccupied features in the Philippine EEZ that are “sitting there for the taking:” Hopps Reef Sabina Shoal Southern Banks Hardy Reef Boxall Reef Iriquois Reef Hopkins Reef Third Thomas Shoal Jackson Atoll Livock Reef Alicia Annie Reef Empire Reef Jones Reef Higgens Reef Holiday Reef Hallet Reef Pensylvanie Sout Reef McKennan Reef Edmund Reef Loveless Reef Director Reef

Half Moon Shoal Bombay Shoal NOrth Investigator Shoal Royal Captain Shoal Sabina Shoal Seahorse Shoal Also, Derr said the Philippine EEZ will be protected if the country occupies the unoccupied Spratly features with research into prioritization of which to occupy and into what level of occupation.

For Derr, this will stop foreign countries from occupying more Spratly features and building more destructive artificial islands and will protect fisherfolk and their right to fishing.

Intrusion into occupied features will be considered

an act of war and other countries with relationship with the Philippines will protect it if it is attacked, she added.

“China is trying to gray zone their territorial expansion and have scrupulously avoided outright military conflict in the South China Sea. They do not want a war,” she added.

On March 7, around 220 vessels were spotted in the Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea, located at 320 kilometers (200 miles) west of Palawan Island.

Based on the latest report of National Task Force WPS released Tuesday, 240 Chinese militia vessels were scattered in the territorial waters off Kalayaan in Pal-

awan and in the Philippines EEZ. Aside from these, six vessels of the Chinese navy, including at least three warships, have been spotted in the West Philippine Sea. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has been demanding for the immediate removal of the Chinese vessels near Julian Felipe Reef.

T he Ch i nese Embassy said that the vessels are only “seeking shelter” near the reef, which they claimed is part of China’s Nansha Islands or Spratlys in the South China Sea. The Philippines has filed a diplomatic protest for the presence of Chinese vessels in Julian Felipe Reef. (MNS)

Saturday-Friday | April 17 - 23, 2021

Business BUSINESS

NEDA: Increase in pork imports won't kill local hog industry MANILA (Mabuhay) — The National Economic and Development Authority on Thursday maintained that the proposed increase in pork imports into the country will not "kill" the local hog industry.

Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua made the remark during the hearing of the Senate Committee of the Whole as he reiterated NEDA's support to temporarily increasing the minimum access volume (MAV) on pork imports coupled with lower tariff rates.

"The proposal to increase the MAV (minimum access volume) for pork from 54,000 MT to 404,000 MT by the Department of Agriculture is consistent with the supply deficit estimated by NEDA," he said.

"The temporary increase in pork will not kill the local hog industry as imports would potentially account for up to 22.8% of total consumption," he added.

According to Chua, pork imports will not flood the Philippine market as other countries are also affected by African swine fever (ASF).

He added that the limited cold chain facilities in the country also prevents huge pork importation into the Philippines.

"Hence we think the 404,000 MT proposed for importation will only gradually enter the country as needed instead of being imported at the same time contrary to

industr y concerns," he said.

At the same t ime, Chua st ressed t he need for the tariff rate on pork imports to be low enough "to help reduce and stabilize retail prices."

He poi nted out that in order to bring the pork retail price back to P224 per kilo, lower tariff rates and increasing MAV for a temporary period need to complement each other.

"At 30 to 40%, the landed cost of imported pork based on the prevailing price by the FAO is estimated to range between P252 to P267 per kilo. This is way above the normal price of P224 per kilo.

Importing at this cost would not lead to lower retail price which the people badly need now," he said.

"If we lower the tariff rate temporarily to 5 to 10%, that would lead to lower landed cost of around P215 to P220 per kilo, closer to the pork retail price," he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte last week issued EO 128 on the reduction of the tariff rates on pork imports.

Under EO 128, the tariff rate for imported pork meat within quota or MAV—whether fresh, chilled or frozen—will be pegged at 5% for

the first three months upon the EO’s effectivity and 10% for the fourth to 12 months.

The tariff rate for imported meat outside of the MAV, however, has been set to 15% for the first three months upon the EO’s effectivity and 20% for the fourth to the 12th months.

The existing 30% to 40% tariff rate for imported pork will be restored after the 12th month.

Senators, however, wanted the executive order revoked as it would only hurt the local hog industry.

Chua recognized the need to help local producers to recover from ASF, but so are pork consumers.

"We also need to help 95 million consumers of pork by reducing tariff and increasing the MAV temporarily to help feel the deficit, reduce food prices and ensure our food supply is adequate and affordable so we can prevent higher malnutrition and poverty," he said.

(MNS)

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Estimated economic loss due to two-week ECQ in NCR Plus at P180B —DTI’s Lopez MANILA (Mabuhay) — The two-week enhanced community quarantine in the National Capital Region (NCR) and its four adjacent provinces has resulted in almost P200 billion in losses to the country’s economy, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said Thursday.

“Ang nawala sa ekonomiya estimated po ay around 1% ng ating GDP (gross domestic product). ‘Yung 1% na ‘yun kung tayo ay may GDP na P18 trillion, P180 billion ang estimate na nawala sa ating ekonomiya,” Lopez said during state-run PTV’s Laging Handa briefing.

Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, and Laguna, collectively as NCR Plus, were placed under the strictest quarantine classification from March 29 to April 11 due to recent spike in new COVID-19 cases.

The area was reverted to modified ECQ for the rest of April.

Lopez said that the two-week ECQ in NCR Plus also resulted in the displacement— either a temporary loss of job or an irregular work schedule—of around 1.5 million workers.

“Ngayong MECQ base sa datos natin may mga 500,000 out of 1.5 million ang makakabalik ngayong MECQ. May one million na makakabalik pag na GCQ (general community quarantine) na tayo,” the Trade chief said.

He said the return to GCQ of NCR Plus will depend on data if there is already a surplus of ICU or intensive care unit rooms and hospital beds as well as reduction in new cases.

“Base sa estimates, by end of April, makikita kung may improvement na kasama na rin ang ability to contact trace and isolate (Based on estimates, by the end of April, we can see if there are improvements already as well on our ability to contact trace and isolate),” Lopez said. (MNS)

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Alexa Ilacad denies undergoing nose procedure

oni Gonzaga admits that her simple life before all of showbiz’s glitz and glamour is still one of the fondest memories she treasures up to this day.

Gonzaga said she and her sister Alex always talk about it especially when they feel pressured with their work.

“Actually this is a conversation na lagi naming ginagawa ni Alex when we feel pressured, when we feel ungrateful minsan.

Lagi naming pag-uusapan 'yung mga buhay namin noon, the simpler times,” she said.

“Yung ang saya na namin kapag summer kasi magrerenta lang kami ng video noon tapos manonood lang kami ng DVD, masaya na kami sa bahay lang kami. Simple lang ang buhay so 'yung kasiyahan mo simple lang. Those who were the happiest moments, y ung TONI GONZAGA

simpler times,” she added.

Gonzaga said it is really true that “as you elevate in life, your problems elevate also” and that comes with a lot of pressure and responsibilities in life.

“Tama 'yung sinabi nila na the more money you have, the more problems that you will have. So minsan mami-miss mo rin ang kasimplehan ng buhay,” she said.

Nonetheless, Gonzaga is grateful for everything she has now after two decades in the entertainment industry.

This, however, does not mean she no longer has insecurities.

“Laging may question na ganun. Am I still good enough to do this? Am I still capable of doing this? Should I still be doing this? Laging may questions na ganun,” she said.

Gonzaga believes she will never get to a point where she will be so secure of herself.

“Kasi the moment that you

feel na you know it all, you have it all, that’s the moment you stop learning,” she explained.

With her stature now, Gonzaga said she no longer fears being “laos.”

“When I was younger, [takot ako malaos]. Laging 'yun ang panakot sa 'yo kapag ayaw mo tumanggap ng trabaho or kapag tatanggi ka sa gig. Laging iyan ang panakot sa 'yo when you’re younger.

As you grow old, you choose the people you will listen to.

Pinili ko na. Mapapagod ka eh,” she said. “’Hay nako malalaos ka.’

Bigla ka na lang magsasalita sa sarili mo, ‘Eh ‘di malalaos talaga.’ Inevitable naman iyan eh. There will be a season where it’s not your season anymore. You have to be comfortable with that. You have to accept that. 'Yung pagiging laos is a matter of how you look at it.” (MNS)

Leila Alcasid opens up about her eating disorder ManiLa (Mabuhay) — Singer Leila A lcasid opened up about her eating disorder which has resulted in her fluctuating body weight.

However, the daughter of singer-songwriter Ogie Alcasid and former beauty queen Michelle Van Eimeren, said she is now learning to love herself and her body.

"Just wanted to share a little something," she said in an Instagram post.

"I am ver y slowly learning how to be kind to myself and my body, and it’s the most wonderful feeling. Over the last few years I’ve received lots of messages asking

Saturday-Friday April 17 - 23, 2021

about my weight loss and how I managed it, and I never really knew how to answer. I have a long and frustrating history with an eating disorder, and was never quite able to look at my body with kindness and love. Always trying intense diets and depriving myself rather than providing the nourishment I really needed. I could never give a proper answer as to how I lost weight, because I didn’t want anyone else to be so cruel to themselves. My weight has f luctuated greatly over the last 5 years and it has ultimately ruled my life," she shared.

Alcasid admitted get-

ting affected by what others say about her body.

"People would comment on it both in life and on social media, and I was constantly told I wasn’t thin enough, even when I was eating so little. I allowed the opinions of others to have such a grip on me, and it was incredibly damaging," she said.

Now, she said that she finally learned to love and embrace her body and all its imperfections.

"Now, I am at a place where I can say I love my body regardless of the bumps, curves, and stretch marks. I move to feel strong, and eat to feel nourished. I still strug-

LEILA ALCASID

ALEXA ILACAD ManiLa (Mabuhay) — Actress Alexa Ilacad denied undergoing a cosmetic procedure, in response to comments on her recent selfie where she appears to have a scar on her nose.

Through Instagram Stories, the “Init sa Magdamag” actress addressed direct messages she had received, pertaining to her supposed nose job.

“Some of you are so funny! Sending me rude DMs [because] you think I had nose job [because] of this ‘scar’ on my nose. You guys have to chill out!” she wrote, with laughing emojis.

“First of all, my cat just scratched my nose,” she said, referring to the small wound seen on her nasal bridge.

“I look pissed here [because] I was. I just wanted some love but my cat said, ‘Nope,’” she said.

While she belied allegations she underwent the procedure, Ilacad added, “There is nothing wrong with getting plastic surgery if a person wanted to.”

Cosmetic procedures have become a more openly discussed topic among celebrities in recent years, with the likes of Vice Ganda, Angeline Quinto, and Janine Berdin candidly sharing their own physical changes. (MNS)

Polo Ravales excited to be a dad

gle, like anyone else, but I’m working on it and I’m proud of myself. To anyone who looks at Instagram photos and can’t help but compare, don’t feel down. Remember that you are strong and beautiful. Life is too short," Alcasid said. (MNS)

Janella Salvador asked: 'Are you ready to go back to work?'

ManiLa (Mabuhay) — Janella Salvador does not seem quite ready to get back to work just yet.

Salvador explained that she needs more time to settle down before she’s able to be separated with her son Jude for a long time.

“When I was in the UK, I was super excited to get back and work. But now that I’m here, I realized na it’s so hard pala to settle down. When you’re coming from a different country and you have a baby, I really need more time to settle down,” she said.

“Because when I work, be-

JANELLA SALVADOR cause of COVID, tapings now are locked-in so I have to leave him for about three weeks straight. I can’t see him,” she

added.

Salvador said she has to make sure that she would leave Jude with someone she trusts and with someone who will really take care of him.

“It’s hard. It’s really hard just thinking about it,” she said.

Salvador and Markus Paterson flew to the United Kingdom in September 2020, or a month before the actress gave birth to Jude.

The couple returned to the Philippines with their son only in February.

When asked how she feels

to have a child at such a young age, Salvador said: “The funny thing is even before I had Jude, I’m such a lola. I’m an introvert, I stay home, I enjoy my quiet time. So when Jude came, I have someone else to spend my quiet time with.”

Salvador said having a child did not really affect her, although other people would tell her that she would “lose your younger years” and won’t be able to explore anymore.

“I’m fine. I’m happy. I’ve always dreamt about being a mom. I don’t know if it’s weird but it’s really one of my dreams,” she said. (MNS)

POLO AND PAULYN ManiLa (Mabuhay) — Polo Ravales took to social media to share his excitement over his latest life milestone.

In an Instagram post, the actor revealed that he is expecting a child with his fiancee, personal online trainer Paulyn Quiza.

Posting a sonogram of their baby, Ravales said: "Thank you, Lord, for this miracle and blessing."

"We are excited to meet you, Baby P," he added.

Both fitness enthusiasts, Ravales and Quiza got engaged in December 2018. (MNS)

Entertainment Heart Evangelista: You can't please everybody, so stop trying

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ctress and vlogger Heart Evangelista advised her fans and subscribers to stop worrying about pleasing other people, citing her own personality as an example of a “people pleaser.”

In her vlog, Evangelista shared some lessons she learned as she turned 36 last February, including the acceptance that some people may not like others no matter how kind they were to them.

“I am such a people pleaser like what I've said but you cannot keep worrying about pleasing somebody or not pleasing them. Sometimes we put so much energy thinking ‘na-offend ko ba siya? Parang di niya ko gusto? Parang di niya ko bet?’ But honestly, they are probably not thinking about you,” she said.

According to the actress, sometimes people still get rejected, despite how hard they try to please others.

“Minsan nasa kanila na lang kung gusto ko nila or hindi. Minsan kasi try ka nang try di ka naman gusto kawawa ka naman.

Minsan hindi ka lang talaga nila

gusto, in short, kahit mabait ka,” she quipped.

Should you drop 'toxic' friends from your life? Heart Evangelista has this advice Evangelista, who is married to politician Chiz Escudero, admitted that it is difficult for her to avoid worrying about other people but realized it sometimes consumed her.

She went on to cite a personal experience with her driver when they were travelling to Sorsogon, where Escudero is the governor.

In her narration, Evangelista warned her driver not to drive fast regardless if they would spend more time on the road as long as they would arrive safely.

“I remember telling him na it's all right kahit mag 10 hours tayo wag na nating gawing 7 (hours), basta safe tayo. [Then] I remember I woke up because they were really

Alessandra sees fewer opportunities for work

ALESSANDRA DE ROSSI MANILA (Mabuhay) — Acclaimed actress Alessandra de Rossi was counting on being able to resume work safely this year when she turned down jobs during the earlier part of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

A year has passed, however, and for de Rossi that prospect of catching up on lost opportunities appears farther than ever, with the surging cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines.

“Last year, di ako tumanggap ng work noong 1k cases pa lang. Sabi ko next year na ako babawi, for sure things will get better,” de Rossi tweeted.

“Ayun. Mas malala ngayon,” she said.

De Rossi, 36, has been vocal of her preference to stay at home amid the ever-growing risk of contracting COVID-19 in public.

Alessandra de Rossi: ‘Hindi ako takot lumaban, pero takot ako sa COVID’ While she did get offers of acting projects when lockdown measures eased in the latter half of 2020, de Rossi still opted not to head out.

That meant having a dwindling source of income.

She addressed that concern by selling her car, to have money to tide her through, de Rossi said in an August 2020 interview.

“I think I need a new job,” she jested. “Gusto kong maging manghuhula, para alam ko sinasabi ko! Chot!”

(MNS)

speeding and they would take over [other cars],” she recalled.

'Hindi nakakaganda': Heart explains why she stopped being overly jealous The actress recounted how she struggled to remind his driver again, fearing he might get upset, but still did it anyways. "Kuya wag masyadong mabilis baka mabangga tayo," she said.

“You know just saying that or exactly like that, hindi na ko makatulog. ‘Shocks baka naoffend ko siya,’” Evangelista revealed.

Here are the other life lessons she realized: l It's okay to lose and outgrow friends. l Be with someone who doesn't hold you back. l It's okay not to be okay. l Allow yourself to be happy. l Social media is both a great and horrible world. Be respon-

HEART EVANGELISTA sible. l Consistency is key. l Family is everything. l You must love yourself first. You cannot give what you don't have. l Changing your perspective changes everything. (MNS)

Moira dela Torre reveals difficulties of having PCOS

MANILA (Mabuhay) — Prolific singer-songwriter Moira dela Torre admitted that having polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has affected her songwriting process.

In an interview on Hannah Pangilinan’s podcast, Dela Torre revealed that PCOS symptoms include brain fog, depression and insomnia. For instance, she said she once forgot her own dog’s name.

“Wanting to be fully present ‘cause I realized with my polycystic ovaries like, there’s little awareness for it especially here in our country. Like 25% of women have it. So, that’s a lot. And when I found out about it — actually I found so many symptoms first,” she said.

Dela Torre went on to say that the symptoms she experienced gave her anxiety as she was not aware of her health condition back then.

“There are times when I’m not eating well. I get brain fog. Like there was one time I forgot my own dog’s name. But I knew his name and I just couldn’t say it. And it was just so frustrating that it gave me so much anxiety. Like ‘what is happening?’ I just couldn’t remember,” the 27-year-old singer recalled.

The “Paubaya” hit singer also shared how having PCOS prevented her from writing songs, when

MOIRA DELA TORRE normally she can write a song in 15 minutes.

“Before the pandemic, I couldn’t even write. Having been able to write ‘Malaya’ in like 10 minutes or ‘Saglit’ in 15 minutes. So many songs that I get to write because my brain was good, my brain was healthy. And I was just writing down what I felt in like a really short amount of time,” Dela Torre admitted.

Her struggles forced Dela Torre to seek medical attention just before she got married to her husband Jason Marvin Hernandez.

“Songwriting has always been my outlet. So to not be able to write that way meant so much storage and so much baggage that I couldn’t release. So, I started seeing my doc-

tor. I said something was not good.

And this was right before my wedding. And I found out I had polycystic ovaries,” the singer said.

Dela Torre also talked about the importance of taking care of one's body which, according to her, she only realized when she got married.

She said it is her dream to build a family with her husband without worrying about her health.

“It’s really great for you to be understanding this now even before you get married. But with me, it didn’t really occur to me until I realized another dream and that dream is to grow old with my husband and to give my kids a healthy mom and to be able to make sure that they live their best lives because they wouldn’t have to worry about their mom who’s healthy,” she added.

These days, dela Torre has been very cautious with her health and listening to her body.

“Ever since, I’ve been trying to change my diet, finding what’s good for me and what’s not. And also, when you go online, you get information overload. Now, I’m starting to see that if you have polycystic ovaries, there’s still not much research about it. So, you just really have to listen to your body.” (MNS)

Donny Pangilinan, Belle Mariano's 'He's Into Her' to be released in May MANILA (Mabuhay) — Star Cinema has finally revealed when it is going to release the romantic-comedy series “He’s Into Her.” In an Instagram post, the ABS-CBN film outfit shared a teaser saying the Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano starrer will come out in May. “A new gen will rise.

W i l l t he y b e br ave enoug h to fac e t he

world?” Star Cinema wrote in the caption before using the hashtags #IntoSummer2021 and #HesIntoHer. Currently, there is no exact release date for "He's Into Her," which is based on a book of the same name. It follows the story of a girl from the province who faces the struggle of changing herself to fit in.

This is the first time

Pangilinan and Mariano, who was on "Goin' Bulilit" before appearing as various support roles in teleseryes and in “Four Sisters Before the Wedding” last year, have been paired for a project.

“He’s Into Her,” which was helmed by Chad Vidanes, also marks Mariano’s first romance project.

Ahead of the series’ nearing premiere on

iWant TFC, Mariano and Pangilinan have courted a wide following on social media, with their tandem, dubbed “DonBelle,” frequently ranking atop trends on Twitter.

The excitement for “He’s Into Her” has been generated by a mix of the promise of DonBelle, as well as the coming-to-life of the Maxine Lat book the series is based on.

(MNS)

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Significance of April 15 in PH history cited

MANILA – Did you know that April 15 is replete with many significant events in Philippine history, particularly during the Spanish, American and Japanese occupations, or even after the country gained complete independence in 1946?

For instance, a glance at the April 15 entries in the 1998 Centennial Edition of the Philippine Almanac published in September 1998 by Filway Marketing Inc. of Hector O. Tagaysay and the Children's Comm unication Center, then headed by now National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario, would show that on this date in 1948, President Manuel A. Roxas, the fifth president of the Philippines (1946-1948), died of a heart attack while speaking during a visit to the then Clark Air Base in Pampanga.

It was in honor of Roxas that the then capital town of Capiz province was renamed Roxas City under Republic Act No. 603 on April 11, 1951. Roxas, who was born in Capiz on Jan. 1, 1892, took his oath as president on July 4, 1946.

On April 15, 1947, the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) (now Philippine Red Cross) was established through R.A. No. 95. Named as its first head was Mrs. Aurora Aragon Quezon, widow of the first Philippine Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon. Before World II, PNRC was just

a branch of the United States Red Cross, an international organization that helps people worldwide during disasters and calamities.

On the same date (April 15) in 1962, then Manila City Mayor Arsenio H. Lacson died of a heart attack. He was honored by the city government with the renaming after him of Plaza Goiti in Sta. Cruz district, the Lacson Underpass in Quiapo, and the former Gov. Forbes St. in Sampaloc as A. H. Lacson Ave. On April 15, 1975, the Kabataang Barangay (KB), a nationwide youth organization was created by the administration of then President Ferdinand E. Marcos. All Filipinos aged 15 to 21 years were automatic members of this body.

Its top officials were also ex-officio members of the city and municipal councils.

The KB was abolished after Marcos was deposed in February 1986.

Much earlier, during the Spanish occupation of the Philippines, the first vaccine against smallpox was brought to the Philippines by a Spanish expedition led by Dr. Francisco Xavier Balmis.

He started a smallpox vaccination program which made the vaccines available throughout the country by 1808 and helped reduce the mortality rate during subsequent epidemics. (PNA)

Manuel A. Roxas, the fifth president of the Philippines (1946-1948)

App to check house’s 'Stone kingdom' poised to become quake-resiliency Baguio's newest attraction now available MANILA – An app to check if your house is earthquake-resilient is now downloadable for free via Google Play, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) announced on Thursday.

The "How Safe Is My House?" app serves as self-check platform for earthquake safety of concrete hollow block (CHB) houses, suitable both for residential houses and one to two-storey CHB buildings.

Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum Jr. said they did not spend anything for the development of the app, since it was developed by in-house staff.

They only spent almost PHP1,000 for the one-time subscription in Google Playstore, he said.

"It was developed by Phivolcs staff, but part of the app's content was previously developed by experts from a collaborative project with various agencies," Solidum said.

According to Phivolcs, these agencies include the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan Science and Technology (JST), and the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP).

Solidum said the app will help users to determine if the house could withstand an intensity VIII earthquake.

"The use of this self-check app will enable house occupants to be aware of their safety, and also educate them of the simple steps to consider to ensure the integrity of houses during strong earthquakes," he noted.

He said the widespread use of this app in a locality will also enable disaster managers and authorities to have an idea of the possible impact of an earthquake in their area.

App users will have to answer 12 questions: 1. Who built or designed my house?

“How Safe Is My House?” app available for download via Google Play (screenshot) 2. How old is my house?

3. Has my house been damaged by past earthquakes or disasters?

4. What is the shape of my house?

5. Has my house been extended or expanded?

6. Are the external walls of my house 6inch (150mm) thick CHB? 7. Are steel bars of standard size and spacing used in walls?

8. Are there unsupported walls more than 3 meters wide?

9. What is the gable of my house made of?

10. What is the foundation of my house?

11. What is the soil condition under my house?

12. What is the overall condition of the house?

Meanwhile, Solidum said Phivolcs targets to launch a web version of this app within the year.

Currently, the app uses English language, but Solidum said Phivolcs will try to also offer it in Filipino language before the web version launch.

"The web version will be in English language, but we plan to have Tagalog translation, as well as other dialects," he said.

(PNA)

BAGUIO CITY – A new tourist destination that tells about Igorot folklore and showcases the locals' rock-laying skills will be opened here by midyear.

Currently completing the final touches on the park on a mountainside along Long-long Road, Pinsao Proper village, owner Pio Velasco said "the whole concept is an Igorot child's fantasy of castles, his childhood in Mountain Province, the stories about the first Igorot people, man's belief that there is a caring God and culture of family brought out by the Igorot's skillful hands of stone laying."

The park covering a 6,000-square meter area features the Igorot ingenuity in creating stone walls similar to the rice terraces in Battad, Banaue.

"We did the traditional 'riprap' that did not use cement inside but for purposes of reinforcement had to top it with cement," Velasco said.

On the right side of the mountain facing the stone wall are modern-day castles made of cement and hollow blocks.

Velasco said, “hindi lang basta stone wall ang itinayo sa gilid ng bundok, may mga iba-ibang kwento na kumikilala sa bawat province ng Cordillera (it is not just a stone wall built on the side of a mountain, it contains the history of the different provinces of Cordillera)".

Among the main attractions at the stone kingdom is a tower that depicts the fantasy story of Gatan and Bangan, an Igorot man and woman who survived the great holocaust, a fertility stone tower, and a Kabunyan (Igorot God) tower.

Velasco said the park is a representation of both the new and old Igorot culture and values of the Cordillera people.

“One area of the modern side of the park is dedicated to my sister who was killed in an accident in another country while the huge living rock at the entrance of the ancient side is dedicated to my mother who raised us in wonder, doing her best to give us good future amid the difficulties she was in then,” he said.

Velasco noted that the whole

concept of the park was borne when the community quarantine was declared in March 2020.

He said the project idea popped up when he visited the property which had been in his possession for over 20 years.

Sitting on a corner, he viewed the property which had been unstable and continuously degrading for years. He then realized that the place has its architectural beauty which can hold his idea of a beautiful blend of old culture and the modern Igorot.

"Because I had a vision in my mind, the figure slowly emerged, showing my dream fantasy kingdom," Velasco said.

He said the park will also house life-sized statues of prominent Igorots who have made a name and were proud of their ancestry.

"I'm thinking of having Roxanne Baeyens who is the first Igorot beauty queen, among the many names who will be honored here," Velasco said.

He said he hoped to complete the park in two months' time and open it to the public by June.

(PNA)

IGOROT STONE KINGDOM. A new park that showcases Igorot culture, practices and traditions as well as

the life of the inhabitants of the Cordillera region, is expected to open middle of this year in Baguio City. The locality, known as the “summer capital” of the Philippines, struggles to revive its tourism industry after reeling from the effects of the Covid-19 crisis. (PNA photo by Liza T. Agoot)

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FDA recommends continued use of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

MANILA (Mabuhay) — Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chief Eric Domingo on Thursday said he has recommended that the Philippines continue to use AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine after experts reviewed it amid blood clot concerns.

“Sumulat ako kanina kay [Health] Secretary [Francisco] Duque para sabihin sa kanya, reiterate the benefit outweighs risk and we should continue using the vaccine,” he said in a Palace briefing.

Last week, the Philippines temporarily suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine on people younger than 60 upon the recommendation of the FDA as a precautionary measure following reports of rare blood clots in recipients abroad.

Domingo said the World Health Or-

Ex-DOH chief:

No clinical data proving efficacy of mixing COVID-19 vaccines MANILA (Mabuhay) — Former Health chief and Iloilo Representative Janette Garin on Wednesday said there is no clinical data yet showing that mixing different brands of COVID-19 vaccines is effective.

"There's no clinical data as of the moment that would suffice the efficacy of a combination or a mix of different brands and different platforms," Garin told reporters.

She said she respected the vaccine expert panel's take on this matter but believes it is better for now to "stick to the same brand, same platform" approach in vaccinating individuals.

Vaccine experts in the Philippines are looking into the possibility of mixing different brands of COVID-19 vaccines due to their limited supply.

Dr. Nina Gloriani said there should be no issue from an immunological standpoint in doing this, but she noted that guidelines are needed.

The Department of Health earlier said the matter is still being studied by experts. (MNS)

ganization, Philippine Vaccine Expert Panel, and the adverse events committee were “unanimous” in saying that the AstraZeneca vaccine’s overall benefit outweighs the known and potential risks.

“Dito sa atin wala pang nakita yung adverse events committee natin na similar cases. Pero sa Europa at saka sa ibang parte ng mundo, nakita na very rare naman ito,” he explained.

Domingo said the rare blood clots occurred in about 1 out of 1 million recipients.

Over a million people in the Philippines have received either the Sinovac or AstraZeneca vaccine as of April 13.

The country has logged 892,880 COVID-19 cases with 704,386 recoveries and 15,447 deaths as of Wednesday afternoon. (MNS)

(FDA) CHIEF ERIC DOMINGO

OCD distributes 97K rapid antigen kits to NCR, nearby provinces

MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said that it has already distributed 97,000 rapid antigen kits it has procured to 45 hospitals, local government units, and agencies in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

These provinces are Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal and distribution figures are as of April 14, OCD spokesperson Mark Cashean Timbal said in a statement Thursday.

Resolution No. 108 of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) authorized the OCD to utilize its quick response fund to procure the said test kits.

“The Office of the Civil Defense is hereby authorized to procure using their Quick Response Fund under the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management or such other available funds, an initial five hundred thousand (500,000) pieces of any of the following Rapid Antigen Test Kits authorized by the Food and Drug Administration," the resolution added.

The procured Abbott Panbio Covid-19 Ag rapid antigen test devices, which were delivered in two batches, are stored in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

The purchase of these antigen kits seeks to “ensure the swift detection of cases and tracing of close contacts,” the resolution read.

Timbal said training on the use of the test kits was also conducted last April 14 via the Zoom platform for health care personnel who will be tasked to administer the tests in the recipient local government units and hospitals.

The OCD also continues to carry its other functions in Covid-19 response operations which include logistical support to Covid-19 facilities nationwide and management of donations. (MNS)

COVID variant undetected by PCR emerges; mandatory isolation for returning Pinoys sought

REPRESENTATIVE JANETTE GARIN

MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Philippine government is urged to enforce mandatory quarantine period for returning Filipinos following the discovery of a COVID-19 variant in France which cannot be detected in PCR tests, OCTA Research said Wednesday.

In mid-March, French authorities said they were investigating a new coronavirus variant found in the western Brittany region that was more difficult for tests to detect, though for now it does not appear to be more dangerous or contagious.

Government is also urged to intensify its contact tracing and "scale up" its COVID-19 testing, said OCTA Re-

search fellow Guido David.

"May bagong variant na hindi na-dedetect ng PCR test...Kung ganun ibig sabihin ayusin natin ang international travel protocols natin," he said.

"Dapat pag may papasok na returning Filipinos o tourists dapat mandatory na ang quarantine period kasi hindi nadedetect ng PCR." OCTA projects the rise of Metro Manila's virus cases to slow "sometime next week" after the region was placed under modified enhanced community quarantine from strict lockdown.

"Unfortunately yung pagkapuno ng hospitals it will be a problem for a while kasi hindi pa significant ang

Saturday-Friday | April 17 - 23, 2021

Local vaccine production doable by end-2022, says DOST exec MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Philippines will possibly have its own fill-finish facilities for vaccine manufacturing by 2022, an official from the Department of Science and Technology said Thursday.

DOST Undersecretary Rowena Guevara said two out of the six local firms that are in talks with the government for vaccine manufacturing are moving forward with their plans “quickly and aggressively.”

“If they pursue what we think are their plans based on what they have told us, parang kakayanin nilang mag-umpisang mag-produce ng vaccine by late 2022 (it looks like they can start producing vaccines by late 2022),” she said in a health department briefing. “‘Pag tuloy tuloy ‘yung ganito sila kaagresibo, based on our talks with them, kakayanin nila by end of 2022 mag-uumpisa sila" (If they continue being aggressive, based on our talks with them, they can manage to start by end of 2022),” she added.

Guevara explained that a fill and finish or fill-finish facility will receive antigen in bulk, which will then be placed inside ampoules, vials, or injectables.

She said fill-finish facilities can be completed in “less than two years.”

On the other hand, it will take a minimum of three years for a local company partnered with a foreign manufacturer to establish a full-fledged vaccine manufacturing facility.

Guevara stressed that the country needs to develop its own vaccine manufacturing capability to sustain the national immunization program, prepare for the possibility of annual COVID-19 vaccination, and “to be prepared in time for the next pandemic.”

Some 1.09 million Filipinos have been vaccinated against COVID-19 as of April 13.

‘Catalyze local vaccine manufacturing’ Guevara said the DOST and the Health, Budget, and Trade departments met with vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. last week to discuss efforts for local vaccine production.

They agreed to support the priority certification of a bill seeking to establish a Philippine virology institute, accelerate arrangements for vaccine manufacturing, and back a policy for “government procurement to catalyze local vaccine manufacturing.”

The DOST official added that the government's short- to longterm goals include procuring and participating in clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines and mounting the vaccine self-reliance project of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.

“In all plans that we have seen, what we need is an enabling environment that will help this emerging industry to flourish,” Guevara said. (MNS) ibababa ng cases natin sa NCR (National Capital Region)," David said.

"Matagal pa yung 1,000 to 2,000 cases per day natin, if it happens baka bandang June or July. Mas mahirap kasi mapababa ang number of cases."

(MNS)

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Robredo announces pilot run of mobile lab for COVID-19 test, x-ray, and blood test in QC

194K doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to arrive in May — Galvez

M A NIL A (Mabu hay) — S ome 19 4,0 0 0 do s e s of A mer ic a n pharmaceutical firm Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine are expected to arrive in the Philippines in May, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Tuesday.

“It is ex pected to arrive 194,000, most likely this coming May,” Galvez said.

This is part of the 13 mi l lion Moderna vaccine doses ordered by t he Ph i l ippi ne government and the

seven million ordered by the private sector.

However, the pr ior it i zat ion on its d ist r ibut ion— regardless if procured by the government or t he pr ivate sector— will be decided by the National Immunization Tech n ic a l Adv i sor y Group (NITAG).

“The private sector agreed that they will f o l l o w t h e [ Wo r l d Health OrganizationS t r a t e g i c A d v i s or y G r o u p o f E x p e r t s] and the [Department

of Hea lt h’s] N I TAG prioritization,” Galvez added.

The Philippine gov e r n me nt , a lon g with the private sector representative Enrique Razon, earlier signed a tripartite agreement with Moderna.

The Food and Drug Administration on Mond a y s a id it i s st i l l w a it i ng for Moderna’s application for an emergency use application for their COVID-19 vaccine.

(MNS)

DOH: Rare blood clot cases to be included in evaluation of J&J COVID-19 vaccine MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Philippines’ evaluation of Johnson & Johnson’s application for emergency use authorization (EUA) of its COVID-19 vaccine will also cover reports of rare blood clots among individuals abroad who got the jab, a health official said Wednesday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said vaccine manufacturers have a responsibility to report such incidents to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the local regulatory authority that they are seeking approval from.

“Of course, lahat ng ating na-re-receive na ebidensya kasama po ‘yan sa pag-aaral ng ating VEP (Vaccine Expert Panel) at saka ng FDA pero more than anything, ‘yung submission ng manufacturers mismo,” Vergeire said during an online briefing.

(Of course, all the evidence we receive will be included in the studies of

our VEP and FDA but more than anything, what matters are the submissions of manufacturers themselves.)

Janssen, the pharmaceutical arm of American firm Johnson & Johnson, filed an EUA application for its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine in late March.

In the United States, health agencies recommended on Tuesday an immediate pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after six recipients developed a rare disorder involving blood clots.

The DOH and FDA said no blood clot cases have been recorded so far out of more than 1 million people who have received the Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines in the Philippines.

As a precautionary measure, however, the FDA temporarily suspended the use of the AstraZeneca jab on people younger than 60 due to blood clot concerns. (MNS)

MANILA (Mabuhay) — The office of Vice President Leni Robredo on Wednesday kickstarted a pilot run of a mobile laboratory which will provide COVID-19 test, blood test, and x-ray in Quezon City amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Robredo, in a video posted on her Facebook page, said that the initiative complements her office’s Bayanihan E-Konsulta program which provides free telemedicine services courtesy of volunteer doctors and other staff, including her daughter, Dr. Tricia Robredo.

The patients who will be served by the mobile laboratory are those who were ordered by their doctors to get a COVID-19 test, a blood test, or an x-ray via the Bayanihan E-Konsulta program.

“We tested this because this is very doable. There’s x-ray, blood test, swab test for COVID-19. We hired two units of ambulance to fetch patients. This is very helpful for local government units, especially that there is congestion in our hospitals,” Robredo said.

“This can be done even once a week, assign an ambulance to fetch patients for the tests. As it is, even those needing x-ray will have to queue in a long line, so we look for a place with good ventilation. We did this because we are looking for alternatives,” she added.

In the same video, Robredo said that patients waiting for their turn are in the ambulance.

“These are patients who are having difficulty in breathing, and in need of an x-ray,” she pointed out.

Likewise, the Vice President said that even private companies with enough resources can make the same initiative for their employees.

“This [move] will bring relief to the patients,” she said. (MNS)

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