Weekend Balita (Los Angeles edition) November 21, 2020 by Balita Media, Inc

LOS ANGELES / ORANGE COUNTY

DOH: Gov’t can buy Moderna vaccines sans US firm’s clinical trials in Philippines PAGE 14 VOL. XXIX NO. 47

November 21-27, 2020

TOP STORIES Global News

DA bats for engineering initiatives to protect farmlands from flooding 8  Religious group’s assets frozen in ‘prelude’ to anti-terror law cases 8  More rice imports expected in 2021 due to damage from typhoons — DA 8  Marawi LGU made at least P50M out of debris from ground zero —TFBM chief 8  UP not recruiting for CPP, official says amid Duterte’s claim, threat 9  Under Gordon’s grilling, Duque admits there’s corruption in DOH 9  Ateneo student strikers to Duterte: Anong silbi nyo? Wala 10  Duterte orders ‘back-up’ government center outside Manila 10  Robredo camp tells Duterte: ‘Why be insecure if you have a 91 percent approval rating?’ 11 

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

BIDeN PreSIDeNCY WoN’T DISrUPT roBUST rP-US reLATIoNS – romUALDeZ By ABNER GALINO

PHiLiPPiNe Ambassador to the united States (uS) Jose Manuel romualdez said he believes that the long standing relationship between the Philippines and the uS would continue to be healthy even with the expected change of political administration here, particularly the onset of the term of President-elect Joe Biden in January next year.

Sections BuSiNeSS. Lacson: Congressional districts given P620M to over P15B in infra projects 13  eNtertAiNMeNt. Angelica Panganiban defends Angel Locsin vs body shaming in viral module 18  HeALtH & FAMiLY. Duque urges Duterte to issue a COVID-19 vaccine emergency use EO 15  trAVeL. CEBU CITY eyes new tourism products to attract more visitors 16 

File photo of Philippine Ambassador to the uS Jose Manuel "Babe" del Gallego romualdez during his visit at the Philippine consulate General ofﬁce in Los Angeles. Photo by Abner Galino

“I believe that the relationship between the two countries will remain strong regardless of who leads the US and (who leads) the Philippines,” Romualdez told Derek Grossman who moderated a webinar hosted by the World Affairs Council and Town Hall on Tuesday (November 17).

The Philippine ambassador stressed that foremost, the “people to people ties” between the Americans and the Filipinos are very strong. At t he sa me t i me, Romualdez congratulated the people of the US “for the large turn out” during the elections, adding that he w ish t hat t he sa me BIDEN

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Navy ship conducts passing exercise Hontiveros: PhilHealth's with SoKor counterparts expanded dialysis MANIL A (Mabuhay) — The Philippine Navy's (PN) corvette, the BRP Conrado Yap (PS-39), conducted a passing exercise (Passex) with two ships of the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) on Manila waters on Tuesday. In a statement on Wednesday, Nav y public affairs office chief, Lt. Commander Mar ia Chr istina Roxas, said the ROKN Cruise Training Group, consisting of ROKS Kang Gamchan (DDH-979) and ROKS Soyang (AOENAVY

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package should be permanent

Sen. Risa Hontiveros

The Philippine Navy and the Republic of Korea Navy conduct a passing exercise. During the exercise, the South Korean Navy donated 10,000 face masks and 2,000 hand sanitizers to PS39, a Philippine Navy corvette named after Captain Conrado D. Yap of the Philippine Army who was a Korean War hero. (MNS photo)

LA’s first transportation Curfew, new rules for LA tech innovation zone County due to new surge

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti recently announced the city’s first Transportation Technology Innovation Zone, an area where innovators can test their transportation technology solutions in the heart of our communities. Located in the West San Fernando Valley, this zone is a product of a partnership between Mayor Garcetti and City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, designed to trans-

form Warner Center into one of L.A.’s mobility innovation and workforce development hubs. “Transportation and technology each have the ability to connect communities, create jobs, and contribute to progress on sustainability, equity, and economic growth — and Los Angeles takes pride in serving as a testing ground for dynamic and innovative mobility solutions,” said Mayor Garcetti. LA’s

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Los Angeles County health officials on Wednesday (November 18) said tighter restrictions could be on their way if the rising number of COVID-19 cases would continue to rise. The warning came a day after health officials imposed business curfew. During a virtual news conference, Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Public Health director, said a

Safer-At-Home order could be re-issued if the five-day average of COVID-19 cases exceeds 4,500 or if hospitalizations exceed 2,000 per day. The order could remain in effect for at least three weeks. Ferrer said the nation face “the most dangerous” episode in the pandemic. “When the rate of increase is as high as it is right now, it can be harder to slow the spread. CURFEW

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MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation's (PhilHealth) expanded dialysis package should be retained as the new policy even beyond this year, Senator Risa Hontiveros said on Thursday. The state health insurer recently increased the limit for dialysis coverage from 90 to 144 sessions after stakeholders pointed out that private clinics are not complying with the PhilHealth policy which indicates that the limit of 90 dialysis sessions per year can be exceeded when a state of calamity or emergency is declared. The entire Philippines is under a state of emergency until December 19 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. PhilHealth said the expanded dialysis coverage can be availed of until December 31, 2020. “I thank PhilHealth for having this consideration for dialysis patients, pero 'wag na natin lagyan ng expiration date ang pribilehiyong ito, lalo na sa panahon ng malalang HONTIVERS:

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ABNER GALINO, Fil-Am News Editor

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WILL COMMUNITIES HARDEST HIT GET COVID-19 VACCINES? By SUNITA SOHRABJI EMS Contributing Editor

he U.S. is weeks away from rolling out COVID vaccines, but pandemic experts say the challenges of vaccinating people will be acute, especially in communities of color. “Vaccines don’t save lives: vaccinations do,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, speaking at a Nov. 13 briefing organized by Ethnic Media Services and moderated by Dr. Tung Nguyen, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. “There's a huge challenge from a supply chain perspective to getting the vaccines out,” said Jha, noting that the vaccines will have to be stored and delivered frozen. More challenging is “vaccine hesitancy,” especially

in communities of color who have been hit hardest by the pandemic, he said. Jha predicted 100,000 more deaths from COVID in the U.S. before the new Biden-Harris administration is inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2021. “We are in the worst moment of the pandemic right now.” Dr. Nirav Shah, adjunct professor of medicine in the Division of Primary Care and Population Health at Stanford University stated: “We need to do this in a more structured and standardized way as opposed to the thousand points of light approach where every state, every city is doing something on their own. Simple coordination, using evidence-based approaches, will make a big difference here.” Dr. William Schaffner, professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University, agreed that vaccine delivery would pose enormous challenges.

“This is not a vaccine that will be available at the local pharmacy or in a physician's office,” he said. Schaffner also noted that the vaccine is reactive: people taking it may experience a sore arm, fever, or headaches. Nguyen warned that such side effects could increase people’s distrust of the vaccine, and deter them from getting the shot. Skepticism of the vaccine is strong in the African American community and other ethnic communities, said Schaffner. “So we're going to have to do everything we can to reach out and provide information and also provide reassurance,” he said, noting that much of the work will have to be done through churches or by prominent leaders in ethnic communities. Pfizer and Germany-based BioNTech announced Nov. 9 that they had jointly developed a vaccine with an efficacy rate of 90 percent. The study enrolled 43,538 participants, with 42 percent coming from diverse backgrounds. The companies have submitted an application for emergency use authorization to the Food and Drug Administration. The application is expected to be approved by the end of November. Concurrently, Moderna announced the results of its trial Nov. 16 which had an efficacy rate of 94 percent. Approximately 37 percent of the participants in the Moderna trial were people of color. Jha noted that a 90 percent efficacy rate for the Pfizer vaccine was astounding. “I was speaking at a conference and saying that we will be lucky if the vaccine is 60 to 70 percent effective. A 90 percent efficacy was not what I was expecting and am I happy to be wrong on that,” he said. “We're not just testing it in 18 to 30 year old white men and women, but in fact we're testing it in a broad swath of America,” said Jha, noting that the Moderna trial was delayed as the company tried to diversify its testing recruits. Shah said the news from Pfi zer, which indicated efficacy of the vaccine with just two doses, was an enormous step in the right direction. But once the vaccine is approved

with by the FDA with emergency use authorization, it is unlikely that most people will be able to get vaccinated right away. A maximum of 10 to 20 million doses will be available by the end of the year, he said. “There will be a ramp up after that, but it is going to be some time before we get the kind of widespread availability of multiple vaccines with secure supply chains that get everyone the two doses,” said Shah. Schaff ner said treatment for people infected with COVID is getting better. “We're doing a better job of getting people out of the Intensive Care Unit and out of the hospital; we are lowering the fatality rate.” He also spoke about the use of the antiviral medication Remdesivir, which was approved last month by the FDA, and dexamethasone, a steroid that helps control the inflammatory response during the second half of the infection. Monoclonal antibodies also received emergency use authorization Nov. 9, but Schaffner said the intravenous treatment poses a challenge as to who should get those and at what stage of the infection. All four physicians agreed that a coordinated effort by the incoming administration — as opposed to the current patchwork quilt of efforts — would help the U.S. get the pandemic under control. Jha said he was astounded that some states have closed their schools but opened their casinos. He noted that the President-elect has no formal powers yet, but can use his soft powers to go out to red states and let people know why wearing a mask is effective. Nguyen said the Biden Administration must impose a national mandatory mask mandate. “If we all had worn masks in the last seven months, we would have 100,000 less deaths,” he stated. “We do not have a silver bullet,” said Shah. “Testing alone won’t work. Contact tracing alone won’t work. Physical distancing alone won't work. Wearing masks alone won't work.” “But all of these together will collectively bring us to where we need to be, so that we actually see cases go down,” he said.

Saturday-Friday | November 21 - 27, 2020

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BiANcA PAGdANGANAN meets with Fil-Am golfers in Los Angeles --- the newly turned professional golfer, Pagdanganan recently met with Filipino American golfers, particularly with the members of Superior Golf club international (SGci). She was hosted by Philippine consul General in Los Angeles Adel cruz and his wife, cathy, newly appointed consul col. roland Villena and the SGci president Gary Maldia. Bianca was with her father Sam Pagdanganan. the rising golf star has played with the Arizona Wildcats golf team and has earned her LPGA tour card through the LPGA Q-Series in November 2019.

COVID PANDEMIC LAYS BARE CRITICAL SHORTAGE OF LATINX HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS

By SUNITA SOHRABJI EMS Contributing Editor

alifornia needs at least 54,000 more physicians who speak Spanish to serve the health care needs of the state in which Latinx people are 40 percent of the population. At the same time, there’s a looming shortage of bilingual health care workers – some 500,000 by 2024. The demand for applicants – made more urgent by the COVID-19 pandemic -- should come as good news for Latinx communities who’ve been hardest hit by COVID-19 and related job losses. This was the message of health care professionals speaking at a Nov. 10 news briefing for Spanish language media on behalf Futuro Health, a nonprofit agency established jointly by Kaiser Permanente and SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West to help meet the shortage. The briefing highlighted the launch of Futuro’s “Tu Nuevo Futuro” campaign to train 1,000 Spanish dominant speakers via a tuition free, healthcare-specific online English readiness course. California is home to 14.5 million Latinx

residents, but currently has just 7,000 physicians who speak Spanish. While non Hispanic-White people have 315 doctors for every 100,000 people, Latinx people have just 105, said Dr. David Hayes-Bautista, director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture UCLA’s School of Medicine. He added that there are just small handfuls of Latinx students enrolled or graduating from medical school. In dentistry, the disparity is even more stark: there are 88 dentists per 100,000 non-Hispanic Whites, but just 17 for the Latinx community. California has exacerbated the shortage by limiting the number of residencies for international medical graduates, said Hayes-Bautista. Foreign medical graduates hoping to work in the U.S. must first undergo a three step re-licensing process which involves completing a residency in the U.S. Futuro’s “Tu Nuevo Futuro” program seeks to build a pipeline of Spanish speakers aiming to pursue a career in the health care industry. The course, which can be completed online in three to five months with three to six hours of study per week, equips students with medical terminology and other skills.

BIDeN... from PAge 1 enthusiasm would happen to Filipinos when the Philippines also hold its national elections about two years from now. The ambassador also pointed out that the two countries have one of the oldest military defense pact that remains essential for American political and economic interests in the Indo-Pacific region. The ambassador particularly mentioned the Visiting Forces Agreement, a support apparatus of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), that would be in need of immediate discussion. It can be recalled that Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte threatened to dump the VFA shortly after the US government revoked the visa of former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, now Senator Ronald dela Rosa, for his alleged involvement in human rights abuses. Responding to another question, Romualdez said the Philippines would also be interested in a vaccine that could stop the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus. “But we would also welcome vaccines that would come from Russia and China, since we also have good relationships with these countries.” The Philippine government, according to him, is battling the spread of the virus in its own way while it maintains communications with the international community. Romualdez said that as a consequence of the economic displacements caused by

the pandemic the Philippines has entered into a recession for the first time in the last 29 years. But the ambassador added that he has confidence that country’s vast reserve and it’s good international credit rating would get the Philippine through the looming economic crisis. The other important points mentioned by Romualdez during the webinar include: The United States’ non committal posture during the height of the territorial dispute between China and Philippines pushed the Duterte administration to reach out to China “We all have our ways to protect our country and we choose to reach out (to China) and pursue a peaceful resolution to the territorial conflict The joint oil exploration venture with China within the Philippine territory is premised on the projection that the Malampaya gas field would run out of gas in about five years from now --- which compelled the government to seek new fuel sources through a partnership with China The webinar moderator, Grossman, is a senior defense analyst at RAND focused on a range of national security policy and Indo-Paciﬁc security issues. Another moderator, Jessica Dugandzic, took the questions of webinar participants from Southern California.

Participants in the program can then go on to colleges which offer certification in medical assisting, nursing assistants, licensed vocational nurses, radiology technicians, and related careers in the rapidly growing health care industry. Participants must be at least 18, speak Spanish as their dominant language, and have online access. “Our nation needs a health care workforce reflective of the communities being served,” said Futuro Health CEO Van Ton-Quinlivan. “Being bilingual is an asset, and we hope more people will seek out careers in health care or better navigate care for their loved ones thanks to this English readiness course,”

she said. Most allied health care jobs require at least a high school diploma but do not require a baccalaureate degree, Tom-Quinlivan added. “There’s a whole worth out there in health care besides doctors and nurses.” Hortensia Armendariz, executive committee member of the Service Employees International Union, which represents 100,000 allied health care workers, including 50,000 people in California, said she is proud that her members have been on the front lines of support during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Right now, you drive by every hospital and you see ‘Health care Heroes.’ Well, those are our members,” she said.

cONtNued ON PAGe 16

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APOPGLA Provides “Care Packs” to PGH Frontliners

fter a fruitful and remarkable distribution of health and wellness goods to afflicted kids with disabilities recently, Alpha Phi Omega Philippines of Greater Los Angeles (APOPGLA), has followed through this Humanitarian Project with the turnover of “Care Packs” on Oct. 6 to the medical frontliners of the Philippine General Hospital’s Covid Ward-19. APOPGLA, a 501 C-3 public benefit, non-profit organization made this possible through its implementing arm on the ground, the APO (UP Los Banos) Theta Alumni Association. “This is to show our appreciation for the tireless effort of our Health Care providers in fighting this dreaded virus,” said Mar Garchitorena, an APO Theta Chapter alum and corporate secretary of APOPGLA. According to him, “This is the 6th phase of our service in line with our continuing fight against this dreaded virus dubbed as “THETA LABAN SA COVID” which started in March of 2020. Each “Care Pack” contained masks, personal protective equipment (PPEs), scrubs, meals, vitamins and other items like spider plants that the Front Line Health Care providers needed. “There is joy in giving and in turn inspire the medical workers that we care for them,” added Dan E. Nino, the board chairman and CEO of APOPGLA. Dr. Melfred L. Hernandez, assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Administration of the University of the Philippines, Manila expressed his profound thanks to APOPGLA: “This is to certify that the undersigned has

received for an on behalf of the Philippine General Hospital (DONEE), a public medical institution duly established and existing under the laws of the Philippines with address on Taft Ave., Manila, Philippines from Alpha Phi Omega Philippines of Greater Los Angeles and APO Philippines Theta Alumni Association, Inc. -- received on Oct. 6, 2020 the following: 200 Care Packages (one set of scrub suit), vitamins and some snacks and 100 desk plants -- in the form of a donation for the use of the DONEE’s front line medical workers and personnel currently handling confirmed and/or suspected COVID-19 patients.” APOPGLA has been serving the community in the U.S. and the Philippines for over three decades. It has two other ongoing services in connection with its Humanitarian Mission. In collaboration with APO Ateneo Alumni Association, it distributed essential goods like rice, pampers, vitamins, prescribed medications and alcohol to 21 kids with disabilities like down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism and epilepsy that belong to Gabay Group based in Barangay Sangandaan in Quezon City on Aug. 29. Due to positive response and additional donations from supporters, this mission will be replicated on Dec. 16 coinciding with the international foundation day of Alpha Phi Omega which was founded on Dec. 16, 1925 in Lafayette College, Easton, Penssylvania.

Pictured are the “Care Packs” received by the Philippine General Hospital on Taft. Ave., Manila. Extreme right panel shows Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) who also received assistance from APOPGLA.

In addition, APOPGLA also provided school supplies to some high school students in Manila in their school preparation amidst this pandemic under its BALIK ARAL 2020 Program. In a press statement, the executive officers and board members of APOPGLA

expressed their heartfelt thanks to the many donors “without whom our humanitarian and educational mission and services would not have been possible. There are still so many of our brethren who are waiting to be helped and we can do much more if there are more kind hearted people

like you to donate for these very worthy causes.” Donations can be done by texting GIVE to 855-276-1713 or mail your tax deductible donation to APOPGLA.org at 16413 Bubbling View Circle, Cerritos, CA 90703. You may also call APOPGLA’s CEO, Dan E. Nino at 562-508-8099.

LA’s... from Page 1 “The first-ever Transportation Technology Innovation Zone will unite local businesses, workers, and inventors around how to revolutionize mobility in the West Valley, and it will serve as a model for what’s possible as more zones come online in areas across Los Angeles.” "There's no place in L.A. as perfect as the Warner Center to test innovative transportation technology," said Councilmember Blumenfield. "Since we rolled out the Warner Center 2035 Specific Plan, the City's boldest and greenest specific plan, the Warner Center has become the focus of intense residential and commercial development. I am proud the Warner Center will be the City's first Transportation Technology Innovation Zone and I hope our exciting transportation pilot programs will help lay the blueprints for this City's green, transit friendly future." The Transportation Technology Innovation Zone is one of the flagship programs of Urban Movement Labs (UML), the transportation solutions accelerator launched by Mayor Garcetti in November 2019. Through one of its flagship programs, the Ideas Accelerator, UML met with community members, businesses, and innovators in the Warner Center this past winter to design and choose the Transportation Technology Innovation Zone’s first pilot project: a zero-emissions, last mile delivery service that connects individuals homebound by the pandemic to food from local businesses. The second pilot project is expected to launch in Spring 2021, featuring mini-mobility hubs throughout the Warner Center campus. “L.A. is at the forefront of the mobility revolution in our country and across the globe,” said Lilly Shoup, Interim Executive Director of Urban Movement Labs. “With initiatives like the Urban Movement Labs, which accelerates transportation solutions, and the Open Mobility Foundation, which gives policymakers the digital tools they need to govern emerging mobility, Mayor Garcetti and LADOT are leading the conversation on how to embed equity, sustainability, and accessibility into our urban mobility future.” On its one year anniversary, UML has now become a standalone 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization. The Mayor’s Office, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, the Port of L.A., and Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) will continue to serve as strategic advisors and key partners to UML. MoceanLab, Tortoise, and Automotus have joined founding private sector partners, Avis Budget Group, Lyft, Waymo, Verizon, and L.A. Cleantech Incubator, as well. UML’s newly appointed board comprises visionaries from the mobility innovation industry. They include Ashley Hand, co-founder of Cityfi; Justine Johnson, mobility strategist at Ford Smart Mobility; Veronica Siranosian, Vice President at AECOM Ventures; Francis Pollara, Director of Strategy and Development at UML; Lilly Shoup, Interim Executive Director of UML; and Julia Thayne, Associate Director of Mobility Innovation at Mayor Garcetti’s Office. For more information about Urban Movement Labs, including opportunities to work for and work with the team, visit www.urbanmovementlabs.com.

Saturday-Friday | November 21 - 27, 2020

n election night, a lot of us were glued on TV watching election results. And personally, this writer was so mesmerized by journalist and CNN national correspondent John King's 2020 Multi-Touch Collaboration Wall or "Magic Wall/Map," where he showed us in real time, how he managed to display various graphics and maps while election results came in. He has used this wall since the 2008 elections. The Multi-Touch Collaboration Wall is described as a "large (81 inch width x 48 inch height), monitor invented by Jeff Han, which employs multi-touch technology and is marketed by Han's company called Perceptive Pixel." Apparently, Han initially developed the technology "for military applications, but the wall has received a tremendous amount of publicity due to its use by CNN News Network during the 2008 elections." So, some of these walls have been sold "not only to CNN but to the US Military and other government agencies, though it has also surprisingly appeared in a catalog for upscale department store, Neiman Marcus." On a recent KTLA Channel 5 television interview by news anchor Frank Buckley after the elections, King admitted having done his best job in airing this year's 2020 election as a national correspondent with CNN since 1997. As a background, he was born on August 31, 1961, from Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts and attended the Boston Latin School and the University of Rhode Island, In 1965, he joined the Associated

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Mesmerized by CNN national correspondent, John King's 2020 "Magic Wall" during the election Press as a writer and he became Chief, Political Correspondent, In 1991, he then headed AP's political coverage of the 1992 and 1996 presidential elections .Also, in 1991, he won the top reporting award from the AP's Managing Editor's Association for coverage of the Gulf War in Kuwait. In 1997 King joined CNN, where he served as the Senior White House Correspondent from 1999 through 2005, and since 2005, he has been CNN's Chief National Correspondent, a position he still holds, although he anchors the Sunday morning news program, "Inside Politics," which features a rotating roundtable of media personalities who share their insights and opinions on the current political climate in the country. He also appears on nightly news programs such as "The Situation Room," and "Anderson Cooper 360." It is worth remembering that on May 2, 2011, King was the CNN news anchor who confirmed the death of Osama Bin Laden and on January 19, 2012, he moderated the Republican presidential debate before the South Carolina primary. Once again, since the election night of Tuesday, November 3, 2020, while all of us were glued on television, watching election results, it was John King who thoroughly displayed his "Magic Wall/ Map" by always appearing seemingly calm, with his enormous mathematical statistics, though he mentioned to

CNN’s John King and the ‘Magic Wall’ Frank Buckley that he actually had "no sleep and no breaks," as he was on air 12-14 hours for two consecutive days, except a mere 2.5 hours sleep on day 4. Further, he also said that "he was happy to do as much as he can, to allow viewers to engage and become part of the ongoing excitement while election results came in." And he added that he had practically been to all the 50 states through all his election coverage years, which allowed him to learn a mixture of different people's characters in various states, cities, towns and counties." That is why it was so amazing to watch him go through his "Magic Wall" pointing to minute details about certain counties until the very end, when after four

long tense days, the news staff at CNN reached a historic conclusion when Wolf Blitzer announced Joe Biden's victory on Saturday, November 7, 2020 at 11:24 am. Through John King's "Magic Wall, this was indeed a day that will go down in the history books, as the former vice president in his third run for the highest office of the land, defeats an incumbent commander in chief. For this writer, John King's "Magic Wall" truly became an instrumental miracle or "magic wand," in order to enable our country to heal during these challenging times. Now, we can at least breathe a sigh of relief, hoping for better tomorrows...wishing you all abundant blessings on T H A N K S G I V I N G!

$62M emergency allocation for people living in Project Roomkey hotels

overnor Gavin Newsom has announced plans to immediately direct $62 million in one-time funds from the State’s Disaster Response Emergency Operations Account to counties around the state to continue providing housing to current Project Roomkey participants. After consultation with the Legislature, the Administration is making these available immediately to local governments with Project Roomkey sites so that clients living in motel or hotel rooms under this life-saving program will not be forced to return to street homelessness while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact California. The State has been in regular communication with all Project Roomkey counties and tribes, and the need for additional local support has been made clear. Since being announced in April, Project Roomkey has used CARES Act funding and FEMA cost-sharing to successfully shelter more than 22,300 individuals experiencing homelessness and who are at highest risk of COVID-19, such as people over 65, people who have underlying medical conditions and people who have been exposed to the virus but who do not need hospitalization. Building on support from the Legislature and the Administration, the local governments implementing Project Roomkey have included over 16,000 hotel and motel rooms in 55 counties and three tribal nation areas since it began in April 2020. “Project Roomkey exceeded all expectations, providing safe shelter to more than 22,300 Californians experiencing homelessness,” said Governor Newsom. “But this pandemic is very much still with us – and we can’t take our eye off the ball. That’s why we’re supporting our counties with this new money, so they can continue this critical life-saving Roomkey mission and help clients transition into more stable, permanent housing. At the end of the day, our top objective for this new

funding is keeping everyone – including people experiencing homelessness – safe from COVID-19.” The $62 million will come from the Disaster Response Emergency Operations Account (DREOA) and will be provided by the Department of Social Services to counties implementing Project Roomkey on a formula basis, to be used as follows: Project Roomkey Operations - $24 million to support continued Project Roomkey operations while local communities develop re-housing plans so that no one is forced to leave a Project Roomkey unit and become unsheltered. Rehousing - $35 million to develop and implement plans to transition individuals from Project Roomkey into permanent housing. This money can be used for rental subsidies, case management, housing navigation and landlord incentives, among other things. Technical Assistance - $3 million to contract with experienced housing providers to deploy housing specialists and provide intensive technical assistance to communities to help them create plans for permanent re-housing of all Project Roomkey occupants. “We applaud the Administration’s focus on protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities, and their continued support of our local partners, during this difficult period. We look forward to continuing to work with them on this effort in the days and months ahead,” said Senator Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), Chair of the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review. “Project Roomkey has played a critical role in protecting our most vulnerable residents during this public health crisis. We’re fortunate California is in a position to react quickly to changing emergency needs. While allocating more funding for Project Roomkey helps in the short-term, I look forward to collaborative budget discussions

with the Administration about reducing homelessness, focusing on smart investments and long-term housing solutions,” said Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee. “Project Roomkey has shown what can happen when all levels of government focus on a rehousing solution. In Los Angeles County, we brought over 6,600 of our most vulnerable inside and out of harm's way in just a few months. We look forward to extending our Project Roomkey program and thank Governor Newsom for his continued support for COVID-vulnerable people experiencing homelessness,” said Heidi Marston, Executive Director of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. “Alameda County welcomes the Governor’s announcement of additional support

for Project Roomkey leased hotels and for moving our homeless residents into housing. This takes time and resources and California's leadership continues to excel by partnering with Counties to shelter and house homeless people during COVID-19,” said Kerry Abbott, Director of Homeless Care and Coordination at the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency. Governor Newsom stressed that this emergency funding is critically necessary as winter approaches and COVID-19 cases are on the uptick. Furthermore, the Administration is eager to partner with the Legislature when it reconvenes in January to consider more permanent solutions for individuals experiencing homelessness who are at risk of COVID-19, including potential expansions of the Homekey program and other rehousing strategies.

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Don’t Let Your Debt Problems Turn Into A Financial Emergency

MOST people who are struggling with debt problems for the first time are often confused and don’t know what to do. They’ve never been in this situation before. They have always paid their bills on time. For the first time in their life, they are finding it difficult to fulfill their debt obligations. Bill collectors may be calling and they’re afraid to answer the phone or even go to their mailbox. They’re feeling embarrassed, desperate or even angry. This can happen to anyone. Sometimes, it is the result of making bad financial decisions. But more often than not, it is caused by reasons beyond your control. For instance, these days I am seeing a lot of small business owners who are simply not making enough to even meet their payroll needs. Every month is a struggle, and they are not even paying themselves because there is not enough money in the business after paying their employees, suppliers, vendors, and other business expenses. What should they do? Or you can be someone whose work hours just got reduced or perhaps got laid off by your employer. I feel bad when I hear of people being terminated from their job of 10, 20 or sometimes even 30 years. The job is the only job they’ve had and known for yearsand it is what they’ve considered to be their financial security. Then one day they get a notice from their boss saying that they are no longer needed by the company. They suddenly find themselves with no income and they are not prepared to deal with the fact that they may need to go back to

school to learn new skills to find a new job or switch careers in mid-life. If you rely on a paycheck or your business to feed your family, missing even one paycheck or one slow month (if you’re in business) can be devastating. This is when people find out that with no savings in the bank, they are literally just one month away from bankruptcy because without the income, they are unable to pay their bills. The ideal situation is to have a few months’ worth of living expenses tucked away in a savings account, but the truth is that most people don’t even have $1,000 in the bank. It’s true because as a bankruptcy attorney, I see it every single day. Even people who earn high incomes, most of the time, have no savings. They spend it all every month. It seems like the higher the income, the higher the expenses. It’s not how much you make that matters. It’s what you get to keep. Once you fall behind on your debt obligations, it is easy to ignore the situation and hope that things will get better on their own. But that will never happen until you do something about it. That means you should be aware at all times how much money you have coming in, how much money you have going out, and spend within your means. Borrowing when you are already in debt is not a good idea. I see a lot of people who resort to payday loans when their income is short, hoping this can be a quick fix. But they are not, and they will only put you in a bigger financial hole every month.

When I see the interest rates that these payday loan “thieves” are charging, I get really angry. Who in their right mind will pay more than 1000% interest on a $300-500 loan? You read that right: more than 1000% APR is what most of these pay day loan companies are charging and this should be a crime! But desperate people fall for it all the time and that’s what keeps them in business. Don’t wait until you get to a point of desperation before you start tackling your debt problems. In some cases, you can still avoid bankruptcy if you know what your options are. If you

wait until your situation becomes a financial emergency, you will find that those options are extremely limited. NOTE: Due to COVID-19 pandemic, I am offering free consultations BY PHONE to anyone who needs help in dealing with their debt problems. (None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped over 5,000 clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call RJB Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866-477-7772).

Household Debts Surges, what happens when the music stops? WE are going deeper into higher debts. Survey as of this month, outstanding consumer debt exceeded $4 Trillion for the first time, according to the Federal Reserve. In addition steady rise in student loans, as well as increase in the cost of automobile financing contributed another $80 Billion in debts. We stayed home so we spent money for the house and we ran our fingers through all kinds of webpage deals. Refinancing to pay off debts with these low rates sounded really good, so we all did it and if we continue this, we will see a repeat of the 2008 mortgage crisis when the Real Estate Market softens. CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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4 WAYS FILING FOR DIVORCE CAN BENEFIT YOUR IMMIGRATION CASE COUPLES get divorced for various reasons. California is a no fault state. The reasons why a couple is getting divorced are often irrelevant to the issues of the family law case. Divorce is often a difficult and negative experience for most families. However, getting divorce may have some unintended benefits in the immigration law arena. Four situations in which filing for divorce can be beneficial to your immigration case are as follows: 1. Married Sons and Daughters of US Citizens If you were petitioned for legal permanent residence by your US Citizen parent as a married son or daughter 21 years old or over, you are classified in immigration law under family sponsored third preference (F3) which usually carries a long wait time. The wait time for Filipinos for example is currently 22 years. The priority date is normally the date the petition was initially filed by your US Citizen parents. If you get divorced, you revert back to single status and your category automatically becomes reclassified to first preference (F1) where the waiting time is substantially shorter. For example, for Filipinos the wait time under F1 category is 10 years shorter than F3 category. This means if your parents filed your immigration petition 12 years ago, then you can adjust to a green card now instead of waiting another 10 years. 2. Married Sons and Daughters of Legal Permanent Residents If your parents are legal permanent residents, getting divorced will convert you back single status making you eligible to be petitioned by your legal permanent resident parents under the family based second preference (F2b) category if you are 21 years old or older or under the family based second preference A (F2a) if you are under 21 years of age. For those who married after they were petitioned by their LPR parents (F2A and F2B), the petition is automatically revoked under operation of law the moment you get married and cannot be reclaimed by a divorce. In theory, it can be

argued that filing a subsequent petition after your divorce under the same category inherits the previous petition’s priority date under 9 FAM 42.43 N10 and 8 CFR 204.2(h), Part 205. However, success of such argument is not clear since the old petition was automatically revoked the moment you married. The best thing that can be done in this situation is to have your LPR parent repetition you as an F2A or F2b even if you are unable to reclaim the previous petition’s priority date.

the conditional LPR status based on entering into the marriage in good faith. Terminating the marriage by filing a divorce is a requirement in order to file the “waiver.” It is important to time this correctly as soon as the marriage starts falling apart because by terminating the marriage early on, you might be able to file the waiver before the expiration of your 2 year conditional LPR thus allowing you to extend your LPR status in 1 year increments until a final decision is made in your case.

3. Conditional Legal Permanent Residents in failed Marriages For those who obtained their legal permanent residence status through marriage based petition by their US Citizen spouse of less than 2 years marriage, the legal permanent residence status conferred is usually a “conditional legal permanent residence” valid only for 2 years. The couple would need to sign and file a joint petition to remove this condition prior to the expiration of the 2 years or the conditional legal permanent resident spouse would fall out of status. The problem arises when the marriage is in trouble. Often it becomes difficult to obtain the cooperation of the US Citizen spouse specially when the couple has separated. US Citizen spouse often refuse to sign the I-751 for or appear at the I-751 interview if one is set by the USCIS. Filing for divorce would terminate the marriage and allow you to file a “waiver” of the joint petition to remove

4. Married Aliens in Non-Immigrant Visas and those without Status For those who enter the US as a non-immigrant and are separated from their spouse but still married, filing a divorce would open up opportunities in case they meet a new significant other who is a US Citizen and who can petition them as an immediate relative. This is usually the fastest of process in obtaining legal permanent residence. In countries such as the Philippines where there is no divorce, many people come to the US to start a new life after they have been separated from their old spouse (often still married to them). Even if the alien over stays their status as a visitor, the alien can still adjust to that of a legal permanent residence if petitioned by a US Citizen spouse. If the alien was never inspected, the alien can still adjust to legal permanent residence if they are grandfathered under INA 245(i) and

MORTGAGE UPDATE… FROM PAGE 6 At these levels, consumers are spending about 11% of their disposable income on nonmortgage debts, including credit cards and auto, personal and student loans too. Ahead of the Great Recession, that averaged about 13%, we are getting there. The average person now has a credit card balance of about $4,500.00 and 1 out of 3 users are afraid they are on the verge of maxing out their credit limit. With credit card interest rate currently around 17- 20% per year, these consumers will have to find a way to pay down these debts or trouble will find its way back to haunt them. Are we enjoying these outrageous low interest rates now? The $1.05 trillion in mortgage originations this quarter mark the highest point since the great refinance boom in Q3 of 2003. This growth runs against the drop in Q2 of 2020 when consumers paid off personal debt and limited spending due to the COVID-19 lockdowns and resulting economic uncertainty. Reductions in credit card debt continued in Q3 at a decelerated pace. Consumers paid off $10 billion in Q3, down from $76 billion in Q2. Home equity line of credit balances, too, continued their decline since Q4 of 2016, dropping by another $13 billion to $362 billion. While credit card debt declined, mortgage debt grew by $85 billion, increasing mortgage balances to $9.86 trillion. Is this a good balance, paying off your debts with your home equity? Yes for now because our property values seems to still be going higher. Anyone taking precaution besides the lenders? There will be a time when the music will stop and the property values will make some corrections and head south. Banks are aware and they are not making it easy for you to cash out all your equity, banks will charge more rate for cash out loans, especially for high loan to value cash outs. But why wait till the music stops, make yourselves aware and start acting now before its too late. The Covid Vaccine seems promising and do we all think that once the vaccine is out and distributed we will all go back to normal? I want you to understand that there is a lot of free money going around, big business, small business and unemployed workers. That is not the norm and when that stops flowing thru the economy I hate to say but there will be a lot of hurt that will go around. The norm does not include mortgage forbearances and rent reductions, the norm does not include PPP for employers, the norm will not extend your unemployment check for another six months. That is why the Fed Chair is wanting to keep rates low and get everyone financially ready for what might come as a surprise to all. Thanks so much for your inquiries, please call Ken Go for your Mortgage Needs call Ken at 562-508-7048 or write to kennethgo@verizon.net CABRE 01021223 NMLS 238636

there are no special restrictions on their status. To be grandfathered under INA 245(i), the alien must have been a beneficiary of a legal permanent residence petition filed no later than April 30, 2001. Finally, a common concern of divorcing immigrants is “What happens if my spouse refuses to sign the divorce papers?” The truth is you do not need your spouse’s signature to obtain a divorce in California. You only need to provide your spouse notice that you filed a divorce by personally serving your spouse the divorce petition and summons. In countries that are members of the Hague Convention, special procedures need to be followed to effect service. So yes it is possible to divorce your spouse even if your spouse is in a country that does not recognize divorce among its citizens such as the Philippines. For some immigrants, filing for divorce opens up opportunities in this land of milk and honey. 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 Reyes is a graduate of Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyer’s Association (AILA) and the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Immigration and Family Law Sections. You may contact Atty. Reyes at (213) 3881611 or via e-mail at kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA. Visit us at Kenreyeslaw.com to learn about our firm.

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DA bats for engineering initiatives to protect farmlands from ﬂooding MANILA (Mabuhay) — Department of Agriculture Secretary William Dar suggested engineering interventions in the Cagayan River and reforestation in watersheds to protect farm lands from flooding. He made the statement days after Cagayan and Isabela provinces were flooded when the Cagayan River swelled as Typhoon Ulysses dumped heavy rainfall over Luzon, prompting the release of excess water from Magat Dam. “We need engineering here, interventions. At the same time, we need to reforest in a big way our watersheds,” Dar said. “Otherwise, year-in, year-out na itong problema na ito. Ito ang aming suggestion. Hoping as the engineering intervention would start now, such as dredging. We should also start reforesting,” he added. Aside from planting forest trees, Dar said trees with economic importance such as fruit-bear-

Religious group's assets frozen in 'prelude' to anti-terror law cases

MANILA (Mabuhay) — A court has ordered the freezing of the assets of a progressive religious group for alleged terrorism financing, in what the organization says is a test case warning of charges to be filed under the anti-terrorism law. The Manila Regional Trial Court last month issued an asset preservation order (APO) against the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines' (RMP) bank accounts, which were allegedly used to fund activities of the New People's Army. The government has initiated a civil forfeiture case against the RMP. The RMP is one of the many organizations asking that the anti-terrorism law be struck down, fearing that it will be used by the state to go after its critics by tagging them as communist rebels or fronts. The RMP along with its co-petitioners in the religious sector told the Supreme Court (SC) of the APO in a manifestation filed Monday, in compliance with the court's order for the parties to inform it of developments relevant to the case. They said the "unprecedented filing of a case against a known progressive religious organization" relied largely on the testimonies of two supposed former CPP-NPA members who surrendered to the government. "Supporting their statements linking the funds to the CPP-NPA were voluminous pages of bank documents which merely show legitimate financial transactions of an organization on their administrative and operational expenses," the petitioners said. "Thus, it is most deplorable that an APO was issued on October 7, 2020 in this testcase preluding the cases to be filed under the Anti-Terrorism Law," they added. The RMP has challenged the APO before the Manila RTC.

Since 1995

But even while that is pending, the RMP said intelligence and anti-communist insurgency officials have already "maliciously and publicly maligned" their group "as a terrorist organization or a supporter of a terrorist organization." The petitioners told the SC of the statements of Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, and intelligence chief Alex Paul Monteagudo at a Senate hearing on "red-tagging." "Under these circumstances, the designation as a terrorist organization of the Petitioners is not just a possibility, it is a foregone conclusion unless the Honorable Court declares the ATA (Anti-Terrorism Act) as unconstitutional," they said. Another set of petitioners on Wednesday informed the SC of the case of two Aetas who were allegedly wrongly charged under the anti-terrorism law. They said this is the first publicly known case where the implementation of the law violated a person's rights. Several groups challenging the law before the SC have complained of "red-tagging," or the practice of labelling a person or an organization as a communist rebel or front, saying this endangers their lives. President Rodrigo Duterte has proclaimed the CPP-NPA as a terrorist group after failed peace talks with the left but for the group to be officially outlawed requires a court declaration. A petition for the proscription of the CPP-NPA has been pending with a Manila court since 2018. The SC has scheduled a preliminary conference on the anti-terrorism law petitions for November 26. There is no date yet for oral arguments. The law has been in effect since July. Its implementing rules and regulations were promulgated in October. (MNS)

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ing and bamboos should also be considered for reforestation. Likewise, he suggested prioritizing the reforestation in the areas of 18 watersheds to make sure that farm lands near dams will not be affected by flooding during their discharge of water. He noted that the proposed intervention would take time and funding to before being fully accomplished. According to Dar, these recommendations were already advised to President Rodrigo Duterte and the majority of the Cabinet members. As of Wednesday morning, Dar said the total agricultural damage recorded after the onslaught of weather disturbances Quinta, Rolly, and Ulysses was at P12.3 billion. The most affected regions are Cagayan Valley, Bicol, Calabarzon, and Mimaropa. (MNS)

More rice imports expected in 2021 due to damage from typhoons — DA MANILA (Mabuhay) — Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar on Thursday said more rice will be imported in 2021 to fill the gaps caused by the recent typhoons' damage to agriculture. According to Dar, the DA is targeting to elevate the rice sufficiency in the country to 93%, but with the agricultural damage due to the typhoon, he said it could drop to 90% or 89%. “If we're able to meet that target, then we only have to import 7% of our total rice consumption. With the typhoon damages now, that could go down to bring us back to almost 89% to 90%,” he said. “We have yet to now bring in 10% of our total rice consumption,” he added. Dar noted that it is "a given" to import rice if the country cannot produce its total consumption. “When you are only able to produce 90% percent of your requirement sa rice, then, you always have to import the rest of that from other countries... Yes, that's a given,” he said. As of Wednesday morning, the total agricultural damage recorded after the onslaught of weather disturbances Quinta, Rolly, and Ulysses was P12.3 billion. The most affected regions are Cagayan Valley, Bicol, Calabarzon, and Mimaropa. To help the agriculture sector to recover, Dar said P8 billion worth of agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, animals, and fingerlings will be provided to affected farmers and fishers. The planting can start by the second week of December when the floodwaters have subsided and no more typhoons are forecasted to cross the country, according to Dar. He added that affected farmers and fishers can receive P10,000 to P15,000 insurance claims for indemnification, as long as they are listed on the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture. To sustain the rice production for longer term, Dar suggested establishing irrigation systems in 1.2 million hectares of underdeveloped rice fields in the country. “We still have 1.2 million hectares of rice needing development of national irrigation systems. Without that, I cannot see happening na ma-produce lahat ng pagkain natin,” he said. (MNS)

Marawi LGU made at least P50M out of debris from ground zero—TFBM chief MANILA (Mabuhay) — At least P50 million was raised by the Marawi City government in the sale of recovered debris from ground zero, Task Force Bangon Marawi chief Eduardo del Rosario confirmed on Thursday. During a Commission on Appointments hearing on his designation as secretary of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, Del Rosario said the local government bidded out the scraps at P10 per kilo. "I think more than P50 million is now in the coffers of the local government unit as a trust fund," he said. An oversight committee was created by the LGU to conduct consultations as to how the residents of Marawi would use this trust fund. "I can say that everything was undertaken above board and conducted properly by the local government

unit," Del Rosario said. "Once the selling of the scrap is completed, the committee will now consult the IDPs, the barangay captains on how best they can utilize the amount raised by selling these scraps," he added. The Islamic city was destroyed after the ISIS-inspired Maute group besieged it in May 2017. The firefight between the bandits and the state security forces lasted for about five months, leaving thousands of families displaced. Marawi City Mayor Majul Gandamra strongly supported Del Rosario's appointment as DHSUD chief despite some Maranaos' grievances on alleged delays in rehabilitation efforts of the war-torn city. The CA has yet to announce its decision regarding Del Rosario's confirmation. (MNS)

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UP not recruiting for Under Gordon's grilling, Duque CPP, ofﬁcial says amid admits there's corruption in DOH Duterte's claim, threat

MANILA (Mabuhay) — A University of the Philippines (UP) official on Thursday belied President Rodrigo Duterte's claim that the university recruits students to become members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). "We do not recruit for the Communist Party [of the Philippines]. We have our mandate, we are an educational institution. We teach, we do research, we do public service,” UP vice president for public affairs Dr. Elena Pernia said. Pernia was reacting to Duterte's threat of defunding UP for allegedly being a breeding ground for communists — a threat stemming from his mistaken notion that UP is calling for an academic freeze to protest the government's alleged inefficiency in responding to disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic. It was actually students of Ateneo de Manila University, and not UP, who started the call for an academic freeze. “‘Yung mga eskwelahan, UP, fine. Maghinto kayo ng aral, I will stop the funding. Wala nang ginawa itong ano kundi mag-recruit ng mga komunista diyan,” Duterte said in a televised address earlier this week. Pernia said the university’s liberal environment, which teaches students to be critical thinkers, should not be mistaken for recruitment for anti-government forces. “The university is a liberal environment, and we value the fact that we can speak out, and academic freedom. That includes freedom to think, freedom to speak, freedom to disagree. This is seen as being dissident when it is not,” Pernia said.

“Being an activist is not a crime,” she added. Though UP has a long history of activism, Pernia said it is not “anti-government.” “We are the national university, we are dedicated to our nation’s quest for development. In fact, many of our government officials are from UP. Noong estudyante sila, ganoon rin sila, nagtatanong, kritikal. Pero pagka-graduate nila, sila rin ang tutulong sa bayan,” she said. Pernia then said that defunding UP will not only deprive deserving students of quality education but also jeopardize government services and research initiatives that UP provides for the government, regardless of who is the sitting President. According to Pernia, UP has 50,000 to 60,000 students, 5,500 faculty members, around 5,000-strong academic staff in 16 campuses and eight other attached units. UP has been allocated P19 billion funding under the proposed 2021 national budget, a budget that includes that of the UP-Philippine General Hospital. “We hope it will not happen because the university’s operations is nationwide. We do most of our research projects in partnership with the government. Iyong P19 billion, kasama roon ang hospital operations of PGH. Any achievement of the government is fed partly by the achievements we made. Hindi ba sayang naman iyon?” Pernia said. “Ang mandato namin ay knowledge creation, innovation. Sayang naman iyong kahusayan na nagagawa namin para sa bayan. I hope the President won’t do it.” (MNS)

MANILA (Mabuhay) — Embattled Health Sec. Francisco Duque III early Thursday morning admitted that there are anomalous activities being committed in the Department of Health (DOH), after Sen. Richard Gordon threatened to block the agency's budget. During the Senate briefing on DOH's proposed 2021 budget, Gordon said billions of pesos were withdrawn from treatment spending plans, like the controversial Dengvaxia, and health facility enhancement programs, like mobile dental clinics. The senator, who took part in the briefing via teleconference, highlighted a P8.1 billion project to establish school-based barangay health stations (BHS) across the country, which were supposed to be completed in two phases. He said that only 270 BHS were completed out of 3,200 in Phase 1, and the costs of these stations reached around P4.4 billion. The project was terminated in 2018. Gordon said J. Bros Construction, which got the project, was also ordered by the Supreme Court to return the stipulated mobilization fee amounting to P686 million. "What is now the update on the barangay health centers, nabawi na ba natin 'yung pera?" he asked. Sen. Pia Cayetano, sponsor of the DOH's budget, said that the agency blacklisted J. Bros but this was overturned by the Manila Regional Trial Court. "The DOH, with the OSG (Office of the Solicitor General) is questioning this RTC decision. This case is pending before the RTC of Manila," she said. "This is really swindling the country...in barangay health centers and all," Gordon said. "Ang lakas naman ng mga loob ng mga 'yan. Ano ba ginagawa ninyo Sec. Duque. Ano ginagawa niyo ng lawyers niyo diyan?" "Do you agree that there's corruption here?" he asked. "It's under investigation. It's always, it is impossible," Cayetano said. Gordon however refused to accept Cayetano's answer and said he is tempted to block

the budget of DOH if it did not admit there are anomalous activities in the agency. "The question is simple: do they agree that there is corruption as a department?" he asked. Cayetano immediately replied that Duque, who was sitting behind her, agreed to Gordon's query. "Thank you, that's all I wanted to hear," Gordon said. This is not the first time Duque and the DOH faced corruption allegations. The Senate in September recommended the filing of malversation and graft charges against him and other officials over alleged corruption at the Philippine Health Insurance Corp (PhilHealth). Senators said that Duque, resigned PhilHealth president Ricardo Morales, and other executive officers of the insurance agency should be charged with malversation and graft for the "improper and illegal implementation" of the interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM). The House of Representatives also approved a committee report last October to hold some officials of PhilHealth, Duque, and several cabinet members liable for alleged corruption at the state health insurer. President Rod r igo Duterte however, has repeatedly defended and vouched for the health chief, saying he trusts Duque d e s pit e numerou s a llegations against the latter. (MNS)

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C A R EGI V E R S w or k i ng i n Resident ia l Ca re Faci lit ies provide an important service to elderly and disabled individuals, as well as their families. These caregivers often work up to 24 hours per day, providing necessary care and supervision to ensure the health and safety of each facility resident. However, many facility caregivers are g rossly u nder pa id for t he services they provide. For t u n a t e l y, C a l i f or n i a law protects caregivers who work in licensed Residential Ca re Faci l it ies f rom wage theft. Specifically, all facility caregivers are entitled to receive at least minimum wage for every hour they work, including all hours they are required to be present at the facility. The current minimum wage rate in California is $12.00 per hour for employers with 25 employees or less, and $13.00 per hour for employers with 26 or more employees. Additionally, with some exceptions, facility caregivers are also entitled to overtime compensation for all hours worked in excess of 8 per day or 40 per week, and double time compensation for all hours worked in excess of 12 per day. In light of these requirements, facility caregivers who work 24-hour shifts must be paid at least $456 per day to comply with California’s minimum wage laws. That includes 8 hours of pay at the minimum wage rate of $12.00/hour ($96), four hours of pay at the overtime rate of $18.00/hour ($72), and 12 hours of pay at the double time rate of $24/hour ($288). In lieu of paying overtime and double time wages, many employers pay facility caregivers a fixed salary, regardless of the actual number of

Facility Caregivers:

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and hour claims are calculated for facility caregivers under California law: Tony is a facility caregiver. He works 24 hours per day and is not allowed to leave the care facility at any time during his scheduled shifts. Tony’s employer also requires him to sleep in the facility at night and the residents frequently wake him asking for assistance. Tony receives a daily salary of $100 each day he works. This makes Tony’s regular rate of pay $12.50 per hour ($100/8 hours per day). Subject to that calculation, Tony’s overtime rate is $18.75 per hour and his double-time rate is $25 per hour, respectively. Because Tony’s daily salary of $100 does not compensate him for any overtime hours worked, Tony’s employer owes him $375.00 per day in unpaid wages: 4 overtime hours x $18.75 (Tony’s overtime rate), plus 12 double time hours x $25.00 (Tony’s double time rate). If Tony works 5 days per week, he is owed $1,875 per week, which equals $97,500 each year he works. If Tony brings a claim against his employer for these unpaid wages, he can seek unpaid wages going back three to four years, along with interest, attorney’s fees and costs, liquidated damages and penalties. Caregivers work hard to provide support and assistance to our loved ones, and they should be paid in accordance with California law for their invaluable services. If you are a caregiver working in licensed Residential Care Facility and you are not being paid according to California law, we would like to help. Please contact our firm at (818)807-4168 for a free and confidential consultation. We love helping caregivers get the overtime compensation that they deserve.

Are you paid at least $456 a day when working a 24-hour shift?

hours they work each day. However, paying an employee a daily, weekly or monthly salary does not disqualify that employee from the minimum wage or overtime compensation requirements. In actuality, under California law, payment of a fixed salary to a non-exempt employee only compensates that employee for their regular, non-overtime hours worked. This means that a non-exempt facility caregiver who receives a fixed salary has probably not been compensated for any hours he or she worked in excess of 8 per day or 40 per week. Furthermore, those uncompensated hours are considered overtime and double time hours, compensable at a rate one-and-one half times or two times the facility caregiver’s regular rate of pay. If you are a facility caregiver receiving a fixed salary for working 24-hour shifts, you may have a substantial unpaid overtime claim. For purposes of illustration, below is an example of how wage

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

Ateneo student strikers to Duterte:

Anong silbi nyo? Wala MANILA (Mabuhay) — The organizers of the student strike at the Ateneo De Manila University stepped up their criticism of President Rodrigo Duterte a day after the Chief Executive said students should not worry about the government's response to COVID-19 and the impact of Typhoons Rolly and Ulysses. In a statement, the students said Duterte should "stop talking nonsense." "Our worry is justified because you have neglected to do the work demanded from a person in office. Ano ang silbi ninyo? Wala," the students said. "We will continue with the strike as long as you keep killing Filipinos with your incompetence," they added. Over 500 Ateneans have called for a mass student strike to protest the government’s “criminally neglectful response” to the devastation caused by Typhoons Ulysses and Rolly and the COVID-19 pandemic as a whole. “You are taking the cudgels of the poor ahead of your time. That is not your worry, that is the worry of government,” Duterte said on Tuesday night. Apparently told that the student strike was called by students of the University of the Philippines, Duterte said he would have the university de-funded indicating that it had become a recruitment ground of the Communist Party of the Philippines. A tweet by Ateneo de Manila University’s official student newspaper The Guidon on Saturday reported on the statement of the group, which said the students co-signed a mass strike statement and called on the university to “concentrate all efforts into helping the most vul-

nerable citizens of the Philippines.” The group also pledged to “withhold the submission of any school requirements starting November 18, 2020 until the national government heeds the people’s demands for proper calamity aid and pandemic response.” “We believe that things cannot continue business as usual. We can no longer stomach the ever rising number of deaths due to the state’s blatant incompetence. We cannot prioritize our schoolwork when our countrymen are suffering unnecessarily at the hands of those in power,” said the students’ statement. “We strike in solidarity with the students who are victims of calamities and of COVID-19, who cannot be expected to catch up with their studies within three to five working days,” it also said. (MNS)

Duterte orders 'back-up' government center outside Manila MANILA (Mabuhay) — President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the creation of a "back-up government center" outside the Philippine capital to prepare for potential disasters and attract investments in the countryside. Duterte, in Executive Order No. 119, mandated the establishment of an administrative center in New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac, and ordered government agencies to set up satellite offices there. The current seat of the national government in Metro Manila is vulnerable to gradual or sudden ground sinking, rising sea levels and increased risk of floods. It is also exposed to the threat of a "catastrophic" earthquake that the West and East Valley Zones might spawn, said the President. A government center outside the capital would "serve as a back-up administrative hub and which may be used as a disaster recovery center, to ensure continuity of government services," read Duterte's order. The New Clark City government center also addresses "the lack of sustainable employment opportunities in the countryside, unbalanced regional development, and unequal distribution of wealth" through the development of new townships and business districts, the President said. The New Clark City, around 2 hours from Manila, was the venue of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, with new infrastructure built for the purpose. Duterte, the first President from Mindanao, had said he would shift government power away from "Imperial Manila" in the run-up to the 2016 elections. He also called for a shift of the system of governance from unitary to federal saying this would spur countryside development, but the move has not prospered. Duterte has held official functions in his hometown Davao City, including entertaining former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his home. He was also in Davao City when Super Typhoon Rolly was wreaking havoc in Luzon at the start of the month, failing to attend a Cabinet briefing. (MNS)

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Robredo camp tells Duterte:

'Why be insecure if you have a 91 percent approval rating?' MANILA (Mabuhay) — The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday dismissed allegations they were behind the hashtags critical of President Rodrigo Duterte in the wake of successive typhoons that hit the country. Robredo’s spokesman Barry Gutierrez said they don’t have the time and energy to engage in such social media campaign given the “more important concerns” they need to address. “Instead of talking about what needs to be done in order to rebuild the lives of all those affected by the typhoon, all those affected by flooding, here we are spending so much time talking about hashtags, talking about who said what, talking about all these things, and to be very clear, we are not interested in this,” he said. Gutierrez said hashtags such as #NasaanAngPangulo were organic amid public clamor for Duterte’s presence in typhoon-ravaged areas. Gutierrez also said the hashtag against Duterte was nothing compared to the campaigns of his supporters against the vice president. "Come on, the President complaining about the hashtag when for 4 years the Vice President has been continuously blasted by a never-ending barrage of fake news, of online abuse. Her daughters been subjected to rape threats. The baseless insinuations,

DUTERTE completely false of course, about her personal life have been made. And you know, she just shuts it off. It’s something that comes with the territory.” He also denounced Duterte’s camp for subjecting Robredo to a witch hunt, in a time where relief efforts should be the main focus of the government. “Why be insecure if you have 91 percent approval rating,” Gutierrez said, referring to a September 2020 Pulse Asia survey where majority of Filipinos approved Duterte’s performance despite the government's heavily-criticized COVID-19 pandemic response. He added, “If they really believed

NDRRMC says at least 10B damage in agri, infra due to Ulysses MANILA (Mabuhay) — The National Disaster Risk Reduction on Management Council (NDRRMC) on Thursday said damage to infrastructure brought by Typhoon Ulysses has increased to P6.1 billion. NDRRMC spokesman Peter Paul Galvez also said damage to agriculture already rose to around P4 billion after the typhoon pounded several provinces in Luzon last week. "We have reached now a damage assessment worth now P4 billion for agriculture and P6.1 billion in infrastructure damage assessment," Galvez said at a press briefing. He also said a total of 65,222 residences have been destroyed by Ulysses. "Most of the damaged houses are in Bulacan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija and Pampanga. Both 'yung totally and partially destroyed houses... Bulacan kasi as of today, the current count is 2,655 totally damaged houses," Galvez said. The NDRRMC official said the number of deaths has remained at 73 while those injured were 24. Nineteen people are still missing, six of which are from Region II, two from Calabarzon, eight from Region V, and three from Metro Manila. "We hope that these people are found as soon as possible, baka naman hindi lang sila nakapagsabi. We hope it's something like that," Galvez said. Galvez also said there are pledges from other countries to help typhoon victims. He did not elaborate. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier said the Department of Foreign Affairs would still process foreign assistance before it would be turned over to the Office of Civil Defense. (MNS)

ROBREDO that they did everything right, in other words there's really no call for the public to criticize them, if he really believed he had a valid reason for not going and despite the fact that he was in the ASEAN, they did all they could to give correct, timely information to the people affected by the typhoons and the flooding, and to bring help in a timely manner to all these places where the flooding occurred, then I don't see what the big deal is.” Gutierrez slammed chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo “for creating this entire storyline,” which he said was based on a lie. “Let's call spade a spade. It was

false. It was a lie. It was completely untrue but he makes no apology for trying to link the vice president in this entire brouhaha,” he said. “Despite the fact that they have been caught red-handed in a lie, they refused to actually acknowledge and take responsibility for it. “If there is anybody who has to explain further here, it has to be Secretary Panelo and the other people feeding [wrong information] to the President.” Panelo has apologized to the vice president for claiming that she was free-riding on the government's relief effort for victims of Typhoon Ulysses. But Gutierrez rejected Panelo’s apology as “sorry not sorry.” Despite Duterte’s tirade against Robredo, Gutierrez said the Vice President was focused on doing the essential work and maintained she was not competing with anyone. “The Vice President is clearly more interested in doing the work that needs to be done. If somebody else wants to take credit for what she has done, fine. If somebody wants to say, ‘We did more,’ fine. It’s not an issue,” he said. “This is not a competition. It is not a contest. There are enough people who need help and anybody who can contribute to that effort is welcome to do so.” (MNS)

Philippines signs accord with ASEAN countries on addressing non-tariff measures amid COVID-19 MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Philippines, through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), signed an accord with its fellow members in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the implementation of non-tariff measures to improve the flow of essential goods in the region amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement Thursday, the DTI said Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, together with the economic ministers of the ASEAN, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the implementation of Non-Tariff Measures (NTM) on Essential Goods under the Ha Noi Plan of Action on Strengthening ASEAN Economic Cooperation and Supply Chain Connectivity in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic at the sidelines of the 19th ASEAN Economic Community Council Meeting held on November 10, 2020. The initiative stemmed from a decision made by ASEAN Economic Ministers in August 2020 to put in place a more focused and targeted work program to address NTMs, particularly on essential goods. The MOU is part of ASEAN’s concrete initiatives in response to COVID-19 to ensure the smooth flow of essential goods associated with combating the pandemic, according to the DTI. It also seeks to facilitate timely information sharing among Member States on trade-related measures on these essential goods and supplies. The accord further calls on the ASEAN member-states (AMS) to refrain from introducing or maintaining trade restrictive measures on essential goods, except for instances wherein there is a public health emergency. Any measure that one AMS deems necessary to implement must be in conformity with AMS rights and obligations under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement and the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA). The provisions of the MOU only apply to the ASEAN List of Essential Goods, which currently cover 152 tariff lines of medicines, and medical supplies and equipment. “This action is a clear manifestation of ASEAN’s shared commitment in keeping markets open, en-

sure the unhampered flow of essential goods, and show economic resiliency amid COVID-19. We also see this as a positive development that will help the Philippine business community in trading with the region,” Lopez said. Lopez said the signing of the MOU is a significant step forward for ASEAN as some Member States implemented export bans and other stringent measures in the early months of the pandemic that resulted to supply shortages of medicines and medical supplies in the region. With the MOU in place, such actions are expected to be lessened, according to the Trade chief. Recognizing the importance of addressing NTMs across all sectors, the ASEAN will also be looking into the possible expansion of the ASEAN List of Essential Goods to include other essential items, such as food and agricultural products. The MOU forms part of the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF), which serves as the consolidated exit strategy of the region from the COVID-19 crisis. It articulates the ASEAN response through different stages of recovery. It focuses on key sectors and segments of society that are most affected by the pandemic, as well as sets broad strategies and identifies measures for recovery in line with sectoral and regional priorities. To implement the ACRF, an Implementation Plan was also developed by the ASEAN Secretariat, under the purview of the ASEAN Coordinating Committee Working Group – Public Health Emergency (ACCWG-PHE). (MNS)

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Panelo, Lorenzana apologize to Robredo about ‘incorrect’ info on relief ops MANILA (Mabuhay) — Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo on Wednesday said he apologized to Vice President Leni Robredo for accusing her of boarding a military aircraft to deliver relief goods in typhoon-hit Catanduanes. Robredo earlier denied that she never boarded a C-130 plane bound for the Bicol Region while her spokesperson Barry Gutierrez asked Panelo to get his facts straight. Panelo, however, insisted that he was not peddling fake news, but was simply fed incorrect information. “I requested the Philippine Air Force to confirm through their flight manifest and they reported that there was no instance that Vice President Robredo boarded any military aircraft in going to Catanduanes,” Panelo said over his Counterpoint program. Panelo said after learning about his mistake, he immediately sent a text message apologizing to Robredo. However, Panelo he said there was an Air Force "Huey" helicopter that brought relief goods from the Vice President from Legazpi City, Albay to Catanduanes on Nov. 3. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana,

Panelo

Lorenzana

in a separate statement, clarified Robredo did not use any military aircraft to go to Catanduanes. “I requested the Philippine Air Force to confirm through their flight manifest and they reported that there was no instance that Vice President Robredo boarded any military aircraft in going to Catanduanes,” said Lorenzana in a statement. “Secretary Lorenzana said he has sent his apologies to the Vice President for making a comment based on an erroneous report submitted to him,” the

statement read. Panelo said while Robredo was free to use military planes for relief efforts, she should not have made it appear like she was the only official working. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque also confirmed that Robredo may use government planes and choppers for relief operations. “I think the issue is—she can if she wants to, but I think you have to be clear about whether or not you just use a vehicle and whether or not in fact, you’re

responsible for relief goods being carried by that vehicle,” Roque said. Panelo also lamented at how Robredo failed to help correct perception that Duterte was sleeping on the job when he was actually working as well. “Bakit di ka nag react nung marinig mo na binabanatan si Presidente dahil pinalalabas nilang hindi tumutugon sa bagyo? E samantalang alam mo naman. Alam mo VP Leni a may summit, alam mo na si Presidente nagta-trabaho (Why didn’t you react when they were criticizing the President that he wasn’t responding to the typhoon when you knew. You knew there’s a summit, you knew that the President was working),” he said. He said Robredo acted as if she was “politicizing” the distribution of relief goods. “Since you are reacting against any false information then necessarily kung objective ka…dapat you should have taken it on yourself na ‘Hindi totoo 'yan. Si Presidente huwag niyo hanapin 'yan. Nandiyan nagta-trabaho ‘yan (if you’re objective, you should have taken it on yourself that ‘That’s not true. Don’t look for the President, he’s working),” he said. (MNS)

House panel OKs fund outlay for Drilon scolds DSWD for proposed dep't of water resources keeping P83-B in the face MANILA (Mabuhay) — The House Committee on Appropriations on Wednesday approved the funding provisions for the measure seeking to establish a Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the Water Regulatory Commission. During its meeting, the panel approved the sections of the measure providing the budgetary requirements for the creation of the DWR, one of the priority bills of the Duterte administration. The DWR is envisioned to be the primary national government agency responsible for the comprehensive and integrated planning, policy formulation, management and ownership, utilization, exploitation, development, and protection of water resources of the country. "The legislative intent of the creation of the Department of Water Resources is to ensure safe, adequate and continuous water supply for our people and ensure good governance and effective regulation of the water service," said Batangas Representative Marvey Mariño, who sponsored the measure. "[It will] approximate a balance between consumer satisfaction and reasonable return on investment on the part of the water service providers and ensure sound and efficient management of the sector by establishing a national framework of water resource management," he added.

POTABLE WATER. A

resident of Barangay Tumana on Angel Santos Street in Marikina City fills up a plastic jug with drinking water from a Manila Water tanker on Tuesday (Nov. 17, 2020). The city is one of the areas badly hit by Typhoon Ulysses. (MNS photo)

According to Mariño, the proposed budget for the DWR is P2 billion, for which the current year's appropriation of the following agencies will be subsumed: l National Water Resource Board, l River Basin Control Office, l Water Supply Sanitation Unit of the DILG, l Water Quality Management Section of the EMB, l Bureau of Soils and Water Management of the DA, and l Manila Bay Coordinating Office. If enacted into law, agencies that will be attached to the DWR include: l Local Water Utilities Administration l Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System l National Irrigation Administration l Laguna Lake Development Authority Meanwhile, Mariño said the proposed budget for the Water Regulatory Commission, which will also be an attached agency of the DWR, is P300 million. The proposed department is one of the three agencies whose creation is a priority of the House of Representatives -- the other two being the Department of Disaster Resilience, and the Department of Filipino Overseas. (MNS)

of Covid-19 pandemic, calamities

MANILA (Mabuhay) — Senate Minority Franklin M. Drilon lamented the failure of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to utilize around P83 billion from its budget in the face of a pandemic and calamities that continue to hit the country, calling the non-disbursement of the fund "criminal." "To not distribute P83 billion to our affected countrymen in the face of all these difficulties is almost criminal. Hindi pwedeng magpatuloy ito. Mayroon tayong pera pero hindi natin ibinibigay sa nangangailangan," Drilon said during his interpellation of the proposed P175 billion budget of the social welfare department for 2021. "Hindi po nararamdaman ng taumbayan ang tulong ng pamahalaan dahilan sa nagkukulang ang pamahalaan. Mayroong P83 billion undisbursed, which is criminal. This should not be allowed to continue," Drilon stressed. During the continuation of the Senate deliberation on the proposed P4.5 trillion spending outlay for next year, Sen. Imee Marcos, who sponsored the budget of the agency, said that there is around P83 billion unexpended from the past budgets given to the DSWD. This happened while around 5 million Filipino families went hungry in the past three months while around 7.7 million Filipinos lost jobs and livelihood due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Drilon. "I am disappointed to say the least. This is very frustrating," Drilon added. Senator Marcos and Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralp Recto also expressed dismay over the non-disbursement of the available funds. Drilon's questioning of the undisbursed P83 billion funding that could have helped Filipinos heavily affected by Covid-19 pandemic and the recent typhoons led to a proposal by Sen. Francis Pangilinan for the Senate to pass a resolution urging for the immediate disbursement of the unutilized funds. The senators agreed to pass the resolution. Drilon also lamented the lack of budget for social amelioration program. "I think it is a given that of all the budgets of the DSWD in the recent year, next year will be more critical and important," said Drilon, citing the loss of jobs, the weakened household consumption and the increase in the number of hungry Filipinos. Drilon emphasized the need to stimulate the demand side of the economy by providing more funds in the pockets of the people through the SAP, commonly referred to as ayuda. "The DSWD in this case would play a very critical role. The DSWD budget becomes very important because of the needed assistance of the poor sector of our society," he said. However, Drilon expressed dismay at the budget of the DSWD for next year, saying it lacks allocation for an emergency subsidy program. He cited the study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) released a study, which found that the Covid-19 pandemic's aftermath could push 1.5 million Filipinos into poverty, or if everyone's incomes were to be cut by 10%, as many as 5.5 million Filipinos. Drilon said the economy will benefit if we disburse funds and put money in the hands of the people. "We will solve the social issue of hunger and we will stimulate the economy by putting funds in the pockets of the people," he said. (MNS)

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Lacson: Congressional districts given P620M to over P15B in infra projects MANILA (Mabuhay) — Congressional districts were allocated P620 million to P15 billion each in infrastructure projects in the House of Representatives' version of the P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021, Senator Panfilo Lacson said on Thursday. During the Senate's deliberations of the proposed P659-billion allocation for the Department of Public Works and Highways, Lacson said drew attention to the huge infrastructure budget allocations for congressional districts. "Colleagues, all I can say is, pity yourselves, those of us who may have individual insertions, it will make you look like barangay kagawads compared to our House counterparts. You see, from a high of P15.351 billion to a low of P620 million," Lacson said. "In fact, 'yung number 1 to I think 220 districts, mahigit P1 billion. The remaining 100 or so or less than 100, ang lowest diyan P620 million," he added. The senator said he deemed it best not to flash the names of the concerned district representatives so that the focus would be on the issue instead of personalities. He said the P68 billion earmarked for '"skeleton" projects which he was eyeing for realignment was just a drop in the bucket compared to these individual district allocations. Lacson also flagged a list of 739 line items for multi-purpose buildings with a uniform allocation of P1 million each. "If a P2 million project would only come up with a skeletal structure, can you imagine [how] a multi-purpose building with P1 million allocation would look?" he asked. The senator said his sources said the members of the

SEN PING LACSON House of Representatives had a hand in the preparation of the infrastructure allocation. "I'm not blaming the department if it appears this way because practically, mga congressmen po ang may gawa ng mga listahan na ito," he said. Lacson said he agrees with President Rodrigo Duterte that DPWH Secretary Mark Villar is not corrupt. The budget of the DPWH was deemed submitted to the plenary but it may still be amended before the second reading and in the bicameral conference meeting. (MNS)

DTI: Only 5% of businesses still closed but consumer conﬁdence has yet to pick up MANILA (Mabuhay) — Only five percent of the businesses in the Philippines remain closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said on Wednesday, but consumer confidence has yet to pick up. There are 1.42 million registered businesses in the country and 99.6% of them are considered micro, small, and medium enterprises, Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said during the plenary deliberation on DTI's proposed P22.012-billion budget for 2021. He asked how many are still hampered from operating due to the pandemic. "For closed establishments and MSMEs nationwide, as of end-June there was 38%, end of August was 9%, end of October was 6%, and November was 5%," Senate Committee on Finance chairperson Sonny Angara answered after receiving information from DTI representatives. Pangilinan clarified if this meant

that the rest are already back in operation. "Yes, 95% have reopened but they may not necessarily be generating the same amount of business... Probably a lot have diminished—the retail sector, the transport sector, the tourism sector," Angara said. "Theoretically they are open but in actuality and as reflected by the third quarter economic figures, the confidence is not there." The Philippine economy continued to contract in the third quarter of the year, based on data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority. Economic growth averaged -10% in the first nine months of 2020. P9B Bayanihan aid yet to be transferred to DTI Under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2, P10 billion was allocated for the DTI to help distressed businesses through the COVID-19 Assistance to Restart Enterprises (CARES) Program but

only a tenth has been transferred to its coffers, so far. "I was told that out of the P10 billion we appropriated in Bayanihan 2, only P1 billion has been released as of today, November 18, and that DTI has approved 1,660 loans equivalent to around P1.2 billion," Angara said. "They have received over 26,000 loan applications starting November. They hope the money can be released so they can process even more of these loans," he added. The senators were bothered that the remaining P9 billion has yet to be released by the Department of Budget and Management and called for the latter's quicker action so that the appropriations under the emergency measure may be utilized. Angara said Congress may have to really consider the motion to extend the validity of the Bayanihan 2 beyond December 19, considering the circumstances. (MNS)

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Private companies to donate millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccine for Pinoys MANILA (Mabuhay) — Several private companies have committed to donate COVID-19 vaccines to the government, vaccine czar and National Task Force COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. said. “Nagpapasalamat po tayo kay Enrique Razon na may binigay po siyang 300,000 doses. Ang BDO at tsaka ‘yong iba po, Lucio Tan group, San Miguel group at tsaka GoNegosyo. Nakapag-raise na po sila ng more than one million. Hopefully tataas pa po ‘yon ng up to two million doses,” Galvez said in a briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday night. “Ito po ido-donate nila ang 50 to 80 percent of the vaccines at tsaka ‘yong iba po, gagamitin po nila sa kanilang mga poor essential workers po at no cost po,” he added. Galvez said vaccine experts in the country already reviewed 17 possible sources of the COVID-19 vaccines from different countries. “Out of this 17, nine po ‘yong nasa phase 3 trial. Tatlo po dito ang magkakaroon po ng trial dito this coming December and January,” he said. Galvez also recommended entering into advance market commitments with private vaccine developers, releasing advance payments to secure the vaccines. “A ng amin pong rekomendasyon ay we enter on the advance market commitment through the multilateral arrangement with World Bank and ADB as our finance manager at the same time, we have to have various modes of financing including private-public tripartite agreements without cost to government,” he said. Galvez said the private company will buy directly from the vaccine company but with the regulation of the Department of Health. “Hopefully kung makapagmove po tayo, we can be assured 30 million doses to 50 million doses by next year, ’Pag nagka-rollout po ang ibang bansa, we can also have our rollout here,” he said. (MNS)

Supply-chain costs for COVID-19 vaccines not in 2021 DOH budget, says Pia MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Department of Health’s proposed P212.7-billion budget for 2021 does not cover the cost of the storage and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, Senator Pia Cayetano said on Wednesday. During the budget deliberations at the Senate, Cayetano said the DOH was satisfied with its budget for COVID-19 response but had no budget for the supply cha in-related expenses such as storage of the vaccines, transportation, training of vaccinators and other incidental expenses.

SEN. PIA CAYETANO

“May expense din po ‘yan. We’ll have to find a way to cover that because it's not in the budget,” Cayetano said. Cayetano was responding to Senator Manny Pacquiao’s question on how the DOH will strengthen the health care system despite receiving a “terrible” budget cut. “As my staff confirms with me, we need extra budget lang for the supply chain,” Cayetano said during the Senate budget deliberations. “From the storage to the transportation including ‘yung mga maliliit na bagay na kasama diyan, ‘yung syringes, and then pati ‘yung training vaccinators,” Cayetano said. Cayetano said the Department of Finance (DOF) had confirmed that there were loan facilities available. “The secretary has said that they’re quite satisfied with the budget they have for COVID response. The quarantine facilities are in place, the testing facilities are in place, the test kits are available, but they have other budgetary requirements,” Cayetano said.

“On the vaccine itself, there is a budget for that. It’s not sufficient but DOF has confirmed that there are loaned facilities available to include this and we’re also putting on record that we also need to provide the budget,” she added. Health Undersecretary Carol Taiño previously said the warehousing allocation under the 2021 budget was not intended specifically for the COVID-19 vaccine. In a recent interview, Ambassador to China Chito Sta. Roomana said China had imposed no condition for prioritizing the Philippines in its distribution of COVID-19 vaccines once they were available. Romana, however, said that Chinese pharmaceutical firms involved in developing the vaccine asked that the Philippines be ready with adequate cold chain storage facilities. “It’s not a condition. It’s just a reminder that if you get the vaccine and you don’t have cold chain storage, then it’s useless,” Sta. Romana said. Ambassador to Russia Carlos Sorreta said the country was ready to produce Sputnik V vaccines for the Philippines in January 2021 but added that the country should "be ready with some of the infrastructure para ho sa storage at the required temperatures." "There’s a version of the vaccine that will not require extreme temperatures but it might be a little more expensive,” Sorreta said. (MNS)

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DOH: Gov't can buy Moderna vaccines sans US ﬁrm's clinical trials in Philippines Gov’t to use COVID-19 antigen tests in evacuation centers — Palace

MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Philippines can still buy COVID-19 vaccines from American biotechnolog y company Moderna even if the US manufacturer does not conduct clinical trials in the Philippines, the Department of Health said Wednesday. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire made the announcement two days after Moderna announced that its COVID-19 vaccine is at least 94% effective in preventing COVID-19 after Phase 3 of clinical trials. “Iyong Moderna, nakausap na sila ng [Department of Science and Technology] a month ago, at ang kanilang intent is not to have a clinical trial here but they would want na doon na sila papasok sa vaccine procurement,” Vergeire said in an online forum. “Ang objective ng Pilipinas, magkaroon ng clinical trials rito ang mga manufacturer so we can see the effect of the vaccine among our population kasi iba-iba ang epekto ng bakuna sa bawat race kaya mas maganda kung makikita natin. Pero kung hindi po sila magco-conduct ng clinical trial rito, it won’t stop the government from procuring that vaccine as long as well they go through regulatory process,” Vergeire added. Aside from Moderna, a potential vaccine by Pfizer and BioNTech was found 90% effective against preventing COVID-19 last week. Pfizer and BioNTech are yet to announce any plan to conduct

clinical trials in the Philippines. Vergeire said that the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna or any other pharmaceutical firm can be secured even without conducting clinical trials in the Philippines because vaccine protocols provide that clinical trials are conducted on different races and segments of the population. “Kapag gumawa ng isang clinical trial ang isang manufacturer, they see to it, that is part of their criteria, na as much as different races are covered. Kaya pag tinignan po natin iyong specific populations na kasama sa kanilang clinical trials, makikita natin na iba ibang race, iba ibang sectors ng population ang isinasali, para malaman ang epekto ng bakuna,” Vergeire said. “Kaya pag may manufacturer na hindi magko-conduct ng clinical trial rito, hindi po ‘yan makakaapekto sa pagpili natin [ng bakuna] as long as they go through regulatory process, makikita natin ang epekto ng kanilang Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3 clinical trials, maeevaluate ng ating mga experts sa bakuna, at maaprubahan ng Food and Drug Administration, we can readily procure these vaccines,” Vergeire added. The Duterte administration has allotted a P2.5-billion budget for COVID-19 vaccine procurement under the proposed 2021 national budget. Another P10 billion for COVID-19 vaccine procurement has been provided under Bayanihan 2 law. (MNS)

MANILA (Mabuhay) — Evacuees will be screened for COVID-19 through antigen test to prevent the spread of the virus in typhoon-hit communities, Malacañang said Tuesday. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, however, could not say which areas have already implemented the antigen testing. “Kung hindi po available ang PCR test nandiyan din po ‘yung antigen tests. Hindi ko po masisigurado na lahat sila ay mabibigyan pero magkakaroon po ng testing sa mga evacuation centers lalung-lalo na po doon sa mayroong sintomas,” he said at a news conference in Cagayan. According to the Department of Health, the antigen test detects the presence of viral proteins and is best used to identify acute or early infection. Roque’s assurance came after the OCTA Research Team urged the local government units to provide adequate and accessible testing, effective contact tracing and supportive isolation facilities to families who fled to evacuation centers due to the recent typhoons. Typhoons Rolly and Ulysses have caused widespread damage and flooding in several Luzon provinces, forcing thousands to flee their homes. Earlier in the day, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said there is no report yet about COVID-19 outbreaks in evacuation centers. But Lorenzana admitted that testing for COVID-19 families who fled due to the typhoons could be a challenge. “It will be a challenge kasi kung i-testing mo lahat 'yan, are we going to do it one by one? Siguro ang aking suggestion is to watch out for those with symptoms, nilalagnat, mga inuubo para di na lalala,” he said. (MNS)

US committed to give Philippines access to COVID-19 vaccines MANILA (Mabuhay) — The United States has committed to give the Philippines access to COVID-19 vaccines once they become available after an American biotechnology firm Moderna reported positive results from its late-stage vaccine trial. It was US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who informed Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. about Washington’s commitment to vaccine access, according to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. “We have firm commitments from the United States,” Roque told a news conference in Cagayan, adding China had promised to supply the Philippines with vaccines while British drugmaker AstraZeneca had vowed to ship doses for developing countries. Moderna said on Monday that its vaccine candidate was 94.5% effective at preventing people from catching the virus, just days after rival Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech said their potential vaccine was found to be 90% effective. The companies attributed the results to preliminary data from their respective phase 3 studies. Last week, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said the Philippines could access the US-developed COVID-19 vaccines as early as the first quarter of 2021. He said Pfizer had assured that the vaccine will not be sold to the Philippines at an expensive price. Romualdez also said the Philippines will not be asked to give a dow npayment to ensure access to the vaccines. The Philippines plans to purchase an initial 50 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for at least 25 million Filipinos next year. (MNS)

US SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO

DENTAL COSTS CONCERNS GROWING older means our teeth start to wear off. We should take care of our teeth in the same way we take care of our body. Notice how sometimes small, and seemingly minor pain, in the gums impede our entire body. It is recommended that we undergo dental cleanings at least twice a year to arrest or prevent the growth of harmful bacteria in the mouth. There was a time when the cost of a dental procedure was negligible. But, not anymore! A dental procedure, say a dental implant, may sometimes wipe out a retiree’s lifetime savings. Dental costs are rapidly rising! The impact of the high cost of dental care to a senior who depends solely on a fixed Social Security pension for retirement income is huge. Even those seniors who are better situated financially must revise their retirement plans to input the higher cost of dental care. Medicare does not cover most dental services, procedures and supplies. Dental benefits offered to those enrolled on some Medicare Advantage plans are too limited. Medi-Cal beneficiaries get their coverage thru DentiCal. There is a yearly budget and not all services are covered. How does a senior then cope up with these

rising dental costs? One alternative is to have those dental procedures done in the Philippines during your yearly visits. Costs are definitely lower and the quality of the outcomes is mostly satisfactory. Another is to find a local dentist in your area with whom you can bargain. Many of these dentists will not require a dental insurance. Dr. Orly Cagatao of 5250 Santa Monica Blvd. , Suite 208 B, Los Angeles, CA 90029 is one such fine, experienced dental practitioner. He does dental cleanings, fillings, braces, dentures, root canals, teeth whitening, crowns and extractions, among others. Call him at 323 662 3168 and Ms. Korina will just be happy to discuss with you the costs of the desired procedures. She confides that the clinic will only charge $60 for cleaning so you may comply with the minimum requirement for the upkeep of your gums and teeth. And, then there is Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry (USC) located at 925 West 34th St., Los

Angeles, CA 90089. There is the Student Clinic where patient care is provided by dental students under the supervision of expert faculty members. The other clinics are the Graduate/Resident Clinic and the Dental Faculty Practice Clinic. You may call 213 740 2800 for more information. If you need help, please call me at 323 535 7373 or e-mail me at: leo.balita@gmail.com. Joleo “Leo” Monsalud, RICP@ holds CA license # 0G55218. He studied for MBA and Law at the University of the Philippines. He worked for United Laboratories, Inc. where his last position held was vice-president in charge as general manager of a division. He helps people navigate the world of Medicare and Medi-Cal.

Saturday-Friday | November 21 - 27, 2020

Duterte grants active hazard duty pay to health front-liners MANILA (Mabuhay) — More than two months after President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act (Bayanihan 2), health front-liners will soon receive active hazard duty pay (AHDP) amid the prevailing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. This, after Duterte on Monday signed Administrative Order No. 35 authorizing the grant of AHDP to health front-liners. In signing the AO, Duterte recognized that human resources for health (HRHs) physically report to the frontlines in the fulfillment of their duties, and are inevitably exposed to health risks and hazards. "National government agencies, government-owned or -controlled corporations and local government units are hereby authorized to grant AHDP up to PHP3,000 per month to frontline HRHs which shall be in addition to any Hazard Pay, Hazardous Duty Pay, Hazard Allowance, Special Risk Allowance or other similar benefits under existing laws, issuances, rules, and regulations, and shall be exempt from income tax," the AO read. Frontline HRHs refer to medical, allied medical, and other personnel in the public sector, who are involved in the national healthcare response to mitigate the transmission of Covid-19 and prevent further loss of lives. They can be civilian employees occupying regular, contractual or casual positions, whether full or part-time or workers engaged through contract of service (COS) or job order (JO), including duly accredited and registered barangay health workers (BHWs), who are assigned to hospitals, laboratories or medical and quarantine facilities, and whose official duties and responsibilities are directly related to the healthcare response of the government to Covid-19. Under the AO, front line HRHs must physically report for work at their assigned work stations on the prescribed official working hours. The grant of the Covid-19 AHDP will be pro-rated based on the number of days that the front line HRHs physically report for work in a month, reckoned from Sept. 15 until Dec. 19. Consultants and experts engaged for a limited period to perform specific activities or services with expected outputs; laborers engaged through job contracts and those paid on piecework basis; student workers and apprentices; and individuals and group of individuals whose services are engaged through COS or JO, including BHWs, who are not assigned to hospitals, laboratories or medical and quarantine facilities will be excluded from the grant of AHDP. The fund for the implementation of the AO will be sourced from the PHP13.5 billion appropriated under Bayanihan 2. The Department of Budget and Management, in coordination with the Department of Health, will issue the guidelines necessary for the effective implementation of the order. The order takes effect immediately following its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. Last March, Duterte issued AO No. 26 granting a Covid-19 hazard pay at the rate of PHP500 per day to government workers who physically report for work. AO No. 26 funds were sourced from the already-lapsed Republic Act 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act (Bayanihan 1). (MNS)

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Duque urges Duterte to issue a COVID-19 vaccine emergency use EO

MANILA (Mabuhay) — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Tuesday night urged President Rodrigo Duterte to issue an executive order for a Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization on the COVID-19 vaccine. In a briefing with Duterte, Duque said the issuance of the EO will cut processing time from six months to 21 days. “We are respectfully requesting that you consider the issuance of the executive order for the FDA to grant an emergency use of authorization for the various vaccines that w i l l enter the country and for which applica-

SECRETARY FRANCISCO DUQUE III

tions are to be filed para mabilis po ito,” Duque said. “It will cut the processing time from 6 months to about 21 days so it will cut the red tape,” he added. With an EUA, Duque said the country can use medicines, vaccines, and other health technologies through the process of reliance and recognition. He said the EUA is a facilitated approval in the context of public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. “Ang reliance ay tumutukoy sa proseso ng pagtiwala ng ating FDA sa mga evaluations na ginawa sa national regular authority sa ibang bansa sa pagko-consider o pagdedesisyon nito ng mga application dito sa ating bayan,” Duque said. “Ang recognition naman ay ang routine na acceptance ng FDA ng regulatory decision ng ibang national regulatory authorities or ibang mga trusted institutions,” he added. Duque said the EUA may only be given if there is a medical health emergency, a serious or life-threatening disease, the product is proven effective to prevent, diagnose or treat the disease, there is a positive risk-benefit balance, and there is no adequate available alternative. “Ang FDA ang mariin pong magsasagawa ng post-marketing surveillance activities at ang EUA ay maaaring i-revise o i-revoke ng FDA kung kinakailangan upang maprotektahan kalusugan,” he said. (MNS)

COVID-19 testing for displaced families due to typhoon a challenge, Lorenzana says MANILA (Mabuhay) — The appeal for the conduct of COVID-19 testing among families displaced by the previous typhoons could be a challenge, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana admitted Tuesday. Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of an event at the Philippine Navy, Lorenzana suggested the strict monitoring of displaced individuals who are manifesting COVID-19 symptoms. "It will be a challenge kasi kung i-testing mo lahat 'yan, are we going to do it one by one? Siguro ang aking suggestion is to watch out for those with symptoms, nilalagnat, mga inuubo para di na lalala," Lorenzana said. At present, Lorenzana said there is no report about COVID-19 outbreaks in evacuation centers. "As of now, walang outbreak sa evacuation centers and we are very happy na walang outbreak pa diyan sa evacuation centers. Siguro walang nagdala doon, walang infected sa kanila na magkakalat ng virus. Hopefully, walang infection diyan," he said. Earlier, the OCTA Research Team called on local government units to provide adequate and accessible testing, effective contact tracing and supportive isolation facilities to families in evacuation centers so that transmission of COVID-19 will be prevented. "Given the reality that more typhoons are set to visit the country in the coming weeks, we suggest that LGUs seriously consider improving their current evacuation strategies and plans to prevent further viral transmissions during a disaster by ensuring that minimum health standards are followed in evacuation centers apart from the provision of adequate and accessible testing, effective contact tracing and supportive isolation facilities to families stranded in these facilities," the experts said. Typhoons Quinta, Rolly and Ulysses pounded several provinces, mostly in Luzon, making some families homeless and forcing them to stay in evacuation facilities. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said the transmission of COVID-19 in evacuation centers was a "very strong possibility." He noted that minimum health standards should be strictly observed in evacuation centers to avoid the spread of the disease. (MNS)

DILG nears its target of hiring 50,000 contact tracers MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is nearing its target of hiring 50,000 contact tracers to boost the government's efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic. Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Monday said a total of 46,338 contact tracers are deployed in various local government units across the country to assist in the government's response against the disease. "The low number of cases we are experiencing now is partly a result of our ramped up contact tracing capacity which immediately cuts the community trans-

mission once a COVID patient is identified," Año said in a press statement. “Our battle against COVID-19 is likely to be a long haul until our medical experts find a vaccine and a cure. With the help of the 46,338 contact tracers who are now embedded in the localities, the task of fighting and containing the virus will be much easier and will be carried out more efficiently," he added. He said a total of 6,664 qualified applicants nationwide are in the latter phase of the hiring process to determine who will fill the 50,000 target number. “We are geared towards completing the 50,000 contact tracers in compliance with the law and we are going to hire the remaining 4,000 within the week,” t he DILG ch ief stated. Ac c ord i ng to Año, the National Capital Region (NCR), as the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, obtained the most

number of contact tracers with 7,362. It was followed by Region III with 5,026 contact tracers; Region VII with 4,241; 3,679 for Calabarzon; 3,306 for Region VI; Region IX with 3,267; Region XI with 3,041; Region V with 2,736; CARAGA with 2,544; and, 2,000 for Region X. MIMAROPA has 1,529 new contact tracers while Region XII got 1,501. BARMM has 1,480 contact tracers; Region I with 1,445; Region VIII with 1,395; Region II with 1,215; and CAR with 571. He said the 46,338 new contact tracers are on top of the 97,400 contact tracers who were previously hired. Meanwhile, Año tasked localities in typhoon-hit areas to deploy their contact tracing teams in evacuation areas to assist in implementing minimum health standards, conducting health promotion among the evacuees, and distributing face masks and alcohol, among others. The DILG ensured that contact tracers are equipped with complete personal protective equipment (PPE), medical supplies, and other vital necessities in the performance of their duties. Contact tracers will earn a minimum of P18,784 per month on a contract of service status, the DILG said. (MNS)

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CEBU CITY

eyes new tourism products to attract more visitors

CEBU CITY – The Cebu City Tourism Commission (CCTC) here has bared plans to offer new tourism products to travelers visiting the provincial capital. CCTC chairperson Jocelyn Pesquera on Wednesday said they will be developing coastal tours in the city, which is hoped to become a new tourist draw as the industry eventually recovers next year. CCTC is looking to take advantage of the city’s long coastline stretching from the South Road Properties,

CUrfeW... from PAge 1 Heading into colder months and the flu season compounds the sense of urgency,'' Ferrer explained. On Friday, the following will go into effect: — Private outdoor gatherings may only include 15 people who are from no more than 3 households, including the host household. — The number of patrons at outdoor restaurants, breweries and wineries will be limited to 50% maximum outdoor capacity. Restaurants, breweries, wineries, bars, and all other non-essential retail establishments must close from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. This is not a curfew, but rather restrictions on operating hours. As permitted to operate, businesses can still offer pick-up and delivery services outside of these hours. — The number of customers at cardrooms, outdoor mini-golf, go-karts and batting cages will be limited to 50% maximum outdoor capacity. — Non-essential businesses permitted to operate indoors - including retail stores, offices, personal care services - will be limited to 25% of the maximum occupancy allowed. — Services at personal care establishments may only be provided by appointment to customers wearing face coverings by staff wearing face coverings. — Services that require either the customer or the staff to remove their face covering, such as facials and shaves, are not permitted. — Food and drinks cannot be served at these establishments to customers. In addition, the County has established thresholds for additional actions if cases and/or hospitalizations continue to increase. If the five-day average of cases is 4,000 or more or hospitalizations are more than 1,750 per day, outdoor and indoor dining at restaurants, breweries, wineries and bars will be prohibited and these businesses will only be able to offer pick-up and delivery services. If the five-day average of cases is 4,500 or more or hospitalizations are more than 2,000 per day, a Safer at Home Order will be mandated for three weeks. The Order would only allow essential and emergency workers and those securing essential services to leave their homes. In addition, a 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew would be mandated, with essential workers exempt.

which is seeing rapid commercial developments, to the city’s ports in the downtown areas. This also bodes well for the redevelopment project for the Carbon Public Market, which could soon become a new tourist attraction in the city’s downtown. Development works for the coastline tour project are expected to take off in 2021, Pesquera said in a statement. Further developing mountain tours will be also prioritized, she said, to offer tourists more outdoor experiences. In recent years, the city had seen the rise of farm tourism sites in the mountain barangays that give travelers an escape from the bustling city life. Pesquera also revealed that they plan to expand tour routes that would explore the city’s historical connections to the American and Japanese era. “We’re not limiting our tour routes to the Spanish era. We have structures here that trace back to the American and Japanese era. We just need to develop this with the help of the creative industry,” she said. Meanwhile, CCTC commissioner Butch Carungay emphasized the contribution the creative sector can bring to tourism. He added that the creative commu-

tOuriSM PLAN. The Magellan’s Cross is one of the frequently visited historical structures

in Cebu City. The Cebu City Tourism Commission has announced that it plans to develop new tourism products starting next year to help the industry recover from the coronavirus crisis and attract more visitors. (Photo courtesy of mycebu.ph)

nity will be closely working with the tourism industry on how they can further collaborate. Carungay is among those in the private sector who, together with the Department of Trade and Industry in Central Visayas, had worked hard for the designation of Cebu City as a creative city. He said CCTC is now exploring the prospect of experiential creative tourism in Cebu City, to diversity from the traditional mass cultural tourism, which mostly involves tangible heritage sites. While there aren’t concrete plans yet, Carungay noted they are working to “get this moving forward.” Part of the plan, he said, is to create

tours that allow tourists to discover and develop their own creative potential; and give more flexible and authentic experiences which can be co-created between the host and the tourist. “We just need to unlock synergies from, already, the intertwined sectors,” he said. Carungay said the city has to take advantage of its designation as a Creative City by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to further its tourism appeal. The city’s vibrant creative scene is already given, and it’s just a matter of bringing this to its good advantage by integrating it into the tourism sector, he pointed out. (PNA)

nos studying to be medical assistants, pharmacists and related pursuits. “The pharmacist has to speak Spanish. The pharmacy tech has to speak Spanish. We can't send our patient at the pharmacy and the pharmacist doesn't speak Spanish. Our treatment is not going to work,” said Loeza. “One of the most frustrating things during this pandemic is seeing that Latinos are dying more than any other group and knowing that some of the answers are that we need more Latinos in the health professions,” she said. Rosalie Garcia Bernal, a medical assistant at Kaiser Permanente, said she too was discouraged by a high school counselor from pursuing a medical career. She persisted nonetheless. Her first job was in

East San Jose where she spoke Spanish with patients all day long. “I didn’t realize the need in the community.” Bernal was hired by Kaiser because of her Spanish skills and has been interpreting there for over 30 years. She said that besides good and steady compensation, she has created a family relationship with many of the patients, who she first saw as babies, and are now bringing their babies to the clinic. Viviana Row, a recent immigrant from Colombia who recently completed the English readiness course, called it an excellent stepping stone in her dream to become a medical assistant. Information about the “Tu Nuevo Futuro” program can be accessed here: www.tunuevofuturo.com.

CoVID... from PAge 3 “The pandemic has really demonstrated that we need competent bilingual services at every hospital, and at every clinic,” said Armendariz, explaining that the quality of care improves if the provider and patient can understand each other. Dr. Margarita Loeza, chief information officer at the Venice Family Clinic in Southern California, said as a high school student with straight As, she was discouraged from pursuing medicine “because my skin is brown and I’m a woman.” The physician and her colleagues developed Mi Mentor — mimentor.org — which mentors under-represented students, including DACA recipients who are interested in medical careers. The program started out mentoring Latino medical students, but now supports Lati-

NAVY... from PAge 1 51), travels all over the world to visit various ports. "With the prevailing pandemic, however, the ROKN opted for an at-sea exercise with the PN on their way to Malaysia in lieu of a port visit," she added. The Passex is a customary undertaking to ensure that vessels and aircraft communicate and cooperate. It is also a form of rendering honors to transiting foreign naval vessels and affirms the strong ties between the Philippines and South Korea.

HoNTIVeroS:... from PAge 1 Roxas said the BRP Conrado Yap established communications with the ROKN ships at about 10 a.m., which was followed by low-altitude flybys by Philippine Air Force FA-50 PH jet fighters. "Part of the exercise was the transport of the South Korean-donated 10,000 pieces of face masks and 2,000 pieces of hand sanitizers to PS-39 through rigid inflatable boats. The gesture was inspired by South Korea's deep appreciation of the Philippines for being

the first Asian country to send troops in their support during the Korean War in 1950," she said. This was followed by the three ships' tactical maneuvers that culminated in a farewell sail. The ROKN has been among the key defense partners of the Navy with their contributions to the latter’s modernization. Most recent among these was the transfer of the former Pohang-class corvette, now the BRP Conrado Yap, to the Navy in 2019. (MNS)

sakuna at pandemya,” Hontiveros said in a statement. "The 144 session PhilHealth coverage isn’t just crucial just because we are in a public health emergency. Dialysis is life-saving, but it is a massive financial burden to have to cash out 12,000 pesos a week, with or without an economic crisis," she added. "Kaya iminumungkahi ko na gawing permanente ito para hindi na malito sa pabago-bagong polisiya." She also urged PhilHealth

to immediately release the implementing rules and regulations for the adjusted coverage of dialysis sessions so that there will be no room for excuses for erring health institutions. "I am warning non-compliant dialysis centers that your accreditation can and will be revoked if you do not follow the circular. Dapat mahigpit itong i-monitor ng PhilHealth, at sana tulungan din sila ng support groups,” Hontiveros said. (MNS)

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Saturday-Friday November 21 - 27, 2020 Visit www.Balita.com

Xian Lim reacts to being called ‘mayabang,’ ‘laos,’ ‘paminta’

ith a decade-long career in showbiz and as a public ﬁgure, Xian Lim has learned how to handle criticism and hateful comments about him.

Lim prefers to avoid them altogether, he said, but for the purpose of his latest YouTube vlog, the actor went through a compilation of “mean tweets” and reacted to each of them. Some of the t weets branded him as arrogant (“mayabang”) and unprofessional, while others pertained to his sexuality (“paminta,” “bakla”) and his status in showbiz (“laos”). As tweets describing him as arrogant came up

numerous times, Lim surmised that the impression may be due to his being an introvert. “Maybe iyon lang talaga ang dating ko,” he said. “Sabi nga nila, if you don’t know my phone number, you don’t know how to confront me, you don’t know how to ask

me any personal questions or whatever, hindi tayo close.” “Ibig sabihin, ‘pag hindi tayo close, medyo wala kayo sa boundaries na husgahan ako. Kung ano’ng napapanood niyo sa TV, kung ano’ng sinasabi ng news, kung ano’ng sinasabi ng write-up, maybe give it the benefit of the doubt. Maybe hindi siya totoo. Maybe totoo siya, pero hindi ako kung ano ‘yung iniisip ninyo.” Sharing his advice to anyone who may have similarly been the target of unfair comments, Lim said, “Do not take it too seriously.” “It’s easier said than done, pero kung papakinggan mo lahat ng sinasabi ng mga tao, you’re better than that. You’re worth more than that. You’re worth more t ha n t he comment they’re say i ng about you.” (MNS) XiaN lim

Angelica Panganiban defends Angel Locsin vs body shaming in viral module MANILA (Mabuhay) — Angelica Panganiban came to the defense of her co-star and close friend Angel Locsin, after the latter became the subject of an Occidental Mindoro education module that called her “obese.” In a photo of the module that circulated online over the weekend, Locsin was used as an example in the physical education portion, describing her as “obese” with mention of her supposed activities, including eating “fatty food” and “watching television at home.” As the photo went viral on social media, Panganiban was among the celebrities who called out the body shaming in

a material meant for students. “I don’t think nakaupo lang si Angel sa bahay niya at nanonood ng TV,” Panganiban wrote in a comment on a report from news website Rappler. “Busyng busy po siya tumulong sa mga nasalanta. Bakit hindi kayo dun mag focus? Sa kabutihan ng isang tao, lalo na ng kalooban niya.” Panganiban was referring to Locsin spearheading relief efforts for victims of Typhoon Ulysses and prior disasters. Locsin has reaped international recognition for her civic work. Notably she was included in Forbes Asia’s list of “Heroes of Philanthro-

Liza Soberano admits reassessing goals, ‘mission in life’

py” and Tatler Asia’s “Leaders of Tomorrow.” The Department of Education office in Occidental Mindoro issued an apolog y for the content o f t h e aNGeliCa PaNGaNibaN module, saying it did not go through the quality assurance procedure of its central office. It added that it “does aNGel loCsiN not tolerate nor condone any act of body shaming, sponse to the statement, urged an apology ad hominem or any simi- from the teacher behind the module, specifilar act of bullying both in cally to students whom she said were instead the physical and virtual taught “bad conduct” and “discrimination,” as opposed to the values expected from the environments.” Locsin, in her re- education system. (MNS) MANILA (Mabuhay) — Actress Liza Soberano explained her monthlong absence from social media, saying she has been taking time to reflect on her “mission in life.” On Tw it ter, t he Kapamilya star addressed her fans, writing: “Hi everyone! Sorry I’ve been MIA for a while. Just savoring the time I have with the people most special to me. “But I do constantly have all of you at the back of my mind and I just want to say thank you so much for all the love and support everyone has been showing me this past month.” Soberano is currently in the United States, where she is helping

care for her ailing grandmother. “It’s honestly been a very trying time for me and I wanted to express how I was feeling with all of you but it was just too soon for me,” she said. “I needed to take a break and think about life, my goals and what I think my mission is in life.” Soberano, 22, was recently the subject of controversy when a military official issued her a public warning for participating in a women’s welfare program of the rights group Gabriela. S ob era no’s pa r t in the virtual talk, where she urged influential personalities to speak up for those who are marginalized

including women and children, snowballed into the national discussion on “red-tagging,” with the likes of Catriona Gray and Angel Locsin being targeted, too, for their own advocacy. The past year had also been tumultuous for Soberano, whose pr i me t i me s e r ie s “Make It With You” was cancelled amid the coronavirus pandemic and the forced broadcast shutdown of her home network ABS-CBN. Those are aside from her personal situation. While Soberano has mentioned attending to her grandmother in the States, she has opted to keep details of her condition private. (MNS)

Marco Gumabao confessed getting attracted to Julia Barretto before MANILA (Mabuhay) — Marco Gumabao was put on the hot seat when he appeared as Julia Barretto’s first guest in her Drink and Spill series for her YouTube vlog. In the over 20-minute clip, Barretto and Gumabao talked about their friendship and matters of the heart while he applies make-up on her as they drink tequila. One question that caught Gumabao off guard was when Barretto directly asked him if there was ever a time that he got attracted to her. “Kapal ng mukha nito. Seryoso ka ba, tinatanong mo iyan?” reacted Gumabao upon hearing the question.

marCo GUmabao

Weekend

JUlia barretto

But he also did not waste time admitting that he once had a crush on Barretto. “Oo naman,” he said. “Back story lang. Before, siyempre, lagi kaming magkakasama every week. Three times a week, magkakasama kami, minimum iyon. Siyempre mahihirapan kang hindi ma-attract sa kaibigan mo, ‘di ba?” Nonetheless, Gumabao said he is grateful that he and Barretto decided to keep their friendship even after he confessed that to her. “Solid talagang kaibigan si Julia. Minalas siya kasi hindi niya ako sinagot. Dumaan naman ako before sa phase na I liked Julia. Bata pa talaga kami noon, 19 siya tapos ako mga 21 yata,” he said. Barretto said she was heartbroken at that time and she wasn’t ready to be in any relationship yet. “Sinabi ko naman sa kanya na I am so proud of you and it’s so brave of you to tell me how you feel about me, and I appreciate it. At that time, I wasn’t ready yet.,” she said. Barretto said she is just glad that they put a premium on their friendship. “You know, what’s great about that event happening in our friendship? We were never awkward after that. It never really did anything bad for our friendship. In fact, I think it made it stronger. As for him, I told him at that time, I said, I respect you so much,” she said. According to the two, they have known each other since they were kids because Gumabao’s father and Barretto’s aunt were friends. However, it was only when they were both under the same handler in Star Magic that they really became close. (MNS)

Saturday-Friday | November 21 - 27, 2020

Entertainment Fit Iza Calzado shows how far she’s come from COVID battle

MANILA (Mabuhay) — It was not too long ago when she said, in tears, that she’s “grateful for every day” after surviving the coronavirus. And it looks like Iza Calzado isn’t about to waste any of her days following that experience, working hard to get back into shape as part of her road back to full health. On Instagram, the “Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin” star shared a photo of her physique following an exercise routine. It was met positively, with many of her celebrity friends and followers praising her for looking extremely fit. It was doubly inspiring, given Calzado’s history with COVID-19 and its complications that can affect physical activities. The actress was one of the first-high profile celebrity cases of COVID-19 in the country, since making a full recovery. In a recent interview back in August, Calzado could not help but turn emotional as she expressed her gratefulness over how lucky she is to have had the chance to celebrate another birthday of hers. “This is probably the most meaningful birthday in my life thus far,” she said. “Thank you for being the first to sing happy birthday to me. I’m really grateful to be alive.” (MNS)

Megan Young and Mikael Daez reveal their worst fears MANILA (Mabuhay) — Megan Young and Mikael Daez just revealed their deepest, darkest fears in a special Halloween podcast this week. First, the actress and beauty queen openly revealed that she was easily spooked by anything scary in general, including heights, hospitals, and dark spaces. Mikael likewise admitted being afraid of simple things like sports injuries and cockroaches, but the Kapuso actor also had some deeply-rooted things to be scared about. "It’s [Mikael’s] fear that one day, I will not be able to take care of myself,” Megan shared. "One thing we constantly talk about or have intense discussions about is 'Bonez, 'wag mong pabayaan 'yung sarili mo,” she added. “You need to be able to take care of yourself so you can take care of the people around you.’ a.k.a. Fofo

MEGAN & MIKAEL and Soba,” she explained. Megan Young and Mikael Daez have been dating for more than eight years before finally tying the knot in a private ceremony in January this year.

As the couple spend their newlywed days at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have been sharing tons of relationship advice in a podcast called “#BehindRelationshipGoals.” (MNS)

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Kim Chiu rates her own horror movie ‘U-Turn’ MANILA (Mabuhay) — If she is going to rate her own horror flick “U-Turn” as to how scare it is, Kim Chiu said she would give it a score of nine, with 10 being the highest. In a video uploaded by Star Cinema, Chiu said this film is different from all the horror movies she’s done in the past because she worked hard to give it a different flavor. “Nanood ako ng mga news kasi isa siyang aspiring journalist na gustong sumikat. Nanood lang ako ng mga news kung paano nila sinasabi. Nanood din ako ng mga horror mov ies kahit takot ako, just to give a different flavor sa lahat ng mga horror movies na ginagawa ko,” she said. Chiu admitted that she herself was not spared by the movie’s frightening scenes. “Nagdu-dub pa lang ako, sumasakit na 'yung puso ko kasi nagugulat talaga ako. Meron na siyang sound effects, visual effects, nabuo na 'yung scene so nagugulat ako. Iba 'yung feeling. Ito 'yung movie na lumabas ako ng dubbing studio at nagpahinga ako at nanood ako ng Korean na sayaw kasi natakot talaga ako,” she said. The movie, directed by Derick Cabrido, has been in production prior to the quarantine. Star Cinema was only able to finish it after the restrictions on filming were eased. When asked about the most challenging part of filming during a pandemic, Chiu said: “Iba siyempre, dahil horror, marami kaming mga gapang-gapang, habulan. So maya’t maya nililinis 'yung sahig. Marami kang mga hinahawakan

KIM CHIU kasi kunyari natatakot ka. So ang hirap na sarili mo lang, hindi ka basta-basta maghahahawak ng kung ano ano kasi it’s also scary for your health.” Chiu said she is just fortunate that everyone were helping each other on the set. On her co-stars, Chiu said she had no problems acting alongside JM de Guzman and Tony Labrusca in this movie. “First time ko silang makatrabaho, both of them. They are both professionals. Actually 'yung buong set, parang feather, magaan. Walang stress and madali silang katrabaho. Si JM more on funny side, si Tony naman parang serious so mas madalas kong nakakakuwentuhan si JM,” she said. As a play on the title of the movie, Chiu was asked if there is any decision she has made that she wants to take a U-turn from. “No wala because my motto in life is everything happens for a reason. No regrets, just lessons learned,” she said. An adaptation of a 2016 Indian movie of the same name, "U-Turn" is Star Cinema's first fulllength film since the pandemic-induced lockdown. The mov ie star ted streaming online last October 30. (MNS)

Ivana Alawi shares reason why she's still single: 'Takot pa rin sila'

MANILA (Mabuhay) — Ivana Alawi has been single for a while now but the actress insists she is totally enjoying her life as a single woman. Alawi said she is having fun bonding with her family during this whole period of quarantine and that makes her time worthwhile. Alawi said she is also aware of the reason why some men refuse to pursue her. “Yung mukha ko daw nakaka-intimidate so lagi silang na-i-intimidate mukha ako. Minsan may mga taong na-

tatakot manligaw and hanggang ngayon ganun pa rin 'yung feeling. Takot pa rin sila manligaw,” she said laughing. Last month, Alawi also shared her thoughts about being tagged as every man’s fantasy woman. “Honestly hindi ko siya maintindihan kung bakit kasi hindi naman kami masyado natutuwa sa sarili ko. I am being myself tapos biglang ang dami,” she said during the second episode of “Ask Angelica.” “Nagsi-swimsuit lang na-

man ako, normal naman kasi para sa akin mag-swimsuit or mag-swimming and mag-picture in bikini,” she added. Insisting that she is not trying to be anything but her usual self, Alawi said it surprises her when she learns of couples breaking up because of her. Nonetheless, Alawi said she also receives and appreciates messages from netizens about women empowerment. “May mga babae na nagme-message na parang na-appreciate nila 'yung wom-

en empowerment. Nakakatuwa lang na I am just being myself and nagugustuhan ng tao which makes me very happy. But I don’t see myself as ‘Uy gayahin niyo ako guys.’ Hindi ako ganun eh,” she said. Alawi is one of the lead stars of the horror movie "Sitsit," which also features Jake Cuenca. Produced by Paulo Avelino and directed by Ato Bautista and Erin Pascual, "Sitsit" has been available for streaming on iWantTFC since October 31. (MNS)

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